Santa Clara officials are paving the way for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by finalizing responsibilities. The City Council approved various agreements with the Bay Area Host Committee and the 49ers’ stadium management branch, ManCo, Tuesday in a 5-2 vote, with Mayor Lisa Gillmor and Councilmember Kelly Cox voting no. The agreement details operational and...
Santa Clara swim center closure ripples through community
Santa Clara’s George F. Haines International Swim Center has been closed for more than a year, leaving the city’s aquatics community and legacy foundering. The city closed the swim center in January 2024, citing structural safety issues after years of neglect. The renovations are so extensive that the complex needs to be completely overhauled, city...
Ex-Santa Clara official’s sentencing hearing delayed
Former Santa Clara Councilmember Anthony Becker’s sentencing hearing has been delayed by more than a month, extending the time he has to file an appeal. Becker’s sentencing hearing has been moved to March 21 at 9 a.m. at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse. His monthlong trial ended in December, after a jury found him...
Santa Clara tackles gas emission reductions
Santa Clara has paused its ban on natural gas in new buildings and is looking for other ways to lower its greenhouse gas emissions. The Santa Clara City Council voted 5-2 Tuesday to suspend the city’s ban on natural gas in new construction over potential legal issues, with Councilmembers Kevin Park and Suds Jain voting...
Santa Clara school district slapped with discrimination complaint
Civil rights organizations have filed a Title VI complaint against a local school district for alleged discrimination against Palestinian students, parents and educators. Santa Clara Unified School District will be facing a federal civil rights complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education. The complaint alleges school officials engaged in or permitted actions which created...
2024 in review: Santa Clara’s top stories
From a shakeup on the city council to an elected official’s conviction, Santa Clara had no shortage of major stories this year. Here’s a look back at what happened in 2024 in the Mission City. A councilmember’s legal woes A jury found former Vice Mayor Anthony Becker guilty of perjury and failing to uphold his...
Santa Clara councilman to appeal guilty verdict
Santa Clara Vice Mayor Anthony Becker plans to appeal his guilty verdict, days after a jury found he committed perjury and failed to uphold his duties as a public official. Deputy Public Defender Chris Montoya, one of the lawyers representing Becker, confirmed Monday the plan to appeal last week’s verdict. After a month-long trial, a...
BREAKING: Santa Clara vice mayor found guilty of perjury
A jury has found Santa Clara Vice Mayor Anthony Becker guilty of perjury and failing to uphold his duties as a public official by leaking a 2022 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report. The verdict ends Becker’s month-long trial, which covered accusations that he leaked the 2022 report to San Francisco 49ers executive Rahul...
Jury in Santa Clara perjury trial begins deliberations
Closing arguments in Santa Clara Vice Mayor Anthony Becker’s perjury trial have wrapped up, putting the case into the jury’s hands. Jurors will be deciding on two counts: if Becker is guilty of lying to the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury about whether he leaked a 2022 report on the city’s relationship with the...
Santa Clara official’s lawyers request mistrial in perjury case
As Santa Clara Vice Mayor Anthony Becker’s perjury trial nears its end, his lawyers are asking the court to reconsider evidence previously excluded or redacted. Becker’s perjury trial began Nov. 6 and centers on accusations that he lied to the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury about whether he leaked a 2022 report on the...