SAN JOSE — A 22-year-old Elk Grove man was arrested in connection with an injury shooting last week in downtown San Jose, police said.
The shooting happened around 12:45 a.m. on Feb. 15 in the 90 block of South Second Street, near East San Fernando Street, San Jose police spokesperson Stacie Shih said in a news release Thursday.
An initial investigation revealed the suspect and the victim were involved in a dispute inside a business when the suspect pulled out a gun and shot the victim multiple times, Shih said.
The victim, also a man, was taken to an area hospital with injuries that were later determined not to be life-threatening.
Employees restrained the suspect until officers arrived at the scene, Shih said. The suspect — identified as Sean James Jr. — was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, as well as other gun-related crimes, and booked into Santa Clara County jail.
A privately made gun that belonged to the suspect was recovered at the scene, Shih said.
Anyone with information related to the case can contact Detective Tien Nguyen at 408-277-4161 or 4431@sanjoseca.gov.
Gordon Yamate, who serves on the Los Gatos Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission, spoke about inspiring solidarity and activism for a panel at this year’s Day of Remembrance of Japanese American incarceration at San Jose State University.
Feb. 19 nationally commemorates the anniversary of Executive Order 9066, a 1942 decree that ordered the removal of all people of Japanese descent from the West Coast to camps in remote areas of California, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and Arkansas. San Jose State held an event on that day to acknowledge the Japanese American experience and the campus’ connection to it. In 1942, Yoshihiro Uchida Hall, which used to be the university’s men’s gymnasium, was used as a registration center for Japanese Americans in Santa Clara County before they were sent to the incarceration camps.
SJSU Asian American studies professor Yvonne Kwan said that just under 3,000 people with Japanese ancestry were processed through the gymnasium. About 125 of them were San Jose State students. The discovery of this history led Nina Chuang, then a San Jose State student, to lead the “Never Again Is Now” project, which aims to commemorate the history of Japanese American incarceration by establishing the annual Day of Remembrance at the university and acknowledging institutional responsibility with a mural on one of the walls of Uchida Hall and a monument.
“What we found was just shocking, heart (and) gut-wrenching, just to see, wow, what our students did or what our university did to our own neighbors, our own people,” Kwan said.
Kwan moderated the Thursday morning panel with Yamate and Vanessa Hatakeyama, executive director of the Japanese American Museum of San Jose. The theme was “Neighbors, Not Enemies.” The discussion touched on issues like community work, interracial solidarity and activism.
The panelists were asked about the historical parallels between Japanese American incarceration and the federal crackdown on illegal immigration, leading to Yamate to answer that those currently being targeted for deportation are “being judged by the identity they wear on their faces.” He acknowledged that the circumstances that led to both events “didn’t happen in a vacuum,” as those being targeted then and now don’t have community resources at the federal level.
“This community doesn’t want to see it happening to any other community,” Yamate said.
Hatakeyama acknowledged the need for building solidarity, reminding a nearly full audience at the Student Union Theater that Japantown in San Jose has always been a multicultural, multiethnic community.
Kwan asked the panelists what people could do to start becoming engaged, and Yamate shared the story about the formation of Los Gatos’ DEI commission. He said Los Gatos is “one of the most segregated places in the country,” which led to a consulting firm recommending that the town form a DEI commission to monitor the community and deal with social issues. Yamate recommended that the audience look to some activist groups if they’re interested, plugging the Los Gatos Anti-Racism Coalition and United We Stand/Indivisible Los Gatos.
“A lot of people don’t feel like they’re welcome in Los Gatos,” Yamate said. “(They later) discovered that there are a lot of good people; you just haven’t met them yet.”
Hatakeyama said small actions, like joining a newsletter or volunteering for a one-time event, can contribute to greater change and reminded the audience that vocal advocacy, especially by those who feel strongly about immigration enforcement, can lead to people who are impacted by these issues to feel supported.
The Day of Remembrance continued with three breakout sessions. One was a screening of “Home Court,” a film about a Cambodian American basketball prodigy, another was an interfaith coalition building panel, and the last was about navigating difficult conversations.
This was San Jose State’s fourth Day of Remembrance event. When asked why it was important to remember this history at the university, Chuang said, “As someone who’s not Japanese American, this project is especially meaningful for me because it’s because of legislation, because of policies and migration that I’m here, and it’s important for us to recognize this history because we are seeing it today, that it can happen to anyone.”
A San Jose business owner said she is suing the Valley Transportation Authority, alleging revenue loss due to having to move for the BART extension.
Just off Highway 101 in San Jose sits the Monarch Truck Center, a hulking monolith that for years sold, leased, fixed, and pretty much did everything involving trucks. But two years ago, VTA invoked eminent domain to move the business out to make way for the upcoming Little Portugal BART station.
And Monarch owner Nicole Guetersloh said they were in a hurry.
“It was a mad rush. They told us, ‘We would be digging a hole the day after you leave,’” she said. “But, no, we haven’t seen anything change. And like I said, even my sign hasn’t come down. It’s very frustrating.”
Guetersloh said they found another location two miles away, but it is only about half the size of the previous site, where the old cavernous building could hold lots of vehicles for sale or repair. At the new location, the small parking lot is jammed with trucks and customers are being turned away because there simply isn’t room to store them.
“Sixty percent of our revenue gone,” she told CBS News Bay Area. “And it all started right with the move.”
Monarch didn’t own the old site. They were only leasing, but Guertersloh said the eminent domain law provides for losses for displaced businesses. They have been offered nothing, she said, by the VTA.
Meanwhile, the VTA said it maintains that the business was going to have to move anyway because even without the BART station, the site would eventually be used for housing.
“Basically, they’re going to build condos on it,” she said. “It’s not really about the train station. VTA has found a nice way to make money: building high-density housing. And they kind of disguise it in the way of, you know, train stations and eminent domain.”
A similar story occurred in May when the Silicon Valley Granite company next door to Monarch was told to vacate in 72 hours or lose any inventory left behind. They left, but some of the granite slabs still remain, and no work appears to have been done there either.
So, Guertersloh is suing VTA for the losses she is experiencing, and rather than settling, the agency is, so far, letting it go to trial, scheduled to start on March 9. CBS News Bay Area asked VTA for comment, but they declined, citing the ongoing litigation.
Guetersloh said she got word on Wednesday that VTA has also declined to attend a settlement hearing ordered by the court. She said she believes they will try to avoid a jury trial, if possible, because she doesn’t think it’s a story that a jury will be very sympathetic to hear.
“They’re used to being able to push people around, and I’m not letting them do it. I’m going to push back,” she said. “And I’m hoping it brings attention to it, so when other businesses go through this — You have rights! Make sure you get attorneys. Make sure you look out for yourself. Because they’re not going to look out for you. They’re going to hope that you just go away.”
