Come join us for a great cause at Smith’s Landing Seafood Grill on Thursday, November 5th, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM for Tip a Cop. All proceeds benefit Special Olympics of Northern California.
Antioch Police Officers will be working alongside the service staff to collect tips / donations from guests to raise funds for Special Olympics.
100 percent of your “special tips” will help support year-round sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
Smith’s Landing is located at 1 Marina Plaza, at the foot of L Street in Antioch.
Join us Saturday and Sunday, Nov 7th and 8th from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. to celebrate our 11th Anniversary at Willow Park Mercantile! Come help us get into The Christmas Spirit as we kick-off our Winter Wonderland – featuring coupons, drawings, refreshments and great shopping fun. Take a Christmas selfie in our antique “One-Horse Open Sleigh”!
Our first 50 customers will receive a special gift with purchase of $50 or more.
Don’t miss the savings and fun. We appreciate your business and continued support shopping local. You are the reason we are still in business.
City of Antioch Land Use Map of Vacant and Underutilized Parcels Working Draft Version 3. Source: GPAC
Will again discuss the General Plan Land Use Map
Save Mount Diablo again tries to stop Zeka Ranch development with disinformation to residents after losing in court six years ago
By Allen D. Payton
The City of Antioch has announced the fourth meeting of the General Plan Advisory Committee will be held on Tuesday November 3rd at 6:00 PM in the Antioch City Council Chambers at City Hall located at 200 H Street in Antioch’s downtown Rivertown.
According to the City staff report, “The fourth GPAC meeting will continue the GPAC’s discussion of land use and the General Plan Land Use Map. At the September 1st meeting, the GPAC received foundational land use information, including the Existing Conditions Report Land Use Chapter, the Land Use Designation Change Requests, pending, approved, and under construction projects, and a map of preliminary vacant and underutilized sites and sites with open space and conservation easements. The October 6th meeting addressed economic development and fiscal sustainability, which provides important context for the land uses Antioch should plan for.
“Our objectives for this meeting are:
• Receive GPAC input on the locations and land use changes that will best attract investment, catalyze redevelopment of underperforming properties, expand local employment, and increase entertainment/third-space opportunities
• Translate the GPAC’s previously identified priorities into specific land use mapping approaches to be tested in the Land Use Map alternatives.
“The GPAC is not being asked to identify every change recommended for the Land Use Map or to go through the City at the parcel-level. Rather, we are seeking big-picture direction on where land use changes can do the most to attract private investment and create jobs, which uses are missing from Antioch’s land use mix, and how underperforming shopping centers, corridors, and vacant sites should be repositioned. Based on GPAC and community input, the General Plan Update (GPU) team will prepare two to three Land Use Map Alternatives. “The alternatives will be presented in the Land Use Alternatives Report to the public, the GPAC, the Planning Commission, and the City Council for input before a preferred Land Use Map is identified.”
Save Mount Diablo’s flier about The Zeka Ranch showing the map of the entire Sand Creek area in a high Fire Hazard Safety Zone. Source: Save Mount Diablo
Another Effort to Stop Zeka Ranch
Save Mount Diablo is again trying to rally Antioch residents to oppose the Zeka Ranch new home development. It comes after they pushed Measure T in 2020 which would have devalued the property to pennies on the dollar without compensation by reducing the number of homes planned there from 300 to just eight on the 640-acre parcel, after the developer previously reduced the total from 1,100 homes.
That followed the East Bay Regional Park District drawing an arbitrary line on the map threatening the City they would sue if homes were approved outside the line, despite the voters voting six times to allow housing on the property as it’s located both inside the County’s and City’s Urban Limit Lines. (See related articles here and here)
Zeka Ranch Land Use Plan showing the arbitrary General Plan Development Boundary drawn by the East Bay Regional Park District (see label in blue rectangle) and the flat land outside of the boundary (see red circle). Source: The Zeka Group, Inc.
Instead of fighting it, the Zeka Group voluntarily reduced plans to 338 homes on 196 acres, leaving over 440 acres as future open space.
Furthermore, the measure was tossed out of court because it also violated state law which prohibits downzoning residential property by either council action or citizen initiative. (See related articles here and here)
This time Save Mount Diablo is attempting to use the issue of fire danger and traffic on Empire Mine Road as the reasons, and they’re lying to Antioch residents in both fliers distributed door-to-door and a a post on the organization’s Facebook page on Thursday they wrote, “Please speak up to protect the Zeka property next Tuesday, November 3, at 6:00 PM, at Antioch City Hall, 200 H Street.
