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:
Help the unhoused in Contra Costa County at Thanksgiving and all year
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Nov. 20, 2024) — November marks not only Thanksgiving, but also Homelessness Awareness Month. As we ...
Hormone Havoc: Skincare Ingredients to Avoid
CONCORD, CA (Nov. 20, 2024) — Long before "clean beauty" entered the spotlight, Trio Skincare was setting the standard for ...
Buchanan Field’s new terminal marks growth for Concord airport
CONCORD, CA (Nov. 20, 2024) — A new multi-faceted facility serving as home for the Contra Costa County Airport Division’s ...
Birsan offers his wish list for city of Concord
CONCORD, CA (Nov. 19, 2024) — As this is my last column as mayor, I will go over things that ...
Library system launching pilot Sunday hours Dec. 1 in Concord
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Nov. 19, 2024) — The Contra Costa County Library is piloting a new program in December ...
Concord concert supports guitar lessons for local kids
CONCORD, CA (Nov. 19, 2024) — Pioneer music columnist Dave Hughes will emcee a special concert on Saturday, Nov. 30, ...
Local artists unite for a magical evening in ‘Christmas at the Biltmore’
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Nov. 19, 2024) — Ready for a Christmas feel-good evening? Join Clayton friends and artists Nathalie ...
The Pioneer’s Fall 2024 calendar of events and activities, November 17 update
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA, (Nov. 17, 2024) — The Pioneer Calendar lists local events, performances and activities for the whole ...
So This Happened…Week of Nov. 11 through Nov. 17, 2024
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Nov. 17, 2024) — Impersonating the police: According to the Martinez Police Department, several people have ...
Martinez Police warn of scammers impersonating officers
MARTINEZ, CA (Nov. 17, 2024) — Recently, several citizens have been contacted by person(s) claiming to represent law enforcement (even ...
Festive lights, music and great food kick off the holiday season
CONCORD, CLAYTON and PLEASANT HILL, CA (Nov. 17, 2024) — The whole community is brimming with holiday cheer this season, ...
Concord recruiting Central County Transit Authority Advisory representative
CONCORD, CA (Nov. 16, 2024) — At its November 12, 2024, meeting, the Concord City Council announced a recruitment for ...
Contra Costa County’s 2025 Poetry Out Loud Program open for registration
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Nov. 16, 2024) — Educators are invited to register their students to participate in the 2025 ...
City of Concord to host annual Gift & Craft Fair on Dec. 7
CONCORD, CA (Nov. 16, 2024) — The City of Concord invites the community to attend its Annual Gift & Craft ...
Free resources for unhoused community available at Concord Library event
CONCORD, CA (Nov. 16, 2024) — In honor of Homelessness Awareness Month, the Concord Library is hosting the 2nd Annual ...
Clayton takes steps toward adopting city flag
CLAYTON, CA (Nov. 15, 2024) — Here are some recent highlights for the city of Clayton: Oct. 1. The City ...
Local collaboration essential in Concord’s fair housing efforts
CONCORD, CA (Nov. 15, 2024) — This year, the city has been actively involved in a state-mandated process to address ...
Concord Police arrest report for the week of Nov. 6 through 12, 2024
CONCORD, CA (Nov. 15, 2024) — The report below shows arrests made by the Concord Police Department from Nov. 6-12, ...
Wondering how the pollsters got it so wrong?
(Nov. 14, 2024) — I know we’re all sick of hearing about political polling. But I thought it would be ...
Some recent music releases from our own backyard
CONCORD and CLAYTON, CA (Nov. 14, 2024) — The Beat of Diablo – both this column and the radio show ...
Caring for your pet’s teeth may require anesthesia
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Nov. 13, 2024) — It is easy to take our pets’ dental health for granted. When ...
5K Concord Turkey Trot and Kids Run to help feed Contra Costa’s hungry this Thanksgiving
CONCORD, CA (Nov. 13, 2024) — Diablo Valley Federal Credit Union will once again bring the Thanksgiving spirit to life ...
Concord Art Assoc. to host free public art reception Saturday Nov. 16
CONCORD, CA (Nov. 12, 2024) — The Concord Art Association (CAA) in partnership with the Concord Visitor Center is hosting ...
Big Pharma, Big Food and the pursuit of profits
(Nov. 12, 2024) — We are tossed on a sea of pharmaceuticals, floated on the public by an immoral industry ...
Time to get a ‘Clue,’ or get in on some holiday cheer
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Nov. 12, 2024) — Kudos to Onstage Repertory Theatre and director Dianna Schepers for attempting the ...
Contra Costa superintendent of schools honored for supporting families impacted by domestic violence
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Nov. 12, 2024) — Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Lynn Mackey was selected to receive ...
Community thrives as chamber events and shopping scene flourish
CONCORD, CA (Nov. 11, 2024) — It’s heartening to see our Concord Chamber of Commerce events buzzing with energy once ...
The Pioneer’s Fall 2024 calendar of events and activities, November 10 update
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA, (Nov. 10, 2024) — The Pioneer Calendar lists local events, performances and activities for the whole ...
So This Happened…Week of Nov. 4 through Nov. 10, 2024
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Nov. 10, 2024) — It looks like Concord Mayor Edi Birsan’s 12-year run on the City ...
In Concord Benavente ousts Birsan, Obringer cruises to an easy win; A jubilant Enea leads the pack in Clayton
CONCORD, CLAYTON and PLEASANT HILL (Nov. 10, 2024) — The city of Concord will lose longtime Councilmember Edi Birsan, currently ...