SAN JOSE – Macklin Celebrini had just finished his first practice back with the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday – after an unforgettable Olympic experience — when he entered a room filled with cameras and reporters.
“Most media we’ve had. Ever,” Celebrini said. “Starting to feel like a Canadian market.”
And a reflection of his growing popularity, as Celebrini’s record-setting performance at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics – capped by a gold medal game watched by tens of millions of fans — raised his profile here at home and across the NHL.
Roughly a dozen news outlets, several more than usual, attended the Sharks’ practice on Wednesday as Celebrini skated with his teammates for the first time since he returned from Italy late Monday night.
Some of those local media outlets were at a Sharks practice for the first time this season, underscoring the team’s growing relevance and Celebrini’s reach as one of the Bay Area’s most recognizable sports figures.
“I know Mack is certainly proud to be Canadian, and he should be,” but we were also proud to represent, you know, San Jose Sharks, the Bay Area, the community around here, the fans, obviously, he’s become, you know, the face of the franchise, in a sense,
Thursday’s game against the Calgary Flames, which begins a six-game homestand, is trending toward a sellout crowd of 17,435.
Tickets are also scarce and pricey for San Jose’s weekend games against McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday and goalie Connor Hellebuyck – who made 41 saves for Team USA in the gold medal game — and the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday.
The Sharks have already sold out 12 of 26 home games this season, after having capacity crowds in 15 of 41 games at SAP Center last season.
“This was the goal,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “Not to talk to this many media people, but the goal was to get the energy back in the building and get people talking about the Sharks again, and I think the players did a great job of doing that.”
San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini speaks about his experience representing Canada at the Olympics during a press conference at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
“This homestead is going to be pretty much sold out,” Warsofsky added. “Crowds and people are going to be excited to see our team play again.”
As excited as Celebrini was to be back in San Jose, there was still some bitterness as to how the Olympic tournament ended.
Playing alongside the game’s greatest player in Connor McDavid, Celebrini had a tournament-leading five goals in six games, and his 10 points made him the highest-scoring teenager in an Olympics involving NHL players.
While Celebrini on Wednesday expressed gratitude for the opportunity to represent his native country of Canada on hockey’s biggest international stage, where he played with several of the game’s greatest stars, there remained – reasonable or otherwise — a feeling of failure.
Celebrini and the Canadians did enough to beat the United States in Sunday’s gold medal game at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Italy. But the heart-stopping final came down to 3-on-3 overtime, where New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes scored the winning goal, handing the Americans a 2-1 win and their first Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey since 1980.
For anyone who thought Celebrini would now be past the disappointment of losing the men’s hockey gold medal game, think again.
“A lot of those guys I looked up to my whole childhood, and it was an honor play with them and be around them every single day,” Celebrini said at Sharks Ice. “But it sucks. It’s a little sour that you look back at it and just didn’t get the job done.”
How long does he think that sour feeling will last?
“Forever,” Celebrini said.
San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini (71) and San Jose Sharks’ Vincent Desharnais (5) talk during the first practice after the Olympics at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Now the Sharks are hoping other Olympians, Sweden’s Alex Wennberg, Switzerland’s Philipp Kurashev, and Slovakia’s Pavol Regenda, can use the pressure of an Olympic tournament – and the disappointment that came with it — to their benefit as their playoff chase resumes.
Celebrini said playing with McDavid, the NHL’s leading scorer before Wednesday and a three-time Hart Trophy winner, and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon, the league’s second-leading scorer, showed him “where the bar is at.”
“Those guys play with such pace, and they think the game so fast, and the level that they play at, the practice that they play at, probably the fastest practices I’ve ever been a part of.
“Just being around them, practicing with them, playing with them, it’s a different level.”
The Sharks’ homestand is going to be vitally important to any postseason hopes, as they entered Wednesday five points out of a playoff spot with 27 games left to play.
Celebrini’s performance so far this season, with 81 points in 55 games, is clearly a big reason why the Sharks are in the mix for their first playoff appearance since 2019.
“We want to take those next steps, and all this comes along with it,” Celebrini said. “The fans, the attention. We want those expectations. We want that pressure, because that means we’re doing a good thing and we’re trending the right way.
“So I think just at the end of the day, all this comes into it, and hopefully you guys come back more.”
Citing a preliminary investigation, police said 43-year-old Edgard Altamirano of San Jose showed up at the shopping center where a woman he had dated in the past worked. Altamirano then shot the 24-year-old woman multiple times, killing her, before shooting and killing himself.
“Our current understanding is that the victim was already outside when the suspect pulled up next to where the victim was and then I think immediately confronted the victim by shooting the victim,” San Jose police Sgt. Jorge Garibay said. “I don’t know if there was an exchange of words or some other type of verbal altercation prior to. Our indication currently is that it happened quite rapidly.”
Altamirano and the woman were found on the ground in the shopping center parking lot, police said. They died at the scene.
A motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
“We’re hoping to talk more with family, with friends and maybe any bystanders or coworkers of that sort that may have more information that can shed light on how this happened, whether it could have been prevented,” Garibay said.
Police said the dating relationship between Altamirano and the woman ended several months ago.
“Right now our indication is we had no prior police contacts related to any kind of domestic violence or intimate partner violence or disturbances between these two individuals,” Garibay said.
Altamirano did not have any documented criminal history that police could find. The handgun used in the shooting was legally registered to Altamirano, police added.
The shooting is being investigated as San Jose’s fourth homicide of 2026, police said.
Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to contact San Jose police Detective Sgt. Martinez and/or Detective Jize by email at 3934@sanjoseca.gov and/or 4324@sanjoseca.gov or by calling 408-277-5283.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini stood stone-faced as an Olympic silver medal was placed around his neck on Sunday at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.
Celebrini and the Canadians lost 2-1 to the United States in a heart-stopping final as New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes scored 1:41 into 3-on-3 overtime to give Team USA its first gold medal in men’s hockey since the Miracle on Ice team stood atop the podium in Lake Placid in 1980.
During the 12-day tournament, the first to include NHL players since 2014, Celebrini finished second in scoring with 10 points, becoming the highest-scoring teenager in Olympic men’s hockey history. Still just 19, he was named to the Olympic all-tournament team, as his five goals led all skaters.
All of that did little to ease the sting of Sunday’s loss for the ultra-competitive Celebrini.
“The whole time, we believed in ourselves,” Celebrini said. “We had lots of chances, I had lots of chances I missed. You get put in those situations, you have to capitalize on your opportunities, and I didn’t.”
Still, during the Games, Celebrini grew from being one of the NHL’s coolest stories this season and a burgeoning Bay Area star to having a much bigger international profile while cementing his status as one of the game’s greatest players.