‘Zeka,’ the southwest corner of Antioch, is land mapped by CAL FIRE as being in ‘Very High and High Fire Hazard Severity Zones,’ so it’s *not* a good place to build homes. But developers want to cover 640 acres in dense housing. Instead, it should be protected: Zeka is surrounded on three sides by protected open space. If you live in Antioch, the city wants to hear your voice! Please show up and encourage them to protect this beautiful area.”
Sand Creek Area map showing areas in red where proposed housing developments remain to be approved on the west side of Deer Valley Road. Source: Save Mount Diablo
However, that is incorrect. The current plan only allows housing on a portion of the 640 acres, in fact less than 200 acres as mentioned above, which will result in an average of one home for every two acres for the entire parcel.
Plus, according to Save Mount Diablo’s map, the adjacent property to the east of the Zeka Ranch, known as The Ranch, where 1,177 homes have been approved to be built, is in the same exact Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Plus, the area on the east side of Deer Valley Road where most of the new homes that have already been built are located, is also in the same zone. So, City staff and past Councils already took that into consideration when approving the homes and zoning in the Sand Creek area.
Plus, all the homes west of Deer Valley Road that have either been approved or have yet to be are within the total 4,000 homes approved by the City Council in 2003. That is much less than the total 9,500 homes originally planned for the area prior to that year which also included the homes that were to be built around the Roddy Ranch Golf Course which is now open space.
The flier by Save Mount Diablo containing misleading information distributed to Antioch residents. Source: A resident who chose to remain anonymous
More Misinformation in Flier Distributed to Antioch Residents
The reverse side of the flier which shows the Sand Creek Area map above asks the question in a headline, “A Square Mile of Houses Choking Empire Mine Road?” It also reads, “Tell City Leaders to…Keep Empire Mine Rd as Wonderful Recreational Path.”
But Empire Mine Road, which, except for emergency vehicles, has been closed to vehicle travel for years and only pedestrians, bicycles and horseback riders are allowed to use the road, and it will not be the access road for The Zeka Ranch project. Instead, the access will be from a road through the neighboring The Ranch project off of the future extension of Dallas Ranch Road, which, when it crosses Deer Valley Road, will connect to and become Sand Creek Road as shown in the map below.
Phase Map of The Ranch new home project in the Sand Creek Focus Area showing the access point to The Zeka Ranch on the west side of Empire Mine Road in the yellow circle. Source: Richland Communities
Alternative Option
What the General Plan Advisory Committee can do is correct the arbitrary decision of the East Bay Regional Park District and change the zoning boundary to again allow the 1,100 homes on the flat land of the Zeka Ranch property.
Meeting Details
The GPAC meeting will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 6:00 p.m. inside the Council Chambers at City Hall 200 H Street in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown.
General public comments on items not on the agenda but on an issue related to the General Plan will be allowed at the beginning of the meeting. Then comments specifically about the agenda item will be allowed prior to discussion by the committee members. Prior to 12:00 p.m. the day of the meeting: Written comments may be sent to Community & Economic Development Department, City Hall, 200 H Street (P. O. Box 5007) or submitted electronically to planning@antiochca.gov. All comments received by that time will be provided to the General Plan Advisory Committee Members at the meeting.
New Antioch Police Officers (front row L-R), Kailil King, Brando Fabian, Andres Garibay, Salae Carter and Bobby Kinard, are joined by (back row L-R) Lt. Joe Njoroge, Chief Joe Vigil, Captain Desmond Bittner, Sgt. Price Kendall, Captain Matt Koch and Captain Shane Bower following the graduation ceremony on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. Photo: Antioch PD
Oath of Office Ceremony Nov. 3rd
By Antioch Police Department
On Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, we had the honor of attending the graduation of our newest officers! Please join us in congratulating:
Officer Salae Carter
Officer Brando Fabian
Officer Andres Garibay
Officer Bobby Kinard
Officer Kailil King
Chief Joe Vigil was there to congratulate each new officer in person at the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office Training Academy.
The latest Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Training Academy class graduated on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. Photo: Antioch PD
We are incredibly proud of each of them and excited to see them take the next step in their law enforcement careers as they begin field training! This is an exciting milestone, and we look forward to watching them continue to learn, grow, and serve our Antioch community.
Congratulations, officers! We’re cheering you on, every step of the way!
Each of the new officers will be given their oath of office during a ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at the Antioch Police Facility, along with newly promoted Sergeant Zachary Sampson and Corporal Brandon Bushby.
