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WEDNESDAY, Dec. 31, 2025
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Saratoga Councilman Rishi Kumar. The two are facing off to complete Stone’s Neysa Fligor is poised to be Santa term that ends in 2026, and they will have Clara County’s next assessor, defeating to run again next year. In the first race on Nov. 4, Fligor got Rishi Kumar in a costly $13 million run38% of the vote in a four-candidate field, off election. Fligor, a Los Altos councilwoman and Kumar was second at 24% The other two candidates who ran, Saraand an assistant assessor, was supported by Larry Stone, who stepped down af- toga Councilwoman Yan Zhao and Bryan ter 30 years over the summer. She leads Do, a school board member in San Jose, with 66% of the vote against former both threw their support behind Fligor. BY STEPHANIE LAM Daily Post Correspondent
FLIGOR
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Fligor centered her campaign around her credentials. A lawyer, Fligor worked as legal counsel to the assessor in the mid-2000s. She rejoined the office as a special assistant last year, and after Stone’s retirement, assumed the role of assistant assessor. Fligor said one of her top priorities would be replacing the assessor’s office’s decades-old computer system, a [See ASSESSOR, page 22]
Waymos can be ticketed in 2026
MORE RAIN: Expect damp NYE celebrations. Rain and winds are expected to begin today and last until Sunday. HIKERS FOUND DEAD: Rescue crews responding to a report of an injured hiker who fell down a slope near a Southern California mountain trail found the man and two of his companions dead. Sheriff’s officials say the three bodies were discovered Monday evening along the Devil’s Backbone Trail at Mount Baldy, which is east of Los Angeles. BUFFETT STEPPING BACK: Greg Abel faces the challenge of taking over Berkshire Hathaway from the legendary Warren Buffett this week. Many regard Buffett as the world’s greatest investor after he grew Berkshire from a struggling New England textile mill to the massive conglomerate it is today with shares that go for more than $750,000 a pop. [See THE UPDATE, page 4]
The Post will be off New Year’s Day. We will be back Friday. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
KUMAR
A WAYMO self-driving vehicle in San Bruno. AP file photo.
Law enforcement agencies in California will soon be able to issue formal notices to self-driving cars for alleged traffic violations under a new law that goes into effect in 2026. AB1777, authored by former state Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, establishes greater regulations on autonomous vehicles when encountering law enforcement or emergency response personnel. Law enforcement will be allowed to issue “notices of autonomous vehicle noncompliance” to the manufacturers of driverless cars. The manufacturers would then be required to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles of the alleged violation. An additional component of the law requires all self-driving cars to be [See WAYMOS, page 22]
Laser tag arcade sued over death
ing out for employees, they didn’t help, causing a delay in calling 911, accordA woman is suing a San Carlos laser ing to the suit filed by Rivera’s wife, tag arcade for not helping her husband Erica Donlevy on Dec. 23. LaserMaxx San Carlos did not reafter he collapsed, leading to his death. James Allen Rivera, 53, died on May spond to the Post’s request for com17 due to cardiac arrest while he was ment. The arcade’s website requires playplaying laser tag with his family at LaserMaxx San Carlos, and despite call- ers to sign a waiver stating that they BY ADRIANA HERNANDEZ Daily Post Staff Writer
will not sue LaserMaxx for any incidents, including injuries, accidents or death. Donlevy, from Pleasanton, went to the laser tag arcade at 1119 Industrial Road with her son and husband to play two games for $71.97, according to the lawsuit. That Saturday, the arcade was [See ARCADE, page 22]
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