Cat declawing, book censorship among new 2026 laws
Every year, lawmakers in Sacramento introduce a flurry of bills, most of which are eviscerated during the legislative process and end up on the Assembly or Senate trash heap. A select few make it to the governor’s desk, and assuming they dodge the veto...
Unprecedented snowfall hitting Bay Area and Santa Cruz Mountains this weekend
A rare snowfall has dusted the Greater Bay Area, as the National Weather Service is predicting more on its way over the weekend.
Highway 17 was closed in both directions between Los Gatos and Scotts Valley early this morning because of snow and fallen trees....
County supes approve multi-faceted approach to fentanyl crisis
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved amping up services and resources to combat the fentanyl crisis with money from opioid lawsuit settlements and other grants.
San Jose has been dubbed a “fentanyl hub,” and Supervisor Cindy Chavez established the county’s...
District offers new air quality alert system
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District on June 17 announced a new subscription service that can notify residents via text and email of incidents impacting county-level and regional air quality.
Residents can sign up for air quality incident notifications on the district's website, at...
Public can comment on Anderson Dam project environmental study
Valley Water, the local water district that is in charge of rebuilding the dam at Anderson Reservoir in Morgan Hill, recently released a draft environmental study of the seismic retrofit project.
The district is now accepting public comment on the Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project...
Enter your Coyote Valley photos in contest
The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority this week announced its first Coyote Valley Photo Contest, allowing local residents and photography enthusiasts to share their favorite images of the local natural wonderland.
As part of the in-progress Coyote Valley Conservation Area Master Plan, the authority...
Doctors issue advisory over mushroom poisonings
Santa Cruz and Monterey counties were included in a list of areas statewide where people have been severely sickened by Amanita phalloides—commonly known as the death cap mushroom.
A group of doctors from across California warned Jan. 14 that foraging for wild mushrooms can be...
Spoking My Mind: Noticing November
Recently, I’ve begun to feel very sorry for November. It seems like every year now, just about the beginning of the 10th month, October and December start to battle for supremacy.
In more and more stores, Halloween skeletons battle Christmas trees in one aisle, while...
CA health officials urge vaccination for flu, Covid
The California Department of Public Health is urging Californians to get immunized against a triple-threat of viruses that are expected to surge in the coming months.
Rates of Covid-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, are expected to spike in the late fall and...
County ponders how to spend $48M in opioid settlement money
Santa Clara County Supervisors on Sept. 12 will discuss how to spend the nearly $50 million in opioid settlement cash the county will be getting to combat the fentanyl and opioid crisis.
Taking the lead on the issue is Supervisor Cindy Chavez, who said she...























