Contra Costa Herald

Discount will apply to all fares on Clipper and will be stackable with Youth, Senior, RTC, Clipper Start and Gator Pass Clipper discounts.

BART will offer a special promotion of 50% off all fares on Clipper for the entire month of September 2021.

The discount will apply to all fares on Clipper and will be stackable with other Clipper discounts. That means 50% off will be given on top of already discounted Clipper cards such as Youth, Senior, RTC, Clipper Start, and the Gator Pass.

The reduced fare will be automatically deducted when using Clipper at the fare gates. Our online Trip Planner and Fare Calculator have been updated to show discounted fares during the month of September. While BART will share discounted fares with other apps and websites , we can’t guarantee that non-BART sources will display them.

Printed fare charts at vending machines in each station will not be changed for the month of September but a large decal will be posted noting there is 50% off the published fares.

BART is extending the discount to welcome riders back to the system and to thank those who have continued to ride throughout the pandemic. BART’s ridership continues to grow each week. Current weekday ridership is at 100,000 trips, representing 25% of pre-COVID weekday ridership. Weekends are recovering at a faster rate. Weekend ridership is at 45K-65K trips, representing 40% of pre-COVID weekend ridership.

As of September 1, the various transit agencies that connect with BART will have new schedules in place that offer improved connections between systems. Many agencies are also offering discounts and other special promotions during the month of September.

Visit www.AllAboardBayArea.com for details on how all 27 Bay Area agencies are collaborating to deliver services that will restart our region and get people where they need to go.

Get Clipper

The discount is only available when using Clipper. It is not available on magstripe paper tickets. 98.6% of our riders use Clipper cards. There is a one-time $3 fee to purchase a new Clipper card from a BART station vending machine. Clipper is currently offering free Clipper cards when setting up a new Clipper card using the new Clipper app. The card is also free if you  order it online and set up automatic reloading.

Clipper Discount Cards

BART’s 50% off in September promotion is stackable with other Clipper discounts available for youth, seniors, riders with disabilities, and low-income adult riders. Proof of eligibility is required for discount Clipper cards and therefore are not available at station vending machines.

• Youth 5-18 years old get 50% off BART with a youth Clipper card.
• Seniors 65 and over get 62.5% off BART with a Senior Clipper card.
• Qualifying low-income adult riders get 20% off BART with Clipper START.
• Riders with qualifying disabilities get 62.5% off BART with the RTC Clipper card.

Youth, senior, and START cards are all free and BART does not charge for RTC cards when obtained at our customer service window at the Lake Merritt Station.

Faces possible prison sentence of almost 35 years

By Scott Alonso, PIO, Contra Costa County Office of the District Attorney

Earlier this month, defendant Brandon Lamont Lindsey of Antioch (born March 20, 1994) was found guilty as charged for the attempted murder and attempted robbery of a Yuba City man. Further, a Contra Costa County jury found true the enhancements listed in the charges against Lindsey, including the discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury.

Antioch Police believed the incident to be an attempted robbery at the time. (See related article)

On September 21, 2018, Lindsey arranged to sell opioids to the victim and the victim’s partner in Antioch. Specifically, Lindsey told the victim to meet him on Cavallo Road. Before this meeting, the victim and defendant did not know each or other. The drug sale was set up by a mutual friend of the victim. Upon the pair meeting for the first time on Cavallo Road, Lindsey instructed the victim to bring his car down an isolated road for the sale.

Lindsey conveyed to the victim that his associate would bring the pills in a separate car. Moments after the victim moved his car, another car was positioned and blocked the driveway, which prevented the victim from leaving the scene. Lindsey approached the victim and pulled out a firearm and demanded money. Lindsey fired three times inside the car at point blank range. One bullet struck the victim through his left arm causing a partial loss of mobility in his left hand. Lindsey used a 9mm handgun during the attempted murder and attempted robbery.

In total, the jury found Lindsey guilty of four counts:

• Attempted Murder
  • Enhancement 1, Personal and Intentional Discharge of a Firearm, Causing Great Bodily Injury
• Shooting at Occupied Motor Vehicle
  • Enhancement 2, Personal and Intentional Discharge of a Firearm, Causing Great Bodily Injury
• Assault with a Semiautomatic Firearm
  • Enhancement 3, Use of a Firearm
• Attempted Second Degree Robbery
  • Enhancement 4, Personal and Intentional Discharge of a Firearm, Causing Great Bodily Injury

Deputy District Attorney Kate Dunbar prosecuted the case on behalf of the People. The defendant will be sentenced on October 15 before the Honorable Charles Burch. Lindsey faces up to 34 years and 8 months to life in state prison. The case was investigated by the Antioch Police Department.

