Recent News
Tuesday, August 16, 2022
What's it like to serve on the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury? Here's a peek behind the curtain
Unlike being selected for jury duty, serving on the civil grand jury is a voluntary commitment that former members say is a great way to become more civically engaged. The court is accepting applications right now.
Tuesday, 1:22 PM | No comments yetCity Council review boosts proposed condo project
The Palo Alto City Council signaled its desire to encourage more housing on the city's southern edge on Monday night, when it gave rave reviews to a proposed condominium project at 800 San Antonio Road.
Tuesday, 9:45 AM | 7 commentsMonday, August 15, 2022
Doria Summa, land-use watchdog, eyes council seat
Doria Summa, a longtime neighborhood activist and current vice chair of the Planning and Transportation Commission, appears poised to run for a seat on the City Council.
Monday, 10:00 PM | 20 commentsHeat and wildfire smoke prompt Spare the Air alert for Tuesday
Lingering smoke from wildland fires in Northern California, combined with a one-day heat wave in the forecast has resulted in a Spare the Air alert for the Bay Area on Tuesday.
Monday, 4:44 PM | No comments yetWith board divided, Ravenswood school district drops its mask mandate
For the first time in three years, Ravenswood City School District students and staff won't need to wear face masks in classrooms when they return to campuses on Aug. 24.
Monday, 12:14 PM | No comments yetSunday, August 14, 2022
Around Town: Belgian teen pilot on quest for world record visits Palo Alto
Read news about a teen who stopped by Palo Alto as he attempts to break the world record for youngest person to fly solo around the world and the removal of tents for outdoor dining on California Avenue.
Sunday, 9:23 AM | No comments yetSaturday, August 13, 2022
SLAC researchers scan 600-year-old documents for clues about first printing presses
While scientists at SLAC typically look to the future, this time they're looking at the past by comparing the world's early printing presses.
Saturday, 9:19 AM | 1 commentFriday, August 12, 2022
Climate nonprofit funded by Laurene Powell Jobs hires high-powered state official
Having pledged more than $3 billion to address climate change, the Waverley Street Foundation has hired Jared Blumenfeld.
Friday, 6:18 PM | 8 commentsTo combat teens' sleep deprivation, California schools must start their days later
In anticipation of a new state law requiring later start times, many local school districts have already made the shift. Other schools will be making the move for the first time this fall.
Friday, 6:58 AM | 27 commentsLocal school districts take divergent views on the controversial zero period
Peninsula schools are taking divergent approaches to early-morning classes, with some administrators seeing the advantages of offering additional courses and others viewing it as antithetical to the spirit of later start times.
Friday, 6:58 AM | 2 commentsSanta Clara County's biggest drug scourge isn't fentanyl — it's meth
The potent opioid fentanyl might be getting the lion's share of notoriety in recent years, but Santa Clara County -- and California -- have a much bigger drug-related killer: methamphetamine.
Friday, 6:58 AM | 7 commentsFor Ingrid Campos, 'traditional family values' spur bid for Palo Alto school board seat
Parent Ingrid Campos is running for a seat on the school board this fall, saying she would work to build bridges between the district and families and that parents need to know that they can have a voice.
Friday, 6:57 AM | 30 commentsPUBLIC AGENDA: Project Homekey update; funds for Boulware Park art installation
A preview of Palo Alto government meetings for the week of Aug. 15.
Friday, 6:57 AM | No comments yetThursday, August 11, 2022
As court case closes, Pets In Need opens up about revamped protocols
Pets In Need has issued a statement to help mend its relationship with the community now that a judge has ruled three of its workers were not negligent in the heat-related deaths of seven puppies.
Thursday, 4:20 PM | 1 commentPalo Verde students head to temporary campus as school year starts
Palo Verde's roughly 400 students are sharing a campus for the school year with Greendell School to enable the elementary campus to undergo swifter reconstruction.
Thursday, 3:16 PM | 5 commentsElderly man targeted in another 'roadside jewelry' robbery attempt
A man in his 80s and the bystander who tried to help him were targeted in a brazen robbery attempt and assault with a vehicle at Palo Alto's Charleston Shopping Center on Wednesday afternoon.
