There Are Worse Places To Have A Pole Fire…

A PG&E transformer got a little sparky at around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, setting fire to the median at Camino Pablo and El Toyonal in Orinda before firefighters were able to put it out. Local Ron Simi was out and about and captured the moment, noting that the sign indicating “Moderate Fire Danger” at that…

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Armed Robber Steals iPhones From Victims In Orinda Wednesday

Police in Orinda are investigating an armed robbery which occurred early Wednesday morning at Orinda Way and Camino Pablo in the city. Two victims were relieved of their phones by an armed man who emerged from a passing car, brandished a pistol and left with the phones at around 12:29 a.m. Orinda Police Chief David…

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The Battered Batards Of The Digital News Zone

Apologies to any remaining Screaming Eagles for playing with their nom de guerre but it has been hard slogging in the trenches of Digital Journalism lately, with facts proving elusive and sources hard to find. To those who have written to us requesting information on a possible accident involving a piece of Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection…

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Arrests Made During Carquinez Bridge Protest Friday

Three people were arrested after a group of protestors demanding police reform walked onto the Carquinez Bridge and briefly closed westbound traffic off before California Highway Patrol officers moved in to make arrests. The action was reported at approximately 1:30 p.m. Friday as more than 50 protestors accessed the pedestrian walkway of the bridge and,…

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COVID Cases Increase In Contra Costa As Locals Resume Normal Routines

The state Department of Public Health says it is keeping an eye on Contra Costa County after noting an apparent uptick in coronavirus hospitalizations. As of Friday, the county had 23 people hospitalized with COVID-19 – up from 13 people on June 1. County Health Services has reported 2,148 known cases of the virus and…

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Things That Go “Boom” In The Night – A Prelude To The Fourth

Many of you have been writing or calling us about “loud bangs,” “gunshots,” “automatic weapons,” or “bombs” going off in once-sleepy suburban neighborhoods. Some have asked about inbound meteorites, plane crashes or military rocket shoots and we’ve been saying the explanation appears to have a more earthly origin. This little video snippet, shot during neighborhood…

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Robert Fritzky, Former Moraga Community Foundation Treasurer, Charged With Fraud

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office: More than $250,000 in Unauthorized Withdrawals From the Foundation’s Bank Accounts OAKLAND – Francis Robert Fritzky, the former treasurer of the Moraga Community Foundation was charged yesterday with wire fraud and filing a false tax return, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in…

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Local Politics, Elections In The Year Of Pandemic

From the Contra Costa County Registrar of Voters: The Candidate filing period for offices in Schools, Community Colleges, and Special Districts is from July 13 to August 7, 2020 in order to appear on the November 2020 ballot. In the past, filing for office has been conducted in the Elections Division office. This election however,…

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Iron Horse Sexual Battery Suspect Surrenders Wednesday

A 28-year-old Hercules man police suspect of at least one in a series of sexual battery assaults on women joggers using the Iron Horse Trail in Walnut Creek has surrendered to Regional Park Police. The man, who was not immediately identified, surrendered to investigators after a warrant was apparently issued for his arrest. A photo…

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