Presented by Truth Bearer International Bay Area church in Antioch, One Warm Coat and Antioch Police Department
By Katrece Holloway, Truth Bearer International Bay Area
One Warm Coat Giveaway on Saturday, November 14th at Antioch City Park. Truth Bearer International (TBI) Bay Area church is an official partner with One Warm Coat and the Antioch Police Department will be helping us hand out hotdogs and coats.
TBI Bay Area is so excited to be giving back to our community through our members, co-workers, family, friends and local businesses. They have all helped us collect coats.
We are an official partner with One Warm Coat and we’re excited to bring the city of Antioch a coat giveaway from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. or until most coats are gone. Our local Antioch Police Department will be joining us to hand out coats and hot dogs. We love our community!
Join us at Antioch City Park at the corner of W. 10th and A Streets. Come pray with us, grab some free coats and food!
I’ve been a pharmacist for more than 50 years. In that time, I’ve witnessed staggering medical advances. Patients now have access — at least in theory — to lifesaving medicines that seemed like science fiction just a decade or two ago.
But in practice, tens of millions of Americans struggle to obtain those drugs. In recent years, I’ve watched more and more patients approach the pharmacy counter, look at the required co-pay on the screen with horror, and glumly walk away without their prescribed treatments.
These patients have insurance. But all too often they can’t afford the out-of-pocket costs that remain after coverage kicks in.
The crisis stems, in large part, from the fact that big insurers like UnitedHealth, Cigna, and Humana don’t merely process claims, anymore. Their parent companies control physicians’ practices and hospitals. They also own pharmacies and operate pharmacy benefit managers — the middlemen that determine which drugs patients can access and what they pay for them.
Today, just three PBMs (pharmacy benefit manager) control prescription drug access for roughly 80% of Americans. In virtually any other industry, that level of concentration would raise serious concerns about competition. Yet these vertically integrated conglomerates have warped the healthcare system to maximize their own profits — and gouge patients — every step of the way.
PBMs typically base patients’ out-of-pocket costs on drugs’ much higher “list” prices, rather than the discounted prices negotiated behind the scenes. Those inflated list prices only exist on paper, yet they justify higher co-pays while also generating larger rebates for PBMs and more profit for the companies that own them. In some cases, PBMs collect more from patients via co-pays or co-insurance than they actually reimburse pharmacies for dispensing a drug.
PBMs also profit by making it harder for patients to access the medicines their providers prescribe. One of their most common tactics is prior authorization. Providers must justify prescriptions they have already determined are appropriate and wait for the insurer’s approval before patients can begin treatment. The process can delay care for days, weeks, or even months. Faced with those hurdles, up to eight in 10 patients forgo treatment altogether.
Then there’s “step therapy”, sometimes called “fail first”. Patients must first try one or more older, less expensive medicines before gaining access to the treatment their provider originally recommended. That may reduce short-term costs for insurers, but it can also delay effective care and, in some cases, seriously harm patients.
Together these, and other, barriers contribute to unmanaged chronic disease, avoidable hospitalizations, and more than 100,000 preventable deaths every year.
Fortunately, Washington is beginning to crack down. The Federal Trade Commission has sued the nation’s three largest PBMs over practices that inflate drug prices. The Department of Labor recently proposed a rule that’d require PBMs to better disclose the fees and compensation they receive. And earlier this year, Congress passed legislation requiring PBMs to increase transparency and pass through more of the discounts they receive to employers.
It’s a great start — and a much more viable way to decrease Americans’ pharmacy bills than one of the other ideas frequently tossed around Capitol Hill. Some lawmakers want to mimic other nations’ price controls on prescription drugs. But artificially lowering what biotech companies charge for medicines would deter research investments — meaning that the pharmacists of the future will have fewer lifesaving drugs to dispense to patients.
Until policymakers decisively confront PBMs, Americans will continue to pay more, get less of the care they need, and be at risk of worse health.
Salvatore J. (Sal) Giorgianni, Jr, PharmD, CMHE is vice-president and cofounder of Healthy Men, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing the health of boys, men and their families. He is chair-emeritus and cofounder of the American Public Health Association Caucus On Men’s Health. This piece originally appeared in Issues & Insights.
Back on Track Community Services and Reimagine Antioch announced the Sycamore Safe Center, opening at 1088 Sycamore Drive, Antioch. The center is intended to connect residents with community resources, educational workshops, workforce opportunities, life-skills training, family support, and partner organizations.
