Open Carry Ban in Richmond

Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill late last month making it illegal to visibly carry loaded or unloaded shotguns or rifles. In San Francisco the open carry ban has spurred debates and some protests by open carry advocates. But across the Bay in Richmond, the response has been more muted, and some citizens said the…

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City Council Election 2012: Bea Roberson

There’s one outcome for the City Council election that Bea Roberson says she can’t let happen, and it’s the reason the first-time candidate decided to put her name on the ballot to begin with. “We cannot let the [Richmond Progressive Alliance] win again,” Roberson said, standing near the dais in the city chambers after a…

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City Council Election 2012: Mark Wassberg

Mark Wassberg finishes the knot with his teeth and steps back from the chain-link fence. He stands quietly for a moment and inspects his work as a wave of cars passes by. It’s a warm cloudless afternoon a month before Election Day and two posters emblazoned with the message MARK WASSBERG 4 CITY COUNCIL gleam…

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Eagles crush Cougars for second league win

Eagle huddle

The Kennedy Eagles shut down the Albany Cougars 36-0 on Friday for their second win in a row. “I think they are starting to remember what they are playing for,” said Head Coach Mack Carminer. The scoring came quickly for the Eagles. They punched in a touchdown from the 2 yard line just five minutes…

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Trial starts for 2009 Pit Boss Barbeque double homicide

Jury selection began Tuesday in Contra Costa County Superior Court in Martinez for a double homicide inside a Richmond restaurant in 2009. Four men have each been charged with two counts of murder plus gang offenses for the shooting and killing of Alvaro Garcia, 23, and Intaz Ahmed, 32, on Aug. 30, 2009 at the…

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Steelers play for a better Richmond

Richmond Steelers

Terry Bell paces the sidelines on the Kennedy High Football Field, calling to his players on the Richmond Steelers midget football team, presiding over a sea of black-and-yellow helmets and a group of young boys that remind him always of his own son. It’s just before kickoff on a Saturday afternoon, and Wiz Khalifa’s hit…

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Candidates turn to social media as election nears

With a month left to the November 6 election, City Council candidates are turning to video and social media to engage voters and gather voter feedback.   Candidates Nat Bates and Mike Wassberg last week released a campaign video attacking the Richmond Progressive Alliance for its support of the city’s plans to build bicycle paths…

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Auto dealerships in Richmond rebound from 2008 recession

Brand new Nissan cars sit in the Richmond lot at the Hilltop Mall.

Richmond’s auto dealerships are being revived from what managers in Richmond are calling the worst few years of sales they’ve ever seen. The city has reported a 35 percent increase in auto sales tax revenue for the first quarter of 2012. From January to March of 2012, new and used auto sales brought in $418,308…

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Budget cuts cut court interpreters

After the Contra Costa Superior Court decided last month to adopt a plan that cuts $7 million from its annual budget, it will no longer pay for interpreters in domestic violence cases beyond this fall.

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County seeks tighter safety measures in wake of new findings

As Richmond  Fire Department and Chevron firefighters complete joint search-and-rescue training operations at the Chevron refinery this week — a sign of cooperation between the two agencies at a time when residents and regulators are demanding answers about refinery safety — Contra Costa County is taking steps to tighten its industrial safety standards. The county’s…

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