Case information: People v. Brandon Lamont Lindsey, Docket Number 05-200113-9.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta Friday, August 27 lauded Judge Massullo’s final approval of a landmark $575 million settlement with Sutter Health (Sutter). The settlement agreement was reached in 2019, and resolves allegations by the Attorney General’s office, the United Food and Commercial Workers and Employers Benefit Trust (UEBT), and class action plaintiffs that Sutter’s anticompetitive practices led to higher healthcare costs for consumers in Northern California compared to other places in the state. The settlement requires Sutter to pay $575 million in compensation, prohibits anticompetitive conduct, and requires Sutter to follow certain practices to restore competition in California’s healthcare markets.

“This is a groundbreaking settlement and a win for Californians,” said AG Bonta. “Sutter will no longer have free rein to engage in anticompetitive practices that force patients to pay more for health services. Under the terms of our agreement, Sutter’s transparency must increase, and practices that decrease the accessibility and affordability of healthcare must end. A competitive healthcare market is essential to ensuring patients and families aren’t bearing the brunt of healthcare costs while one company dominates the market.”

Sutter is the largest hospital system in Northern California. The Sutter network consists of some 24 acute care hospitals, 36 ambulatory surgery centers, and 16 cardiac and cancer centers. It also includes some 12,000 physicians and over 53,000 employees. In addition, Sutter negotiates contracts on behalf of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and many affiliated physician groups.

This settlement is the result of litigation that began in 2014 when UEBT filed a class action lawsuit that challenged Sutter’s practices in rendering services and setting prices. They sought compensation for and an end to what they alleged were unlawful, anticompetitive business practices, which caused them to pay more than necessary for healthcare services and products. In March 2018, the Attorney General’s office filed a similar lawsuit against Sutter on behalf of the people of California, seeking injunctive relief to compel Sutter to correct its anticompetitive business practices moving forward. The separate lawsuits were combined by the court into one case. In October 2019, one day before the trial, the parties reached an agreement to settle. The settlement was filed with the court on December 19, 2019, and in March, Judge Massullo granted preliminary approval.

Today’s finalized settlement requires Sutter to:

• Pay $575 million to compensate employers, unions, and others covered under the class action, and to cover costs and fees associated with the legal efforts;
• Limit what it charges patients for out-of-network services, helping ensure that patients visiting an out-of-network hospital do not face outsized, surprise medical bills;
• Increase transparency by permitting insurers, employers, and self-funded payers to provide plan members with access to pricing, quality, and cost information, which helps patients make better care decisions;
• Halt measures that deny patients access to lower-cost plans, thus allowing health insurers, employers, and self-funded payers to offer and direct patients to more affordable health plan options for networks or products;
• Stop all-or-nothing contracting deals, thus allowing insurers, employers, and self-funded payers to include some but not necessarily all of Sutter’s hospitals, clinics, or other commercial products in their plans’ network.
• Cease anticompetitive bundling of services and products which forced insurers, employers, and self-funded payers to purchase for their plan offerings more services or products from Sutter than were needed. Sutter must now offer a stand-alone price that must be lower than any bundled package price to give insurers, employers, and self-funded payers more choice;
• Cooperate with a court-approved compliance monitor to ensure that Sutter is following the terms of the settlement for at least 10 years. The monitor will receive and investigate complaints and may present evidence to the court; and
• Prevent anticompetitive practices by clearly defining clinical integration to include patient quality of care. The settlement makes clear that for Sutter to claim it has clinically integrated a system, it must meet strict standards beyond regional similarities or the mere sharing of an electronic health record, and must be integrating care in a manner that takes into consideration the quality of care to the patient population. This is important because clinical integration can be used to mask market consolidation efforts by hospital systems, when in fact there is no true integration of a patient’s care. For example, saying that hospitals are regionally close or that hospitals are sharing electronic health records is not enough, there must be close coordination that will lead to less costly, higher quality care for local communities.

