Electronic Frontier Foundation Launches Privacy’s Defenders Podcast Featuring Cindy Cohn and John Gilmore
Inaugural episode chronicles EFF’s 1990 founding in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district amid the Secret Service’s Operation…
3 min read
Earlier stories
A closer look at the people, places and ideas shaping Concord.
Search and community filters apply to these 50 stories in this part of the archive. Continue to earlier reporting below.
Business
California Secretary of State Coordinates Federal Postal Investigation Following Daly City Ballot Theft
County election officials deploy replacement ballots and enhance barcode tracking security ahead of November general election.
2 min read
Archer Aviation Executes Landmark Electric Air Taxi Transition Flight Trials Over Oakland Estuary
Midnight aircraft completes full vertical-to-horizontal aerodynamic transition ahead of commercial Federal Aviation Administration…
2 min read
OpenAI Releases GPT-6.1 Sol Model Slashing Inference Latencies and Costs for Enterprise Scale
New foundation model delivers superior benchmark scores on coding and mathematical reasoning while reducing token operating expenses…
2 min read
UC Berkeley CLTC Releases Formal Quantitative Risk Modeling Framework for Autonomous Frontier AI
Academic researchers and industry safety teams establish mathematical benchmarks to evaluate model containment, tool escape, and…
2 min read
Concord rethinks Treat Boulevard retail after dining anchor closes
City officials and commercial brokers evaluate adaptive reuse opportunities following closure of prominent dining anchor near Clayton…
2 min read
Pleasant Hill chamber members get free entry to a January employment-law day
A full day of California employment-law training comes to National University on Jan. 27, and Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce…
3 min read
Schools
Diablo Valley College Unveils State-of-the-Art STEM Robotics and Biotech Transfer Labs in Pleasant Hill
New academic facility links community college scholars directly with UC Berkeley and regional life sciences employers through…
2 min read
Los Medanos College Convenes 19th Annual Student Leadership Conference as Four-Year Degree Pathways Expand
Pittsburg campus gathers scholars, civic mentors, and alumni to explore leadership resilience, student civic engagement, and emerging…
2 min read
Clayton Valley Charter launches drone piloting curriculum
Innovative technical education pathway partners with industry instructors to prepare local students for federal commercial drone…
2 min read
Diablo Valley College Expands Student Basic Needs Center and Community Grocery Pantry in Pleasant Hill
Community college hub provides fresh local produce, emergency meal vouchers, and housing stabilization grants for over 2,400 students…
2 min read
Diablo Valley College Expands Student Support Center and Food Pantry on Pleasant Hill Campus
New $2.4M facility investment doubles student food pantry capacity and integrates emergency housing grants for Contra Costa community…
2 min read
County names two Teachers of the Year at Concord gala
Contra Costa County celebrated outstanding educators at the 2026 Teacher of the Year gala, naming two top honorees to represent the…
3 min read
Civic life
Contra Costa Health Deploys Mobile Immunization Units and Preventive Wellness Hubs Across Central County
Public health clinics offer free seasonal vaccinations, cardiovascular screenings, and bilingual healthcare navigation at community…
2 min read
Central Contra Costa Transit Authority Deploys Smart Transit Corridors and Wildfire Fuel Reduction Along Arterials
Multi-jurisdictional initiative upgrades 34 intersections along Treat Boulevard and Contra Costa Boulevard while Con Fire clears…
2 min read
PG&E Activates Precautionary Public Safety Power Shutoff Across Berkeley Hills and East Bay Ridges
Red flag warnings trigger electrical de-energization for elevated neighborhoods as gusty conditions elevate Diablo wind fire risks…
2 min read
Bay Area Municipalities Review AI Audio Surveillance Contracts Following Disclosures Over Ambient Microphone Capabilities
City councils in Alameda and Contra Costa evaluate acoustic detection boundaries between active gunshot alerts and ambient…
2 min read
Labor and Community Coalition Qualifies Historic $30 Minimum Wage Measure for Alameda County Ballot
Voters across Oakland, Berkeley, and Tri-Valley to consider phased wage standard aimed at matching Bay Area regional living and…
2 min read
PG&E Expands Public Safety Power Shutoff Warnings to 1,600 Central Contra Costa Canyon and Ridge Customers
Utility alerts residents across Mount Diablo foothills, Morgan Territory, and canyon communities as severe offshore Diablo winds…
2 min read
Antioch Police Department Secures $95,000 State Traffic Safety Grant Targeting High-Speed Arterials
Funding from California Office of Traffic Safety will deploy dedicated patrol shifts along Highway 4, Lone Tree Way, and Deer Valley…
2 min read
BART to Test Earthquake Early Warning System and Station Response During Great ShakeOut Drill
System-wide simulation on Thursday at 10:15 a.m. will briefly slow trains to 27 mph and test simulated damage inspections across all…
2 min read
Bay Area Air Quality Management District Awards $65 Million in Environmental Settlement Grants to Contra Costa Communities
Historic industrial penalty funds direct millions toward school air filtration retrofits, neighborhood emission monitoring arrays, and…
2 min read
Antioch Police Department Secures $95,000 State Traffic Safety Grant for High-Collision Corridors
California Office of Traffic Safety funding supports targeted DUI checkpoints, distracted driving enforcement patrols, and pedestrian…
2 min read
Con Fire shows wildfire drones and alert tech at Concord open house
Con Fire firefighters demonstrate thermal imaging drones, defensible space assessments, and rapid evacuation alert systems for Central…
2 min read
Walnut Creek Approves Broadway Plaza Pedestrian Safety Corridor and Enhanced Outdoor Gathering Spaces
City Council greenlights architectural safety bollards, illuminated crosswalks, and expanded public seating plazas along South Main…
2 min read
Measure O asks Concord to modernize its business license tax
Proposed municipal measure restructures city tax tiers while expanding relief for small home-based enterprises
2 min read
Where to park a bike in Martinez, and what the county will pay for
Martinez publishes a map of where to lock up downtown, last updated in December 2024.