From the start, Celebrini fit in seamlessly alongside the NHL’s leading scorer, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, and regularly played during Canada’s most high-leverage moments.
Just before Hughes’ goal Sunday, Celebrini was on the ice with Vegas Golden Knights forward Mitch Marner. Those two combined on an overtime goal that lifted Canada past Czechia in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.
Canadian forward Nathan MacKinnon was moved onto a line with McDavid and Celebrini early in round-robin play. The longtime center played right wing on that line and said, “I understand the position and obviously playing with the best player in the world (in McDavid), and maybe the second-best player in the world, in Macklin, it was a lot of fun.”
MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 22: USA’s #74 Jaccob Slavin (2L) and Canada’s #17 Macklin Celebrini vie for the puck during the men’s gold medal ice hockey match between Canada and USA at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Julien de Rosa – Pool/Getty Images)
Now, it seems, nothing will be the same for Celebrini, who is still more than three months away from his 20th birthday.
Thanks to the massive viewership numbers that were expected for Sunday’s game, Celebrini will no doubt become more visible wherever he goes. As time goes on, the expectations for him and the Sharks will also increase, and by playing so well this season and on the world stage, Celebrini will likely help San Jose become a more attractive place for free agents.
Heck, since Celebrini and McDavid played so well together and found instant chemistry, there’s already been speculation that McDavid will leave the Oilers in 2028 when he becomes a free agent and joins the Sharks. We’ll see what happens.
“If you want to see a special talent, come watch the Sharks,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said Saturday. “If you’re a hockey fan, if you’re not a hockey fan, you can just feel there’s a little bit of buzz around the area.
“I’m getting texts from people back home (in Massachusetts), because we’re on late, and now they’re going to stay up and watch the Sharks. And credit to Mack, he’s been a big part of that.”
Celebrini and the Canadians thought they let Sunday’s game slip away after badly outshooting the Americans 42-28, including 33-18 over the final two periods.
Celebrini had two glorious chances to score when the Canadians were on the power play late in the third period, and MacKinnon missed a wide-open net from short range.
MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 22: Brady Tkachuk #7 of Team United States shakes hands with Macklin Celebrini #17 of Team Canada after the team’s 2-1 overtime victory in the Men’s Gold Medal match between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Of American goalie Connor Hellebuyck’s 41 saves, perhaps the most memorable was the one early in the third period on Devon Toews, where Hellebuyck used the knob of his stick to stop what could have been the game-winning goal from going in.
“(Hellebuyck) was our best player by a mile,” said winger Matt Boldy, who scored a first-period goal to give the Americans a 1-0 lead. “He’s an absolute stud. He wants to be in those moments. He wants to make the saves. And he did just that, so he was definitely our MVP.”
Celebrini will likely remember such challenging moments as he begins to digest his often exhilarating experience at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games. But he’ll also likely remember the good times, how he set the stage for himself for the rest of this season with the Sharks, the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, and the 2030 Winter Olympics in France.
Things won’t be the same for Celebrini going forward. But as much as Sunday’s loss hurt, he also has to be excited about what’s ahead.
“We went through a lot,” Celebrini said. “We’re all going to remember this time, but unfortunately, it’s going to be more motivational than celebration.”
NorCal forecast: Freeze Warning Thursday night as the weather dries out
A few days of dry weather will give crews in in the mountains some much-needed time to plow and restore power.
ALL RIGHT. NOW TO KCRA 3 WEATHER. IT IS AN IMPACT DAY. BUT LOOK AT THIS. A LIVE LOOK FROM STOCKTON. WE DO HAVE SOME BLUE SKY OUT THERE, ALTHOUGH WE STILL HAVE THE CLOUDS. LET’S GET OVER TO DIRK WITH OUR FORECAST. YEAH, THE BIGGEST IMPACT TODAY HAS BEEN IN THE MOUNTAINS. WE HAVE HAD SOME SHOWERS, WE’VE HAD SOME HAIL AND SOME PRETTY HEAVY DOWNPOURS. BUT THE SIERRA, THAT’S WHERE WE CONTINUE TO SEE A PRETTY GOOD AMOUNT OF SNOW STILL FALLING. NOW WE ARE SEEING SOME SIGNS OF IT BREAKING A BIT AND THAT’S GOOD. LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK HERE. BETWEEN HIGHWAY 50 AND I-80. THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE SOME OF THE HEAVIEST SNOW FALLING RIGHT NOW IN PLUMAS COUNTY AND EL DORADO COUNTIES, AND I-80, WHERE WE’VE BEEN SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK. ACTUALLY, THE SNOW PLOWS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KIND OF CATCH UP A LITTLE BIT. YOU CAN START SEEING SOME OF THE SURFACE OF THE ROAD HERE FROM THE DONNER SUMMIT SKY CAMERA THAT IS ICE ENCRUSTED WITH SOME OF THOSE SNOWFLAKES. GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A WINDOW TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE ACTUAL I-80 DONNER SUMMIT AREA, BUT TEMPERATURE CURRENTLY 18 DEGREES WITH WIND GUSTS UP TO 16MPH. SO LET’S GO AHEAD AND TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE RAIN HITTING THESE SPOTS WHERE THERE’S THESE LITTLE HEAVY DOWNPOURS, THESE LITTLE CELLS THAT ARE POPPING UP. THAT’S WHERE WE’RE SEEING HAIL THAT’S BEEN FORMING. AND SO THOSE ARE SPOTS THAT’S BEEN COLD ENOUGH TO WHERE WE’RE SEEING HAIL HAS HAD SEVERAL REPORTS OF HAIL. AND THOSE ARE THE MOST LIKELY SPOTS HERE ALONG HIGHWAY 108. WE’RE SEEING SOME. AND THAT’S GOING TO BE PUSHING IN AND TURNING INTO SOME SNOW AS IT MAKES ITS WAY UP