Jacob Simas
Verified
As seen in:
The Oaklandside,
Poynter Online,
Berkeleyside,
NewsBreak,
Richmondside,
El Tímpano,
Cityside
Community Journalism Director at Cityside Journalism Initiative
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Articles by Jacob Simas
Bay Area Air District announces $65M for pollution-fighting projects in West Contra Costa, surrounding areas
Projects designed to help offset pollution from the Chevron oil refinery and other polluters in Richmond will soon receive a significant influx of funding, as the Bay Area Air District on Friday announced the distribution of $65 million for pollution abatement and clean energy projects in Contra Costa County and the surrounding region. The money will come directly from district-imposed fines paid by the fossil fuel giant and other local polluters.
In Oakland, 16 and 17-year olds can vote in school board elections. Here’s a guide for teen voters
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All elections are a big deal, but the 2026 election feels huge. It includes an open race for California governor and a tight race for control of Congress. Here in Oakland, we have a ballot measure proposing a sales tax to support public transit and one on reforming the city charter to give the mayor more power. And something else big is happening: for only the second time, 16- and 17-year-olds will have a say in who gets elected to the board of directors of Oakland Unified School District.
By Jacob Simas Verified, Ashley McBride Verified, Alejandra Armstrong Verified, Esther Kaplan Verified
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The Oaklandside
Verified
‘Something I’m meant to do.’ How family inspired one Richmonder to embrace a life of service
This story was told by Abigail Montejo to Kyonda Trass in an interview. It has been edited for length and clarity. My parents are both from Mexico and moved to the U.S. when they were pretty young. They met and got married in Los Angeles and that’s where they had me and my little brother. But when people ask me where I’m from, I say I’m from Richmond. Amplify Richmond is our new series featuring stories told by residents in their own words. Got a story to tell? Learn more.
A Richmond hit-and-run ‘changed our family forever.’ But community support helped us survive
This story was told by Shaundria Brown to Kyonda Trass in an interview. It has been lightly edited for length. I was born and raised here on the south side of Richmond. As far back as I can remember we have lived on South 6th Street and Florida Ave. I attended King Elementary School, Portola Middle School and John F. Kennedy High School. After graduating, I went to a beauty school in Hilltop, and later graduated from a cosmetology apprenticeship program in Vacaville. I’ve been a hairdresser ever since.
I overcame years of addiction. Now I help my Richmond neighbors make healthier choices
This story was told by Wanette Foreman to Kyonda Trass in an interview. It has been lightly edited for length and clarity. My substance use began long before I moved to Richmond. I came here from Oakland in 1998 with my husband, becausewe were looking for better housing opportunities. It was during the dot-com boom. The rent was cheaper in Richmond, and I was able to transfer my housing voucher. Since then, I’ve lived in the Iron Triangle and Richmond Heights.
Cómo Reimagine Richmond se convirtió en un salvavidas para las comunidades inmigrantes de la ciudad
Miembros de Reimagine Richmond se manifiestan en una sesión del Concejo Municipal, pidiendo a Richmond que apruebe una ordenanza de zona libre de ICE. El Concejo aprobó la medida, que entró en vigor el 21 de mayo, y que prohíbe a los agentes federales utilizar propiedades de la ciudad para operativos de control migratorio. Crédito: Joel Umanzor para Richmondside Este artículo fue traducido por Noemi Gonzalez-Rocha. Leer en inglés.
26,000 residentes de Contra Costa se quedan sin seguro dental
El Dr. Raynato “Ray” Castro, dentista con consultorio privado en San Pablo, prevé que más pacientes paguen en efectivo por la atención dental tras perder su cobertura dental de Medi-Cal a partir del 1 de julio. Crédito: Tyger Ligon para Richmondside Este artículo fue traducido por Noemi Gonzalez-Rocha. Read in English.
Culture Makers: Breathing new life into Oakland’s oldest spaces
Oakland’s physical landscape has changed plenty since the town’s founding in 1852, but many of its earliest structures still stand. From historic homes like the Peralta House to the gothic stylings of old temples like First Presbyterian Church to familiar landmarks like the Lake Merritt Pergola, these structures tell stories about the city’s past while inspiring our present and future.
