New state law keeps medical debt off credit report
‘Everyday people across the country skip medical care because of cost. Those who do seek medical help may end up with a balance they can’t pay off. That debt can hurt people’s credit scores, resulting in long-term financial burdens.
Starting Jan. 1, a new state...
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...
Love and stress during the holidays
To call Keith Larson a superfan of “A Christmas Story” might be an understatement.
The San Jose native still remembers that clear winter day as a 9-year-old in 1983, when the power tripped off in his neighborhood without a known reason.
On a whim, the family...
Santa Clara County will expand services targeting substance use crisis
The County of Santa Clara announced last week that it will be augmenting its substance use treatment services with additional inpatient, residential and outpatient offerings through the Behavioral Health Services Department and Santa Clara Valley Healthcare to serve thousands of the county’s most vulnerable...
The year of the returning bulb
This past year has been a flurry of events, milestones, changes, victories and losses that shaped Gilroy and South Santa Clara County. And as the region continues to face the challenges and embrace the hopes related to ongoing growth, 2026 promises to keep local...
Santa Clara County Parks open for free on July 29
Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation will host a special Free Entrance Day on July 29 “as a token of gratitude to the community for entrusting the department with the stewardship and recreation of over 52,000 acres of beautiful parkland and 28 adventurous and...
Santa Clara County health officer announces retirement
Dr. Sara Cody—a nationally recognized public health official who was a leader and a pioneer in the Bay Area’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic—has announced her retirement from her position as Santa Clara County Health Officer.
Cody has served the county for more than 25...
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...
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...
Love spans a century for local family
Bernice “B” Bode and her great-granddaughter, Jasmin Sauer, have similar personalities and they enjoy spending time together—in much the same way that intergenerational members of many families do.
But Bernice and Jasmin’s relationship is unique because they are 100 years apart in age. Bode, who...























