Live news and updates combined from the Richmond Standard and Richmondside.
A running list of restaurants that have recently opened in Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond, and beyond.
The two candidates discuss their approaches to a race focused on student support, workforce pathways and the district’s financial challenges.
If Prop. RTM fails and BART closes the red line at 9 p.m., west Contra Costa commuters fear they’ll be stuck shelling out money for on-demand rides. AC Transit and others are also planning reductions.
A crash involving several cars shut down all traffic lanes on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge earlier this week. One vehicle rolled onto its side, blocking the road and preventing full-sized fire trucks and ambulances from reaching the scene easily, according to Richmond Firefighters Local 188, the union that represents city firefighters.
Firefighters used a small, specialized vehicle called Utility 61 to get around the stopped traffic. The crew drove the rig down the closed bicycle lane to reach the crash site first. They loaded up the injured drivers and drove them off the bridge to a waiting ambulance on the San Rafael side.
The Richmond Fire Department and Caltrans partnered to aquire Utility 61. It is kept at the Caltrans yard near the toll plaza so crews can quickly jump in and respond when traffic is completely stopped on the bridge, according to Local 188.
The post Richmond fire utility vehicle uses bike lane to reach bridge crash appeared first on Richmond Standard.
San Pablo Reservoir is hosting a Family Fishing Day on Saturday, Oct. 17, offering a morning of outdoor recreation, food, and prizes.
The event will run from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 7301 San Pablo Dam Road in El Sobrante. The gathering is co-presented by the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) and ExplorUS.
Admission is free for children aged 15 and younger, while vehicle entry requires a $5 parking fee. Participating children aged 15 and under can fish alongside a parent from a designated netted area, with a limit of taking home up to two trout per child.
In addition to fishing, children will have the opportunity to decorate a complimentary pumpkin selected from an on-site pumpkin patch. Every attendee will receive one free raffle ticket, and a barbecue lunch will be available for purchase at $10.
The post San Pablo Reservoir to host Family Fishing Day on Oct. 17 appeared first on Richmond Standard.
Anderson advocates for hiring more police officers while Jimenez doubled down on the city's alternative policing programs.
A proposed mixed-use development at 338 Carlson Blvd. could bring hundreds of homes and support services for military veterans to South Richmond.
Led by the Richmond-based Veterans Resource Program in partnership with Eagle Environmental Construction & Development, the proposal covers an approximately 2.3-acre property the nonprofit acquired in 2018.
The proposal features a multi-building residential development with various apartment sizes, though city documents and developer materials cite conflicting totals ranging from 226 to 268 units.
The proposal also includes approximately 40,000 square feet of commercial and retail space, about 200 parking spaces, and an entrepreneurial training and job-development component intended to connect veterans with economic and workforce opportunities.
According to the development team’s presentation, the project has an estimated total cost of nearly $158 million. The presentation outlines five phases encompassing entitlement and construction documents, community outreach, soil remediation and utility work, podium and building construction, solar technology integration, and interior build-outs.
Founded in 2011, the Veterans Resource Program provides housing assistance and other services to veterans, including those experiencing homelessness or transitioning from incarceration.
The proposal aims to advance Richmond’s affordable housing goals while connecting veterans with housing and supportive services. Details of affordability and veteran eligibility remain to be clarified.
The Richmond City Council is scheduled to receive an informational presentation on the project at its Oct. 6 meeting, following a continuance from Sept. 22. The item does not seek project approval or city funding. Any future request for city financial assistance or other public resources would require separate consideration and approval.
Project rendering courtesy of city documents 
Project rendering courtesy of city documents 
Project rendering courtesy of city documents
The post Veterans housing project proposed for South Richmond appeared first on Richmond Standard.
Boorman Park isn’t open yet, but the Richmond community got a glimpse Thursday of what years of advocacy, excavation and collaboration can build.
City leaders, community advocates and project partners gathered Oct. 1 for a “First Look” at the recently revitalized 3.3-acre neighborhood park at 2799 Maine Ave. The gathering culminated in a ceremonial first stroll, but officials stressed that it was not a formal opening. Construction and final site work remain underway, and residents should wait until the anticipated late-fall opening before entering the park or using its new amenities.
