As members of the Santa Clara City Council raise the LGBTQ Pride flag at City Hall Friday morning, a 25-year-old city policy denied a gay commissioner from standing in as a last-minute replacement. When Vice Mayor Karen Hardy, a math and computer science teacher at Wilcox High School, recently learned that she had the opportunity...
Hapless thieves target San Jose dispensaries for brazen burglaries after curfew
Two San Jose cannabis dispensaries were burglarized early Tuesday morning by groups of thieves hoping for a big score — the latest crime spree in a trend of looters, burglars and robbers targeting dispensaries in the Bay Area and nationwide. The pattern emerged as major cities, including San Jose, enforced curfews to control protests against...
Chamber CEO set to lead San Jose councilmember office
Nick Kaspar, president and CEO of the Silicon Valley Central Chamber of Commerce, is leaving the world of business and stepping into politics at San Jose City Hall. Kaspar will be Councilmember Maya Esparza’s chief of staff starting June 15, leaving behind a daunting three years at the helm of the Santa Clara-based chamber. “The...
Santa Clara County expands child care services during coronavirus crisis
Child care providers in Santa Clara County are struggling to stay afloat as their costs have burgeoned during the coronavirus pandemic. “These child care businesses could go away if we don’t figure out a way to get them funding as soon as possible. We need these small businesses to thrive,” Supervisor Cindy Chavez told San...
Community leader Harbir Kaur Bhatia running for Santa Clara City Council
Longtime civic entrepreneur and organizer Harbir Kaur Bhatia threw her name into the ring for Santa Clara City Council Tuesday. Running for the District 1 seat held by Councilmember Kathy Watanabe, she said her background in grassroots organizing would be an asset at City Hall. Bhatia said she’d push for a better quality of life, more diverse voices...
Coronavirus LIVE BLOG: May 21 to June 3
Catch up on our current Coronavirus LIVE BLOG here. 10 p.m. June 3: Santa Clara County supervisors approve child care, financial assistance On Tuesday, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a proposal to devote more than $2.5 million for child care programs in the county, drawing from the federal government’s $2.2 trillion coronavirus...
San Jose lawmakers vote to end curfew Thursday morning
After a widespread community outcry, San Jose lawmakers approved ending the citywide curfew at 5 a.m. Thursday and requiring city administrators to seek City Council approval to reinstate it. Under a motion by Councilmember Raul Peralez, police would still enforce the curfew Tuesday and Wednesday, but would assess how San Jose fares without it Thursday night....
Hundreds volunteer to clean vandalism from San Jose protests
Hundreds lined up to volunteer outside San Jose City Hall on Tuesday to clean up graffiti downtown from the ongoing George Floyd protests. The supply of roughly 150 cleaning kits that staff from Beautify SJ and San Jose’s anti-graffiti and anti-litter programs distributed to volunteers ran out less than an hour after the event kicked...
I’m a journalist who was detained by San Jose police for doing my job
When I woke up Sunday morning, I didn’t expect to be detained by police in a stranger’s backyard later that day. I was called in to cover the third straight day of George Floyd protests in San Jose for San José Spotlight, but this time there was a citywide curfew starting at 8:30 p.m. until...
In-store retail, outdoor dining, religious services to resume in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County health officials announced Monday they will amend the shelter-in-place order to allow in-store retail, outdoor dining, childcare for all families as well as religious, cultural and civic activities previously prohibited to reduce the spread of COVID-19. With the revised order effective Friday, Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said progress with testing,...