San Jose’s Vietnamese community sees no shortage of milestones, activism and political drama every year — 2025 was no exception. Little Saigon’s iconic community gathering space – a commercial plaza known as Vietnam Town – is facing a reckoning. The death of a beloved immigrant pioneer has prompted new urgency, from leaders he mentored, to...
San Jose historic Mineta home sold to church honors its legacy
The historic home of San Jose’s first Asian American mayor now belongs to a local church with deep roots in Japantown’s community. Wesley United Methodist Church purchased the childhood home of Norman Yoshio Mineta last summer and spent the last year and half renovating the nearly 100-year-old house. The Mineta house, which sits across the...
San Jose adds AI tools to its disaster tactics
San Jose faces a wide array of disaster risks — everything from wildfires to floods and mass shootings — each of which poses its own difficult questions for emergency management officials tasked with leading the city’s evacuation efforts. But those emergency planners will soon get a high-tech assist in these life-or-death calls from a cutting-edge,...
2025 in review: Silicon Valley’s biggest stories
It was a transformational year for Silicon Valley. A county assessor’s 30-year reign came to an end. Two city leaders were sentenced in court. Superintendent firings and mass layoffs rocked a host of local schools. And a judge brought an end to a historic transit labor strike. But for each chapter that was closed this...
‘A charming little place’: Willow Glen dog boutique is closing
Willow Glen’s main drag is about to lose its bark, and dog lovers are devastated. Gussied Up Dog Boutique, at 1310 Lincoln Ave., will be closing once the store’s inventory is gone. The store’s landlord declined to renew the lease, citing major plumbing repairs. “Hearing all the stories, how much this store means to people,...
San Jose shopping cart crackdown could be costly
As part of a year-long effort to rein in San Jose’s problem with abandoned shopping carts, the city has been reviewing proposals to hire a company to retrieve and return carts to grocery stores. A three-month pilot program shows such a retrieval service could easily recoup its costs through fees charged to grocers. However, the hundreds of...
State recognizes San Jose’s Japantown as a cultural district
For community leaders in San Jose’s Japantown, receiving statewide recognition as a cultural district affirms what they already know about the historic neighborhood. After a competitive process of more than 70 applicants, Japantown is one of 10 neighborhoods chosen last week to be a state-designated cultural district. This recognition provides the district with a $10,000...
San Jose to ring in new year with business tax amnesty
The new year will bring with it a chance for San Jose’s 96,000 registered businesses to square their overdue tax bills with the city — without paying a late fee. Beginning Jan. 1, the city will roll out a year-long business tax amnesty program. For businesses making late payments under the program, the city will...
Longtime San Jose mayoral chief of staff leaves for new role
In a San Jose City Hall shakeup, longtime mayoral chief of staff Jim Reed announced Thursday he is leaving to lead a statewide policy initiative launched by Mayor Matt Mahan earlier this year. Reed has been a central figure in City Hall politics for more than a decade, having served as chief of staff for...
San Jose cracks down on Vietnam Town mismanagement
San Jose officials have long known about mismanagement concerns surrounding Little Saigon’s signature commercial center. But now they’re taking action this week after San José Spotlight’s reporting and a lawsuit by merchants showed the extent of Vietnam Town’s neglect. The city’s Planning, Building and Code Enforcement Department has ordered Vietnam Town management to remove barricades...