Recent News
Saturday, September 25, 2021
Guest opinion: Big financial challenges ahead for Menlo Park schools
In a guest opinion, Menlo Park City School District Superintendent Erik Burmeister and Sherwin Chen, president of the school board, write about the financial challenges facing district schools and a meeting about school funding.
Saturday, 10:51 AM | 1 commentFriday, September 24, 2021
Testing catches four asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 in Belle Haven School class
Belle Haven School students were quarantined after four children in a single classroom tested positive for COVID-19.
Friday, 6:16 PM | No comments yetAir quality advisory issued through Saturday
Wildfire smoke from Southern and Central California is expected to move into the Bay Area over the next couple of days, prompting the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to issue an air quality advisory for Friday and Saturday.
Friday, 12:10 PM | No comments yetCommunity college district to help cover student debt, college costs
The San Mateo County Community College District will use federal funding to provide student debt relief and financial aid to students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Friday, 11:56 AM | No comments yetThe buzz about the beekeeping club at Menlo School
Students are learning about how to care for bees and ecology in a unique club at an Atherton school.
Friday, 11:30 AM | No comments yetCommunity briefs: Book giveaway, parent education talks, Early Learning Center openings
In this week's community briefs, a book giveaway, upcoming talks for parents, openings at a local preschool and more.
Friday, 11:17 AM | No comments yetThursday, September 23, 2021
Two Las Lomitas district board members step down
There are two vacancies on the Las Lomitas Elementary School District Board of Trustees, which has undergone many changes in the last year.
Thursday, 4:02 PM | No comments yetMenlo Park council hits pause on gymnastics program reactivation
Since March 2021, more than 100 families have asked about the city of Menlo Park's plans for its gymnastics program. Those families, it appears, will have to wait a while longer for answers.
Thursday, 11:26 AM | 1 commentElizabeth Holmes trial: Nurse practitioner describes alarming, inaccurate Theranos test results
A nurse practitioner testified to wildly inconsistent blood test results given to a pregnant patient in her OB-GYN practice by Theranos.
Thursday, 11:20 AM | No comments yetMenlo Park: Proposal to ban development in parks falls short
A proposal to ban development in city parks fell short Tuesday when a majority of Menlo Park's City Council members failed to coalesce around whether and how to ban future development in city parks.
Thursday, 10:44 AM | 15 comments'Back in the saddle': Woodside council resumes in-person meetings
The Woodside Town Council has resumed in-person meetings, but residents can still participate from home.
Thursday, 9:49 AM | No comments yetWednesday, September 22, 2021
NASA charts a course for lunar rover in search of water on moon's surface
NASA scientists are set to launch an exploratory rover to the south pole of the moon late next year, with a goal of finding pockets of water that can be used for future manned missions to the lunar surface in 2024 and beyond.
Wednesday, 6:21 PM | No comments yetObituaries: Howard Wieden Middleton
This week in obituaries, read about the life of Howard Wieden Middleton, 93.
Wednesday, 11:55 AM | No comments yetMenlo Park officials urge greater road safety awareness after two collisions involving young students
School officials and police are warning drivers to be more cautious around schools since the full reopening last month, which has seen two collisions in two weeks involving young bicyclists.
Wednesday, 11:46 AM | 13 commentsSan Mateo County Supervisors OK new resolution on equity
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors recently passed a resolution laying out its next steps to promote racial equity countywide.
Wednesday, 10:41 AM | 2 commentsMenlo Park welcomes new business: Grand opening held for Pedego, a new e-bike shop on Santa Cruz Avenue
It took nine and a half months, but Menlo Park's mayor, Drew Combs, finally had his first chance to enjoy one of the perks that comes with the title: cutting ribbons to celebrate the grand openings of new businesses in town.
Wednesday, 10:08 AM | No comments yetPeople paid a premium to build their home gyms. Will fitness clubs lure them back?
Many locals who have the resources took lockdown life as an opportunity to create their personal fitness bubbles and routines. Some are unsure if they would return to their gyms, given the effectiveness of at-home workouts.
