Alameda County reporter

William Mccarthy

Will McCarthy is a Bay Area News Group reporter who covers Alameda County for the Mercury News and East Bay Times. Previously, he reported in rural Alaska and central Texas, including at KYUK News; Spectrum News 1 Austin; the Austin Chronicle; and, Alaska Public Media. He reported for the Investigative Reporting Program at UC Berkeley and his freelance work has appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, Texas Monthly and Longreads. Outside of work, Will likes to ride his bike to new places. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a Master's degree in journalism.

Robert Rose, the co-founder of Reliable Robotics.

Self-driving airplanes? The future of automated flight may be closer than you think

June 19, 2023 at 11:27 a.m.

"I think the way you'll buy an airplane ticket in the future will be like calling up an Uber or Lyft on your phone."

Alice Huang, of Stoneridge Creek, left, teaches Chun Tang, of Stoneridge Creek, the ancient art of flower arranging during an Ikebana class at Stoneridge Creek retirement homes in Pleasanton. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)

In the East Bay, an ancient Japanese tradition points a way to healthier aging

May 5, 2023 at 11:53 a.m.

An ikebana club will not redefine the course of society. But experts say these sorts of groups do address one of the root causes of the challenges facing older Americans...

A large container ship is docked at the Port of Oakland in Oakland, Calif., on April 4, 2023.

The Bay Area’s economy of mud: Dredging concerns threaten jobs, $100 billion in assets

April 10, 2023 at 11:54 a.m.

With 99% of the goods that go to Northern California in the balance, shallow San Francisco Bay tries to make way for newer, bigger ships.

Greg Froese, of Lafayette, walks at the Lafayette Reservoir in Lafayette, Calif., on Tuesday, March 14, 2023.

East Bay reservoirs are safe, but atmospheric rivers won't end water worries

March 15, 2023 at 8:48 a.m.

So far, the storms have been beneficial to East Bay watersheds, which have mainly avoided the types of catastrophic flooding that has wracked parts of the South Bay and Monterey...

People living near the Martinez Refining Company in Martinez are under a health advisory from the Contra Costa Health Services to not eat food grown in their gardens until they have tested or replaced their soil, due to an accidental refinery release of dust containing heavy metals in November.

A mysterious white sand fell on Martinez. Now residents fear their soil is unsafe.

March 13, 2023 at 6:08 a.m.

Three months after a refinery accident showered the city in toxic dust, Contra Costa County officials are warning residents about eating from their gardens.

A Caltrans worker clears a storm drain on Interstate 580 eastbound in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, March 10, 2023. The freeway was closed between High Street and 35th Avenue due to flooding. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

Update: I-580 reopens in Oakland after storm shutdown. Why did it take so long?

March 10, 2023 at 12:19 p.m.

"We take it very seriously when it comes to this type of issue," said a Caltrans spokesperson. "We really don't know what's underneath that water."

All Stories