Hopes raised for promised pay increase
Cristina Cortez earns just $20.70 an hour running dialysis procedures for older patients suffering from kidney failure in the city of Gilroy. Because of her husband’s serious work injury in 2017 and their need to economize, her family of five moved an hour away...
Doctors’ union is largest donor to sales tax measure
A union of physicians earning up to $1 million a year is the biggest funder of the ballot measure to raise local sales taxes. A week after the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to raise county taxes, the county’s largest...
CA legislators discuss youth fentanyl OD crisis
The California State Assembly Select Committee on Fentanyl, Opioid Addiction and Overdose Prevention on Aug. 12 during an informational hearing discussed the urgency of combating the rise in overdose deaths among youth in recent years primarily due to ingesting fentanyl.
Between 2019 and 2021, drug...
County officials warn of ‘critical’ federal healthcare cuts at townhall
Santa Clara County officials and partnering nonprofits convened an emergency townhall meeting in South County Friday to warn residents about potential impacts from recently passed federal legislation that could slash healthcare funding and force difficult choices for local services.
The meeting at the Valley Health...
Study: Employers fail to keep farmworkers safe from Covid
Although farm and food production workers were considered essential workers during the pandemic, many of California's food employers endangered those workers, violating Cal/OSHA's Covid-19 guidelines more often than most industries, a new report said.
The California Institute for Rural Studies’ report said farm and food...
Federal monitor moves county from ‘Severe’ to ‘Moderate’ drought
With seemingly constant rain storms pummeling the South Bay so far this winter, a federal drought monitoring program recently downgraded most of Santa Clara County from “Severe” to “Moderate” drought. But local water supply authorities warn that residents and property owners should continue to...
Heat warning extends to Thursday, more flex alerts issued
A statewide Flex Alert has been issued for Sept. 5 as a heat wave impacts the Golden State with blistering temperatures over the Labor Day weekend and beyond.
The alert for Labor Day is the sixth consecutive day that the California Independent System Operator has...
Family Health Plan helps locals keep Medi-Cal coverage
In recognition of the urgency of upcoming policy changes, Santa Clara Family Health Plan (SCFHP) is partnering with community-based organizations in Santa Clara County to encourage residents to enroll in Medi-Cal, keep their coverage by completing annual renewals and use their benefits before new...
California’s food insecurity rises as pandemic aid ends
Food insecurity in California ticked upward over the past year, bringing the share of hardship back up to levels early in the Covid-19 pandemic, according to data released by the California Association of Food Banks on Dec. 12.
“Families are buying less food,” said May...
Federal, state water managers announce increased deliveries
Managers of California’s two main water storage and delivery systems on March 22 announced increases to forecasted water allocations for millions of people and vast tracts of farmland.
The state Department of Water Resources, which runs the State Water Project, said its anticipated water deliveries...























