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Doctors Medical Center fights closure

By Kevin N. Hume Posted April 8, 2014 9:00 am

About 250,000 West Contra Costa County residents may soon be in the midst of a health care crisis. Doctors Medical Center San Pablo has lost millions of dollars for years by treating the uninsured and...

Michael Totten, an 18-year-old freshman at Contra Costa College, said he’s been skateboarding since the age of 3. “It feels like you jump on a roller coaster and when you hit that hill, it’s like a feeling you’ve never felt before,” he said. (Photo by: Sukey Lewis)

Skateboarding event teaches kids about physics at Nicholl Park

By Sukey Lewis Posted March 20, 2014 8:00 pm

Science and skateboards? It sounded incongruous, but to Angela Cox, Teen Librarian for the Richmond Public Library, it all made sense. Her vision came together on Thursday at The Science of Skateboard Physics at Nicholl...

Richmond City Council passed the first reading of a minimum wage hike at Tuesday's meeting. (File photo by: Tawanda Kanhema)

Richmond City Council approves minimum wage hike

By Sukey Lewis and Nancy DeVille Posted March 19, 2014 1:58 pm

Richmond is headed for a new record: the highest minimum wage in the Bay Area. The plan is for a minimum wage of $12.30 per hour to be phased in over the next four years....

Street view of Hacienda public housing development, site of the most egregious lapses in maintenance and sanitary upkeep by the Richmond Housing Authority. (Photo by: Sukey Lewis)

City Council addresses media reports of neglect and mismanagement by Richmond Housing Authority

By Sukey Lewis and Nancy DeVille Posted February 19, 2014 6:25 pm

The Richmond City Council responded to damning media reports of appalling public housing conditions and financial mismanagement by the Richmond Housing Authority.

The Richmond City Council held a special meeting on the city’s eminent domain plan Tuesday night. About 400 people were present. (Photo by Kevin N. Hume)

Richmond 2013: A year for the history books

By Joaquin Palomino Posted December 28, 2013 5:23 pm

With a new year approaching, it’s time to reflect on the past year and prepare for the next one. For Richmond, 2013 was one for the history books.

A map showing all of the unsolved homicides in Richmond since 2009. There have been 127 homicides in the city over the past five years, and in only 32 cases has a suspect been arrested and charged (Data from Richmond Police Department)

Fewer Richmond homicides solved in 2013 than in previous years

By Joaquin Palomino Posted December 27, 2013 10:10 am

While the city is set to finish 2013 with its lowest homicide total in years, far fewer of the killings have been solved, according to police statistics.

Tom Butt and Mayor Gayle McLaughlin recently returned from a trip to Cuba. While the councilmember paid his own way, the trip cost taxpayers roughly $13,000 (Photo courtesy of: Tom Butt)

Residents scruitnize Councilmembers’ foreign trips

By Joaquin Palomino Posted December 23, 2013 8:44 am

City leaders recently took trips to Cuba, China, and Japan. While councilmembers say the trips foster economic growth and spur innovative thinking, some resident are wary of footing the bill to send city leaders overseas...

Susan Arick, a volunteer at the Richmond Art Center, looks over submissions for the 18th Annual Bay Area Black Artists Exhibition. The exhibition begins at the art center on Jan. 11 and goes through Feb. 28. (Photo by: Kevin N. Hume)

Black art exhibit returns to Richmond to showcase Bay Area artists

By Nancy DeVille Posted December 20, 2013 11:22 am

An annual exhibition that showcases artwork from emerging and established African American artists will soon be on display at the Richmond Art Center.

The Richmond Chevron refinery (File photo by: Sara Bernard)

Black smoke from Chevron Refinery not a risk, officials say

By Nancy DeVille Posted December 19, 2013 3:40 pm

A dark cloud of smoke rose from Chevron’s Richmond Refinery Thursday morning, alarming some nearby residents, but oil company officials said the smoke resulted from routine maintenance and poses no health risks to the community. Melissa...

Richmond’s controversial housing plan takes step forward

By Nancy DeVille and Kevin N. Hume Posted December 18, 2013 10:18 am

Richmond moved one step closer to implementing its eminent domain plan Tuesday night by tightening guidelines for the program, which aims to save struggling homeowners from foreclosure.

Many Bay Area refineries, including Chevron, are in the midst of major upgrades. Click on the cities to hear different perspectives on the various oil projects happening in the Bay Area. (Map and videos by Sally Schilling)

Refinery towns draw lessons from Chevron project

By Sally Schilling Posted December 13, 2013 8:39 am

Richmond isn't the only town in the Bay Area that's in the midst of approving a major oil project. Other nearby refineries are also upgrading. And surrounding communities are looking to Richmond for lessons on...

Oyster stuffing might sound unusual, but it's a delicious variation of this traditional holiday side dish. (Photo by: Google Images)

A Rich Con Thanksgiving 2013

By Richmond Confidential Posted November 27, 2013 10:17 pm

Thanksgiving day recipes from our Richmond Confidential reporters.

NBA star Drew Gooden serves food during his Thanksgiving event at Booker T. Anderson Community Center. (Photo by Nancy DeVille)

NBA star Drew Gooden brings Thanksgiving dinner to Richmond families

By Nancy DeVille Posted November 26, 2013 9:09 am

Richmond families got an early Thanksgiving on Sunday, thanks to the generosity of a local basketball legend. Drew Gooden was back in his hometown Sunday to sponsor a holiday meal with all the trimmings at...

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