A report by the University of California Berkeley showed that over-consolidation drives up prices for consumers. According to the study, outpatient cardiology procedures in Southern California cost nearly $18,000 compared to almost $29,000 in Northern California. For inpatient hospital procedures, the cost in Southern California is nearly $132,000 compared to more than $223,000 in Northern California, a more than $90,000 difference. A 2016 study found that a cesarean delivery in Sacramento, where Sutter is based, costs more than $27,000, nearly double what it costs in Los Angeles or New York, making Northern California one of the most expensive places in the country to have a baby.

Sutter Health offered the following response to the settlement:

“Today’s ruling brings closure to this matter, which was settled almost two years ago. This voluntary settlement enables Sutter Health to maintain our integrated network and ability to provide patients with access to affordable, high-quality care. Sutter’s quality of care is nationally recognized, with the majority of hospitals and care facilities outperforming state and national averages in many measures of quality. We look forward to continuing to work with our health plan partners at the same time we continue to care for the underserved in our communities.”

A copy of the final approval order and judgment are available here and here.

By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

On Saturday, August 28, 2021, at about 10:42 PM, Muir Station Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to a call of shots fired at the intersection of Willow Pass Road and Bella Vista Avenue in Bay Point. Upon arrival, deputies located a victim suffering from a gunshot wound.

Deputies immediately began providing life-saving measures. The fire department and an ambulance also responded. The victim was later pronounced deceased at the scene. He is identified as 24-year-old Pablo Bretado of Pittsburg.

A suspect was quickly identified by deputies and a description was provided to area law enforcement agencies. The Concord Police Department located the suspect who led police in a pursuit back into Bay Point. The suspect crashed and fled on foot. Concord PD officers, assisted by the California Highway Patrol, found the suspect and took him into custody.

He is identified 28-year-old Antonino Solis of Pittsburg. He was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility for murder and possession of an assault weapon.

The Homicide Unit of the Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division continues to investigate this incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600 or through Sheriff’s Office dispatch at (925) 646-2441. For any tips, email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

By Dawn Kruger, Civic Outreach/Engagement Specialist Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department

Contra Costa County—Debi Cooper, County Clerk-Recorder & Registrar of Voters announced today that the close of registration for the upcoming September 14, 2021 Gubernatorial Recall election is fast approaching on August 30th^. 

“This is the deadline for voters to register to be sent an Official Ballot in the mail and be provided their assigned polling place information if they choose to vote in person on Election Day,” she said. “After this date, voters will be required to register and vote in person.”

Register to Vote:

Voters can register to vote most conveniently online at https://registertovote.ca.gov, or complete a voter registration card available at most post offices, city halls, and libraries throughout the county.  Online registration must be completed before midnight.  Paper registration cards must be postmarked by August 30^th. 

To be eligible to vote in this election, a registered voter must be a U.S. Citizen, at least 18 years of age by Election Day, a resident of the state, and not currently serving a federal or state prison term for the conviction of a felony.

You must update your registration if you have moved or changed your name (married, divorced, etc.).

You can check your voter registration status online at http://www.cocovote.us by clicking on the “My Voting Information” button.

After the August 30^th registration deadline, new voters will be required to register and vote in person at one of the County’s early voting sites, the Elections Division in Martinez, or at a polling place on Election Day. Cooper’s advice: “Register early so you will receive a ballot in the mail. If you choose to vote in-person, already being registered will speed up the process at your polling place on Election Day.”

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla. Official portraits.

By Rep. Mark DeSaulnier

Earlier this year, my good friend and former colleague Alex Padilla joined the United States Senate representing California. With both of us having decades of experience fighting for California, I am excited for this new chapter in our work together. To share more about our work, Senator Padilla and I will host a virtual town hall on Monday August 30th from 12:00 – 12:30 p.m. PT. Please join us to hear how U.S. House and Senate Democrats are working together to help American families and to advance our goals on infrastructure, climate change, gun safety reform, and more.

To join this conversation and ask a question, click here and RSVP before 10:00 a.m. PT Monday. You will receive the Zoom login information via email prior to the event. We hope to see you there!

Save Mount Diablo’s stunning Curry Canyon Ranch is surrounded on three sides by Mount Diablo State Park. Save Mount Diablo currently owns and manages 19 properties and, with its partners, has protected more than 120,000 acres in 50 parks and preserves in the region. Photo credit: Al Johnson.

