By Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard
On Sunday, July 2, 2023 at 12:09AM Oakley police officers were dispatched to the intersection of Main Street at Charles Way for a traffic collision where a Toyota truck was completely rolled over. Our officers quickly arrived on scene and contacted the victims who were out of the vehicle and suffering injuries. Our officers started investigating the collision and determined a black sedan struck the victim vehicle and fled the location, which at face value is a violation of the California Vehicle Code, but when injuries are involved, these actions are classified as a felony offense. Our officers located the black sedan on nearby Babbe Street parked at the intersection of Martin Street. Our officers found three local men (aged 43, 43 & 28) near the vehicle and determined all three were associated with the vehicle and all three were intoxicated.
These three men were uncooperative with our investigation, but nonetheless our officers were able to determine they were not the driver of the black sedan and we continued to seek out the actual driver. The three men we were dealing with were all arrested for public intoxication and transported to the police department. While dealing with the three public intoxication suspects our officers were alerted the actual driver may have been walking on Main Street. Our officers responded to the area and located Jesus Leon-Lopez (55, local) and took him into custody before interviewing him and booking him into the main jail for felony hit and run.
“This investigation, and arrest, underscores the types of issues that never need to really rise to the level of criminal culpability. The largest issue facing the suspect in this case may very well be the mere fact he decided to not stop, as per the law, and cooperate with law-enforcement after a traffic collision with quite an egregious aftermath – to include injuries. When accidents happen, please just do the right thing, it will make your life much easier even when you are already going through a negative experience. Stay safe Oakley!”
Read MoreBy City of Brentwood
Join us for an unforgettable celebration as we kick off festivities with our Brentwood Classic July 4th Parade at 9:30 AM on Tuesday, July 4th! Splash at the Aquatic Complex at noon. Cool off at the Community Center or take a refreshing swim at the Liberty Pool. Enjoy food and live entertainment. Finally, be awed by the breathtaking drone show at 9:05 PM. It’ll be an incredible day of festivities for the whole family!
CHILDREN’S PARADE 9:30 AM
The Children’s Parade will begin at 9:30 AM, followed immediately by the main parade. Pre-registration is not required for the Children’s Parade. Children may dress up and use bicycles, roller skates, non-motorized scooters, wagons, strollers, and small battery-motorized play vehicles. The line begins at 1st and Birch Streets.
MAIN PARADE
The main parade will begin immediately following the Children’s Parade, traveling from the corner of 1st and Birch Street, turning right on Oak Street, and ending in front of the Community Center.
CARNIQUE 4:00 – 9:00 PM
At 4 PM, head downtown for the Brentwood Lions’ Club iconic Carnique presented by the City of Brentwood. Enjoy carnival games, delicious food, and a concert in the park.
The Brentwood Lion’s Club Carnique, presented by the City of Brentwood. Carnique was a combination BBQ/Carnival hosted by the Brentwood Lions Club for 35 years beginning in the late 1950’s. As we celebrate Brentwood’s 75th Anniversary, the Lions Club has generously allowed us to bring back this event to mark this important occasion.
CARNIVAL GAMES 4:00 – 7:00PM
18 classic carnival games for all ages will be located along Oak Street, between 1st and 2nd Streets. Tickets are $0.50 each or purchase an unlimited play wristband for $20. In the spirit of the original Carnique event which focused on fundraising, all proceeds from carnival game ticket sales will be donated to the non-profit groups volunteering to run the games.
FOOD VENDORS 4:00 – 9:00 PM
A wide assortment of food will be available for sale including BBQ, seafood, carnival favorites, desserts and international flavors to represent Brentwood’s diverse backgrounds. Portions of food sales will be donated to the Brentwood Lions Club and the Parks and Recreation Youth Scholarship Fund. Tables and chairs will be available along Oak Street in front of City Park.
COMMUNITY CENTER 4:00 – 9:00 PM
The Community Center will be open for those who want to cool off, learn about activities and facilities, buy a limited-edition retro Brentwood shirt or hat, or check out the Community Highlights videos in the Main Hall.
RECREATION SWIM AT LIBERTY POOL
4:00 – 7:00 PM Come take a dip in the new Jack W. Ferrill Aquatic Center at Liberty High School. Swimming at the Liberty High School pool was a popular activity during the original Carnique event, and it remains a favorite way for many Brentwood residents to cool off, even today.
