Veolia will be leaving Richmond

After nine years of service, Veolia will began the process of terminating its 10-year contract with Richmond, which will start the search for a viable alternative for its wastewater management plan. Residents in Richmond have voiced concerns about odor issues in relation to the plant, and Veolia cited a need for capital investment to improve…

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Mourning lives lost in Richmond, 2011

mayor mclaughlin

Friday’s ceremony to remember the victims of homicide in Richmond has become an annual exercise, as McLaughlin uses her monthly meet-the-mayor meetings every December as a solemn occasion to reflect on the lives lost to violence in the city.

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Waterfront restaurant hosts Thanksgiving for homeless

Menbere Aklilu at table

There’s something about Menbere Aklilu. Maybe it’s the way she calls everyone bella. Maybe it’s the affection she pours onto her friends and customers. Or maybe it’s the way her honest eyes well with tears when she talks about her past, and the fruitfulness of the present. Whatever it is, she is a woman who…

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Contra Costa County realignment inmate numbers higher than predicted

One month into the state’s implementation of a major prison realignment, Contra Costa County’s parolee and inmate numbers are much higher than projected. Although the numbers themselves aren’t large, the percentages are. Parole violators in custody are almost double what was expected and so-called AB 109 commitments are 200 percent of what was estimated. “For…

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Donation gives youth tennis program a boost

kids holding check

Richmond resident Jeremy Wallace spent a large part of his childhood on the tennis courts at Nicholl Park. From age nine through his teenage years, Wallace showed up almost every day, ready to teach dozens of Richmond kids to play a sport that, historically, hasn’t played a large part in underserved communities. By 13, Wallace…

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Subaru makes its Port of Richmond debut

The first shipment of Subaru automobiles arrived at the Port of Richmond Monday to kick off a five-year deal that will bring $5 million in revenue to the city and create around 35 new jobs. Subaru of America unloaded 888 Subarus from ship to shipyard Monday afternoon with the help of RichmondWORKS-trained employees. It was…

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Peace, love and waterbeds: Richmond’s best sleep

There is a time machine in Richmond that will take you back. Way back. Where 80s crooners sing of careless whispers and sepia-tinted photographs bring you back to the better days of peace and love. This blast from the past is actually a mid-sized storefront in Richmond’s North and East neighborhood, where 16 waterbeds are…

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Metal to masterpiece: Paragon Machine Works

Mark Norstad, the owner of Paragon Machine Works in south Richmond, says business remained stable as the economy faltered, thanks to a steady demand for bicycle parts. The small business, which sports a customized skull and cross bones logo, does work in titanium, steel, aluminum and plastics.

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Fire Department investigating home explosion

The Richmond Fire Department is working to determine the cause of an in-home explosion that happened early Tuesday morning. Chief Michael Banks said that firefighters received a call about an explosion at 2:22 a.m. Tuesday on the 3000 block of Ohio Street. By the time they arrived the fire was small, he said, but damage…

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