Thursday, 2:48 PM | 14 commentsState bill on police radio encryption dies in committee
A proposal to require law enforcement agencies to find alternatives to full encryption of radio communications fizzled Thursday when the Assembly's Appropriations Committee declined to advance the bill.
Thursday, 12:36 PM | 2 commentsRobotics company Nuro aims to help make vehicle fatalities, emissions a thing of the past
As Nuro marks its sixth birthday, the company looks forward to a future where deliveries are made autonomously and without emissions.
Thursday, 9:32 AM | No comments yetPalo Alto prepares for key decisions on fiber expansion
As Palo Alto embarks on its journey to build a citywide fiber-optic network that delivers high-speed internet, a new analysis of the proposed system is giving city leaders both hope and anxiety.
Thursday, 8:58 AM | 23 commentsWednesday, August 10, 2022
After eleventh-hour deal, business tax lands on ballot
Palo Alto voters will have a chance in November to approve a business tax, though the measure they'll be considering will be far more modest than the one that the City Council was contemplating just days ago.
Wednesday, 10:58 PM | 61 commentsRobber snatches keys from apartment building worker in come-from-behind attack
An apartment building employee was startled by a man who took her work keys in a robbery that left her with a bruise in Palo Alto on Tuesday, police said. The man was not located as of Wednesday.
Wednesday, 6:30 PM | 1 commentPolice search for man who allegedly raped woman on Stanford campus on Tuesday
A man reportedly grabbed a woman from a parking lot at Stanford University and raped her in a restroom on Tuesday, according to the Stanford Department of Public Safety. The man remains at large.
Wednesday, 6:14 PM | 2 commentsPerseids on the Peninsula: Summer stargazing peaks with annual meteor shower
Lick Observatory support astronomer Jon Rees offers tips on when and how to view the meteor shower, which will peak later this week.
Wednesday, 9:26 AM | 1 commentAlleged shoplifter resists loss prevention officers, tries to take man's cellphone
Police arrested a man on suspicion of shoplifting merchandise, physically resisting loss prevention personnel and attempting to rob an 80-year-old man at Stanford Shopping Center on Monday.
Wednesday, 9:11 AM | 5 commentsTuesday, August 9, 2022
Pets In Need staff won't face trial in puppy-deaths case
Three women who faced misdemeanor charges related to the deaths of seven puppies in a hot van last summer were granted acceptance into a court diversion program and won't face trial, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Tuesday, 5:08 PM | 9 commentsMan charged in 1982 cold-case murder of Palo Alto teen
The search for the killer in a nearly 40-year-old cold-case murder of a 15-year-old Palo Alto teen has led to the arrest of a 75-year-old man from Hawaii, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office said Tuesday.
Tuesday, 9:52 AM | 6 commentsWoman robbed of necklace, cellphone during Sunday morning walk
Police arrested two men in connection with robbing a woman of her necklace and cellphone on Sunday morning in Palo Alto's Southgate neighborhood.
Tuesday, 9:17 AM | 11 commentsMonday, August 8, 2022
Palo Alto hopes for last-ditch deal on business tax
With the clock ticking toward the final deadline, the City Council deferred yet again its decision on creating a business tax in hopes of reaching a last-second compromise with a coalition of opponents.
Monday, 11:29 PM | 4 commentsCity Council affirms Andrew Binder as Palo Alto's new police chief
Andrew Binder, who has been leading the Police Department for the past two months, officially became the police chief on Monday after the City Council voted to approve his appointment.
Monday, 8:17 PM | 1 commentLongtime Ravenswood school district trustee will not seek reelection this fall
Ana Maria Pulido won't be running for reelection to the Ravenswood City School District board of trustees in November, citing a need to explore other opportunities and urging fresh faces to run.
Monday, 12:15 PM | No comments yetOpinion: Renters need a broad coalition to unite
Like 46% of Palo Alto's population, I am a renter. I believe that collaborative solutions are desperately needed to help, assist and elevate what is being done for the rental community to thrive.
Monday, 11:37 AM | 81 commentsSunday, August 7, 2022
Man arrested for indecent exposure at El Camino Park
A Menlo Park man was arrested on Friday afternoon after he allegedly exposed himself to a 4-year-old boy at El Camino Park, Palo Alto police said in a news release.