CONCERTS IN THE PARK 7:00 – 9:00 PM
Get ready to rock in City Park! RagDolls will take the stage bringing Aerosmith’s iconic sound, energy, and stage presence.
LIGHT UP THE NIGHT DRONE SHOW 9:05 PM
Presented by the Downtown Brentwood Coalition, this one-of-a-kind experience will wrap up an incredible day of celebrating Independence Day in Brentwood. Several great viewing locations include City Park, downtown streets and the Liberty High School Football Field.
STREET CLOSURES FOR TUESDAY, 4TH OF JULY
Please be advised that during the upcoming 4th of July celebration, certain streets in the downtown area will be closed to vehicular traffic starting at 6:00 AM on July 4, 2023. Parking restrictions will be enforced.
Please anticipate traffic delays when heading downtown. We encourage residents to use alternative transportation options such as carpooling, walking, or biking.
Read MorePlus, 25th worldOne Festival Monday, July 3
![](http://contracostaherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/El-Cerrito-worldOne-Festival-1024x1024.jpg)
By City of El Cerrito
We are excited to celebrate with the El Cerrito community and supporters once again on Tuesday, July 4 from 11am-5pm at Cerrito Vista Park, corner of Moeser Lane and Pomona Avenue.
The City of El Cerrito Recreation Department hosted the first co-sponsored 4th of July Festival with worldOne in 1998. Since then, the festival has grown into a world-class hometown institution featuring high quality musical performances, family entertainment such as rides and bounce houses, non-profits and civic organization booths, vendors and food booths and trucks offering a wide variety of cuisines, plus, a Classic Car Showcase.
After a two-year hiatus during the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Festival returned in summer 2022 thanks to the generous support of sponsors and individual donors. The City is committed to annual fundraising efforts to make sure the 4th of July Festival comes back year after year and remains fiscally sustainable and accessible to all.
Classic Car Showcase
The City of El Cerrito/worldOne 4th of July Festival Classic Car Showcase is the perfect place to show off your car! The showcase will be held from 11am to 2pm on Moeser Lane adjacent to Cerrito Vista Park. If you are interested in participating in the 2023 Classic Car Showcase, please note the following information as you complete your application:
- Space is limited.
- Car Clubs must arrive together to park together, Spaces are first come, first served.
- Electricity is not available.
- Chairs and canopies will NOT be provided. You may bring your own.
- Vehicles must vacate the area by 4 pm.
- Once your application is received and accepted, there are no refunds. The event takes place rain or shine.
Completed application and payment of $5 are due by Monday, July 3, 2023. Day of registration not guaranteed and are subject to availability.
Parking
Limited ADA parking is available at the El Cerrito Community Center Parking Lot (7007 Moeser Lane)
Street Parking around the Festival Grounds (please note streets immediately surrounding Cerrito Vista Park will be closed)
Carpools strongly encouraged for those driving to the festival!
Bike Parking
FREE Bike Valet for those biking to the Festival hosted by the El Cerrito Strollers & Rollers and the ECHS Mountain Bike Team
For more information click here.
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Aerial drone light show
The City of San Pablo is excited to announce the return of the 4th of July Multi-Cultural Celebration Event!
Enjoy live music, food, carnival games and entertainment. Headliners Kalimba-The Spirit of Earth Wind and Fire.
NEW this year – aerial drone light show! (No firework show, this year.)
Tuesday, July 4, 2023 5:00-10:00 pm
San Pablo Community Center (2450 Road 20)
FREE! Gates open at 5:00 pm
Parking:
Along Road 20
Rock Harbor Church – corner of Road 20 and Chuch Lane
Overflow parking at Contra Costa College
Shuttle service from Contra Costa College to the event 5:00 – 8:30 pm.
Thank you to our sponsor: San Pablo Senior Advisory Board
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What: Fireworks, live music, food and fun for the entire family
Time: 5 pm – 10 pm
Location: Marina Bay Park
Fireworks begin at 9:15 pm
By City of Richmond
Join us for the annual 3rd of July Fireworks show at the beautiful Richmond Marina Bay Park! This year’s event will take place on Monday, July 3, 2023, from 5 pm to 10 pm. The fireworks display will begin at 9:15 pm, so be sure to arrive early to secure your spot.
Enjoy an evening of live music, delicious food, and fun activities for the whole family. We’ll have a variety of food trucks and vendors offering tasty treats, so come hungry!
Don’t forget to bring your lawn chairs and blankets to relax and enjoy the show. This is a great opportunity to spend quality time with your loved ones while watching spectacular fireworks display over the beautiful bay.
