Congressman presents Community College District with funding to decrease cost of higher education
Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), a senior member of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, will launch an Education Listening Tour to visit schools across California’s 10th Congressional District to hear directly from educators, students, parents, and administrators about the challenges and opportunities they face to inform his work in Congress. The tour will kick off with the presentation of funding Congressman DeSaulnier secured for Contra Costa Community College District to reduce college textbook costs and expand access to higher education. Congressman DeSaulnier will present this funding at two campuses on Monday, February 13th and Tuesday, February 14th.
WHEN: Monday, February 13th from 2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. PT
WHERE: Los Medanos College – Brentwood Center
WHO:
U.S. Congressman Mark DeSaulnier
Contra Costa Community College District Interim Chancellor Mojdeh Mehdizadeh
Los Medanos Center Interim President Pamela Ralston
OR
WHEN: Tuesday, February 14th from 2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. PT
WHERE: Diablo Valley College – San Ramon Campus
WHO:
U.S. Congressman Mark DeSaulnier
Contra Costa Community College District Interim Chancellor Mojdeh Mehdizadeh
Diablo Valley College President Susan Lamb
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Sponsors needed
The Bay Point Community All-N-One will once again be hosting one of our biggest events, “The Unity In The Community” event on Saturday, June 24th, 2023 from 10am – 2pm. This is a Health & Wellness program for the community to be held at the Ambrose Community Center, 3105 Willow Pass Road, Bay Point, CA 94565.
To be a SPONSOR for the Unity in the Community Event please call contact us.
To REGISTER your organization to participate or for a table at the Unity in the Community event, please download and complete the registration form and submit it to us before April 17, 2023. Unity in the Community Table Res
For questions, please call Mr. Delano Johnson at (925) 812-2939, Irving Joe at (925) 858-2675 or Lovetta Tugbeh (925) 727-8291.
Please save the date & be on the lookout for more details to come in the near future.
Read MoreBy Matt J. Malone, Public Information Officer, Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa
Per Government Code Section 68084.1, the Court intends to escheat the sum of $201,665.09 in the Court’s Operations Fund that has remained unclaimed for a period exceeding three years. For more information on the unclaimed funds, please visit the Court’s website at:
https://www.cc-courts.org/fees/unclaimedfunds.aspx
The Court has published a legal notice in the East Bay Times and has sent letters to potential owners of these funds. If you believe that you are entitled to any of the funds, you must complete and submit a Claim Affirmation Form and Claim for Reimbursement. These forms and instructions are available at the above hyperlink. Claim forms must be postmarked no later than March 24, 2023.
Read MoreBy Ted Asregadoo, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
On January 20, 2023, 62-year-old Kevin Jerome Easter has been found guilty of first degree murder. The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office retried the case after the original conviction was overturned on appeal in 2019.
Easter shot his wife multiple times on the night of August 7th, 2013, in their Pittsburg residence. During his trial in 2014, his defense attorney declared that Easter was not competent to stand trial for his crimes, which included a firearm enhancement and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Competency issues were renewed in 2015 by his defense, but a judge ultimately found him guilty. He was sentenced to 65 years and eight months in prison. His appeal in 2019 reversed the conviction, resolved the competency issues, and returned the case to Superior Court for a retrial – where the prosecution prevailed in court.
“After many years, the victim’s family and the community have closure on a tragic and senseless murder,” said Deputy District Attorney Jordan Sanders. “This prosecution would not be possible without the hard work of the Pittsburg Police Department, the time and energy of the neighbors who came to testify about details which happened so long ago, and the victim’s family for having the strength to endure another trial. The overwhelming evidence of the defendant’s guilt justified a conviction for first degree murder.”
Easter will be sentenced at a future date and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
04-197959-0| The People of the State of California vs. Kevin Jerome Easter
Read MorePart of statewide Operation Reclaim and Rebuild, 30 survivors identified
By Ted Asregadoo, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
Partners working in collaboration with the Contra Costa Human Trafficking Task Force made 13 arrests during a weeklong statewide effort to recover survivors of human trafficking and apprehend their exploiters.
As a part of the statewide Operation Reclaim and Rebuild, task force partners conducted eight separate anti-human trafficking operations throughout Contra Costa County from January 23rd through January 28th, 2023. Their efforts yielded 13 arrests of suspected human traffickers and the identification of 30 survivors of human trafficking. All the victims had the opportunity to speak with a specialized human trafficking victim advocate and were offered services.
