The bald eagle was first spotted in Santa Clara County in May gently bringing the baby red-tailed hawk back to her nest.

Gilroy wildlife photographer Doug Gillard caught the moment on camera. He expected the hawk would be served as dinner to the eagle’s baby. But that’s not what Gillard saw happen.

“This little white head popped up over the nest, like the size of a cotton ball maybe,” Gillard said. “I’m like, ‘Oh my God, it’s alive.'”

The mother eagle began feeding the hawk, which has since been nicknamed Tuffy, bringing him food four times a day.

“That’s like crazy, crazy rare,” Gillard said. “I’ve heard this is the fifth recorded case in history of this happening.”

Avid birdwatcher Manny Vara was stunned the mother eagle was so careful with the hawklet.

“The female had to go to a red-tailed nest and actually grab the chick very gently with those giant talons they have and bring it over here without killing it,” he said. “Usually, whenever they grab anything, they just sink their talons into it and kill it instantly.”

It appears the male eagle accepted Tuffy, too. Some wildlife experts suggest it may be because red-tailed hawks have a begging call similar to an eagle’s call.

Now both the eaglet, known as Lola, and her apparently adopted brother Tuffy are learning to fly and finding their independence.

“To actually be able to witness this is amazing,” Vara said. “It just shows you that nature holds so many secrets.”

At one point, there were two hawklets in the nest, but birdwatchers say it’s unclear what happened to the second one.

A report from Santa Clara Valley Medical Center shows deadly fentanyl-related overdoses more than doubled from April to May this year. And now a new drug that’s often found with fentanyl is making the crisis even harder to fight.

“These drugs now are killing people at an alarming rate,” CHAM Pastor Scott Wagers said. “They’re very low level kind of drugs, street drugs, and they’re combinations of fentanyl, methamphetamines, tranq, new stuff coming out. I think some people don’t have any idea what’s in them.”

The Backpack Homeless Healthcare unit out of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center agrees. The unit, which goes out to encampments, says fentanyl is the primary problem. That’s why it distributes Nalaxone, known as Narcan, to try to prevent overdoses.

But the group says a new drug called tranq is adding fuel to the fire. Tranq is a street name for the powerful animal tranquilizer drug Xylazine, a drug that doesn’t respond to Narcan.

“Tranq, for folks who are experiencing overdose and the respiratory depression that goes along with that, tranq complicates that and can increase the sedation and will not be reversible with Nalaxone,” Backpack Homeless Healthcare Director Dr. Sara Jeevanjee said.

South Bay Assemblyman Evan Low said the state has been battling to find effective solutions to the problem.

“The public safety component may be overly simplistic, which is just to incarcerate and put individuals in incarceration while also getting the help,” Low said. “But we know that does not work and we see a revolving door.”

Low said he wants to see more partnership with the state and county to focus on more programs for public health and resolving addiction.

Every few years the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley publishes a report measuring how the Latino community in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties is doing in education, health care, housing, and other topics.

The low grades featured in this year’s report are seen as a call to action for leaders in the Silicon Valley Latino community, with many already mobilizing to turn things around.

“If this were my report card coming home from school, I’d hide it from my parents,” Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley CEO Ron Gonzales said. “Unfortunately, the data is not good.”

Here’s a look at the grades outlined in the report:

• Education: D
• Health: C
• Financial stability: C
• Housing: D
• Environmental sustainability: B

Scroll down below to view the full report or download it here.

Silicon Valley Jun 12

Wealth gap, racial inequalities highlighted in annual Silicon Valley Pain Index

San Jose Jun 8

San Jose hotel room break-in attempt caught on camera

The research done for the report found that in housing, Latinos accounted for 47% of all individuals experiencing homelessness in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties – that’s almost half the unhoused population.

In education, only 35% of Latino high school graduates in Silicon Valley completed the required coursework to attend a state college or university compared to 77% of non-Latinos. It’s worth noting the most recent education data used in this report is from 2018.

San Jose State University President Cynthia Teniente-Matson said fixing the education stat means starting early like reading by age 8, makes a difference.

Researchers said Latinos were actually trending upward in most categories a few years ago.

In housing and education, the pandemic sparked huge setbacks as everyone was asked to figure out how to learn from home.

“That issue was not just surmountable by giving them a computer, because as the data shows, our Latino students were in overcrowded housing conditions where the study area was the kitchen table they share with cousins and other family,” Gonzales said.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Phuc Pham, 71, and Nguyen Pham, 72, both of San Jose and Jiwanjot Dhariwal, 26, of Milpitas were killed when a man went on a violent spree where he stabbed multiple victims and struck multiple pedestrians with a vehicle.

Suspect Kevin Parkourana is being held with no bail at the Santa Clara County main jail. Police said he is charged with multiple counts of homicide, attempted homicide and carjacking connected to the violent crime spree that also injured several others.

Parkourana was supposed to make his first appearance in court Tuesday, but the 31-year-old refused to leave his cell.

San Jose Jun 2

South Bay Crime Spree: Stabbing Victim's Family Speaks Out

San Jose Jun 2

Timeline: South Bay Crime Spree

Even though the suspect refused to be transported to court, prosecutors still filed charges against him in this highly-unusual case spanning two cities.

Police said Parkourana began his rampage last Thursday afternoon near Kooser Road when he carjacked a man’s minivan and stabbed him several times in the neck and chest.

In less than three hours, Parkourana was accused of another carjacking and stabbing, driving into the Pham couple and killing them. And fatally stabbing Dhariwal in a Milpitas parking lot.

The suspect is also accused of several counts of attempted murder including driving an SUV into the back of motorcyclist Wynton Waldorf near Curtner avenue. The 67-year-old victim was in court Tuesday to watch the proceedings. 

“All of a sudden the rear of my bike got jacked way up in the air, and I flew to the handlebars,” he said. “The bike went down to the right, I went to the left and got wedged underneath the car in front of me and I know that sounds bad but I think that might have been what saved my life. I was under the car, what’s to stop him from getting down and murdering me too.”

Parkourana had a history of mental illness and Santa Clara County District attorney, Jeff Rosen  acknowledged it is possible the suspects legal team may pursue a mental health defense. But he says that won’t deter prosecutors.

“We continue to investigate as the case moves forward, and we are confident that the defendant knew what he was doing when he did it,” said Rosen.

He has a criminal history with prior convictions of felony vandalism, felony possession of a dagger, and for being in possession of an explosive device, a pipe bomb, according to court records.

If convicted, the DA said Parkourana will be off the streets for good.

“Given the charges that I have filed against this defendant, which includes special circumstances, he will spend the rest of his life in prison and die there,” he said.

The judge ordered Parkourana to show up in court for arraignment on Thursday.

The county was awarded the money as part of a settlement from a state lawsuit against several opioid manufacturers.

One of the proposals, which would cost $800,000, is having narcan, which can reverse the effects of fentanyl poisoning, available on public transit, in bars and restaurants, at homeless encampments and college campuses throughout the county.

Supervisor Cindy Chavez says so far this year, 41 people have died from fentanyl poisoning in the county and the need to prevent more deaths is urgent.

“We’ve asked the staff to move with a sense of urgency, the fentanyl crisis in Santa Clara County has seen a 300% increase in fentanyl overdoses since 2019,” she said.

Santa rosa Jun 1

Mother in Santa Rosa Arrested on Suspicion of Causing Toddler's Fentanyl Overdose

California May 31

California Advances Fentanyl Bills Focused on Prevention, Increased Penalties

Narcan is already available at county public libraries.

The Behavioral Health Services Department supports the proposed move to make the kits more widely available, adding, “Narcan has been demonstrated to be an effective life-saving measure for individuals experiencing an opioid overdose and can be administered by anyone receiving a brief training. Many lives have already been saved through the availability of Narcan.”

Supervisors are also looking at funding other strategies.

“This plan calls for $1.5 million to expand substance treatment for schools regarding fentanyl,” said Chavez.  

The county will also decide whether to spend a million dollars to increase substance abuse residential services.

The utility is inspecting its large electrical transmission towers and power poles throughout Santa Clara County, making sure its power lines are secure and not at risk of coming down during high winds.

PG&E crews are conducting inspections on the ground and in the air via helicopter, starting Wednesday in the hills east of San Jose, Milpitas and surrounding border communities.

On Thursday, crews will cover Los Gatos and neighboring hills, and on Friday, they’ll focus on northern Santa Clara County – Cupertino, Mountain View and Sunnyvale.

