Oakland Focus News | Oakland News Online Blog

I met Oakland City Council At Large candidate Kerry Hamill for a long -- in Internet terms -- talk about why she's running for the seat and her plans should she win the election.  As Kerry and I both worked for Elihu Harris, we had a lot to talk about.

This i s from Sfgate : A man was shot and killed and his girlfriend was wounded in a shooting in Oakland, police said. Marco Casillas, 19, and his girlfriend, a 19-year-old woman whose name wasn't released, were found suffering from numerous gunshot wounds on the 4000 block of Santa Rita Street at about 10:45 p.m. Friday, said Officer Jeff Thomason, Oakland police spokesman. Both were taken to Highland Hospital in Oakland, where Casillas was pronounced dead. His girlfriend was reported to be in critical but stable condition, authorities said. A motive for the shooting was unknown, and no arrests have been reported in the slaying, Oakland's 103rd homicide this year. Meanwhile, a suspect has been arrested in the slaying of the city's 102nd homicide. Curtis Norris, 19, is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin in the shooting death of Edward Dismuke, 38, authorities said. Dismuke was riding a bicycle at about 9:50 p.m. Tuesday when he was shot near 38t...

This is a political "slice of life" video I created during the evening of the March 4th "Super Tuesday" Primary. It starts with my trip to the Oakland "Obama For America" headquarters to do some phone banking work and then to two Obama parties in San Francisco, one at Tosca and the other at an art gallery. Along the way, you will meet Obama volunteers and discover their motivations and passions for being involved in this enormous grass roots movement to get Barack Obama elected President of The United States. 

The following is a story I read about a custodian Webster Academy who was wrongfully accused of stealing property from the school. With proving himself innocent, it makes me furious that so many police officers abuse their authority. Click on his photo for the whole story by Katy Murphy from the Education Report:

This sounds like this will be quite interesting. I think it's sad how people feel as prisoners in their own home due to the air quality. The full Oakland Tribune Story Below. Groups convene to address environmental concerns in East Oakland By Kamika Dunlap Oakland Tribune Article Launched: 09/18/2008 05:11:27 PM PDT OAKLAND — Environmental activists and community groups will discuss at a meeting Monday the poor health conditions affecting many East Oakland residents living along the city's industrial corridors. Groups will examine findings from a new report, "Cumulative Impacts in East Oakland: Findings from a Community-Based Mapping Study." The report was put together by Communities for a Better Environment and other partners, including the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the California Air Resources Board, UC Berkeley and Bay Area Healthy 880 Communities. The study addresses the environmental effects of toxic pollution, such as idling diesel trucks and po...

Thanks to the Rockridge News.. D o you have an extra hour each week to help feed the Bay Area’s less fortunate   residents? Daily Bread can match you with a food source and needy organization, doing their best to find a convenient time and place for you. Your job will be to pick updonated food at donor sites for delivery to local storage. Some pick up sites are available in Rockridge. Got the time? Call Patrice Ignelgi, 526-3123, or e-mail her at patrice@ pcsyes.com .  Daily Bread also operates the Milk for Kids program, which provides milk donated by the Berkeley Bowl and the Village Market to children in need. To volunteer, or for more information, contact Patrice Ignelgi.

OAKLAND — A man was shot and wounded in a daylight shooting Thursday on busy International Boulevard. The shooting happened about 11:43 a.m. in the 4800 block of International Boulevard, police said. The gunfire sent people scrambling for safety from the street into nearby shops. Vinny Fong, owner of Golden Nails salon, said he heard about five gunshots and then people came running into his shop. "A lot of people tried to run in and hide," Fong said. "So we called the police.... MORE