Alviso, despite its quaint small-town charm, isn’t primed as a go-to destination as much as neighboring Willow Glen or downtown San Jose. One San Jose councilmember even called it the “forgotten stepchild” of the city. Topgolf San Jose, a gleaming multi-story golf entertainment center, looks to change that. “This is historic,” said Richard Santos, a longtime Alviso resident...
Santa Clara County to redistribute COVID-19 fines to small businesses
Santa Clara County will begin the process of returning thousands of dollars in COVID-19 safety violation fines back to small businesses. Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to create a grant program that redistributes money collected from pandemic-related health and safety violations back to local businesses. Once developed, the county is expected to partner with local financial...
San Jose business group may have violated rules in CEO hiring
Silicon Valley’s powerful chamber of commerce announced its new CEO a week before its Board of Directors could vote to approve it—an apparent violation of its bylaws. And now some of the group’s top leaders are questioning the hiring process and calling it flawed. The Silicon Valley Organization, plagued by months of scandal over a...
Is San Jose still the 10th largest U.S. city?
The heart of Silicon Valley might have lost its claim to fame as the 10th largest city in the nation. During a Charter Review Commission meeting Monday night, San Jose State University retired political science professor Terry Christensen made a statement that raised eyebrows during his presentation: the city of Austin, Texas surpassed San Jose in...
Santa Clara settles in district election case
Santa Clara’s fight to reinstate at-large council elections is over, ending a battle by five plaintiffs who accused the city of shutting out voters of color. Santa Clara reached a settlement of $712,500 Tuesday night with five Asian Americans who filed a suit in 2017, alleging that the city’s at-large council system violated the California...
Santa Clara County lags behind in COVID vaccination rates
Santa Clara County’s COVID-19 vaccination rates continue to lag behind other large counties in the Bay Area. Officials hope a new federal vaccine supply will help close the gap. The county celebrated last week as it received an extra 300,000 doses from a federal program, releasing thousands of additional appointments across the South Bay. All Californians...
San Jose prepares for public reaction to Chauvin verdict
San Jose officials are preparing for demonstrations following the verdict reached by jurors in the case of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. On Tuesday afternoon, jurors found Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd. He faces up to 75 years behind bars. Top city...
Silicon Valley unemployment rate drops during slow recovery
A new jobs analysis from a regional nonprofit think tank suggests Silicon Valley is slowly recovering from the economy’s tumble last year. But the region has a long way to go before getting to pre-pandemic levels. The data analysis comes from Joint Venture Silicon Valley’s Institute for Regional Studies, the nonprofit’s research arm that publishes the Silicon...
First 100 days: Has County Supervisor Otto Lee kept his campaign promises?
Santa Clara County District 3 Supervisor Otto Lee claimed victory in November following an ugly contest with candidates exchanging barbs over campaign finance and racial comments. On the campaign trail, Lee promised broader rent relief for tenants, a more aggressive plan to combat homelessness and labor-related proposals, including hazard pay. Since taking office, Lee introduced a grant...
Illegal dumping in San Jose could soon cost $10,000
Throwing a mattress by the side of the freeway or a bag of trash on a city sidewalk could soon cost $10,000. A pair of San Jose officials want to crack down on illegal dumping by quadrupling fines residents would face if they’re caught. Right now, fines begin at $2,500 but they could start at...