With COVID-19 case counts rising across the state, Santa Clara County is moving back to California’s purple tier, the most restrictive. The county recorded 388 new positive COVID-19 cases in a single day on Nov. 16 and now has a total of 28,686 cases and 445 deaths. “This is a high number,” County Health Officer...
Santa Clara County eyes subpoena for Sheriff’s Office conduct reports
Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith, after months of negotiation, refuses to sign an agreement allowing a civilian law enforcement watchdog access to critical records. Now, county officials are stepping in and subpoenas might be on the way. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Nov. 3 to direct the county’s attorney to draft a policy...
Funk: How East San Jose schools are keeping students, staff safe
As reported by Sonya Herrera in San José Spotlight Nov. 10, East San Jose ranks No. 1 in new cases per capita in the county. This is not new news to us who work for East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD). According to county data, 1,988 people tested positive for the virus in the...
San Jose to study how Google project might benefit residents
The San Jose City Council met on Monday to discuss evolving plans for the massive Google and transit projects set to reinvent the face of downtown. Changes to the area surrounding Diridon Station have triggered community anxieties—and most recently roused the concern of the San Jose Sharks. The hockey team worried the long-term construction could...
How will David Cohen shake up the San Jose City Council?
As the newly-elected David Cohen gears up to represent San Jose’s District 4, political observers look to the past to see where local policymaking is headed. The council for years has been divided across business and labor lines, leading to a handful of 6-5 split decisions in favor of Mayor Sam Liccardo’s voting bloc, which...
Public webinars coming up on status of iconic landmark in downtown San Jose
Three years ago, a group of San Jose philanthropists aspiring to build a world-class landmark downtown and donate it to the city began with the idea of erecting a light tower at Plaza de Cesar Chavez — a 21st century update on San Jose’s original icon, a 237-foot structure adorned with newfangled electric light bulbs,...
Local lawmakers being considered for Harris’s senate seat
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) will soon be sworn in as vice president, and a handful of local legislators could be tapped to fill the seat she will leave behind. “We are working through the cattle call of considerations,” Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said this week. “I want to make sure it’s inclusive....
Santa Clara County COVID-19 cases double, indoor dining to halt
After seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases, Santa Clara County officials announced they are rolling back indoor activities and likely moving back into the stricter red tier. Santa Clara County Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said the county has recorded 362 new cases within one day on Nov. 13 and has at least 110...
Future of San Jose’s Reid-Hillview airport back on the drawing board next week
The long-simmering debate over closing Reid-Hillview Airport in East San Jose and replacing it with a neighborhood development is expected to heat up again next week as Santa Clara County supervisors consider potential uses for the land. The Reid-Hillview airport, built more than 80 years ago, occupies nearly 200 acres that advocates say could be...
San Jose hospitals face pressure as COVID-19 cases surge
As Santa Clara County sees a surge in new COVID-19 cases, hospitals across San Jose are being stretched thin. Many hospital officials say they’re rising to the occasion. According to county data, 102 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Nov. 12 with about 17 new cases in the last day. There are 909 beds...