An unusual scene unfolded in the San Jose City Council chambers on Tuesday as a man approached the dais and served District 5 Councilmember Peter Ortiz with legal documents. The incident, which has raised eyebrows online and in City Hall, is part of the fallout from an anti-harassment suit that Ortiz lost earlier this year....
Judge favors blocking planned South County ICE facility
A federal judge has indicated she is leaning toward granting a preliminary injunction that would block a controversial plan to create an ICE facility in South County as the lawsuit against it proceeds. Eumi Lee, a judge with the Northern District of California, issued a tentative ruling Friday in which she said that plaintiffs have...
Silicon Valley public transit service strengthens rider code of conduct
Caltrain just got its first passenger code of conduct, hoping to make behavior expectations more transparent for rowdy riders. The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, Caltrain’s governing body, unanimously approved the commuter rail service’s code of conduct at its Thursday meeting. Officials said doing so will bring Caltrain up to speed with peer transit agencies and...
Ballard: The lawn phase-out is coming and it’s an opportunity, not a burden
As someone who has spent my career advocating for a healthier environment and a more resilient California, I’ve learned that real change often arrives quietly, not with fanfare, but with a shift in the rules that guide how we live, work and steward our shared resources. One of those shifts is now on our doorstep....
Fourth annual Lowrider Day returns to downtown San Jose
Lowriders will cruise into downtown San Jose this weekend, bringing a piece of East San Jose’s Chicano culture to City Hall for an afternoon of custom cars, music and celebration. San Jose Lowrider Day returns Sunday for its fourth year, marking the anniversary of the City Council’s decision to repeal a decades-old cruising ban. The celebration...
Palo Alto officials mull new RV restrictions
Palo Alto took a measured step last month toward addressing the recent influx of oversized vehicles on local streets when it designated two streets for long-term RV parking next March as part of a new permit pilot program. But based on numbers from city staff and residents, that would still leave around 100 RVs on...
Santa Clara County schools united in opposing ICE facility
School districts across Santa Clara County are taking a stand against a proposed immigration enforcement facility in South County. A coalition of education and county leaders gathered Wednesday to denounce the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center being planned in an unincorporated area just outside Gilroy. The group is sending a joint letter —...
Mallon: Building momentum toward a better future for public transit
Every morning, my day starts the same way. My alarm goes off, I get ready for work, walk to the bus stop and wait for the bus to work. It’s a routine I’ve repeated thousands of times over the years, even as my destination has changed. Some mornings the bus is nearly empty. Other mornings,...
Sunnyvale launches inexpensive ride-hailing service for residents
Sunnyvale residents can now literally get on board with one of the newest public transportation trends: hailing a ride with a local microtransit service. City officials on Tuesday officially launched Sunnyvale Beam with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at City Hall, two weeks after the service quietly started operating. Through the Beam app or with a phone call,...
East San Jose hospital adds more emergency beds
An East San Jose hospital continues to increase services under Santa Clara County’s ownership — including the latest expansion of its emergency department. This comes after the hospital faced years of divestment under a previous corporate owner. The county has increased emergency beds at Regional Medical Center from 34 to 54 at a time when...