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
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:
Rossi fiercely dedicated to California politics, warts and all
CONCORD, CA (July 26, 2024) — In the intricate, noisy, drama-filled world of California politics, there is a political strategist ...
Concord Police arrest report for the week of July 17 through 23, 2024
CONCORD, CA (July 26, 2024) — The report below shows arrests made by the Concord Police Department from July 17-23, ...
Field Day showcases the power of Ham radio’s reach
CONCORD, CA (July 26, 2024) — Amateur radio, aka Ham radio, is as personal as it is communal, and both ...
Take action to comply with fire safety guidelines
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (July 25, 2024) — As we emerge from the recent heat wave and still have two ...
A loving approach to obtaining power of attorney
(July 25, 2024) — Q. How can I start a conversation about taking over power of attorney for my aging ...
Obituary — Giuseppe (Joseph) Messina, 1935 – 2024
CLAYTON, CA (July 25, 2024) — Joseph Messina, a longtime resident and restaurateur of Clayton, passed away peacefully at home ...
65th Annual Diablo Japanese American Summer Festival returns
CONCORD, CA (July 25, 2024) — The Diablo Japanese American Summer Festival, a cherished local tradition, will celebrate its 65th ...
Charming 3-bedroom w/ loft, 2.5-bathroom home in Brentwood
BRENTWOOD, CA (July 24, 2024) — Welcome to this charming 3-bedroom w/ loft, 2.5-bathroom home in the California Harvest subdivision, ...
CVCHS removes interim tag from Executive Director Bill Morones
CONCORD, CA (July 24, 2024) — Bill Morones has had a diverse career in education but if he were charting ...
Driving range murals scoring aces with patrons in Concord
CONCORD, CA (July 24, 2024) — If Sydney Bader’s interpretation of the nearby East Bay hills and a heron adds ...
Local women honored for overcoming life obstacles
WALNUT CREEK, CA (July 23, 2024) — Soroptimist International of 24-680 Walnut Creek recently awarded Benedicta (last name withheld by ...
How I fell in love with the Olympics
CONCORD, CA (July 23, 2024) — I can remember when I first was aware of the Olympics and how I’ve ...
National homeless ruling likely won’t change local policies
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (July 23, 2024) — The highest court in the land may have given law enforcement the ...
Officials tracking spread of bird flu to humans
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (July 22, 2024) — Not to ruffle any feathers, but it is time to speak of ...
Concord Council OKs 183 affordable units on former Nazarene church site
CONCORD, CA (July 22, 2024) — A stalled 183-unit, multi-family rental project will move forward after the City Council gave ...
The Pioneer’s Summer 2024 calendar of events and activities, July 21 update
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA, (July 14, 2024) — The Pioneer Calendar lists local events, performances and activities for the whole ...
So This Happened…Week of July 15 through 21, 2024
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (July 21, 2024) — Just as organizers prepared for the Port Chicago Weekend, news came that ...
Concord Police arrest report for the week of July 10 through 16, 2024
CONCORD, CA (July 21, 2024) — The report below shows arrests made by the Concord Police Department from July 10-17, ...
Obituary — Jeanne Elise Kirchhoff Boyd,
April 7, 1941-July 9, 2024
CLAYTON, CA (July 21, 2024) — Jeanne Elise Kirchhoff Boyd, a beautiful loving wife, mother and grandmother, left this world ...
Obituary – Gerald ‘Jerry’ Cabral,
Nov. 12, 1962 – June 21, 2024
RIO VISTA, CA (July 21, 2024) — It saddens our family to announce that Gerald “Jerry” Cabral, 61, of Rio ...
Never forget: Art and history will outlast us
CONCORD, CA (July 21, 2024) — Art and history will never rise to even the top 10 of a city’s ...
Obituary — Marsha Jean York, 1946-2024
PITTSBURG, CA (July 21, 2024) — Marsha Jean York of Pittsburg, age 77, passed away at her home in Pittsburg ...
Pleasant Hill, Clayton to celebrate National Night Out with community festivities
PLEASANT HILL, CA (July 21, 2024) — On Tue. Aug 6, from 6- 8 p.m., the Pleasant Hill Police Department ...
Pleasant Hill Police Dept. bids farewell to K-9 officer Bodie
PLEASANT HILL, CA (July 21, 2024) — It is with great sadness that the Pleasant Hill Police Department announced the ...
Navy’s exoneration restores honor for the Port Chicago 50
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (July 20, 2024) — A wrong has finally been righted. Eighty years after the devastating explosion ...
Don’t rush to the garden hose just because it’s hot out
CLAYTON, CA (July 20, 2024) — Hot weather puts many garden lovers into panic mode. They instantly arm themselves with ...
Letter to the Editor — Pioneer Biased?
(July 19, 2024) — Half of America loves Trump. How dare you post Liberal views only. I'm thinking about deleting ...
After two years, Pleasant Hill Library has become a community hub
PLEASANT HILL, CA (July 19, 2024) — This month we are celebrating two years with our new Pleasant Hill Library, ...
Local theaters offer one-act plays, plus soap opera drama
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (July 19, 2024) — Onstage Theatre continues its “Off the Shelf and on the Stage” one-act ...
Amit Elor, Kara Kohler look to burnish area’s medal legacy at Paris Olympics
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (July 19, 2024) — Amit Elor, just five years removed from winning a high school state ...