The herds, which are managed by the city of Oakland and East Bay Regional Park District fire departments, are nearly done with their annual munch-fest, which helps clear dry grass and debris from the East Bay hills.
Category: Health & Environment
Posted inHealth & Environment
East Oakland residents oppose Walgreens’ decision to close store
With a month’s notice, Walgreens said it will close its 81st Avenue pharmacy next week. Residents, city officials, and health care workers want more time to prepare the community.
Posted inHealth & Environment
East Bay health experts worry about Delta variant as the vaccination campaign continues
COVID-19 infections are increasing in Oakland and Alameda County, including in long-term care facilities.
Posted inEducation Equity
OUSD food lab ignites students’ passion for cooking
Seven teams of Oakland high schoolers participated in a cooking competition to create a new dish to add to the school lunch menu.
Posted inHealth & Environment
As mass tree death worsens, East Bay parks get $10M for removal
About 1,500 acres of trees in the the East Bay Regional Park District have been affected by a new die-off pattern that’s seen as dangerous during fire season.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Bay Area health officers recommend mask use indoors amid rising COVID-19 cases
The mask recommendation applies to both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents in an effort to prevent COVID-19 virus spread among all groups.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Is a new regional agency the answer to the East Bay’s wildfire woes?
Advocates in the fire-prone hills want Oakland, Berkeley, and other agencies to team up to create a prevention plan for the region. Cost could be an obstacle.
Posted inArts & Community
Oakland will keep its protected bicycle lanes on Telegraph Avenue
But the years-long pilot project stoked conflicts between different communities and revealed problems with the city’s transportation planning process.
Posted inHealth & Environment
‘This is unacceptable’: Air-polluting industries face increased scrutiny in East Oakland
For years, East Oakland residents were told the air they breathe is safe. New data suggests that’s not actually the case.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Fentanyl test FentCheck will make drug use safer
The test, distributed by Oakland residents Alison Heller and Dean Shold, checks if the deadly opioid is laced in street drugs including cocaine, heroin and meth.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Noise, fire danger, fun: Oakland residents sound off on fireworks
An explosive Fourth of July is part of Oakland’s culture. But fireworks traumatize pets and pose a major fire risk.
Posted inHealth & Environment
The pandemic laid bare existing inequalities. Kids felt the pain.
This is how the past year felt to three high school seniors living in East Oakland’s 94603 zip code.
Posted inHealth & Environment
New artwork along International Blvd. in East Oakland is a call for peace
Local artists, youth, and activists unveiled a public art project created to beautify a stretch of East Oakland amid escalating gun violence.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Listen: West Oakland’s ‘diesel death zone’
Meet the Oakland residents fighting environmental racism in one of the city’s most highly polluted neighborhoods.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Oakland community leaders call on Alameda County to declare gun violence a public health emergency
Groups want officials to invest $100 million of new federal pandemic relief funding into Black and brown communities.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Watch: Oakland community leaders weigh in on rising gun violence
The Oaklandside recorded conversations with five local organizers who’ve been directly impacted by violence to better understand why it’s happening, and what can be done to prevent it.
Posted inHealth & Environment
California has fully reopened. What does that mean for Oakland?
Social distancing guidelines are out the window, but masks remain a bit of a gray area.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Church’s pandemic-themed lotería game spreads vaccine awareness to Latinx parishioners
As demand for COVID-19 vaccines declines in Alameda County, outreach is increasingly targeting the hardest-to-reach communities.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Oakland enters yellow COVID-19 tier, one week shy of state reopening
It’s the first time since the state began its tier system last summer that Alameda County has entered the least-restrictive, yellow tier.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Don’t toss your masks: How to use N95s and other air filters for fire season
In Oakland, Berkeley, and beyond, it’s not too soon to prepare for unhealthy air days.
