LocalNewsMatters.org

Bicycle safety is an ongoing challenge in the Bay Area, but San Jose is working to change that. “When residents are asked why they don’t bike, the No. 1 answer is safety,” Shiloh Ballard, executive director of the Silicon Valley Bike Coalition, told San Jose Spotlight. Within the...

Authorities in Napa County are sounding the alarm about a moth known to cause “significant” damage to grape vines after an insect trapper discovered it earlier this month and reported it to the county’s agricultural commissioner. The moth, dubbed with the rather heavy metal name “Western grapeleaf...

San Francisco’s Recreation and Park Commission has voted unanimously to change the name of Visitacion Valley Playground to Yik Oi Huang Peace & Friendship Park, in honor of a community advocate and neighborhood grandmother. Huang was assaulted while doing her daily exercises at the park on Jan. 8, 2019,...

It’s no secret that there are great income disparities in Marin County; in fact, it is among the top three counties in the state where the gap between rich and poor is the most pronounced. According to this year’s Point in Time (PIT) count of people experiencing homelessness in...

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS at San Antonio’s graduation rates were in the deep basement a decade ago. Only 1 in 10 students finished in four years and just 3 in 10 in six years. But things have dramatically improved since then at the majority-Latino school, whose main campus is located 15 miles north of downtown’s tourist attractions. Not only are more students graduating faster but, in a reversal from national patterns, Black and Latino students are doing better than other groups at UTSA.

The Richmond City Council has decided against selling Point Molate to a Southern California developer to build a massive development there, saying the company didn’t prove it could meet the financial requirements of the development. The council voted 4-2 during its May 17 meeting to scuttle the project, with...

Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston has been on the job since 2010, but likely hasn’t faced a challenge like this year’s election. Livingston is running against Benjamin Therriault, a Richmond officer and the head of the Richmond Police Officers Association. He has also been in the public eye more due to a polarizing feud with Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton — who is running her own re-election campaign — over her decision to prosecute sheriff’s Deputy Andrew Hall.

IN MOST CALIFORNIA elections, the race for state controller doesn’t get much attention. But this year, it’s one of the hottest races. And the political dynamics make it unpredictable, potentially opening a path for a candidate who isn’t campaigning very much — but is spending millions of her own money.

One of the Bay Area’s newest museums is hidden among the trees on Angel Island State Park. It tells a story of immigration to the Pacific Coast, with particular emphasis on the Asian experience. The Angel Island Immigration Museum opened in January. It is located inside a former U.S....

Every year on Father’s Day, my wife and daughter know exactly what I want: a family day trip to Angel Island State Park. It’s the one day of the year that I can get us all to cross the Golden Gate Bridge, catch the Tiburon ferry and take in the spectacular views of the Bay Area. Our trip involves a bike ride around the island, usually includes a half dozen other friends and always ends with a drink or dessert at the Angel Island Cantina, listening to music in the sunshine. Somehow, we always get the sunshine.

The Santa Clara Fire Department has promoted Jenn Panko to battalion chief, making her the first female chief officer to serve with the department. Panko, who started with the department in 1997 and became a fire captain in 2007, will serve in the role of EMS battalion chief, overseeing the delivery of emergency medical services.

COVID-19 testing capacity will expand across the state in the coming weeks as public health officials in an effort to make it easier to access both testing and prescription treatments, state health officials said Wednesday. The California Department of Public Health and OptumServe Federal Health Services plan to launch 146...

As statewide homeless population numbers come in that have been collected by point-in-time counts, a pattern has emerged showing that COVID-19 has not had as big an effect on people experiencing homelessness as some had expected. This was especially true in Sonoma County, which released its point-in-time numbers on Monday.

A BART short story contest, “BART Lines,” opens June 1 to authors ages 18 and up with a mailing address in one of the five counties where BART operates: San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara. The contest will be part of BART’s 50th anniversary...

Four people are running to fill a seat on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors that became vacant following the Nov. 3, 2021, death of Supervisor Wilma Chan. Chan’s former chief of staff David Brown is serving as supervisor for her Third District until the election is held. The Alameda County Taxpayer’s Association has mounted a challenge to the legality to Brown’s appointment to the board.

The latest developments around the region related to the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, as of Thursday evening include:. COVID-19 testing capacity will expand across the state in the coming weeks as public health officials in an effort to make it easier to access both testing and prescription treatments, state health officials said Wednesday.

AS THE STATE’S Democratic leaders weigh how to spend a record $97.5 billion budget surplus, they also are grappling with how best to keep many vulnerable Californians out of poverty with federal stimulus dollars waning and high inflation devouring household budgets. Some advocates say the revised budget Gov. Gavin...

Vietnam-born dancer and San Francisco State student SonLam believes in cycles, and the power of attraction. It was 2008 when the first season of reality competition show “America’s Best Dance Crew” premiered and introduced Lam to the Jabbawockeez, a now-globally famous dance crew known for their anonymous white masks and meticulous popping style. For Lam, who’d studied contemporary dance styles, it was something like an epiphany.

Single-use utensils, food accessories and condiment packets will only be provided to those who request them in Walnut Creek, after city officials approved an ordinance Tuesday intended to reduce waste. The Walnut Creek City Council voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance identical to 2021’s Assembly Bill 1276, which Gov. Gavin...

The stage — specifically, former Naval Air Station Alameda — is set for a one-of-a-kind show this upcoming weekend, “Island City Waterways: Uprooted.”. After a two-year hiatus, this popular, free-of-cost outdoor event celebrating the history of the Alameda waterfront returns to the East Bay island on Saturday and Sunday.