The $15.4 million project is almost evenly divided between what visitors will see and what had to happen beneath their feet: $7.6 million for environmental remediation and $7.8 million for the park’s physical revitalization. Before the land became a public park, it housed a tile-manufacturing business. Portions of the site were excavated about four feet to remove impacted soil, with as many as 120 truckloads hauled away in a single day at the cleanup’s peak.
When the gates officially open, the transformed park will offer a loop path, skate features, a multipurpose natural-grass field sized for under-10 youth soccer, a basketball court, a fitness zone and separate tot and youth play areas. A two-stall, self-cleaning public restroom, picnic and game tables, a shade structure, Bay-friendly and low-water-use landscaping, stormwater treatment infrastructure, energy-efficient lighting, and furnishings and play equipment made with recycled materials round out the improvements. Still on the punch list are solar lighting, planting, basketball-court artwork and final furnishings. The city also plans to repave select nearby streets and upgrade the crosswalk serving the park in coming months.
For outgoing City Manager Shasa Curl, whose final day is Friday, Oct. 2, the preview also marked a milestone on her way out the door.
“When I announced my retirement on April 21, I committed to getting these parks across the finish line, and you can see we’re well on our way,” Curl said. She described the work as “very hard, very difficult, very complicated,” crediting grant writers, Public Works staff, community advocates and the full design and construction team with piecing together the funding and carrying the project forward.
If the park’s revival has a theme, it is that it took a village—and then some. The effort grew from a resident-led assessment of Richmond parks beginning in 2018, when Boorman was identified as one of the city’s neediest. Event emcee Patrick Seals, an administrative chief with the city, traced his own family’s ties to the surrounding streets and said residents showed young people what is possible when a community advocates for what it needs. Public Works Director Daniel Chavarria detailed the cleanup and new amenities, while reminding attendees that this was only a preview and asking them to give crews room to finish safely.
Mayor Eduardo Martinez said residents had made their priorities clear and emphasized that maintaining the park will matter as much as building it. Vice Mayor Doria Robinson portrayed public parks as one of a city’s most effective and equitable investments in community health: a free gym, an antidote to isolation, a meeting place for neighbors who might not otherwise cross paths, and a setting where children can build skills and confidence. Calling such spaces “magical,” she said she wants every Richmond neighborhood to have a beautiful, community-driven park. Robinson also praised the years of unpaid advocacy behind the project and Curl’s role in turning policy goals into construction.
Rising Juntos representatives Tomasa Espinoza and Rhea Elina Laughlin celebrated nearly seven years of volunteer work with the city, saying residents helped secure basketball and soccer facilities, exercise areas, accessible play spaces and other features their community deserved. Robert Rogers, representing Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia’s office, described the finished landscape as the physical result of residents’ energy, city expertise and public resources coming together.
Funding for the park project came from Proposition 68 Statewide Park Program funds, the City of Richmond General Fund and Caltrans Clean California funding. The broader team included community partners Rising Juntos and Healthy & Active Before 5; the Coronado Neighborhood Council and neighborhood residents; CSW/ST2 on design; mack5 on construction management; Bauman Landscape & Construction, Inc. on park construction; Pacific States Environmental Contractors, Inc. on soil remediation; and Ninyo & Moore, a SOCOTEC company, on environmental and geotechnical oversight.
The post Boorman Park ‘first look’ unveils village-powered transformation appeared first on Richmond Standard.
The tennis courts at Nicholl Park are set to get a full makeover to smooth out cracked surfaces and fix uneven playing areas.
The Richmond City Council are set to decide Tuesday whether to greenlight the renovation and hire contractor First Serve Productions, Inc. for the job, which would cost up to $46,625.
Located at 3230 Macdonald Ave., the park’s two courts have taken a beating over time from weather and daily use, according to the city. The overhaul will level out low spots where rainwater tends to pool, seal up surface cracks, and lay down fresh blue and green court coatings.
Crews will also paint sharp new white boundary lines and check that the nets, posts, and court fences are in good condition when the job is done.
The post Nicholl Park tennis courts slated for facelift appeared first on Richmond Standard.
A running list of restaurants that have recently opened in Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond, and beyond.
Also: Richmond wins a statewide award for community programs; a forum tackles refinery flaring at Chevron; Contra Costa launches a transit program for older adults.