INTO THE FOOTHILLS, UP ABOVE 1500 FEET. ALSO, JUST TO THE SOUTH OF IONE. YOU’RE KIND OF COMING OUT OF THIS AREA OF RAIN AS THIS IS MOVING A LITTLE BIT MORE TO THE SOUTH TOWARDS SAN ANDREAS. IN JACKSON, YOU’VE BEEN SEEING SOME OF THAT RAIN. WE HAVE SOME RAIN NEAR CAMERON PARK CURRENTLY, AND AUBURN, WHICH EARLIER HAD SOME SNOW, IS NOW GETTING SOME LIGHT RAIN. SO SNOW THAT’S LAKE TAHOE SOUTH LAKE TAHOE PICTURE HERE SHOWING THE AREA BLANKETED WITH SOME FRESH SNOW. CURRENT TEMPERATURE AND TRUCKEE IS 25 DEGREES MODESTO 5154 IN STOCKTON AND 51 DEGREES CURRENTLY IN SACRAMENTO. SO ONCE WE GOT RID OF THE RAIN AND THINGS ARE DRYING OUT TEMPERATURES, THEY REBOUNDED A LITTLE BIT. EVEN WITH THAT COLD AIR THAT’S BRINGING OUT THOSE LOW SNOW LEVELS, CURRENT WINDS. WE HAVE WINDS 21MPH IN STOCKTON. THAT’S WHERE WE’RE SEEING SOME OF THE STRONGEST WINDS RIGHT NOW. 17 MILE AN HOUR WINDS IN FAIRFIELD, SAN FRANCISCO BEATS THEM ALL WITH A WIND COMING FROM THE WEST NORTHWEST AT 32MPH. SO WE HAVE THIS POCKET OF COLD AIR. IT’S MOVED IN AND WE’VE SEEN THE LOW SNOW LEVELS. AND THIS IS GOING TO MAKE FOR A COLD NIGHT TONIGHT, ESPECIALLY AREAS WHERE WE SEE THE CLOUD COVER STARTING TO CLEAR OUT. THAT’S JUST OPENING THE DOOR, ALLOWING THAT COLD AIR TO JUST SIT IN PLACE. ALTHOUGH ANY WARMTH IS GOING TO ESCAPE. AND WE’RE LOOKING AT A FREEZE WARNING THAT HAS BEEN ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT UNTIL 9:00 TOMORROW MORNING WITH SUBFREEZING TEMPERATURES. BUT NOT EVERY PLACE IS GOING TO BE THE SAME. WE’RE LOOKING AT THE NORTH END OF THE VALLEY, STRETCHING ALL THE WAY UP INTO SHASTA COUNTY. THIS IS WHERE THE COLDEST AIR IS GOING TO BE. ANYWHERE FROM 23 TO 28 DEGREES. AND THEN YOU GET MORE TOWARDS SACRAMENTO AND ON INTO SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. AND THAT’S WHERE WE’RE EXPECTING TEMPERATURES TO RANGE MORE 29 TO 34 DEGREES. BUT STILL, THOSE ARE SOME PRETTY COLD TEMPERATURES FOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY TEMPERATURE SENSITIVE PLANTS OR ANYTHING THAT COULD BE AFFECTED BY THAT KIND OF COLD, TAKE CARE OF IT. TAKE CARE OF THAT BUSINESS SNOW THAT’S GOING TO BE DECREASING OVERNIGHT TONIGHT AND INTO TOMORROW MORNING. WE CAN SEE WE HAVE SOME BREAKS IN THE CLOUD COVER. WE’RE GOING TO SEE WIDESPREAD FROST TOMORROW MORNING BECAUSE OF THE RAIN KIND OF ICY CONDITIONS TO WAKE UP TO IN THE MORNING FRIDAY. AS WE GET INTO THE AFTERNOON, WE WILL SEE A LITTLE BIT OF SUNSHINE THAT WILL BE NICE TO WARM THINGS UP. AND THERE’S ALSO THIS BOUNDARY OUT HERE BRINGING SOME RAIN ALONG THE NORTHERN COAST OF CALIFORNIA. NOW, WHAT’S INTERESTING ABOUT THIS IS IT’S GOING TO HANG OUT. WE’RE LOOKING AT DRY SATURDAY AS WELL. SO DRY ON FRIDAY, DRY ON SATURDAY. BUT ALONG THE COAST WE HAVE THESE SHOWERS THAT ARE PICKING UP. IT’S EXPECTED TO SWING IN A LITTLE BIT ON SUNDAY. WE COULD SEE SOME OF THESE SHOWERS BASICALLY PARALLEL WITH I-80. AND SO WE’LL SEE THAT FROM SACRAMENTO NORTH ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY. AND THEN THE BETTER CHANCE FOR RAIN ROLLS IN ON TUESDAY. BUT FOR TOMORROW, TEMPERATURES STARTING OFF AROUND FREEZING, THEN DAYTIME HIGHS LOOKING AT MOSTLY MID TO LOW 50S SEVEN DAY FORECAST. GETTING A NICE BREAK FRIDAY SATURDAY AND FOR SOME EVEN SUNDAY AND MONDAY. IT’S REALLY GOING TO BE TUESDAY THAT WE HAVE THE BETTER SHOT FOR RAIN AND THIS IS GOING TO BE WARMER SYSTEM WITH TEMPERATURES WARMING UP. WE’RE LOOKING AT SNOW LEVELS AROUND 7000FT. SO THOSE AREAS THAT HA
The next few days will be dry in the Valley, Foothills and Sierra.
That will give plow and power crews some much-needed time to clear roads and restore electricity.
Temperatures will plummet Friday morning with many Valley spots at of below freezing at sunrise. Saturday and Sunday will gradually turn milder.
A couple showers can’t be ruled out Sunday and Monday, but most places will stay dry both days.
Rain is likely on Tuesday and the snow level will stay at or even above the Sierra summits.
Cold Friday morning
A Freeze Warning is in effect Thursday night into Friday morning across the Valley.
Temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing in some Valley spots Friday morning. The Foothills may have some icy side streets with temperatures in the 20s. Many Sierra roads will be covered in snow and ice.
Sierra travel outlook
Snow will stop Thursday night and dry weather is in the forecast Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
It will take plow crews a while to remove all of the snow that’s fallen this week, especially on narrow side streets.
Drivers should expect chain controls and long travel times on Friday and maybe Saturday even with dry weather.
Friday’s high temperatures
Friday afternoon will be dry and chilly with a mix of sun and clouds. Temperatures will be running about 10 degrees cooler than normal.
Weekend forecast
The weekend will be warmer and mostly dry.
The only chance for a shower comes on Sunday. Areas east of I-5 including the Foothills and Sierra will stay dry while the west side of the Valley could see a few hundredths of an inch of rain.
KCRA 3 weather Impact Day Tuesday
The next round of widespread precipitation is in the forecast for Tuesday. This will be a much warmer storm system and the snow level will likely stay at or even above the Sierra passes.
The KCRA 3 weather team has issued a weather Impact Day for Tuesday because of how rain will affect travel and any outdoor plans.
Valley 7-day forecast
A few showers are possible Sunday and Monday, but Tuesday is more likely to be wet all day.
SAN JOSE — A fight over sites near a BART station east of downtown San Jose might be headed to a jury trial that would pit small business owners against the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.
The VTA is attempting to seize properties it says are needed to construct the 28th Street/Little Portugal BART Station near the interchange of U.S. Highway 101 and East Santa Clara Street. The site is bounded by North 28th Street, East St. James Street, North 30th Street, and Five Wounds Lane.
