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San José Spotlight has received a $500,000 grant from the American Journalism Project, the nation’s largest venture philanthropy dedicated to local news. The grant will allow the South Bay’s only nonprofit newsroom to hire a revenue development professional and audience growth specialist to expand its reach—both topically and geographically. The American Journalism Project (AJP) announced four new...
Santa Clara County supervisors still waiting to hear jail recommendations
As the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors reconvenes for its first meeting of the year, one topic it won’t address is the jail system. The board was scheduled to hear recommendations for changing the jail system today. But at the request of county administration, supervisors won’t hear about any recommendations until Jan. 25. The recommendations...
VTA approves pay bump, bonuses for Santa Clara County workers
Some VTA workers will see wage increases and a large bonus following approval of a new union contract with the public transit agency. VTA’s board of directors voted 11-1 in favor of an agreement that establishes a 10% pay raise over the next three years for members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265. The agreement...
San Jose lawmaker running for county supervisor
San Jose Councilmember Sylvia Arenas is running for Santa Clara County District 1 supervisor, campaign filings show. The newly drawn District 1 expanded during a contentious redistricting process to include San Jose neighborhoods like Evergreen and Silver Creek—the area Arenas currently represents on the City Council—allowing her to throw her hat into the race. District 1...
Santa Clara County supervisor candidate moves to stay in race
Santa Clara County supervisor candidate Johnny Khamis is moving back into District 1 after a contentious redistricting process drew him out. The Board of Supervisors moved Almaden Valley and Los Gatos out of District 1 into District 5 at the end of last year, as part of a once-in-a-decade adjustment of political boundaries to account for population changes. The redistricting...
Police reform, other new laws to watch in Santa Clara County
As the new year begins in California, so do a set of laws designed to better regulate police departments across the state. This comes in the wake of protests in 2020 that targeted police misconduct and violent crowd control tactics. Residents in Santa Clara County will also see a handful of other significant laws coming...
Santa Clara County looks for volunteers to tally unhoused population
After canceling the homeless count in 2021, Santa Clara County is looking for volunteers to help gather census data next month. The biennial count is critical for understanding the homelessness crisis and identifying the needs of people on the streets. The county opted to defer the 2021 count due to COVID-19. Advocates said the lack of information has...
State law changes what Silicon Valley residents can throw away
Scraping food off your plate into the trash just become a no-no in more Santa Clara County cities as of 2022. California’s new composting law ushered by Senate Bill 1383 aims to fight climate change by reducing methane emissions created by organic material in landfills. The bill requires a 75% reduction in organic waste disposal...
These Silicon Valley agencies require workers to have COVID shots
The country is entering its third year of the COVID-19 pandemic and has moved from lockdowns and closures to vaccine mandates. Here’s a look at which Silicon Valley agencies have mandated COVID shots for their workers. Santa Clara County Santa Clara County was one of the first agencies in the South Bay to mandate vaccines for its roughly 22,000...
Santa Clara County housing bond on track despite roadblocks, civil grand jury says
A Civil Grand Jury says Santa Clara County’s $950 million housing bond is working as promised, giving it an “A” rating in a recent report—despite the small number of low-income homes built since its approval. Measure A, passed by 68% of voters in 2016, will provide funding to build 4,800 affordable homes across the county over approximately a...