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Richmond residents vote down Measure N

Measure N was defeated in Tuesday’s election with an overwhelming two-thirds of voters saying no to the one-cent-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. Of the roughly 25,000 votes cast, more than 16,000 went against the measure. Championed by the Richmond Progressive Alliance, the proposed tax attracted national media attention, and drew the ire of local pro-business groups and the national soda industry, which spent more than $2.6 million to defeat the measure. A victory would have made Richmond the first city…

ELECTION UPDATES: Live Coverage of Election 2012

It’s Election Day in Richmond, and our reporters are sending dispatches from around the city. Check back here for the latest news, election results, and live coverage from candidates’ headquarters. And let us know what’s happening near you: post to our Facebook page, or tweet @riconfidential or use #voterc2012 on Twitter or Instagram.

Election 2012: Richmond Votes

It’s Election Day in Richmond — and the only place safe from the constant barrage of campaign advertisements are the polls. Today Richmond joins the nation in deciding who will run the country for the next four years, but voters will also consider the fate of local issues that have garnered national attention, from the City Council to Measure N. Voters have been trickling into polling stations, like the one at Booker T Anderson Community Center on 47th Street, which…

High school students play out real Measure N debate

On the eve of the election, seniors from the Richmond High School Health Academy debated the merits of Measure N, a controversial tax on the city ballot that would levy a one-cent-per-ounce fee on sugar-sweetened beverages. About 150 people—including Councilmember Jeff Ritterman, who crafted the measure, listened to the arguments from the 12 students, who had spent the last four weeks developing their positions on the issue. Richmond Academy students debate: Yes or No on Measure N? The idea to…

Citizens Outspent: Inside Richmond’s $4m Election Campaign

Take your pick: naïve anarchists, or corporate puppets. This is the face of Richmond’s hotly contested race for three council seats in the November 2012 election, at least going by the massive billboards and glossy mailers that have dominated the campaign season in this city of 100,000 residents. The majority of candidates running for council in Tuesday’s election are qualified and sincere public servants, but, on both sides, campaigns have created a parallel universe of never-ending caricatures, spending nearly $4…

Richmond remembers Barbara Vincent, lifelong advocate for city parks and shoreline

“We come together in grief,” said Pastor Dan Damon as he opened a memorial service Friday for Barbara Moore Vincent — but the day brought few tears. Instead, Vincent’s family and friends laughed and joked at the Richmond Yacht Club as they celebrated her long, rich life as a sharp-witted muckraker and tireless advocate for Richmond. Vincent, who helped create public access to miles of Richmond shoreline and served nearly three decades as a board member for the environmental group…

Last day on the stand for defendant in 2009 double homicide trial

From the beginning of questioning Monday in Contra Costa Superior Court it became clear that Nathan Burris, who is defending himself against charges he shot and killed two people at the Richmond San Rafael Bridge toll plaza in 2009, wasn’t going to cooperate with Senior Deputy District Attorney Harold Jewett. Jewett stood up to question Burris. “You forgot something,” Jewett said in reference to the binoculars he’d showed the court last week, that he said Burris used to scope out…

Coalitions made for LGBT youth

A group of students, teachers, parents, and politicians gathered at Harding Elementary, Saturday as a first step to help communication efforts between the Contra Costa LGBTQ community support groups and the school systems. Participants said it’s important to open lines of communication with schools, while the children are young.

Science festival draws out Richmond students and families

Thousands of students, teachers and families — many proudly sporting Giants gear — poured into San Francisco’s AT&T Park to soak up some sun and science Saturday during the second annual Bay Area Science Festival sponsored by Chevron and organized by the University of California San Francisco. More than 500 Richmond students were bused to the event.