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:
Do the hidden dangers in your home put you at risk?
CONCORD, CA (Mar. 31, 2025) — For many seniors, home is a place of comfort and independence. It’s where memories ...
Contra Costa Family Justice Center offers resources for survivors
CONCORD, CA (Mar. 31, 2025) — One of the city’s most valuable assets started as a small spark of an ...
Catastrophic consequences could follow loss of USAID
(Mar. 31, 2025) — President John F. Kennedy founded the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in 1961, because ...
Pioneer Sports Shorts
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Mar. 31, 2025) — The Terrapins had 57 swimmers ranging from 8-18 years make the trek ...
The Pioneer’s Spring 2025 calendar of events and activities, March 30 update
COSTA COUNTY, CA, (Mar. 30, 2025) — The Pioneer Calendar lists local events, performances and activities for the whole family ...
So This Happened…Week of March 24-30, 2025
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Mar. 30, 2025) — After much discussion among the City Councilmembers – and some angry protests ...
‘A Night in New Orleans,’ a great night for Clayton Valley Music Program
WALNUT CREEK, CA (Mar. 30, 2025) – The inaugural Jazz Dinner Dance, "A Night in New Orleans," hosted by the ...
Clayton Police Report for March 2025
CLAYTON, CA (Mar. 29, 2025) — This report details police activity for the Clayton Police Department during the month of ...
Jury convicts Kenneth McIsaac in Lafayette home invasion case
MARTINEZ, CA (Mar. 28, 2025) — On March 27, a Contra Costa County jury convicted 34-year-old Kenneth McIsaac on multiple ...
4 Star Wars anniversaries celebrated at Contra Costa Con this Sunday at Hilton Concord
CONCORD, CA (Mar. 28, 2025) — Contra Costa Con Star Wars Celebration comes to Concord for its third annual edition ...
Contra Costa Sheriff’s office announces 2025 Junior Women’s Academy, June 24-26
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Mar. 28, 2025) — Save the date. The Office of the Contra Costa County Sheriff has ...
Preplanning with Oakmont matters more than you think
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Mar. 28, 2025) — No one likes to think about death, let alone plan for it ...
Is a Concord housing boom just around the corner?
CONCORD, CA (Mar. 28, 2025) — The interactive map for housing projects around the city mostly shows approved developments that ...
Concord Police arrest report for the week of March 19-25, 2025
CONCORD, CA (Mar. 27, 2025) — The report below shows arrests made by the Concord Police Department from March 19-25, ...
Two Concord teachers named MDUSD 2025-26 Teachers of the Year
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Mar. 27, 2025) — Mt. Diablo High School teacher Dr. David Pintado and Silverwood Elementary’s Elizabeth ...
MDUSD installs state of art turf field at Mt. Diablo High school
CONCORD, CA (Mar. 27, 2025) — Mt. Diablo High School has celebrated the completion of the installation of its second ...
Spring comes to Concord – embrace the longer days and hit the trail
CONCORD, CA (Mar. 26, 2025) — Daylight Savings Time has officially returned, and I couldn’t be happier. There’s always been ...
Lifelong exposure to art leads to a focus on Vermeer
PLEASANT HILL, CA (Mar. 26, 2025) — Pleasant Hill resident Tom Anderson’s fascination with art began in childhood, nurtured by ...
Working to protect Californians from scams
CALIFORNIA (Mar. 25, 2025) — In my role as chair of the Senate Banking and Financial Intuitions Committee, I recently ...
Cracking the Credit Code
(Mar. 25, 2025) — A strong credit score can open doors to financial opportunities, from securing a mortgage to getting ...
Clayton Valley Village seeks volunteers to help seniors
CLAYTON, CA (Mar. 24, 2025) — Clayton Valley Village is calling on community members to lend a hand to local ...
Champion Clayton Valley Charter girls rule NCS wrestling
CONCORD, CA (Mar. 24, 2025) — Seniors Abbi Cooper and Savannah Talmadge capped their incredible high school careers by leading ...
Pleasant Hill creating plan to combat climate change
PLEASANT HILL, CA (Mar. 24, 2025) — The city of Pleasant Hill is embarking on its first Climate Action Plan ...
Concord divided over new small landlord eviction rules
Council also OKs rent cap of 5% annually for some units CONCORD, CA (Mar. 24, 2025) — After a heated ...
The Pioneer’s Spring 2025 calendar of events and activities, March 23 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 17-23, 2025
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Mar. 22, 2025) — The Carondelet girls basketball team made four clinch free throws to win ...
Putting 2010 Pulse of Concord views into perspective
CONCORD, CA (Mar. 23, 2025) — I started the Pulse of Concord 15 years ago to open discussions on various ...
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 ...