Lima Nikkei Opens in Mill Valley’s 1947 El Paseo Space on Throckmorton
Novato contractor Edwin Sandoval and his family have opened Lima Nikkei, a 125-seat Peruvian-Japanese restaurant led by chef Wilmer…
3 min read
Civic life
Local reporting. The people, places and decisions behind the headlines.
Search and community filters apply to these 50 stories in this part of the archive. Continue to earlier reporting below.
Civic life
UC Faculty Petition Targets 25.5:1 Ratio as Cal’s Flores Wins ACC Nod
The UC Faculty Association—representing more than 14,000 Academic Senate faculty across all 10 University of California…
3 min read
Peninsula Campaign Filings Detail Final Push as Leyla Bakery Launches
Pre-election campaign finance disclosures released Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026 detail fundraising and independent expenditures across the…
4 min read
Bay Area Groups Launch $11M Crab and Whale Collaborative
The Marine Mammal Center, The Nature Conservancy, and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations unveiled an $11…
3 min read
Jurors Hear Recordings in Thao Trial; Oakland Artist Sabogal Profiled
Federal jurors in San Francisco listened to approximately 40 minutes of secretly recorded California Waste Solutions board meetings…
3 min read
Dublin School Board Candidate Seema Badar Addresses Online Comments
Dublin Unified School Board Area 5 candidate Seema Badar addressed 256 comments posted on a social media share of her candidate…
3 min read
Upstairs Cafe Soft-Opens Above Snail Bar on Shattuck in Oakland
Creative Director Sammy Chang has opened Upstairs, a cozy daytime cafe and community lounge in a converted apartment above Snail Bar…
4 min read
Rebecca Black Sells Out SF’s Castro Theatre on Sophomore Tour
Pop artist Rebecca Black is headlining a sold-out, all-ages show at San Francisco’s Castro Theatre (429 Castro St.) behind her…
3 min read
Prop. 45 CEQA Ballot Measure Splits Bay Area Housing Advocates
Proposition 45 on California’s Nov. 3 ballot has divided pro-housing advocates: Oakland Assemblymember Buffy Wicks and Eden Housing…
4 min read
San Jose Renames Downtown Park “Plaza de San Jose” in Unanimous Vote
The San Jose City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to rename downtown’s 1797 park from Plaza de Cesar Chavez to Plaza de San Jose…
3 min read
Lurie’s $164M Network Reshapes SF as Prop. 40 Trails 46%–52%
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, his family, and allied donors have directed $164 million since 2023 across political campaigns,…
3 min read
SF Market Wins Approval for 64,000-Sq-Ft Bayview Produce Hub
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved lease amendments Tuesday allowing 63-year-old wholesale food hub The SF Market to…
3 min read
Oakland Dancer Samara Atkins Honored as Kaiser Earns 4.5 Stars
Oakland native and Mix’d Ingrdnts co-founder Samara Atkins received a 2026 Alameda County Arts Leadership Award for District 3, indie…
3 min read
OUSD Data Center Claim Debunked as Oakland Union Sets Nov. 5 Strike
An investigation by Oakland Report found zero evidence supporting campaign videos by OUSD Board President Jennifer Brouhard and Vice…
4 min read
SF Condo Prices Jump 23% as 15 Romolo and Levain Bakery Expand
San Francisco condo median prices rose 23% year-over-year in September with 66% selling above asking price, while North Beach bar 15…
4 min read
Fremont Recycling Firm Sues Ex-CEO as AC Transit Detours Routes
Silicon Valley Circular Material Inc.
3 min read
Billionaires Spend $300M Against Prop. 40 as Feds Probe SFUSD Course
Campaign finance filings show California billionaires have spent roughly $304 million opposing Proposition 40 and backing competing…
3 min read
Menlo Park Downtown Housing Plan Faces Up to $45M Funding Gap
Menlo Park’s plan to partner with Related California to build at least 345 affordable apartments on three downtown parking lots faces…
2 min read
Alameda Delegates Reflect on Boys & Girls State as Altarena Opens
Nine Alameda high school seniors sponsored by American Legion Post 647 shared insights from the California Boys & Girls State civic…
2 min read
Defense Grills FBI Agent in Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Trial
As the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and her partner Andre Jones entered its second week Tuesday,…
2 min read
Realtors and Labor Unions Pour Nearly $100K Into Mountain View Race
Campaign finance filings show the National Association of Realtors has spent $38,922.08 each in independent expenditures supporting…
2 min read
Santa Clara County Rejects DOJ Demand to Verify 902 Voter Ballots
Santa Clara County Executive James Williams sent a letter to the U.S.
2 min read
Report Urges Direct Intervention Powers for New K-12 Commissioner
A new report published through the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence by researchers Heather Hough and Jason Willis…
2 min read
California Prepares K-12 Overhaul Under New Education Commissioner
Under Assembly Bill 181—proposed by Gov.
