Sometimes, The Best Rescues Are The Littlest Ones

There was a good rescue in Martinez today, perhaps not the most dramatic with buzzing helicopters or cast life rings, but nevertheless one pulled off by strangers who came together to do some good. It started with Orinda Reader/Runner Amanda Ferguson, one of those people who sulk all day if they haven’t run 30 or…

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Overnight Grass Fire Chars 2 Acres In Lafayette Tuesday

An early morning grass fire burned through a hillside at Angelo Street and Reliez Valley Road in Lafayette early Tuesday morning, briefly threatening two homes on Hillside Terrace before it was brought under control. Firefighters got the call at approximately 1:30 a.m., and were hampered by the area’s steep terrain. In the end, no homes…

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Ask Not For Whom The Road Tolls, It Tolls For Thee…

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission has announced that an express lane along an 11-mile stretch of southbound Interstate 680 from Martinez through Walnut Creek will begin charging tolls next month. Tolling operations will begin at 5 a.m. on Aug. 20 and will connect with the existing 11-mile express lane from Rudgear Road in Walnut Creek to…

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Tales From Suburbia: Oddities Du Jour

All in all a bittersweet week in the semi-rural Badlands of the East Bay, with fair weather prevailing, cooks sharing recipes, gardeners comparing tomato harvests, and water mains giving out just as we declare ourselves in drought and in need of every precious drop. It’s all part of the irony of life, we suppose, attempting…

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One Dead, One Wounded In Highway 4 Shooting In Concord Saturday

At approximately 6:35 p.m. Saturday, California Highway Patrol officers responded to reports of a freeway shooting on westbound SR-4, just east of Port Chicago Highway in Concord. Upon arrival, officers found victims suffering from gunshot wounds inside a black Toyota Camry. One victim succumbed to their injuries and another suffered moderate wounds. The unknown suspect…

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Arrest Made In Walnut Creek Homicide Case

UPDATE: July 28 – The District Attorney’s Office has dropped their case against Casillas-Flores, citing a lack of evidence. Information about the shooting continues to come in, with witnesses saying a conflict between two groups partying inside the Spoontonic Lounge eventually spilled out into the street and ended in gunfire. A social media post from…

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Fiery Crash Closes Moraga Way Thursday

A fiery one-car crash on Moraga Way near Glorietta closed the thoroughfare Thursday, the car touching off a grass fire that briefly threatened nearby homes. Orinda Police Chief David Cooks said at approximately 1:51 p.m. local officers were dispatched to a report of a traffic collision in the area of Moraga Way and Monte Veda…

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Counties Urge Employers To Consider Requiring Employee Vaccinations

From Contra Costa Health Services: Contra Costa, Santa Clara County and San Francisco Public Health Officials Urge Employers to Consider Requiring Employee Vaccination to Promote COVID-Safe Workplaces With COVID-19 cases rapidly on the rise, leaving unvaccinated individuals at risk for serious illness and death, the health officers of Contra Costa, Santa Clara, and San Francisco…

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NFL Coach Remains In Critical Condition After San Ramon Bike Collision

Greg Knapp, a local resident and NFL quarterback coach, remains in critical condition at a local hospital after he was struck while riding his bicycle in San Ramon Saturday. Knapp was riding with traffic on Dougherty Road north of Monarch Road when a vehicle reportedly veered into his lane and made contact, knocking the cyclist…

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