Meanwhile, in Contra Costa County, firefighting officials held their annual wildfire prevention town hall in Lafayette to encourage residents to be prepared for this year’s wildfire season.

All local fire departments and Cal Fire continue to remind residents living on property with a lot of vegetation to make sure they maintain 100 feet of defensible space around the property.

All the preparation and reminders come after the release of this year’s fire season outlook from Accuweather meteorologists, who predict that in California, 400,000 to 1 million acres will burn.

County and San Jose leaders celebrated the data Tuesday, showing the overall number of homeless people is down nearly 5% and those who are unsheltered, and living on the streets is down 10%.

“As we’ve scaled up these quick build communities, we’ve been able to get people housing now,” said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. 

He believes it’s due, in large part, to the rapid interim housing locations in place since 2020 where each resident has their own room and bathroom. 

But he says it’s part of a larger approach that includes more permanent housing as well. 

coyote creek May 15

City of San Jose Begins Clearing Out Major Homeless Encampment Along Coyote Creek

San Jose Nov 29, 2022

San Jose Approves Plan to Build Tiny Homes for Unhoused in VTA Lots

“We can invest in affordable housing for the long run while scaling up immediate, cost-effective, humane and effective solutions to treat homelessness today,” said Mahan. 

The annual point-in-time homeless census also shows the number of homeless young people is down almost 20% in San Jose and 33% in Santa Clara County.

But the report also shows a troubling and growing statistic. The number of homeless families, meaning at least one parent and child, shot up 122%. 

Mahan suggests it’s because the city did more outreach to find them. 

“That was not necessarily families that were living in tents or vehicles, that’s often families with housing instability who may be living with a family member,” said Mahan. 

Homeless advocate Shaunn Cartwright, who was part of the survey, questions whether the numbers are truly dropping. 

“When we did this count, it was pouring rain,” she said, pointing to the increase in homeless families as a strong reason to push for more permanent housing. 

“Families don’t live in tiny homes. Families are waiting for permanent supportive housing, and that’s what families need,” said Cartwright. 

But for Juan Bonales, who moved from the streets to interim housing connected to the San Jose police station parking lot, it’s working.

He will be one less person off the street next year. 

“Having room to relax and get some sleep, a place to shower, it’s actually helping me a lot to where I can go to work and feel comfortable,” he said.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

It happened at the main jail in San Jose Sunday night.

Source said that’s when at least one or more jail trustees attacked the guards with handmade shanks.

Trustees are incarcerated people who have more freedom to move around the jail due to good behavior.

The attacker or attackers were allegedly upset that their privileges were going to be taken away.

The deputies sustained puncture wounds and defensive injuries. 

No word on their condition.

District officials say Assembly Bill 1469 would add language to the district’s governing act specifying it can assist unsheltered people, allowing it to play a more active role in addressing the deepening homelessness crisis in Santa Clara County.

The bill, authored by local Assemblymember Ash Kalra and sponsored by Valley Water, passed in the Assembly unanimously on Monday, and will next head to the State Senate, though it’s unclear when it might go for a vote.

Contra Costa County May 12

Contra Costa County's Unhoused Survey

Making It in the Bay Apr 17

$11 Million Heads to the South Bay to Battle Homelessness

Jim Beall, a Valley Water board member since December and a longtime South Bay leader, said under the current law, the district isn’t allowed to do much more than clean up trash and debris along the creeks where homeless people live, costing about $2.4 million per year.

“We can’t just ask (other government agencies) to do all the work on this, we have to participate and get involved in a more proactive way,” Beall told San Jose Spotlight.

Despite efforts by city, county and state governments, the homelessness crisis in the county has grown, with roughly 10,000 people lacking permanent housing in 2022. About 77% of those people are unsheltered, meaning they live outdoors, on the street or in vehicles, according to Destination: Home.

Valley Water owns and manages 294 miles of streams and habitat. Officials said 2,300 people currently live on district property, often in encampments near waterways, which can be dangerous due to flash flooding, among other factors. Human waste and other debris from encampments can lead to degraded water quality and habitats for animals.

“We want to help the people in a more humane way to find housing, places to live and solutions rather than have them live in the creeks where they have a negative impact on the environment,” Beall said.

The bill would allow the district to use some of its revenue from an existing 1% assessed property value tax to fund outreach, counseling, transitional housing or other services for unsheltered people.

Bart Broome, Valley Water’s assistant officer for state government relations, said a little financial flexibility for the district could go a long way. He said the district would only be using a “small part” of the existing tax funds on these efforts, but said it’s too early to pinpoint a number.

“If we are able to access just a small part of that, we can do the things that are urgently needed to improve the situation. Not just for the unhoused people living along the creek, but for the neighbors that live around,” Broome told San Jose Spotlight.

The bill could also allow the district to use some of its surplus land for housing projects, Beall said, but a timeline for those potential projects isn’t yet clear.

Homeless advocate Richard Scott said Valley Water, San Jose and other government agencies have been “ruthless” in their sweeps of various encampments  in recent years, but said he trusts the intent of the bill if Beall is heading up the effort.

“Jim Beall has always been involved in community mental health,” Scott told San Jose Spotlight.

Scott said in addition to creating more permanent affordable and supportive housing, the district should work with the county or cities to invest quickly in temporary solutions.

“What we need right now is to have sanctioned and regulated encampments where people are stable, where the advocates and providers can find them and where they feel safe,” Scott said, similar to Hope Village, which was dismantled in 2019. “You can’t treat a person when they’re under the kind of pressure that you’re under when you’re homeless.”

While pursuing this bill, the water district is also monitoring its nearly $5 million contract with San Jose to clear people living along roughly nine miles of Coyote Creek, and work to find them services or housing, so the district can begin a major flood prevention project.

Homeless advocate Scott Largent said people living near Coyote Creek and other water district lands were effectively forced into those areas after being pushed out of other parts of the city, such as the Spring Street encampment, sidewalks and underpasses.

“They’ve been harassed, swept, had their motorhomes towed, everything. People try to go deeper into the creek, and try to get creative and build bunkers or find camouflage,” Largent told San Jose Spotlight.

Broome said Valley Water’s intentions are good, and the bill wouldn’t be used simply to order more mass sweeps of homeless camps.

“It’s in everyone’s backyard, these public lands are the people’s property, it’s everybody’s issue,” Broome said. “We want to do it in a way that’s actually going to find people solutions, not just have them move from one piece of public land to another.”

This story was originally published by the San Jose Spotlight and Joseph Geha. https://sanjosespotlight.com/silicon-valley-water-district-sponsors-california-state-assembly-bill-ab-1469-to-help-house-homeless-people/

You can contact Joseph Geha at joseph@sanjosespotlight.com or @josephgeha16 on Twitter.

“You see our Rapid Response sign behind us. It usually says ‘protect our community.’ Today it says ‘welcome our community’ because they are our brothers and sisters,” said Maritza Maldonado, founder and executive director of Amigos de Guadalupe.

The Rapid Response Network of Santa Clara County is among those working to find temporary housing, food and legal assistance for migrants when needed.

Advocates like Gina Guevara, who immigrated from Venezuela six years ago, said she’s ready to help.

“I’m honored to play a role where I can welcome families into our communities,” she said, through a translator. “I have advocated for issues affecting our immigrant families so they can have similar opportunities to the ones I had.”

US-Mexico Border May 10

Border Officials Prepare for Migrant Influx as Title 42 Expires

title 42 May 11

Scenes From the US-Mexico Border as Title 42 Ends

The White House said the new rule – Title 8 – opens up more legal pathways to migration but also creates new restrictions on seeking asylum.

Starting overnight, people must prove they sought protection in another country along the way and were denied before attempting to cross into the US.

Title 8 also cracks down on illegal crossings. Those caught would not only be deported immediately but would be barred from attempting to reenter legally for at least five years.

Like much of immigration law, it is not cut and dry and there are a few exceptions, adding confusion for the already backlogged immigration courts.

On Thursday night, a federal judge blocked the Biden administration from implementing a policy that allows for the release of migrants without a court date. The judge halting it for two weeks.

Back in the Bay Area, San Jose is also making plans for how it will assist in the process if needed. Local leaders on Thursday called on Gov. Gavin Newsom to secure more federal funding and send state funds for the resources needed.

“We are one of the safest and most diverse communities in the country and we value what all our residents contribute,” Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Susan Ellenberg said. “We will be steadfast in our work to connect people in need with services they require.”

County officials want to eliminate about 650 vacant roles out of roughly 3,500 total vacancies to help offset a projected budget deficit of $120 million. Funds would be reallocated elsewhere in the proposed 2023-24 budget.

