Catch up on our current Coronavirus LIVE BLOG here. 4:40 p.m. May 20: University of California schools will be open in the fall, president says The University of California system — with 10 schools serving more than 285,000 students — is set to open this fall using a mix of in-person and online classes, according to President Janet...
Santa Clara County commissioner resigns following Cesar Chavez remarks
A Santa Clara County commissioner has resigned under pressure, two weeks after she ruffled feathers by questioning Cesar Chavez’s ties to the city in a San José Spotlight article. April Halberstadt, a working historian and member of the Historical Heritage Commission, submitted her letter of resignation Wednesday, according to Megan Doyle, clerk of the Board of Supervisors. In a May...
San Jose moves forward with mandatory face coverings
San Jose leaders on Tuesday unanimously approved moving forward with a mandatory face covering requirement, despite concerns from San Jose law enforcement that it would criminalize residents. The proposal, authored by Vice Mayor Chappie Jones and Councilmember Sergio Jimenez, would require most people to wear a mask every time they step outside. The new directive...
Santa Clara: Suds Jain begins campaign for District 5 City Council seat
Suds Jain is a familiar face at Santa Clara City Hall, but now the retired engineer, high school robotics coach and city Planning Commissioner has filed paperwork to run for the City Council, with hopes of filling the District 5 seat vacated by Patricia Mahan in February. Mahan resigned in February due to medical reasons. Jain unsuccessfully...
Santa Clara’s second top cop leaving for a job in tech
An 18-year-old Dan Winter picked up his badge and gun right out of high school in 1988. Now 32 years later, he’s decided to retire from the Santa Clara Police Department as soon as he reached retirement age, turning 50 Tuesday. “I’ve been at it a long time, so it was time to try something...
San Jose: Primary opponents endorse in county, state races
After running a campaign against Kansen Chu, San Jose Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco has endorsed the assemblyman in his quest to win a seat on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Carrasco and Chu faced off in a four-way race in the March primary to replace Supervisor Dave Cortese, who is terming out of office...
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Officials defend plan to close San Jose hospital’s maternity ward
Citing a declining birth rate in San Jose, Regional Medical Center plans to close its obstetrics department at the end of this month — redirecting patients about to give birth to its sister facility, Good Samaritan, or to county-owned hospitals such as O’Connor Hospital and Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. The move, which hospital officials...
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After outcry, San Jose commissioner questioning Cesar Chavez explains
The history of people, places and events survives by being passed down through generations, whether written in books, told through oral accounts or painted on walls. Cesar Chavez is one such figure, living in East San Jose during his beginnings as a community organizer and labor champion and working to bolster the rights of the...
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San Jose: Viva Calle on the chopping block of new budget
One of the South Bay’s most popular outdoor events is the latest casualty of the coronavirus pandemic — and its return is uncertain. Viva Calle, which debuted in 2015 and drew more than 100,000 bicyclists and pedestrians to explore the open streets of San Jose, is on the chopping block in City Manager Dave Sykes’...
From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, ‘unprecedented’ deficits caused by COVID-19 pandemic
Governments from Sacramento to San Jose City Hall are facing historic budget deficits caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, often having to solve these crises in virtual meetings as the region nears its eighth week in quarantine. “We are at a time that’s simply unprecedented,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday in announcing his revised budget proposal...