John C. Osborn

As reported shootings rise, analyzing gun violence, and its effect on young people, in Oakland

Scid Howard III grew up on the streets of East Oakland, so he knows what it’s like to be a teenager in a city where some young people are lost forever to gun violence and others live on, scarred physically and mentally. Howard himself was shot at age 19 and witnessed the shooting death of his best friend at age 17. He now counsels young people for several support organizations in Oakland to save them from a similar fate. “My…

Oakland homicides in 2011: A statistical breakdown

In 2011, there were 103 reported homicides in Oakland. Most of the victims were young black males who were killed with firearms in East and West Oakland. This is a continuation of a pattern in Oakland that has been the case for years and is closely tied to the economic and social realities of young people living in the city’s poorest areas.

Crowd control at Oakland protests: A visual explainer

Scroll down to see each frame of this slideshow.  As the Occupy Oakland protests continued this winter, so did confrontations between Oakland Police Department officers and protesters. In the most recent incident, which happened on January 28 after Occupy Oakland supporters attempted to take over the Kaiser Convention Center in order to transform it into a social center, over 400 protesters were arrested, many after police encircled marchers and did not allow them a clearly indicated avenue to disperse. That…

New proposed city budget would cut city positions, merge departments

Since California Governor Jerry Brown announced in early January that he would end redevelopment programs to help the state deal with its budget deficit, Oakland officials have been scrambling to find ways to salvage city positions that were paid for with redevelopment dollars. The elimination of the redevelopment agency, which will take effect by Feb. 1, blew a $28 million hole in a budget that city leaders had spent months balancing – one that was already constrained by other cuts in the state budget.

Over last two weeks, 40 arrests, and rising tensions between city officials and Occupy protesters

Relations between Occupy Oakland and Oakland officials have had a tumultuous two weeks that included a number of raids and arrests, but culminated Thursday in an unprecedented meeting between city officials and protesters. The last two weeks got off to a sour start after a total of 40 people were arrested and a number of others cited and released after a string of incidents that have left protesters feeling that they are targets for harassment. These included campers being dislodged from…

Concerns raised about Occupy Oakland investigative team

With a price tag of at least $100,000 and the lead investigator having previous ties to Oakland, some critics are wondering whether the city’s newly-formed independent investigation team will be effective in figuring out just what happened between police and Occupy Oakland protesters.

Police disperse West Oakland Occupy site

Just hours after two Oakland Police Department officers escorted a man who identified himself as a property owner of a plot in West Oakland encamped by members of Occupy Oakland, police raided and disbanded the camp, leading to at least one arrest. On December 22, occupiers set up camp at a triangular lot at 20th Street and Mandela Parkway, a plot they believed to be owned by the city. But city assessor’s records show that the plot is indeed owned…

Occupy Oakland takes over West Oakland plot, may face eviction

Activists with Occupy Oakland have taken over a vacant industrial lot on the corner of Mandela Parkway and 20th Street establishing a small camp with a kitchen setup, but may soon face eviction. The lot, which is currently fenced off with barbed wire, hosts about 16 tents, but the protesters may soon be asked to leave. Police arrived Wednesday afternoon to survey the land with a person who claimed to be its owner, although the occupiers at the camp contend…

Carbon neutral cafe coming to Oakland

For Dimitri Thompson, it’s all or nothing. Whether its the rectangular chillers to keep the milk cold and sanitary, the energy-efficient espresso machine that draws little power or the reused materials that make up most of his furniture, Thompson left no detail unattended while crafting the blueprints for his Noble Cafe. His ultimate goal: a carbon neutral cafe — the first in the United States.