County Health Deploys HazMat Team After Petroleum Coke Dust Release In Martinez Friday
The Contra Costa County Health department was notified of a release of petroleum coke dust at the Martinez Refining Company plant on Friday morning, sending a HazMat team to the area to monitor what, if any, effect the release had on surrounding neighborhoods. Flash users and Facebook subscribers lit up those interfaces with news of…
Barriers Back Up In Broadway Plaza After Tuesday Morning Ram Raid
The city installed barriers on either end of Broadway Plaza after the infamous 2021 Nordstrom robbery, the barriers preventing cars from driving through the shopping district for more than a year. Those barriers were removed in March of this year, the city taking steps to increase protection for downtown merchants. Tonight, Tuesday, after early morning Ram…
NEWS24/680: “We Deal In Now…”
One of our small but merry staff gave us the title for today’s effort, explaining our model to a call-in subscriber convinced we were robots and AI-generated minions of some giant super-corporation. “Nope, all human,” our man told the suspicious caller. “Call anytime. We deal in now.” We liked that so, we’re using it today.…
Thunder Runners; Highway Hiker; Coppa Choppa, And Sideshow Olé
After a deceptively quiet start to the evening, Friday night devolved into a Code Three blur of sirens, apparitions, and screeching tires as random incidents of criminal intent and psychotic breaks turned the evening into a mélange of breakneck events. By now, you’ve no doubt caught up with us regarding that pursuit from Pittsburg through…
Walnut Creek a Go-Go; Boom Booms And Messages From The Wildlands
Being risk-takers and heat-seekers we roamed the wilds of the 24/680 Saturday night, looking for the latest fashion trends, dance crazes, and conducting our usual hyperlocal study of cultural anthropology – to put a fancy-schmancy name on it. We can report that hemlines are rising, hotpants still haven’t made a comeback, there’s actually line-dancing going…
When The Smoke Gets In Our Eyes
Nothing burning locally and yes, we hope we haven’t just jinxed our night, but we’re clear so far with low pressure and wildfires burning in Northern California and Oregon drawing smoke south into our swirlie little valleys. Kind of a (cough) pain isn’t it?
Rolling Bicycle Party Visits Walnut Creek/Pleasant Hill Friday
A colorful convoy of two-wheeled bicycle enthusiasts roamed between Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill Friday – carrying their own music, pedal fuel, and burritos and attracting lots of attention. The East Bay Bike Party, a loose coalition of riders who organize through social media for semi-regular rides turned out in force for Friday’s ride, numbering…
Everyone Feeling Okay?
We’ve heard of the uptick in Covid cases in the county and our healthcare people say it’s true. More folks seem to be reporting symptoms and new mask/no mask vaccinate/no vaccinate arguments are springing up again because that – apparently – is what we do. For our part we’re staying removed from people in general…
Rossmoorians Sound Off (Silently) Against Acts Of Bigotry And Hatred
Citing the recent murder of three African-American citizens by a gunman in a predominantly black neighborhood of Jacksonville, Fla., residents of Rossmoor in Walnut Creek turned out in a silent vigil against hatred and bigotry Sunday. Residents turned out to condemn the shootings and hatred behind them, expressing their sorrow with an hour of silence…
Soggy Man; Running Man; Swollen Man; And Petty Theft, Succulents
Photo Caption: A fender-grinder in the parking lot outside Retro Junkie on N. Main Street in Walnut Creek on Saturday night resulted in damage to both vehicles, a DUI charge for the driver of the Challenger and a repair bill for the owner of the food truck. Another small drama unfolding in the Big City.…