From Richmond’s south side to MLB and back: Eddie Miller ‘wasn’t just good,’ he was great
This story was told by Edward Miller to Kyonda Trass, in an interview. It has been edited for length and clarity. Growing up, most people knew me by my nickname, “Pappy.” So a lot of times, if you say “Ed Miller,” you’ll hear, “Who?” But if you say Pappy, you’ll hear, “Oh yeah, that’s Pappy from Richmond!” I’m a south-side kid. For a long time, we lived with my grandmother on 5th Street and Chanslor Avenue. We moved to Ninth Street and Cutting Boulevard and later to 14th Street and Harbour Way.
‘Still coming to grips with a lot’: Retired from police, I’m finding peace and time to reflect
This story was told by Daryl Jackson in an interview to Kyonda Trass. It has been edited for length and clarity. One day a couple of years ago, my oldest daughter, who studied psychology at Mills College in Oakland, came up to me and said, “I want to tell you something. Don’t take this the wrong way. I think you suffer from PTSD.” I asked what that meant, and she explained it to me. I told her nothing was wrong with me, but she insisted. “You’ve been a great father, and you’re always there for us.
We embedded high schoolers in our newsroom to report on OUSD. Come hear what they found
How is artificial intelligence changing school-based learning, and what are students, teachers and schools doing to adapt? Why are students of color under-represented in so many Advanced Placement courses in Oakland Unified, and how can those gaps be tackled? How is public transit helping — or failing — students who rely on buses to travel long distances to school and back every day?
Watch: A lively debate over the state of free speech at UC Berkeley
Six decades after the Free Speech Movement erupted at UC Berkeley in protest of university-imposed restrictions on political speech and student activism on campus, the Trump administration’s crackdown on the independence of the nation’s higher education system has again thrust First Amendment questions into the limelight.
We’re working with Oakland students to deepen our schools coverage
“Why don’t I see more diversity in my high school AP classes?” “Why are some of my teachers okay with using AI for schoolwork, and others aren’t?” “Relying on AC Transit to commute across town to school means I’m sometimes tardy and always late getting home. Could there be a better system for students like me?” These are just a few of the questions that Oakland high schoolers are now exploring with the help of Oaklandside journalists through a new student reporting fellowship at our newsroom.
Culture Makers: Keeping Oakland’s literary scene strong
If you’re inspired by Oakland and also love the feeling of sinking into a soft chair with a good book, then you won’t want to miss the next installment of The Oaklandside’s Culture Makers, our live event series celebrating the local creatives who make our town unique. Where: The New Parkway Theater, 474 24th St., Oakland When: March 19, doors at 6 p.m, program begins at 6:30 p.m sharp.
Richmondside analyzed more than 10,000 violation notices issued by the air district between 2015 and 2025. By far, the biggest penalties have been levied against oil companies and others connected to the regional fossil fuel industry. Thousands of violations remain pending, with many going unresolved for years. We published the 10-year dataset, so readers can view and search the records. On Feb.
‘Soy una guerrera’: Homeless in Richmond, an immigrant shares her story of resilience
Editor’s note: The author, who is undocumented and currently unhoused in Richmond, is using only a first name to protect their identity. We’re presenting her story as-told-to Cole Haddock of Street Spirit, an independent East Bay newspaper dedicated to covering homelessness and poverty from the perspective of those most impacted. The story was translated from Spanish and lightly edited. A previous version was first published by Street Spirit. I’m from Mexico, from the state of Puebla.
Culture Makers: How Oakland’s muralists are preserving history and keeping The Town colorful
From school buildings to warehouses to freeway underpasses and beyond, Oakland’s landscape is home to a rich tapestry of street art that contributes to the city’s vibrancy, reflects its values, and tells the stories of the diverse communities who live here. Thursday, Nov. 13, 6:30-8 p.m. at The New Parkway Theater Get tickets On Thursday, Nov.
Culture Makers: Celebrating Oakland immigrants and working on the frontlines
Every day, immigrants from all corners of the globe play a role in shaping Oakland’s identity and contributing to its vibrancy. Immigrants help make Oakland beautiful by bringing diversity to our neighborhoods and schools, powering our small businesses, and enriching our collective cultural life.
