General
On Friday afternoon, the Contra Costa County Elections Office updated preliminary results, showing Richmond City Councilmember Claudia Jiménez leading Ahmad Anderson in the mayoral race with 54% of the vote over Anderson’s 46%. About 27,000 ballots have been counted — about 45% of the city’s 59,820 registered voters. Countywide, votes have been counted for about 47% of registered voters. In the presidential election in 2024, voter turnout was at 75%, while in 2022, the last municipal election, turnout was at…
The Bay Area Air District recently released a draft health assessment showing that air pollution from the Chevron Richmond Refinery puts people who live near the plant at a far higher risk of getting cancer. The assessment, released in August, estimates 37 residents out of 1 million currently run the risk of contracting cancer over a lifetime of exposure. That is three to four times higher than the Air District’s health risk threshold of 10 out of every 1 million…
Hercules voters will decide Tuesday whether to approve a 1% sales tax to pay for basic city services such as police, parks, roads, and water quality and to address a growing budget gap. Mayor Chris Kelley says Measure P would generate $4 million annually to help close a budget deficit that is expected to be Hercules voters will decide Tuesday whether to raise a 1% sales tax to pay for basic city services such as police, parks, roads, and water…
The West Contra Costa Unified School District board narrowly renewed Summit Tamalpais’ charter Wednesday, voting 3-2 to keep the school open through 2032 despite years of declining test scores and graduation rates. Students and educators filled the multiuse room at Lovonya DeJean Middle School to support Summit Tamalpais’ petition, sighing with relief as the vote was recorded. Students, teachers and parents described Summit Tamalpais as a supportive and engaging place to learn. Public commenters highlighted unique opportunities they’ve experienced at…
West Contra Costa Unified School District is considering temporarily relocating Kennedy High School students after closing the campus Monday because a toxic chemical was detected in “underground vapors,” Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said Tuesday. School is on summer break and set to restart on Aug. 18. WCCUS will hold a town hall meeting with Richmond and state Department of Toxic Substance Control officials from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Richmond Auditorium. It will be live-streamed on YouTube. Cotton said…
Richmond Confidential is teaming up with Richmondside and The Advocate student newspaper at Contra Costa College to host the first of three candidate forums tonight. The mayoral forum, at Richmond CoBiz, will run from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday. The candidates are: incumbent Eduardo Martinez, Councilmember Claudia Jiménez, human resources director Ahmad J. Anderson, policy analyst Demnlus Johnson III and filmmaker Mark Wassberg. UC Berkeley students are live-streaming the forum on YouTube.
On certain Friday nights, patrons entering Biancoverde restaurant at Point Richmond’s Hotel Mac are serenaded with arias from an operatic voice in a cozy alcove lounge. A vibrato breaks through the low din of the packed bar and dining room. Patrons, some opera aficionados, some neophytes, sit with rapt attention while a real opera diva performs, returning to their drinks, meals, and conversations between the solo numbers she alternates with the evening’s divo. Such a scene plays out the first…
A record number of people showed up on Thanksgiving to enjoy turkey, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, carrots, cake and pie at two Richmond shelters. Among the 30 to 40 volunteers serving meals at the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program was Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris, who spent time at the shelter when he was a child. GRIP and the Bay Area Rescue Mission each served both lunch and dinner to shelter residents, people in encampments, former clients…
Inside the “wellness center” at Rich City Kickback, the air is fragrant with copal incense as people roam from booth to booth at the Richmond Recreation Center, visiting with various healers. “If you come here, it’s like another version of therapy,” said Silver Parker, after finishing her first ever reiki session and waiting for an astrology reading. Silver, 22, said that her generation is struggling to navigate a stressful world and looking for ways to relieve that stress. “You can…