Safety
In early September, a small memorial formed at the intersection of 54th and Gaskill Streets in North Oakland, marking the site where bullets cut short the life of Desiree Davis. On Saturday, that subtle shrine turned into a soaring tribute to the 17-year-old’s life at a street fair held by members of Humanity Baptist Church. Voices lifted from a stage just across the street, filling the air with songs of hope, and speakers made impassioned calls for an end to street…
“The Wild West was not won by a guy riding in on a white horse,” new Oakland police chief Anthony Batts told the crowd that gathered to meet him today at Peralta Elementary. “It was won by communities that took a stand.”
Attorneys in the trial of BART police officer Johannes Mehserle, who is accused of killing Oscar Grant, debate whether their case resembles L.A.’s 1992 court battle over the Rodney King beating.
Change of venue arguments continue in case of BART police officer Johannes Mehserle, charged with murder in the New Year’s Day shooting of Oscar Grant.
As hearings to relocate the Johannes Mehserle murder trial continued in downtown Oakland today, a prosecutor worked to persuade a judge that the former BART police officer could receive a fair trial in Alameda County.
North Oakland’s NicNak Liquors closed in 2004 while owner Ashrious Pannell grappled with poor health. His strength now back, Pannell is fighting a city rule that may keep his store from reopening.
Amid calls for civility and compromise, members of the Oakland City Council apologized last night for their handling of unpopular parking hikes and voted to roll back meter hours from 8:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
In a six to one vote, the council passed a rollback proposal from two weeks ago, with the recommendation that the city recoup a reported one million dollars in lost revenues though parking and other endeavors—including a crackdown on the misuse of handicapped parking permits and the sale of new billboard space.
The lawyer for Johannes Mehserle, the former BART police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of Oscar Grant, is trying to persuade an Oakland judge that his client can’t receive a fair trial here. Story by Jake Schoneker/Oakland North.
It’s been just over a week since Typhoon Ketsana hit Luzon, in the northern part of the Philippines, before storming through Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Amelia Desesto, 45, a masters student at Berkeley’s Franciscan School of Theology, has spent hours this week watching Filipino news on television, and checking for updates on the latest death counts, injuries, and cleanup efforts. She said that even her young nieces and nephews are reacting to the news. “They feel devastated with what they…