“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…
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.…
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…
Danville Woman Gets Prison For Coast-To-Coast Marijuana Distribution; Money Laundering
A Danville woman has been sentenced to two years in prison for running an illegal cross-country marijuana distribution ring. Federal prosecutors in Syracuse, New York said 31-year-old Simona Borissova of Danville was also sentenced recently to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit nearly $275,000 in a money judgment. Borissova pleaded guilty in February…
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…
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…
Biz Buzz: Fast Food Moves Afoot In Moraga
Don’t tell anyone, because apparently this is as closely guarded a secret as the Royal Romances at Westeros, but a Game of Thrones-style shuffle is underway for some mainstays of the Moraga fast food and coffee scene. Rumors have been circulating for days, “no comments” are being issued as furiously as during a dungeon interrogation,…
Danville Man Indicted For Distribution Of Child Pornography, Conspiracy
From the office of District Attorney Mark Peterson: On July 7, 2016, a Grand Jury in Contra Costa County indicted twenty-seven year old Danville resident Nickolas Robert Thurston on charges he distributed and possessed child pornography, conspired to access protected computer systems and used the identities of multiple women in an attempt to unlawfully gain…
Car vs. Pole Accident On Moraga Way Monday
Orinda police responded to a reported car into pole accident on Moraga Way at Camino Pablo Monday morning and arrived to find that, indeed, contact had been made. The motorist, luckily, was uninjured and traffic flow through the area was restored quickly. This story brought to you by:
Michael Lane Crash Leaves Vehicle Turtled In Lafayette; Driver Uninjured
Neighbors near 596 Michael Lane in Lafayette were startled by a loud noise and the sight of a car on its roof in the middle of the street Wednesday – the result of an apparent collision with a parked car. Officers said a Concord woman traveling northbound on Michael Lane told officers she did not…