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 in the 2024 election.
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:
Clayton Historical Society celebrates the importance of its history
CLAYTON, CA (Oct. 29, 2024) — History attempts to answer the questions we have about the people who came before ...
Why do seven states decide who’s president?
(Oct. 29, 2024) — Why do seven states get to decide who's our president? It's because of our unique system ...
Moving home project from dream stage to reality
(Oct. 1, 2024) — Whether you are a seasoned design aficionado or starting your very first interior design project, we ...
Students find pre-registration voting process quick and easy
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Oct. 28, 2024) — The number of contested races and issues up for consideration in the ...
Concord Police arrest report for the week of Oct. 16 through 22, 2024
CONCORD, CA (Oct. 28, 2024) — The report below shows arrests made by the Concord Police Department from Oct. 16-22, ...
The Pioneer’s Fall 2024 calendar of events and activities, October 27 update
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA, (Oct. 27, 2024) — The Pioneer Calendar lists local events, performances and activities for the whole ...
So This Happened…Week of Oct. 22 through 27, 2024
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Oct. 27, 2024) — The Pioneer’s Woof O Ween costume contest was just dog-gone good fun ...
Letter to the Editor — Edi Birsan Must Resign
CONCORD, CA (Oct. 27, 2024) — Editor: When I first became community active, I was appointed Chair of the Concord ...
Clayton’s second annual Woof O Ween: A howling success
CLAYTON, CA (Oct. 27, 2024) — The second annual Woof O Ween dog costume contest took place this past weekend ...
Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa Reaches Milestone of over 6 Million Meals Served
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Oct. 26, 2024) — Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa (LFCC), a community-based nonprofit providing nutritious ...
Letter to the Editor — Response to Pioneer only printing liberal views claim
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Oct. 25, 2024) — Hello, My name is Sonia Ledo and I'm the Republican candidate for ...
Letter to the Editor — Local officials endorse Holly Tillman for Clayton City Council
CLAYTON, CA (Oct. 25, 2024) — Dear Clayton Community: We are writing to express our strong support for our friend ...
Ygnacio Valley High students receive Invention Grant to create technological solution to real-world problem
CONCORD, CA (Oct. 25, 2024) — Ygnacio Valley High School has been awarded a Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam® grant of $7,500. The ...
Czech artist a hidden gem in Clayton
CLAYTON, CA (Oct. 25, 2024) — Lenka Glassner, a Czechoslovakian-born artist, is a treasured presence in the Clayton art scene ...
Embrace the fear for a Halloween boost
(Oct. 25, 2024) — Here’s a scary thought for you: It’s October already and I feel as though I just ...
DeSaulnier faces off against Oakley Republican leader
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Oct. 24, 2024) — The two candidates for the seat in Congressional District 10 have one ...
Outdoor adventures await in Costa Rica
(Oct. 23, 2024) — I was soaking wet from the humidity, but a sudden swing of the machete brought instant ...
Concord High School to Honor Longtime Educator by Naming 500 Wing “Kathy Koch Hall”
CONCORD, CA (Oct. 23, 2024) — Concord High School will dedicate the 500 wing as “Kathy Koch Hall” in honor ...
Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office warns of active warrants scam
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Oct. 23, 2024) — Residents are asked to be alert to a new scam involving individuals ...
Contra Costa Halloween Con coming to Hilton Concord this Sunday
CONCORD, CA (Oct. 22, 2024) — The 4th annual Contra Costa Halloween Con is this Sunday, Oct. 27, at the ...
Prescribed burns planned at Mount Diablo State Park
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Oct. 22, 2024) — California State Parks plans to conduct prescribed burns at Mount Diablo State ...
Concord Receives Helen Putnam Award for Creative Arts Program
CONCORD, CA (Oct. 22, 2024) — The City of Concord has been recognized with the prestigious Helen Putnam Award for ...
Letters to the Editor — Clayton Election
CLAYTON, CA (Oct. 22, 2024) — Dear Editor: I support Clayton’s “Do the right thing of RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, KINDNESS, SELF-DISCIPLINE, ...
New Clayton manager ready to tackle staffing, budget
CLAYTON, CA (Oct. 22, 2024) — The recent Oktoberfest is a perfect example of what inspired Kris Lofthus to take ...
The Pioneer’s Fall 2024 calendar of events and activities, October 21 update
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA, (Oct. 13, 2024) — The Pioneer Calendar lists local events, performances and activities for the whole ...
So This Happened…Week of Oct. 14 through 21, 2024
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Oct. 21, 2024) — Beyond her 46 years on the Contra Costa Water District board, Bette ...
City of Concord wins Helen Putnam Award for Creative Concord program
CONCORD, CA (Oct. 21, 2024) — The City of Concord has been honored with the prestigious Helen Putnam Award for ...
Understanding Concord’s road repair system
CONCORD, CA (Oct. 21, 2024) — You cannot turn a corner onto a major road in Concord without seeing the ...
This fall, plant the best of the best
CLAYTON, CA (Oct. 20, 2024) — Each year, a few plants stand out as being the most sought after in ...
Art Meets Jam for a walk in the park
CONCORD, CA (Oct. 19, 2024) — Artists Jenny Rosales and Christina Abad work on their canvases in Todos Santos Plaza ...