By Hercules Police Department
On Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023, at approximately 12:03 PM officers received a Flock camera notification of a stolen gray Hyundai Sonata in area of Willow Avenue at Sycamore Avenue. An officer observed the Hyundai turning right onto San Pablo Ave from Sycamore Ave. The officer attempted to initiate a traffic enforcement stop and notified other officers in the area on the radio.
Another officer that was on an unrelated traffic enforcement stop John Muir Parkway at San Pablo Ave. observed the Hyundai begin to accelerate away at a high rate of speed. The officer had an opportunity to deploy stop sticks successfully deflating three tires.
Officers trailed the Hyundai eastbound on State Route 4 for community safety purposes. The Hyundai was not able to evade the officers effectively due to the tires being deflated completely. As the trailing progressed on State Route 4 the integrity of the Hyundai’s rims failed causing the vehicle to drive erratically and slower. An officer began a traffic break to help slow down other vehicles on the highway. The driver lost control and spun-out facing west on State Route 4. The driver attempted to continue evading again and drove directly toward a patrol vehicle that was stopped with the officer inside. The Hyundai struck the officer’s vehicle. The officers were able to safely arrest the driver.
The driver and officer sustained no injuries. The driver was then medically cleared at the hospital and later transported to juvenile hall. The Hyundai was towed.
Read MoreThe Greatest News Ever Given
The lyrics in the old Christmas carol pretty much sum up the story of Christmas: “Hark the herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the newborn king! Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.’” Because that’s how it’s described in the book of Luke, chapter 2 in the Bible.
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby [Bethlehem], keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’” Luke 2:8-14
As we celebrate Christmas, today, exchanging and opening presents, eating wonderful homemade food and watching classic Christmas movies, let’s remember what this holiday is really all about – celebrating the birthday of Jesus, the Christ.
He was, in the slang of speaker Ken Poure, “God in a bod.” He came down from Heaven, made himself lower than the angels and took on the body of a human being, was born as a baby – not into earthly wealth or power, but to a holy, yet imperfect young, virgin woman and a carpenter, to whom she was engaged, and in a stable with domesticated animals looking on, then growing into adulthood, so he could be one of us.
Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, who the prophet Isaiah proclaimed 700 years before His birth, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.”
However, He was not a political messiah as many sought in that day, to lead a revolt and rescue them from the rule of the Roman Empire, but rather a spiritual, eternal messiah whose kingdom will never end. What’s more important and lasting, something political or spiritual? Obviously, spiritual.
As a human, Jesus was able to communicate with us, show us how to live and love, and share with us God’s message of salvation, which He provided. Instead of the yearly sacrifice of the unblemished lamb, whose blood merely covered over the sins of the people, the unblemished, perfect Christ provided us the once-and-for-all sacrifice, eliminating our sin and defeating the power of death – ultimate, spiritual, eternal death – for those who choose to follow Him and accept Him as their Lord and Savior. He is our bridge to God the Father, who reached down into human history to offer us a way to have a relationship with Him, that had been broken off by the sin of Adam and Eve.
So, today, this Christmas day, I encourage you to read the story of the birth of Jesus, the Christ in Luke, chapter two. Then find a Bible-believing church to attend today to seek out others who understand and have experienced the true meaning of Christmas, found in Jesus, who came to give us hope; salvation from the degradation of sin in our lives – because we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God – the opportunity to have an abundant life, not just one of empty pursuit of pleasure and acquiring things; peace in our hearts; and to be with Him for eternity. Because unlike any other spiritual leader in history Jesus is the only way to God, as he proclaimed “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
And that is the way to have a truly, Merry Christmas!
Allen D. Payton, Publisher
Here are the words to the song that memorializes the most important herald that has ever been – the announcement by the angels of the birth of the Savior of the world, Jesus the Christ, the long-prophesied messiah, born in Bethlehem some 2000 years ago. He was born to bridge the gap between humans and God, due to the sin in their lives, which breaks our fellowship and relationship with Him. This year, you can know the true meaning of Christmas by opening your heart to the message and reason for the season, the birth, perfect life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Learn more by clicking here.
The word hark means listen, and a herald is an official messenger bringing news. That’s why the songwriter referred to them as herald angels, because that’s the type of angels they were, announcing the good news of Jesus’ birth. Enjoy the lyrics and song of “Hark the herald angels sing.”