Strong commitment to public trust and conservation excellence

By Laura Kindsvater, Communications Manager, Save Mount Diablo

One thing that unites us as a nation is land: Americans strongly support saving the open spaces they love. Since 1971, Save Mount Diablo has been doing just that for the people of the San Francisco Bay Area. Save Mount Diablo has just earned an important recognition and distinction receiving its renewed national land trust accreditation award – proving once again that, as part of a network of over 450 accredited land trusts across the nation, it is committed to professional excellence and to maintaining the public’s trust in its conservation work.

Save Mount Diablo provided extensive documentation and was subject to a comprehensive third-party evaluation prior to achieving this distinction. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission awarded renewed accreditation, signifying its confidence that Save Mount Diablo’s lands will be protected forever. Accredited land trusts now steward almost 20 million acres – the size of Denali, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Everglades, and Yosemite National Parks combined.

“It is exciting to recognize Save Mount Diablo’s continued commitment to national standards by renewing this national mark of distinction,” said Melissa Kalvestrand, executive director of the commission. “Donors and partners can trust the more than 450 accredited land trusts across the country are united behind strong standards and have demonstrated sound finances, ethical conduct, responsible governance, and lasting stewardship.”

Save Mount Diablo is one of 1,363 land trusts across the United States according to the Land Trust Alliance’s most recent National Land Trust Census. A complete list of accredited land trusts and more information about the process and benefits can be found at www.landtrustaccreditation.org.

“Renewing our national accreditation shows Save Mount Diablo’s ongoing commitment to permanent land conservation in the Mount Diablo area,” said Ted Clement, Executive Director. “We are a stronger organization than ever for having gone through the rigorous accreditation renewal process. Our strength means the special natural places we protect have a better chance of being protected forever, making the Mount Diablo area an even greater place for us and our children.”

About Save Mount Diablo

Save Mount Diablo is a nationally accredited, nonprofit land trust founded in 1971 with a mission to preserve Mount Diablo’s peaks, surrounding foothills, watersheds, and connection to the Diablo Range through land acquisition and preservation strategies designed to protect the mountain’s natural beauty, biological diversity, and historic and agricultural heritage; enhance our area’s quality of life; and provide educational and recreational opportunities consistent with the protection of natural resources. Learn more at www.savemountdiablo.org.

About the Land Trust Accreditation Commission

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission inspires excellence, promotes public trust, and ensures permanence in the conservation of open lands by recognizing organizations that meet rigorous quality standards and strive for continuous improvement. The commission, established in 2006 as an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, is governed by a volunteer board of diverse land conservation and nonprofit management experts. For more, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org.

By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County Office of the District Attorney

Earlier this summer, a Contra Costa County jury convicted Camille Thompson of three counts, including the felony hit and run count resulting in death, misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter and misdemeanor destroying evidence. Last week, Thompson was sentenced to two years of formal probation and one year of electronic home detention by the Honorable Julia Campins for the 2019 felony hit and run conviction that resulted in the death of a Pittsburg man. Judge Campins also sentenced Thompson to 100 hours of community service and to take a driver safety class. (See related articles here and here)

Originally, Thompson faced up to four years in state prison for the felony hit and run count. The prosecution asked Judge Campins to sentence the defendant to state prison. Contra Costa County Probation Department also agreed that the defendant be sentenced to state prison.

On March 20, 2019, the victim was walking home on the side of the road at West Leland Road and Bailey Road and was hit by Thompson’s Mercedes Benz C-class coupe. Video surveillance captured Thompson circling back to where the victim’s body laid on the side of the road. Thompson’s Mercedes briefly paused next to victim’s body. She then left the scene and failed to render or seek aid for the victim. A few minutes later, a Good Samaritan stopped at the scene and stayed with the victim until Contra Cosa County Fire Department personnel arrived. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

As a result of the collision, Thompson’s vehicle had extensive damage, including a nearly shattered windshield and a missing fog lamp which was left behind at the scene.

Pittsburg Police Department officers began an extensive investigation to identify the driver who left the scene and found the fog lamp near where the victim’s body was discovered. Pittsburg Police determined the fog lamp came from a Mercedes vehicle.

