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Men’s volleyball surges into Oakland high school programs

The Oakland Athletic League established men’s volleyball as a California Interscholastic Federation sport three years ago. Oakland High School, Oakland Technical High School, and Skyline High School are the first schools within the league to compete. Oakland High School has dominated the league ever since its debut back in 2015 and has been league’s only champions ever since. This year they look to continue that domination and win the championship once again. Click the video above to hear from the…

EPA fines Oakland and municipal utility district for sewage discharge violations

Last week, the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) and five East Bay communities were fined $389,300 in penalties for violating the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2014 Clean Water Act settlement. Oakland was penalized the most harshly, collecting $226,500 worth of those fines for its failure to both repair its sewage system’s defects and to prevent sewage from overflowing into the San Francisco Bay. The effects of overflooding—not just in private homes and neighborhoods, but also into the bay—are deadly for…

May Day march through downtown Oakland calls attention to labor, immigration and police issues

Papery doves of peace hovered above Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, among people carrying colorful signs and banners demanding the end of immigration raids and deportations. “No ban, no raid, no wall—sanctuary for all!” people chanted from a flatbed truck as different groups from throughout the Bay Area gathered at the plaza on Tuesday afternoon to celebrate May Day, also known as International Worker’s Day.

Oakland Unified School District’s students gather for the All City Council Students Unions’ 9th Annual Youth Action Summit

On a Thursday, during school hours, students from middle and high schools across the Oakland Unified School District met to conduct business. Held at the First Unitarian Church of Oakland, students, teachers, and advocates gathered for the All City Council Students Unions’ 9th Annual Youth Action Summit. The theme this year was #StudentVoiceMatter: Building Real Partnership to Real Student Power.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee discusses tech economy in Oakland

On Monday afternoon, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who represents California’s 13thDistrict, which includes Oakland, stood in front of a stage at the Barbara Lee Science and Allied Health Center at Merritt College in Oakland. She was speaking at a media briefing with three other members of Congress who belong to the Congressional Black Caucus(CBC) Diversity Task Force, which she co-chairs. “We here not only to discuss the lack of equity and inclusion, but also the broader impact that the tech sector…

Formerly incarcerated students return to school

Last year in June, East Bay-resident Dieudonné Brou graduated from UCLA in African American studies. During his commencement speech, he revealed himself as formerly incarcerated. Even though higher education offers a chance to break the cycle of recidivism, barriers like financial difficulties and social stigma are high for formerly incarcerated people.

In the Temescal, businesses push for a Telegraph Avenue pothole fix

A particular stretch of road is causing controversy in North Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood. Five blocks, from 45th to 51st Street, are facing scrutiny due to a recent campaign by the Temescal Business Improvement District to repave that portion of Telegraph Avenue. “We’re really eager. We want to get this repaved,” said Shifra de Benedictis-Kessner, executive director of the Temescal Business Improvement District (BID). Kessner said the group has been lobbying to get this stretch of the street repaved for the…

Jamtown plans basketball exchange program in Tanzania for Bay Area kids

Ameer Aziz was playing basketball with his 8-year-old son at an Oakland park near 19th Street when he noticed something strange: a man instructing kids about how to play basketball. “Eventually, I walk to him and ask him what was he doing. Was he a coach? And then he spoke with an African accent and said, ‘No, I just like basketball,’” recalled Aziz about the encounter. He remembered thinking it was weird, because the man was doing it for free….