Santa Clara County May 2

Santa Clara County Rolls Out New Approach to Killing Mosquitoes

Santa Clara County Apr 28

South Bay Residents Have New Tool to Report Illegal Dumping

County Executive Jeff Smith said current workers shouldn’t be affected, with leaders looking at roles across multiple departments that have remained vacant for more than 18 months.

“The reality is that we’re no longer in a financially flush environment,” Smith told San Jose Spotlight. “We have to find ways to cut money without decreasing services and without impacting our employees.”

Riko Mendez, chief elected officer with SEIU 521, said decreasing vacancies fails to address chronic understaffing that’s already overburdening existing workers. He added the loss of county roles means vulnerable residents lose access and help with obtaining resources. SEIU 521 is the county’s largest union, representing more than 12,000 employees including janitors, health care workers, social workers and more, he said.

“Every single (one) of those vacancies, that is a human being that if that vacancy was filled, would be badging in every single day and providing services to the community,” Mendez told San Jose Spotlight.

Vacancies have plagued Santa Clara County for years. Mental health professionals across county agencies and health care workers in county-operated Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (VMC) have described depleted staffing levels, resulting in impacts like longer wait times for emergency room patients. A 2022 survey revealed about 69% of county-employed doctors at VMC plan to leave their jobs in the next three years.

Mendez said eliminating roles could hobble departments that are already stretched thin. He said a health care worker broke down crying in a conversation with him, describing a situation where a pregnant mother was saved because there happened to be enough staff on that particular day.

“That really drove the life or death nature of these decisions home to me,” he said.

Worker’s rights attorney and San Jose Spotlight columnist Ruth Silver Taube said governments statewide are dealing with worker shortages, but eliminating vacancies isn’t the answer. Silver Taube said low pay, lack of housing and intense responsibilities are all critical factors that need addressing.

“(Vacancies) plague a lot of public agencies,” Silver Taube told San Jose Spotlight. “It looks good on paper that they have fewer vacancies because they deleted them, and that is the wrong approach. They need to fill those vacancies because the workload is what’s driving people away.”

The county isn’t alone in its understaffing troubles. San Jose government workers protested last year for better pay, citing demanding workloads in light of hundreds of unfilled positions. Longstanding vacancies in the planning department have led to significant delays in permit processing, which small business owners said push entrepreneurs to open businesses in other cities.

Silver Taube said there are people who want to work in public service and contribute in government roles, but agencies need to streamline their hiring processes to attract these individuals.

Mendez said the county needs to invest in its workers and services now more than ever. He said workers are struggling to do their jobs and also dealing with post-pandemic mental health effects.

“When the desperate times called upon us to be disaster service workers and lean into the fact that we work for a government agency, we did our part,” Mendez said. “Now’s the time to look at the numbers, outside of the box.”

This story was originally published by San Jose Spotlight and Loan-Anh Pham. https://sanjosespotlight.com/union-seiu-521-upset-over-santa-clara-countys-plan-to-cut-vacant-jobs/

Contact Loan-Anh Pham at loan-anh@sanjosespotlight.com or follow @theLoanAnhLede on Twitter.

The Alma Helitack unit’s twin-engine Black Hawk helicopter is significantly bigger and three times more powerful than the old single-engine Huey helicopters.

“The Black Hawk has really changed the game in firefighting when it comes to the ability to deliver three or four drops in a single tank at a time,” Alma Helitack pilot Clifton Cates said. “I never have to leave my guys on the line unprotected.”

The Black Hawk is also new technology, which provides versatility.

“It’s got the capability to fly in very poor weather, fly at night, fly in some adverse conditions that we’re starting to see on our fire line now,” Cates said.

But that does require more training.

“There’s a lot more systems, computer systems, that we had to learn and then also operating in the emergency procedures capacity as well,” Alma Helitack unit Capt. Sean Ketchum said.

The county’s vector control district this week launched a new program that uses a drone to treat areas with larvicide to kill mosquito eggs.

“It only has effect on target mosquito larvae,” Santa Clara County Vector Control District Manager Nayer Zahiri said. “No harm to any other insects or any other animals.”

The drone will be flown in wetlands and other remote non-residential areas.

The county contracted out the company Leading Edge Aerial Technologies to target the landscapes that crews can’t easily reach by foot.

“Walking in here is not advised,” Zahiri said. “It’s better to use drones because it has less impact on the habitats.”

In the past, vector control has used helicopters to drop the larvicide. Staff said the drones are a far more efficient way to eliminate the mosquitoes before they become adults and reduce diseases the insects carry, like West Nile virus.

“The drone uses GPS guidance to line up its swaths,” drone pilot Joseph Daviss said. “Drones do a very good job of getting into and out of areas where you wouldn’t want to necessarily send a manned aircraft.”

All of the rain received this year means more standing water, where mosquitoes lay their eggs. Right now is when the insects start looking for their hatch spots.

The county is asking the public to do its part by clearing out any standing water.

“It’s going to be a very difficult year to control mosquitoes,” Zahiri said.

Santa Clara County on Friday launched a website that residents can use to report piles of trash. The website allows users to submit pictures and a location.

“The community and government and our nonprofit organizations need to work together to get our entire community cleaned up,” Supervisor Cindy Chavez said.

As for who removes the trash, that’s up to cleanup crews. Since the crews started in November, they have collected 30 tons of solid waste, 52 tires, 20 mattresses, and more than 600 bulky items, like furniture and appliances.

Before the program, cleanup areas had to be identified by local cities or spotted by the crew. Now, two crews of six spend four days a week picking up trash reported by the public.

“This community is a place that needs to be cleaned up so that people continue to want to live here, so that young people don’t take on the psychology that this is just the way it is,” state Sen. Dave Cortese said. “They don’t know anything different.”

The crews respond all over the county, including Caltrans property. Locations with chronic illegal dumping or those that pose a safety risk get first priority.

For the crew members themselves, it’s more than just a job.

“The great thing about the San Jose Conservation Corps is that our youth are not only able to obtain their high school diploma, but they are able to obtain CPR and bloodborne pathogens training,” SJCC Environmental Senior Manager Darleny Padilla said.

According to the county, Latino residents have been disproportionately affected by poor health outcomes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Supervisor Sylvia Arenas was behind the call for a new assessment.

“Santa Clara County’s Latino community has faced disproportionate exposure to crisis after crisis, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the housing crisis, and beyond,” Arenas said in a statement released by the county Tuesday. “This health assessment will give our community and policy makers the information and more importantly the policy recommendations they need to take real and sustained action to correct the disparity.” 

The new assessment will be undertaken by the county Public Health Department and be compiled through community engagement and comprehensive data collection and analysis. A report on the findings is due back to the Board of Supervisors in the spring of 2024.

Back in 2012, the county produced a report entitled Status of Latino/Hispanic Health, a comprehensive look at the health of its Latino/Hispanic residents, which then made up 27% of the county’s population, according to the report.  

The report estimated that by 2050, 4 of every 10 county residents will be Latino/Hispanic.  

The 2012 report was mainly focused on findings rather than solutions, so in addition to gathering new data, the new assessment will include recommendations and “calls to action,” according to the county.

“These recommendations should provide opportunities for policy makers to correctly align future investments to dramatically improve the health of the Latino community in our county,” reads the county’s summary given to the Board of Supervisors. 

Some key findings from the 2012 report showed that Latino and Hispanic residents had less education, lower incomes and higher unemployment rates than whites or Asians in Santa Clara County. They were also more likely than other racial and ethnic groups to live in overcrowded or severely overcrowded households, spending 30% or more of their income on rent or a mortgage. 

Health findings in the 2012 report found that Latino and Hispanic residents were more likely than some other racial/ethnic groups to be overweight or obese, have diabetes, have lower levels of activity and poorer nutrition, have higher rates of teen births and were more likely to experience some type of injury and violence more than some other racial/ethnic groups.  

The report did find some health advantages that the Latino/Hispanic community had, such as a longer life expectancy than whites or Blacks, lower rates of cancer, and half the blood pressure rate of whites and Blacks.  

For the new assessment, the Public Health Department is asked to review data covering COVID-19, chronic illnesses, gender-based violence, and environmental health factors such as exposure to pesticides, lead and other chemicals. 

Data should also be collected about access to health insurance and care, behavioral health care, health factors related to substandard housing or homelessness, access to reproductive health, and nutrition, the county said.

