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:
Pioneer Sports Shorts for February 2025
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 22, 2025) — Ygnacio Valley High School Athletic Hall of Fame will honors its Class ...
Armed robbery suspect fatally shot by store employee in Concord
CONCORD, CA (Feb. 22, 2025) — The Concord Police Department is investigating a fatal shooting that occurred during an armed ...
Knock, knock – is the equity in your home calling?
(Feb. 21, 2025) — Sixty percent of U.S. homeowners have at least $100,000 in tappable equity in their home – ...
Clayton Valley Charter High School Opens Introduction to Design Course for Class of 2029
CONCORD, CA (Feb. 21, 2025) — Clayton Valley Charter High School (CVCHS) is excited to announce its Introduction to Design ...
Nine local basketball teams in Section playoffs
CONCORD, CA (Feb. 21, 2025) — Clayton Valley Charter’s girls and De La Salle boys headline the nine local teams ...
Concord artist releases heartfelt song for fire victims
CONCORD, CA (Feb. 20, 2025) — “Which way will the wind blow, mama? Which way will our home go now?” ...
Concord Police arrest report for the week of Feb. 12 through 18, 2025
CONCORD, CA (Feb. 20, 2025) — The report below shows arrests made by the Concord Police Department from Feb. 12-18, ...
Concord golfer Yealimi Noh wins her 1st pro golf tournament championship
CONCORD, CA (Feb. 20, 2025) — Concord’s homegrown golf star Yealimi Noh was the leader after three rounds of the ...
Contra Costa County Sheriff warns of phone scam
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 19, 2025) — The scam activity appears to be picking up. Several residents are saying ...
DeSaulnier ready for ‘bumpy ride’ after federal funding pause
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 19, 2025) — The unprecedented late January action by President Donald Trump to halt federal ...
Bill would make CalFire workers year-round firefighters
(Feb. 19, 2025) — California continues to face unprecedented wildfires that are burning longer, hotter and more frequently than ever ...
Concord Mayor Carlyn Obringer interview
CONCORD, CA (Feb. 19, 2025) — Journalist Ann Notarangelo sat down with Mayor Carlyn Obringer at the Concord Chamber of ...
Northgate High School wins Cheer championship title at Las Vegas Nationals
WALNUT CREEK, CA (Feb. 18, 2025) — The Northgate High cheerleading squad has been building over the past three years ...
New hires aim to strengthen Clayton’s city services
CLAYTON, CA (Feb. 18, 2025) — As we embarked on a new year in the city of Clayton, one of ...
The ‘Super Bowl Effect’ hits real estate market
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 18, 2025) — As the Super Bowl celebrations wind down, something remarkable happens in the ...
Suspect shot and killed by Concord Police responding to knife attack
CONCORD, CA (Feb. 18, 2025) — The Concord Police Department is actively investigating an officer-involved shooting that took place early ...
Could the East Bay be another L.A.? Wildfire preparation is key
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 18, 2025) — Imagine it’s a warm, dry day in the East Bay. It hasn’t ...
Video game the star of ‘Froggy,’ while ‘Cake’ explores religious beliefs
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 18, 2025) — Walnut Creek’s Center Rep presents the world premiere of the graphic novel ...
The Pioneer’s Winter 2025 calendar of events and activities, February 16 update
COSTA COUNTY, CA, (Feb. 16, 2025) — The Pioneer Calendar lists local events, performances and activities for the whole family ...
So This Happened…Week of Feb. 10-16, 2025
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 16, 2025) — From the pope to werewolves: Pioneer film critic Jeff Mellinger invites you ...
Concord Police arrest report for the week of Feb. 5 through 11, 2025
CONCORD, CA (Feb. 14, 2025) — The report below shows arrests made by the Concord Police Department from Feb. 5-11, ...
Step inside Vatican’s secrets in ‘Conclave’; ‘Wolf Man’ disappoints
(Feb. 14, 2025) — Not many are privy to the inner workings of a conclave at the Vatican. When the ...
Pioneer Athlete Spotlight on Anjanette (AJ) Taguinod, CVCHS
Name: Anjanette (AJ) Taguinod Grade: Senior School: Clayton Valley Charter High School Sports: Basketball & Tennis Determined player Taguinod uses ...
Concord’s dog parks closing for annual maintenance
CONCORD, CA (Feb. 13, 2025) — City dog parks are being renovated to better serve our pets. Newhall Dog Park ...
Joann Fabrics in Concord to close
CONCORD, CA (Feb. 12, 2025) — After being spared from the chopping block last spring, Joann Fabrics Concord store will ...
Concerned About Aging at Home? Join This Free Community Discussion Feb. 12 in Concord
CONCORD, CA — Are you or someone you love concerned about staying independent as they get older? Are you or ...
The Pioneer’s Winter 2025 calendar of events and activities, February 10 update
COSTA COUNTY, CA, (Feb. 10, 2025) — The Pioneer Calendar lists local events, performances and activities for the whole family ...
So This Happened…Week of Feb. 3-9, 2025
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 10, 2025) — The Department of Justice announced that a former Mt. Diablo Unified School ...
Rep. DeSaulnier slams suspension of federal Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 7, 2025) — Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) issued the following statement after the Trump Administration ...
Concord Police arrest report for the week of Jan. 29 through Feb. 4, 2025
CONCORD, CA (Feb. 6, 2025) — The report below shows arrests made by the Concord Police Department from Jan. 29-Feb ...