Santa Clara County is weighing whether to let correctional officers continue to use tear gas to remove those incarcerated from their jail cells, amid pushback on whether this is a humane approach. A new report by the county Office of Correction and Law Enforcement Monitoring acknowledged that incarcerated people involved in tear gas incidents should...
Santa Clara County sheriff endorses Tasers for deputies
Santa Clara County sheriff deputies may soon be re-armed with Tasers from a controversial vendor after a decadeslong hiatus. Sheriff Robert Jonsen plans to present options for arming deputies on the street and in county jail facilities with Tasers to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Jail guards have been stripped of Tasers for decades after...
Mountain View turns hotel into permanent housing
A converted hotel is creating a home and hope for unhoused foster youth transitioning out of the system, families and individuals. Unlike other hotels that have been redeveloped as short-term supportive housing, the Crestview Hotel in Mountain View will provide permanent, supportive affordable housing to youth aging out of foster care and small families experiencing...
Santa Clara County scores millions to tackle opioid crisis
A multi-million-dollar grant is going to help arm Santa Clara County in its fight against opioids. The Santa Clara County Public Health Department is receiving more than $11 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to deal with the region’s opioid crisis. The funds will be used to collect data, ensure clinicians use...
Santa Clara County sees rise in COVID infections
As summer comes to an end, COVID-19 and other serious illnesses look to be on the rise in Santa Clara County. The county tracks COVID-19 infections through wastewater testing. The coronavirus rating is coming back high across sewer sheds in parts of Santa Clara County such as San Jose and Palo Alto, while Sunnyvale and...
Santa Clara County official presses for more farmworker housing
Years of inadequate housing and resources have plagued local farmworkers for decades as they struggle to make ends meet. That might take a favorable turn if Santa Clara County officials prioritize their needs. Supervisor Sylvia Arenas, who represents the more rural District 1, introduced recommendations to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday...
Santa Clara County stands up for gender-affirming care
Santa Clara County elected officials are vocalizing support for the LGBTQ community as school districts across California and the country are instituting policies harming these students. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution yesterday in support of gender-affirming care—social, psychological, behavioral and medical practices aimed at supporting a person’s gender identity....
‘It is devastating’: Scammers target Santa Clara County seniors
Sharon Sweeney was driving back from Home Depot when she received a call from an unknown number that would eventually end in costly consequences. The caller introduced himself as Robert. He was the first of multiple people Sweeney, 77, talked to that day who posed as government agents. They created a collection of falsified documents and...
Silicon Valley transit agency spends millions to prepare for the worst
A new multi-million contract aimed at beefing up VTA’s emergency preparedness is getting attention among some officials for its large price tag. Santa Clara County Supervisor and VTA board member Cindy Chavez said with such a significant dollar amount, the contract’s services should be tracked closely. The VTA board of directors approved the six-year, $8...
Silicon Valley community colleges could see enrollment bump
After years of declining enrollment due to the pandemic, community colleges across California are considering a new approach to attract more students—enrolling students before they even graduate high school. California Community College Chancellor Sonya Christian is proposing a three-pronged course of action to encourage enrollment, as reported in the Los Angeles Times last week. It...