Opening: Saturday, October 31, 2026, from 1:00–5:00 p.m.
Who it serves: Antioch residents and families. The opening is all-ages; ongoing age or residency restrictions have not been published.
How to connect: Call Back on Track Community Services at (925) 658-8278 or use the opening registration page.
Referral use: The center should function as a neighborhood access point for resource navigation and referrals. Community organizations are also being invited to provide on-site outreach.
Not publicly stated yet: Regular operating hours, formal intake steps, eligibility documentation, appointment requirements, program capacity, and waitlist limits. The 1:00–5:00 p.m. hours apply only to the opening event, not ongoing services.
Volunteers needed. For more information contact Yvette Williams at (925) 658-8278 or yvette4hope@gmail.com.
Nilton Serva, a self-proclaimed former “streetpreneur” and now entrepreneur, and his brother Dean were arrested Oct. 18, 2026, for battery on a family member. Source: APD CitizenRIMS & Nilton Serva’s website.
The younger says he’s a two-time Deer Valley High drop-out who claims to have turned his life around after twice spending time in jail, and has gone from “‘streetpreneur’ to a real entrepreneur,” paid public speaker
By Allen D. Payton
According to the Antioch Police Department’s CitizenRIMS, two men with the same last name were arrested early Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, for felony battery and one was also charged with misdemeanor obstructing or resisting a peace officer. The incident occurred at 1:52 AM in the 800 block of O Street.
Dean Jonathan Serva, age 30, is described as Hispanic, five-feet, six-inches tall and 175 pounds. He was charged with 243(d) Pc: Battery with serious bodily injury (F). His younger brother, Nilton Junior Serva, age 29, is also described as Hispanic, as well as five-feet, 10-inches tall and 290 pounds. He was also charged with243(d) Pc: Battery with serious bodily injury (F), as well as with 148(a)(1) Pc: Obstruct / resist / etc. a public or peace officer or emergency medical tech – simple (M). Case Number:26-10015.
At the same time and location, the CitizenRims Map shows a fight occurred and the disposition is described as report taken – felony and the call was closed at 7:55 AM
Both have the same Incident Number: 2610180021.
According to Antioch Police Lt. Bill Whitaker the felony battery was filed with the DA’s office, the two are brothers and the assault was against a family member but there were no major injuries.
Nilton Says He’s Gone From “‘Streetpreneur’ to a Real Entrepreneur” and Offers His Services as a Paid Public Speaker
A former Deer Valley High School student who says he dropped out twice, according to Nilton’s website about himself on which he provides details on his background, claims a “lifestyle shift from ‘streetpreneur’ to a real entrepreneur” and offers his services as a paid public speaker.
On the My Story page, Nilton shares that after dropping out of high school for a second time, he was first arrested at age 17 for residential burglary. After nine months in county jail and the Byron Boys Ranch, he was released. But he “could not find a job and got sucked back into his old ways. Within a couple of months, he got violated by his probation officer…was on house arrest for a month then he went back to court. He was sentenced to another 6-month program at Byron.”
While there, “He then focused on getting his high school credits and even got his high school equivalency there too,” Nilton’s story continues.
According to his LinkedIn profile, as of February this year Nilton is President of VC Unleashed, a global non‑profit for next‑generation investors, where he’s worked since June 2024, and since January this year he has also worked for San Francisco-based Finix in GTM (Go-To-Market) & Partnerships and has been an Angel Investor for Wefunder since January 2024.
In 2023, Nilton earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from UCLA.
Source: Nilton Serva’s website.
UCLA Magazine Article
He also offered details about his background in a 2024 article on the UCLA Magazine website in which Nilton wrote, “I changed at UCLA. Became more structured. Because the standards were high, I had a choice: Meet them, or quit. And there was no way I was going to quit. I got into the Social Enterprise Academy and the Benjamin Graham Value Investing Program. I spoke to venture capitalists, fund managers. My professors provided amazing guidance. I began to see my path.
“I got pretty emotional at graduation, thinking about it all: every little fight I’d had, every mistake I’d made. But I viewed all of that as just the first chapter of my story.
“I will take UCLA with me wherever I go. And because of it, I’ll continue to write better and better chapters of my life.”.
Efforts to reach Nilton via the email address on his website and LinkedIn were unsuccessful.
If you know him, please ask him or his brother to contact the Herald at (925) 457-5324 or editor@antiochherald.com. Then check back later for any updates to this report.