How Richmond works: Your guide to local government and city operations
Want to make your voice heard by local officials at a public meeting but don’t know how? Got a concern about something happening in your neighborhood but not sure who to turn to? Have questions about which agencies and elected officials are responsible for what in Richmond, the West Contra Costa Unified School District, or Contra Costa County? Richmondside created this guide to make it easier for people in Richmond to understand, navigate and participate in their local government.
Contra Costa refinery closures bring labor unions and green activists together
When Valero announced in April that its Benicia refinery could close, it became the second oil company in Contra Costa in the last five years to declare a major production slowdown, after Marathon abruptly ceased operations at its Martinez facility in 2020.
Culture Makers: a new era of sports in The Town
We’re done talking about loss, broken promises, and teams skipping town. With spring season in full swing, we’re excited to be bringing the community together to talk about what’s new and what’s next by shining a spotlight on three passionate folks who are bringing energy, pride and joy back to sports in Oakland. Thursday, June 12, 6:30-8 p.m. at The New Parkway Theater Get tickets* *No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
People in Richmond tell us pollution is affecting their lives. See what they have to say
Since Richmondside launched last June, we’ve been reporting in depth on air quality and related issues in the city. We’ve investigated and mapped Richmond’s major pollution sources, spoken to local doctors about community health impacts, profiled organizations working to offset carbon emissions by planting trees, and published a bilingual resource guide for people concerned or impacted by air pollution, among other articles.
Will Richmond always be a refinery town? Mounting evidence says no
It’s hard to imagine Richmond without an oil refinery because it has always had one. By the time the city was incorporated in 1905, Standard Oil had already been processing crude for several years, setting off the city’s long connection with heavy industry, from the Ford Assembly Plant to the ship-building yards of World War II.
Over 100 protesters at Chevron refinery demand big oil pay for climate disasters
Roughly a hundred people marched to the front gates of the Chevron Richmond refinery Tuesday afternoon to protest the global energy giant’s role in climate change and wildfires, and California’s investments in the company.
After refinery fire, Martinez activists look to follow Richmond’s example
When the Martinez Refining Company exploded into flames on the morning of Feb. 1, Justin Gomez tried to distract his two kids, ages 6 and 8, from looking out the window as he watched a plume of black smoke grow in the sky above. Even before the fire started, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District had received multiple reports from people in the area complaining of a foul oily smell emanating from the refinery.
Culture Makers: Bringing the joy back to Oakland sports
Loss. Pity. Anger. When it comes to professional sports in Oakland, these feelings have tended to dominate the public discourse lately. But for one night next month, we won’t be talking about greedy owners, stadium deals gone wrong or franchises leaving town. Instead, we’ll be highlighting local clubs and organizations that are bringing the joy back and ushering in an exciting new era of sports and fandom in The Town.
Black Tulip is part of Oakland's growing movement to protect Black girls
This story was produced by Oakland Voices, a community program led by the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education that trains Oakland residents to tell the stories of their communities. Oakland’s City Council recently voted to adopt a resolution supporting the federal Protect Black Women and Girls Act, (H.R. 7354), which would establish an interagency task force to examine the experiences of Black women in the United States, from education to health care to jobs to housing.
7 years in, Richmond’s ‘Path to Clean Air’ is at pivotal stage
Seven years ago, Dr. Niyi Omotoso, a pediatrician, was looking for ways to help his patients in Richmond avoid developing asthma — something that felt all but impossible in a city known to have some of the highest levels of air pollution in the Bay Area. So he decided to put his background in medical research to use by volunteering with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the regional agency tasked with regulating air pollution.
At Oakland polls, voters have hope - and a bad case of the jitters
Many voters in Oakland and across the country chose to cast their ballots by mail or during early in-person voting, long before Election Day. But for thousands of Oaklanders, there’s just no replacing the feeling one gets from heading out to the neighborhood voting center, filling in the bubbles, and dropping the ballot in the box.