Properties bounded by Five Wounds Lane, North 28th Street, East St. James Street, and North 30th Street, that are the site of a future BART station east of downtown San Jose, marked by the lines. Boundaries are approximate. ( Google Maps )
A business already ousted from the BART site, Monarch Truck Center, moved in 2024 to a new location at 1015 Timothy Drive in San Jose because it was forced to swiftly decamp from its longtime spot at 195 North 30th St. at the request of VTA officials, according to Monarch Truck Center Chief Executive Officer Nicole Guetersloh.
“We were told we needed to leave so construction could start, but it has been almost two years, and nothing has happened,” Guetersloh told this news organization. “The building is still standing. They haven’t even taken down our signs. The extra time could have made a huge difference for us in terms of finding a new location.”
Monarch Truck Center headquarters at 1015 Timothy Road in east San Jose, seen in November 2024. (Google Maps)
In 2021, the VTA filed a lawsuit against the owner of the site as well as Monarch and other businesses at the location as part of an eminent domain proceeding to seize control of the property so the BART station could be constructed.
The transit agency at one point even asked a Santa Clara County judge to order the businesses to vacate the site before a judgment was issued authorizing VTA to take ownership of the property.
“To meet the current construction completion schedule and ensure critical path activities are not compromised, the subject property is needed by April 2023,” Gary Griggs, the VTA’s chief program officer for the BART extension in the South Bay, stated in court papers filed in 2022. “Securing possession by this date will allow the contractor(s) to begin building demolition work and site preparation, followed by archaeological testing.”
Following the VTA filing, it has been disclosed that massive funding shortfalls have engulfed BART’s extension to three San Jose train stops and one in Santa Clara.
For Monarch Truck Center, finding a new site and setting up shop wasn’t straightforward.
“Moving a company like Monarch Truck Center isn’t easy,” Guetersloh said. “There were very few available properties that fell within the boundaries we must adhere to. Even fewer were properly zoned and capable of supporting a full-service truck dealership like ours. Every time I drive by our old location, I can’t help but wonder what was the rush.”
The VTA’s lawsuit is now headed for a jury trial within the next few weeks, absent an out-of-court settlement of the case, court papers show.
“After VTA condemned the property, Monarch was forced to relocate to a subpar site with significant limitations,” Monarch Truck stated in a background document regarding the case. “The business has suffered a measurable loss of goodwill and is seeking just compensation. VTA has valued the company’s losses at $0, and the case is headed to trial.”
In celebration of Black History Month, NBC Bay Area’s Damian Trujillo talked with the leaders of three parochial schools in the South Bay who made history.
Rod Jemison represents the Jesuit motto at Bellarmine proudly: a man for and with others. Jemison is also the first Black principal in Bellarmine’s 175-year history.
“Just tells you that the pioneers of our culture paved the way for me to sit here today. I think about Douglass, I think about King, I think about Malcolm,” Jemison said.
And while diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, or DEI, have been heavily scrutinized under the Trump administration – Bellarmine still has a DEI director.
But Jemison also notes. the DEI philosophy does not completely define the Bellarmine mission.
“It can’t be the only way in which justice is served. It can’t be the only way in which America finds its way to hope and justice,” Jemison said.
Five miles away is Archbishop Mitty High School, an academic and athletic powerhouse.
Latanya Hilton is a Mitty alum, and also the school’s first Black president. She says Mitty also has a DEI director.
“We have always been super mission-driven around belonging and inclusivity and equity, because that is what the catholic church has called us to do because the Catholic schools were built to educate the marginalized communities of this world,” Hilton said.
For Hilton, social justice is a lived experience.
Originally from the deep south, her parents attended San Jose State with John Carlos and Tommy Smith, icons of the civil rights movement during the 68 Olympics.
“When you see these iconic individuals like Rosa Parks, MLK, we tell the story of the accomplishments but there’s also the story of the sacrifice and the times when they may have wanted to give up and they had to keep going,” Hilton said.
In downtown San Jose, Ashley Rae Mathis is also a first at her school; she is the first black head of school in Notre Dame’s 175-year history.
Home of the center for women’s leadership.
“While I am the first head of color, it is significant that I am a black, African American identifying woman. That is the distinction for me,” Mathis said.
“Yes I’m modeling leadership in terms of academic excellence. And I’m modeling what a Black leader could and should be, and it’s a tremendous weight and a tremendous privilege,” Mathis continued.
The mission at Notre Dame: educate the future women of impact.
“Our school was founded with the principle that diversity is a gift, and social justice is our intention,” Mathis said. “Representation matters and modeling matters. I don’t just want to be the first, I want to pave the way for who is to come.”
Mathis, Hilton, and Jemison say Black history is American history.
A fire at a single-story home in San Jose has left six people displaced and three people injured, fire crews said Sunday evening.
The San Jose Fire Department responded to Endfield Way, located off Story Road near S White Road, for a second-alarm fire at a one-story single-family home.
The fire caused major damage to the home and an adjacent home sustained exterior heat damage and internal smoke damage.
Fire crews said one firefighter and two residents were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The residents self-transported and the firefighter was taken to a hospital by fire personnel. Crews added that a dog died.
The American Red Cross is assisting the people displaced by the fire.
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South Bay officials were taking victory laps this week after a successful Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium, but they won’t be resting on their laurels long — with NCAA March Madness games and FIFA World Cup matches on the horizon.
“Hosting three major sporting events marks a major milestone for our region and is a truly historic moment for our city and the South Bay,” San Jose City Manager Jennifer Maguire said during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. The upcoming basketball and soccer games “will further establish San Jose as the South Bay’s hub for sports, arts and entertainment,” she said.
While nearly all the official NFL events were in San Francisco, fans still showed up in droves for events in the South Bay organized by the San Jose Sports Authority, Visit San Jose and the city of San Jose during the week leading up to the big game. A city report on foot traffic in downtown San Jose shows about 459,000 unique visitors to downtown from Jan. 31 through Feb. 8. The biggest day was Feb. 7, when about 153,000 people descended on downtown for the Dom Dolla block party and San Pedro Super Fest event.
The city’s first use of an entertainment zone downtown, which allows partygoers to take certain drinks outside of bars and restaurants, brought just under 48,000 visitors to San Pedro Square — including 22,900 on the Saturday before the Super Bowl.
“This was without question the busiest weekend San Pedro Square Market has ever experienced,” said John Burroughs, operations manager for San Pedro Square Market. “Saturday alone shattered our previous single-day sales record by more than 30%, and throughout the weekend the Market felt like a nonstop Sharks game rush for nearly seven straight hours.”
Videos from the weekend showed people packed in so tightly at times that it was difficult for some to move along narrow San Pedro Street, indicating a need for a better crowd-control plan for future events.
