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Nonprofit MedShare repurposes unused medical tools by donating to local clinics

Many times a day, in Bay Area operating rooms like those at Kaiser Permanente Oakland, nurses lay out a set of surgical tools from which doctors can choose. Surgeons often pick one or two instruments from the bunch, leaving the rest to be discarded. Rather than clog local landfills, those unused surgical tools now can make their way to Roots Community Health Center in Oakland or Brighter Beginnings Family Health Clinic in Richmond —  thanks to MedShare, a nonprofit with…

Truancy epidemic in Richmond elementary schools

A recent report by the California attorney general’s office states that approximately 50,000 elementary school students in California were considered chronically truant and more than 250,000 were chronically absent during the 2013-14 school year. The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) had a chronic absence rate of 17 percent. These numbers represent an attendance crisis that not only takes away funding from the district but also places students at an educational disadvantage. Truants cost Contra Costa County approximately $33,000…

See Ruger bite, Richmond’s canine cops in action

Ronin pounced first, snapping his powerful canine jaws into Officer Mike Brown. Ruger came next, leaping into Brown, knocking the man down with a single strike. The crowd of mostly parents and children was riveted. Brown, a Richmond police officer, was okay, thanks to his training and protective suit. The fierce demonstration came thanks to the Richmond Police Department Canine Unit, which put its prowess on display for a session at the North & East Neighborhood annual picnic in Wendell…