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Lady Eagles dance around De Anza, climb above .500

The Lady Eagles softball team climbed above .500 in league play yesterday by defeating De Anza High 25-15. Marred by pitching that at times looked like bowling, Kennedy scored most of its runs on wild pitches and 17 walks. “We’re definitely not afraid to run the bases,” Lady Eagles’ head coach Amanda Stevens said during the game as she described a trick play designed to score a runner sitting on third base. With nobody out, sophomore Maria Llose took off…

Homicide victim identified as Richmond resident

The Contra Costa County Coroner has identified the victim of Tuesday morning’s shooting on the 300 block of 28th Street in Richmond as 19-year-old Dimarea Young, a Richmond resident. According to Richmond Police Detective Nicole Abetkov, two other victims were also injured during the shooting. They were taken to a local hospital where they received treatment for non-life threatening injuries. Richmond police officers responded to a phone call, received just after 11 a.m, telling them of the shootings. Abetkov said…

Kennedy High sprinters bring home LA gold

Kennedy High’s head track coach Carl Sumler knew his girls’ 4×100 relay team, and sprint hotshot Takkarist McKinnley would need quick and easy access to physiological energy reserves when they lined up against the nation’s best runners last weekend in Los Angeles. So before they jumped in their vans and headed south down Interstate 5, Sumler went out and stockpiled his suitcase with Oreos, chocolate chips, fruit juices, noodles, salami, mustard and cheese. The sugar rush worked, as the girls…

After 14-year study, Kaiser finds chickenpox vaccine highly effective

A rash followed by itchy, fluid-filled blisters all over a child’s body, usually tells parents their child has chickenpox. The illness was once a standard part of growing up—and many have the scars to prove it—but since a vaccination became common practice, fewer kids contract the virus. In 1995, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a group of medical and public health experts at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who recommend which vaccines should be used routinely…

Shootings on 28th street kill one, injure two

An unknown suspect opened fire on three people this morning on the 300 block of 28th Street in Richmond, killing one person and injuring two. Police received a call at 11:10 a.m. notifying them of the shootings. By the time they arrived at the scene, one adult male was dead. The other two victims were transported to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. “They were walking around in the neighborhood,” said Richmond Police Detective Nicole Abetkov, noting that the victims…

The Powerlifter

Kennedy High special education teacher Salvatore Morabito has seen plenty of powerlifters. The 71-year-old Belgium-born weightlifter has been pounding iron since he was eight years old. And now, at the crowning point of his career, the schoolteacher for students with severe disabilities has found the perfect training partner—someone who can out bench press him. “I taught weightlifting for many years,” Morabito said in his subtle European drawl. “[And] as you might guess,  I am a strong believer in weight training….

Chevron fire investigators: Overhaul needed to prevent future incidents

Despite all the eyes on the Richmond Chevron refinery before last August’s fire, the plant’s corroded crude pipe still went unnoticed, federal and state officials said Friday. Federal and state investigators have determined Chevron disregarded its own safety policies and knowingly failed to replace the corroded pipe that ultimately burst, leading to the leaking gas igniting. The blaze sent a column of toxic smoke into the air, endangering plant workers and causing thousands of local residents to seek medical attention…

St. Patrick/St. Vincent no-hits Kennedy

While most high school students were out on spring break working on their suntan, St. Patrick/St. Vincent senior pitcher Austin Fitzpatrick stood tall on Kennedy High’s mound and threw a complete game no-hitter. The Bruins went on defeat the Eagles 14-0. Kennedy’s best chance to score came with two outs in the first inning when Fitzpatrick loaded the bases on walks. But Ernie Timoteo was picked off third base and thrown out at home plate by the third baseman. For…