A landlord accused of abusing city housing policies to enrich herself is now facing allegations of neglect from tenants at a building gutted by a fire last week. The fire that broke out on Jan. 9 consumed part of a blue Victorian house at 139 N. Sixth St., just a couple blocks from San Jose City...
San Jose church may not be able to save food pantry
San Jose is forcing a popular food pantry to pay thousands of dollars for a special permit or stop feeding Silicon Valley’s hungriest residents. The Lighthouse Ministries Food Pantry, located at E. Julian and 17th streets near Lighthouse Church, feeds more than 1,000 people a day, six days a week. It halted operations for several...
San Jose files rare gun restraining order against 13-year-old
After a San Jose teenager posted a picture of a gun on social media, police turned to a civil procedure normally used to remove guns from violent or suicidal adults—a restraining order. Police showed up at the house of a 13-year-old on Dec. 27 after he posted a photo on Snapchat of the gun and...
San Jose monument to honor Vietnam War soldiers makes slow headway
A proposed monument to honor soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War will finally move forward after years of planning and delays—but what it will look like and when it might be finished is unknown. The Vietnamese community in San Jose, one of the largest Vietnamese enclaves in the nation, has long advocated for the project....
A new year and a rough start for San Jose traffic fatalities
San Jose officials and advocates are hoping for a reduction in traffic fatalities for 2022, but a rash of recent deaths serves as a reminder that the city has a long way to go to improve roadway safety. The San Jose Police Department recorded the city’s fourth traffic collision fatality of the year on Jan....
Advocates drum up support for ranked-choice voting in San Jose
A coalition of election reformers want to help San Jose lawmakers switch to a new form of electoral politics—one they say is cheaper, more equitable and might make people more civil. An organization called Better Elections San Jose has been busy trying to educate city officials about the benefits of ranked-choice voting—a system that allows voters...
Former San Jose assistant police chief jumps into sheriff’s race
A former police officer is stepping into the increasingly crowded election for Santa Clara County sheriff. Dave Knopf, former assistant chief of the San Jose Police Department, filed papers last week to run for sheriff. Knopf began his career in law enforcement working for the Morgan Hill Police Department in 1988. He transferred to SJPD in...
San Jose requires COVID boosters for workers, visitors at city facilities
San Jose is now the largest city in the state to require its employees and visitors of events at city-owned venues to show proof of a COVID-19 booster shot. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to impose a new mandate requiring city workers and visitors of city-owned facilities, such as the SAP Center and San...
UPDATE: Developer drops proposal for 6-story hotel on Winchester Boulevard
A controversial plan for a 6-story hotel on Winchester Boulevard in San Jose will not move forward after strong opposition from nearby residents. On Tuesday, councilmembers unanimously approved rezoning a 0.69-acre parcel at 1212 S. Winchester Blvd. from residential to commercial development, but rejected a plan to build a 119-room hotel on the plot. The...
UPDATE: San Jose to explore extending voting rights to noncitizens
San Jose will explore a proposal to allow immigrants who are not U.S. citizens to participate in local elections. After hours of passionate public testimony, the City Council voted 10-1 Tuesday night to explore a plan proposed by Councilmembers Magdalena Carrasco and Sylvia Arenas to extend voting rights to noncitizen residents. Councilmember Dev Davis casted...