CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (July 21, 2025) — With the rise in the popularity of e-bikes so comes an increase in traffic violations and even near-misses.

“The majority of complaints come from riders who are speeding, not wearing their helmets or riding recklessly,” said Concord Police Sgt. Shawn Phelan. “I have seen riders doing wheelies in the roadway or other stunt type behavior as well.” Read the complete story.

Significant drop in homelessness: The annual Point-in-Time count showed 26% fewer unhoused residents in Contra Costa than at the same time last year. “These numbers reflect our county’s continued work toward addressing housing insecurity and expanding supportive services,” Supervisor Ken Carlson wrote in his Pioneer column.

Back to basics: Everything from hydrangeas to apricots are in need of a good prune this month. Then it’s time to fertilize. “Our flowering shrubs, perennials, veggies and roses could all use a touch of attention to help replenish the energy that they have used while giving us robust growth and colorful flowers,” according to Garden Girl Nicole Hackett.

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More local news

Here are some other stories the Pioneer covered recently:

In sports: Terrapins flash at Oregon swim meet, and California Coaches honor De La Salle’s Lopoz.

In Clayton: Council rejects most of Grand Jury’s findings.

In Concord: Mayor highlights police data at national conference.

On stage: Mary Poppins flies in with tap shoes and wisdom.

Letter to the Editor: Libertarians not Republicans.

In the county: Supervisors mark Port Chicago Remembrance Day.

Save Mount Diablo: Keeping public lands public.