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Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith is stepping down as the top law enforcement officer as her trial for corruption charges comes to a close. Undersheriff Ken Binder will replace Smith as acting sheriff until the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors chooses one, or until a new one is elected, according to a Monday...
San Jose doctors delay strike amid agreement
After more than two years of negotiating, Santa Clara County and its doctors have reached a pending agreement on a new contract, averting a strike scheduled to start in November. County Executive Jeff Smith said the county and Valley Physicians Group, a union representing more than 450 doctors in the Santa Clara County health system, met for three...
Silicon Valley teachers burned out by unruly behavior
As Silicon Valley teachers stress over the lack of affordable housing and high cost of living, unruly student behavior is now part of the mix. The end result is teacher burnout. Nearly one-third of teachers cite student discipline as the worst part of the job, according to a recent UCLA study. The problem is being...
Silicon Valley schools score average on LGBTQ inclusiveness
Two Santa Clara County school districts are creating safe school environments for LGBTQ students, but a new report shows more progress needs to be made. Both Santa Clara Unified and San Jose Unified school districts received middle-tier scores according to the 2022 Equality California Safe and Supportive Schools Report Card, which rates districts on LGBTQ...
Top Santa Clara County official plans to step down
After more than a decade leading Santa Clara County, longtime Executive Jeff Smith is leaving the top post next year. “Having worked here for 13 years so far and maybe close to 14 years when I retire in July, it seemed like a reasonable time,” the County CEO told San José Spotlight. “We have a great team...
Silicon Valley mental health workers rally for better wages
Low pay, heavy workloads and unprecedented worker shortages: that’s the reality facing mental health professionals at one of the largest behavioral health providers in Santa Clara County. Dressed in purple shirts and carrying signs, more than 50 members of SEIU Local 521 rallied Wednesday in front of Momentum for Health’s headquarters in San Jose. They’re demanding...
Santa Clara County lags on homeless count
Nearly nine months after volunteers finished surveying the local unhoused population, Santa Clara County is blaming a technical issue for delaying its release of a comprehensive survey of homeless residents. Santa Clara County conducted a biennial tally known as the “point in time” count in February to fulfill a federal requirement to receive funding. Officials published the...
UPDATE: Will Silicon Valley water official face discipline for abuse of power?
The governing body of Santa Clara County’s largest water supplier will not decide whether to discipline one of its own members found to have abused his power until at least election day. An independent investigation determined Gary Kremen, a Valley Water board member up for reelection in November, violated several district policies when he bullied,...
San Jose leaders mum on LA politician’s racism scandal
President Joe Biden, Gov. Gavin Newsom and other top leaders are calling on Los Angeles councilmembers to resign amid a racist scandal, some in San Jose are silent. South Bay advocates say it is surprising local leaders have not condemned those involved in the LA scandal—especially because one of those involved has familial and political...
Santa Clara County races to stop fentanyl overdoses
For one Santa Clara County supervisor, the fight against fentanyl addiction is personal. About a year ago, Supervisor Otto Lee lost a 29-year-old cousin to an overdose. Lee describes him as being bright and energetic. “It’s just very sad,” he told San José Spotlight. “It was truly an awakening moment for me.” Fentanyl-related deaths in...