Major Injury Crash Briefly Closes Southbound I-680 Tuesday

One person was seriously injured in a high speed crash off southbound I-680 near Bollinger Canyon Road Tuesday, the crash closing the Interstate for about half an hour as a CalStar air ambulance was brought in to evacuate the injured driver. The incident was reported at about 1:50 p.m., with motorists reporting a white pickup…

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Morning Dispatches – “Turn, Jimmy, Turn!”

Just pecking out a few lines before things begin in earnest here in the 24/680, in the trenches armed with the morning latte and thinking about what newsgathering was like before the age of smart phones and Dick Tracy wrist radios. The NEWS24/680 Sopwith is in the hanger for repairs so we’re hugging the ground this…

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New Fight Looming For Moraga’s Contentious City Ventures Project

Questions about the City Ventures project along Moraga way began almost as soon as the story poles marking the project’s proposed roof lines and construction footprint went up alongside Station 41. And a new fight appears to be brewing as the Moraga planning commission appears evenly divided on the issue and the future of the…

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“Construction Hat” Bandits Rob Orinda Bank Of The West Friday

A sleepy Friday morning in downtown Orinda was disrupted at 9:12 a.m. when two black men wearing “construction-type” gear entered the Bank of the West branch at 21 Moraga Way, approached a teller and passed over a note demanding money. Police Chief Mark Nagel said the teller handed over an undetermined amount of cash. Nagel said…

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So Long, Jack, It Has Been A Long Ride… Moraga Jack In The Box Closes

Moraga’s Jack In The Box outpost, a mainstay fast food dispensary for almost half a century – has closed its doors, as this site reported last week. A thin stream of disappointed customers pressed their faces up against the plate glass doors Wednesday to read a brief notice entreating customers to visit the franchises other locations.…

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Burglars Find Two Homes In Lafayette’s Hidden Valley

Lafayette police are seeking any information the public may have on two separate but seemingly related burglaries in the Hidden Valley neighborhood July 6 and July 15. Police said a thief or thieves entered residences in the 4100 block of Hidden Valley Road and the 100 block of White Oak Dr. on those dates while the…

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Pleasant Hill Police Arrest Shoplifting Crew On Highway 24 Thursday

Our pages have documented several recent shoplifting excursions in the 24/680 of late, some of them seemingly conducted by crews of individuals targeting specific stores for specific merchandise. On Thursday, about 10:30 a.m., employees from Marshall’s department store in Pleasant Hill called police to report that a large scale theft had just occurred. A detailed description…

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Orinda Council Studying Possible Future Requirements For Short-Term Rentals

Bloodied when a short-term rental scenario went wrong with tragic results in February, Orinda’s city council has spent the interim period tinkering with ideas to safeguard homeowner, renters – and the city – in future. Mayor Victoria Smith asked city staff to canvass surrounding cities and towns for their approaches to the short-term rental market, popularized by sites…

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