Admission to the event is free, and parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis. We encourage you to carpool or use public transportation to help reduce traffic and parking congestion.
Come out and celebrate our fireworks show with us at Richmond Marina Bay Park. We can’t wait to see you there!
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To help people arrive safely at their destination, the CHP will implement a statewide Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP) throughout the weekend and continues through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4. Throughout the extended holiday weekend, all available uniformed members of the Department will be on patrol to enhance public safety, deter unsafe driving behavior, and, when necessary, take appropriate enforcement action.
Read MoreBy CHP – Contra Costa
Last night (6/30/23) around 8:16pm, CHP Contra Costa was advised of a two-vehicle crash on eastbound SR-4, west of Bailey Road. A GMC pickup, with two occupants, and a Volkswagen Sedan, with one occupant, were traveling eastbound on Hwy 4. Our preliminary investigation indicates the GMC collided into the Volkswagen which caused the GMC to leave the roadway and overturn. During the crash sequence, both occupants of the GMC were ejected from the vehicle.
Emergency personnel arrived on scene to render aid. Both occupants of the GMC were transported to the hospital and were later pronounced deceased. The driver of the Volkswagen was not injured.
This crash is still under investigation. If anyone witnessed it or the events leading up to it, please contact CHP Contra Costa in Martinez, (925) 646-4980 or email 320Investigations@chp.ca.gov.
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Second attempt at higher office, seeks to succeed Tim Grayson as part of effort to elect an equal number of women to the state legislature
By Allen D. Payton
On June 1st, Antioch District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson announced her campaign for State Assembly in District 15 which includes portions of Central and Eastern Contra Costa County. Current incumbent, Tim Grayson (D-Concord), is expected to run for the State Senate seat currently held by Steve Glazer who is termed out at the end of 2024. Although California state legislators can now serve a total of 12 years with a combination of time in each house, Glazer won a special election in 2011 to replace Mark DeSaulnier who was elected to Congress in 2015, midway through his term. If Glazer were re-elected for a third term, he would end up serving over 13 years.
First elected to the city council in 2012 then re-elected in 2016 for four-year terms, following the formation of council districts Wilson was re-elected again in 2020 for a two-year term garnering over 55% of the vote against two other candidates. This past year she was re-elected for another four-year term, but the support in her district had dropped to less than 37% in a field of four candidates, including fellow Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock. (See related article)
This is Democrat Wilson’s second run for higher office which included a failed attempt for District 3 County Supervisor in 2016 in which she placed fifth out of six candidates in the primary. (See related article)
The following press release was issued by her campaign:
Four-term Councilmember Monica Wilson announces her candidacy for State Assembly (AD15). Current Assemblymember Tim Grayson is widely expected to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Steve Glazer.
For the past two decades, Monica has served the people of Contra Costa County as a community organizer, high-profile advocate to end human trafficking, and leader in the fight for safe neighborhoods and healthy families.
“I am ready to take my results-oriented leadership to Sacramento – where I can do even more to maintain and improve the quality of life for our Contra Costa County communities and all Californians,” said Wilson. “Too many families are getting priced out due to skyrocketing cost of living and expensive housing. And creating effective solutions to homelessness is not only a regional, but statewide crisis. I have a proven track record of tackling today’s tough problems to provide the leadership every Californian needs.”
“These are all issues I have experienced myself,” she continued. “As your Assemblymember, I’ll fight to address pocketbook issues for the well-being of every Contra Costa County family and residents throughout the Golden State.”
Wilson announced her Assembly candidacy with endorsements from State Board of Equalization Member Sally Lieber, women and human rights advocate Christine Pelosi (Former Speaker of the House and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi’s daughter) and local leaders including Concord Vice Mayor Edi Birsan and Brentwood Councilmember Jovita Mendoza.
“Monica has led efforts to protect our clean air and water for future generations,” said Board of Equalization Member Lieber. “Monica will lead the fight in Sacramento to make real progress toward the governor’s goal of dramatically cutting carbon pollution to reduce the risk of drought and wildfire.”
“It is more important than ever to elect women with proven track records of results to be our state policymakers. I am thrilled Councilmember Monica Wilson has answered the calls to run,” said Susannah Delano, Executive Director of Close the Gap California, (which is working for “gender parity in the state legislature by 2028”).
Assembly District 15 includes the cities of Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, Martinez, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, a portion of Walnut Creek and the unincorporated communities of Bay Point and Pacheco.
