As California recovers from the pandemic job loss, the demand for food pantries in San Jose remains at a record high with no signs of declining. “We are not seeing a significant decrease (in the need for food pantries),” said Cat Cvengros, spokesperson for local food bank Second Harvest of Silicon Valley. “The biggest reason...
Santa Clara County cracks down on student absenteeism
More than 25,000 Santa Clara County students are chronically absent from school each year. Elected officials want to change that. The county Board of Supervisors this week voted unanimously to create a plan and funding options to address the issue. County leaders hope that contracts and a work plan are ironed out for the start...
South Bay panel discusses violence against Asian Americans
Violence against Asian Americans has increased since the start of the pandemic, but isn’t new to American history. That was the focus of a panel hosted earlier this month by Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian and Asian Americans for Community Involvement. The panel on violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community...
UPDATE: Santa Clara County adopts Laura’s Law
Twenty years after California gave counties the option to create court-ordered psychiatric treatment programs, Santa Clara County supervisors have “opted in” to the legislation. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to opt in to Laura’s Law and begin creating an assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) program that legally requires individuals struggling with severe mental illness...
Santa Clara County sweetens the deal to get vaccinated
Boba, professional athlete meet-and-greets, live music and Starbucks gift cards are a few things you might expect to see if you’re getting vaccinated nowadays in Santa Clara County. Now that more than 1 million county residents are fully vaccinated, officials are offering a carrot for the rest of the population to get at least 85%...
Santa Clara County pilots program to combat wage theft
Santa Clara County is doubling down on its efforts to eliminate wage theft following a report showing $128 million in unpaid fees. Earlier this month, the county launched a pilot program that proactively identifies contractors working with the county who have outstanding final judgments against them and determines whether to disqualify the contractor from doing...
CDC mask guidance brings confusion to Santa Clara County
Differences between federal and local mask rules are creating confusion, frustration and in some cases hostile situations. Santa Clara County residents breathed a sigh of relief this week with the move to the least-restrictive yellow tier in California’s reopening plan, an indication that life might return to “normal” after more than a year of fear...
Santa Clara County workers rally for safety changes
Chants of “¡Ya Basta!,” Spanish for “enough already,” rang out in downtown San Jose Friday as public employees demonstrated for safety changes in the workplace. The workers say they’ve had enough with what they believe are poor working conditions, reduced pay and poor communication from their superiors amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “I’m a single mother...
San Jose man faces restraining orders, court battle after watching police
A San Jose resident faces a restraining order and a winding legal battle with police after they arrested him for legally documenting their activity during a traffic stop. The man is due in court next month to fight against a restraining order police issued against him—what his attorneys call a delay tactic by City Hall. On a...
Where can kids get vaccinated in Santa Clara County?
Adolescents age 12 through 15 can now receive COVID-19 vaccinations in Santa Clara County, and they don’t even need an appointment. “Everything is lined up and in place to make getting a vaccine as simple and hassle-free as possible,” said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, COVID-19 testing and vaccine officer. “We have the vaccine supply, we have...