Chan'Cellore Makanjuola

School Board approves charter renewal, discusses district test scores

After months of debate and community campaigning, the West Contra Costa Unified School District board members voted 4 to 1 in favor of renewing the charter of Aspire Richmond California College Preparatory Academy (Cal Prep) before a large and passionate crowd. The board was also presented with data from the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) on test score performance within the district. Nearly 35% of WCCUSD students overall met or exceeded standards for English Language Arts (ELA),…

Local triple shooting leaves two dead and one wounded

A triple shooting in Richmond on Thursday afternoon left two victims dead and one wounded, the Richmond Police Department said. The survivor was airlifted in critical condition to a nearby hospital. Police officers responded to a ShotSpotter activation call in the 3100 block of Edmond Ave in Richmond at around 3:47 p.m. Thursday. Following the shooting, few details were available as RPD conducted its investigation. It’s unclear if the shooter was on foot or in a vehicle. The gunman had not…

Boba and Badges: How police are using tea to build bridges with community

You may have heard of “Coffee with a Cop,” or its summer version, “Chill with a Cop,” which involves ice cream in an effort to sweeten relations and foster dialogue between police and the community. On Friday, the Richmond Police Department updated their menu when they hosted “Boba and Badges,” serving the popular Taiwanese drink made with “bubbles” of tapioca,   in an informal community event at the Pacific East Mall. Designed to invite local residents to ask questions, voice concerns, and get to…

From Brown to French, it’s official

RICHMOND, CA – Interim City Manager Steven Falk named Assistant Police Chief Bisa French as the new interim chief of police for Richmond after announcing at Tuesday’s City Council meeting that Police Chief Allwyn Brown stepped down from his position. French is the city’s first black woman to lead the Richmond Police Department. Interim City Manager Falk indicated there will be no active search for a new permanent police chief this year.  “It is not my intention to initiate a…