San Jose Ca

Three years ago, Madison Nguyen became the fresh new face of Vietnamese American politics, an upward-bound city politician in San Jose. She was splashed on magazine covers; the chosen one who seemingly held the hopes of the city's emerging Vietnamese community. Now she is in a fight for her political career, targeted by Vietnamese Americans who believe she has betrayed them. Voters will decide on Tuesday whether to unseat the 34-year-old councilwoman.

A California man smashed the world record for hot dog eating, gobbling more than 59 franks in 12 minutes. Joey Chestnut, 23, of San Jose shattered the record held by Takeru Kobayashi of Japan by downing 59 1/2 -- with buns -- at the Southwest Regional Hot Dog Eating Championship in Tempe, Ariz. The old record was 53 3/4.

A Santa Clara County judge has dropped all criminal charges against former Mayor Ron Gonzales, who was accused of bribery in an alleged backroom deal with a trash hauling company, court officials said Tuesday. Superior Court Judge John Herlihy said Gonzales and aide Joe Guerra improperly concealed their dealings with Norcal Waste Systems Inc., but that improper instructions given to the grand jury that indicted the pair required him to throw out the charges.

Restaurants, bars and nightclubs will be allowed to stay open an hour later under a trial program aimed at bringing late-night order to downtown streets. The City Council agreed to let downtown businesses stay open until 3 a.m., 90 minutes after they stop selling alcohol.

A former assistant basketball coach at the exclusive La Jolla Country Day School was arrested Monday on suspicion of having sex with a 17-year-old female student. Cesar Don Juan Flores, 26, has been fired, school officials said. Sex-crime detectives began an investigation three weeks ago after receiving a tip, police said.

A San Diego man who ran several marijuana distribution centers was sentenced in federal court Monday to five years in prison and five years' probation. John Sullivan, 39, pleaded guilty to growing hundreds of marijuana plants for financial gain. At his locations, including the Purple Bud Room, a variety of marijuana-based products were sold, including ice cream, candy bars and baked goods.

On Sunday afternoons, Grand Century Mall swarms with people longing for a taste of Vietnam. A gray-haired woman sells fresh jackfruit and bananas out of a minivan in the parking lot. On tables outside, men play Chinese chess, egging one another on while drinking Vietnamese iced coffee. Inside the shopping center, shoppers sipping sugar cane juice browse through dozens of jewelry displays and CD racks filled with music from Vietnamese pop idols.

Officials and residents are taking issue with a magazine study that ranked their city as one of the nation's fattest. Men's Fitness named San Jose as the country's 24th fattest city, behind San Diego, Fresno and Philadelphia. Chicago won the designation as the fattest city, followed by Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Dallas. David Vossbrink, a spokesman for San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales, said the nation's 10th-biggest city is no different from other locations across the country.

Traditional school didn't work for Ben Aldridge. "I was bored and lazy. And I never had a good work ethic," said Ben, 18, of San Jose, explaining how he fell far behind in class credits. Yet today Ben, a senior in one of the San Jose Unified School District's alternative education programs, is back on track to receive his diploma -- on time.

A worker on a highway paving project was killed late Thursday when a gravel truck backed into him as he stepped out of his steamroller, officials said. Salvador Contreras of San Jose, a new father in his late 30s, was crushed by the truck about 10 p.m. on northbound U.S. 101 at the De La Cruz/Trimble exit, said Sgt. John Warren of the California Highway Patrol. The state Division of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating the death.