Thousands Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from East Bay cities to camps in 1942. In a new exhibit, artist Masaki Fujihata explores iconic images of those events through augmented reality.
Temple Beth Hillel is marking its 80th anniversary as a Reform congregation, honoring eight decades of community, tradition and service in West Contra Costa County.
The temple is hosting an anniversary celebration Saturday, Oct. 24, with a catered dinner, community storytelling, an anniversary slideshow and live music by the Temple Beth Hillel Band.
“What began as the Richmond Jewish Community Center and became Temple Beth Hillel in 1959, has grown into a spiritual home for families from Richmond, El Sobrante, Pinole, Hercules, El Cerrito, Berkeley and surrounding communities,” said co-President Anna Stein.
The congregation traces its roots to 1946, when local Jewish families, including Holocaust survivors, gathered to establish a Jewish community in a city bustling with shipyard workers and local commerce. Originally founded as the Richmond Jewish Community Center, it became Temple Beth Hillel in 1959.
“Temple Beth Hillel’s story is powered by its people,” said co-President David Zimring. “For eight decades, congregants have poured their energy, creativity, and heart into celebrating holidays, building the religious school, supporting community programs, and nurturing generations of students.”
That work extends into the broader community. Temple Beth Hillel helped establish the Souper Center, and congregants continue to support the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program (GRIP) through volunteering, supplies and outreach.
In 2011, the temple’s Social Justice Committee founded Food for Thought of Contra Costa County, now a separate nonprofit. Last year, it provided meals to 720 students and their families across 15 West Contra Costa Unified School District elementary schools when school meal programs paused.
Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller has led the congregation since 2025. Recent activities include monthly family Shabbat services, a new Rosh Hashanah youth service, a family camping trip and Sunday adult education classes. Over the past year, members also hosted Israeli and Palestinian speakers, visited a local Jewish artist’s exhibit and joined a postcard campaign to protect voting rights.
For more information about the Oct. 24 celebration, visit tbhrichmond.org.
The post Temple Beth Hillel celebrates 80 Years in Richmond appeared first on Richmond Standard.
State and local officials met at Fire Station 63 today to recognize a $1 million state investment in the City of Richmond’s wildfire preparedness.
The funding will help the Richmond Fire Department purchase a new wildland fire engine and support additional fire mitigation work in the community, according to Mayor Eduardo Martinez.
California State Sen. Jesse Arreguín attended the event alongside Richmond Fire Chief Aaron Osorio and members of the Richmond Fire Department.
Officials noted that when Senator Arreguín’s office asked what Richmond needed, their office worked directly with the fire department to identify those priorities. Firefighters highlighted the daily challenges of responding to emergencies in local hills, open spaces, and areas where access can be difficult.
“I’m grateful to Senator Arreguín and his team for listening and helping bring this investment home, and especially thankful to Chief Osorio and all of our Richmond firefighters for the work they do every day,” Martinez said.
The post Richmond gets $1M from state for wildfire safety appeared first on Richmond Standard.
Get prepared for Richmond's Nov. 3 election by watching Richmondside's moderated mayoral candidate forum.
San Francisco Bay Ferry is running extra service on Saturday, Oct. 10, and Sunday, Oct. 11, to help people travel to San Francisco Fleet Weekend.
The agency is adding trips to its Vallejo, Richmond, Oakland, and Alameda routes. Between Richmond and Downtown San Francisco, riders get three extra trips on top of the usual schedule, with each ride taking about 35 minutes.
An extra boat to San Francisco will leave Richmond at 3:15 p.m., and two extra return boats to Richmond will leave Downtown San Francisco Gate F at 2:30 p.m. and 4:15 p.m.
Regular one-way adult fares remain $5.10 for Oakland and Alameda trips, $5.20 for the Richmond route, and $10 for the Vallejo crossing.
Richmond to Downtown San Francisco (Westbound)
Depart Richmond
Arrive Downtown S.F.
