The Valley Water board is laying the groundwork for an investigation of Director Gary Kremen. On Wednesday, the board voted unanimously to have its ethics and conduct committee come up with the appropriate scope and timeline for an investigation into Kremen’s conduct with workers. The board also agreed to temporarily replace Kremen as chair with Director John...
Santa Clara County sees demand for mental health treatment
After years of debating and evaluating a controversial state mental health treatment law, the program is in effect in Santa Clara County—and officials see early progress. The Board of Supervisors approved an assisted outpatient treatment program last May, known as Laura’s Law. The county Behavioral Health Services Department manages the program. The law is named after Laura...
San Jose water board member sees internal complaints surface
Newly unearthed records show a South Bay politician dogged by a recent scandal is the subject of numerous internal complaints for allegedly mistreating workers at a major water district. Eleven internal complaints from Valley Water employees have been filed about board member Gary Kremen since 2018, according to public records obtained by San José Spotlight through...
Santa Clara County sheriff will not seek reelection
After nearly a quarter-century of service, Santa Clara County’s sheriff is calling it quits at the end of the year. Sheriff Laurie Smith told San José Spotlight she does not plan to run for reelection in the June primary. The deadline for entering the race is Friday. There has been widespread speculation about whether Smith...
Former Silicon Valley judge leads shift in state juvenile justice
This story was originally published by The Imprint, a national news outlet covering child welfare and youth justice issues. Katherine Lucero—a daughter of farmworkers and longtime juvenile court judge who calls for compassion and support rather than jail and foster care—is now leading the most populous state toward a once-unimaginable goal: a future without youth...
Silicon Valley lawmaker wants to bring dignity to digital age
There is an alarming gulf between people thriving in the digital economy and those shut out of it. That gulf grew wider during the COVID-19 pandemic as tech workers enjoyed the ability to work from home while people in service jobs struggled with layoffs and housing insecurity. Rep. Ro Khanna has watched this crisis unfold in...
Silicon Valley water leaders want longer term limits
Directors of a Santa Clara County water district want to extend their term limits, even as some members cast doubts about the cost and necessity. Valley Water’s board of directors voted 4-3 last month to put a measure on the June primary election ballot asking voters to approve an extension of how long directors can serve on...
Santa Clara County slides into endemic stage of COVID
Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the South Bay appears to be at a turning point as restrictions are peeling back. Still, county officials and local health experts are wary of returning fully to pre-pandemic lives. “We anticipate that we will continue to see peaks and valleys (of infection) in the months and perhaps years ahead,” a...
Santa Clara County wants to make ghost guns vanish
Elected officials are taking steps to outlaw homemade guns in Santa Clara County. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors will consider creating an ordinance to prohibit the possession, manufacturing and assembly of ghost guns. Elected officials are taking steps to outlaw homemade guns in Santa Clara County. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously...
Santa Clara County to review how sex assault DNA is handled
Santa Clara County officials are asking the county’s top law enforcement agency to review how it uses DNA collected from survivors of sexual assault, following a scandal in San Francisco. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday for the Santa Clara County District Attorney to outline how the county crime lab handles DNA from sexual...