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...
East San Jose school district to close six campuses next year
East San Jose school leaders have made the final decision about which campuses in the financially struggling district will close. The Alum Rock Union School District board of trustees voted unanimously on Monday to close six schools for the 2025-26 school year, but plans to reopen one of them the following year, while closing two...
Cupertino council race recount decided by 63 votes
R “Ray” Wang has won a spot on the Cupertino City Council in a tight race that triggered a recount for one of two open seats. Wang will take the second open council seat with 7,641 votes, or 18.5% of the vote, as of Dec. 2 at 4:30 p.m. He got 63 more votes than...
Santa Clara County ex-officers boast about jail beatings
Santa Clara County deputies bragged in online groups about beating incarcerated people “between floors” and partaking in brutal behavior at the county’s embattled jail, according to screenshots shared with San José Spotlight. In a private Facebook group that includes 270 former correctional officers and deputies, the members banter about the jail’s elevators making suspicious stops...
Paz-Cedillos: Embracing a founder’s mindset
At the Kresge Foundation’s Centennial Year National Convening, I listened to PolicyLink CEO Michael McAfee deliver a powerful message about embracing a founder’s mindset. Gathered with change-makers striving to build equitable and thriving communities, I recall the anticipation as he took the stage. McAfee, a veteran in the fight for equity, centers his work on...
Santa Clara electricity rates are going up
Santa Clara residents will see their electricity bill inch upward in the next year, as the city works on improving its power grid. While much of Silicon Valley relies on Pacific Gas and Electric Company, the vast majority of Santa Clara residents get power from Silicon Valley Power. The Santa Clara City Council on Nov....
The Biz Beat: Standout pizza at San Jose’s The Last Round Tavern
Sandwich shop by day and pizza parlor by night, The Last Round Tavern in San Jose manages its split personality exceptionally well. Owner Caleb Orozco uses his homemade sourdough bread and thin-crust pizza dough as a base for identical ingredients, such as in-house braised brisket and pulled pork, to create two distinct and delicious menus...
San Jose senior apartment tenants take issue with management
An affordable housing development near Willow Glen was supposed to give homeless older adults a safe place to live. Instead, a number of residents are clamoring to leave. Leigh Avenue Senior Apartments, located at Leigh Avenue and Southwest Expressway, provided housing to 63 older adults when it opened in 2021. Seven residents told San José Spotlight...