Author Archives: Public Press staff

By Dhyana Levey, Bay Nature In the wake of a high-profile report urging California State Parks to give up its antiquated management structure and shift some control over to local agencies, park officials and nonprofits called the recommendations realistic and tried to calm the public’s fears over potential changes to the park system. “We certainly […]

By Nina Thorsen, KQED News Fix The city of San Francisco might be in for a major update to its ethics policies. Board President David Chiu and City Attorney Dennis Herrera have unveiled a package of legislation that has taken them 10 months to craft. At a press conference before they introduced the legislation to […]

By Dan Brekke, KQED News Fix If you live downwind of Chevron’s Richmond refinery, you don’t need to be reminded of what happened there last Aug. 6: A huge fire started in a crude-oil processing unit at the facility, sending an immense plume of thick black smoke over adjacent neighborhoods and much of western Contra […]

By Tay Wiles, Mission  Local San Francisco has become the first city in the country to launch citywide police station “safe zones” for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, staffed with police liaisons trained to serve that community. All 10 police district stations in San Francisco now have signs that designate the station as a […]

By Sam Harnett, KQED News Fix A compromise is in the works, after months of negotiations,  to resolve the controversy over San Francisco’s tenants-in-common (TIC) units. The new deal sticks to the original proposal to allow about 2,000 TICs to bypass the yearly conversion lottery and convert directly into condos. But it also adds a […]

By Tay Wiles, Mission Local Editor’s note: This column is one of a series of biweekly conversations with District 9 Supervisor David Campos addressing issues and events in the Mission. If you have questions for Campos, send an email to missionlocal@gmail.com. Mission Local (ML): Wednesday was a national day of action to support immigration reform, […]

By Jen Chien, KALW Crosscurrents San Francisco is known as a Mecca for conscious foodies – with organic farmers markets, gourmet food trucks, and six Whole Foods supermarkets within the 7-by-7 square-mile city limits. But this abundance doesn’t reach everyone. In a lot of low-income areas, it can be difficult to find fresh and healthy […]

By Rachael Marcus and Charla Bear, KQED News Fix Fewer than half of students in California’s community colleges are completing their degrees, and Bay Area community colleges are no exception, according to new data released by the California Community Colleges on April 9. De Anza College in Cupertino had the highest graduation/certificate completion rate, at […]

By Dhyana Levey, Bay Nature In the shadow of the picture-perfect Painted Ladies, Alamo Square is often taken as little more than a hillside for gawkers. Tourists usually come to the park to look outside of it. But San Francisco officials are hoping to change that perspective as they embark on one of the largest […]

By Tay Wiles, Mission Local “Crackheads aren’t selling crack any more because it’s easier to steal phones,” San Francisco Police Commission President Thomas Mazzucco said last week. In the first two months of this year, 335 cellphones were reported stolen to San Francisco police, and about half of all robberies in the city are now […]