2 min read
CSU Faculty Union Opens Strike Authorization Vote Through Nov. 19
The California Faculty Association, which represents 29,000 professors and university employees across the California State University…
2 min read
California Orders Lenders to Explain Wildfire Claim Payout Delays
California’s Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency and the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation have ordered…
1 min read
Outside PACs Spend Record $6M+ in California Insurance Chief Race
Independent expenditure committees have spent a record $6 million-plus in the Nov. 3 race for California insurance commissioner…
2 min read
California Adopts Santa Clara Homelessness Prevention Model as Valley Water Declares El Niño Emergency
Assembly Bill 1924 mandates first statewide prevention blueprint while South Bay water directors fast-track winter flood protections.
2 min read
Hayward City Council Enacts 45-Day Moratorium on New AI Data Centers Over Grid and Water Concerns
Urgency ordinance pauses high-density server facility permits along industrial corridor while planners draft environmental standards.
2 min read
Pleasanton City Council Approves Weather-Based Smart Irrigation Systems Across Municipal Parks
Automated water management sensors reduce civic turf consumption by twenty percent ahead of regional conservation targets.
2 min read
San Ramon Police Department Deploys Enhanced Traffic Safety Patrols Along Bollinger Canyon Corridor
Targeted enforcement and radar trailers address excessive vehicle speeds near Dougherty Valley school zones and Iron Horse Trail…
2 min read
Alameda County Water District Cuts Ribbon on 3.5-Megawatt Solar Microgrid and Clean Energy Facility in Fremont
Regional utility integrates rooftop solar arrays and battery energy storage to ensure uninterrupted water distribution during grid…
2 min read
Dublin Public Works Conducts Comprehensive Traffic Signal Timing Review Along Dublin Boulevard Corridor
City engineers assess vehicle telemetry and pedestrian crossing intervals near Silvergate Drive to reduce regional peak-hour…
2 min read
Alameda County Tax Collector Issues First-Installment Notices for 2026-2027 Secured Tax Roll
County treasury mails 230,000 annual tax bills funding local public schools, healthcare clinics, emergency dispatch, and flood control…
2 min read
City of Fremont Marks 15th Annual Manufacturing Week With Over 900 Advanced Production Facilities
Municipal economic report highlights 35,000 advanced industrial jobs, surging cleantech investments, and student engineering factory…
2 min read
Downtown Hayward Prepares for Second Annual Taste of Hayward Culinary Showcase on B Street
Civic celebration brings together 35 local immigrant-owned eateries, microbreweries, and cultural dance troupes to support downtown…
2 min read
Pleasanton Unified advances $2.4m microgrid at Amador Valley High
District partners with state energy commission on $2.4M solar-plus-storage installation to power emergency cooling centers during…
2 min read
Dougherty Valley High Robotics Team Unveils Autonomous Agricultural Computer Vision Rover
Student engineering team develops solar-powered autonomous ground vehicle to identify weed species and monitor soil moisture without…
2 min read
Dublin opens applications for 2 below-market condos at Dublin Centre
Affordable homeownership initiative offers two-bedroom residences for qualifying families earning between 80 and 120 percent of area…
2 min read
South Bay Democratic Socialists of America Records 40 Percent Membership Surge Heading Into November Midterm Elections
Grassroots civic chapter mobilizes volunteers across San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara behind tenant protections and municipal…
2 min read
Menlo Park City Council Retains Specialized Legal Counsel to Defend Against Downtown High-Rise Developer Lawsuit
City attorney prepares defense against claims challenging municipal height limits and inclusionary affordable housing requirements…
2 min read
Hayward City Council Considers Emergency Moratorium on New Commercial Data Center Construction
City leaders cite industrial grid strain, peak electrical consumption, and water evaporative cooling demands in proposed 45-day…
2 min read
Alameda Police Department Launches Innovative Community Awareness Card Program for Residents With Special Needs
Voluntary registry and personalized wallet cards provide emergency responders with critical communication preferences and sensory…
2 min read
Pleasanton City Council Weighs Public Input on Downtown Specific Plan and Permanent Outdoor Dining Standards
Main Street restaurateurs and historic preservation advocates debate architectural design guidelines and parking mitigation ahead of…
2 min read
Plate readers help police track BMW stolen from Dublin car wash
Automated license plate readers and freeway surveillance cameras assist Tri-Valley investigators following brazen midday vehicle theft.
2 min read
Danville Town Council Authorizes High-Intensity Flashing Beacons at Five Busy Hartz Avenue Pedestrian Crossings
Downtown pedestrian safety enhancements follow comprehensive traffic study and merchant feedback to improve visibility during autumn…
2 min read
AC Transit Enacts Line 14 Detour in Oakland After Multi-Vehicle Crash Blocks Southbound I-880 in Fremont
AC Transit reroutes Line 14 coaches between Fruitvale and West Oakland BART stations while the California Highway Patrol investigates…
3 min read
Livermore opens two-week Veterans Park design review downtown
Municipal planners open a two-week public design review today while downtown hosts 30 life-sized elephant sculptures and prepares for…
3 min read
Brentwood Hosts Joby Aviation Electric Air Taxi Simulator as Antioch City Council Sets Special Manager Session
Brentwood prepares to welcome Joby Aviation's interactive eVTOL simulator in November while neighboring Antioch schedules a special…
3 min read