Local Politics · Alameda County
Early returns from Tuesday's election showed voters across five Bay Area counties supporting a regional sales tax measure (RTM) that would fund public transit agencies facing severe deficits. As of 9 p.m., 61.4% of counted votes favored the measure, which proposes a half-cent sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and a one-cent tax in San Francisco starting April 2027. The measure would raise an estimated $980 million annually for 14 years to support BART, Muni, Caltrain, AC Transit, VTA, SF Bay Ferry and Golden Gate Transit. Without passage, BART has announced that 10 low-ridership stations—including Castro Valley, South Hayward, West Dublin/Pleasanton and Oakland International Airport—could close as early as January 2027. Opponents favor pausing projects like Valley Link and the San Jose BART extension rather than imposing a new tax.
Local Politics · Livermore, CA
Preliminary vote counts as of about 12:30 a.m. Nov. 4 show tight races for two seats on the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District board. In Area 3, Angela Brady leads Deborah Gibson by roughly 87 votes (51.39% to 48.61%), while in Area 5, Christiaan VandenHeuvel holds an 83-vote lead over Deena Kaplanis with Sam Phelps trailing. Tara Boyce has a commanding lead in the Area 2 race against Stephen Orgain, at 74.47% to 25.53%. The Area 3 winner will represent north Livermore and a small population north of the city's border in Contra Costa County. If either Kaplanis or VandenHeuvel wins Area 5, they would vacate their current at-large seat with two years remaining on that term.
Education · Livermore, CA
The Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District has convened a working group to develop districtwide guidelines for artificial intelligence use in classrooms, targeting implementation in the 2027-28 school year. The group, which began meeting in September, includes teachers from elementary through high school, students from Granada and Livermore high schools, counselors, administrators, parents, union representatives, a school board member, and community experts from Quest Science Center and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Initial work focuses on assessing district readiness and reviewing privacy and security guidance, with later phases addressing academic integrity, equitable access, safeguards, and a limited AI tool pilot. The district also plans to partner with Quest on a Workforce Development Planning Initiative to prepare students for STEM careers.
Community brief · Livermore, CA
The Rotary Club of Livermore, the Livermore Valley Rotary Club and the Rotarian Foundation of Livermore unveiled the Alan Frank Community Room at the Livermore Railroad Depot at 2500 Railroad Ave. The 40-person furnished meeting space features a kitchenette and bathroom and is intended as a low-cost booking option for nonprofits through the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District. The room honors Alan Frank, the late city historian who…
Nearby · Crime · Dublin, CA
Nicholas Paleveda, 40, was held to answer on a murder charge and a lying-in-wait enhancement at a preliminary hearing Thursday in the August 2024 shooting death of 37-year-old Michael Dalipe outside his home at Emerald Park Apartments in Dublin. Prosecutors amended the complaint earlier this year to include the enhancement after uncovering additional evidence, potentially making Paleveda eligible for the death penalty. Police say Paleveda traveled from Arizona with the explicit purpose of confronting Dalipe, whom he reportedly knew through online gaming and social media. The case had been delayed over two years due to mental competency proceedings and Paleveda's repeated refusals to appear in court while held at Santa Rita Jail. Paleveda is set for arraignment at 9 a.m. Nov. 12 at the East County Hall of Justice.
