We all hope that we never need the care of a medical trauma center. But if, for example, you’re seriously burned in a house fire today, you’ll be at Valley Medical Center in less than half an hour, getting the state-of-the-art burn care. Now imagine that the closest place to get that care was Los … Read more
The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner on May 2 confirmed the county’s first overdose death due to carfentanil, a drug 100 times more potent than fentanyl. A 39-year-old man was found dead in late April with fake M30 pills made to look like prescription oxycodone. The medical examiner warned that M30 pills may be laced … Read more
The parent company of a network of auto dealerships that sells used vehicles agreed to a six-figure civil settlement with three Bay Area and three Southern California counties this week to resolve allegations it was slow to transfer ownership titles. AutoNation, which owns 42 dealerships around the state, agreed to implement practices to comply with … Read more
The regional body that regulates and monitors air quality in the Bay Area has a new name and a redesigned logo. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has rebranded as the Bay Area Air District, or BAAD. The district comprises the nine Bay Area counties — Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San … Read more
Trigger warning: Parts of this article contain graphic details regarding a 1991 murder in Santa Clara. In late January 1991, James Madden, manager at the LeeWards Creative Crafts in Santa Clara, was locking up for the night when two men, one of whom he likely recognized as a former employee, ambushed him. Armed with a … Read more
April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and County officials have a campaign to bring attention to this risky behavior with stepped up education efforts as well as added enforcement on the roads. County Supervisor Joe Simitian, who wrote California’s first hands-free cell phone law as a State Senator in 2006, was joined by representatives … Read more
While the recent restoration of paramedic services to Sunnyvale was a victory for residents, it still doesn’t address the larger issue. Late last year, the Public Safety Officers’ union raised the alarm bell that a paramedic shortage was causing delayed response times, putting lives at risk. Sunnyvale is a bit of an oddity: its officers are essentially … Read more
After hours of listening to public comment, the Santa Clara City Council did not vote on a proposal to turn a vacant lot at the southwest corner of Benton Street and Lawrence Expressway into temporary housing. Dozens of people turned out for the public comment session at the special City Council meeting. Even more submitted … Read more
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors announced the appointment of James R. Williams to succeed County Executive Jeffrey Smith. Dr. Jeffrey Smith recently announced that he will retire in July 2023 after 42 years in public service. Mr. Williams is currently the County Counsel, a position he has held since 2016. As the County … Read more
Santa Clara County and the County’s Fire District are ramping up wildfire prevention efforts, just as the region heads into another fire season plagued with severe drought conditions. With the devastating 2020 megafires – the Santa Clara (SCU) and Santa Cruz (CZU) Lightning Complex fires – still fresh in mind, firefighters and emergency officials have … Read more