“As the weather gets warmer and there are so many small pockets out there, the mosquito activity will definitely increase,” said Beverly Perez, Santa Clara County Vector Control Community Resource Specialist.

from garbage cans to drains. Even a little water trapped in a tarp can quickly become a mosquito breeding ground.

“They only need a quarter inch of water to be able to lay their eggs,” Perez said.

San Jose Aug 3, 2022

Mosquitoes Test Positive for West Nile Virus in Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, San Jose

health Jun 13, 2022

What is West Nile Virus?

Some are already on alert. double checking their home.

“I’m aware of it. I make sure I empty my bird bath of standing water,” said Santa Clara County Sue Shoff.

Santa Clara County vector control leaders are also preparing for a potential mosquito population explosion.

“We have a team out in marshes on a weekly basis checking for stagnant water for mosquito breeding, checking curbs and catch basins,” Perez said.

Perez added that to prevent becoming a mosquito meal, avoid going outdoors at dusk and dawn and use EPA-approved insect repellant.

While there have been no confirmed cases of West Nile so far this year in Santa Clara County, last year one person died from the virus after getting bitten in the Bay Area.

Dead birds are often a sign there is West Nile Virus in the community. If you find one, report it to vector control.

The initial storms during the end of December 2022 and throughout January 2023 resulted in an estimated $7.3 million in damages across 10 locations, including closures of Mines Road and Bear Creek Road.

Additional storms in February and March caused damaged in 10 additional locations, including culvert failures, erosion of roadway and slope foundations, new landslides and reactivated past landslides due to overly saturated soils, according to a report from the county’s Roads and Airports Department presented Tuesday to the county Board of Supervisors.

While most roads damaged during the storms have been repaired and at least partially reopened, Bear Creek Road, Old Santa Cruz Highway, Clayton Road and Aldercroft Heights Road have all remained closed to traffic since March.

According to the Roads and Airports Department, repairs at Mines Road are ongoing while repairs to Bear Creek Road and Old Santa Cruz Highway will begin “as soon as possible.”

Repairs to Clayton Road and Aldercroft Heights Road are expected to take longer, as landslides have undermined both roadways and will require geotechnical analysis and stabilization before they can safely reopen to traffic.

Board of Directors of Valley Water — which manages water for Santa Clara County’s nearly two million residents — voted to rescind the agency’s water shortage emergency condition. A mandatory 15% water-use restrictions for all homeowners and businesses that has been in effect for three years is now voluntary, directors also decided.

Agency officials said Monday that the National Drought Monitor shows Santa Clara County is now designated “free of drought” for the first time in three years.

The heavy storms of the last three months have also improved Valley Water’s imported water allocations from the State Water Project and the Central Valley Water Project.

Bay City News contributed to this report.

California Apr 6

Before and After: Dramatic Photos Show How Storms Filled California Reservoirs

snowpack Apr 3

Massive Statewide Snowpack Good News for Drought, But Flood Concerns Grow

Santa Clara County Parks expects an “explosion” of California poppies, lupines and buttercups, among other wildflowers, once there’s a prolonged period of sunshine and warm temperatures.

“It’s been a cold and rainy winter for many in the Bay Area, but our reward will be an awesome array of wildflowers for everyone to enjoy,” Santa Clara County Parks Director Don Rocha said in a statement. “Our accessible trail system will provide outstanding opportunities for all to view, no matter their skill level. Once the bloom begins, Parks staff will continue to monitor the trails to keep visitors up to date for the best places to view the wildflowers.”

Santa Clara County Parks recommends the following parks for prime wildflower viewing: Stiles Ranch Trail at Santa Teresa, Calero, Coyote Lake Harvey Bear, Almaden Quicksilver and Joseph D. Grant.

Wildflower enthusiasts are also encouraged to check out an interactive map on the Santa Clara County Parks website that features wildflower hotspots and additional information about trail access and viewing periods.

People heading out to see the wildflowers are asked to stay on designated trails and not walk, stand or lie down on the flowers.

“The Santa Clara County Park system is unique and beautiful, and I hope everyone can come out and enjoy all that it has to offer,” Santa Clara County Parks Natural Resource Program Coordinator Dana Page said in a statement.

California Apr 10

California Storms Hit Beekeepers, But Honey Outlook's Sweet

Bay Area Proud Sep 6, 2022

Spreading Beauty: SF Couple Inspiring Movement to Plant Native Wildflowers

She is being considered for the San Diego County chief administrative officer position.

The role oversees day-to-day operations of the county. 

It comes after Chavez unsuccessfully ran for the San Jose mayoral seat in November.

As a former San Jose councilmember, and head of the South Bay Labor Council, Chavez has championed progressive politics in Santa Clara County since the 1990s. 

Chavez has been a county supervisor since 2013, and is set to term out in 2024.

Marin County came in at number one and San Mateo, Santa Clara and Napa are all in the top five.

The institute says civic engagement leads to healthier residents. However, a spokesperson says even with Bay Area counties making the top of the list, there are still improvements that can be made.

“Even high-ranked counties like Santa Clara for example, might take a deeper look at their data and see that not everyone in that county is experiencing the same opportunities to thrive so look at those data points and look at how people in different racial and ethnic groups are fairing and take on equity-informed acton,” said Sheri Johnson director of the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

The study looks at several factors, including access to parks, school funding, voter turnout and self-reported census participation.

The county will follow new state guidelines starting Monday as California loosens requirements, but officials are cautious a month after Governor Gavin Newsom declared the state’s COVID-19 emergency over.

Starting next week, masks will no longer be required in California’s high-risk and health care facilities including jails, homeless shelters and long-term care homes. Health care workers will no longer be required to get vaccinated for COVID, and people with the virus can end isolation after five days, among other changes.

coronavirus Mar 29

Some Bay Area Populations Struggling Financially in Post-COVID Economy: Report

news Mar 14

FDA Authorizes Pfizer's Covid Omicron Booster as Fourth Shot for Kids Under 5

A county health department spokesperson said there are still serious threats to people with certain medical conditions and for those who need vital health care services, especially during high transmission periods.

“In general, the county’s public health officer is aligning local requirements with state and federal COVID rules and guidance,” the spokesperson told San Jose Spotlight.

The county has issued an updated health order requiring masking in health care settings during the winter – November 1 to March 31 – in order to protect people from disease and prevent the overcrowding of hospitals. County officials also strongly advise health care facilities to closely monitor local and internal data, and set masking requirements and other policies that best protect their patients and ensure ongoing access to critical services during periods when risk is high. The county’s COVID dashboard will continue to operate and post data pertaining to the virus.

Santa Clara County has been at the forefront of the country’s governmental response to COVID and was first in the nation to declare COVID-19 a public health emergency on Feb. 10, 2020, when there were two confirmed cases of the disease in the county and 13 confirmed nationwide.

Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, a professor of global health, infectious diseases and epidemiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine, said COVID isn’t gone and it’s important to keep monitoring trends, which includes assessing the need for additional boosters.

“Given the high degree of population immunity from infection and vaccination this is the right time to lift the emergency measures,” she told San Jose Spotlight.

She said the number of people who have gotten booster shots is still low and she urges residents to get them.

County data shows only 33% of eligible residents have received the updated bivalent COVID booster, and 12% have not completed the initial series of COVID vaccines. Only 25% of the eligible population statewide has received the bivalent booster.

Maldonado added that masking has been an effective tool in reducing disease transmission and that health care workers should be vaccinated in order to maintain protective immunity among patients and staff.

Santa Clara County health officials highlighted that federal rules still require all Medicare and Medicaid-certified providers to ensure that applicable health care staff are vaccinated for COVID.

While major strides have been made in responding to the virus, Santa Clara County is stressing that COVID is still being detected at medium levels in wastewater samples and officials strongly recommend people wear masks indoors in crowded or high-risk settings, such as health care facilities or nursing homes.
Local updates on COVID-19 are available from the county on its website.

This story was originally published by San Jose Spotlight and Joshua Ram.
https://sanjosespotlight.com/santa-clara-county-relaxes-covid-19-coronavirus-rules/

Contact Josh Ram at jwram93@gmail.com or at @JoshuaWRam on Twitter.

But even as food donations pour in, there’s a very specific need for volunteers to get the food to those families.

Volunteers with Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County put food into the cars of those who need it, and the line on Wednesday was long. 

“There’s a huge need for food, which means there’s an enormous need for volunteers to help distribute the food,” said Gregory Kepferle, CEO of Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County.

They need volunteers so badly, they’ve recently had to turn cars away because there aren’t enough people to help.

“They bring us the food, we have to bag it. As you can see, we’re bagging it now, to try to get it out to the families because tonight we’re serving almost 800 families in two hours,” said program director Araceli Gonzales. 

