Retail Theft Suppression Unit Arrests Seven In Five Hours At Ulta Concord

An ad hoc team of uniformed and plainclothes Concord PD officers cobbled together to address the retail theft problem sweeping the city and businesses Bay Area-wide found the work rewarding at a local Ulta Beauty outlet recently – arresting 7 people allegedly stealing from the store in just 5 hours. Details of the operation posted…

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Continued Pyro Use Leading To More Aggro For Fire-Weary Locals

Independence Day has passed but people are still shooting red-hot missiles into tinder-dry fields, apparently. This time in San Ramon. Flash Reader photos from a fire on Promontory Circle in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. If you’re thinking of touching off some pyrotechnics near a field or homes in your neighborhood, you may want…

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Pleasant Hill House On Bonnie Lane Burns Saturday

A call from a neighbor brought Contra Costa County Fire Protection District firefighters to the 2900 block of Bonnie Lane early Saturday, firefighters arriving to find the home engulfed in flame. Crews reached the scene at 3:24 a.m. and were met by heavy smoke and flame from the structure. The scene was further complicated by…

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After The Fireworks Finales – It’s Back To The Races Again

All in all an exciting Fourth of July with all sorts of activities popping off – some planned, some not. No sooner had the Fireworks Finales come to an end when the first July 5th pursuit kicked off, running along our namesake freeways and back again, photographer Sean McDonough capturing the moment the wanted vehicle…

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Home Chefs Now Able To Market Their Meals

From County Public Health: Contra Costa residents interested in selling home-cooked food to the public can now get a health permit to do so, an affordable option for entrepreneurs that ensures the safety of their customers. Beginning July 1, Contra Costa Health (CCH) offers a new type of food permit for small-scale, home-based restaurants operated…

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Power Lineup Unplugged By Power Failure In Concord Saturday

Nice crowd out at the Concord Pavilion tonight, waiting patiently for John Waite, Foreigner and Styx when – fffzzszzip – the power goes out. PG&E says 1,500 are afflicted out in that part of Concord-Clayton but we don’t know if they’re counting the concert goers – who were patiently returning to their cars for the…

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Tales From Our Cities

Tip of the fedora to our fellow Urban Roamer Armistead Maupin and the characters he gave us from our former designated playground as we extend tradition and haunt the East Bay’s greasier alleyways and watering holes in search of stories. We’ve been busy dodging careering getaway cars, aerial mortars and flaming garbage trucks lately –…

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Pair Charged With Sabotaging West County 911 System

From the Office of the District Attorney: Martinez, California – The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office filed charges on June 25th against two men who cut a utility line that severed 911 service for residents in Pinole, Hercules, and San Pablo. Jesus Francisco Arias-Ayala, 31, of Hayward and 49-year-old Daniel Antonio Mena-Diaz of Richmond were…

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Garbage Truck Fire Turns I680 Into A Hot Mess

Garbage truck catches fire and burns to the rims on I680 north at Monument Boulevard in Pleasant Hill – pitching area traffic into chaos. Freeway shut down northbound and limited in the opposing direction. The backup is extensive and people are… unhappy. Crews also battled fire spreading into adjacent vegetation.

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