Richmond Area News Feed

Several community groups are holding public events across West Contra Costa County on Saturday, Oct. 17, to urge residents to register and vote early in the upcoming midterm elections.

The events are organized locally by Indivisible West CoCo County, Richmond Indivisible, and Indivisible North East Bay as part of a broader campaign called “No Kings: Vote Early.” Organizers describe the events as nonpartisan outreach aimed at helping voters check their registration status, learn about ballot drop boxes, and cast their ballots ahead of Election Day. The broader “No Kings” movement, however, emerged primarily among progressive networks protesting the policies, executive actions, and leadership of President Donald Trump.

Demonstrators plan to hold signs along sidewalks and freeway overpasses and hand out voting materials outside local shopping areas.

Scheduled locations and times include:

Morning Events

• Richmond (9:45 a.m.–Noon): Meeting at 44th Street and Macdonald Avenue to distribute flyers to local businesses and transit stations, with an optional sidewalk rally along Macdonald Avenue.
• San Pablo (11 a.m.–Noon): A sign-waving demonstration along the sidewalk at 2079 23rd St., outside the Grocery Outlet.
• El Sobrante (11 a.m.–1 p.m.): A sidewalk gathering at the corner of San Pablo Dam Road and Appian Way (4073 San Pablo Dam Rd.).

Afternoon Events

• Kensington (Noon–2 p.m.): Sidewalk outreach and flyer distribution at 299 Arlington Ave.
• Tara Hills / Pinole (2 p.m.–4 p.m.): Banner and sign waving on the Richmond Parkway Interstate 80 overpass at Blume Drive.
• San Pablo (2 p.m.–4 p.m.): Sign waving at the Riverside Pedestrian Overpass at 1300 Amador St., across from Riverside Elementary School.
• Richmond (2 p.m.–4 p.m.): Sign waving at the Sacramento Avenue pedestrian overpass near San Luis Street.
• El Cerrito: Demonstrations outside El Cerrito Plaza along San Pablo Avenue, with sessions scheduled from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. and 3 p.m.-5 p.m.

The post Upcoming ‘No Kings’ rallies aim to encourage early voting appeared first on Richmond Standard.

The Hercules Police Department issued a public safety advisory after a mountain lion sighting in a residential neighborhood.

The animal was seen in the 100 block of Skelly Way near Hercules Avenue, police reported.

Although encounters are rare, mountain lions are native to California, and police urge the public never to approach, follow, or closely photograph one. Anyone who spots a lion should stay calm, face it, stand tall, and back away slowly without blocking its escape path; do not run, crouch, or turn away, according to police.

To safeguard children and pets, keep kids close, lift small children without bending over, leash dogs, and bring pets inside overnight. Residents should also deter wildlife by removing outdoor pet food and bird feeders, and avoid walking or jogging alone near dense brush during peak activity hours at dawn and dusk.

If a mountain lion approaches, stand firm, shout, and throw objects to drive it off. In the event of an attack, fight back instead of playing dead, police said.

Residents who spot a mountain lion or have general concerns are asked to contact the Hercules Police Department’s non-emergency dispatch line at 510-799-1111. In situations where an animal poses an immediate danger or threat to human safety, residents should dial 911 immediately.

The post Mountain lion sighting in Hercules prompts safety advisory appeared first on Richmond Standard.

PG&E sent PSPS alerts to thousands of customers statewide, including about 1,600 in east Contra Costa County. While Tilden Park is included, Wildcat Canyon was not.

Richmond is putting new lights inside the Dornan Tunnel to help make travel safer.

From Nov. 19-30, crews will install conduit and pull boxes inside the tunnel. From Dec. 2-13, the crew will complete work in trenching, PVC conduit and pull box installation, and concrete work, according to the Public Works Department.

Drivers, bike riders, and walkers should plan on seeing work trucks and construction crews near the tunnel. Everyone traveling through should slow down, pay attention to posted warning signs, and follow directions from workers directing traffic.

