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:
Catch the Vybe and unlock the regenerative power of your skin
CONCORD, CA (Mar. 22, 2025) — The skincare industry is constantly evolving, bringing cutting-edge treatments that deliver powerful results with ...
Expand your herb garden beyond good old parsley
CLAYTON, CA (Mar. 22, 2025) — Herb gardening is both beautiful and rewarding. Plant lovers delight in how easy it ...
Eight local athletes named winter sports players of the year
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Mar. 21, 2025) — Six local soccer players and two basketball standouts were named most valuable ...
Obituary — John Anthony Mele,
Sept. 19, 1952-Feb. 16, 2025
CLAYTON, CA (Mar. 21, 2025) — It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of a wonderful man, ...
A cup of Joe with Concord PD can be a first step to solutions
CONCORD, CA (Mar. 21, 2025) — Not all the world’s ills will be solved over a cup of coffee, but ...
Strong showings from East Bay musicians
SAN FRANCISCO EAST BAY, CA (Mar. 20, 2025) — The Bay Area’s music scene isn’t waiting for anyone in 2025 ...
Concord Police arrest report for the week of March 12-18, 2025
CONCORD, CA (Mar. 20, 2025) — The report below shows arrests made by the Concord Police Department from March 12-18, ...
Clayton honors library founders in light of 30th anniversary
CLAYTON, CA (Mar. 20, 2025) — Thank you Joyce Atkinson, Jeanne Boyd (posthumously) and Diana Bauer for dreaming big and ...
How Concord contributes to EBRPD’s goals, plus a special tour of Thurgood Marshall park
CONCORD, CA (Mar. 19, 2025) — Participating in Tuesday night meetings three times a month is just the tip of ...
Catch ‘Noises Off’ or opt for ‘Dungeons and Dragons’
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Mar. 19, 2025) — If you haven’t seen Clayton Theatre’s hilarious spoof “Noises Off,” you still ...
Carondelet basketball powers through to second state triumph
CONCORD, CA (Mar. 19, 2025) — With the clock ticking under one minute remaining in the girls California State Division ...
Obituary — Richard “Rick” Brick,
1942-2025
CLAYTON, CA (Mar. 18, 2025) — Richard “Rick” Elmer Brick, 82, departed our earth Mon., Feb. 17, 2025, from terminal ...
Yoga with Puppies — Snuggle a puppy, save a life
CONCORD, CA (Mar. 18, 2025) — Ever wonder what a working service dog is worth? The expertly trained service dogs ...
Diablo Women’s Chorale prepares for out-of-this-world adventure
ALAMO, CA (Mar. 18, 2025) — The Diablo Women’s Chorale invites you to reach for the stars with its spring ...
The Pioneer’s Spring 2025 calendar of events and activities, March 16 update
COSTA COUNTY, CA, (Mar. 16, 2025) — The Pioneer Calendar lists local events, performances and activities for the whole family ...
So This Happened…Week of March 10-16, 2025
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Mar. 16, 2025) — Pioneer columnist Nathalie Montijo writes about the importance of the World Health ...
Looking for good films? Try ‘Complete Unknown,’ ‘I’m Not a Robot,’ ‘Oddity’
(Mar. 15, 2025) — For the first time since perhaps middle school, I had not seen a single Best Picture ...
Concord BART station begins installation of Next Generation Fare Gates
CONCORD, CA (Mar. 15, 2025) — The scheduled installation of BART’s Next Generation Fare Gates started at the Concord station ...
Pioneer Athlete Spotlight on Ruby Bartholomew, Clayton Valley Charter High
Grade: Senior School: Clayton Valley Charter High School Sports: Softball & Flag Football CONCORD, CA (Mar. 14, 2025) — Accomplished ...
Downtown Pleasant Hill Easter Celebration planned for April 18
PLEASANT HILL, CA (Mar. 14, 2025) — Downtown Pleasant Hill invites holiday revelers of all ages to its Annual Easter ...
Join Hope Hospice for the 2025 Hike for HOPE!
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Mar. 13, 2025) — Are you ready to make a difference while enjoying the beauty of ...
Concord Police arrest report for the week of March 5-11, 2025
CONCORD, CA (Mar. 13, 2025) — The report below shows arrests made by the Concord Police Department from March 5-11, ...
Work on Pleasant Hill Rd. Bridge over Taylor Blvd. expected to cause travel delays
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Mar. 12, 2025) — Contra Costa County Public Works will begin work on the Pleasant Hill ...
Fire Hazard Severity Zone updates for Concord: What you need to know
CONCORD, CA (Mar. 12, 2025) — As required by state law, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CAL ...
Mark DeSaulnier announces 2025 Congressional Art Competition
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Mar. 11, 2025) — Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA10) announced that he will again host the Congressional ...
Installation work to begin March 14 for Next Generation Fare Gates at Concord Station
CONCORD, CA (Mar. 11, 2025) — On Friday, March 14 BART will begin the installation of Next Generation Fare Gates ...
Clayton Cleans Up: Join the Community Effort on April 19
CLAYTON, CA (Mar. 11, 2025) — Mark your calendars! Clayton Cleans Up is happening Saturday, April 19, from 8 AM ...
‘Twice the Family’ explores the adoption of twins
(Mar. 11, 2025) — A successful memoir usually has a hook that draws a reader in, something in an author’s ...
WHO loses without world health group? The U.S. does
(Mar. 10, 2025) — With the news of the United States withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO), I wanted ...
Contra Costa Historical Society offers membership discount
MARTINEZ, CA (Mar. 10, 2025) — To celebrate the county’s 175th anniversary, the Contra Costa County Historical Society (CCCHS) is ...