Oakland Focus News | Oakland News Online Blog

[Aimee Allison | OaklandSeen] For much of the time Sweet Jimmies was the heart of Oakland nightlife in the 90's, I would catch glimpses of nighttime boisterous dancing and singing at the spot through the grainy lens of Soul Beat TV. Now Soul Beat and Sweet Jimmies nightclub are a decade gone, and I find myself longing for that Oakland spirit. "Sweet Jimmie" Ward died Friday night at the age of 74 - a former longshorman who was one of hundreds of thousands who came from the South to work at the shipyards or on the Army base during World War II and stayed to raise families and start businesses and shape neighborhoods. Ward made Sweet Jimmies into the place to go - dressed to the nines - where old soul from Mississippi and Lousiana and Georgia was alive. Those in Sweet Jimmie's generation brought small town manners and blues and political organizing and art. They created a legacy and culture in Oakland that defines us today. Now, Oakland's black population has plumme...

Miami, South Beach, Florida - Super Bowl time: Warren Sapp arrested; hot high car spotted (video above). It's Super Bowl time! This Super Bowl update is a mix of good and bad news. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders defensive star and NFL Network Analyst Warren Sapp was arrested after allegedly committing some form of domestic violence against his girl friend Saturday morning in Miami.  According to TMZ.com , Warren Sapp's explanation doesn't read any better than what his girlfriend told Miami Beach Police: According to the Miami Beach Police Department, Sapp is accused of attacking his girlfriend of two years at around 5:00 AM Saturday at the Shore Club Hotel. According to the arrest report, the alleged victim had "a swollen right knee and bruises on the back of her neck." She claims Sapp allowed her to sleep in his hotel room -- then came into the room early in the morning and pulled her out of bed. The alleged victim says they bega...

The Howard Stern Show can certainly make a new celebrity and that's the case for Heidi Baron. After Thursday's Howard Stern Show appearance , Heidi Baron is now the most searched term on Google, but who's she and why?  (And why the other names like Jodie Starr and Belinda Bryant?) Heidi Baron According to the Heidi Baron fan site , this is Heidi Baron: Vital stats: 21 years old, 34C-24-33; 5'8" Hometown: Erlangen, Germany. Your favorite thing about your hometown: The traditional food and beer. You'd like to go to: South Africa. I've always wanted to go on a safari tour. Favorite foods: Spaghetti bolognese, sushi, seafood. Favorite drinks: Coca-Cola, margaritas, mojitos. Favorite sports: Track and field, soccer, American football. Favorite way to relax: Lying in bed eating chocolate, drinking Coke, and watching TV. Your biggest turn-on: Getting kissed on the neck and ear. The most daring thing you've done: Anal sex, but it's not real...

Hayward, California and Calpine will have the first the plant with a Greenhouse Gas limit, ending years of talks, battles, and controversy. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District approved a "Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit" which is the final federal regulatory approval needed for the Calpine energy plant to be built. "Once again California is demonstrating leadership on greenhouse gas related issues. We applaud the BAAQMD and Calpine for going beyond existing federal law and being the first in the nation to require an enforceable greenhouse gas limit," said Linda Adams, California State Secretary for Environmental Protection. "This action furthers efforts at a statewide level to balance our economic needs while meeting our environmental challenges. Aggressive and early action like this is needed to fight global warming and is critical to our economic recovery." Hayward, California will get a new energy plant that will res...

Hayward, California and Calpine will have the first the plant with a Greenhouse Gas limit, ending years of talks, battles, and controversy. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District approved a "Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit" which is the final federal regulatory approval needed for the Calpine energy plant to be built. "Once again California is demonstrating leadership on greenhouse gas related issues. We applaud the BAAQMD and Calpine for going beyond existing federal law and being the first in the nation to require an enforceable greenhouse gas limit," said Linda Adams, California State Secretary for Environmental Protection. "This action furthers efforts at a statewide level to balance our economic needs while meeting our environmental challenges. Aggressive and early action like this is needed to fight global warming and is critical to our economic recovery." Hayward, California will get a new energy plant that will res...

Draeger Construction is going on a big push to let everyone know it's involved in Haiti. The earthquake damaged country has a problem in that many of its buildings were far less than quake safe. Now, faced with what could be the largest private construction project in the World, Haiti needs to remake its country. That's where Draeger Construction comes in. Draeger Construction is a San Francisco Bay Area builder. The SF Bay Area is one of the World's most active quake zones. What Draeger Construction will do, with the introduction of something called "The Freedom Builders Initiative" is announce their interest in rebuilding Haiti where they've already been involved for years. More on Draeger Construction's new Haiti "FBI" effort soon. Written by Cat of SomeRedCat.tumblr.com

Tomorrow night's benefit for Haiti is more than Oakland artists coming together - it's an expression of our community's capacity to reach beyond our own troubles to help others. So says, successful artist and producer Dwayne Wiggins, who stopped by OaklandSeen to share his vision for the event. Wiggins, who organized an impressive bill including Too Short, E-40, Kev Choice and other local artists, hopes to raise $100k. Here he invites the community to the event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enIku_8zzd0 And he talks in detail about his hopes for the event, the backstory in his interview on KPFA 94.1FM this morning: http://www.audioport.org/audioport_files/aimeeallisonlive@GMAIL.COM/10801-20100127-duaynewiggins_haitievent.mp3