General
What Mayor Gayle McLaughlin’s State of the City address Tuesday night may have lacked in a unifying theme, it compensated for in sheer breadth.
The Richmond High rape case has inspired new proposed legislation authored by state lawmakers that would make it a misdemeanor to fail to contact authorities when witnessing a violent crime.
About 10 months from the Nov. 2 election, it seems clear that Mayor Gayle McLaughlin will run for reelection. Her opponents remain mere speculation.
Nat Fitz doesn’t consider himself a history buff. The Richmond resident, who is 86, never talked to his parents about the family’s history and ancestors. It wasn’t until he was in his 70s that he started taking an interest in the past, after he discovered that members of his family were part of a colony for former slaves in Kansas.
Ludmyrna Lopez, Maria Viramontes, and Jim Rogers are all up for re-election. None of them have indicated they plan to abandon their post, but their is still time for them to announce they plan to step down or seek higher office. But at least five people say they plan to challenge them for their seats.
On the second Monday of each month, representatives from many of the city’s 30-plus neighborhood associations come together to share information about their fair city.
As obesity sweeps the nation and a book about health or food seems to come out every other week, a few people in Richmond are doing their best to reverse the weight gain trend and improve the city’s health statistics.
Groundwork Richmond becomes one of the newest members of a national network of independent local community ventures aimed at improving urban environments through local action.
A recent nation-wide report on crime in major cities ranked Richmond 14th and Oakland 3rd based on crime rates from 2008. Despite local perceptions that Richmond is the more dangerous city, Oakland seems to have a bigger problem in a comparison between the two.