Crossroads is a multi-part immigration series covering issues in the East Bay.
If you have a suggestion for immigration stories in Oakland or Richmond that you would like to see told. Send suggestions for Oakland to staff@oaklandnorth.net and for Richmond to news@richmondconfidential.org.
Scattered across more than a month of testimony, former Richmond Police Department Deputy Chief Lori Ritter has been accused by some of her former colleagues of harboring a vendetta against them and lashing out at them with racially-tinged jokes. But taking the witness stand herself for the first time on Tuesday, Ritter turned the tables….
By Robert Rogers
|
Posted in Bay Citizen, Crime, Front, Government, History, Police discrimination trial, Yahoo
|
Tagged arnold threets, chris magnus, cleveland brown, cowboys, discrimination, johan simon, lori ritter, michael booker, richmond police department, stephen jaffe
|
“We’re trying to hit the community where we’re hemorrhaging the most, and that’s these young men,” said Pastor Henry Washington at a planning session last week. Washington is a core member of Ceasefire/Lifelines to Healing—a renowned violence prevention program set to launch in Richmond later this week.
After more than a week on the witness stand, Richmond Police Chief Chris Magnus’ last day of testimony as a defendant was one of more questions from the plaintiff’s attorneys—and from the jury. “Do you have any friends in the Richmond Police Department?” was one question that came from the jury, read by the judge….
By Robert Rogers
|
Posted in AP, Bay Citizen, Crime, Front, Government, History, Police discrimination trial, Yahoo
|
Tagged chris magnus, cleveland brown, discrimination, johan simon, jonathan matthews, lori ritter, police, richmond, stephen japhe, the cowboys
|
Plans have been in the works for several years for a construction project that would close an Interstate 580 onramp near the Point San Pablo Peninsula in Richmond. Caltrans originally planned to close the eastbound I-580 onramp for two years while it repaired three bridge decks that hang over Scofield Avenue, which drivers must take to get to the onramp.
A Note From the Editor: The letter contained below was submitted to RichmondConfidential.org by Richmond City Councilman Nat Bates. In the interest of fulfilling our role as a source for information and perspectives for the benefit of Richmond community members, we agreed to publish it. RichmondConfidential.org is always open to written submissions from the community,…
Just over a year ago, an oasis blossomed in a rundown Richmond neighborhood off of Highway 580. Cars speed by on the busy freeway overhead and the Safeway Beverage packing plant, large and industrial, looms within eyesight. But here at the Self-Sustaining Communities garden, chickens peck at nubs of grass, a pair of rabbits dart…
George Mitchell stood in front of the mic, glanced at his notes, and let fly. It’s not always easy for Richmond’s young people like Mitchell to express their feelings and their fears, especially to their peers. But Mitchell was bold, thanks in part to the supportive audience, and his poem took a frank approach to…
By Robert Rogers
|
Posted in Bay Citizen, Crime, Events, Front, Government, Health, North Richmond
|
Tagged donte clark, ervin coley, gayle mclaughlin, george mitchell, marquis hamilton, molly raynor, peace, richmond, violence
|
After more than a month of proceedings, one of Richmond’s biggest murder trials in years is in the jury’s hands. Closing arguments Thursday painted two starkly different pictures of the evidence against Joe Blacknell III. The 21-year-old south Richmond native is accused of 22 felonies, including the March 2009 murder of rap artist Marcus Russell,…
By Robert Rogers
|
Posted in AP, Bay Citizen, Blacknell Trial, Crime, Front, North Richmond, Yahoo
|
Tagged celeste sipp, derek butts, diana garrido, easter hill boys, fatter, gang, gang violence, joe blacknell, marcus russell, murder, North Richmond, richmond, sean melson, shawny bo, willie mulder
|
In court on Thursday, Jonathan Matthews, attorney for plaintiff Lieutenant Cleveland Brown in the racial discrimination lawsuit against the city of Richmond and Chief of Police Chris Magnus, continued with questioning Magnus about his actions during a staff retreat in Napa in late 2006. The seven plaintiffs are all black commanders within the police department…
By Robert Rogers
|
Posted in Bay Citizen, Crime, Front, Government, Police discrimination trial, Yahoo
|
Tagged arnold threets, chris magnus, cleveland brown, discrimination suit, eugene mcbride, hartinger, James Jenkins, johan simon, jonathan matthews, lori ritter, michael booker, racism, richmond, shawn pickett
|
North Richmond is unique, and it’s a place with heart. That was the undeniable theme Wednesday night, as about 200 people packed City Council chambers for the premiere of “An Exploration of Our History, North Richmond Part 4,” a documentary produced by filmmaker Doug Harris and more than a dozen young people from the neighborhood….
By Robert Rogers
|
Posted in AP, Bay Citizen, Crime, Development, Economy, Education, Environment, Events, Front, Government, History, North Richmond, Yahoo
|
Tagged annie king-meredith, California Endowment, Corky Booze, Crime, doug harris, drugs, fred jackson, george miller, Henry Clark, john gioia, johnny white, Nat Bates, North Richmond, tom powers
|
Joe Blacknell III’s mother took the stand in his defense Wednesday, testifying that her son is a hip-hop fan and father of three, and not a violent gang member who killed one man and wounded at least four others in 2009, as police and prosecutors allege. “You guys make him out to be this,” said…
By Robert Rogers
|
Posted in AP, Bay Citizen, Blacknell Trial, Crime, Front, North Richmond, Yahoo
|
Tagged celeste sipp, daniel barnett, derek butts, diana garrido, easter hill boys, gangs, homicide, joe blacknell, kiante gix, marcus russell, murder, richmond
|
In life, Rene Garcia’s youthful good looks and rugged raps made for a compelling persona, one that played out in several slickly-produced rap videos that netted thousands of clicks on YouTube.com. On Wednesday, the Facebook page for his rapping name, “Lil G,” was a memorial wall, flooded with odes and rumors of the circumstances surrounding…
By Robert Rogers
|
Posted in AP, Bay Citizen, Crime, Front, North Richmond, Yahoo
|
Tagged homicide, lil g, Mark Gagan, North Richmond, rene garcia, shields reid park, Tita Davis
|