“My office stands ready to evaluate these cases for prosecution and hold traffickers accountable for their exploitation of vulnerable members of our community,” noted District Attorney Diana Becton.
The suspects were arrested on one or more of the following human trafficking or human trafficking related offenses: sex trafficking of an adult, a minor, pimping, and pandering. [PC236.1(b), PC236.1(c), PC266h, and PC266i].
Task Force Director, Katrina Natale, emphasized that “without the careful planning and collaborative efforts of a wide array of law enforcement and victim services partners, the important outcomes achieved through these operations would not have been possible.”
Participating agencies included, in alphabetical order:
- Brentwood Police Department
- California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
- California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
- California Department of Industrial Relations
- California Employment Development Department
- California Highway Patrol
- Community Violence Solutions
- Concord Police Department
- Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office
- Contra Costa County FBI Safe Streets Task Force
- Contra Costa County Parole Department
- Contra Costa County Probation Department
- Contra Costa County Sherriff’s Department
- Federal Bureau of Investigations
- Hercules Police Department
- Homeland Security Investigations
- International Rescue Committee
- My Sister’s House
- Northern California Regional Intelligence Center
- Pinole Police Department
- Pittsburg Police Department
- Pleasant Hill Police Department
- Richmond Police Department
- San Pablo Police Department
- San Ramon Police Department
- Victim Services Division (FBI)
- Victim Witness Assistance Program (CCCDA)
- Walnut Creek Police Department
The Contra Costa Human Trafficking Task Force is co-led by the Office of the District Attorney for Contra Costa County and Contra Costa Human Trafficking Task Force Community Violence Solutions, a community-based 24-hour service provider for survivors of sexual assault and human trafficking. Founded in 2018, the Task Force aims to eradicate all forms of human trafficking in Contra Costa County through collaborative, multidisciplinary efforts to identify and support victims of human trafficking and to hold traffickers accountable through effective prosecution.
Anyone with information on suspected human trafficking (sex or labor) or related crimes is encouraged to make a report to your local law enforcement agency or the District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Tip Line (925) 957-8658.
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Suicide by cop – with multiple drugs and alcohol in his system “Valdez said there was no way to solve his problem and that he wasn’t going to kill himself but would ‘let the cops do it for me’”
By Ted Asregadoo, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has determined San Pablo Police Officers were legally justified in their use of force against 45-year-old Sergio Baldemar Escalera-Valdez in 2021.
Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incident reports (LEIFI) are conducted by the CCCDAO whenever a law enforcement officer or a civilian is shot, killed, or dies during an encounter with members of a police agency. The District Attorney’s Office conducts its own independent investigation into law enforcement fatal incidents to determine if officers are criminally liable for their actions. If evidence of criminal conduct is found during the DA’s investigation, a LEIFI report may be used in a trial as evidence – and will not be released to the public until the trial has concluded. However, if the DA’s Office determines that criminal charges will not be filed, the report will be released to the public in a timely manner.
District Attorney Diana Becton notes, “My promise to the voters of Contra Costa County has consistently been about prioritizing public safety, transparency, and increased accountability. When my office undertakes a LEIFI investigation, our goal is to thoroughly investigate the facts to determine criminal liability and detail those findings in a clear and comprehensive manner.”
The incident involving Valdez started around 2:25 in the afternoon on December 15th, 2021, in the parking lot of the Evergreen Market at 1330 Market Avenue in San Pablo. An employee at the market called 911 to report a white or Hispanic male in the parking lot holding a firearm. The employee also noted that it appeared the man was manipulating the firearm’s magazine.
When officers from San Pablo Police were dispatched to the area, they met at a staging area near the Evergreen Market to prepare to contact Valdez. A dispatcher radioed to the officers that the man was seen driving a red Toyota Tacoma recklessly out of the parking lot. Officers spotted the vehicle and pursued Valdez and got him to pull over. Officers noted that Valdez appeared to be moving around the cab of the truck in an unusual manner. With their weapons drawn, officers ordered Valdez to show his hands multiple times. He initially responded “No” but then placed his hands outside the window of the truck – where his hands appeared to be bloody. Valdez then exited the vehicle with his back toward the officers and had what appeared to be a firearm in his hand. When Valdez appeared to manipulate the weapon by “racking the slide” (i.e., pulling the pistol’s slide to the rear and releasing it – which is a movement consistent with loading a cartridge into a firearm’s chamber), he turned around and faced the officers. After repeated commands to drop the weapon, Valdez brought the weapon up. The officers, believing, they were in imminent danger of Valdez firing his gun at them, fired their weapons at him. After Valdez was no longer a threat, officers kicked away the gun – which was later identified as a BB-handgun. Emergency medical responders arrived on the scene, and attempted life-saving measures, and transported him to a local hospital where he later died from his wounds.
