State regulators have secured more than $100,000 in penalties from the owners and former operators of a shuttered Richmond dry cleaning business after they reportedly failed to comply with a 2023 toxic cleanup order, California environmental officials announced last week. The Department of Toxic Substances Control reached settlement agreements
by Soren Hemmila
Eduardo Martinez did not set out to be a politician. A retired elementary school teacher who had also taught at juvenile hall, years earlier, he marched from Downer Elementary School to Sacramento to demand relief from a debt the state had saddled the district with. The Richmond Progressive Alliance had
by Soren Hemmila
Something has been happening to Richmond’s burger scene. It has been accumulating. Johnny Boi Smash Burger arrived in Point Richmond with its mural-bright interior and neon glow. Tommy’s Burger Co. opened on San Pablo Avenue in the North and East, chef Tommy Ryan grinding his own brisket trim
by Soren Hemmila
Keycha Gallon grew up on Sixth Street in the Iron Triangle, in a neighborhood where families of every background looked out for one another. She left. She came back. And when she did, what she found shook her. "It was a real culture shock for me. When I came
by Soren Hemmila
Thieves and arsonists kept Richmond police busy this week, cars disappeared by the dozen, fires bookended a Sunday, homes were broken into, weapons were brandished, and the week closed with a driver fleeing a crash after drinking. Richmond crime incidents Monday, March 23 Vehicle recovery: 200 block of S. 9th
by Soren Hemmila
Richmond City Councilmember Soheila Bana is seeking a second term representing District 4, pointing to her work on wildfire preparedness and public safety while drawing on a personal history shaped by political repression in Iran. Bana came of age during the 1979 Iranian revolution, part of a generation that found
by Soren Hemmila
Several hundred Richmond residents gathered Saturday morning at Civic Center Plaza for a "No Kings Richmond" march and rally, part of a nationwide day of protest against what organizers described as threats to democratic governance by the Trump administration. The event, organized by a coalition of local groups
by Soren Hemmila
A county property record shows that OpenAI OpCo LLC signed a lease recorded on March 9, 2026, for space at 1411 Harbour Way South in Richmond, the address of the Portside Commerce Center, a 202,371-square-foot industrial warehouse on the Port of Richmond that has been seeking a tenant since
by Soren Hemmila