David Mulvehill, president of Nuvo Hospitality, which operates several restaurants and bars in San Pedro Square, was initially skeptical about the city’s expectations for out-of-town visitors going into the week.
He was proven wrong, he said, and credited the city and its partners. “I underestimated what attention they brought to San Jose as a serious destination for traveling fans. They did a great job marketing and setting up events around the city,” he said. “Their effort was tenfold compared to 10 years ago.”
The party wasn’t just downtown. Santana Row’s four-day Super Row Weekend and Big Game Tailgate also packed the swanky shopping center in West San Jose with visitors. Its NFL Pop Up Shop exceeded its sales goals by 60 percent, and restaurant owners reported strong sales and foot traffic all weekend.
Collette Navarette, senior marketing director for the Western Region for Santana Row owner Federal Realty, said that following the success of the Super Bowl events, there are plans to have more for the World Cup games in June and July.
Fans arrive for Super Bowl 60 between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Santa Clara, which hosted Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium, didn’t hold any official events connected to the game, but Mayor Lisa Gillmor praised the coordination of several city agencies for bringing the game to the goal line, especially crediting City Manager Jovan D. Grogan, among others.
“This event did not happen because of press releases or photo ops. It happened because a small but mighty city rolled up its sleeves and did the work,” Gillmor said during the Santa Clara City Council meeting on Tuesday. “I’ve seen a lot of people and cities eager to take a bow. That’s fine, but let’s be clear: Santa Clara owns the stadium, Santa Clara carried the load, and Santa Clara delivered. And we delivered with class.”
The week was not without its challenges. There were seven shootings downtown during a 24-hour period from early Sunday morning through Monday morning, resulting in two fatalities.
San Jose City Councilman Anthony Tordillos, whose district includes downtown, told constituents in a newsletter that the violence marred an otherwise great weekend. “In light of this, I’m prioritizing how we can improve on late-night safety as we prepare for more events this year — but also in general, because it’s not just visitors that deserve a safe downtown,” he said.
In the run-up to the big weekend, advocates for homeless people raised concerns that officials would increase sweeps of encampments.
Indeed, San Francisco caught flak nationally in 2016 for closing camps before Super Bowl 50, and again in 2023 when authorities moved people out of public view before an international economic summit.
In downtown San Jose, staff at shelters run by the nonprofit LifeMoves didn’t notice any changes in the city’s strategy, said spokesperson Maria Prato. Nor were more people referred to the shelters than usual, she said.
San Jose Sports Authority Executive Director John Poch said he and his team took Tuesday off and then were back at work getting ready for NCAA tournament games in March, the next event in the San Jose lineup for 2026. “It’s not just about the event, but what we can do around the event for people,” he said.
There is already a three-day concert series, Music Mania, announced in San Jose’s arty South First Area (SoFA) on March 27-29, featuring DJ Diesel (aka Shaquille O’Neal), Bebe Rexha and Dustin Lynch. You can also expect another drone show and large-scale art installations at SAP Center.
San Jose Downtown Association CEO Brian Kurtz, who was at many of the Super Bowl-related events throughout the week, called it a “resounding success” that sets up San Jose for the rest of the year.
“Our community worked tirelessly preparing to welcome an unknown number of visitors to downtown — and they showed up en masse. Downtown was buzzing with activity at sold-out concerts, fan fests and packed streets,” he said. “We’ll consider this the practice round as we move forward towards March Madness, World Cup festivities and so much in between.”
A large crowd attends the Kehlani performance during the Big Game Block Party on East Santa Clara Street in front of City Hall in downtown San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 7, 2026. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
San Jose State University continues to solidify its standing as a pipeline to tech companies.
The university now has the Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurship, which aims to give students both the skills for their first tech job or to help them start their own companies.
SJSU also has an entrepreneurship society, an idea lab, a startup club and a business plan competition. The university brings them all together in one place for a smoother path between school and the job market.
Super Bowl LX weekend has arrived in the Bay Area, including in San Jose, where the city is kicking off the weekend with some major performances.
“The Big Game Weekend Block Party” on Friday night was headlined by Oakland R&B artist Kehlani, who is fresh off her first two Grammy wins. The opening acts that preceded her included many Bay Area DJs, singers, musicians, and rappers.
Salena Nguyen, who is known as ‘Salenie’ when she DJs, performed alongside Geo, a Bay Area harpist. The two have been collaborating recently and also plan to perform on Sunday at the Super Bowl Game Day experience at Levi’s Stadium.
“I think the culture that is brewing and has been here forever is having a surge right now,” Nguyen said of Bay Area music culture.
“I’m getting chills as we say this, there’s like a surge of energy and something is happening, I can’t explain it,” she continued.
Artist Fijiana, who grew up in Richmond, also performed at the block party.
She was thrilled to be included in this show.
“I was like, ‘Of course!’ This is a dream, this is the biggest crowd I’ve ever performed for,” she said.
For the people visiting the Bay Area from out-of-town this weekend, Fijiana said, “I just hope that they really take in Bay Culture, that we are so diverse, especially in the climate of this country right now.”
Fijiana closed out her set with the song ‘Welcome to the Bay,’which she says is her ode to the Bay Area.
All of the people attending the show who spoke with NBC Bay Area were Bay Area residents, excited to see some local talent. Many showed up specifically to watch Kehlani perform.
“I’ve been a fan of Kehlani’s since she first started off,” explained Vinny Maxwell of Pittsburg, who didn’t want to miss this chance to see the star.
Organizers said around 8,000 attendees were expected at this show.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan noted that this level of activity wasn’t happening in downtown San Jose when the Super Bowl came to Santa Clara 10 years ago. He said the activity downtown from events like this is very welcome.
“This is just exactly what we were hoping for, people coming downtown, rediscovering their downtown,” Mahan said.
Another block party is scheduled for Saturday in downtown San Jose, featuring DJ Dom Dolla.
As Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots approaches, multiple road closures are in place near Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara and for game-related events in San Francisco and San Jose.
In San Francisco
Closures are in effect near Moscone Center, where the Super Bowl experience is taking place. Howard Street between 3rd and 4th streets is closed 24 hours. Meanwhile Mission Street between 3rd and 5th streets and 4th Street between Market and Folsom streets are closed daily from 7 a.m. through 11 p.m.
The closures around Moscone Center are in effect through Tuesday.
Other closures in San Francisco include 19th Street between 3rd and Tennessee Streets in the city’s Dogpatch neighborhood for the NFL Culture Club at the Pearl through Saturday. Meanwhile, closures and detours are in place near the Palace of Fine Arts for the NFL Honors on Thursday night and the Studio 60 concerts on Friday and Saturday nights.