City officials note that rain or other unexpected delays could shift the work dates.

The post Richmond set to upgrade lighting in Dornan Tunnel appeared first on Richmond Standard.

Highlights include: A sunset cruise on the bay, children’s art exhibit and classic car show.

More than 250 local pets received free vaccinations, microchips, and a share of over 3,300 pounds of pet food during nonprofit Joybound People & Pet’s latest Community Solutions clinic in Richmond.

By offering basic veterinary resources at no cost, organizers work to prevent preventable surrenders to regional shelters, which frequently operate at or near capacity.

Saturday’s event was supported by Contra Costa Animal Services, the City of Richmond, and pet food manufacturer Purina, and funding from Contra Costa County’s Measure X sales tax measure. Measure X revenues help sustain community safety-net services across the county, including health and human services programs.

Joybound holds free clinics and pet food pantry events regularly around the county to assist pet guardians who face rising veterinary and grocery costs. See their calendar of events at this link. The next event in Richmond is a FoodShare pantry event on Saturday, Dec. 12, at 9 a.m., again at the Richmond Civic Center parking lot.

The post Over 250 pets receive preventative care at free clinic in Richmond appeared first on Richmond Standard.

Contra Costa Community College District Chancellor Mojdeh Mehdizadeh will retire on Dec. 30, concluding a 39-year career that began as a student worker at Diablo Valley College and ended at the district’s top post.

Executive Vice Chancellor Dr. Micaela Ochoa will take over as interim chancellor on Dec. 1. A nationwide search for the next permanent chancellor will begin in January, the district stated.

Mehdizadeh became the district’s 10th permanent chancellor in January 2024, after serving as interim chancellor starting in February 2022. Over nearly four decades, she held almost two dozen different jobs in the district, including 25 years in executive leadership. While earning her bachelor’s degree in computer information systems and her master’s degree in organizational and intercultural communications, she continued working for the district.

“Chancellor Mehdizadeh has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advancing student equity, access, and achievement across all of our colleges,” 4CD Governing Board President Diana Honig said. “Her life’s work has been transforming lives through education, thereby uplifting families, our community, and our local economy. We are grateful for her decades of service to our students and our colleges.”

Mehdizadeh said serving the district was the honor of a lifetime.

“As I reflect on my journey, my heart is full of gratitude,” Chancellor Mehdizadeh said. “I leave with complete confidence in the future of 4CD. The district is in the hands of extraordinary people who will continue to expand opportunity, advance equity, transform lives, and strengthen our communities for generations to come.”

The district will hold an official retirement party and fundraiser for Mehdizadeh on Tuesday, Dec. 8, with tickets on sale now. Money raised will go to the Enduring Impact Campaign, run through the foundations at Contra Costa College, Diablo Valley College, and Los Medanos College. The campaign raises money to help students stay in school by covering emergency costs like rent, groceries, and scholarships, as well as general campus programs.

Dr. Ochoa will lead operations during the transition. Dr. Ochoa has served as the district’s executive vice chancellor of administrative services since 2022. Before that, she worked at the College of San Mateo as vice president of administrative services and vice president of student services. In those roles, she oversaw business operations, admissions and records, the campus wellness center, financial aid, veterans programs, student support teams, and student discipline. She also held leadership roles in public school districts across Alameda, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties, and taught at Notre Dame de Namur University.

The Contra Costa Community College District serves about 1.2 million residents and covers 686 square miles of the county’s 734-square-mile area. It includes Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Diablo Valley College with locations in Pleasant Hill and San Ramon, and Los Medanos College with locations in Pittsburg and Brentwood. The district is based in downtown Martinez, and each of its colleges is independently accredited.

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A running list of restaurants that have recently closed in Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond, and beyond.

WCCUSD trustees praised the charter school's culture and college readiness programs while raising concerns about persistently low math and English scores.

Also: The deadline to register to vote is Monday; authors will discuss veterans' efforts to protect their rights.

