News and Features
News: Stories covering Concord, Clayton, Pleasant Hill and surrounding areas.
Weekly Summaries/So This Happened: Our weekly roundup of news.
Pioneer Newspaper PDF archive: Read past issues of the monthly print paper in PDF format. We have issues going back to 2003.
News by City
- Concord: News from Concord, CA.
- Clayton: News from Clayton, CA.
- Pleasant Hill: News from Pleasant Hill, CA.
News by Category
Elections: Coverage of local candidates and voting.
Obituaries: Obituaries for Concord, Clayton, Pleasant Hill and surrounding communities.
Sports: News and athlete profiles from local teams and alumni, sports organizations and more.
Crime: Police reports and news about criminal activity.
Performing Arts: Reviews and promotions for local theater productions and live music events.
From the Desk of: News and commentary from city, county and state officials.
Schools: News, features and accomplishments from the schools serving Concord, Clayton and Pleasant Hill.
Pioneer Columnists
Our columnists each bring you their personal reflections on a variety topics from restaurants to films to gardening to pet care, and more.
Recent Pioneer stories:
Contra Costa County Sheriff warns of phone scam
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 19, 2025) — The scam activity appears to be picking up. Several residents are saying ...
DeSaulnier ready for ‘bumpy ride’ after federal funding pause
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 19, 2025) — The unprecedented late January action by President Donald Trump to halt federal ...
Bill would make CalFire workers year-round firefighters
(Feb. 19, 2025) — California continues to face unprecedented wildfires that are burning longer, hotter and more frequently than ever ...
Concord Mayor Carlyn Obringer interview
CONCORD, CA (Feb. 19, 2025) — Journalist Ann Notarangelo sat down with Mayor Carlyn Obringer at the Concord Chamber of ...
Northgate High School wins Cheer championship title at Las Vegas Nationals
WALNUT CREEK, CA (Feb. 18, 2025) — The Northgate High cheerleading squad has been building over the past three years ...
New hires aim to strengthen Clayton’s city services
CLAYTON, CA (Feb. 18, 2025) — As we embarked on a new year in the city of Clayton, one of ...
The ‘Super Bowl Effect’ hits real estate market
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 18, 2025) — As the Super Bowl celebrations wind down, something remarkable happens in the ...
Suspect shot and killed by Concord Police responding to knife attack
CONCORD, CA (Feb. 18, 2025) — The Concord Police Department is actively investigating an officer-involved shooting that took place early ...
Could the East Bay be another L.A.? Wildfire preparation is key
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 18, 2025) — Imagine it’s a warm, dry day in the East Bay. It hasn’t ...
Video game the star of ‘Froggy,’ while ‘Cake’ explores religious beliefs
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 18, 2025) — Walnut Creek’s Center Rep presents the world premiere of the graphic novel ...
The Pioneer’s Winter 2025 calendar of events and activities, February 16 update
COSTA COUNTY, CA, (Feb. 16, 2025) — The Pioneer Calendar lists local events, performances and activities for the whole family ...
So This Happened…Week of Feb. 10-16, 2025
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 16, 2025) — From the pope to werewolves: Pioneer film critic Jeff Mellinger invites you ...
Concord Police arrest report for the week of Feb. 5 through 11, 2025
CONCORD, CA (Feb. 14, 2025) — The report below shows arrests made by the Concord Police Department from Feb. 5-11, ...
Step inside Vatican’s secrets in ‘Conclave’; ‘Wolf Man’ disappoints
(Feb. 14, 2025) — Not many are privy to the inner workings of a conclave at the Vatican. When the ...
Pioneer Athlete Spotlight on Anjanette (AJ) Taguinod, CVCHS
Name: Anjanette (AJ) Taguinod Grade: Senior School: Clayton Valley Charter High School Sports: Basketball & Tennis Determined player Taguinod uses ...
Concord’s dog parks closing for annual maintenance
CONCORD, CA (Feb. 13, 2025) — City dog parks are being renovated to better serve our pets. Newhall Dog Park ...
Joann Fabrics in Concord to close
CONCORD, CA (Feb. 12, 2025) — After being spared from the chopping block last spring, Joann Fabrics Concord store will ...
Concerned About Aging at Home? Join This Free Community Discussion Feb. 12 in Concord
CONCORD, CA — Are you or someone you love concerned about staying independent as they get older? Are you or ...
The Pioneer’s Winter 2025 calendar of events and activities, February 10 update
COSTA COUNTY, CA, (Feb. 10, 2025) — The Pioneer Calendar lists local events, performances and activities for the whole family ...
So This Happened…Week of Feb. 3-9, 2025
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 10, 2025) — The Department of Justice announced that a former Mt. Diablo Unified School ...
Rep. DeSaulnier slams suspension of federal Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 7, 2025) — Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) issued the following statement after the Trump Administration ...
Concord Police arrest report for the week of Jan. 29 through Feb. 4, 2025
CONCORD, CA (Feb. 6, 2025) — The report below shows arrests made by the Concord Police Department from Jan. 29-Feb ...
Bridging the gap through respectful conversations
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 5, 2025) — Americans feel concerned about the growing partisanship in our country and the ...
Former employee charged with defrauding Mt. Diablo Unified School District of $3.3M
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 4, 2025) —Mt. Diablo Unified School District released a statement following the arrest of a ...
Wildfire risks on the rise: How Pleasant Hill can stay safe
PLEASANT HILL, CA (Feb. 4, 2025) — California wildfires in recent years have significantly increased in both number and severity ...
Clayton’s Diamond Terrace ceases all amenities as of April 30
CLAYTON, CA (Feb. 4, 2025) — BREAKING NEWS: The Pioneer editor received a phone call this morning from the daughter ...
Clayton Police Report for January 2025
CLAYTON, CA (Feb. 3, 2025) — This report details police activity for the Clayton Police Department during the month of ...
Despite recent research, spaying and neutering early still a good option
CLAYTON, CA (Feb. 3, 2025) — For decades, veterinarians for decades have been taught and have counseled clients that early ...
The Pioneer’s Winter 2025 calendar of events and activities, February 2 update
COSTA COUNTY, CA, (Feb. 2, 2025) — The Pioneer Calendar lists local events, performances and activities for the whole family ...
So This Happened…Week of Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2025
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 2, 2025) — Pleasant Hill police are continuing the investigation of a fatal traffic accident ...