Witness statements from those who were related to Valdez noted that he had been depressed for several months due to financial difficulties. He also said to family members that he planned to kill himself. On December 15th about an hour before the 911 call was made, an employee from the Evergreen Market interacted with Valdez in the parking lot after Valdez called him over to his truck. Valdez attempted to give the worker money, but the worker refused. He then began to cry, and the worker offered to help him with whatever was causing him grief. Valdez said there was no way to solve his problem and that he wasn’t going to kill himself but would “let the cops do it for me.”
On December 16th, Dr. Arnold Josselson performed an autopsy on Valdez for the Contra Costa County Coroner. In his report, Dr. Josselson noted that Valdez had seven gunshot wounds, with a fatal wound to his chest that also penetrated his liver. Toxicology results noted Valdez tested positive for “methamphetamine, amphetamine, and THC (marijuana). It also revealed that Valdez’s blood alcohol level was .210 % (over twice the legal limit for driving under the influence).”
In its legal analysis, the District Attorney’s Office concluded that the officers’ actions in stopping Valdez in his vehicle and attempting to detain him were lawful – given the information officers received from the 911 call. Furthermore, the officers involved in the shooting were justified in their lethal use of force due to their reasonable belief that they needed to defend themselves against an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury. As such, no further action will be taken in this case.
The District Attorney’s Office notified the Valdez family about the publication of this report. A copy of the report has also been sent to the San Pablo Police Department, state Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office, and is available on the District Attorney’s website.
Read MoreFrom St. Vincent de Paul of Contra Costa and the Workforce Development Program
A new session of the Workforce Development Program at St. Vincent de Paul is gearing up to help people in need find gainful and meaningful employment. Participants from past sessions note that the program has transformed their lives – given them the training and confidence to enter the workplace. With introductory sessions in Pittsburg, Brentwood, and Pleasant Hill – the WFD program at St. Vincent de Paul is aiming to help the most vulnerable in Contra Costa County develop the personal tools they will need to find and keep a good job. Interested participants are asked to attend 2 introductory sessions, which will take place in:
- Pittsburg – at St. Vincent de Paul, 2210 Gladstone Drive, 2/22 & 2/27/23 from 2 – 5 pm
- Pleasant Hill –at Christ the King Church, 195 Brandon Road, 2/23 & 2/28/23 from 10 am – 1 pm
- Brentwood – at St. Vincent de Paul, 8890 Brentwood Blvd., 2/26 & 3/3/23 from 2 – 5 pm
The WFD program at St. Vincent de Paul is a job-training program which pairs paid on the job training at one of SVdP’s 3 thrift stores with transformative classroom instruction & 1-on-1 mentorship with dedicated community mentors to help people with barriers to employment find and maintain a good job. Compassionate community volunteers lead participants through paid classroom instruction geared toward helping them develop the interpersonal tools needed to navigate today’s working world and offer transformative 1-on-1 mentorship to help participants overcome the obstacles between them and meaningful employment. Many of the WFD program’s participants have overcome the barriers of homelessness, a criminal record, or the uncertainty of being a refugee in a foreign country.
Afghan refugee and WFD program graduate Ajmal Aria now works as the Director of Operations at Opening Doors, a Sacramento based non-profit that helps refugees acclimate to their new home.
“We were living in a small apartment in Concord, two bedrooms for the seven of us. I have a degree, but I had to support my family, so I was working for DoorDash and Uber to do what I could to feed my family,” Ajmal said. “The WFD program at SVdP gave me the breathing room I needed while making sure my family survives. The volunteers at SVdP helped me adjust to this country and find a job that truly utilizes my training and skills – and lets me provide a good income for my family.”
Today, WFD program graduate James Neitte works as a Shipping and Receiving Specialist for Lowe’s Home Improvement. A former construction worker, James found the WFD program after falling into a life of crime. At age 49 and facing multiple felony charges, he could not foresee a happy ending for himself.
“I was convinced I was going to jail for at least 10 year, I thought my story was over,” James said. “It was just so powerful to be surrounded by people who genuinely cared about seeing me succeed. No one in the program cared that I had a past, they just wanted to help me have a future. It taught me a lot. I’m really thankful for the volunteers at SVdP and for the WFD program.”
