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Local News: January 4, 2023
Flood displaces hundreds from East Oakland apartment complex
After months of contentious negotiations, LOST agreement signed and headed to state
After months of contentious negotiations, LOST agreement signed and headed to state
Hundreds of people were displaced from an East Oakland apartment complex on New Year’s Day after the parking garage flooded and PG&E cut power.
The residents of Coliseum Connections, a development with half affordable and half market-rate apartments, are now staying at a hotel by the airport for at least several more days. They’re unclear what conditions their homes will be in when they return.
The complex, which consists of 44 townhouses and a 66-unit building, was constructed in 2019 by UrbanCore and the Oakland Economic Development Corporation using prefabricated “modular” units. The city of Oakland and Alameda County both provided funding for the project, which was built on BART land in exchange for the property giving a large chunk of rent profits to the transit agency.
After months of contentious negotiations, LOST agreement signed and headed to state
After months of contentious negotiations, LOST agreement signed and headed to state
After months of contentious negotiations, LOST agreement signed and headed to state
On Tuesday afternoon, Chatham Commission Chairman Chester A. Ellis held up a page bearing the signatures of all eight of the county's municipal mayors and vowed that as soon as he signed and dated the "Certificate of Distribution," the document would be on its way overnight to the Georgia revenue commissioner.
By affixing his autograph moments later, Ellis closed the contentious six-month negotiation to divvy up the billion-dollar tax revenue-sharing agreement for Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) funds that was set to expire in just a few days.
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As Oakland kids go back to school, parents and teachers worry about dangerous streets
As Oakland kids go back to school, parents and teachers worry about dangerous streets
As Oakland kids go back to school, parents and teachers worry about dangerous streets
After a summer that saw increased attention to Oakland’s dangerous roads, including several fatal collisions, families across the city worried about their children as they returned to school last week.
“OUSD starts Monday, August 8, and that means intense morning traffic as families figure out their new routines,” Montclair parent Sarah S. pleaded in a Nextdoor post. “Let’s all be patient with each other.”
When the Oakland Police Department posted a safety alert last week about increased traffic with back to school, Ann Ludwig chimed in about issues near Montclair Elementary.
“[T]he poor crossing guard has been hit at least one time, and there are many harrowing stories about near misses involving strollers, small children, and others,” she wrote on Nextdoor. “The City seems to have given up…we could use your help!”
Parents at Franklin, Roosevelt, and Manzanita schools also posted online about being on the lookout for dangerous driving. According to city data, the streets around these campuses east of Lake Merritt have some of the highest rates of collisions in the city.
Near Fruitvale and Sequoia elementary schools in the Dimond District, parent Reid Allen Williamson said he saw six vehicles run stop signs this week on Champion Street. According to residents there, cars often speed on Harold Avenue after they come off the I-580.
Home of Savannah Civil Rights leader W.W. Law honored by Historic Savannah Foundation
As Oakland kids go back to school, parents and teachers worry about dangerous streets
As Oakland kids go back to school, parents and teachers worry about dangerous streets
Savannah Civil Rights leader W.W. Law kept such expansive, meticulous records that the second-floor of his mid-century craftsmen home was sagging from the weight of history.
"It's stuff that helped us — and is continuing to help us — to be able to manage history through the eyes of W.W. Law," Mayor Van Johnson said from the front steps of Law's home.
The W. Victory Drive house was home to Law from the 1950s until his death in 2002. It was restored by local Troy Williams, who now rents the home out. Williams worked with the Historic Savannah Foundation to honor the home of one of Savannah's patriarchs of Civil Rights with a plaque marking the year of the home's construction — 1936 — and noting it as the home to Law.
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The 3 Oakland council members running for mayor debated at a forum last night
The 3 Oakland council members running for mayor debated at a forum last night
The 3 Oakland council members running for mayor debated at a forum last night
The race to become the next mayor of Oakland tends to attract a large number of contenders. This year, with Mayor Libby Schaaf leaving office after leading the city for the maximum number of years allowed under the city charter, is no exception.
Five candidates have now qualified to run, meaning they gathered enough signatures in support of their candidacy by last Friday to make it onto the ballot. Six other candidates are still waiting for their submission to be approved by the city clerk.
On Monday night, the tourism-focused business group Visit Oakland and the Jack London Improvement District co-hosted a forum with the three candidates who currently hold seats on Oakland’s City Council: Treva Reid, Loren Taylor, and Sheng Thao.
Moderated by Taj Tashombe, a Visit Oakland board member who until recently was a lobbyist for the Athletics, the discussion focused on public safety, homelessness, and the dysfunctions of City Hall. Framed largely from the point of view of businesses, questions included things like: how can the next mayor clean up the city’s trash and dumping problems so it’s more welcoming for tourists or companies looking to set up shop here? What can be done about the hundreds of homeless camps where several thousand unsheltered residents currently live? How can we fix Oakland’s executive branch, making the city administration more responsive and nimble?