Wednesday, 9:47 AM | No comments yetTuesday, September 21, 2021
Air quality advisory issued for Wednesday due to wildfire smoke
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is issuing an air quality advisory for Wednesday due to smoke from wildfires elsewhere in California.
Tuesday, 11:55 AM | No comments yetBicyclist steers clear of attempted robber on bridge
Police are investigating a Saturday morning robbery attempt after a man reportedly tried to take a bicycle from another man.
Tuesday, 11:43 AM | No comments yetThree arrested for spree of robberies, purse snatches that targeted Asian women
A yearlong, multijurisdictional investigation involving a group that targeted victims of Asian descent in four counties has culminated with three arrests, according to police and prosecutors.
Tuesday, 11:36 AM | No comments yetMonday, September 20, 2021
Guest opinion: Green spaces, a healthy planet, and affordable housing
In a guest opinion, Menlo Park resident Karen Grove advocates for the city to consider using land it owns for affordable housing.
Monday, 3:49 PM | 6 commentsStanford welcomes largest-ever incoming class as university reopens
Thousands of Stanford students have returned to campus for face-to-face classes for the fall quarter, which began Monday. This marks the first time since the pandemic hit that in-person instruction is the norm.
Monday, 12:01 PM | 1 commentCommunity reunites at Moonlight Run & Walk
The annual Moonlight Run & Walk, a beloved Palo Alto tradition held under the full harvest moon, resumed in person at the Baylands on Friday night for the first time in two years.
Monday, 11:58 AM | No comments yetSunday, September 19, 2021
Argument escalates into stabbing during party
A stabbing during a party in Menlo Park's Belle Haven neighborhood early Sunday morning left a man hospitalized with serious injuries, police said.
Sunday, 9:33 AM | No comments yetConvicted murderer John Getreu's own words pointed to his guilt in cold-case slayings of two women on Stanford land
Convicted murderer John Arthur Getreu revealed multiple times during a law enforcement interview that he had knowledge of the murders of two women found on Stanford University land in the 1970s.
Sunday, 8:55 AM | No comments yetSaturday, September 18, 2021
Community briefs: Fire safety funds earmarked for Wunderlich Park, search begins for new city manager, parent education series underway
In this week's community briefs, county supervisors OK fire safety funds for Wunderlich Park, Menlo Park begins its search for a new city manager, a fall festival in Portola Valley and more.
Saturday, 3:22 PM | No comments yetUpdate: Missing man with Alzheimer's found
An 69-year-old man went missing Saturday, 8 a.m., and was later found, according to Menlo Park Police Department
Saturday, 3:09 PM | No comments yetFriday, September 17, 2021
Theranos employees were 'sleeping in their cars' in effort to address quality control issues
The examination of former Theranos lab associate Erika Cheung wrapped up in San Jose on Friday in the federal criminal trial against Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes.
Friday, 5:32 PM | No comments yetMenlo Park: Two arrested in connection with vandalism incidents
Police in Menlo Park on Thursday arrested two suspects in connection with vandalizing several vehicles with BB guns.
Friday, 12:43 PM | 1 commentCrime briefs: Burglaries in Atherton, Portola Valley
In this week's crime briefs, Atherton police arrest a woman wearing a resident's necklace and jewelry likely taken in Portola Valley burglary.
Friday, 11:58 AM | No comments yetHow Menlo College hit a nearly 100% COVID-19 vaccination rate
Almost all of the 1,000 Menlo College students, staff and faculty are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 after a campaign that spanned four months.
Friday, 11:53 AM | No comments yetNewsom signs housing bills that reform single-family zoning
Having survived the recall attempt, the governor has signed two bold housing bills, including one that would reform zoning by allowing up to four dwellings on parcels currently designated for a single home.
Friday, 11:28 AM | 3 commentsCensus data: In Almanac territory, communities show growth in Asian and multiracial populations while white and Black populations drop
The past decade has wrought some significant changes to the demographics of communities in southern San Mateo County. We crunched the new numbers from the 2020 U.S. census to find out how things have changed since 2010.