Near City Hall, Grove Street in front of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium is closed through Monday due to a series of concerts at the venue. Additional closures on Grove next to City Hall, along with Polk Street between McAllister and Hayes streets are in place on Saturday due to a private event.
Other street closures are planned near Grace Cathedral for an event on Friday and the Taste of the NFL at The Hibernia at Jones and McAllister streets on Saturday.
In San Jose
San Carlos Street between Almaden Boulevard and Market Street in downtown will be closed in both directions through Monday. Lane closures between San Carlos and San Salvador streets are also in place. Officials said access to the Hilton Hotel and the San Jose McEnery Convention Center will be maintained.
Outside of downtown, Humboldt Street will be closed between South 7th and South 10th street for 2-4 hours through Saturday, as the Seahawks conduct practice at San Jose State University’s fields.
In Santa Clara / Levi’s Stadium
Tasman Drive between Calle Del Sol and Great America Parkway has been closed since Jan. 28. The road, which passes in front of the stadium, will be closed through Friday, Feb. 13.
Officials have announced multiple detours around the closure. For local traffic, drivers and cyclists can bypass the closure by using Great America Way, Great America Parkway, Lafayette Street, Calle De Luna and Calle Del Sol.
A regional detour is also in place, using Highways 101, 237, Montague Expressway, Lawrence Expressway and North 1st Street.
For pedestrians, sidewalk access on Tasman Drive will also be closed around the stadium. Officials suggested taking VTA Light Rail between the Great America and Lick Mill stations to get around the closure, as other pedestrian detours are significantly longer.
The San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail in front of the stadium is also closed to pedestrians and cyclists, which remains in effect through Tuesday.
On Sunday, Great America Parkway between Patrick Henry Drive and Bunker Hill Lane will also be closed.
Meanwhile, the closure on Tasman Drive on game day will be expanded to Old Ironsides Drive and Lick Mill Boulevard. Ahead of the game, pedestrian access on Tasman between Convention Center and Calle Del Sol will be limited to credentialed staff and Super Bowl ticketholders.
Additional information about the closures can be found on the Bay Area Host Committee website.
Police in San Jose are searching for a driver following a hit-and-run collision that killed a pedestrian last week.
According to officers, the pedestrian was crossing the road near South Bascom Avenue and Borello Drive on Jan. 25, between 5:45 and 6:05 p.m., when he was struck by a driver traveling southbound on Bascom. Police said at the time the pedestrian was outside of a marked crosswalk.
The victim was taken to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased. His name has not been released.
In an update Wednesday, police said the driver briefly approached witnesses on scene and picked up what was believed to be the car’s bumper before fleeing in an unknown direction.
Witnesses described the suspect vehicle as a dark-colored sedan. The driver was described by witnesses as an adult male between 30-40 years old with a beard. He was wearing a blue sweatshirt with yellow lettering, believed to be either “SJSU” or “SDU.”
Police said the hit-and-run was the city’s first fatal traffic collision and first traffic death of 2026.
Anyone with information about the incident or who may have been driving in the area with a dash camera at the time is asked to contact Detective DelliCarpini of the department’s Traffic Investigation Unit over email or by calling 408-537-1421.
There was a block party in downtown San Jose Wednesday night, with food trucks, music, activities and a live podcast with two former NFL players.
Near the SAP Center, a couple of streets were blocked off so that people could enjoy a block party outside of Hapa’s Brewing Company. Inside, former NFL players Ryan Fitzpatrick and Andrew Whitworth were recording an episode of their podcast “Fitz And Whit”.
There was music, food and activities for kids.
“Super excited to be part of the big game and see what San Jose is offering here tonight,” Melissa said.
There was also a raffle.
Robbie Dehaze took home the big prize – Super Bowl tickets.
“Couldn’t believe it, I’ve never won a raffle,” Dehaze said. “Just the experience, and just it being here locally, it’s amazing.”
This was one of several events planned this week ahead of the Super Bowl in San Jose. The turf has already been laid out in San Pedro Square ahead of the San Pedro Superfest, which kicks off on Friday and goes thru Sunday with food, drinks, tech displays and live entertainment.
At city hall, preps are underway for the two block parties on Friday and Saturday with Kehlani and Dom Dolla. Catia is visiting her cousin Maggie Cruz from Mexico and even though she doesn’t have tickets to the Super Bowl, she wanted to be part of the fun.
“I arrived like two days ago, I started to get the feeling, the environment, it’s been great,” Catia said.
“I was like ‘You’re more than welcome to come, let’s go have fun, let me show you around’,” Cruz added.
With Wednesday’s block party and the other events happening later this week, the hope is people can join in on the fun and downtown can showcase itself.
“We’re trying to liven up the Creekside social area and bring life to this area that has been quiet for a while,” Cassie Tam, co-owner of Hapa’s Brewing Company, said.
One city in the Bay Area has been declared the world’s absolute worst in the world when it comes to housing affordability for new homebuyers, a new analysis finds.
“It’s not the greatest title to have here in San Jose,” said Mike Bui, the president of Equity One Real Estate and a lifelong San Jose resident.
Bui said the prices for starter homes in once affordable areas like Blossom Valley are now out of reach for the city’s working, middle-class residents.
“I would have never imagined that these homes that would sell for $400,000 now sell or trade for $1.8 million just in a matter of 12 to 15 years,” says Bui.
He says a lot of what is driving the massive price increases are people who work in other parts of Silicon Valley being forced to move south to San Jose to find housing they can afford.
“A lot of the buyers who can no longer afford to buy up the Peninsula, where it’s Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Mountain View, they’ve all come down to San Jose,” he said.
According to the study by Remitly, the average home price in San Jose is $1.37 million while the average worker makes about $86,000 a year, with a two-income family making an average of $173,000 a year. That still leaves a potential homebuyer short by about half.
Bui said that’s what forces people in San Jose to look further south to Gilroy, Hollister, or Morgan Hill for something less expensive.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan also blames the tech boom for the unaffordability issues.
“Silicon Valley has created about eight jobs for every one new home we have built over the last 20 years. San Jose has actually been the net housing provider. We’ve actually been the best actor in the region,” says Mahan.
The mayor said this is simply an issue of supply and demand and says the city is doing everything it can to greenlight new housing projects.
Bui said expanding traditional lending programs could also help first-time homebuyers.
“It’s programs to really help with lending, down payment, shared equity. That’s the only way to help our normal people within the Bay Area to purchase properties there,” he says.
California did not fare well in the study. San Jose was ranked the least affordable, but Los Angeles ranked second, followed by Long Beach and San Diego.
San Jose has been ranked No. 1 for the least affordable city in the world for first-time homebuyers in a new global study, underscoring how far housing costs have outpaced wages in the heart of Silicon Valley.
