General

Kennedy comes up just short, loses tough one to Joseph Bethel

Joseph Bethel defeated Kennedy 27-16 in Vallejo Friday night, as both teams tried to shake off some early season rust. On its first two possessions of the game, Kennedy fumbled the ball deep in its own territory. The two turnovers lead to an early 6-0 Bethel lead. In the second quarter both teams struggled to muster much offense. The game went back and forth with a couple quick punts by Kennedy and a lost fumble by Bethel. As the first-half…

Gary Bell throws name into Richmond political hat

Gary Bell knows how to make people feel at ease. He also knows a little bit about money and business principles. And at a campaign kickoff Thursday night at the Courtyard Marriott at Hilltop Mall, the president and CEO of Cooperative Center Federal Credit Union in Berkeley declared his intent to bring civility and leadership back to the City Council. This isn’t Bell’s first political rodeo. He was a Richmond city councilmember in 1999, and ran for mayor in 2006….

Urban agriculture organizations want their soil tested after Chevron refinery fire

After the Chevron refinery fire sent plumes of black smoke laden with chemicals into the air, Urban Tilth, one of Richmond’s urban agriculture organizations, wants the soil it uses to grow food tested for heavy metals. Though the Contra Costa Health Services say Richmond-grown fruits and vegetables are safe to eat and that they don’t expect any impact from the fire on soil or compost, Doria Robinson, the executive director of Urban Tilth, said she worries about heavy metals like…

Council passes two ordinances that tighten campaign finance rules

The city council Tuesday night approved two contentious campaign finance ordinances that, taken together, limit the influence of people and businesses that contribute to a candidate or sitting councilmember. These ordinances will likely reshape the way candidates approach fundraising in this year’s election.

Richmond residents watch trees grow on the big screen, hope for the same in their neighborhoods

On Saturday evening more than 30 Richmond residents concerned about the environment gathered at the home of Marci Valdivieso to watch a documentary about Wangari Maathai. Maathai was a Kenyan environmental and political activist who started the Green Belt Movement that shed light on the importance of trees and soil conservation in 1977, and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. She died last year due to complications from ovarian cancer. The event was organized by Richmond Trees, a small…

Track athlete awarded scholarship to Azusa Pacific University

Kennedy High School senior Allana Reames has been awarded an athletic scholarship to Azusa Pacific University for track and field. Reames is ranked in the top five students at Kennedy with a 4.0 grade point average. She was also offered positions at Howard University, Norfolk State, and Seattle University but she has decided to take the one at Azusa Pacific. “Allana is one of the only female athletes to receive a track scholarship at Kennedy High School in the last…

Richmond residents take to the street, pass out fliers, to stop gun violence

On Friday evening, 13 Richmond residents gathered at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in North Richmond to spread the word about life without bullets. Armed with purple fliers, they exited the small church with a gentle gait and marched two-by-two towards the Las Deltas Housing Project, one of the city’s hot spots for gun violence. The purpose of the walk, also known as Richmond Ceasefire/Lifelines to Healing, was to meet people hanging out on their stoops and talk about the…