Will the Pacific Northwest measles outbreak jump over to the East Bay?

In 2015, a measles outbreak spread across California, sickening hundreds of people. The outbreak spread across the West Coast as well as Mexico and Canada, and led the California legislature to outlaw vaccine exemptions based on personal beliefs. Removing the exemption has caused vaccination rates across the state to increase dramatically, including in the Bay…

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East Bay Guardians prep for 2017 semi-pro football season

Football season doesn’t necessarily end with the Super Bowl. Semi-pro season in Northern California is set to get underway with two leagues, the Pacific Coast Football League (PCFL) and the West Coast Football Alliance (WCFA) kicking off this month throughout Northern California. The semi-pro football scene is made up of players from all ranks—former high…

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New portable sensor tests for gluten in minutes

Martha Benco, an Oakland native, knows what it’s like to rely on the truthfulness of labels and servers when it comes to checking whether there’s gluten in her food. “I have celiac disease,” says Benco, 35, who also has a way to test her food now. Benco says she’s been lucky so far—though she does…

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Refugees reflect on past lives and new beginnings

Interactive Map: follow Jeremías’ journey as an unaccompanied minor, from his neighborhood in El Salvador, to resettlement in Oakland, here. In the shadow of the November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris and the ongoing strife in Syria, America’s role in handling the refugee crisis has been catapulted to the forefront of political debates. Discussions about…

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East Bay Burkinabes discuss what lies ahead after the coup in Burkina Faso

East Bay Burkinabes discuss what lies ahead for their country following the September coup.

East Bay Burkinabes got together Sunday at the Faso Braidy braiding shop on Webster and 19th Street to discuss the political situation back home and what lies ahead for their country after its September coup. For these former residents of Burkina Faso, the conversation was largely about what they can really do to positively contribute to the political situation back home.

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EBMUD: Drought measures working

Map of the East Bay Municipal Utility District

While the East Bay Municipal Utility District is suffering the worst drought since its founding in 1923, its 1.3 million users face no danger of going dry anytime soon. That was the message from EBMUD board members and operations staff at their Tuesday public meeting. Infrastructure investments, conservation, and transfers–buying water from the Sacramento River–together…

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EBMUD declares stage 4 drought and takes steps to curb water use

This year is the driest in recorded history in California. This has forced the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) to declare a stage 4 drought, the highest stage ever announced in the area, although even higher stages can apply if the drought gets worse. EBMUD is asking East Bay citizens to cut down their water usage.…

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Mokelumne art exhibition travels to Oakland to share river’s beauty and raise awareness on water conservation

Mokelumne art exhibition travels to Oakland to share river's beauty and raise awareness on water conservation

“Way beyond the water source to millions of people downstream, and water to irrigate farmland, the river is a wildlife sanctuary,” said landscape artist Julie Trail, speaking about the mystical Mokelumne River. Trail is one of the 50 artists participating in an exhibit organized by AmadorArts, currently on display at East Bay Municipal Utility District…

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