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A proposal to demolish San Jose’s former City Hall has encountered resistance from a county commission and local preservationists. The Santa Clara County Historical Heritage Commission voted unanimously last week against an application to demolish the old City Hall at 801 N. 1st St. The recommendation will be referred to the Board of Supervisors, which will make...
Investigation into Silicon Valley water director trudges along
Valley Water’s board of directors promised to investigate its chairman for possible misconduct, but three months later the public is mostly in the dark. Board members are meeting next Tuesday to receive an update on an investigation they approved in March. The target of the inquiry is board member Gary Kremen and whether he violated...
Santa Clara County officials request state audit of VTA
A California legislator fighting to change VTA’s leadership is shifting tactics in the wake of public pushback. Assemblymember Marc Berman announced Monday he is not advancing Assembly Bill 2181 this year, which would eliminate VTA’s board of directors on or after July 2023 and shrink the board from 18 to 12 members, at least six...
Full report: Silicon Valley Pain Index 2022
The Silicon Valley Pain Index is produced by the San Jose State University Human Rights Institute. The annual study focuses on racial discrimination and income inequality in the region. The report, first published in 2020 in response to the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, was inspired by an index compiled about New Orleans in the...
Inequity in Silicon Valley persists for people of color
Life expectancy is shrinking, the poor are getting poorer and Silicon Valley’s wealthiest are flourishing. The 2022 Silicon Valley Pain Index report highlights how Santa Clara County generated $340 billion in gross domestic product in 2021—an increase of 4.4% since 2020—while nearly half of children in Silicon Valley are living in households who can’t make...
Silicon Valley candidate allegedly lied about law enforcement experience
A local business owner has been accused of lying about her credentials to run for Santa Clara County sheriff, and the findings are troubling. Last week, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office announced a perjury charge against Anh Colton, who came in last out of four other candidates in the primary election for sheriff...
Reader Panel: Few surprises, ample disappointment in San Jose primary
San Jose voters are hardly shocked by the results of the June 7 primary election, and they hold strong—and mostly bitter—feelings about the two candidates battling it out for mayor. Residents who spoke with San José Spotlight said there were few surprise results in the Santa Clara County races they voted on last week, which included...
Santa Clara County preps COVID shots for infants and young children
The youngest population in Santa Clara County could soon get vaccinated for COVID-19. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday authorized both the Moderna and Pfizer shots for children as young as 6 months old—making nearly every person in the U.S. eligible for vaccination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still have to...
Santa Clara County officials approve budget over jail objections
Santa Clara County officials approved the budget for the coming year, ignoring last-minute objections from residents over hundreds of millions of dollars set aside for a new jail. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Thursday to approve the $11.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2022-23, which starts July 1. The majority of the county’s expenditures go...
Santa Clara County minor hit with gun restraining order
The Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department has filed a gun violence restraining order against a 13-year-old—the second time in recent months a Santa Clara County law enforcement agency has used this tool on a minor. This type of restraining order is normally reserved for violent or suicidal adults. The department requested the order last week...