Hark! The herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King! Peace on earth and mercy mild God and sinners reconciled" Joyful, all ye nations rise Join the triumph of the skies With the angelic host proclaim: "Christ is born in Bethlehem" Hark! The herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King!" Christ by highest heav'n adored Christ the everlasting Lord! Late in time behold Him come Offspring of a Virgin's womb Veiled in flesh the Godhead see Hail the incarnate Deity Pleased as man with man to dwell Jesus, our Emmanuel Hark! The herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King!" Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings Ris'n with healing in His wings Mild He lays His glory by Born that man no more may die Born to raise the sons of earth Born to give them second birth Hark! The herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King!" To hear it sung, click here.
"Hark the herald angels sing” Christmas Carol was written by Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley founder of the Methodist church, in 1739. A somber man, he requested slow and solemn music for his lyrics and thus “Hark the herald angels sing” was sung to a different tune initially. Over a hundred years later Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) composed a cantata in 1840 to commemorate Johann Gutenberg's invention of the printing press. English musician William H. Cummings adapted Mendelssohn’s music to fit the lyrics of “Hark the herald angels sing” already written by Wesley.Read More
Jesus’ Birth Foretold
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was very perplexed at this statement and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.
The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason, the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.”
And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
The Birth of Jesus
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So, they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
From the Bible in the Book of Luke, Chapter 1, verses 26-38 NASB; and Chapter 2, verses 1-14, NIV.
Read MorePolice seek assistance in locating suspect’s car; out of custody
By Oakley Police Department
On Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, shortly after midnight, Oakley police officers were dispatched to the area of Bridgehead Road and Main Street to investigate a male lying in the roadway. Our officers arrived and located an adult male victim lying in the road next to a bicycle. Officers rendered aid and summoned Emergency Medical Services. It was determined the victim was riding his bicycle home after getting off work and the victim was struck by a vehicle, unfortunately the victim succumbed to his injuries.
Oakley traffic investigators have reviewed several forms of digital media in the area and determined the vehicle involved in the collision fled the scene and did not stop to check on the victim. Traffic investigators have determined that vehicle to be a silver 2015 Toyota Camry, CA license plate # 8ERS961. The registered owner of the vehicle, Timmy Lee Hudson (55, Oakley), has been taken into custody in connection with this case, but he has not been forthcoming on where his vehicle is. Investigators have been actively attempting to locate Hudson’s vehicle but have been unable to do so up to this point.
Our efforts have included making contact with family members, searching his home and checking with auto body repair shops. Hudson is known to frequent the Oakland area as well as Oakley. The vehicle is believed to have sustained front end and windshield damage. It is possible the license plates are no longer attached to the vehicle at this point. We have checked local auto body shops, but we also realize there are dozens of auto body shops outside of our immediate area.
We are seeking the assistance of the public and we will do everything possible to be respectful of anonymity. If you have any information regarding this case or the whereabouts of Hudson’s vehicle, please contact Traffic Investigator Palmer at 925-625-8831 or Oakley PD Dispatch at 925-625-8060. We are additionally asking anybody associated with an auto body repair business to be on the lookout for a vehicle like Hudson’s in their shop.
For reference we have attached a photo of Hudson’s vehicle that was taken prior to this incident.
According to Hudson’s Facebook page, he works as a dishwasher at Drake’s Dealership and in maintenance at Groge M Martin Co., which is believed to be George M. Martin Company, in Emeryville, and claims to be a “loving father and husband.” According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, he is booked on Thursday, Dec. 21 and out of custody on bond as of Friday, Dec. 22.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
Read MoreWeapon possibly used in crime confiscated; third arrest this year for one of the teens
By Brentwood Police Department
On Friday, Dec. 15, 2023, a Brentwood Officer was patrolling the area of Balfour Road and West County Club Drive when he was alerted to a vehicle that had just committed a carjacking in the City of Hayward.
The officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the car, however the car attempted to flee from the officer. Fortunately, all occupants from the vehicle were safely detained at Balfour Road and John Muir Parkway.
The driver, identified as 21-year-old Zane Malakai Vincent of Brentwood, was placed under arrest. A weapon believed to be used in the commission of the crime was located. Hayward PD later responded to complete their investigation and the other two occupants, 18-year-old Christian Grajales of Hayward and 19-year-old Wilberth Yair MartinezHerrera of Newark, were identified as the suspects involved in the carjacking. (See dashcam video)
Crime has no borders and luckily, the officer was proactive in preventing the potential for additional crime in our city.
According to localcrimenews.com, Vincent was arrested for receiving stolen property – motor vehicle. According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, he bonded out on Dec. 16.
