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.
Letters to the Editor: Submitted by our readers.
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:
Bay Area KidFest bigger than ever THIS WEEKEND at Toyota Pavilion at Concord
CONCORD, CA (May 20, 2025) — Bay Area KidFest is coming to the world-famous Toyota Pavilion at Concord this weekend ...
The senior scam epidemic: Who’s looking out for you?
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (May 20, 2025) — Every day, scammers target older adults with clever, manipulative schemes that rob ...
The Pioneer’s Spring 2025 calendar of events and activities, May 19 update
COSTA COUNTY, CA, (May 19, 2025) — The Pioneer Calendar lists local events, performances and activities for the whole family ...
Pleasant Hill hosts vibrant Night Market showcasing local artisans
PLEASANT HILL, CA (May 20, 2025) — Pleasant Hill kicked off a long-awaited Night Market, to the appreciation of hundreds ...
Clayton Valley Charter to Host Inaugural Statewide eSports Invitational May 24
CONCORD, CA (Apr. 19, 2025) — Clayton Valley Charter High School (CVCHS) will host its first annual CVCHS Scholastic eSports ...
So This Happened…Week of May 12-18, 2025
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (May 19, 2025) — Concord’s Shiva Murugan Temple was the place to be on May 16, ...
Concord celebrates Pavilion’s 50th Anniversary
CONCORD, CA (May 19, 2025) — Fifty years ago, May 16, 1975, the Concord Pavilion officially opened with a benefit ...
Pleasant Hill’s family events rely on many community partnerships
PLEASANT HILL, CA (May 19, 2025) — Pleasant Hill is well known for its small-town feel. While we are a ...
Pioneer Sports Shorts for May 2025
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (May 19, 2025) — The Red Devil Golf Committee announced its 28th fund-raising tournament will be ...
Smoldering fear ignites with Clayton’s high fire danger
CLAYTON, CA (May 18, 2025) — It’s a simple map of the city that looks like something Realtors would hand ...
“Click It or Ticket” campaign reminds Californians to always buckle up
CONCORD, CA (May 18, 2025) — Concord Police Department reminds travelers to always buckle up and secure children in the ...
After a long setup, ‘Sinners’ worth the reward
(May 18, 2025) — The list of movies in the period-piece-vampire-musical genre is very small. In fact, Ryan Coogler may ...
De La Salle swimmers win 1st local NCS spring championship
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (May 18, 2025) — De La Salle’s swimming and diving team won a fourth successive North ...
Obituary — Merwyn Claire Powell, April 18, 2025
CLAYTON, CA (May 18, 2025) — Merwyn Claire Powell passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of April ...
Chola-style temple consecration unites community
CONCORD, CA (May 16, 2025) — The morning air filled with chants and drums as an estimated 10,000 devotees gathered ...
Music & Market signals the beginning of a great summer
CONCORD, CA (May 15, 2025) — The most wonderful time of the year here in Concord is almost here – ...
Concord Police arrest report for the week of May 7-13, 2025
CONCORD, CA (May 15, 2025) — The report below shows arrests made by the Concord Police Department from May 7-13, ...
Budgeting for Clayton’s future
CLAYTON, CA (May 14, 2025) — The city of Clayton officially began its budget process at the April Budget and ...
Love and murder collide in ‘Happy Pleasant Valley’
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (May 14, 2025) — Are senior centers all bridge games and craft classes or is something ...
Bay Area KidFest moves to Toyota Pavilion in Concord as feature of 50th Anniversary community celebration
CONCORD, CA (May 13, 2025) — KidFest returns May 24-26 for the 34th version of the Bay Area’s longest-running family ...
The Pioneer’s Spring 2025 calendar of events and activities, May 12 update
COSTA COUNTY, CA, (May 13, 2025) — The Pioneer Calendar lists local events, performances and activities for the whole family ...
So This Happened…Week of May 4-12, 2025
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (May 13, 2025) — On a mission to lose weight and lower her cholesterol, Pioneer food ...
Concord Police arrest report for the week of April 30 through May 6, 2025
CONCORD, CA (May 9, 2025) — The report below shows arrests made by the Concord Police Department from April 30 ...
Create a space to bring Hollywood to your doorstep
(May 8, 2025) — I love an outing to the movie theater – from purchasing the tickets through the glass ...
Letters to the Editor — In support of rewards for outstanding teachers
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (May 8, 2025) — Our awarded teachers and our Concord schools would benefit from non-profits, corporations ...
Concord Costco ready to “Pump You Up” again
CONCORD, CA (May 8, 2025) — Borrowing the immortal words of Hanz and Franz from the old Saturday Night Live ...
Concord Chamber connections help keep our city strong
CONCORD, CA (May 6, 2025) — In these challenging times, when many are feeling the pressure of rising costs and ...
May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month
CONCORD, CA (May 6, 2025) — Concord Police Department is reminding drivers to always look twice for motorcycles. With the ...
What is DEI and Why Is It Being Dismantled?
(May 6, 2025) — Over the last 40 years the goal of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has been to address ...
Facing the challenge of weight, cholesterol increases
(May 6, 2025) — After decades of eating well, concentrating on fresh fruit and vegetables and avoiding processed foods, I ...