An East San Jose recycling company agreed to settle unfair labor practice charges with drivers who said they were wrongfully laid off for trying to unionize. But it wasn’t exactly the deal they were looking for. Drivers at waste management company Premier Recycle went almost three years without a labor contract and faced a “vicious...
Ex-San Jose official pleads ‘no contest’ to child sex abuse charges
Disgraced former San Jose councilmember Omar Torres has pleaded “no contest” to charges he molested a minor relative in the 1990s – on the same day downtown residents vote for his replacement in a special election. Torres made the plea in Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Cynthia Sevely’s courtroom Tuesday. The 43-year-old ex-councilmember faces...
San Jose police and fire unions want reserve funds to fill vacancies
Union leaders representing hundreds of San Jose police officers, firefighters and other workers said they shouldn’t be dealing with service and staffing cuts when the city has millions in reserve funds. Leaders with the San Jose Police Officers’ Association and San Jose Fire Fighters Local 230 are arguing the city has the necessary funding to...
San Jose special election PAC spending tops $800K
Spending has skyrocketed on the eve of San Jose’s special election, which will determine who will represent downtown on the City Council. Heading into Election Day, Matthew Quevedo, deputy chief of staff for Mayor Matt Mahan, is holding on to his fundraising lead with about $271,000 raised, according to recent campaign filings. Among the seven...
Proposed San Jose Chick-fil-A would be first in West San Jose
The largest fast-food chicken sandwich chain in the U.S. wants its next San Jose location to be the city’s most pedestrian-friendly restaurant. Chick-fil-A is seeking approval from city officials to add another eatery in San Jose with outdoor seating and no drive-thru at 1301 West San Carlos St. A spokesperson previously told San José Spotlight they...
San Jose homeless people say police citations are harassment
San Jose police continue to issue handwritten tickets to homeless people even after the department switched to electronic citations — a practice that is raising questions. Four homeless residents encamped near Cherry Avenue along the Guadalupe River said police regularly patrol the area and give out tickets for trespassing and littering. The behavior has those...
On the Record: San Jose’s District 3 special election
In a few days, voters in San Jose’s downtown core will head to the polls to elect their next councilmember. The April 8 special election will bring new leadership to the San Jose City Council District 3 seat that’s been vacant since November. The former councilmember, Omar Torres, resigned in disgrace after he was arrested...
San Jose homeless people struggle with clean water sources
Dozens of homeless residents living at Columbus Park in San Jose have struggled to get drinking water, as local sources in the park have been off and on for weeks. Residents encamped in RVs and vehicles said they used to get their drinking water from fountains in the park, but the city shut the water...
Mental health facility expands San Jose services
An upcoming mental health inpatient facility is set to treat dozens of teens and adults in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood, though nearby residents are raising concerns. The San Jose Planning Commission unanimously approved plans March 26 for the conversion of an existing office building at 913 Willow St. to a 48-bed mental health inpatient...
San Jose to further study feasibility of airport connector
San Jose is trying to protect public dollars while still moving forward on a next generation transportation project connecting the city’s airport and downtown train station. The San Jose City Council unanimously approved plans March 25 to move forward with a more detailed ridership study, financial forecasting and initial construction plans for the airport connector,...