Government
U.S Attorney General Loretta Lynch came to Richmond on Friday, ending a national tour in a city starting to shake off its reputation as a crime capital. Lynch, addressing a cross-section of community leaders in the Richmond City Council chambers Friday, said she wanted to learn from cities that have “fought their way back from the brink.” Richmond has been attracting recognition as a model of improved community and police relations. Yet on Friday, a small crowd protested before Lynch spoke,…
The Richmond City Council on Tuesday night officially recognized Soulful Softball Sundays, a community-run summer recreation program, as a success that has helped build community and provide a safe space for adults and children alike.
U.S Attorney General Loretta Lynch is coming to Richmond on Friday to highlight the city as a national example of how to repair trust between citizens and the police.
Lidia Arizmendi has been waiting a year and a half for kidney stone surgery. A diabetic, she has no health care insurance, and because she is an undocumented immigrant, she has had few options to find coverage. Now, that may be changing. Like thousands of other undocumented residents of Contra Costa County, Arizmendi will be offered access to primary health coverage under Contra Costa Cares, a pilot program approved Tuesday morning by the county Board of Supervisors on a 4-1…
The City of Richmond is seeking public comment on the South Richmond Transportation Connectivity Plan (SRTCP) draft, which was released in early May. The plan is the city’s effort to improve transportation connectivity between South Richmond and surrounding key locations. Caltrans awarded a planning grant to the city in 2012. The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, or Assembly Bill 32, requires the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions throughout the state. The goal of the plan is to adopt…
On April 23, new Richmond Mayor Tom Butt concluded his first 100 days in office. Butt, a longtime councilmember and Point Richmond architect, won the November election to replace termed-out former mayor Gayle McLaughlin, and took office in January. In politics, the first 100 days is considered an important period in which a new legislator shows their priorities and begins to make good on campaign promises. It’s also a time for voters and colleagues to evaluate the elected official’s performance….
This year is the driest in recorded history in California. This has forced the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) to declare a stage 4 drought, the highest stage ever announced in the area, although even higher stages can apply if the drought gets worse. EBMUD is asking East Bay citizens to cut down their water usage. Water is a vital resource to survive. But most of the water on Earth is salt water and not directly usable for humans. Only about…
Advocates for stronger tenant protections in Richmond received support last week when the Richmond Progressive Alliance (RPA) decided to join their efforts. The RPA is an influential political player in the city, with members—Jovanka Beckles, Eduardo Martinez, and Gayle McLaughlin—holding three of the seven seats on the city council. The group’s steering committee voted on Wednesday “to reaffirm and update its historical position” in support of just cause protections against eviction and a “fair rent” ordinance, said Marilyn Langlois, a coordinator…
In Richmond, politicians and community organizations are tackling the issue of rising rents. Last week, in a step that he hopes will bring immediate relief to tenants vulnerable to rent increases, Vice Mayor Jael Myrick announced agreements with a number of property management companies to temporarily limit rent increases while the city council debates solutions for tensions over rent prices. According to Myrick, some of the biggest players in the city’s rental market, who collectively own more than 1,600 units,…