The San Jose City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved making massive cuts to the city budget for the fiscal year, as officials brace for an expected shortfall of least $45 million due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s going to be a long road for us,” Budget Director Jim Shannon said. “When we released our forecasts...
Update: Santa Clara expands small business program, swears in police chief
Santa Clara leaders on Tuesday approved an additional $300,000 — for a total of $800,000 — in city funding to help small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. The city’s Small Business Assistance Grant Program, which began April 15, was set to distribute $500,000 to small companies experiencing financial hardship due to the impacts of the...
Unsung heroes of Silicon Valley: Moses Arroyo
Underneath the city of San Jose runs 2,000 miles of sanitary pipe that serve more than 1 million people. Each year, those in the city’s Department of Transportation’s Sanitary Sewer division clean more than 900 miles of pipe and complete more than 500 repairs. The dangerous work is done underground with sharp tools at depths of 40...
Coronavirus: Bay Area’s stay-home order will be extended through May
Bay Area residents will continue to shelter in place through May, the top health officials across the region announced Monday, about one week before the current order to stay-home was set to expire. The official order will come “later this week,” according to a joint statement by the seven Bay Area health officers who have...
San Jose Police Chief talks crime trends during COVID-19 shutdown
Serious crime rates in San Jose have dropped while the city’s nearly 1.1 million residents shelter in place, but concerns still linger, particularly for business owners and domestic violence victims, according to Police Chief Eddie Garcia. Garcia addressed some of those concerns Thursday in an hour-long webinar, moderated by the Silicon Valley Organization’s President and CEO Matt Mahood and incoming...
Unsung heroes of Silicon Valley: Michael Catalana
From coaching high school sports to serving as a community service officer in the San Jose Police Department, Michael Catalana is a team player through and through. Since the coronavirus hit the South Bay, Catalana and his fellow CSOs have been out in the neighborhoods handling non-emergency calls, collecting crime scene evidence and interviewing witnesses....
San Jose: Battle over Fair Elections Initiative goes to court — but who will pay?
After admitting to errors counting signatures for a contentious San Jose ballot initiative, top Santa Clara County elections officials are suing the city to demand it pay for a recount of nearly 100,000 signatures. The lawsuit — filed by the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters — aims to reverse a decision the office made in March when...
Coronavirus: Milpitas first in Santa Clara County to require face coverings
Milpitas became the first Santa Clara County city to require face coverings this week in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Beginning Friday, workers and customers must wear masks inside essential businesses in the South Bay city. The city’s actions come as six Bay Area counties now require face coverings when in public, including...
Silicon Valley Holocaust remembrances keep memories alive — virtually
Tamar Jacobs has for years recounted memories of living in Nazi Germany alongside family, friends and Jewish community members. This year she took part in Holocaust Remembrance Day while standing in front of a camera. Sheltering at home during COVID-19 mitigation efforts in Santa Clara County, the 91-year-old Holocaust survivor was interviewed for one of...
Santa Clara County had the first U.S. coronavirus deaths, officials say
Santa Clara County may have had the earliest coronavirus-related deaths in the nation, pointing to weeks of the virus circulating in the county before anyone realized, according to new autopsy information revealed this week. The county’s medical examiner-coroner released data on three newly identified coronavirus cases that resulted in death dating back to February 6....