Sunday, 1:40 PM | No comments yetParking lot fire destroys McLaren office, Tesla batteries
A pallet of Tesla batteries, a McLaren business office and a Ford pickup truck went up in flames Sunday morning in a shared south Palo Alto parking lot.
Sunday, 9:28 AM | 13 commentsAround Town: Fifth grader to bring a Free Little Library to East Palo Alto
In the latest Around Town column, news about a local fifth grader's plan to create a Free Little Library in East Palo Alto and a Stanford University swimmer who was named the Pac-12 Woman of the Year.
Sunday, 7:15 AM | No comments yetSaturday, August 6, 2022
Police: Man arrested after bike shop robbery
A man who allegedly threatened a Cardinal Bike Shop employee left with cash after a failed attempt to sell a used electric bike on Friday.
Saturday, 7:29 PM | 5 commentsThe call of the wild: From paralyzed seagulls to skunks caught in bear traps, Peninsula wildlife rescue workers have seen it all
Meet the people who specialize in helping Silicon Valley's orphaned and injured wild animals.
Saturday, 8:59 AM | 3 commentsFriday, August 5, 2022
Power restored to all 1,700 Palo Alto Utilities customers affected by Friday outage
A fallen tree branch that landed on power lines caused an outage on Friday afternoon in Palo Alto's northern and eastern neighborhoods, where service was fully restored later that evening.
Friday, 4:16 PM | 2 commentsCondo project could test City Council's appetite for housing on San Antonio
A commercial site on San Antonio Road would be transformed into a residential community with 75 condominiums under a proposal that the Palo Alto City Council is set to review on Aug. 15.
Friday, 9:48 AM | 11 commentsFor seniors, accidental falls a leading cause of injuries
Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among older adults -- even those who are fit and active. Local experts shared prevention tips to help older adults reduce their risk.
Friday, 7:03 AM | 30 commentsThursday, August 4, 2022
School board lets general counsel go, won't say why
The Palo Alto school district's first in-house attorney, Komey Vishakan, has been let go "without cause," the Palo Alto school board decided in a special closed session meeting on Thursday.
Thursday, 11:27 PM | 31 commentsPUBLIC AGENDA: Business tax; modified rules to build accessory dwelling units
A preview of Palo Alto government meetings for the week of Aug. 8.
Thursday, 4:11 PM | No comments yetPalo Alto police set to remove radio encryption
The Palo Alto Police Department, which moved abruptly in January 2021 to fully encrypt its radio communications, is preparing to reverse the controversial policy, acting Chief Andrew Binder said.
Thursday, 12:21 PM | 9 commentsPolice chase, arrest man after alleged assault, threats
A parolee who allegedly threatened a grocery store employee and challenged police officers to a fight led authorities on a foot chase before his arrest near Palo Alto High School on Wednesday, police said.
Thursday, 9:47 AM | 7 commentsResident surprises alleged burglar caught in the act
Palo Alto police arrested a man Monday afternoon after he allegedly burglarized a Professorville home and fled when he was interrupted by a resident.
Thursday, 9:35 AM | 13 commentsCost dispute casts shadow in debate over police radio encryption bill
The fate of a bill that would require police departments to remove encryption from their radio communications was uncertain Wednesday after the Assembly Appropriations Committee deferred a decision on SB 1000.
Thursday, 9:14 AM | 1 commentStay informed.
Get the day's top headlines from Palo Alto Online sent to your inbox in the Express newsletter.
How journalism is just like cooking: The Foodist says goodbye
By The Peninsula Foodist | 3 comments | 2,220 views
“To get the full value of joy . . .
By Chandrama Anderson | 0 comments | 1,772 views
We need an audit of city spending
By Diana Diamond | 5 comments | 1,719 views
Register today to support local nonprofits
The 38th annual Moonlight Run and Walk is Friday evening, September 9. Proceeds go to the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund, benefiting local nonprofits that serve families and children in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Join us under the light of the full Harvest Moon on a 5K walk, 5K run, 10K run or half marathon. Complete your race in person or virtually to support local nonprofits.
