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:
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 ...
Day of the Dead celebration brings culture and remembrance to Oakmont Memorial Park
LAFAYETTE, CA (Oct. 18, 2024) — Oakmont Memorial Park invites the community to take part in its Día de los ...
Accusations crop up in California Senate, Assembly races
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Oct. 18, 2024) — The local legislative races seemed like they would be smooth going with ...
Go beyond ‘Monster Mash’ with eerie local tunes
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Oct. 18, 2024) — It’s that time of year again when you might find yourself tasked ...
Concord Police arrest report for the week of Oct. 9 through 15, 2024
CONCORD, CA (Oct. 17, 2024) — The report below shows arrests made by the Concord Police Department from Oct. 9-15, ...
Watch the 2024 Concord City Council Candidate Forum
CONCORD, CA (Oct. 17, 2024) — Watch the 2024 Concord Candidate Forum featuring insightful discussions from candidates in District 2 ...
Contra Costa Fire will hold its annual open house in Concord Sat. Oct. 19
PhotoCONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Oct. 17, 2024) — Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Contra Costa Fire) will hold its ...
Ledo outlines her qualifications for state Assembly
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Oct. 17, 2024) — Hello, I’m Sonia Ledo, and I’m running for the California state Assembly ...
Letter to the Editor — Misinformation and Lies in my Mailbox
CLAYTON, CA (Oct. 16, 2024) — Dear Editor, When I picked up my mail today, I was appalled at what ...
Bette Boatmun inspired generations through leadership courage and friendship
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Oct. 16, 2024) — In remembrance of Bette Boatmun, Contra Costa’s Superwoman. I’m dedicating this month’s ...
Diversity Commission helps make Pleasant Hill a place for everyone
PLEASANT HILL, CA (Oct. 16, 2024) — The city of Pleasant Hill has changed over the years and continues to ...
Prop. 36 a smart way to address addiction, homelessness and theft
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Oct. 16, 2024) — California’s Prop. 36 is an intelligent, compassionate solution to the epidemic of ...
Workplace comedy and Halloween scares on local stages
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Oct. 15, 2024) — Lots of excitement at Endeavor Hall in Clayton as the Clayton Theatre ...
Concord PD receives $275,000 grant for traffic enforcement and education programs
CONCORD, CA (Oct. 15, 2024) — Concord Police Department has received a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety ...
Engage in agritourism to enjoy the fall farm experience
It wouldn’t be fall without pumpkins at the farmers market – and at local farms. (Pete Cruz photo)CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, ...
October is Creek and Channel Safety Awareness Month
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Oct. 14, 2024) — The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors has declared October as Creek ...
The Pioneer’s Fall 2024 calendar of events and activities, October 13 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. 7 through 13, 2024
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Oct. 13, 2024) — Concord police are looking for witnesses after a fatal hit-and-run Oct. 6 ...
New Food Security Collaborative in Contra Costa County receives $100K Impact grant
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Oct. 12, 2024) — In a major step toward addressing food insecurity in Contra Costa County, ...
Ok, so this ‘Joker’ is a musical, but what’s the point?
(Oct. 11, 2024) — In my review for “Joker,” I pointed out that it was a fine film but wondered ...
Join Visit Concord and Port Chicago Alliance for Fleet Fest this weekend
CONCORD, CA (Oct. 11, 2024) — Visit Concord is proud to announce its partnership with the National Park Service and ...