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Santa Clara County announced Friday that it’s administered one million COVID-19 vaccines. “We need to take a moment and take a deep breath and really celebrate,” said Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody. “This is a really big deal.” The milestone comes just over four months after the county vaccinated its first person and one...
Santa Clara County considers overhauling ‘military-style’ weapons policy
Santa Clara County is considering overhauling and regulating the sheriff’s “military-style” weapons policy, heeding calls for the demilitarization of law enforcement. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to analyze how the Sheriff’s Office spends its budget on equipment. Supervisors hope to reform or get rid of what they believe is overboard spending on...
Santa Clara County to redistribute COVID-19 fines to small businesses
Santa Clara County will begin the process of returning thousands of dollars in COVID-19 safety violation fines back to small businesses. Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to create a grant program that redistributes money collected from pandemic-related health and safety violations back to local businesses. Once developed, the county is expected to partner with local financial...
Santa Clara County lags behind in COVID vaccination rates
Santa Clara County’s COVID-19 vaccination rates continue to lag behind other large counties in the Bay Area. Officials hope a new federal vaccine supply will help close the gap. The county celebrated last week as it received an extra 300,000 doses from a federal program, releasing thousands of additional appointments across the South Bay. All Californians...
Silicon Valley unemployment rate drops during slow recovery
A new jobs analysis from a regional nonprofit think tank suggests Silicon Valley is slowly recovering from the economy’s tumble last year. But the region has a long way to go before getting to pre-pandemic levels. The data analysis comes from Joint Venture Silicon Valley’s Institute for Regional Studies, the nonprofit’s research arm that publishes the Silicon...
First 100 days: Has County Supervisor Otto Lee kept his campaign promises?
Santa Clara County District 3 Supervisor Otto Lee claimed victory in November following an ugly contest with candidates exchanging barbs over campaign finance and racial comments. On the campaign trail, Lee promised broader rent relief for tenants, a more aggressive plan to combat homelessness and labor-related proposals, including hazard pay. Since taking office, Lee introduced a grant...
Understanding emergency rent relief in Santa Clara County
California’s COVID-19 eviction moratorium ends June 30, but rent relief is on the horizon for Santa Clara County residents. Local housing experts explained emergency rent relief programs and eviction protections serving Santa Clara County at a Wednesday panel hosted by San José Spotlight. Rent assistance includes a state and local program, with the local program...
How to watch and participate in Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors meetings
In our 2021 survey, San José Spotlight readers told us they want to be more civically engaged and involved in local policymaking. Many readers said our coverage of local government has motivated them to get more involved in the decision-making process, but some don’t quite know where to start. One of the simplest ways to make...
Proposal to build housing on San Jose ranch property sparks controversy
The owners of a large horse ranch property in south San Jose want to start building houses on their land—and neighbors are livid. Hero Ranch owner Angelo Heropoulos asked county supervisors last week to change the land’s open space designation to residential, allowing up to eight homes to be built on the property. The ranch...
How to find homeless services and shelter in San Jose
The past year has been a difficult one for many people in San Jose, especially those facing homelessness and housing insecurity. Finding information about shelter and housing can be a difficult and confusing process. Here’s a guide answering some of the most commonly asked questions from readers about finding housing, as well as some resources...