The study — conducted by financial services company Remitly — analyzed housing affordability in more than 150 cities worldwide by comparing average local incomes with typical home prices and applying standard mortgage criteria. California dominated the rankings, with six cities in the top 20. After San Jose, Los Angeles ranked second, Long Beach ranked third, San Diego ranked fourth and Vancouver, Canada rounded out the top five as the least affordable cities globally. San Francisco came in 10th and Oakland scored 19th.
In San Jose, where the average home price is about $1.37 million, a worker earning the city’s average salary of $86,605 could afford about 27.3% of a typical home, according to the study. For two average earners making a combined $173,210, it would only buy them about 54.6% of a property.
The findings come as San Jose leaders continue to debate how to address a housing crisis that has increasingly priced out not only low-income residents, but also middle-class workers who keep the city running.
During the Jan. 27 City Council meeting, several residents spoke during public comment on a proposal to expand the city’s downtown residential incentive program to encourage the conversion of vacant commercial buildings into housing. The expansion, approved in a unanimous vote, will waive or reduce certain development taxes and fees and allow eligible conversion projects to include no deed-restricted affordable homes, a tradeoff city officials said is necessary to make conversions financially feasible.
Several speakers said the proposal, while increasing housing supply, will do little to address affordability if new homes are priced beyond the reach of most residents.
“The city needs to ensure that affordable housing is included,” Katherine Hedges, one of several residents who urged the council to prioritize affordability alongside new development, said at the meeting.
Others warned that rising housing costs are already affecting the city’s ability to deliver basic services. John Tucker, a city employee, urged councilmembers to pause the proposal, citing low employee satisfaction, staffing shortages and a hiring freeze that has left departments stretched thin.
“We understand the goal of encouraging downtown housing and conversions, but incentives should come with clear public benefit and guardrails, especially when city services are slipping and budgets are tight,” Tucker said at the meeting.
Residents also questioned whether housing labeled as “affordable” — typically aimed at households earning up to 80% of the area median income which in Santa Clara County is $111,700 for an individual and $159,550 for a family of four — actually meets the needs of San Jose’s lowest-income residents.
Housing advocates said the city’s current approach has contributed to widening economic and racial disparities.
Regina Celestin Williams, executive director of SV@Home, said San Jose has been intentional about building housing in recent years, but much of it has been geared toward residents who can afford high rents or buy a home.
Williams said while the city has invested in shelter and services for people experiencing homelessness, it has largely failed to address the needs of middle-class residents, particularly families.
“Traditionally when you think of middle class, you think of a family,” she told San Jose Spotlight.
She added that families are being displaced along with communities of color, especially Black and Indigenous residents.
“If you allow the market to dictate, rents get extreme,” Williams said. “Once rent is set at $6,000, no one’s going to lower it.”
Data shows the income needed to afford the average asking rent in Santa Clara County is about $10,767 a month, or roughly $62 an hour.
San Jose’s minimum wage is $16.90 an hour, or about $70,000 a year for a full-time worker — far below what is needed to afford a median-priced home in the city.
Real estate experts have previously estimated that households may need incomes approaching $300,000 to qualify for a mortgage in San Jose, a figure that has risen sharply in recent years as prices and interest rates have increased.
A 2022 analysis by San Jose Spotlight found that monthly mortgage payments of roughly $9,000 were being described as “reasonable” in the city’s housing market. Housing advocates said conditions have worsened since then.
Despite its booming tech economy, San Jose’s cost of living now rivals or exceeds that of other major U.S. cities, according to the Remitly study.
Mayor Matt Mahan’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
The mayor has previously promoted San Jose as the best place to live and work, while pledging to accelerate housing construction and streamline development.
Housing advocates said the latest ranking highlights the growing disconnect between that vision and the reality facing residents.
“As a big city, you would think it would be affordable for everybody to live here,” Williams said. “But it’s not.”
Editor’s note: This story was originally published by San Jose Spotlight.
CHICAGO – The Sharks started slowly then allowed four goals is a wide open second period in what became a potentially costly 6-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday at the United Center.
The Sharks allowed a first period power play goal to Connor Bedard then gave up three goals in a span of 8:22 before coach Ryan Warsofsky pulled starting goalie Yaroslav Askarov in favor of Alex Nedeljkovic.
Macklin Celebrini had a goal and assist in the second period and defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin scored in the third, but the damage was done as the Sharks lost their third straight game and fell to 1-2-1 on their five-game road trip that ends Wednesday in Colorado.
Askarov’s four goals allowed came on 10 shots as he now has just one win in his last six starts. Still, the Blackhawks goals Monday were more the result of Sharks defensive breakdowns than clear goalie miscues.
The Sharks also took four minor penalties in the game’s first 24 minutes and also went 0-for-4 on the power play.
Forwards Ryan Donato and Ilya Mikheyev both had four points for the Blackhawks, who snapped a five-game losing streak.
Entering Monday, the Sharks were two points out of a playoff spot in the still tightly packed Western Conference standings.
“Every game is important this time of year,” Warsofsky said before Monday’s game. “We know where we are in the standings. Many people didn’t expect us to be where we are in this spot, and this is an opportunity for us. This is a great opportunity to to get back on it tonight against a good team, and get two points on the road and feel good about ourselves going to Colorado.”
Monday’s game marked the first meeting of the season between the Sharks and the Blackhawks, and the second time that Celebrini had faced Bedard in the NHL.
Celebrini, who entered Monday as the NHL’s fourth-leading scorer with 79 points in 53 games, assisted on a Will Smith first period goal in his one game against the Blackhawks last season, a 4-2 Sharks win at SAP Center on March 13, 2025.
Bedard, the No. 1 selection in the 2023 NHL Draft, a year before the Sharks took Celebrini first overall, was held without a point that night but had five points in five career games against San Jose before Monday. Despite missing 13 games with a shoulder injury, Bedard still led Chicago with 52 points before Monday.
More significant than the individual appeal of Monday’s game was its importance to the Sharks.
San Jose began the road trip with a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks, the NHL’s last place team, last Tuesday but two nights later, coughed up a three-goal lead and lost 4-3 in overtime to the Edmonton Oilers.
The Sharks then had to kill six penalties and allowed a third period shorthanded goal in 3-2 loss to the Calgary Flames, another team that will likely miss the playoffs.
The Sharks didn’t get the start they were looking for Monday – not even close — as they took three minor penalties in the first period, had just one shot on goal and allowed a power play goal to Bedard.
After the Sharks were called for too many men, the Blackhawks worked it around the San Jose net, as Teuvo Teravainen took a pass from Tyler Bertuzzi, slid it over to an open Bedard for a one-timer from near the bottom of the circle and a 1-0 lead at the 7:00 mark.
The Sharks’ only shot in the first period came from Celebrini with 11:33 left.
