Sitting on a bleacher on a weekday morning, Gary John, a 77-year-old hammer thrower, pulled on a pair of fluorescent yellow training shoes and strapped a glove onto his right hand. Then he dragged a heavy metal ball by a wire to a dusty concrete ring at Moffett Field. “It’s what keeps me going,” John...
Santa Clara County affordable housing stuck in pipeline
Santa Clara County’s affordable housing projects funded by local dollars are stuck in a “logjam” struggling to secure other money needed to start construction. While the county has built more than 3,000 affordable homes over the past decade with Measure A, a $950 million bond approved by voters in 2016, 600 apartments and homes are stuck...
Palo Alto breaks ground on housing project at former Fish Market site
When it comes to fulfilling state and regional housing mandates in Palo Alto, no recent changes to state law can compare to the project that will take over the former site of The Fish Market on El Camino Real. The Acclaim Companies development to come at 3150 El Camino Real boasts 368 apartments, 74 of which...
Virtual public comment restored to all San Jose meetings
Following San Jose’s recent decision to return online public comment to City Council meetings, city officials have opted to restore such access for its various commissions and committees as well. Tuesday’s unanimous council vote means that San Jose’s 15 commissions — which play a hand in shaping policy, approving permits and adjudicating appeals to city decisions...
West Valley-Mission community colleges offer 4-year degrees
A local community college is providing bachelor’s degrees for students — for free. West Valley-Mission Community College District is offering bachelor’s degrees in land stewardship and sustainability, as well as emergency services administration. As tuition is free for students living within the district’s service areas, this means they’re able to earn a four-year degree close...
Head of San Jose’s police watchdog office is out
San Jose Independent Police Auditor Eddie Aubrey is set to retire at the end of the month, marking an abrupt end to his two-year tenure in the oversight role. The Tuesday announcement comes one week after the Mercury News reported the city had placed Aubrey on leave. City officials have not offered any explanation about Aubrey’s...
Silicon Valley tech layoffs in 2026 close to 2025 total
Tech companies in Silicon Valley have jettisoned a noteworthy number of employees in the first half of 2026. Companies in the sector have laid off 7,295 employees in the first half 2026 — just 9% short of the number of jobs cut by tech companies during all of 2025, according to an analysis from Joint...
Santa Clara residents struggle with neighborhood parking
Santa Clara residents living along Calle Del Mundo and Calle De Luna say finding a place to park has become one of the neighborhood’s biggest challenges as development continues to reshape the city’s Clara District. After finishing late-night Uber shifts, 69-year-old Saiprakash Thirunagari often parks his car streets away from St. Anton Apartments because he can’t...
Stanford drops Flock cameras amid national backlash
Stanford University has terminated its contract with Flock Safety, a company whose license plate cameras have prompted backlash from privacy advocates across the U.S. Earlier this month, the university announced it ended its agreement with Flock and has replaced the Flock system with one that does not allow data to be accessible by any third...