The County's new Office of Arts and Culture will see an infusion of $100,000 to help launch countywide programs and projects. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022, voted 5-0 to allocate the funds from the Measure K local half-cent sales tax. The funds will be used as a match for specific grants as well as to support numerous programs and projects, as outlined here:
Millbrae – County of San Mateo leaders today announced a bold local strategy to reinforce the safety net for the county’s most vulnerable residents: $4 million annually to prevent evictions. “We will end homelessness in San Mateo County,” Mike Callagy, the County’s chief executive, said to an audience of more 300 at the “Our Year of Working Together to End Homelessness” Summit in Millbrae.
On October 21, 2022, after 40 minutes of deliberation, a jury convicted Defendant Jowy Roman of Assault on A Peace Officer. On January 22, 2020, police went to the Defendant’s home to serve an arrest warrant and search warrant stemming from the Defendant’s years-long molestation of a minor victim. When officers arrived, the Defendant hid in the shower with a knife. Officers entered bathroom and the Defendant stabbed one officer in the chest which resulted in minor injuries. The knife did not penetrate the officer’s Kevlar vest. During the Defendant’s attack, a second officer shot the Defendant once in abdomen. The jury trial began with the Defendant facing 28 counts related to the molestation of the minor victim, with the 29th count being Assault on A Peace Officer for the January 22, 2020 incident. Midway through the victim’s testimony, the Defendant pled guilty to all 28 counts relating to the molestation. The Defendant is facing a minimum of over 100 years in prison on those counts alone. The trial continued on the one count concerning the Assault on A Peace Officer. The prosecutor was Sexual Assault DDA Nicole Sato, and the Investigating Officer was Clara Leong of the Foster City Police Department.
Redwood City – A coalition of top local elected and civic leaders today launched a new initiative to improve public safety by boosting efforts to remove guns from the hands of felons, stalkers, and other people prohibited from firearm possession. The launch of the new San Mateo County Gun Violence Prevention Program comes with a pledge of $2 million in funding over the next two years.
East Palo Alto – Local public health officials will be in East Palo Alto next week to learn what climate-related challenges residents are facing in their community and to help identify gaps in preparedness. In English, Spanish or both, survey teams will ask a series of questions focusing on threats posed by mosquitoes, extreme heat, sea level rise, fires and air quality, for instance. Teams will also ask about emergency preparedness.
The Board of Supervisors approved the following regarding Measure K on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022:
Redwood City — With the presence of avian flu in the Bay Area, San Mateo County Health is advising residents who keep backyard birds or domestic flocks to protect them from contact with wild birds and for the public to take precautions when handling dead birds.
Redwood City – The County of San Mateo has been awarded $340,677 to provide housing assistance to youth who are transitioning out of foster care and are experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. The funding was awarded through the federal Housing and Urban Development’s Foster Youth to Independence Initiative.
Half Moon Bay – San Mateo County’s agricultural production in 2021 totaled nearly $98 million, a 5 percent bounce from the prior year, according to the 2021 Agricultural Crop Report.
Redwood City – Want to help on the front line of democracy? The County’s Registration and Elections Division is seeking candidates for numerous positions. Election workers can earn $22.30 an hour to start as an Office Assistant helping with the run-up to the general election on Nov. 8, 2022.
Mid-morning on September 8, 2022, Ms. Karina Castro was brutally killed in a domestic violence incident. “As co-chairs of the San Mateo County Domestic Violence Council, Supervisor Groom and I are shocked and saddened to hear about the tragic and senseless death of Ms. Karina Castro in San Carlos on September 8, 2022. Ms. Castro is more than the headlines you will see about her death,” said Elisa Kuhl, Victim Services Program Manager of the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.
Redwood City – Public service is the thick chain that links George Smith’s life’s work: U.S. Marine, firefighter, volunteer. Recognizing his dedication, the San Mateo County Veterans Commission has announced that Smith is the 2022 Veteran of the Year, an award for a local veteran who goes “above and beyond” to serve the community.