Kern County high school board OKs guns on campus

Do guns belong on high school campuses? The Kern High School District board recently voted to allow people with concealed weapons permits to bring guns onto campuses. For 19-year-old community activist Dean Welliver, allowing firearms on campus is a matter worthy of public debate. Parents, teachers and others including a retired police officer spoke out […]

Bicyclists highlight the murals and history of the East Side

Nearly a hundred bicycling advocates and community members turned out for the Eastside Mural Ride. The ten mile ride, with stops at historic murals throughout Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles, didn’t just focus on the street art and history of the neighborhoods; cyclist and pedestrian safety was also discussed, and lights and helmets were distributed. “Everybody really enjoys the ride. They have a really […]

Orlando shootings: LGBTQ community still lives in fear

June is Pride month. There are celebrations all over the country. Bars and nightclubs are more packed than usual. There is strength in numbers, bravery too. Richmond’s Keisa Reynolds reflects on the Orlando nightclub shootings, from the perspective of a queer woman of color and a member of a national community in mourning. “I think about how […]

‘Ride of Silence’ commemorates cyclists – and all those killed in Richmond

About 40 people took part in the 5th annual Ride of Silence in Richmond last month, part of a national bike ride to bring attention to cyclists maimed or killed while riding on urban streets. But in Richmond, the ride took on a bigger meaning, commemorating all those who had been killed in the city. “It […]

Water filters may soon be a reality at Arvin High

Arvin High School may be next in line for water stations with arsenic-removing filters — several sites in South Kern County have been found to have unsafe arsenic levels in the water, and elementary schools in the district have been equipped with refillable water stations and filtered fountains. Community members say it’s time for high schools to share in the benefit. “I […]

As funding runs out, residents reimagine their parks

Parks throughout Los Angeles County have relied on local, voter-approved funding for over 20 years, but those green spaces are currently in a financial rut. Experts have pointed out the benefit of increased park space for community health — especially for younger residents in these areas. Long Beach locals firmly back funding for maintenance of safe, accessible parks. “It’s not […]

South Kern celebrates safe water at #Agua4All Rally

Community members gathered at the #Agua4All rally to celebrate progress on the effort to bring safe drinking water to South Kern. The installation of 71 water stations and 88 point-of-use filters in South Kern is a good start, but residents are aware that the filters are just tapping the surface of a problem that runs deep, and that activists […]

Governor signs $177 million battery plant cleanup bill

The Governor signed legislation recently that promises $176.6 towards testing and cleanup of lead contamination in communities surrounding the former Exide battery recycling plant. The plant was forced to shut down after authorities found that lead emissions exceeded permitted levels and that the plant was using illegal methods to dispose of, store, and transport hazardous waste. “The effort, which some say has […]

Bringing safe drinking water to rural communities

The Agua 4 All pilot program recently brought 75 water stations to the Eastern Coachella Valley, a community with high levels of arsenic in its groundwater. Hoping to harness public attention to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, an assembly bill — the Safe Drinking Water in Schools bill — has been proposed to fund the expansion of Agua 4 All to […]

Neighborhood welcomes hard-won traffic signal

After a years-long effort, residents victorious in their campaign for a traffic signal at an intersection where elementary school children cross a busy thoroughfare in Boyle Heights. “The community deserves all the credit. They learned to not take ‘No’ for an answer.” The story of a neighborhood making small changes for safety is on Boyle […]