Along with groups like Second Harvest Food Bank, they’re serving 4,500 families a week. And the need is non-stop.

“We’ve seen Calfresh go away, we’ve seen the end of stimulus benefits, we’ve seen inflation rising, rents rising, and the need is actually now more than at the height of the pandemic,” said Kepferle.

There are several distribution centers to choose from for those that want to help.

You can sign up here.

After getting word of a catalytic converter theft in Cupertino, deputies located the suspect vehicle and a short pursuit ensued, the sheriff’s office said.

The vehicle hit spike strips during the chase and eventually came to a stop on Interstate 280, the sheriff’s office said. The four suspects took off on foot but were later taken into custody.

Deputies found multiple catalytic converters and burglary tools in the vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office.

The suspects were booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on various charges, including felony vehicle evading, assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy, vehicle tampering, grand theft and resisting arrest, the sheriff’s office said.

The 13 proposals that were approved will help a range of people receive housing, including homeless seniors, foster youth and families with young children.

The board approved more funds for senior housing, a land swap for supportive housing in Cupertino, an investment into rental assistance with seven non-profits, a new housing development in Milpitas and more affordable housing in Mountain View, some specifically for foster youth.

“Dealing with housing and homelessness is extremely complex but not unsolvable,” said Supervisor Cindy Chavez. “We are making good progress in Santa Clara County. More people are ending their homelessness with permanent housing than they were three years ago. The County will not stop working night and day on affordable housing and homelessness. There will be more progress to come.”

Also on Tuesday, the board heard a status update on the “Heading Home” program, which is dedicated to creating enough housing for all county families experiencing homelessness by 2025.

In a little over a year, the project has helped house 635 families with young children, which is an average of 42 families a month, said Hilary Armstrong, program manager with the Santa Clara Office of Supportive Housing.

Over 1,400 families are currently enrolled in homeless prevention programs and receive financial help, education and other resources.

The office predicts that it will have 848 new units of supportive and affordable housing open for families by 2025.

Armstrong added that the office is working with other family services, expanding more of its services to pregnant people, and collaborating with landlords.

The office is also taking a deeper dive into the data of the families they serve. According to recent numbers, over half of the families have children ages five and younger, and the majority are sleeping in their cars, shelters or on the couches of friends.

“A lower number, thankfully, are outdoors, but still more than we would like,” said Armstrong at Tuesday’s meeting.

Following the presentation, supervisors expressed the need for more information on success stories of the program.

“I think it is hard when there is always more work in front of us to take a moment, take some sense of satisfaction, for the lives that have been changed for the better, in ways we can sometimes only imagine and not always see,” Supervisor Joe Simitian said to Armstrong. “I hope that gives you some comfort, some sense of solace. I hope that the work yet to be done doesn’t overwhelm the sense of satisfaction I think you and your colleagues should have for the work you have been able to do.”

Vidyut Nautiyal was struck at about 10 a.m. on a trail at Rancho San Antonio County Park.

The Boys Scouts said Nautiyal was a parent of a scout. They added she was participating in a planned hike and those she was with were trying to lift the tree off of her.

“It’s a tragedy, it’s super rare,” said Matt Anderson, a chief ranger for the Mid Peninsula Regional Open Space District. “We do have heart attacks occasionally form people hiking on the trail system here, but trees falling [on people] that’s super rare.”

Hikers said since the winter storms they have seen a lot of downed trees along the wide open trail. Park rangers confirm the soil is so saturated from recent storms and that they have seen more downed trees as well.

Cupertino Mar 5

Boy Scout's Mother Killed by Fallen Tree During Hike in Cupertino

San Jose Mar 5

Police Investigate Shooting at Topgolf Parking Lot in San Jose

The local Boy Scouts chapter released the following statement on Monday:

“All Scouts are safe and there were no additional injuries. Our emergency response protocols and notifications are currently being followed and we appreciate privacy for the family and Scout unit.”

The trail reopened on Monday afternoon.

The incident happened at around 10 a.m. on a trail at the Rancho San Antonio County Park. Officials said they received calls for a woman, who was trapped under a tree.

The Santa Clara County Fire Department said on Twitter that the victim was declared dead after medical aid was rendered.

San Jose Mar 5

Hail Sighting in San Jose

California Mar 5

Mountain Roads Shut as Another Winter Storm Hits California

The Boys Scouts said that the victim was a parent of a scout. They added the mother was participating in a planned hike and those she was with were trying to lift the tree off of her.

Eric Tarbox, Scout executive/CEO, Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council of Boy Scouts of America released the following statement Sunday evening:

“We are saddened to confirm one adult accidental fatality involving a tree. The deceased is the parent of a Scout and they were participating in a planned hike at the Rancho San Antonio Park.

Rangers and EMS were summoned to the scene. We will continue to cooperate with investigating authorities.

All Scouts are safe and there were no additional injuries. Our emergency response protocols and notifications are currently being followed and we appreciate privacy for the family and Scout unit as they are still being moved from the area and rejoined with their families.”

The park remained open after the incident. However, the trail was closed while crews investigated the incident.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

“Things are looking great,” Santa Clara Valley Water District spokesperson Matt Keller said. “Our local reservoirs, they look good.”

To make room for future storms, Valley Water has been strategically releasing water from reservoirs, which is part of the reason why the county average for reservoir capacity right now is only 50%.

“It’s a real balancing act,” Keller said. “We have to be aware of the potential for more storms. As we see these more storms come in, sometimes we do releases to make room in our reservoirs for that new water and that new runoff that’s coming in.”

Valley Water said the winter rain so far still isn’t enough to call off the drought emergency.

“We really have to wait until after the wet season is over to have a full look at our water supply and what we have for the next year,” Keller said.

The Sierra snowpack is also looking robust. Experts say the hope now is that the Sierra stays cold for the next few weeks to keep the snowpack intact. The goal is for the snowpack to begin melting in mid-spring in time for the runoff to refill the reservoirs again.

california drought Feb 22

What to Know: How California Decides If We're in a Drought

California Feb 15

California Debates What to Do With Water From Recent Storms

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

The county has administered 1.9 million vaccines since the pandemic began and most of those shots were given at the county’s mass vaccination sites. All those sites will be shuttered on Tuesday when the state ends its emergency COVID declaration.

So, what do residents do if they need a test or booster in the future?

NBC Bay Area’s Marianne Favro gets answers on what may change in her video report above.

COVID Feb 3

California Won't Require COVID Vaccine to Attend Schools

coronavirus Jan 31

Here Are 8 Things the End of the US Public Health Emergency Could Change

Space will be available for unsheltered people in 11 libraries, as well as the Santa Clara Senior Center and the Community Recreation Center, both in Santa Clara, and at Community Christian Center in Morgan Hill.

The libraries include branches in Santa Clara, Los Altos, Cupertino, Milpitas, Saratoga, Sunnyvale, Morgan Hill and Gilroy.

Most open each morning and close at various times between 5-7 p.m. For a complete list of warming centers, locations and hours, visit the county’s emergency management web page.

CHP officers responded around 7:05 a.m. to a report of a man found dead on Alum Rock Avenue east of Kirk Avenue. Investigators determined the man was hit by a vehicle sometime overnight and ended up partially in some bushes off the right shoulder of the roadway, CHP Officer Ross Lee said.

The injuries to the man and debris at the scene led the CHP to determine he had been hit by a vehicle that fled the scene. No description of the vehicle or driver was immediately available.

The name of the man who died was not being released as of midday Wednesday.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the CHP’s San Jose-area office at (408) 655-2620.

While county health officials emphasized that the pandemic is not over and COVID has not been eradicated, a high local vaccination rate and a relatively low rate of viral spread have made it easier for the county to sunset its large-scale testing and vaccination sites.

Officials also pointed to the widespread availability of at-home COVID tests and major providers like Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health offering testing and vaccination services as reasons why the county could pull back its similar efforts.

“We’ve now gotten to a point where at least 90 percent of the population of the county has gotten at least one vaccine,” County Executive Dr. Jeff Smith said Wednesday. “So because of that, the urgency for the county to have mass vaccination sites and testing sites has disappeared.”

Testing at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds is set to end Feb. 24 while vaccinations will end Feb. 25, according to the county.