3 min read
BART's surveillance reports go to its board Thursday
BART's Board of Directors is asked on Thursday, Sept. 24, to approve the district's surveillance report for the year and camera impact…
3 min read
Four ways to weigh in this week, from Walnut Creek 2050 to a Pleasant Hill forum
Four chances to speak up this week: Walnut Creek's 2050 workshop Sept. 24, a tenant rights session Sept. 26, and in Pleasant Hill a…
3 min read
Contra Costa sets its Veterans Day ceremony for Nov. 3 in Martinez
Contra Costa County's Board of Supervisors will hold the annual Veterans Day ceremony at 11 a.m.
2 min read
Community
Contra Costa County Awards $1.2 Million in Historic Preservation and Cultural Arts Grants
Supervisors approve major funding for Galindo Home seismic restoration, Martinez Museum archive expansion, and Mount Diablo heritage…
2 min read
Richmond Greenway opens wheelchair-accessible garden beds
West County youth and disability rights advocates inaugurate sensory agriculture beds and stabilized pathways along the pedestrian…
2 min read
Walnut Creek Expands Adaptive Signal Timing Along Ygnacio Valley Road to Ease Commute Bottlenecks
Municipal transportation division installs AI optical sensors and dynamic coordination across eighteen intersections from I-680 to…
2 min read
Contra Costa Transportation Authority Outlines $14M Signal Synchronization for Ygnacio Valley
Artificial intelligence timing sensors and transit signal priority will connect thirty-four intersections across Walnut Creek and…
2 min read
Contra Costa Communities Secure $65M From Refinery Settlement to Expand Air Quality Defense
Richmond, Martinez, and shoreline neighborhoods will deploy fenceline monitoring sensors and residential filtration systems under…
2 min read
Highway 4 eastbound reopens near Port Chicago after Con Fire rescue
Multi-agency emergency crews extract trapped motorists and extinguish fuel runoff to restore vital Contra Costa commute corridor.
2 min read
Freeway chase on SR-24 and I-680 ends in arrest in Concord
A high-speed vehicular pursuit spanning major Central Contra Costa corridors ended late Thursday night when law enforcement officers…
2 min read
Con Fire opens its doors Oct. 10 for live rescue demonstrations
The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District will host its popular annual community open house and public safety exposition on…
2 min read
Water district honors 14 student artists in conservation showcase
Board of Directors celebrates winning youth illustrations promoting environmental stewardship and conservation
2 min read
Saint Mary's runs its first home cross country meet since 2021
Saint Mary's hosted a cross country meet for the first time since the 2021 WCC Championships on Sept. 18.
3 min read
Health
Science Corporation Implants Wireless Retinal Prosthesis in First Stargardt Patient During Clinical Trial
Surgical breakthrough at Sydney Eye Hospital validates modular neural interface capable of restoring central visual acuity in patients…
2 min read
Bay Area Air Quality Management District Monitors Flaring Activity at Richmond Refinery
Contra Costa hazardous materials teams confirm automated air monitoring sensors across Concord and San Pablo Bay recorded no toxic…
2 min read
Contra Costa Health Inspectors Order Immediate Closure of Concord Restaurant Over Sanitary Violations
County Environmental Health division suspends operating permit for Huckleberry's Breakfast and Lunch following discovery of active…
2 min read
Things to do
Youth artists illuminate Dublin community spirit at Mayor Sherry Hu’s fall art showcase
As an 11th grade student and lifelong artist with years of experience across graphite, charcoal, colored pencil, collages and more,…
4 min read
Pedal Fest, a county block party and a free 'Dracula' preview
A first-year bike festival at Baldwin Park, a county services block party at the Pleasant Hill Library, and Center REP previewing its…
3 min read
Real Estate
City opens applications for below-market downtown condos
City Community Development Department opens application window for deed-restricted downtown condominium residences
2 min read
Zumper ranks Concord among Bay Area's most affordable rental cities
Zumper index highlights competitive median rents alongside growing transit-oriented residential development near BART
2 min read