San Jose officials and residents are gearing up for the race to replace disgraced former Councilmember Omar Torres and lift downtown from a troubled past few years. The San Jose City Council has opted to hold a special election to fill Torres’ seat on April 8, with a June 24 runoff if necessary and results...
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...
Bay Area food banks ask for help to keep feeding their communities
The Bay Area is suffering from widespread food insecurity, and food banks are scrambling to meet increasing needs while their budgets are strained. Five food banks serving residents from Sonoma and Solano counties to Santa Clara County gathered on Tuesday to call for public support. Food banks in the north, east and South Bay are seeing...
Developer threatens litigation over Mountain View builder’s remedy project
A developer in Mountain View is threatening litigation if the city does not drop its conditions of approval and allow a builder’s remedy project to proceed. Forrest Linebarger of Tower Investment wants to build a seven-story, 85-unit condominium development on a half-acre site, replacing an existing family home and empty lot at 294 and 296...
Computer History Museum unveils new AI exhibit featuring chatbots
The Computer History Museum recently unveiled its newest exhibit, “Chatbots Decoded: Exploring AI,” a cutting-edge display that showcases the evolution, impact and future of AI technology. Tucked in a wing of the museum, the exhibit is just 2,000 square feet but hard to miss. Ameca, a humanoid robot, beckons for visitors to ask questions so it...
Palo Alto drops idea of adding housing at Cubberley
Palo Alto’s elected leaders have no shortage of ideas for future housing sites, from parking lots and transit hubs to industrial zones and residential backyards. But there is one site that city officials are explicitly excluding from their housing discussion: Cubberley Community Center. Chastened by the past and antsy about the future, city staff and...
Palo Alto prepares for another utility rate hike
Utility rates in Palo Alto are slated to go up by another 9% next summer, adding $36.40 to the median residential utility bill, according to new projections from the Palo Alto Utilities Department. For local ratepayers, this round of increases is the latest in a pattern of annual rate hikes. Utility rates similarly went up...
Santa Clara County to convert veterans housing for jail diversion
A former veterans housing site is set to become a Santa Clara County-run pretrial jail diversion facility for homeless residents charged with non-violent crimes. County and city officials began discussing the sale of 1072 & 1082 Vermont Street, known as the Vermont House, last year when they told housing provider Abode Services to start vacating...
Santa Clara County offers nonviolent offenders a possible way to avoid jail
This month, people with non-violent misdemeanor warrants may be able to avoid jail time through a program with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. Operation Second Chance gives eligible individuals with a non-violent misdemeanor criminal warrant a chance to turn themselves in to any Santa Clara law enforcement agency and get a citation with a...
Should Santa Clara County school superintendents be elected?
Several resignations and firings across Silicon Valley schools have raised questions about how districts select their top educators — and whether voters should make that decision themselves. Santa Clara County leaders will tackle this question come January, when they weigh letting voters choose the county superintendent instead of the Board of Education. This follows the...