The San Jose Police Department is hoping to generate new leads in sexual assault cold cases by resubmitting hundreds of rape kits for testing. The department has approximately 900 partially-tested rape kits from victims used to obtain DNA evidence to identity suspects. These kits have been previously tested under an outdated system. To get more...
Cupertino council majority shifts commission appointments
The political tides in Cupertino are shifting again, exciting some residents while worrying others. The Cupertino City Council appointed more than 20 commissioners out of more than 50 applicants on Jan. 27-28, many of whom support the council’s new, less development-friendly majority. The appointments reflect a continued political shift in a city often divided on...
Sunnyvale eyes former hardware store for housing
Sunnyvale wants to replace a vacant Orchard Supply Hardware site with hundreds of new homes. The Sunnyvale Planning Commission heard proposed plans on Jan. 27 for a 5.24-acre development at 777 Sunnyvale Saratoga Road, which would include one 7-story building with 162 apartments and close to a dozen 3-story buildings with 80 condos. The project...
San Jose council appointment helps mayor’s agenda
The mayor of the Bay Area’s largest city may have scored a limited window to push through his agenda with the temporary appointment of District 3 Councilmember Carl Salas. Salas — San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s pick during last month’s appointment process — potentially secures the business-backed mayor a six-vote majority amid the City Council’s...
Silicon Valley officials limit public expression
Audiences at Silicon Valley government meetings are running into an increasingly common rule: no applause. Local governing bodies like the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and San Jose City Council are telling people to avoid cheering or booing other speakers during public comments before major votes. The rule comes up when large crowds show up to...
Paz-Cedillos: America is at a breaking point
Fifteen days — that’s how long it took for the new presidential administration to unleash chaos upon the nation. We were promised stability, prosperity and safety. Instead, we are watching democracy unravel in real time. This past Saturday at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose, Congressmembers Zoe Lofgren, Ro Khanna and Sam Liccardo stood...
San Jose State plans major campus redesign
San Jose State University wants to renovate its main and south campuses to make way for a projected enrollment increase of 8,000 students through 2040. The San Jose State University Campus Master Plan has several facets. It will include 2 million square feet of academic space and student support services. More than 1 million square feet...
Campbell development could add to city’s affordable housing
A busy Campbell corner with multiple businesses could transform into more than 100 homes. San Francisco-based City Ventures has submitted plans for a 173-home housing development with eight, 4-story buildings and another 5-story building at 700 W. Hamilton Ave. near San Tomas Expressway. Plans include 84 attached townhomes, 84 condos and five attached tiny homes....
What San Jose residents can do if stopped by ICE
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been recently spotted in East San Jose, as mass deportation orders under President Donald Trump are being carried out nationwide. With fear being stoked in immigrant communities, individuals should know their rights and be prepared if approached by ICE agents, Chava Bustamante, former executive director of Latinos...
San Jose health fair provides resources to homeless residents
For more than a decade, one California state senator has hosted an annual health and resource fair for homeless people, and every year he wishes he could do more. State Sen. Dave Cortese brought more than 50 organizations together at San Jose City Hall to offer a variety of services to dozens of homeless people...