Oakland reacts to grand jury decision in Ferguson shooting with protests, freeway shutdown

A crowd of protesters filled downtown Oakland Monday night in reaction to the decision by a grand jury in St. Louis, Missouri, not to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown. By 5:50 pm, a crowd of several hundred had gathered in the intersection of Broadway and 14th Street in downtown Oakland. A group of people briefly tried to enter the 880 freeway at the Jackson Street entrance, but were turned away by police officers without incident. The crowd…

Oakland police, firefighters honored at Blue Mass

Police officers, firefighters, emergency medical officers, and law enforcement personnel of all types are honored at a Blue Mass, during which community members and faith leaders can offer thanks to the people responsible for public safety and remember those who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

OUSD’s Board vote paves the way for a new school

In a 5 to 0 vote, the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) Board of Education approved the first “lab” charter school in Oakland on Wednesday night. The school’s site is yet to be determined, but it’s designed to apprentice novice teachers and feed them back into OUSD’s public schools.