ABOUT MONICA: Antioch Councilmember Monica Wilson champions police reform and safe neighborhoods; solutions to homelessness; expansion of mental health response teams; and bans on new liquor stores. Monica is a regional and statewide leader in the fight against human trafficking, serving as a program manager for a Bay Area nonprofit battling exploitation – and also worked closely with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office to create the County’s Human Trafficking Task Force.
REGIONAL LEADERSHIP & EXPERIENCE:
- Serving 4th term on Antioch City Council; first African American woman elected
- Vice Chair, Northern California Democratic Party Women’s Caucus; former Vice Chair, Democratic Party of Contra Costa County
- Board Member, Tri Delta Transit
- Staff Advisor, FemDems; Outreach Coordinator, Grateful Garment Project
- Program Manager, Human Trafficking nonprofit Love Never Fails
- Staff Member, Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
- San José – Evergreen Community College District and Mills College professional positions in Workforce Institute and Student Life divisions
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Wilson is also one of five board members for the Celebrate Antioch Foundation which serves as the fiscal agent for her East Contra Costa Women’s Leadership Initiative.
Issues
According to the Priorities page on her campaign website, Wilson’s platform includes the issues of Cost of Living, Affordable Housing and Homelessness, Safe Neighborhoods and Schools and Climate Change.
Accomplishments
Wilson’s main accomplishment as a member of the Antioch City Council was last year’s approval of the pilot program for a mental health response team to assist the police department, which is expected to begin operating this year. In addition, she championed a moratorium on gas and oil drilling in the city, and rejection of the franchise agreement renewal for the natural gas pipeline that runs through the city. That has resulted in an ongoing lawsuit by the operator of the pipeline. The councilwoman is now pushing for a moratorium on new gas stations in the city.
For the past two-and-a-half years Wilson has been the least controversial member of the council majority that has approved rental housing protections, a homeless motel for transitional housing, reversal of a $750,000 grant for six police officers to serve as School Resource Officers on Antioch middle and high school campuses, multiple cannabis dispensaries and businesses, a ban on the sale of certain tobacco products and the sale or transfer of tobacco retail businesses including to other family members, a gerrymandered council district map, hiring their own part-time secretaries, as well as the hiring of the current city manager, who she later voted to place on paid administrative leave pending at least two investigations.
According to her LinkedIn page, Wilson has held a total of six jobs since 2009. She is unmarried and has no children.
For more information about Wilson’s campaign visit www.MonicaforAssembly.com.
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Edmodo, LLC allegedly collected names, email addresses, phone numbers, device information, and IP addresses of approximately 36 million children under 13 for advertising purposes until approximately September 2022 and “retaining this personal information indefinitely”
The Department of Justice, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today announced that Edmodo, LLC (Edmodo) has agreed to a permanent injunction and a $6 million civil penalty in connection with its online educational platform, as part of a settlement to resolve alleged violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule), and the Federal Trade Commission Act. The civil penalty is suspended due to Edmodo’s inability to pay.
The Edmodo educational platform, sold to schools throughout the United States, enabled teachers to interface with students, including children under 13 years old, to host virtual class spaces, conduct discussions, share materials, make assignments, and provide quizzes and grades, among other things. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the government alleges that, until approximately September 2022, Edmodo collected the personal information of children under 13, including their names, email addresses, phone numbers, device information, and IP addresses. Edmodo allegedly collected such information without providing notice to the children’s parents or obtaining parental authorization to collect such personal information, as required by the COPPA Rule, and used this personal information to enable third parties to display targeted advertising to student users between 2018 and September 2022.
According to a May 2023 article by Human Rights Watch, “Edmodo was a website and app widely used by children in kindergarten, elementary, and middle schools across the US until September 2022, when the company pivoted to only selling its product to governments. The company benefited from explosive demand in 2020, reporting a 1,500 percent increase in users in the first five months of the pandemic as governments and schools rushed to connect children to online learning.
An investigation by Human Rights Watch in May 2022 found that Edmodo was designed with the capacity to surveil children and harvest their personal data for advertising. Our technical analysis found that Edmodo could not only invisibly tag children and identify their devices for the sole purpose of advertising to them, but also enabled other advertisers to do the same by embedding ad-specific third-party code on its platform. After multiple requests for comment, Edmodo told Human Rights Watch in July 2022 that it did ‘not share [its students’] personal data with any Edmodo business partners or third parties.’”
