As the infectious COVID-19 Delta variant continues to sweep the nation, federal and local officials are rolling out a plan to offer booster shots to vaccinated individuals as early as September. Federal officials announced a plan last week to make booster shots available by the week of Sept. 20, pending further reviews. Adults with two doses of the...
San Jose residents protest jail plans, call for sheriff to step down
Group chants and black masks: that was the scene Friday outside the Santa Clara County Jail as more than two dozen residents and advocates protested for alternatives and reforms to the current system. Led by Silicon Valley De-Bug, protesters gathered at the corner of West Hedding Street and North San Pedro Street to amplify a...
Santa Clara County registrar ready for recall election
Anticipation surrounding a potential replacement for Gov. Gavin Newsom could contribute to high voter turnout for the upcoming Sept. 14 recall election. Shannon Bushey, registrar of voters for Santa Clara County, estimates a 50-60% voter turnout for the recall election. Part of the reason, Bushey said, is because residents have been expecting the recall election for...
SVO rebrands to San Jose Chamber of Commerce
San Jose’s largest business organization got a facelift with a new CEO in the spring. Now it’s changing its name too. The Silicon Valley Organization, a business chamber that represents more than 1,000 companies in the city, will now be called the San Jose Chamber of Commerce—bringing the city’s name back into the organization for the...
San Jose fare inspectors faced hostile work environment, VTA records show
Fare inspectors at VTA complained numerous times about management who contributed to a toxic work culture, including an alleged physical assault on one employee, according to new records obtained by San José Spotlight. In 2017, a VTA fare inspector filed a workplace violence report that accused a supervisor named Ronald Freeman of intentionally bumping into him...
Residents want to recall Santa Clara County supervisors
An effort to recall the top elected officials in the county is starting—but organizers are still gathering volunteers before hitting the streets to canvas for signatures. Jeff Roberts, a Santa Clara County resident inspired by the campaign to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom, is trying a similar strategy to remove the entire Board of Supervisors for...
VTA: Silicon Valley light rail could reopen this weekend
VTA has finally set a target date for a partial reopening of its light rail that could happen as soon as this weekend. Officials confirmed Tuesday the transit agency is beginning test runs of its light rail service, marking the first time the trains have left the Guadalupe rail yard in almost three months. VTA hopes to...
Former San Jose reporter calls out DA for alleged victim’s rights violation
Paul Gackle barely survived being stabbed 14 times in his home. Four years later, he’s broke and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, but is determined to not be victimized again. Earlier this month, an advocate launched a petition for Gackle calling on the California Victims Compensation Board to pay him for wages lost following a horrifying...
COVID strikes Santa Clara County Assessor’s Office weeks after workers return
Two employees at the Santa Clara County Assessor’s Office recently tested positive for COVID-19, causing some workers to question whether they went back to work too soon. Employees who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation told San José Spotlight the office was notified of a positive infection on Aug. 13, less than one month after...
Growing diversity in San Jose could signal rise in progressive politics
The new census data released this month paints a clear picture of the rapidly growing diversity in Santa Clara County, and those numbers could signal a rise in progressive politics. With the white population plummeting for the first time in the nation, the Asian population is now the largest ethnic group the county. Asians represent 38.9%...