Richmond-based Contra Costa Youth Service Bureau (CCYSB) received $686,457 from Contra Costa Health Behavioral Health Services to turn trusted community relationships into a frontline response to opioid misuse and substance use disorders (SUDs).

The grant, derived from billions of dollars in national opioid settlements, funds CCYSB’s “See Us Dream Less SUDs” initiative from July 1 through June 30, 2028, with potential additional funding for a third year, according to CCYSB Executive Director Marena Brown. Contra Costa Health Behavioral Health Services and CCYSB are carrying out the contract.

The two-year goal is to partner with 40 West County churches, 10 during each six month period, to provide education sessions and create pathways to resources.

During the sessions, Community Ambassador Tracey Mulder said participants learn how to recognize a possible overdose, call 911 and administer naloxone. CCYSB also distributes free harm-reduction kits with naloxone, a face mask and fentanyl testing strips, and maintains a free Naloxone Distribution Box at its Richmond office where people can take what they need without questions.

“Our target audience is African American congregations,” SUD Hub Connector Kornelius Neal Sr. said. Citing 2023 California Department of Public Health statistics relating to Richmond, he added, “Per every 100,000 residents, it’s been reported that there have been 48.6 deaths as relates to overdose.”

The initiative places special attention on the African American community but is not limited to it. Mulder said churches are a culturally trusted hub and safe space, making them natural partners for opening difficult conversations and carrying information beyond their congregations. “It’s a trusted relationship that we’re trying to build with the community,” she said.

CCYSB’s current local faith partners include: Davis Chapel CME Church; North Richmond Missionary Baptist Church; True Fellowship Baptist Church; Macedonia Baptist Church; St. Peter Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; Independent Holiness Church; Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church; Providence Baptist Church; and Miracle Temple Apostolic Pentecostal Church. Staff said educational sessions have already been completed with Davis Chapel, St. Peter, Bethlehem Missionary and True Fellowship. The organization is actively seeking additional church partners.

“We want to put you in a position to where you can be a good Samaritan and get that overdose to be reversed,” Mulder said.

CCYSB’s Registered Counselor Eren Sameno’s role is to offer nonjudgmental support, find resources and guide people seeking help for themselves or a loved one. She said the initiative also addresses risks that can begin close to home, including sharing prescription medication that was not prescribed to the person taking it.

Reducing silence around substance use is central to CCYSB’s strategy. “Just because someone’s suffering doesn’t mean they should be embarrassed,” Neal said. “They should be willing to have their voice heard within their community, particularly for us within their faith-based community, so that they can receive the resources that are available to help them get to the other side.”

CCYSB staff commended Fatima Matal Sol, program chief for Alcohol and Other Drugs Services within Contra Costa Health’s Behavioral Health Division, for helping establish the initiative, as well as to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors and CCYSB’s Marena Brown.

Help and information: For immediate help, call the Crisis Line at 1-800-686-0101 or dial 988. For more information about See Us Dream Less SUDs or becoming a faith partner, contact Kornelius Neal Sr. at 510-215-4670, ext. 127, or Tracey Mulder at 510-215-4670, ext. 182. Program information is available here.

The post Richmond nonprofit lands $686K grant to battle opioid epidemic appeared first on Richmond Standard.

Daruma Sushi, Crepes A-Go-Go, Alborz, Baba's House and 13 Orphans were among the recent East Bay closures.

As the Democratic Socialists of America and the Richmond Progressive Alliance support Claudia Jimenez for mayor, her opponent's supporters aren't happy about it.

Dedicated bus lanes, removal of separate turn lanes and sidewalk extensions at intersections are among the options that could be studied for a 5.5-mile stretch of San Pablo Avenue through El Cerrito, Richmond and San Pablo.

The San Pablo Avenue Safety and Access Project is seeking public input through an online survey open through Nov. 22. Participants can enter a raffle for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card.

