A Change.org petition posted by Audrie Pott’s parents, which named each of the three boys, has garnered nearly 24,000 signatures since it was posted Feb. 11.

Against the backdrop of an impotent state legislature and a growing awareness of the predatory nature of payday lenders, local governments have had to pick up the slack and adopt laws to stifle the industry.

Janet Gray Hayes, San Jose’s first female mayor and the first woman to lead a major US city, died Monday in the Saratoga home she shared with her daughter.

With the Sunnyvale Armory slated for demolition to make way for permanent low-income housing, north Santa Clara County stands to lose its only cold-weather shelter.

Agencies in Santa Clara Valley have finalized a sweeping conservation plan that will set out guidelines for development in exchange for preserving South Bay creeks, trails and open space. State, county and local agency leaders will meet Thursday morning at the Anderson Dam in Morgan Hill for a signing ceremony to launch the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Conservation Plan.