Also, according to localcrimenews.com, in addition to carjacking, Grajales was arrested for committing a felony while released on bail or own recognizance, conspiracy to commit a crime, assault with a deadly weapon or assault with force likely to produce great bodily harm and false imprisonment by violence.
It was his third arrest, this year as Grajales was arrested the day before by Newark Police for robbery and resisting, obstructing and/or delaying a peace officer. He was also arrested by Hayward Police on July 24, for exhibiting a deadly weapon other than a firearm. According to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, he is in custody at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.
According to localcrimenews.com, MartinezHerrera was arrested for driving without a license, hit-and-run resulting in property damage, DUI and being a minor driving with a Blood Alcohol Content of .05% or more.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
Read MoreGoFundMe account established to support mother of Freedom High grad, Los Medanos College student; police seek suspect
By Allen D. Payton
The Contra Costa Coroner has identified the pizza delivery driver who was shot and killed in his car in front of his Oakley home on Wednesday night, Dec. 20, 2023 as Gabriel Stewart. (See related article)
Police still seek the suspect in the homicide.
A GoFundMe account was established on Friday by Court Russ to support Stewart’s mother and offers details about the young man’s life:
“This fundraiser is being organized to support Carol Stewart, during this overwhelmingly difficult time, following the tragic death of her only son, Gabriel, who was just 24 years young. It is my hope and intention that we can collectively provide monetary support so Gabriel’s mother and family can focus their time and attention on their grieving process, under these extremely difficult circumstances.
Words cannot express the tremendous depth of heartache that Gabe’s mother and family are enduring. Just last weekend they gathered for their annual gingerbread house decorating contest and holiday festivities, and now – when they should be preparing for Christmas together- his family is instead planning a funeral and grieving the loss of their son/brother/uncle.
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To give some insight to the young man that Gabe was and the things that brought him joy in life, his family shared the following…
“He was Gabe to us….he loved his family, was a devoted son, brother and uncle. He was a wonderful friend. There are no words to describe how much he loved his mom and siblings.
Gabe was funny and had a competitive spirit, infectious laugh and loved to hang with friends and family. He had a large group of friends who he played basketball with and went to the movies & played video games with. (He loved playing Apex Legends and Madden on X-box!)
He loved the 49ers, especially Nick Bosa, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel. He was also a devoted fan of Russell Westbrook, following his career and whatever basketball team he played for.
Gabe was really into Jujutsu Kaisen and would get so excited every Thursday when a new episode would come out, watching it first and then running to tell his sister about it.
He was also a HUGE fan of Naruto and just finished re-watching the whole series, and loved, loved, loved Naruto!!
He loved riding his bike around town, discovering new places and going on vacation.
Gabe graduated from Freedom High School and was in his final semester at Los Medanos College before transferring to Cal State East Bay. He was employed as a delivery driver with Dominoes for the past 4+ years as he worked his way through college.
Gabe loved music, loved cats & hated spiders! He had a sweet tooth and loved chocolate!
We miss him immensely.”
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Please keep Gabriel’s family in your prayers. If it is on your heart to do so, please contribute any amount that you are able. Your consideration is appreciated more than words can possibly express.
On behalf of the Stewart family, thank you for reading, sharing and words of support.
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As of Saturday morning, Dec. 23, $4,983 had been contributed toward the effort’s $10,000 goal.
Read MoreContributes $365,000 to fund 540,000 meals
By Antonia Ehlers, PR and Media Relations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California
In the Bay Area, 1 in 4 residents will struggle with food insecurity this year. To help manage the expected increase in food insecurity during the holidays, Kaiser Permanente is making multiple investments in the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano by providing funds for 540,000 meals. On Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, Kaiser Permanente presented a $365,000 check at the Concord food bank site.
“To our partners at Kaiser Permanente, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this generous donation,” said Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano VP of Finance Brian Morrow. “With this money, we will be able to provide 540,000 meals to our neighbors in need. We thank you so much. Happy holidays!”
Every month, local residents visit the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano for supplemental food. The food bank anticipates that the demand for food assistance will increase by about 20 percent during the holiday season.
A grant of $270,000 from Kaiser Permanente supports healthy food distributions, and an additional $95,000 grant from a Kaiser Permanente fund at the East Bay Community Foundation supports outreach to ensure that community members will have access to CalFresh (California’s food stamp program) and Medi-Cal. The food bank recently kicked off its 3 Million Meals Campaign.