A senior citizen, Mary Turner was living in her car when she learned about the WFD program at SVdP. Dependent upon a fixed income between SSI and disability, Mary could not keep up with her rising rent. Today, a graduate from the WFD program, Mary not only works as an Advanced Medical Care Specialist with the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, helping the county veterans, Mary was able to purchase her first home, and is no longer living in her car.
“I’ve lived a fairly hard life,” Mary said. “There were just certain things I never learned, because when I was young you just didn’t need to know those things to find a job. At SVdP they showed me how to do things I’ve never had to do before, like build a resume. It was a lot of hard work, but I was determined to turn my life around and they were there to help me.”
St. Vincent de Paul of Contra Costa County has provided safety-net services in the county for over 58 years, serving 100,000 people annually and distributing over $1.7 million in direct financial assistance and over $2.3 million of in-kind aid. Over 700 SVdP volunteers and a small staff lead operations in Contra Costa including the SVdP Family Resource Center in Pittsburg, 28 branches, and 3 Thrift Stores. One of the largest charitable organizations in the world, St. Vincent de Paul is an international, nonprofit, Catholic lay organization of more than 800,000 men and women who voluntarily join together to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to the needy and suffering in 155 countries on five continents.
Applicants are required to attend both a Part 1 and Part 2 session, at the location most convenient for them. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age. To learn more and download an application, visit svdp-cc.org. To RSVP for a session call (925) 439-5060 or email info@svdp-cc.org
Read MoreDinner & Live Music Show & Celebrating February Birthdays.
Get your tickets now!
Presented by Wright’s Catering and The Wright Social Spot
Saturday, February 11, 2023, 4:00 – 11:00 PM
509 W. 2nd Street, Rivertown, Antioch
$75 per person. Purchase your tickets today on EventBrite.
The Wright Social Spot welcomes our first event of 2023 with The Best Indoor Pre-Valentines Dinner & February Birthday’s Event of the Year with Live Music Performances & 4-Course Dinner.
Please Join Us in celebrating LOVE at a Classy, Upscale, Fun-Filled Pre-Valentine’s Day “2023” Event.
COME AND GET YOUR LIFETIME GLASS ROSE!!!!!!
Live Music, DJ, Dancing, 4-Course Dinner included with the $75 cover.
DON’T MISS THIS AWESOME DINNER MUSIC EVENT!! GET YOUR TICKETS NOW BEFORE THEY ARE SOLD OUT!!!
- HOSTED BY: Paul & Maggie Wright from The Wright Social Spot & WrightCatering.net
- WHERE: 509 W. 2nd Street, Antioch, CA
- DATE: Saturday, February 11, 2023
- TIME: 4:00 PM -11:00 PM
- WHAT’S INCLUDED: Singing 🎼🎵🎼♪ Dancing 💃🕺4-Course Dinner 🍽😋Beverages🍸 🍹 🍸
- INCLUDES DINNER SERVICE: 7:00PM – 8:30PM (Choice of Chicken, NY Steak, Salmon, Shrimp) – included with $75 Admission. Dinner Options available for Oxtails (+ $25), Lamb (+$25), King Crab Legs (+ $50), Lobster (+$50)
- RSVP BY: February 11, 2023, Pre-paid Reservations Required so get your tickets early.
- PAYMENT OPTIONS: Zelle, Cash App, Venmo, Debit/Credit or PayPal to 415-971-8776 Or Eventbrite, Credit/Debit (NO REFUNDS, NO EXCEPTIONS)
- DOORS OPEN: 4:00 PM
- PARKING: Lots of free parking (FIRST COME FIRST SERVE) THEME: Black & Gold & Red
- MORE INFORMATION: Call or Text Paul at (415) 971-8776 or Maggie at 209-896-7131
- YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/W0QgsYc2DEo
- WEB: WrightCatering.net
- FB: #WrightSocialSpot
- FB/IG: #RightsCatering
- PAST EVENTS PHOTOS: https://photos.app.goo.gl/TnMVF8fCJitKAtpr6
- THEME: Black, Gold & Red
- VENUE VIDEO: https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxuhKD3v6bDqgpXy3nukv1RaxissbySzeE
DONT MISS THE BEST INDOOR PRE-VALENTINE’S & FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS PARTY IN THE EAST BAY!!!
OUR EVENTS ARE ALWAYS FUN FILLED AND SOLD-OUT!!
Please share this link with your friends and family.
Read MorePeter Brown joins as Chief Credit Officer, Janet Jenkins promoted to Chief Innovation Officer
By Josef Britschgi, Marketing & Communication Administrator, BAC Community Bank
BAC Community Bank has announced the addition of Peter Brown, as the company’s new Chief Credit Officer, and the promotion of company veteran Janet Jenkins to Chief Innovation Officer.
