Some consider Capt. Thomas Fallon an important part of history. Others call him a symbol of oppression and have long called for the removal of the downtown statue depicting Fallon on horseback raising the U.S. flag in San Jose in 1846. People on both sides will get a chance Jan. 29 to have their say...
Tenants mount courthouse protest to end evictions in Santa Clara County
Dozens of tenants and their advocates blocked the entrance to the Santa Clara County Superior Court in downtown San Jose this morning to protest ongoing evictions during the pandemic. Nine protesters were arrested after sheriff’s deputies declared the demonstration unlawful. The demonstrators successfully shut down the courts in the morning but judges resumed hearing cases...
Google’s plan to reduce car traffic, address homelessness at center of public feedback
As the city of San Jose and Google move toward transforming the city’s downtown, residents are casting wary eyes on their plans to reduce car traffic and address homelessness in the area. Downtown Councilmember Raul Peralez, whose district encompasses downtown, hosted a community meeting for San Jose’s Diridon Station Area Plan (DSAP) and Google’s Downtown...
UPDATE: Meet the seven finalists vying to be San Jose’s next police chief
Seven finalists will now vie for the San Jose Police Department’s top job. After putting a two-week pause on police chief recruitment to find candidates from outside San Jose, City Manager Dave Sykes announced two new contenders. The first is Larry Scirotto, a retired assistant chief from Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. The second is Anchorage...
UPDATE: San Jose approves extending eviction ban to protect renters
San Jose leaders aren’t waiting for California to make a move this week to protect renters and acted quickly Tuesday to halt local evictions during the COVID-19 crisis. Since the state’s eviction ban is set to expire Jan. 31, the San Jose City Council voted unanimously to enact an eviction ban until March. In the...
San Jose funeral homes struggling to keep up with COVID-19 deaths
Tom Beddingfield prides himself in being a yes man. In the funeral industry, it’s a must: With families grieving, the last thing some families want to hear is no. “In all the years I’ve been doing this, my biggest thing that I’ve always told my staff is that never tell a family no, whatever their...
San Jose school district accused of hiring allegedly shady contractor
A labor watchdog organization is accusing the San Jose Unified School District of hiring contractors and subcontractors that allegedly skirted California labor laws. The labor watchdog Foundation for Fair Contracting wrote letters to district Superintendent Nancy Albarrán in December accusing Glendora-based California Commercial Pools Inc., a contracting firm, of failing to comply with the state’s skilled and...
San Jose’s only Black administrator is breaking barriers in a male-dominated world
As a child, San Jose’s Planning Director Rosalynn Hughey was fascinated by her father’s work. He was a contractor, who built single-family homes from the ground up. She watched in envy as her brothers tagged along to help him create. This was the ’70s and Hughey was a girl — girls, at least in her...
San Jose advocates call Biden’s immigration plan unjust
As President Joe Biden was inaugurated at the nation’s Capitol, San Jose residents gathered to demand legal status for the country’s 11 million undocumented residents. “What do we want?” they shouted. “Papers! When do we want them? Now!” Local advocates since November have pressed the Biden administration to prioritize comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway to...
San Jose lights up landmarks to remember COVID-19 victims
Five of San Jose’s most recognizable landmarks lit up in a warm amber light Tuesday night to honor the lives lost to COVID-19. The remembrance was part of a national movement as part of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. The sites included San Jose City Hall, Earthquakes Stadium,...