County sales tax, Prop 50 win big in Nov. 4 election
With 100% of precinct ballots counted, Santa Clara County voters on Nov. 4 overwhelmingly supported adding 0.625% to the county sales tax rate for five years.
As of 10am, the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters office reported 200,430 YES votes and 152,850 NO votes,...
Authorities ID three suspected overdose victims
The Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office identified those who died in recent suspected fentanyl overdoses at a Gilroy residence as three men in their 50s.
Those found dead Feb. 6 by CalFire paramedics who responded to the home on the 10000 block of Garcia Lane...
Conservation groups buy 668 acres of South Valley farmland
Three connected agricultural properties straddling the border of San Benito and Santa Clara counties were recently purchased by conservation organizations, ensuring the lands totaling more than 600 acres will remain an active link in a vital regional ecosystem.
The Peninsula Open Space Trust on Oct....
Coroner identifies two who died in head-on crash on Highway 25
Two people—one a Hollister resident and one from Gilroy—died in a collision on Highway 25 near the border between Santa Clara and San Benito counties, according to authorities.
The Santa Clara County Coroner and Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victims of the fatal accident as...
First West Nile death reported in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County health officials on Aug. 14 reported the first local death attributed to West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne illness.
The death this month of an immunocompromised adult at a local hospital “after experiencing West Nile virus symptoms” is the second reported human case...
San Martin ‘treasure’ Kenneth Ludewig dies
Lifelong San Martin resident Kenneth Ludewig, a local “treasure” who brought joy to countless South Valley residents as the creator and operator of the former San Martin Country Park & Pumpkin Patch, died unexpectedly on Nov. 7, according to family members. He was 74...
County healthcare patients to receive refunds
About 43,000 former patients of Santa Clara Valley Healthcare (SCVH) will soon receive notice of possible billing corrections and refunds as part of a settlement between Santa Clara County and some past patients of the public hospital system.
The county said in a news release...
State grants Open Space Authority $1.2M for Coyote Valley preservation plan
The Board of the State Coastal Conservancy recently authorized funding totaling $84 million for projects throughout California to protect and restore coastal lands, increase coastal resilience to climate change, improve public access to the coast and reduce the impact of wildfire on coastal lands.
Locally,...
A guide to state propositions on the Nov. 5 ballot
With election day approaching, voters have several state propositions from which to choose. Below is a brief description of each of them. For a deeper dive, visit voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions.
Proposition 2
Public School and Community College Facilities
Under Prop. 2, the state would sell a $10 billion bond...
Saint Louise announces first baby of 2026
The first baby of 2026 in South Santa Clara County is 5-pound, 10-ounce Brittany Sanchez.
Sanchez was born on Jan. 1 at Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy, according to county officials. Brittany was 18 inches long. Her parents are Antonia Lopez Sanchez and Bartolo...