After two years of waiting, noncitizen parents still can’t vote in Oakland school board elections
This story was produced by El Tímpano, a civic media organization serving and covering the Bay Area’s Latino and Mayan immigrant communities. The original version of the story can be found here. Lea esta historia en español. Noncitizen parents and guardians with students enrolled in Oakland Unified School District won the right to vote in school board elections two years ago. But they won’t be casting their ballots anytime soon.
Arab students tell their story with help from an Oakland film program
Earlier this year, the Oakland City Council approved an ordinance to incentivize film production in the city. While the initiative may yet be affected by the city’s ongoing budget problems, one local youth program is already doing what it can to help Arab youths in Oakland enter the industry. Takalam: Arab Youth Speak Up! is an annual summer program that’s teaching filmmaking and, in the process, helping the 13 to 18-year-olds who participate find their voice and develop leadership skills.
A Bay Area neighborhood where affordable homes and tight-knit community come at a cost
Marcos Alvarez grew up in Atchison Village, having moved there with his family when he was young, joining several cousins who came before him. He found the Richmond neighborhood to be like his native Mexico: a tight-knit community where everyone knew and looked out for each other. He eventually moved away and got married to his now-wife, Sylvia. The newlywed couple soon had a child and began looking to buy their first home.
A voter guide for teens casting ballots for BUSD school board
All elections are a big deal, but the 2024 election feels huge. It includes a heated presidential race. Here in Berkeley, we’ll be choosing a new mayor for the first time in eight years and deciding how to vote on a recall that could remove the county district attorney. Voting basics: How to register, where and when to vote, what’s on the ballot, and other important information. All of our coverage: Meet the candidates running for mayor, school board, rent board, school board and more.
Oakland lowered the voting age for school board elections. Here's a guide for teen voters
All elections are a big deal, but the 2024 election feels huge. It includes a heated presidential race. Here in Oakland, we have two recalls on the ballot that could remove our mayor and the county district attorney. But something else big is happening this year: 16- and 17-year-olds will have a real say in who gets elected to the Oakland Unified School District board. Four years ago, Oakland voters approved a measure lowering the voting age for school board elections.
What to know about flaring at the Chevron refinery
The sky over the Chevron Richmond refinery was choked with thick black smoke for more than seven hours on Nov. 27, 2023.
Groundwork Richmond is planting trees to reduce air pollution
Growing up in Richmond, Destiny Ndeke had an idea that the air was bad because whenever she’d leave her neighborhood — even just to travel to nearby Contra Costa College, where there’s an abundance of trees — she’d notice that breathing felt different. “I’d stand there and breathe,” said Ndeke, who lives in Atchison Village. “The air affects your whole body.
How to protect yourself from air pollution in Richmond
Chronic air pollution from a variety of local sources has made Richmond one of the unhealthier places to breathe in California, according to state health officials. The pollution is so ubiquitous that some local doctors feel frustrated by their inability to prevent respiratory illness, beyond telling patients to limit their exposure to polluted air. But there are some things that residents can do to better safeguard their health.
La contaminación del aire es difícil de evitar en Richmond. Esta guía puede ayudar
Read in English. La contaminación crónica del aire de varias fuentes locales ha convertido a Richmond en uno de los lugares menos saludables para respirar en California, según los funcionarios de salud estatales. La contaminación es tan omnipresente que algunos médicos locales se sienten frustrados por su incapacidad para prevenir enfermedades respiratorias, más allá de recomendar a los pacientes que limiten su exposición al aire contaminado.
Feeling powerless to prevent asthma, Richmond doctors turn to advocacy
When Dr. Amanda Millstein started treating children in Richmond five years ago, she quickly discovered something she wasn’t prepared for: Many of the families she was seeing feared it was just a matter of when, not if, their child would develop a respiratory illness. “For people living in communities that are so highly impacted by pollution, it’s a totally reasonable question,” said Millstein, a primary care pediatrician at Hilltop Pediatrics.
Back home in Oakland, I’m embracing a healthier life after prison
This story was produced in partnership with Oakland Voices, a community news and training program of the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, and Prison Journalism Project, which trains incarcerated writers. When I heard, “You are granted parole,” all the pressure was released from every pore on my body. For me, it was validation of the work that I had put in. I had proven to myself that I was a better person, and had the potential to be successful. It was one of the best moments of my life.
