Oakland North Staff

Oakland North’s 2016 year in review — our top stories

2016 brought another group of student reporters to Oakland North, and they covered the daily news of a changing city: The rising cost of rent and concerns about gentrification, the election of a new president and the protests that followed, the legalization of recreational pot use in California and the passing of a controversial city soda tax, the sex scandal that continued to plague the Oakland Police Department, street level efforts to help stem the rising tide of opioid addictions, and the Ghost Ship…

Tales of Two Cities Podcast: Spaces

For our final episode of 2016, we bring you stories all about different spaces and the creatures that inhabit them. Tune in to hear stories about: an East Oakland mural transforming the space around a community center, a heated governmental debate about the best way to stop illegal dumping in the East Bay, and a trip up to Bodega Bay to explore the legacy of the classic film, The Birds.

Oakland Ghost Ship fire death toll rises to 33; city prepares to release names

Speaking at a late afternoon press conference near the site of Friday’s Oakland Ghost Ship fire, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf announced that the death toll has officially reached 33, and that city officials have positively identified seven of the victims. Their names will be released via the city’s website and social media feeds later on Sunday. “At this time we have delivered the unacceptable and horrific news of losing a loved one to seven of our families. We will be releasing…

As Oakland Ghost Ship death toll rises, search continues inside building

As the official death toll in the Oakland Ghost Ship warehouse fire rose to 30 on Sunday afternoon, crowds gathered outside to set up small memorials and watch as authorities continued their search process inside the building. Several workers in yellow vests and hard hats could be seen carrying shovels around the building’s perimeter, and authorities had blocked off a roughly two-block area with yellow crime scene tape, stopping traffic in the area between International Boulevard, Fruitvale Avenue, Derby and 12th…

Oakland Ghost Ship fire claims at least 9 lives, with more feared missing

A fire that broke out during an electronic music party at an artists’ warehouse space in the Fruitvale late Friday night has claimed at least 9 lives, and an estimated 25 more people are feared missing. A joint statement by the Oakland Police Department and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office released mid-day on Saturday tallied 9 known fatalities, although the death toll is expected to rise once law enforcement officials are able to more closely search the building. Friends and family…

Oakland protests Trump victory: The night in photos

For the second night in a row, on Wednesday protesters took to Oakland’s streets to demonstrate against the election of Donald Trump as the president of the United States.

What started as a series of peaceful daytime walkouts and rallies largely led by students at East Bay high schools and in downtown Oakland turned violent soon after nightfall. Protest organizers urged women, children and the frail to leave, and soon after, Oakland police officers began forming skirmish lines and using tear gas as protesters broke windows, burned Trump in effigy and set a series of small fires on downtown streets.

Tales of Two Cities: Election Special

With less than a week before the big day, the Tales of Two Cities podcast is back with an Election Special episode. Our reporters went out and talked to people who’s voices often go unheard during election season.

Soda tax opponents circulate mailer showing Oakland North story with edited headline

The opponents of a controversial Oakland ballot measure that would tax soda have been circulating a campaign mailer that uses an image of an Oakland North story, but with an altered headline. The mailer shows an image of a computer displaying a story we published on September 15, 2016, which profiled an Oakland grocer offering his thoughts on the ballot measure. But the headline above the story has been edited. In this version, the headline reads: “Oakland Grocers Raise Concerns.”…

We’re off for the summer — see you in September!

Oakland North is a project of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, and now that it’s summer, our students are on break to work internships at other publications. We’ll be back to train a new class of student reporters in early September. If you like what we do at Oakland North, please consider donating to our Hyperlocal News Fund. You can learn more about us here. If you’ve found us over the summer, here are a few highlights from the coverage…

Oakland North’s 2015 year in review — our top stories

2015 brought another group of student reporters to Oakland North, and they covered the daily news of a changing city: The rising cost of rent and concerns about gentrification, the debate over raising the minimum wage, a controversial plan to ship coal through the Port of Oakland, efforts to stem crime and the lives of those lost to gun violence, the fate of refugees who have resettled here. But they also dug deep into stories about the people, places and ideas that…

We’re off for the summer — see you in September!

Oakland North is a project of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, and now that it’s summer, our students are on break to work internships at other publications. We’ll be back to train a new class of student reporters in early September. If you’ve found us over the summer, here are a few highlights from the coverage done by the 2014-15 Oakland North news crew: A world of hope: Treating international patients with rare diseases at Children’s Hospital Oakland by Melina Tupa…

You Tell Us: Oakland needs a Department of Transportation

Mayor Libby Schaaf’s 384-page proposed budget includes a subtle but potentially significant change to the structure of Oakland’s city government: the creation of a Department of Transportation (DOT). It turns out Oakland has never, in its 162-year history, had a department dedicated to transportation. This omission is long overdue for correction, which needs to occur soon, and could happen with little cost to Oaklanders. “Hold up,” one might think. “Oakland has roads, buses, and even some bike lanes. How did…

You Tell Us: Our Young People Deserve an Education – Not Cuts

Today, many families in the East Bay face serious challenges. Some are working two or three jobs and still struggling to make ends meet. Many face the terrible reality of hunger and homelessness. Others are fighting to get their young children into Head Start programs to give them a jump-start in life, while others struggle to afford a college education or get their children into quality after-school programs. I personally know these families’ challenges.  As a young single mother raising…