Featured

Car-sharing program keeps residents on the move

Nathan Eberly walks less than a mile to work from his Marina Bay condo. He rarely requires a car. But if he needs to drive on a weekend, he goes online and within two minutes, reserves the same Honda Civic Hybrid to take him to the farmers’ market or down to San Jose on business. Eberly, 23, is among more than a thousand Richmond residents and businesses that are increasingly using the city’s “Easy Go Richmond” program. The sustainable transportation…

Richmond sees decrease in violent crime

The number of homicides in Richmond this year rose to 14 on Saturday when a deadly shooting occurred in the Taco Bell parking lot on 23rd St. and Barrett Ave. Richmond Police spokeswoman, Detective Nicole Abetkov, said the victim was shot in the abdomen and died later at the hospital as a result of his injuries. The Contra Costa County Coroner’s office confirmed the identity of the victim as Javier Campos, 38, of Richmond.

“Homicides are down over 40% already,” said Richmond Police Captain Mark Gagan, cautioning that in the face of Campos’ murder just days earlier that statistic holds little comfort.

City defends campaign law in federal court

[Editor’s note: this story has been corrected from a previous version to note that the the ordinance requires the text reading “major funding from out-of-city contributors” to take up one-third of the disclosure section of the front page of a mailer. The disclosure section itself takes up one-quarter of the front page.] An anti-soda tax lobbying group will argue in federal court tomorrow that the city cannot force it to disclose its financial contributions on campaign mailings. The Community Coalition…

Bag ban initiative in final stage

Efforts to eliminate free plastic bags from Richmond’s retail outlets are picking up speed. The West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority (Recyclemore) this week completed a 30-day study into a proposed ban on the distribution of free plastic bags by businesses in Richmond and four other cities. The study sought public input and comments on the proposed ordinance, which would ban all retail establishments within the cities of Richmond, El Cerrito, Hercules, Pinole and San Pablo and unincorporated sections…

From the Dirt Hotel to Point Pinole

Over the next eight weeks, trucks will be dropping off load after load of dirt in Point Pinole Regional Park before returning to Berkeley for more. As part of the Point Pinole Regional Shoreline project, about 70,000 cubic yards of dirt will be relocated from a giant mound on University Avenue just off Interstate 80. Most of it will be used to build a bridge over the railroad tracks. The dirt will also be used to create more park space…

RYSE mixtape collects beats from the heart

Dodging guitars, cords and speakers scattered throughout the room, Noel Perez makes a beeline to the small padded booth in the RYSE center. He squares himself with the microphone, phone clenched in hand, awaiting the go-ahead from his producer. Music floods the small space, almost bursting from the room. The bass pounds like the heartbeat of the song, while sweeter melodies, ribbons of piano notes and guitar riffs, layer upon the foundation — a fusion of notes, rhythm and beats…

Ex-officers sentenced for arming minors

Two former Richmond Police Department officers were sentenced to probation and time in a halfway house and home detention respectively for illegally supplying minors with firearms. The judgment, delivered by U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken on Tuesday, August 23, followed the conviction of Danny Harris, Jr. and Raymond Thomas, Jr. on charges filed in July 2011 that both men deliberately obstructed justice and tampered with evidence in the investigation of charges that Harris purchased firearms for two underage individuals while…

Jail expansion, bail reform on table for $19 million realignment funding

Contra Costa County officials are expected to vote tomorrow morning on how to spend a $19 million grant from the state to help deal with crowded county prisons. The funding follows the state’s decision last year to transfer responsibility for many non-violent offenders to local agencies. Members of the Contra Costa County Community Corrections Partnership have come up with several options for spending the money. Part of it, County Sheriff David Livingston and Richmond Police Chief Chris Magnus agreed, should…

West County celebrates the grand opening of a new health center

Health workers, politicians and residents celebrated on Tuesday the opening of a $45 million, LEED-silver certified medical center that will serve West County residents and replace the aging Richmond Health Center. Located within a block of Doctors Hospital and Brookside Health Center in San Pablo, the state-of-the-art facility completes a medical hub.