Testing and vaccination services at the county’s animal shelter in San Martin is set to end Feb. 25 while vaccinations at the San Antonio Shopping Center in Mountain View will end Feb. 28. Testing services have already ended at the Mountain View location.

coronavirus Jan 31

Here Are 8 Things the End of the US Public Health Emergency Could Change

COVID-19 Jan 30

President Biden to End COVID-19 Emergencies on May 11

Many of the county’s smaller testing sites are also expected to close in the coming weeks. According to county officials, the Santa Clara County Health System has provided some 1.6 million PCR tests since May 2020.

The county’s health system has also administered some 1.9 million COVID-19 vaccine doses since the vaccine became available in December 2020.

At one time, the county operated the largest COVID testing and vaccination site in the state at Levi’s Stadium, which saw nearly 14,000 patients per day at its peak.

The county and the San Francisco 49ers, the team that plays its home games at the stadium, closed testing and vaccination services in the summer of 2021.

“We are still in the middle of a pandemic, but we are transitioning from a full-blown response where we have a sense of urgency every day to one where we are adapting to living with COVID,” county Health Officer and Public Health Director Dr. Sara Cody said.

Cody noted that the county announced its first case of COVID three years ago Tuesday. On Friday, it will be three years since the county declared a health emergency about the virus.

The end of the month will also mark the end of the state’s COVID state of emergency.

“We are grateful for the immunity that’s been built vaccine by vaccine by vaccine throughout the community and we are in a better and safer place that allows us to transition from a full-blown urgent response to one that’s more of a continual response embedded in our operations,” Cody said.

The county still plans to provide COVID vaccination, testing and other health care services to the more than 225,000 residents whose main health care provider is the county’s health system.

Cody encouraged residents to get vaccinated if they have yet to do so and to get a booster vaccine dose once eligible to dramatically reduce the chance of the virus’ worst outcomes.

She also noted that the spread of COVID as detected in the county’s four main sewersheds, which cover 95 percent of the county’s population, is lower than it has been over the last two months.

However, viral detection remains high enough that she encouraged residents to wear a mask indoors to effectively prevent the virus’ spread.

“The pandemic is not over. We can’t declare a day when it’s over and, as we’ve seen it’s having a very, very long tail,” Cody said. “We don’t know when it’s going to be over. What’s different is how we are responding to it.”

Emmanuel Diaz Ramos, 41, was found at the Pruneyard Shopping Center in Campbell and was arrested and booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail.

On Saturday around 8 a.m., a sheriff’s deputy made a traffic stop in the area of Rutland and Parkmoor avenues in San Jose. During the stop, the driver, later identified as Ramos, allegedly fled on foot from the deputy.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the deputy chased Ramos, who then allegedly brandished a loaded semi-automatic firearm and stated, “I’m going to shoot you.”

A struggle over the firearm ensued and the deputy was able to regain control of the firearm, the Sheriff’s Office said. Ramos fled to his car and drove off at a high rate of speed.

An arrest warrant was issued for Ramos, and on Monday, he was arrested and booked on suspicion of attempted murder on a peace officer, assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, vehicle theft, resisting arrest, criminal threats and being a felon in possession of a loaded firearm and ammunition.

“I’m very grateful our deputy was able to defend himself against this vicious attack so he could return home to his family that evening,” Sheriff Robert Jonsen said in a statement released Monday. “This is the grim reality of the dangers our deputies face when putting on the badge every day in order to protect and serve the community in Santa Clara County.”

County officials encourage residents to take precautionary measures against hypothermia by seeking out warming shelters if they need them. 

County libraries are serving as warming centers during the daytime. 

Unhoused residents in San Jose can also reach out to the county to find an overnight warming location bed by calling (408) 539-2105 or by emailing owlreferrals@homefirstscc.org.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

For months, NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit has been talking to county doctors reporting burnout and some of their patients waiting up to six to seven months to see a specialist doctor after getting a referral. On Thursday, the team reported on a patient, William Spradlin, who said the delays he experienced with a surgery he needs to return to work caused him to lose his job, his savings and his home.

Valley Medical Center Dec 12, 2022

Some Kids Forced to Wait 6-7 Months to See Valley Medical Center Doctor: Internal Email

Santa Clara County Dec 8, 2022

Valley Medical Center Doctors Report Dangerously Long Patient Wait Times

Santa Clara Valley Healthcare, the entity operating Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, declined an interview but sent an email when our Investigative Unit asked officials to elaborate on why they say “imbalances in supply and demand” are contributing to appointment delays.

In the email, a spokesperson said one big factor is the healthcare system seeing a lot more patients because people have been deferring care during the pandemic. For instance:

• The number of Medi-Cal managed care members assigned to SCVH has grown from approximately 158,000 to 179,000, a 13.3% increase from November 2021 to November 2022
• Over a two-year period, enrollment increased by about 21.6% or 32,000 members from November 2020 to November 2022
• SCVH Emergency Department volumes have increased by 24.9% or 33,327 visits during the same period

Dr. Eon Rios is a Santa Clara Valley Medical Center doctor in the hospital’s dermatology department. He said one reason for the volume increase in the hospital’s emergency department is that some patients are having to resort to going to the E.R. after waiting so long for an appointment.

“No clinic spot is available for them. If they’re severe enough, they can go to the Emergency Department and get admitted and get those treated,” Dr. Rios said. “But there’s just no space. It is so difficult to get specialty care in a timely fashion that it behooves good patient care.”

Santa Clara Valley Healthcare’s statement to us further explains what else its doing to try and reduce wait times. They said they’ve acquired two more hospitals in San Jose and in Gilroy. And they’ve expanded construction for Santa Clara Valley Medical Center’s E.R. Department.

Some county doctors say the solution should be more focused on hiring additional physicians. The healthcare system said they’re working on recruitment and added 600 new positions last year.

With Microsoft announcing 10,000 layoffs, about four dozen of those in Silicon Valley. Meanwhile, Amazon is planning to lay off 18,000 employees.

Tech workers all over the Bay Area are understandably nervous.

Layoffs was a top trending topic on Twitter Wednesday Santa Clara County, in the heart of Silicon Valley, said it wants to soften the landing for those who lose their jobs.

“Many of the people getting laid off are young tech workers and they’ve never had to deal with an abrupt loss of income or a loss in health insurance,” said Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez.

news Jan 18

Google, Meta, Amazon and Other Tech Companies Have Laid Off More Than 104,000 Employees in the Last Year

layoffs Nov 10, 2022

Tracking Layoffs: Latest Companies Cutting Jobs

Focusing on health insurance, Santa Clara County is pointing laid off workers to Covered California.

“And that would provide access to a very comprehensive group of hospitals and clinics, and that’s another way we can help, that primary care plan is accessible through the Valley Health Plan, and through Valley Medical Center where the enrollment occurs,” said Laura Rosas, CEO of Valley Health Plan.

There are more tech jobs available. Companies like Aisera of Palo Alto said it like others, it plans to take advantage of cuts at larger companies to hire.

“The top companies I’d say are anything with AI, automation, apply to those companies. While you’re doing that, step two is take classes, take some meetups,” said Muddu Sudhakar, CEO of Palo Alto-based Aisera.

A lot of these layoffs come because of fear, fear that tech companies grew too quickly over the last few years, and fear that consumers, jittery about inflation, will cut back on their spending.

Santa Clara County’s hope is that those facing layoffs will have one less thing to worry about healthcare.

The warning was issued due to the weather conditions and potential risks of flooding to the general public and property.

County emergency officials said the prolonged stretch of winter storms since late December have brought heavy rain and high winds to the region. As a result, these unusual rain levels have created impacts that include soils near or at their saturation point, creeks, streams, and rivers reaching or exceeding flood stage, and low-lying area experiencing flooding, including road crossings. There is also an increased risk of rocks and sediments dislodging from the hillsides.

bay area storm Jan 3

Updates on Storm-Related Problems in the Bay Area: Road Closures, Power Outages

bay area storm Jan 12

Forecast: Series of Bay Area Storms Continue

Officials added that driving will be challenging during periods of gusty winds, especially for high-profile vehicles, including emergency response vehicles.

