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San José Spotlight this week won the prestigious Publisher of the Year award from the Local Independent Online News (LION) Publishers, recognizing our nonprofit newsroom among the top news publications in the country. LION Publishers is an association of more than 300 independent online media operations across the U.S. “This award reaffirms why we started...
San Jose’s new city attorney fought for women to have a voice
When Nora Frimann walked into a courtroom early in her career in the 1980s, she said people assumed she was a court reporter. She went on to become a managing partner at Hoge Fenton, a leading San Jose law firm, in 1990, a time when few women practiced law, especially litigation. And now Frimann has...
Residents tell San Jose what they want in new police chief as search begins
In its quest to hire its next police chief, San Jose hosted its first virtual community meeting to see what residents are looking for. After months of heated debate surrounding police reform at city council, residents came to the Oct. 21 meeting with a unified message: San Jose needs a police chief who will engage...
Balance of power on San Jose council hangs on November election
San Jose voters face a critical decision this election: vote in the new progressive candidates promising to shake the status quo on the City Council, or maintain the current leadership which has faced a number of split votes between business versus labor interests. Over the past four years, the council has voted 6-5 on many...
UPDATE: San Jose approves plan to keep homeless sheltered through winter and beyond
More than 200 San Jose residents seeking shelter this winter will be guaranteed meals and a place to rest following a decision by city leaders to keep emergency shelters up and running. The San Jose City Council is also looking beyond temporary solutions and unanimously voted Oct. 20 to purchase a 72-unit hotel to use...
San Jose mayor wants to know what to do about controversial Fallon statue
The flames set to the statue of Capt. Thomas Fallon during a downtown San Jose protest last month have sparked a debate about whether to remove the sculpture. Mayor Sam Liccardo posted on his government Facebook page Oct. 12 he wants to start a conversation about the statue and have residents come up with a...
San Jose to test gunshot detection technology
San Jose is testing out a new gunshot detection program that aims to reduce violence in the city and help police respond faster. The program will be tested in the Cadillac Winchester area, where violent crime has been an ongoing issue, according to Vice Mayor Chappie Jones. “There’s been a couple of homicides over the...
San Jose police union unleashes $100K to target council candidate it says hates cops
Following the death of George Floyd, Jake Tonkel attended rallies and live streamed videos on his Facebook showing protesters demanding police departments be defunded. Some protesters held signs calling cops bastards. In response, the San Jose Police Officers’ Association spent close to $100,000 on ads and messaging to defeat Tonkel, and sent an email to...
What San Jose’s new racial equity chief aims to achieve
Zulma Maciel says she envisions a world where race no longer determines a person’s socioeconomic, education and health outcomes. Maciel, who this month was appointed as the first director of the newly-created Office of Racial Equity in San Jose, aims to advance this vision by embedding a culture of equity in city departments through incremental...
New space for yoga, worship divides San Jose residents
A vacant building on 796 Delmas Avenue will soon become a place for yoga, meditation and religious worship, but residents are pushing back, saying the proposal does not fit the community’s needs. “I’m a little disappointed that further dialogue didn’t happen,” Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco said after joining the rest of the City Council Oct. 6...