By CLARE MAJOR Nov. 17–A bad day got worse this afternoon for drivers who decided to get back behind the wheel after their driver’s licenses were suspended this afternoon at the Alameda County Superior Court: the Oakland Police Department had a sting waiting for them. After those on the docket surrendered their licenses to the court, undercover officers in the courtroom relayed their descriptions to motorcycle officers outside. Those officers watched them to see if they called for a ride,…
By CLARE MAJOR Nov. 5 — A proposition to give additional funds to children’s hospitals passed with 54 percent of votes in favor and 45 percent against. Proposition 3 authorizes $980 million in general obligation bonds to fund grants for the construction, renovation, or related improvements of California children’s hospitals. The bonds will be repaid over 30 years, for a total estimated cost to the state of $2 billion, or $64 million per year.
While the presidential election and the same-sex marriage initiative rule California headlines, little-noticed Proposition 3 could have serious impact in North Oakland. Click here for the story.
By CLARE MAJOR OCT. 27 — Less than 24 hours after an Oakland woman was fatally stabbed by her estranged husband and dumped from a car near the Caldecott Tunnel, public and non-profit leaders convened for the 5th Annual Report and Forum on Domestic Violence & Sexually Exploited Minors at City Hall. Oakland City Councilmember Jean Quan, who led the forum, said she sees “some significant progress here in Oakland, and, quite frankly, a long way still to go.”
There’s only one store in Oakland that might carry embalming fluid, doll parts, and toilet paper rolls–and economic hard times have landed here, too. Click here for the story and audio slides.
video by CLARE MAJOR Oct. 14 — Scary was fun at Children’s Hospital Oakland this afternoon. At a costume party, sponsored by national retailer Spirit Halloween, the kids decorated pumpkins and played games. Donations collected at Spirit Halloween stores will be presented to hospitals around the country, including Children’s Hospital Oakland, in early December.
By MAGGIE FAZELI FARD, CLARE MAJOR and CHRISTINA SALERNO OCT. 7—The experts agree: the second presidential debate was a snoozer—and irrelevant. Three political experts analyzed the candidates’ performance after a debate-watching party sponsored by the Institute of Governmental Studies department at UC Berkeley, where a rather sedate crowd of about 140 students and professors gathered to watch the event.