Last Tuesday, community volunteers sorted and packaged produce at the food bank for upcoming food distributions. According to the CA Association of Food Banks, California produces nearly half of the nation’s fruits and vegetables, about 8.8 million people are food insecure. Food insecurity is defined as limited or uncertain access to enough food to lead a healthy, active life. The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano provides more than 3.4 million meals each month.
“We believe that our health is our wealth,” said Kaiser Permanente Contra Costa County and Tri-Valley Service Area Community Health Manager Leslie Brown. “In order for you to be able to take care of your physical health, you need nutritious meals. It’s so important for people to have access to healthy food so they can take care of their physical health.”
Read MoreLearn more about mushrooms at the Tilden Fungus Fair Jan. 20-21
By Dave Mason, Public Information Supervisor, East Bay Regional Park District
With the return of winter rains, park visitors may have noticed mushrooms popping up in the Regional Parks. Mushrooms are an ecologically important part of our parklands and can look beautiful – but some of them contain dangerous toxins.
The death cap (Amanita phalloides) and western destroying angel (Amanita ocreata) are two of the world’s most toxic mushrooms, and both can be found in East Bay Regional Parks during the rainy season.
The death cap and western destroying angel mushrooms contain amatoxins, molecules that are deadly to many animals. Symptoms may not appear until up to 12 hours after consumption, beginning as severe gastrointestinal distress and progressing to liver and kidney failure if treatment is not sought immediately. Both mushrooms can be lethal to humans and pets if consumed. They are mainly associated with oak trees and can be found growing anywhere oak roots are present.
The death cap is a medium to large mushroom that typically has a greenish-gray cap, white gills, a white ring around the stem, and a large white sac at the base of the stem. Although the death cap is mainly associated with oak trees, it has been found growing with other hardwoods. It was accidentally introduced to North America on the roots of European cork oaks and is now slowly colonizing the west coast. The death cap is not native to California.
The western destroying angel is a medium to large mushroom that usually has a creamy white cap, white gills, a white ring around the stem that can disappear with age, and a thin white sac at the base. It fruits from late winter into spring. It is associated exclusively with oaks. Unlike the death cap, it is a native California mushroom.
The Park District urges the public to be safe and knowledgeable about toxic mushrooms when encountering them in the parks. Collecting any mushrooms in East Bay Regional Parks is not allowed.
Pet owners should contact a veterinarian immediately if they suspect their pet may have eaten a toxic mushroom.
While the death cap and western destroying angel mushrooms are responsible for most cases of mushroom poisonings in California, deadly toxins can also be found in Galerina and Lepiota mushroom species, which also occur in the Bay Area. For more information about toxic mushrooms, visit www.ebparks.org/safety/trails/toxic-mushrooms.
Learn More About Fungi – Tilden Fungus Fair, January 20-21, 2024
Celebrate the fruits of winter! View hundreds of local mushroom specimens, mingle with the mycological community, and enjoy presentations by guest speakers at this two-day special event. Saturday, January 20, and Sunday, January 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area. For more information, visit www.ebparks.org/events/tilden-fungus-fair.
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Exciting arena events, concert series, carnival rides, livestock, exhibits and more!
ANTIOCH – Save the date for the 2024 Contra Costa County FAIR happening May 16 – 19 at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds in Antioch.
To FAIR and Beyond is the theme for a fun planned four-day event for fair-goers of all ages. The Contra Costa County Fair is the perfect place to enjoy live entertainment, exciting arena events, delicious food, carnival rides, animals and hundreds of exhibits – all in a community-friendly environment at affordable prices!
Main stage entertainment at our 2024 FAIR concert series is FREE with admission to the FAIR.
The Contra Costa Fairgrounds are located at 1201 West 10th Street in Antioch.
Visit www.contracostafair.com for more information.
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Learn of the Advent during Sunday morning services
Candlelight Services at 7:00 pm and 11:30 pm
Join us at Golden Hills Community Church on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2023. Come celebrate Jesus with us as we explore what this season of Advent is all about during our normal Sunday morning services at 8:30 am and 10:30 am. There will be no kids’ classes that morning. We encourage all ages to sit in the service with their family.
Then join us that night and worship the Lord during one of our annual Candlelight Services. We will sing Christmas songs of worship and hear from God’s Word as we celebrate the birth of our Savior!
Our first service will be inside the Sanctuary at 7:00 pm. We will offer ASL interpreting at this indoor service.
Our second service will be outside on the plaza at 11:30 pm. Please bring your own chair and wear something warm!
These services are for the whole family. Each service will last 30–45 minutes.
For more information visit Christmas | Golden Hills Community Church. The church is located at 2401 Shady Willow Lane in Brentwood.
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