The Contra Costa Transportation Authority and West Contra Costa Transportation Commission are working with Richmond and other corridor partners on the planning effort, which covers San Pablo Avenue from the Alameda County line to Contra Costa College. No final design has been selected.

CCTA identifies reducing crash risks and improving transit reliability as project goals. Between July 2020 and June 2025, 35 people were severely injured and six were killed along the project segment, according to crash data cited by the agency. Four of those killed were walking or biking.

According to CCTA, San Pablo Avenue is one of AC Transit’s highest-ridership corridors. The agency cites average speeds of roughly 10 to 11 mph for lines 72 and 72L.

The post Dedicated bus lanes on San Pablo Avenue? Officials seek input appeared first on Richmond Standard.

Their goal was to encourage residents to register to vote by today's deadline and to cast their ballots now.

For Jeffrey King-Gardner, working at Chevron Richmond is not just a career, but a family tradition coming full circle.

A metals craft trainer at the refinery, King-Gardner’s trade roots go back to World War II, when his great-grandmother worked as a Rosie the Riveter in Oklahoma, welding around high explosives at an aircraft plant. His grandparents later met through the Boilermakers Union, passing down a family craft that reached his father and, eventually, him.

“When I got into the Boilermakers Union, I became a fourth-generation boilermaker in my family,” King-Gardner said.

Growing up, he recalled hearing family members discuss the trade around the dinner table. As he got older and had opportunities to experience the work himself, he said it felt like a “full circle” moment.

Born at Richmond’s former Brookside Hospital, King-Gardner moved to Vallejo at age six and grew up with his parents separated. After high school, a family friend helped him land an entry-level refinery job cleaning tanks and other equipment. After about three or four years, that hands-on experience led him to a four-year apprenticeship with Boilermakers Local 549 in Pittsburg.

Over the next seven or eight years working out of the union hall, King-Gardner honed his skills at power plants and refineries. In 2011, he also completed Chevron’s free local Regional Occupational Program (ROP) course, then led by longtime instructor Butter Sims. The program helped him learn about refinery career opportunities while preparing for resumes, interviews and the job application process.

While the work was rewarding, contracting through the union required travel, including out-of-state assignments. By 2016, King-Gardner wanted more stability. He and his wife had recently bought a home and were preparing for their first child when Chevron Richmond posted openings for experienced journeyman maintenance mechanics.

On Halloween that year, he started work at Chevron Richmond as part of the refinery’s first hiring group of experienced journeyman mechanics.

King-Gardner spent his first year working in Chevron Richmond’s operating areas as a mechanic before transferring to the boiler shop, where he put his specialty welding certifications to work for about six years. In September 2023, he became a metals craft trainer. Since then, he has helped hire, onboard and train 31 maintenance mechanics.

Safety is a major focus of that training, King-Gardner said.

“It takes three to four months of intensive training, safety qualifications, equipment instruction, and welding practice before someone ever steps foot inside an operating unit,” he said.

Now in his 20th year in the petrochemical industry, King-Gardner said one of the most rewarding parts of his role is passing along the knowledge and experience he has gained while helping prepare the next generation of workers. He has also participated in job fairs and recruitment efforts.

For people interested in entering the trades, King-Gardner recommends taking advantage of programs such as ROP, contacting local trade unions and companies, and developing welding fundamentals or earning certifications that can help candidates stand out in a competitive job market. He said opportunities remain plentiful for skilled boilermakers, pipefitters, welders and other tradespeople, with work available in refineries, power plants and other industries.

“If this is something you want to do, the opportunities are out there, but you have to apply yourself,” he said.

Today, King-Gardner lives in Oakley with his wife and two young sons, ages 10 and 6. Outside of work, he spends much of his time with his family, including attending sports activities and riding bikes. One of his sons has already developed an interest in hands-on work and sometimes asks his father to show him how to use tools around the house.

Between training new mechanics at the refinery and sharing his knowledge with his sons at home, King-Gardner is continuing a trade tradition in his family that dates back to the World War II era.