Reid, Taylor, and Thao struck similar chords throughout the evening by describing a city at a “crossroads” or a “pivotal point,” sympathetically lamenting illegal dumping and gun violence and underscoring the need for bold leadership if Oakland is going to make a dent in its most chronic problems.
Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute expands LEAP program
The 3 Oakland council members running for mayor debated at a forum last night
The 3 Oakland council members running for mayor debated at a forum last night
The Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute (GT-SCL) residing in and supported by the Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE), in coordination with Georgia Tech Professional Education (GTPE), is expanding its Logistics Education And Pathways (LEAP) program with the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) Reentry Program to implement services for eligible participants in Chatham, Bibb, and Muscogee Education Transition Centers (ETC).
The goal of the ETCs is to reduce recidivisms and enable participants with the tools, training, and opportunities to move forward as a productive member of society with sustainable employment and a rewarding career.
LEAP is a fast-paced certification program that prepares secondary education students to compete for successful high-growth jobs in the supply chain and logistics field, an outcome that is a natural component to the mission of the ETCs.
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Man who shot, killed attacker on San Francisco Muni train won't face homicide charges
Man who shot, killed attacker on San Francisco Muni train won't face homicide charges
Man who shot, killed attacker on San Francisco Muni train won't face homicide charges
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A man who shot and killed a passenger on a San Francisco subway commuter train will be charged with gun crimes but not homicide in what was "clearly" a case of self-defense after he was attacked with a knife, his attorney said Monday.
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No more tourist offseason: Savannah welcomes visitors seeking experiences year-round
Man who shot, killed attacker on San Francisco Muni train won't face homicide charges
Man who shot, killed attacker on San Francisco Muni train won't face homicide charges
Used to be that Savannah had an off-season and an on-season when it came to tourists taking over the town. Just as the first azalea bush bloomed and the first green beer tapped, pale and ruddy folks, mostly from the Northeast and Midwest, flocked to Georgia's first city for sun salutations and spirits of all kinds. Once summer arrived and Savannah turned hotter than the hinges on the gates of hell, things quieted down until Thanksgiving when the seasonal posse known as "the snowbirds" arrived and the busy gala season began.
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No Spare the Air Alert in effect in the Bay Area
Richmond Hill celebrates Gullah culture with heritage festival
Richmond Hill celebrates Gullah culture with heritage festival
There is an alert issued when ozone pollution is forecast to reach unhealthy levels. Ozone, or smog, can cause throat irritation, congestion, chest pain, trigger asthma, inflame the lining of the lungs and worsen bronchitis and emphysema, air officials said. Long-term exposure to ozone can reduce lung function. Ozone pollution is particularly harmful for young children, seniors and those with respiratory and heart conditions.
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Richmond Hill celebrates Gullah culture with heritage festival
Richmond Hill celebrates Gullah culture with heritage festival
Richmond Hill celebrates Gullah culture with heritage festival
RICHMOND HILL, Ga (WTGS) — The Richmond Hill community gathered at J.F. Gregory Park to celebrate a pre-Juneteenth Gullah-Geechee festival. Participants enjoyed authentic food, art, music, and storytelling of the people who occupied coastal Georgia centuries ago.
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Savannah Tech, Goodwill bring VR to forklift and manufacturing certification programs
Savannah Tech, Goodwill bring VR to forklift and manufacturing certification programs
Savannah Tech, Goodwill bring VR to forklift and manufacturing certification programs
This is a good program, I think. Read it, an it you agree that is great. If not, please let me know what you think.
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Photos: Oakland’s ‘510 Day’ returns to Lake Merritt
Savannah Tech, Goodwill bring VR to forklift and manufacturing certification programs
Savannah Tech, Goodwill bring VR to forklift and manufacturing certification programs
This is AWESOME!!!!!
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Victoria Grimes makes history as the first Black valedictorian at Calvary Day School
Savannah Tech, Goodwill bring VR to forklift and manufacturing certification programs
Victoria Grimes makes history as the first Black valedictorian at Calvary Day School
Well, this is finally happening. Don't get me wrong, but this should have happened a long time ago. But cheers to Victoria!
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Local News
Farm labor advocates, leaders concerned after reported human trafficking, ties to Georgia officials
Farm labor advocates, leaders concerned after reported human trafficking, ties to Georgia officials
Farm labor advocates, leaders concerned after reported human trafficking, ties to Georgia officials
Right in the back yard.
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Ban those books? The debate over 'obscene' books in school libraries comes to Savannah
Farm labor advocates, leaders concerned after reported human trafficking, ties to Georgia officials
Farm labor advocates, leaders concerned after reported human trafficking, ties to Georgia officials
A small but vocal group of Savannah -area residents is pushing for the removal of nine books found in Savannah-Chatham school libraries that include what they consider sexually explicit content.
I think this is another way that this country is going backwards.
