North Oakland Now
The former Oakland homicide detective who led the investigation into the Chauncey Bailey case filed suit against the city Wednesday, the Trib reports. Sgt. Derwin Longmire is claiming that the higher-ups at the police department slandered him. “I want to restore my good name,” Longmire said. Eighth graders at West Oakland’s St. Martin de Porres Catholic School are taking part in a three-year study at St. Mary’s college–“a study of students who dream of being the first in their families…
A few headlines that caught our attention today: The CoCo Times reports that the number of California Sea Otters has dropped for the third year in a row. Have you seen the Oakland Tribune’s special report by Katy Murphy on the city’s teenage homicide victims? The multimedia package includes a database of homicides from 2009 as well as an interactive map of locations. Last fall, Oakland North took a look at how teens at East Oakland’s Castlemont High School are working…
Several big breaking news items within the last 24 hours: KTVU reports that one of the BART police officers on the platform at the time of the Oscar Grant shooting has been fired and that Children’s Hospital Oakland is struggling with financial difficulties and facing budget cuts. The Chron reports that the number of serious crimes committed in Oakland has dropped for the last 15 months. Serious crimes — including murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault and auto theft — were…
What a week for sports in Oakland! First came the announcement that the Golden State Warriors are for sale. Today the Chron’s C.W. Nevius is reporting that some of the team’s potential buyers are scoping a spot near AT&T Park, a hint that the team could move to San Francisco. This weekend brings us the Oakland Running Festival, also known as the Oakland Marathon, the first the city will host in 25 years. Oakland North will be there to cover the…
Happy spring break, everybody! Here at Oakland North, we’re doing a little spring cleaning, getting the place spruced up and adding a few new treats. We’ve just launched Oakland North Radio, our brand-new audio podcast. For our first report, Sam Laird brings us the story of a 60s radical turned kiddie songwriter — give it a listen! We’re also renovating our Oakland North Facebook fan page — we’ll be updating it daily with news links and other information, and using…
Lovelle Mixon,a 26-year-old parolee, killed four Oakland Police Department officers on March 21, 2009 after a traffic stop. Mixon was shot dead later by other officers on the scene. The friends and family of the slain OPD officers are coping as best as they can. Mixon was wanted for skipping out on a meeting with his parole officer. DNA tests showed that Mixon had raped a 12-year-old girl a month earlier, and had raped two women on the morning he…
What a lovely day in the East Bay! According to our fabu bike blogger the weather forecast calls for sunny days ahead. Whether you get out on two wheels or two legs we hope you’re planning to take advantage of it. The tug-o-war regarding the Oakland waterfront is back in the news. The Oakland Community and Economic Development Committee will have a discussion about it next Tuesday at 2 p.m. at 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza. Do your homework before you…
The 13th U.S. census, taken a century ago, provided an interesting snapshot of the Bay Area, including that 415 of its residents were bartenders and 173 residents were employed as actors/actresses. With 2010 census forms arriving in homes, it’s an opportunity to reflect back on what historical information can be gleaned from looking at past census. Oakland Police say a person was stabbed following a car accident Sunday night. The recent collapse of the housing market put many people in…
The Oakland Police Department said a man was shot and killed early this morning on the 800 block of Mead Avenue, an area that has been the site of several killings over the past few years. Sixty members of the Oakland Police Department shaved their heads to support young cancer patients at a fundraiser for the Children’s Hospital Oakland St. Baldrick’s Foundation. The proceeds will benefit the hospital’s Hematology/Oncology Department. Some of the University of California’s lowest-paid union workers –…