Standard Blog

Palo Alto looks to add tunnels across tracks for cyclists, pedestrians

Palo Alto is weighing eight options, seven of which are tunnels, for bicyclists and pedestrians to have a safer way to cross the Caltrain tracks between the California Avenue and San Antonio stops. City staff must now pare down the list from eight to two before returning to the Planning and Transportation Commission in November...

East San Jose women can deliver babies closer to home

A profit-driven decision five years ago is about to be reversed — enabling women to once more give birth at their neighborhood hospital in East San Jose. Regional Medical Center plans to restore labor and delivery care around October 20 after joining Santa Clara County’s massive public hospital system six months ago. The obstetrics department...

The Biz Beat: San Jose German restaurant is Oktoberfest all year

Stepping into Teske’s Germania Restaurant, with its long wooden bar that stretches along half the entryway, there’s a strong sense of gemütlichkeit, an untranslatable German word meaning “warmth and good cheer.”  Co-owner Cynthia Baumann likens it to a Bavarian lodge, where the food is authentic, the beer flows freely and everyone is welcome. “I think...

Silicon Valley community college district buys workforce housing

Dozens of Santa Clara County professors and administrative staff will be some of the first to move into affordable apartments reserved for community college employees, thanks to one school district’s unique housing approach. The Foothill-De Anza Community College District board unanimously approved a roughly $54.5 million purchase of 50 affordable apartments for staff earlier this month. The...

California lawmaker doubts threats against Democrats are reviewed

After Attorney General Pam Bondi pledged to prosecute threats of violence against public officials, Rep. Eric Swalwell was furious. “This is rich,” Swalwell posted to X on Tuesday. “AG Bondi has REFUSED to prosecute MULTIPLE direct death threats against me and my family.” Swalwell’s post gained traction — so much so that Bondi called him to ask “what I...

San Jose reins back plan to put police on horses

San Jose police are going to have to wait until next year to potentially get back in the saddle. The City Council on Tuesday voted 6-4-1 to again hold off on reinstating the San Jose Police Department’s Horse Mounted Unit, which operated for more than 100 years until its 2018 disbanding due to financial and...

San Jose river trail use up after homeless sweeps

More San Jose residents are utilizing a local recreational trail following a city ban on homeless camps in the area. That’s according to city data and environmental advocates, who also say more wildlife is returning since no encampment zones took effect last year. San Jose has worked to clear homeless people living near rivers and...

Cantrell: Housing discrimination against Black residents is systemic

San Jose’s housing crisis isn’t just a headline; it’s a daily reality — particularly for Black families and other marginalized communities. As someone deeply committed to the well-being of the Black community in Silicon Valley, I have spent years working alongside Black residents, leaders and advocates to expose and confront the structural barriers that contribute...

San Jose Chick-fil-A moves forward after planning mistake

A contentious Chick-fil-A project is moving forward after hitting a road bump. The San Jose City Council unanimously approved removing a condition Tuesday that would have required a recently approved Chick-fil-A to construct the development without demolishing existing commercial buildings at 1301 W. San Carlos Street. Property owner Zotta Family Trust and applicant 4G Development...