The following areas are under evacuation warning as of 6 p.m. Friday: Pacheco Pass River Basin, for those living in the areas of:

• El Toro Road south of state Highway 152 to Bloomfield Avenue;
• Lovers Lane between Shore Road and state Highway 152;

Watershed areas of the Uvas Reservoir include those living:

• South of Uvas Reservoir, including Thousand Trails RV Park and Uvas Pines RV Park;
• South of Sycamore Drive and Watsonville Road;
• Homes south of Lions Peak;
• South of Day Road and Geri Lane;
• Watsonville and state Highway152;
• U.S. Highway 101 and Bolsa Road:
• South of state Highway 152, east of U.S. Highway 101;
• South of Pacheco Pass (state Highway 152) and east of U.S. Highway101;
• South of Luchessa Avenue and east of Thomas Road;
• East of Santa Teresa Boulevard to Castro Valley Road;
• North of Castro Valley Road to Luchessa Avenue
• North of state Highway 25 between U.S. Highway101 and Bloomfield Road;
• West of Bloomfield Avenue between state Highway 25 and Pacheco Pass (state Highway 152);
• East of U.S. Highway 101 to Pacheco Pass (state Highway 152)

County officials said community members living in these areas should gather their household members, pets, personal items, important documents, prescription medication, change of clothes, non-perishable foods, water, extra batteries, flashlights, and phone chargers. They should prepare to evacuate to a safe location. Community members are also encouraged to stay off the roads, creek beds, waterways and fast moving waters.

For more information on the winter storm event, please go to PrepareSCC.org.

For the first time in years, spillover from the Uvas Reservoir turned part of Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy into a river.

“Crazy,” Maria Ortega said. “This is my son’s route to school, so it’s pretty crazy to see this. I’ve never seen it like this, never have.”

Uvas Creek, which is normally dry, was a full-fledged river Tuesday. It was lower than Monday when the water flowed toward Highway 101 and eventually flooded the roadway, blocking traffic for more than six hours.

The area near Highway 101 and Highway 25 south of Gilroy that was under water Monday was soggy but drying out Tuesday. Roads were still closed in rural areas, but the floodwaters were subsiding.

“It’s just incredible, the change in scenery,” Fernando Lopez of Gilroy said. “From the drought and everything is dry to now the water is all the way to the paths where we usually go walking.”

bay area storm Jan 9

Flooding Shuts Down Highway 101 in Gilroy

bay area storm Jan 3

Updates on Storm-Related Problems in the Bay Area: Road Closures, Power Outages

Officials said the soil in the area has reached its saturation point, with creeks, streams and rivers reaching or exceeding flood stage.

bay area storm Jan 4

Gas Station Canopy Collapses From Apparent Strong Wind in South San Francisco

bay area storm Jan 3

Updates on Storm-Related Problems in the Bay Area: Road Closures, Power Outages

The announcement urged people who reside in the following areas to prepare to evacuate to a safe location:

• Pacheco Pass River Basin includes the following:
• El Torro Rd. South of Hwy. 152 to Bloomfield Av
• Lovers Lane between Shore Rd. and Hwy. 152

Watershed Areas of Uvas Reservoir include those living:

• South of Uvas Reservoir including Thousand Trails RV Park and Uvas Pines RV Park
• South of Sycamore Drive and Watsonville Rd.
• South of Lions Peak
• South of Day Road and Geri Lane
• Watsonville and Hwy. 152

“Gather your family members, pets, personal items, important documents, prescription medication, change of clothes, non-perishable foods, water, extra batteries, flashlights, and phone chargers,” the announcement reads.

For more information, see PrepareSCC.org.

Signed off unanimously by the San Jose City Council, the two jurisdictions resolved a decade-long legal disagreement that prevented San Jose from building housing developments in its northern region.

The settlement has the potential to bring in 32,000 new units of housing at various price points in North San Jose, local officials said. The agreement will allow the city and county to develop offices and housing spaces in two years’ time.

In 2005, San Jose drafted framework to reconstruct North San Jose as the city’s new hotspot for housing, offices, hotels and retail shops. But the plan came to a standstill after Santa Clara County and the cities of Santa Clara and Milpitas sued San Jose, alleging that the plan did not adequately consider how it would affect transportation facilities.

The involved parties eventually reached a settlement in 2006 that required the city to make several roadway improvements before building housing. It caused the city to abandon its plan and was the reason the neighborhood hasn’t seen new housing developments since 2014, city officials said.

As thousands of residents move out of the region because of increasing rent rates — and plenty of others ending up on the streets — local leaders said resolving this legal dispute was key to making promises of more housing in San Jose a reality.

San Jose City Councilman David Cohen said that without action, the city and county would inevitably be headed back to court.

“North San Jose is already the economic engine of Silicon Valley, home to many of the area’s big tech companies and startup incubators,” Cohen said. “As it continues to grow and flourish, North San Jose has the potential to bring new life to the city as it begins to evolve into a second downtown.”

Now, San Jose has pledged to reconfigure the intersection of Montague Expressway, Interstate 880, and the McCarthy Boulevard and O’Toole Avenue interchange by 2024 to mitigate traffic jams.

Santa Clara County Supervisor Otto Lee referred to the agreement as a “common sense solution” that both addresses the community’s transportation concerns and prevents costly lawsuits.

“Reaching this settlement was important,” Lee said at a news conference. “As we continue to build more housing in Silicon Valley, we must be mindful of all the impacts housing will have on transportation, infrastructure and traffic.”

Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez said the settlement couldn’t have happened without the help of new local leaders, notably Cohen and Lee, who wanted to drop legal battles to address a mutual priority for the region’s jurisdiction — housing.

“It’s going to allow for the construction and development of exactly what we need for our community,” Chavez said at a news conference on Monday.

Eggo was criminally charged with negligently discharging an air contaminant, failing to immediately report the release, providing inadequate training to its contractors and failing to implement an adequate emergency action plan.

The incident occurred on Jan. 22, 2021 when a subcontractor on a scissor lift damaged a pipe that began leaking anhydrous ammonia, a refrigerant commonly used in food processing, according to the district attorney’s office.

Approximately 3,400 pounds of anhydrous ammonia leaked into a surrounding neighborhood, and residents were forced to shelter in place for several hours as first responders stopped the leak.

Company managers waited more than an hour to call 911.

There were no reported injuries in the incident.

Eggo cooperated with regulatory authorities and is upgrading its systems and procedures to prevent future similar incidents, according to the district attorney’s office.

The deal connected to the Summerhill Housing Project on Baypointe Drive in San Jose opens doors to thousands of housing units as well as construction and infrastructure jobs, according to a news release.

Santa Clara County Supervisors Cindy Chavez and Otto Lee worked with San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and San Jose City Councilman David Cohen on issues including density, parking and transit to reach the agreement.

“In order to address the housing needs, we need to build along the entire continuum of housing, so that’s everything from market rate housing down to extremely low income housing,” leaders said.

Scott Budman has the full story in the video above.

Those are some of the median patient wait times to see a specialist physician at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, which is a county hospital that serves our community’s underinsured and uninsured.

“I had a patient who was waiting months to be seen,” said Dr. Rachel Ruiz who is a pediatric gastroenterologist, a specialist, at the hospital.

““Reading this child’s chart, I had a strong suspicion that he had either a gastric or duodenal ulcer. These ulcers can be ticking timebombs,” Dr. Ruiz recalled. She was not able to see the child right away because after the primary doctor referred the child to her, Dr. Ruiz’s first available appointment was months away when it should have been within a couple weeks, according to multiple doctors the Investigative Unit spoke to. A possible language barrier also prevented the family from letting medical staff know their son was getting worse. By the time Dr. Ruiz saw the boy, she was concerned too much time had passed.

“He had been doubled over in pain for weeks. He had lost a bunch of weight. It’s unconscionable,” Dr. Ruiz said.

coronavirus Dec 7, 2022

Triple Threat: COVID, Flu, RSV Cases Put Strain on Bay Area Hospitals

news Dec 7, 2022

Skyrocketing Demand for ADHD Meds Is Straining the U.S. Health Care System

Dr. Ruiz isn’t the only Santa Clara County-employed doctor speaking out about alarmingly long patient wait times. Dr. Eon Rios with the hospital’s dermatology division said he’s also seen the wait times impact patient care.

“If they’re severe enough, [patients] can go to the Emergency Department and get admitted. But there’s just no space because we don’t have enough to cover both inpatient and outpatient,” he said.

Dr. Ruiz and Dr. Rios told the Investigative Unit high patient counts are also leading to physician burnout. The two physicians are part of a group of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center doctors who recently held a demonstration threatening to walk off the job.

NBC Bay Area brought these concerns to the county’s top executive Jeff Smith who believes the county can do better but, overall, is doing a good job.

“If you look at our performance numbers that are standardized across the nation, we do a good job of providing good quality care,” Dr. Smith said.

Dr. Smith said the county is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to recruit more doctors. But when it comes to reducing patient counts for doctors on staff currently, he said that is not a viable option.

“We’ve been asking them to see two and half patients an hour in primary care clinics…[the doctors] want less than two,” Dr. Jeff said. “We understand the doctors are feeling the stress of the work, but we can’t sacrifice access for our patients in order to deal with the stress. We have to use other options.”