Friday, 9:47 AM | 1 commentThursday, September 16, 2021
California recall: The 2022 campaign starts now
Gov. Gavin Newsom's robust defeat of the recall gives him a head start in the 2022 gubernatorial election.
Thursday, 12:22 PM | No comments yetMeasles, mumps and COVID: High school district officials want California to add COVID-19 to vaccinations required of students
Sequoia Union High School District officials are asking the state to require students to get the COVID-19 vaccine in order to attend classes in person.
Thursday, 11:29 AM | No comments yetFormer employee says Theranos cherry-picked results from faulty machines
A former lab associate testified in the federal criminal trial against Elizabeth Holmes, founder and CEO of blood testing company Theranos, accusing the company of cherry-picking data to hide serious flaws in its "Edison" machines.
Thursday, 11:26 AM | No comments yetMore than 800 new housing units approved in Menlo Park
Facing little alternative due to new state housing laws, the Menlo Park City Council voted Tuesday, Sept. 14, to approve more than 800 new housing units on the Bay side of Menlo Park proposed by the developer Greystar.
Thursday, 9:42 AM | 6 commentsWednesday, September 15, 2021
West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes found in Palo Alto, Mountain View
The Santa Clara County Vector Control District will be treating parts of Palo Alto and Mountain View with insecticide after recently detecting West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes in limited areas of the two cities.
Wednesday, 4:59 PM | No comments yetProsecution, defense spar over Theranos' finances at Holmes trial
The examination of the corporate controller for the blood testing company Theranos continued Tuesday in the federal criminal trial against the company's founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes.
Wednesday, 4:04 PM | No comments yetObituaries: A list of local residents who died recently
This week in obituaries, read about the lives of Tina Enomoto, 71, Emmanuel Barbariol, 96, Noble Hancock, 99, George White Jr., 86, and Kathleen Gaffney Braunstein, 77.
Wednesday, 11:13 AM | No comments yetState legislation expands independent study option for students, but few are enrolled locally
Although few students are now enrolled in the independent study programs that districts are required to offer, there's increased interest in different educational models, a local teacher says.
Wednesday, 10:52 AM | No comments yetTuesday, September 14, 2021
California recall election results 2021: Live updates
Get up-to-date results on the California recall election of Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Tuesday, 9:29 PM | No comments yetNewsom beats back recall effort
The attempt to throw Gov. Gavin Newsom out of office failed by a wide margin, according to vote counts released Tuesday night in California's historic recall election.
Tuesday, 9:07 PM | No comments yetSwift verdict in John Getreu trial: Guilty of first degree murder
After a two-week jury trial, John Getreu has been convicted of murdering 21-year-old Janet Ann Taylor on Stanford University property nearly 50 years ago.
Tuesday, 6:09 PM | No comments yetState has paid or approved over $1B in rent, utility payment relief
More than $1 billion in pandemic-related rent and utility payment assistance has been paid or approved for California residents, state officials announced Monday.
Tuesday, 11:21 AM | No comments yetDecision time: Three ways the California recall election could go
The recall election could end up with three very different results for the future of Gov. Gavin Newsom and of politics in California. Here's how the scenarios could play out.
Tuesday, 10:03 AM | 1 commentCommunity briefs: Backpack donations, county parks survey, Hillview student wins chess honors
In this week's community briefs, a Menlo Park student wins chess honors, youth advisory committee applications open and more.
Tuesday, 10:01 AM | No comments yetMonday, September 13, 2021
37th annual Palo Alto Weekly Moonlight Run & Walk is back in person — and virtually
The 37th annual Palo Alto Weekly Moonlight Run & Walk is moving back to its longtime home at the Baylands for in-person races on Sept. 17 following a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
Monday, 11:37 AM | No comments yetDistrict Attorney's two-year investigation of alleged financial misdeeds by former community college chancellor about to conclude
This month, the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office expects to conclude its two-year investigation into Ron Galatolo, the former community college district chancellor who is accused of misusing school funds.
Monday, 11:01 AM | 1 commentStay informed.
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