NEWS24/680 – News24-680.com

“Hey… So… What’re You Doing After The March?”

Quite a week in the 24/680 with lingering questions about a Lafayette homicide and Concord chemical spill and various and sundry other things capturing our attention. Neighborhood chatter about the aforementioned appears to be diminishing as informational gaps fill in and attention turns to the price of gasoline, burgers, and ammo – the country’s foundational…

Letters: The 14 Characteristics Of Fascism. How Many Have We Met?

Editor; The fourteen characteristics of fascism. How many have we met? The occupant of the white house is openly stating that elections may be cancelled. Members of the media are being arrested and charged with crimes. The Department of Homeland Security is purchasing warehouses and building concentration camps Immigration and Customs Enforcement is roaming our…

Letter: Choosing Our Targets And That Whole “Increased Lethality” Thing

Editor; Since September, this administration has struck 30 boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean in a supposed effort to crack down on drug trafficking — our leaders and military ordering the execution of unknown people without evidence or benefit of trials. This approach, by the president’s own admission, has apparently shifted to land-based…

Don’t Forget To Look Up…

Sometimes, you have to remind yourself to look up.

We have a saying around here: “Always be sure to look up.” It’s because you can get focused on things in front of us, especially if they’re yelling or throwing things at us, and while the center of attention may be on the maelstrom in front of us – something else is undoubtedly going on.…

Deep Thoughts, A Code 3 Night, And The Last Sleep

Tuesday unfolding like a Geisha’s fan, revealing itself to us a pleat at a time after a cycle of police pursuits and crashes. We’ll admit, we succumbed to yesterday’s temperature, sunshine and our musical playlist – pondering deep questions like: “who added cowbell to rock songs?” and: “what’s the better lyric – ‘my brain is…

A Small Victory Blows Our Way – But We’ll Take It

We’ve been around long enough to remember the icy stare of elected officials unmoved by our requests for reconsideration of then-unrestricted use of Satan’s Whistle – aka, A Leaf Blower – in our neighborhoods. We remember committed noisemakers and spewers chortling openly when we were told we could solve our issue by moving, or spending…

Attempted Grab N’ Run At Walnut Creek Nordstrom Doesn’t End Well – For Alleged Grabbers

Obviously we’ve been watching local merchants try to fend off persistent waves of thieves lately, and another chapter in that story was written today during the alleged theft of goods from the Walnut Creek Nordstrom location. Two would-be thieves visited Nordstrom around 2:15 p.m. Thursday, making off with an unknown amount of merchandise from the…

“Lyrics Unsuitable For Today’s Audiences…”

We liked that line. It popped up as we were listening to some Mesozoic Era rock n’ roll, cocking an ear as the documented antics of 60s Rock and Pop Stars were threaded behind a Keith Richards guitar riff, quaint by comparison to some of today’s most egregious artists – whose music has made us…

Stand Back – He’s Dieting; Critter Care; Lifeboat Drills

Wedged for an uncomfortably long period of time in the deliveries door of the News24/680 Redoubt we resolved to lose some extra bodily baggage – and immediately reaped the benefits that come with switching to half-rations. In lean times, with prices going up for just about everything, cutting back eased immediate pressures on the pocketbook…

Vallejo Guitar Teacher Arrested For Molesting Minor In San Ramon

A Vallejo guitar instructor and registered sex offender was taken into custody by San Ramon police Thursday after allegations of lewd and lascivious acts committed against a child during a lesson in San Ramon. Rex Lee Bell, 69, was arrested on nine counts of lewd and lascivious acts against a child under the age of…