Santa Clara County officials are standing back while the presence of federal agents escalates around county jails, even after the county declared its properties off limits to immigration officers. On Wednesday at about 10 p.m., Rapid Response Network volunteers confirmed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents had pursued a car leaving Elmwood Correctional Facility carrying two...
Dolores Huerta’s legacy will forever shape Silicon Valley
Dolores Huerta, the pioneering labor organizer who co-founded the United Farm Workers and spent decades fighting for farmworkers’ rights, has died at 96, leaving behind a legacy that continues to shape San Jose and the South Bay. Huerta’s influence in the region lives on through generations of organizers who fought alongside her, community groups inspired...
Santa Clara County opens long overdue youth psychiatric hospital
For years, children in need of acute psychiatric care in Santa Clara County were being shipped hours away to get treatment. That is about to change as the county opens a new inpatient behavioral health facility for youth. The Behavioral Health Pavilion, located on the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Campus (VMC), will give 35...
Santa Clara County report shows increased property values
Santa Clara County property values have increased faster than last year, although overall growth has remained below 5% as economic uncertainty and changes in the real estate market continue to shape the region. The total net assessed value of all real estate and personal property — known as the assessment roll — reached a record...
Will new state laws reduce dangerous e-bike riding in Silicon Valley?
Los Gatos community leaders are optimistic that new state laws will help control unsafe behavior by riders of electric bicycles and get illegal e-bikes off the streets. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed four recent bills that crack down on selling so-called “e-motos” that can exceed the speed limit for legal e-bikes; require more safety gear on...
South Bay ICE concerns won’t stop Día de los Muertos events
Dozens of altars honoring loved ones who have died will return to Mexican Heritage Plaza in East San Jose for Avenida de Altares, with an eye on safety for people celebrating. Organizers are moving forward with Día de los Muertos celebrations across the South Bay while taking steps to prepare for potential U.S. Immigration and...
South Bay socialist group’s membership swells
Mirroring the growth of an energized national socialist movement in the U.S., the South Bay chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America has been expanding rapidly — and the group is flexing its growing political muscle this election cycle as it organizes in support of progressive ballot measures. Just a few years ago, Silicon Valley...
Silicon Valley Black business group gets first female president
The Silicon Valley Black Chamber of Commerce has made history by choosing its first female president — a longtime member with an empowering personality. Alicia Owens is the new chamber president and executive director of entrepreneurial development, and plans to waste no time upping the presence of the organization. Owens said she wants the Silicon...
Resident poll shows mixed feelings on living in Bay Area
Bay Area residents overwhelmingly think their lives are headed in the right direction, even as they see the region moving down the wrong track. That’s one of the key takeaways from the annual Silicon Valley Poll, released last week by local think tank Joint Venture Silicon Valley, with 81% of the 1,800 adults surveyed in...
Santa Clara County residents urged to mail back ballots early
Residents across Santa Clara County are receiving their mail-in ballots ahead of the Nov. 3 election, and local election officials are urging them to vote early. Vote by mail packets are going out to more than 1 million active registered voters in Santa Clara County this week. To ensure all votes are counted, officials with...