Service Type
8:55 AM
9:30 AM
Regular Weekend
10:20 AM
10:55 AM
Regular Weekend
12:25 PM
1:00 PM
Regular Weekend
3:15 PM
3:50 PM
Fleet Weekend (FW)
4:15 PM
4:50 PM
Regular Weekend
6:40 PM
7:15 PM
Regular Weekend
8:05 PM
8:40 PM
Regular Weekend
9:30 PM
10:05 PM
Regular Weekend
Downtown San Francisco to Richmond (Eastbound)
Depart Downtown S.F. (Gate F)
Arrive Richmond
Service Type
9:35 AM
10:10 AM
Regular Weekend
11:45 AM
12:20 PM
Regular Weekend
1:05 PM
1:40 PM
Regular Weekend
2:30 PM
3:05 PM
Fleet Weekend (FW)
3:30 PM
4:05 PM
Regular Weekend
4:15 PM
4:50 PM
Fleet Weekend (FW)
5:00 PM
5:35 PM
Regular Weekend
7:20 PM
7:55 PM
Regular Weekend
8:50 PM
9:25 PM
Regular Weekend
The post San Francisco Bay Ferry adds service for Fleet Weekend appeared first on Richmond Standard.
Highlights include: A harvest festival celebrates APEN's new community garden, Richmond author David Helvarg dives into the ocean's vanishing kelp forests, and 'Border Visions' spotlights five female artists.
Pinole police officers safely arrested an armed man having a mental health crisis at a local motel on Monday without using force or causing injuries.
Officers arrived at the motel following reports of an armed man who was threatening police. Officers Dalao, Guerrero, and Sykes-Miller spent about 25 minutes keeping a safe distance, talking with the man, and calming him down until he surrendered peacefully, police said.
The police department praised the officers for their patience and thanked Contra Costa County’s A3 Crisis Response Team for helping with the call.
Free mental health help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the A3 Miles Hall Crisis Call Center. Anyone in need can call 844-844-5544 or text “HOPE” to 20121.
The post Armed man in crisis at Pinole motel surrenders peacefully after standoff appeared first on Richmond Standard.
Seventeen California public school districts, including West Contra Costa Unified (WCCUSD), have joined a purchasing cooperative to pool their buying power and expand access to organic food in school meals.
The nonprofit Conscious Kitchen recently announced the launch of the Conscious Organic School Food Purchasing Cooperative. Its founding districts serve more than 300,000 students combined.
The cooperative partnered with food distributors UNFI and Sysco to expand the organic products available to participating districts. Combining schools’ purchasing demand helps distributors plan with suppliers while creating more dependable markets for organic farmers and food makers, according to Conscious Kitchen.
Other eligible California school districts can access the cooperative’s products and pricing through its existing contracts without conducting their own bids. Mt. Diablo Unified School District serves as the lead district for the cooperative’s grocery bid.
Barbara Jellison, WCCUSD’s executive director of food services, said the cooperative builds on years of work bringing fresh, organic food into school kitchens.
“The next challenge has always been how to make that possible for more districts,” Jellison said. “The Co-op gives schools a way to take what we have learned and move it to a completely different scale.”
The post WCCUSD joins statewide organic school food purchasing cooperative appeared first on Richmond Standard.
Mike "Raccoon Eyes" Kinney was a storyteller and Native American activist who friends say explored life to its fullest. He will be celebrated Oct. 20.
A running list of restaurants that have recently opened in Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond, and beyond.
Independent committees backing Ahmad Anderson's campaign have brought in $310,000 this year while East Bay Working Families has raised $115,000 for candidate Claudia Jimenez.
Workers want higher wages and better working conditions while management says they’re limited by federal financial uncertainties.
Ask questions and hear from the candidates for mayor at Oct. 1 forum at the Memorial Auditorium
Also: A fundraiser for a Hercules family after a father's death; help support wild food systems restoration; Richmond's first accessible community garden opens.
Bob Gerner, the Natural Grocery founder, grew up in the Annex. He became a tofu burger pioneer — and helped build the non-GMO movement.
Douglas Vargas had lived in the neighborhood for about 20 years and walked it most mornings, his niece said. He is the second pedestrian killed on Richmond's 23rd Street in about a month.
Highlights include: Richmond's working waterfront opens to the public for Ports Day, the Richmond Annex neighborhood turns 100 and a tacos and tequila fundraiser benefits local youths.
City staff will compile Flock camera data for review while police warn that this delay could leave them without working cameras by the end of the year.
Pay remains the main outstanding issue as doctors describe unmanageable situations such as signing death certificates for patients they’ve never treated.