In turn, officers reviewed city and residential surveillance footage and determined Thompson’s vehicle was the only Mercedes to travel on W Leland Road during the estimated timeline and was the last vehicle to pass the victim prior to the Good Samaritan stopping to seek aid for him. Five days after the collision, officers executed the search warrant at Thompson’s residence. There, officers located the Mercedes vehicle in the carport under a tarp and tire tracks in the backyard. In addition to extensive body damage, the Mercedes was conspicuously missing a fog lamp. During the execution of the search warrant, officers also found recently dated receipts to the local Home Depot and discovered Thompson purchased some items routinely used to repair damaged vehicles.

Case information: People v. Camille Edith Thompson, Docket Number 05-192420-8.

By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County Office of the District Attorney

Earlier this month, defendant Brandon Leo Hilliard of Pittsburg was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in state prison for the shooting of an unarmed man. In May of 2021, a Contra Costa County jury found Hilliard guilty of attempted voluntary manslaughter and assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Additionally, the jury found true the enhancements listed in the charges against Hilliard, including use of a firearm and causing great bodily injury. (See related article)

“The defendant in this case displayed extreme disregard for public safety and another human’s life when he brazenly shot the victim over a minor verbal argument. I want to thank the Pittsburg Police Department for their extensive investigation and locating information which tied the defendant to the scene in order to help make this prosecution successful,” Deputy District Attorney Natasha Mehta stated. DDA Mehta prosecuted the case on behalf of the People.

In the late morning of January 9, 2021, the victim and the defendant got into a verbal confrontation at Central Avenue and Birch Street in Pittsburg. As the argument progressed, the defendant pulled out a Glock 43 semi-automatic handgun. The defendant fired multiple shots at the victim. The shooting, which left the victim with three penetrating gunshot wounds in the legs, was captured on home surveillance. Hilliard immediately fled the scene.

Police officers used surrounding city surveillance cameras to locate a silver vehicle the defendant was seen driving away in from the scene of the shooting. Officers tracked Hilliard’s vehicle, which law enforcement determined to be a silver Toyota Avalon, using an automated license plate reader technology and Pittsburg Police Department determined the vehicle’s license plate number. On January 10, a San Pablo police officer located the defendant and arrested him. The arresting officer found images on Hilliard’s phone which showed the defendant tried to sell a semi-automatic handgun.

The defendant was on an ankle monitor for his pending attempted robbery case. Hilliard cut off his ankle monitor the day before this shooting, leading to an escape count filed against him as well. Hilliard pled to this count prior to the start of trial.

Case information: People v. Brandon Leo Hilliard, Docket Number 04-200980-1.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

19-year-old driver sustains serious injuries

By Oakley Police Department

It is with great sadness that we confirm that there was a fatal collision between a vehicle and a freight train on East Cypress Road near Main Street shortly before 1:00 p.m. this afternoon.

A vehicle driven by a 19-year-old woman was travelling westbound on East Cypress Road at the railroad crossing when the back portion of the sedan was struck by a train. A 12-year-old male passenger in the car was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver was airlifted to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek for treatment of serious injuries.

The deceased boy was a student at Delta Vista Middle School and we extend our condolences to the entire school community. Oakley Union Elementary School District Superintendent Jeff Palmquist has confirmed that their crisis management team and counselors will be on campus to provide support to students and staff.

An additional vehicle in the area was struck by the car secondarily and the passengers in that car were not injured.

At this time, it appears all signals in the area were operating correctly. The initial investigation is being handled by the Oakley Police Department in cooperation with the Federal Railroad Administration.

There have been questions from the public regarding the flow of traffic in this area during peak traffic times. Per traffic studies, road striping changes have been implemented at East Cypress Road and Main Street that sought to alleviate congestion by providing double left turn lanes from westbound East Cypress to southbound Main Street.

To complement that striping and signage, the traffic signal timing has been adjusted at the intersection to expedite the flow of traffic out of East Cypress Road onto Main Street in all directions and give priority to the westbound traffic of this intersection during peak hours.

Oakley Police continue to ask people to avoid the area of Main Street and East Cypress Road this afternoon and into the evening. For access towards Bethel Island, use alternate routes to northbound Sellers Road to eastbound Cypress Road.

Once the lanes of traffic along East Cypress Road have reopened, residents will be alerted via a Nixle alert. To sign up for Nixle alerts text our zip code “94561” to 888777. You can also register through their website at www.nixle.com.