Why we're investigating Richmond's air pollution
On a Tuesday night last December, dozens of concerned and frustrated people filed into a special Richmond City Council meeting to complain and demand answers from elected officials about a foul stench — likely caused by a dangerous spike in hydrogen sulfide emissions from the city’s wastewater treatment facility— that was causing people living in the surrounding neighborhoods to feel nauseated. Only weeks before, on Nov.
What’s in Richmond’s air? These are the main pollution sources
Richmond has always been an industrial town, even before it officially became a city nearly 120 years ago — from the Santa Fe Railroad and Standard Oil at the turn of the century, to the Ford assembly plant and shipyards of the World War II-era, to the Chevron refinery and chemical manufacturers of today. These industries have driven Richmond’s local economy and development for decades and helped to shape the city’s identity.
Nonprofit news site Richmondside hires editor, reporters Original
Cityside, publisher of Berkeleyside and The Oaklandside, has assembled a team of journalists for its third newsroom, Richmondside, which will begin publishing this summer. Kari Hulac, who joined Cityside in April, will lead Richmondside as its founding editor-in-chief. A Bay Area resident for most of her life, and an East Bay reporter and editor for 13 years, Hulac is deeply committed to providing Richmond with a free source of nonprofit, independent, community-centered news.
Oaklanders share what they love about downtown, and what needs to change
On a recent Friday at the Old Oakland Farmers’ Market, one stall kept people lingering for longer than usual among the rows of vendors offering produce and food. At a table decorated with a large zoning map and a wooden outline of Oakland’s skyscrapers, those who stopped weren’t there to buy but to share their opinion about the state of downtown. The Oaklandside is partnering with Oakland North and Oakland Lowdown to examine what’s working well and what isn’t for people in our urban center.
How has downtown Oakland’s population changed? We mapped it.
After the U.S. Census Bureau released its most recent decennial population data in 2020, The Oaklandside reported about the big demographic trends playing out in our city: a growing overall population that was outpacing the supply of new housing, even while the number of Black residents in Oakland continued a decades-long decline. The Oaklandside is partnering with Oakland North and Oakland Lowdown to examine what’s working well and what isn’t for people in our urban center. Read more.
one Oakland teen's daily commute
This story is part of a first-person series examining public safety and related issues in Oakland being produced in partnership with Oakland Voices and El Tímpano, with support from the American Press Institute. I live in kind of a good neighborhood, near International Boulevard. There’s not that much crime, except maybe once in a while—because you can’t really prevent it from happening, you know? All my neighbors are nice.
At Uptown Market, tech pays the rent for local retailers
A perfectly curated window display. The smell of essential oils in the air. Free samples of homemade lemon pound cake. These are just some of the ways the vendors of Uptown Market are trying to draw people in amidst sights of seemingly constant construction and all-too-frequent incidents of property crime downtown. The Oaklandside is partnering with Oakland North and Oakland Lowdown to examine what’s working well and what isn’t for people in our urban center. Read more.
Cityside is hiring an Editor-in-Chief and a Reporter for its Richmond newsroom
One of the most important steps in building a local newsroom is filling it with talented journalists. With that goal in mind, Cityside Journalism Initiative, the nonprofit publisher of The Oaklandside, Berkeleyside, and East Bay Nosh, is excited to announce two job openings at Richmondside, our soon-to-be local newsroom dedicated to covering the city of Richmond. First, we’re looking for an entrepreneurial journalist with newsroom leadership experience to fill the vital role of Editor-in-Chief.
My Oakland restaurant was broken into 3 times last year. Love for the neighborhood is why I stay
This story was produced in partnership with Oakland Voices as part of a first-person series examining public safety and related issues in Oakland, with support from the American Press Institute. I’ve been here at Marzano as an owner for the past eight years but I’ve worked in this very restaurant on Park Boulevard for 15 years. On the morning of Sept. 15, I was sort of expecting the call. I was here the night before and as I was closing up, I heard a noise, which prompted me to look out the window.
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