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Man dies after shooting on 23rd Street

A Richmond man died on Monday night from multiple gunshot wounds, police said. Detectives are still investigating the case, which they are recording as the 15th homicide this year.

Auto dealerships in Richmond rebound from 2008 recession

Richmond’s auto dealerships are being revived from what managers in Richmond are calling the worst few years of sales they’ve ever seen. The city has reported a 35 percent increase in auto sales tax revenue for the first quarter of 2012. From January to March of 2012, new and used auto sales brought in $418,308 for the city in sales tax, up from $307,947 in the same period in 2011. Jim Totah, the director of sales operation for companies such…

Happy Lot Farm and Garden looks to take root elsewhere

Andromeda Brooks is at it again. If she had her way, she’d turn every empty lot near her home into a farm fit for Old McDonald. And to her luck, and maybe Old McDonald’s, there’s more land to be had near the corner of 1st Street and Chanslor Avenue. Linda Schneider, founder of Self-Sustaining Communities, said the city is willing to forgive a lien near Brooks’ home and offer the lot to Self-Sustaining Communities for sustainable neighborhood-type projects. Her Richmond…

Olive trees given to lucky shoppers

Richmond residents shopping at the farmers market for fresh produce Saturday snapped up 1,000 free organically grown olive trees alongside their bags of fruits and vegetables. The giveaway was a collaboration between McEvoy Ranch in Petaluma and the environmental group Self-Sustaining Communities. “We’re not only trying to change the scenery of Richmond by having more trees but also change people’s internal lifestyles,” said Mayor Gayle McLaughlin. “Gardens are fabulous places for people to get to know each other and for…

County seeks tighter safety measures in wake of new findings

As Richmond  Fire Department and Chevron firefighters complete joint search-and-rescue training operations at the Chevron refinery this week — a sign of cooperation between the two agencies at a time when residents and regulators are demanding answers about refinery safety — Contra Costa County is taking steps to tighten its industrial safety standards. The county’s Board of Supervisors last week appointed Supervisor John Gioia and District 5 Supervisor Federal D. Glover to  consider amendments to its Industrial Safety Ordinance and…