Check it out:
Local News
Tesla racism case award cut to $15 million from $137 million
How misunderstanding of CRT, social emotional learning failed Savannah students, parents
How misunderstanding of CRT, social emotional learning failed Savannah students, parents
U.S. District Judge William Orrick said in a ruling Wednesday he was compelled by legal principles to reduce the jury’s October verdict, but he also concluded there was ample “disturbing” evidence to support the outcome of the trial.
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How misunderstanding of CRT, social emotional learning failed Savannah students, parents
How misunderstanding of CRT, social emotional learning failed Savannah students, parents
How misunderstanding of CRT, social emotional learning failed Savannah students, parents
This is a shame:
From the article:
“He said, ‘So, I picked up the black baby dolls,'” Williams recounted. He added that even the Black kids had chosen the black dolls, and that the teacher explained they all had been taught from the beginning that black is bad, especially from media depictions of villains in movies and television shows.
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‘A beautiful journey through smoke:’ Acclaimed Oakland pitmaster Matt Horn
‘A beautiful journey through smoke:’ Acclaimed Oakland pitmaster Matt Horn
‘A beautiful journey through smoke:’ Acclaimed Oakland pitmaster Matt Horn
This is great!
Check it out:
Georgia Ports prepares college students for the future
‘A beautiful journey through smoke:’ Acclaimed Oakland pitmaster Matt Horn
‘A beautiful journey through smoke:’ Acclaimed Oakland pitmaster Matt Horn
A very good program to help college student get real world experience.
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Local News
Despite personal testimony, Georgia Senate passes ban on transgender sports
Despite personal testimony, Georgia Senate passes ban on transgender sports
Despite personal testimony, Georgia Senate passes ban on transgender sports
Bill passed along party lines, heads to House for consideration.
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Photos: Positivity on display at Oakland’s Black Joy Parade
Despite personal testimony, Georgia Senate passes ban on transgender sports
Despite personal testimony, Georgia Senate passes ban on transgender sports
Thousands gathered downtown on Sunday for a celebration of Pan-African culture.
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Changes coming to Savannah St. Patrick's Day parade: Mayor wants events to be more 'family friendly'
Changes coming to Savannah St. Patrick's Day parade: Mayor wants events to be more 'family friendly'
Changes coming to Savannah St. Patrick's Day parade: Mayor wants events to be more 'family friendly'
Savannah is a city on the move and Mayor Van Johnson is making sure that it is on the fast track.
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City Council this week: ‘Oscar Grant Day’ coming to Oakland
Changes coming to Savannah St. Patrick's Day parade: Mayor wants events to be more 'family friendly'
Changes coming to Savannah St. Patrick's Day parade: Mayor wants events to be more 'family friendly'
The City Council is among other things, going to create a day to honor Oscar Grant.
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Local News
Maxine L. Bryant: Total emancipation of Black people remains deficient in Savannah, nation
Maxine L. Bryant:Land ownership challenge one dock at a time for Gullah Geechee communities
Check it out:
Innovative soul food restaurant Brown Sugar Kitchen closes after nearly 15 years
Tanya Holland’s groundbreaking Uptown Oakland restaurant has permanently closed, ending an era in East Bay dining.
That is really too bad. Wow.
Check out the story below:
Local News
State lawmakers to take aim at racial history in public schools, partisan school boards
State lawmakers to take aim at racial history in public schools, partisan school boards
State lawmakers to take aim at racial history in public schools, partisan school boards
It’s amazing that CRT (which is not taught in Georgia) is so controversial...
Meet the student bringing Black illustrations to the medical field
State lawmakers to take aim at racial history in public schools, partisan school boards
State lawmakers to take aim at racial history in public schools, partisan school boards
This is so great. Little things translate to big things.
December 29, 2021
Generation Kwanzaa: Black youth continue to embrace the traditions of the cultural holiday
Generation Kwanzaa: Black youth continue to embrace the traditions of the cultural holiday
Generation Kwanzaa: Black youth continue to embrace the traditions of the cultural holiday
Keeping Kwanza alive in the Low Country.
Local roller skaters have a vision for a ‘Panther Skate Plaza’
Generation Kwanzaa: Black youth continue to embrace the traditions of the cultural holiday
Generation Kwanzaa: Black youth continue to embrace the traditions of the cultural holiday
This will be so great! To have a skate park known as “Panther Skate Plaza”! Lets Go!
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National Report Hate Line
National Report Hate Phone Number - 1-800-CALL-FBI or you can use tips.fbi.gov
Report Human Trafficking (Modern Slavery)
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For information about USCIS visit the USCIS website and select the state in which you live.
For more information, you may also call the USCIS National Customer Service Center (NCSC) at 1-800-375-5283.
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Anyone may file a complaint with the DoD Hotline. Our online complaint forms (below) are the most efficient means to file a complaint.
Native American Help Line: Report Domestic and Sexual Violence
StrongHearts Native Helpline
1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483)
is a 24/7 safe, confidential and anonymous domestic, dating and sexual violence helpline for Native Americans and Alaska Natives, offering culturally-appropriate support and advocacy.
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