Shortly after the Investigative Unit’s interview with Dr. Smith, the county reached a tentative agreement with the doctor’s union, Valley Physicians Group, which would:

• Increase doctor pay.
• Add hospital and nursing staff to assist physicians.
• And allow doctors to see one fewer patient per four-hour period.

With increased recruitment and this new agreement, Dr. Ruiz and Dr. Rios said they are cautiously optimistic. Some of the changes only last two years under the current agreement. They feel this battle has been about patients, but also about doctors advocating for themselves especially after a recent union survey showed 68% of Santa Clara County-employee doctors recently considered leaving within the next three years.

“If we don’t stand up now, then when?” said Dr. Ruiz.

It is currently unclear whether patient wait times will improve as a direct result of the new agreement, which the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved in a second reading on Dec. 6. Since the Investigative Unit’s interview with County Executive Jeff Smith, he announced his is retiring from his position next year after 13 years. In a statement, he said he was ready to spend more time with family.

The amount of virus detected in wastewater shows Santa Clara County will likely soon see even more cases and hospitalizations, officials said.

“Our wastewater numbers are absolutely skyrocketing,” Santa Clara County Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said. “There’s a ton of virus circulating. If you want to be healthy for the holidays, you need to take action and the first on the list is to get boosted.”

The county reports 25% of eligible residents who are eligible for a bivalent booster have received one.

Cody also recommends people wear a mask indoors in crowded areas, but said the county has no plans to require them.

“I don’t see mandates returning,” Cody said. “We are three years in and it is extremely difficult to mandate.”

In addition to COVID, flu is a big concern with the CDC now saying flu activity in California is in the high range.

Not only is influenza sending more people to the hospital, it is causing a run on many over-the-counter medications.

RSV is also hitting early this year, with sick children filling up pediatric beds in droves. As of Tuesday, there were only two available pediatric intensive care beds and only six available pediatric hospital beds in Santa Clara County.

news Dec 6, 2022

4 Financial Moves If You Have — Or Are Worried About — Long Covid

children Dec 6, 2022

Can't Find Kids' Tylenol or Motrin Right Now? Here's Why and What to Do About It

Cody said there may be some relief in the future for RSV.

“It’s starting to plateau a bit so I hope we’ll see an easing in pediatric hospitals,” she said. “But we have not seen it yet.”

It is also important to point out that now many people use at-home COVID tests and those cases are not reported, so COVID cases may be higher than what the data shows, which is why the wastewater numbers are important.

In a statement, Rosen called on other district attorneys around the country to leave Twitter in an effort to stand against racist and homophobic speech.

Rosen said his office’s account will be officially deactivated on Tuesday. The office will maintain its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SantaClaraDA.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

The county has seven warming centers set up in the Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, Saratoga and Woodland library branches. They will be open during the day and early evening hours, which vary by location, according to an announcement Monday from the Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management.

Five additional warming centers will be open at the city of Santa Clara’s Central Park, Mission and Northside library branches, as well as the Community Recreation and Senior centers.

The hours for each can be found at emergencymanagement.sccgov.org/, by clicking on the first slide titled, “Prepare for Cold Weather.” Free rides to the centers will be available through Friday for people using the buses and light-rail vehicles of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, or VTA.

The county has also set up an overnight shelter program in Mountain View for women and families that opened Monday and is scheduled to open daily from 3 p.m. to 9 a.m. through March. The shelter is located at the Los Altos United Methodist Church’s Mountain View campus at the corner of Hope and Mercy streets.

Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian first proposed the shelter back in 2017.

“People need a place to go, particularly when it’s cold and wet outside,” he said. “It’s as simple as that.”

In the North Bay, an overnight shelter will open in Santa Rosa on Tuesday and Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

In partnership with Catholic Charities, the temporary warming center will be at the Homeless Services Center of Catholic Charities’ new Caritas Center in downtown Santa Rosa at 301 Sixth St., Suite 108. The entrance is on Morgan and Sixth streets.

The city will consider using areas at the Cerone VTA yard and the Cottle VTA station to build the tiny homes, which would have private bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as support services.

The goal, according to the city, is for unhoused residents to use the homes as a steppingstone to permanent housing, a strategy that already has succeeded with another tiny home site in San Jose.

“About two-thirds of the people who end up in that site at the end of 6 months end up locating into other types of housing and don’t end up back on the street,” Councilman David Cohen said. “If we really want to make a dent in our unhoused population, we want to have 1,000 of these units across the city, and the idea is to spread them out across the districts.”

The City Council is expected to take up the issue of using the VTA properties during its regular meeting Tuesday.

The Clerk’s office at the Santa Clara County Superior Court Family Justice Center Courthouse was closed Tuesday and will remain shut down Wednesday due to a staffing shortage from a COVID-19 outbreak.

According to the Santa Clara County Superior Court website, offices will also be closed on Nov. 24 and 25 for the Thanksgiving holiday.

A courthouse spokesperson on Tuesday would not say how many workers contracted COVID. The closure did not impact scheduled custody or divorce cases.

news Nov 22, 2022

Fauci Says He Never Imagined Covid Would Kill a Million Americans

coronavirus Nov 22, 2022

New Covid Boosters Work Better Against Infection Than Previous Shots, CDC Finds

Papers for filing may be submitted in the drop box in the court lobby or through the electronic filing system at scscourt.org.

The Clerk’s office is expected to reopen on Monday.

Bay City News contributed to this report.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

On Thursday, the Santa Clara Valley Water District stepped up, donating $1 million to Sacred Heart Community Service so the agency can in turn help struggling families pay their water bills.

“We live in one of the wealthiest areas in the country: Silicon Valley, Santa Clara County,” Valley Water District board chairman John Varela said. “But yet there are those families that don’t enjoy the same riches as others do.”

To double the savings, the water bill help also comes with water conservation education — a critical addition during the historic drought.

“It’s great,” Stephanie Cifuentes of San Jose said. “It’s a great opportunity providing the service that they have to help people who can’t afford to pay their bills.”

SAFEWAY Nov 10, 2022

NBC Bay Area, Telemundo 48 and Safeway Announce 13th Annual “Nourishing Neighbors” Holiday Food Drive Campaign

layoffs Nov 10, 2022

Tracking Layoffs: Latest Companies Cutting Jobs

Last year, Sacred Heart helped 1,700 families pay their water bills. It expects to help even more this year.

While it may not solve a family’s financial crisis, many said every little bit helps.

“It’s really important that we develop new partnerships to make sure families get what they need and they’re not having to make difficult decisions like medical bills or taking care of basic needs like food, clothing and water,” Poncho Guevara with Sacred Heart said.

Each day, Guevara looks at the growing line at Sacred Heart, and each day his heart breaks.

“It’s shocking at some level to actually see the level of need,” he said. “We saw a decrease during the pandemic because a lot of families had to move out of the area because they couldn’t afford to stay here.”

More than 25,000 people per year walk though the doors at Sacred Heart, each finding it more and more difficult to make ends meet.

According to some of the people whose ballots were recovered, their ballots were delivered at the post office on Payne Avenue in west San Jose – which is now a starting point for the investigation.

Several voters said they mailed those ballots using the drive-thru mailbox at the aforementioned location because the post office lobby is closed on weekends. Now, that mail box is out of service.

Taking a closer look reveals the mailbox lock is missing.

Local post officials told NBC Bay Area they can’t comment on specifics since it is now being headed up by postal officials in Washington, D.C.

Lou and Janet Witkin, who are two of the people whose ballots were found in the ravine, are grateful to know it’s got attention from the top.

“Oh, I’m excited about it,” said Janet. “I think it’s great that they have taken this very seriously.”

Santa Clara County Nov 13, 2022

Estimated 1 to 2 Dozen Ballots Found in Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Clara County Says

Elections Nov 8, 2022

Bay Area Midterm Election Results: Nov. 2022

The National Postal Service told the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters it now has those ballots, is examining them and will return them on Friday.

However, the deadline for ballots to be in for the registrar to count them is today, Nov. 14.

The registrar told NBC Bay Area the county counsel will review election laws to see if they recovered ballots can still be included.

“To think that our votes this time would not be counted does not pass very well with us,” Janet said.

The Witkins also said if anyone wants to use this incident as some sort of example of faulty voting system, they reject that notion completely.

“We believe in the integrity and the professionalism of the election people,” Lou said. “So we absolutely have not lost fait in any of those processes or any of the people that run them.”