A proven professional with more than 20 years of commercial lending experience, Brown brings a deep understanding of relationship banking, credit administration, and portfolio management to his new role at BAC Community Bank. Following his work in middle-market commercial leasing at AT&T Capital Leasing, Brown progressively advanced his knowledge and career serving in various lending roles at community banks. Brown served as a commercial loan officer for Oak Valley Community Bank, where he advanced to the role of credit administrator. He is a 2016 graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School.
Jenkins previously served as the Chief Credit Officer at BAC Community Bank and maintains the status of the longest tenured employee of the bank approaching her 40-year work anniversary later this year. During that time the bank has weathered many challenging economic conditions while remaining independent and highly rated for its loan quality and overall banking services. Despite past and present market volatility, the bank continues to explore and adopt emerging technologies to improve efficiencies and customer experience. Jenkins has served on various innovation committees throughout the bank and has directly overseen the implementation of many such projects within the bank’s lending department. Some of these projects include the digitization of documents, adoption of electronic signatures, implementation of workflow systems, online mortgage loan applications, and various system automation initiatives. These experiences have prepared Jenkins well for her new role at the bank. She is a graduate of the University of the Pacific and Pacific Coast Banking School.
This announcement demonstrates the bank’s continued focus on loan growth and further adoption of cutting-edge technologies to best meet the needs of the customers and communities it serves. Identifying products and solutions before customers may realize the need is a unique challenge that the bank has mastered over the years. For example, before the introduction of the internet, BAC Community Bank deployed online banking software ahead of much larger banks. Pioneering such innovative solutions is the result of constant evaluation of opportunities for improvement led by the executive team who solicits recommendations from staff and customers alike.
“We are excited for both Peter and Janet,” said Dana Bockstahler, CEO of BAC Community Bank. “These enhancements to our executive team should serve our customers and communities well, reinforcing our commitment to strengthen the financial health of the communities we serve by connecting people to extraordinary financial services.”
About BAC Community Bank
BAC Community Bank is California’s 10th oldest state-chartered bank. Established in 1965, BAC operates branch offices throughout San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Contra Costa counties including in Antioch, Brentwood, Concord and Discovery Bay, and is identified as “one of the strongest financial institutions in the nation” by BauerFinancial, Inc.
The bank is centrally headquartered in Stockton, California, and is continuously recognized for banking excellence through local awards and banking industry accolades.
BAC Community Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Equal Opportunity Employer. Member FDIC. More information is available online at www.bankbac.com.
Read MoreFollowing police pursuit after suspects struck police car, crashed their own car on Hwy 4 and attempted carjackings on offramp
By Antioch Police Public Information Officer Ashley Crandell, Community Engagement Unit
On February 1, 2023, at 3:08 pm, the Antioch Police Department’s Dispatch Center received a call from a resident on Durness Court reporting a burglary in-progress of an occupied residence. Information received reported the occupant was possibly an elderly female.
Officers immediately responded to the scene and were assisted by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office Air Unit, which was overhead within minutes. The Air Unit advised the back door was shattered and there was a vehicle backed into the driveway. When officers arrived on scene, the suspects, 31-year-old Donley Thompson of Sacramento and 42-year-old Delancey Huff of El Cerrito, fled in the vehicle that was in the driveway, striking a police vehicle. No officers were injured because of the police vehicle being struck.
Officers pursued the vehicle with the assistance of the Air Unit. Ultimately, the suspect vehicle got onto Highway 4 and collided with a guardrail near the Hillcrest Drive off-ramp. Huff and Thompson ran across westbound traffic on Highway 4, over the BART tracks in the middle of Highway 4, and through the eastbound lanes of traffic. Huff and Thompson were attempting to carjack people that were stopped on the eastbound Highway 4 off-ramp at Hillcrest Drive. Officers chased Huff and Thompson on foot and ultimately took them into custody on the offramp.
Officers located the victim’s stolen property in the vehicle that was abandoned by the suspects and her property was later returned to her. She was not in the residence at the time of the burglary.
Huff and Thompson were arrested for felony burglary, conspiracy, and reckless evading of a police officer. Huff was on parole for residential burglary and was released from custody on December 22, 2022.
We would like to thank the alert resident who saw something suspicious and contacted our Dispatch Center about it. We would also like to thank the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office Air Unit for assisting our officers in the capture of these suspects.
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