Emails and memos circulating last summer expose a total communication breakdown inside Oakland’s public school system, with principals in the dark about the risks to students and district officials unclear on the status of remediation.
Author Archives: Callie Rhoades
Callie Rhoades covers the environment for The Oaklandside as a 2023-2025 California Local News Fellow. She previously worked as a reporter for Oakland North at Berkeley Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program. She has also worked as an intern for Estuary News Group, as an assistant producer for the Climate Break podcast, and as an editorial intern for SKI Magazine. Her writing has appeared in Sierra Magazine, Earth Island Journal, and KneeDeep Times, among others. She graduated from The University of California, Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism in 2023.
Posted inHealth & Environment
A trip to the Oakland estuary shines light on a hidden, dirty problem
Abandoned boats, corrosive chemicals, and mountains of trash clog the estuary’s waters. And no one’s owning the cleanup.
Posted inHealth & Environment
A trip to the Oakland estuary shines light on a hidden, dirty problem
Abandoned boats, corrosive chemicals, and mountains of trash clog the estuary’s waters. And no one’s owning the cleanup.
Posted inHealth & Environment
This fire season, Oakland Fire says it’s fully staffed for the first time in 20 years
OFD saw the reopening of three fire stations this year and the launch of a special tax to fund vegetation management.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Rainbow Sierrans, the Sierra Club’s first LGBTQ hiking group, on 40 years of trekking together
The Bay Area hiking group, co-founded by environmentalist and photographer Bob Walker, faced fierce headwinds at its inception.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Environmentalists warn of a dangerous loophole in state bill meant to regulate metal recyclers
The senate bill, SB 404, is backed by a coalition of metal recycling companies.
Posted inHealth & Environment
A toxic foundry finally left East Oakland. Then the city allowed in a new polluter
How leaking, burned out cars ended up at the troubled property near the Oakland Coliseum.
Posted inHealth & Environment
It’s calving season. Here’s how to avoid getting chased by cows
Believe me: They will charge you.
Posted inHealth & Environment
East Oakland’s Argent Materials reaches a settlement over pollution violations
The aggregate recycling company, which runs two sites near the Oakland Coliseum, will implement air quality monitoring around its facilities.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Whale deaths in San Francisco Bay spur legal threat
24 whales have died in the bay this year, many from ship strikes. Environmental groups are preparing to sue federal agencies to protect them.
Posted inHealth & Environment
A rare East Bay bald eagle nest captivates residentsÂ
A new nest near an Oakland cemetery marks the remarkable return of a species absent for decades due to chemical exposure, urbanization, and shootings.
Posted inEducation Equity
Missing labels, clogged filters, haphazard testing: How OUSD’s lead response broke down
Internal documents show how officials scrambled to keep students safe but made some critical errors along the way. Does the district finally have a game plan?
Posted inEducation Equity
OUSD lead crisis: Internal records reveal panic and confusion among school leaders
Emails and memos circulating last summer expose a total communication breakdown inside Oakland’s public school system, with principals in the dark about the risks to students and district officials unclear on the status of remediation.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Newsom changed CEQA to promote housing and development. What could it mean for Oakland?
The reform, led by Bay Area legislators, is the governor’s latest attempt to ease California’s housing crisis. But environmentalists warn it could lead to harmful industrial development.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Proposal to swap housing for green space at Estuary Park roils community
Property developers have proposed a fresh round of changes to the previously approved Estuary Park plan — upsetting rowers, environmentalists, and public parks advocates.
Posted inHealth & Environment
State legislators save free state park passes for California libraries
Governor Gavin Newsom signed the budget last Friday, securing $6.75 million for the program, which sends thousands of free passes to public libraries for residents to borrow.
Posted inNature and the City
Courtland Creek’s restoration breathes new life into a community park
Neighbors began the restoration nearly 30 years ago. The city of Oakland has wrapped it up, hauling out trash, commissioning mosaics, and installing benches and native plants.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Radius Recycling ordered to reduce pollution into San Francisco Bay
The West Oakland metal recycler’s violation of the Clean Water Act has led to an agreement to install filtration equipment.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Strike at Children’s Hospital Oakland — what you need to know
Healthcare workers took to the picket line this morning, saying integration with UCSF will cut income, disrupt pensions, and chase away senior staff, harming patient care.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Want to help scientists learn more about the California coast? Join this weekend’s bioblitz at Lake MerrittÂ
The California Academy of Science is leading a month of volunteer data collection to document life along coastal waters.
