A homeless man and his son have built a Dia de los Muertos altar near a freeway overpass to honor his dog that was killed. Candles, marigolds, Christmas lights, skulls and drapes decorate the elaborate altar located at Seventh and East Virginia streets. At the center is a large framed picture of Nacho, Miguel Maruyama’s...
Renovated San Jose hotel houses formerly homeless residents
A newly renovated hotel in downtown San Jose has reopened its doors to house homeless residents. The 72-room Pacific Motor Inn has already welcomed dozens of residents, and by next week it will be full. The hotel, operated by nonprofit People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), will provide temporary housing, meals and supportive services as individuals...
San Jose leaders deny Councilman Omar Torres’ medical leave request
Questions are mounting as to whether or not embattled San Jose Councilmember Omar Torres will resign — and his colleagues are declining to formally excuse his absence from public meetings. For a second time since police filings showed Torres sent lewd texts about minors, councilmembers at a Wednesday Rules and Open Government Committee meeting declined...
Gov. Newsom endorses Silicon Valley congressional candidate
Gov. Gavin Newsom has made a last-minute endorsement in Silicon Valley’s contested race for Congressional District 16. Newsom is backing state Assemblymember Evan Low in his campaign against former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. The endorsement makes sense to political observers who say the two worked together as Low began his tenure in the Assembly...
Lopez: The truth about Congressional District 16 candidates
The truth matters, and the ads you may be seeing attacking Sam Liccardo, paid for by Evan Low’s campaigns and his corporate super PACs, are baseless — even ironic — lies. These ads might lead you to believe that one of the candidates in the race accepted tens of thousands of dollars from a garbage...
Milpitas police investigating defaced election signs as hate crime
Two Asian-American candidates in Milpitas have become targets of hate crimes and have had their political signs defaced. Milpitas City Council candidate Bill Chuan and Councilmember Hon Lien, who is running for the mayoral seat, had their campaign banners defaced with anti-Asian language. “NO ASIANS” was spray-painted over Chuan’s banner on Barber Lane. Alongside it, “NO...
Fast-food and unions are funding this Silicon Valley contest
The fight between business and labor interests is finding ground in the race for District 2 on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Special interest groups have collectively spent $1.2 million to elect either former San Jose Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen or Betty Duong, chief of staff for District 2 Supervisor Cindy Chavez, who...
Silicon Valley candidate apologizes for egging car
With one week until the election, a years-old video showing Tara Sreekrishnan egging a Cupertino resident’s car has resurfaced, moving some to raise concerns about her run for state Assembly. Sreekrishnan, a candidate for the contentious Assembly District 26 seat, egged the car of a Cupertino resident who she felt made offensive comments regarding her...
San Jose residents want sound walls to protect neighborhood
The San Jose City Council is going to correct a decadeslong freeway oversight and approve sound walls along Interstate 280 near a forgotten neighborhood. Sound wall barriers would be constructed along the I-280 corridor next to the San Jose Gardner neighborhood and elementary school. The work is expected to be approved by councilmembers Tuesday. The...
San Jose expands paid family leave to attract police, workers
More than 1,000 officers with San Jose’s police union will no longer have limited hours of parental leave to spend with family. City officials have expanded the existing 40 hours of paid leave for workers to 320 hours, with all of San Jose’s major unions becoming eligible as of Oct. 22 — including officers with...