The post From Rosie the Riveter to refinery trainer: A Richmond native’s family legacy appeared first on Richmond Standard.

Three years ago, the East Bay Regional Park District allowed e-bikes on trails. A community survey shows hikers on Iron Horse Trail now feel unsafe.

Richmond High School’s robotics program, Team 841, continued its strong fall campaign by earning second place at the annual CalGames off-season competition. The result comes directly on the heels of another second-place finish at the Chezy Champs tournament in September.

The consecutive high results highlight hundreds of hours dedicated to designing, building, programming, and troubleshooting competitive machines, said Luciano Del Rio, WCCUSD’s IT Maker Space manager and program director for Team 841.

“Our students continue to challenge themselves, work together, and find ways to improve,” Del Rio said. “We couldn’t be prouder of what they have accomplished, and we’re excited to see what comes next.“

Related: Richmond High robotics team takes second place at Chezy Champs 2026

The team plans to carry that momentum into two upcoming Northern California events: the Capital City Classic, scheduled for Oct. 23-25 at Pleasant Grove High School, and the MadTown ThrowDown, running from Nov. 6-8 at Matilda Torres High School.

For the first time this season, Team 841 will deploy two separate robots at both tournaments.

“Built by our students in just one month, this second robot represents an exciting expansion of our training program,” Del Rio said. “It gives more students opportunities to gain hands-on experience in engineering, fabrication, programming, and competition while developing the technical skills and teamwork needed for future success.”

The broader mission of the program is to prepare Richmond students for future careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Del Rio acknowledged the extensive network supporting the team, including school staff, volunteer mentors, parents, and alumni who assist in the machine lab, coordinate logistics, and organize travel.

The team also recognized its key corporate and organizational partners whose funding supplies raw materials, lab equipment, and entry fees, including Chevron, PG&E Foundation, DreamMaker, BAE Systems, Bishop-Wisecarver, Intuitive Surgical, Apple, DesignDrawBuild, and individual neighborhood donors.

Community members interested in volunteering, mentoring, or supporting student operations can find involvement information directly through the Team 841 website.

The post Richmond High robotics team earns 2nd place at CalGames appeared first on Richmond Standard.

Starting Jan. 4, 2027, Contra Costa County Superior Court will call prospective jurors on a weekly schedule rather than requiring midday check-ins. According to court officials, the new system will also cut the total number of annual jury summonses by about 20 percent.

The first summonses under the new system will be mailed beginning Nov. 9.

Under the new system, residents will be summoned for a service week instead of a single day. Jurors will know the day before whether they need to report, rather than having to check midday for reporting instructions.

Jurors must check their reporting instructions by 5 p.m. on the court day before their service week begins. Those not asked to report must continue checking their instructions each court day until their service week ends.

Anyone who is not asked to report during their assigned week will have fulfilled their jury service and will not be summoned again for at least 12 months.

The change follows a review of jury operations, historical data and residents’ feedback about their jury service experiences, according to the Court. It also brings Contra Costa County in line with most other Bay Area courts, which already summon jurors by the week.

Residents can learn more and sign up for text and email notifications at contracosta.courts.ca.gov/jury. Jury Services can also be reached at 925-608-1001.

The post Contra Costa court switching to weekly jury summons in 2027 appeared first on Richmond Standard.

Richmond voters were texted a survey earlier this year asking about everything from Mayor Eduardo Martinez to unions to closing Chevron. No one seems to know who sent it.

A running list of restaurants that have recently opened in Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond, and beyond.

Richmondside received more questions than it had time to ask Ahmad Anderson and Claudia Jimenez at an elections forum so we’re sharing this supplemental Q&A.

Richmond City Council also discusses assertions by police union canvassers that the settlement could pay for increased police staffing.

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The odor prompted alerts from San Pablo police and Richmond’s mayor Thursday night. Authorities say there is no ongoing danger as the investigation continues.