Health

Richmond High gang rape victim testifies

The woman who is allegedly the victim of a gang rape that happened four years ago outside Richmond High’s homecoming dance testified Monday to a full courtroom at Contra Costa County Superior Court in Martinez. It was the first time the woman had appeared publicly since reports of the brutal rape sent shock waves across the country in 2009, and she took the stand to give evidence against two of the men accused of sexually assaulting her. Jane Doe (the…

Richmond Grinders prepare for meet in Berkeley

Kiome Davis of Grant Elementary School wasn’t convinced she’d like track. She didn’t like training because it was too hard. On her third day of conditioning she said she heard her teammate use bad language. “I thought [the Richmond Grinders] was one of those bad teams that cusses a lot,” the nine-year-old said. She was panting from sprinting 200 meters in khaki pants and a white short-sleeve polo shirt. “[But] now that I got to know everybody—it’s good. We [train]…

Kennedy High School powerlifting enthusiast claims world records

A 17-year-old powerlifter overtook his 71-year-old mentor Saturday. And he did it with ease. It may have taken the Kennedy High School special education junior three years of teeth-grinding training to accomplish the feat, but it was well worth the wait. “Today I got depressed,” special education teacher Salvatore Morabito said with a big laugh recounting how student Ryan Palmieri pushed and pulled more weight than his own bones could handle, 25 pounds more, in fact. “My glory days are…

Ride of Silence honors cyclists injured or killed on the road

He doesn’t remember the exact street he was on when he flew into traffic. But Najari Smith does remember riding in a shared lane—a section of road without a bike lane—when a truck behind him honked incessantly, signaling frustration with Smith’s slower speed. Smith tried to speed up, but his chain slipped off the gears, causing the bike to abruptly stop, flinging Smith off the bike and into the road. The truck slowed down for a few minutes, but sped…

Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia to join the California Air Resources Board

Governor Jerry Brown selected County Supervisor John Gioia on Tuesday to represent the San Francisco Bay Area on the California Air Resources Board.  The 12-member panel, a division of the California Environmental Protection Agency, provides state leadership and enforcement on air pollution standards and climate change regulations. “I’m excited to be working at a statewide level on climate change and community health issues,” Gioia said. “The Air Resources Board has been on the cutting edge of developing policies to address…

Grand opening celebrates four businesses in Point Richmond

Nikki Dycus holds a wig in each hand. Both are made of wavy brown hair, and if they were on someone’s head, it would be hard to tell the difference between them. When Dycus compares their weight and turns the wigs inside out, she reveals their subtle uniqueness. One looks more woven on the inside, and feels heavier—a more temporary solution to the problem of hair loss. The other has a thin inner lining, and is more suited to conform…

Richmond Tales Fest turns page on literacy and healthy living

“Books” and “fitness” were the words of the day for many Richmond families Saturday afternoon as they strolled a sunny Civic Center plaza learning about both. While children combed vendor tents for new and exciting books to take home, and exercised in a play station provided by Kaiser Permanente, parents had the opportunity to measure their blood pressure and gain new information about diabetes. The outdoor activities and information sharing was part of the fifth annual Richmond Tales Fest: An…