Politics

Oakland City Council meeting shut down after hundreds protest police’s handling of Alan Blueford shooting

Nearly 200 angry protesters shut down Tuesday night’s Oakland City Council meeting, citing outrage at the Oakland Police Department’s handling of the officer-involved shooting death of Alan Blueford, a Skyline High School senior who was gunned down in East Oakland on May 6. Blueford’s father, Adam, said his son, who was 18, was approached by Oakland police officer Miguel Masso around 12:20 a.m. that night in May. The family asserts that Masso drove up in a police car with headlights…

Oakland forum explores pros and cons of Propositions 30, 38 for schools

On Wednesday night, “Stand Up for Our Children: A Community Forum” at the Oakland School for the Arts in downtown Oakland brought together educators, administrators and local political figures to discuss two propositions on the November ballot that could generate new funds for public schools by raising taxes for Californians. The forum also included a “break-away” session that allowed attendees to voice their concerns in more in-depth fashion.

White House celebrates Oakland food champion

Last week Dana Harvey, the executive director of Mandela Marketplace, a West Oakland-based nonprofit that helps residents create businesses that sell produce grown by local farmers, received a White House award for her efforts to make healthy foods accessible in Oakland.

Piedmont Avenue residents and merchants debate new BevMo! store

Ever since the Blockbuster on Oakland’s Piedmont Avenue went out of business in April, the building that housed the video rental store has remained empty. Recently, though, a prospective new tenant appeared: a sign on the door notified passersby that the liquor franchise Beverages and More (BevMo!) has applied for a permit to move into the former movie rental store.