The complaint further asserts that Edmodo was retaining this personal information indefinitely. As of March 2020, Edmodo retained the personal information associated with approximately 36 million student accounts, of which only one million were actively using the platform. This indefinite retention violated COPPA’s requirement that an operator not retain personal information of children for longer than “reasonably necessary to fulfill the purpose for which [the information] was collected.”
The stipulated order, entered by the federal district court yesterday, enjoins Edmodo from collecting personal information from children in a manner that violates the COPPA Rule and prohibits Edmodo from retaining children’s personal information for longer than reasonably necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected. The order also enjoins Edmodo from collecting more personal information than reasonably necessary for a child to participate in any activity offered on its service. It also requires Edmodo to destroy personal information improperly collected from children under age 13 and to comply with reporting, monitoring, and recordkeeping requirements. Edmodo is also subject to a civil penalty judgment of $6 million dollars, which is suspended due to Edmodo’s inability to pay.
“Children do not lose their privacy protections when they use the internet,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California. “Congress and the FTC have established rules to govern websites and apps collecting and storing the personal information of children. The settlement being announced today demonstrates the Department of Justice’s resolve to enforce those rules. We will continue to work with our partners at the FTC to safeguard children’s online privacy.”
“The Justice Department takes seriously its mission to protect the online privacy rights of children and their parents. This order spells out clearly to all online providers that it is unacceptable to collect children’s personal information without their parents’ consent,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to protecting against unauthorized online collection and retention of information, especially from children.”
“This order makes clear that ed tech providers cannot outsource compliance responsibilities to schools, or force students to choose between their privacy and education,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Other ed tech providers should carefully examine their practices to ensure they’re not compromising students’ privacy.”
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vivian Wang for the Northern District of California, Senior Trial Attorney James T. Nelson and Assistant Director Lisa Hsiao of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, and Gorana Neskovic and Peder Magee of the FTC.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the FTC, visit its website at www.FTC.gov.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
Read MoreStole wallets, cell phones, debit cards and cash; tried to buy $5,000 worth of merchandise
By Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard
On June 26, 2023 at 4:58PM Oakley Police Officers were dispatched to the Diamond Hills Gym, located at 1510 Neroly Road, on the report of multiple thefts that had just occurred. Upon arrival our officers learned a woman used a fake name to gain entry into the gym and then proceeded to physically break into multiple lockers in the women’s locker room. Approximately 5-6 patrons reported being victims of the thefts and items such as: wallets, cell phones, debit cards, and cash were reported as being stolen. Our officers interviewed victims, witnesses, and obtained video surveillance of the suspect. Some of the victims were alerted by their bank institutions, their credit cards were already being used at the Nordstrom store, in Concord at the Sun Valley Mall.
Officer Hurtado responded to the Nordstrom store to continue his investigation and obtain additional video surveillance. Officer Hurtado learned the suspect had left the store by the time he arrived. Officer Hurtado continued his investigation by talking to security and store employees when he saw a woman walk back into the store.
Officer Hurtado recognized the woman from the Diamond Hills Gym surveillance, and also from the Nordstrom store surveillance. Officer Hurtado approached the woman and promptly arrested her for the crimes, the woman continued her nefarious ways by providing a false name to Officer Hurtado.
Officer Hurtado was ultimately able to identify the woman as Andrania Yancy (37, Richmond). It was further determined, Yancy attempted to purchase over $5,000 worth of merchandise using six different stolen credit cards, all of which were denied. Yancy was arrested for grand theft, false impersonation of another, identification theft, and an outstanding warrant.
“I would like to thank everybody who brought this criminal matter to our attention. Because of quick reporting by witnesses and victims our officers were able to get an early jump on their investigation and they were able to develop information even as another related crime was taking place in another jurisdiction. At the time of this crime we had additional resources available to us in the form of a fully staffed swing shift team. This fully staffed team is the direct result of a commitment by the Oakley City Council and City Management to listen to Oakley residents and business owners to fund appropriate law-enforcement services. This commitment is not only leading to safer streets, but it has also resulted in the recruitment of some of the best law-enforcement candidates in the industry, such as Officer Hurtado, and I am grateful for all of them. Stay safe Oakley.”
According to information from the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, Yancy bonded out and is no longer in custody as of Wednesday afternoon, June 28.
According to localcrimenews.com Yancy has a history of arrests for various criminal activity dating back to 2014 including for grand theft, burglary, forgery in multiple cities and counties.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
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