Katherine Wei

Women Build graduates its first all-female class in the construction trades

The majority of people in the room seemed to be women, and many wore proud smiles on their faces. They were attending the graduation ceremony of the first all-female Green Energy Training Services (GETS) pre-apprenticeship cohort held by Berkeley non-profit organization Rising Sun Energy Center, and the room at John F. Kennedy University’s Berkeley campus was buzzing with excitement. Dubbed “Women Build,” the program trains women for union jobs in construction and other skill-based industries traditionally employing men. It launched on March 16,…

Departing police chief built Richmond legacy on trust

Editor’s note: This is Part One in a two-part series on the departure of Richmond Police Chief Chris Magnus, who leaves after this month to become police chief in Tucson, Arizona. In Part Two tomorrow, staff writer Matt Beagle looks at a recent rise in Richmond homicides and the unfinished agenda facing Richmond’s next top cop.       When Chris Magnus came to Richmond in 2006, gun violence by all accounts was out of control. Many people considered Magnus an unlikely choice to do much…

Magnus emerges as favorite for Tucson police chief position

Richmond Police Chief Chris Magnus appears to be the top choice to become police chief in Tucson, Arizona, after a search committee voted to recommend him as the best fit for the job. Representatives of a citizen’s panel in the Arizona city interviewed finalists on Thursday, voting 11 to 2 for Magnus over two other top contenders. Tucson city government department heads, police union and city manager will weigh in next, before the selection process goes to Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild…