Safeway closing bread manufacturing plant in Richmond
Safeway officials have announced they are closing their Richmond bread manufacturing plant at the end of the year. The plant, which has been operating since 1965, is at 905 South 34th St. It is slated to shut its doors on Dec. 30. About 20 employees will be affected. Safeway officials said in a statement to Richmondside that a “limited number” of those workers could be offered jobs at other facilities. The officials would not comment on why the Richmond plant was closing or where local Safeway stores will get their branded bread after the closure.
Does living near train routes bother you? Richmond wants to know
Richmond City Council members Sue Wilson and Doria Robinson are hosting another community meeting to hear from residents who live near the many train tracks that traverse the city. At a previous meeting, a list of problems was drawn up. At the Nov. 5 meeting, which will begin at 6 p.m. at the Booker T. Anderson Community Center, 960 S. 47th St., solutions will be discussed for issues such as train noise, railroad crossings, air pollution and homeless encampments. Richmond leaders have already established train quiet zones that prohibit the use of train horns in certain areas.
Richmond PCE contamination will be topic of Zoom meeting
City and state officials will hold an online community meeting to update residents on what authorities have been doing to monitor Richmond’s PCE problem. The Zoom meeting is set for Nov. 10 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. In August, Richmond High School and the Richmond Swim Center were temporarily closed after a soil study detected elevated levels of chemicals formerly used in dry cleaning known as PCE. Those facilities were reopened a week later after follow-up tests concluded the air in the region was safe.
Do you know someone worthy of being the Contra Costa Humanitarian of the Year?
The county is accepting nominations for its Contra Costa Humanitarian of the Year honor. Two honorees, one adult and one student leader, will be spotlighted for their dedication to others that embodies the spirit and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. The nominees should demonstrate leadership, commitment to the community and personal integrity. The deadline for nominations is Nov. 6. The recipients will be honored by Contra Costa County supervisors at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day ceremony on Jan. 19
San Pablo activist is Woman of the Year
A longtime advocate for family and children’s programs is among those named the 2026 Women of the Year for the 8th congressional district. Dr. Rocio Hernandez of San Pablo is a commissioner representing west county for First 5 Contra Costa, a nonprofit that focuses on programs for children from prenatal to age 5. She has worked in community health and prevention outreach, provided maternity case management services and served as a mental-health practitioner for young people.
State health officials issue warning on scam phone calls
California Department of Health officials have issued a warning about scam phone calls where criminals are impersonating health officials to obtain personal and financial information. One of the schemes involves a scammer calling to inform a person that their name was used to fill a fraudulent prescription. Officials said state health personnel sometimes call individuals as part of contact disease investigations, but they will never ask people for their Social Security number or credit card number. Anyone who is contacted by a scammer is urged to call the state health department or local law enforcement.
