By California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Sacramento, CA —As California continues to strengthen emergency preparedness and public safety communications, CAL FIRE and local government emergency response agencies are announcing the availability of the AwareCA mobile application, providing Californians with another tool to stay informed and connected during emergencies.
“We know the public wants fast, accurate, mobile-first information directly from the agencies managing incidents on the ground,” said CAL FIRE Director/Fire Chief Joe Tyler. “We have always provided timely and accurate information to the public during emergencies, and now with AwareCA, CAL FIRE can provide the public this information in near real time, where they want it, their mobile device.”
AwareCA addresses the growing public demand for fast, accurate, reliable, and authoritative emergency information while reducing confusion caused by fragmented alerts, unofficial reports, rumors, and misinformation.
Developed through a collaborative process between CAL FIRE, Intterra, and local emergency response agencies, AwareCA was designed to support millions of users while ensuring agencies retain ownership of their data and maintain a single source of truth for public information. The app is designed to keep communities informed throughout all phases of an incident by providing:
Near real-time incident updates
Interactive emergency maps
Warning and order evacuation zones
Shelter and assistance locations
Hazard information
Road closures
Push notifications and location-aware alerts
AwareCA will support a wide range of emergencies and incidents across California, including wildfires, floods, earthquakes, severe weather situations, hazardous materials incidents, and other large-scale emergencies.
Source: CAL FIRE
All features of AwareCA are free for the user, including but not limited to:
Adding locations of interest with notification distances
Choosing different maps based on needs and preferences
Selecting layers to control which hazards get displayed
Viewing the map to quickly find incidents and emergency information
Following incidents and sharing critical information with contacts
Receiving alerts about fast-moving incidents directly from agencies
Following response assets such as aircraft
Viewing Caltrans traffic cameras and ALERTCalifornia wildfire cameras
During fast-moving emergencies, information can change quickly. AwareCA is designed to help Californians stay connected to updates from the agencies responsible for managing incidents, reducing reliance on unofficial sources and making it easier to find relevant information in one place.
Residents are encouraged to download the app and enable notifications for areas where they live, work, travel or have loved ones. AwareCA is now available for download on mobile devices in the App Store and Google Play.
By Officer Daniel Gilmore, PIO, CHP Contra Costa Area
ANTIOCH, Calif. – A woman was pronounced deceased on Sunday morning, after being struck by multiples vehicles, while searching for a lost item within the lanes of traffic on the freeway.
Our preliminary investigation indicates a 20-year-old female had been riding as a passenger in a vehicle on SR-4 eastbound, when she lost an item on the freeway. The vehicle she was riding in pulled over in the center median of SR-4 eastbound, just east of Contra Loma Blvd. The woman exited the vehicle, walked into the lanes of traffic in an attempt to retrieve the lost item, and was subsequently struck by two vehicles. The woman sustained fatal injuries and was tragically pronounced deceased on scene. Both drivers stopped and are being cooperative with the investigation. Officers do not suspect alcohol or drug impairment to be a factor in this crash at this time.
All lanes of SR-4 eastbound, just east of Contra Loma Blvd. were closed from approximately 2:49 a.m. to approximately 5:27 a.m. for scene investigation.
In addition, Antioch Police issued an advisory that the eastbound on ramp at Contra Loma Boulevard would remain Closed for an extended period of time.
This crash remains under investigation. Anyone who witnessed the crash or the events leading up to it is asked to contact the CHP’s Contra Costa Area office in Martinez at (925) 387 1900 or 320Investigations@chp.ca.gov.
The mission of the California Highway Patrol is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, And Security.
Antioch Police Officer Yega and K-9 unit Loki made the arrest on Sept. 27, 2026. Photos: Antioch PD
Driver on parole for homicide, has history of 22 other arrests; both adult brothers already out of custody
By Allen D. Payton
According to Antioch Police, “while on patrol in the area, Officer Drace conducted a traffic stop on Lemontree Way at L Street after observing a Honda with multiple Vehicle Code violations.
During the stop, officers learned the driver was on active parole for homicide. A parole search of the vehicle was conducted, but initially, nothing was found.
“K9 Officer Loki, a firearm-detection K9, responded to the scene with his handler, Officer Yega.
“Loki was deployed for an open-air sniff of the vehicle and alerted to the driver-side front floorboard, indicating the possible presence of a firearm.
“Officers conducted a secondary search of the area. After removing the floor carpet, officers located a stolen, concealed, loaded firearm equipped with an extended magazine.
“The driver was arrested and booked into county jail.
“Great work by our officers and K9 Loki!”
In addition, the male adult driver and his two male passengers, one his adult brother, and the other a juvenile, were also arrested.
Source: APD CitizenRIMS
According to the Antioch Police Department’s CitizenRIMS Crime Map, the stop and arrests occurred on Sept. 27, 2026, at 3:02 PM.
According to Lt. Bill Whitaker, “Three people were arrested, all Oakland residents. The third was a juvenile with a different last name.”
The two adult males are Joshua Jermaine Richard, age 20, described as five-feet, seven inches tall, 120-pounds, and his brother, 27-year-old Jeremiah Prince Roland Richard, described as five-feet, six inches tall and 165-pounds. Both are listed as Black or African American.
Joshua’s crime is listed as felony 25850(A) PC carrying a loaded firearm in public under specific circumstances and he’s also charged with 25400(a)(1) Pc: Carry Concealed Weapon In Vehicle (F), 496(a) Pc: Receive/etc Known Stolen Property (F), 32310(c) Pc: Large Capacity Magazine Posession, 11357(a)(2) Hs: Possession Less Than 28.5 Grams Mj Or 4 Grams Cannabis By 18-20 Yr Old, 30305(A)(1) PC: felon in possession of ammunition, and 29610(A) PC: minor in possession of a firearm.
Jeremiah is charged with 25850(a) Pc: Carry Loaded Firearm In Public Under Specific Circumstances (F), 25400(a)(1) Pc: Carry Concealed Weapon In Vehicle (F), 496(a) Pc: Receive/etc Known Stolen Property (F), 29800(a)(1) Pc: Felon/addict/possess/etc Firearm (F), 30305(a)(1) Pc: Prohibited Person Own/possess/etc Ammunition/etc (F)
Case Number: 26-9270 Incident Number:2609270098.
According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, as of Sep 30th at 7:51 PM, Joshua is out of custody with no charges filed. According to localcrimenews.com, Joshua is a resident of Emeryville and this is his first arrest.
According to localcrimenews.com, Jeremiah was also charged with 3056, Violation Parole: Felony and 466, Possession Of Burglar’s Tools. Jeremiah also has a history of 22 other arrests dating back to 2017
Rescued produce sorted at White Pony Express before delivery to community partners in Contra Costa County. Photo: WPE
Guest Commentary
By Tyler McCarthy, Outreach Associate, White Pony Express
On Friday afternoon, for a student who eats breakfast and lunch at school, the dismissal bell does more than end the school day. It starts a 68-hour clock. The last dependable school meal of the week has just been served. The next one won’t arrive until Monday morning.
We hear from our school partners what those hours can mean. As one parent liaison put it: “My thinking was that if I can give them a meal for Saturday, then they only have to get through Sunday. That lessens the need.”
California has done something remarkable. In 2022–23, it became the first state in the nation to guarantee every public school student access to free breakfast and lunch, regardless of family income. Nearly 3.5 billion school meals have been served since the program began.
It works. And at a time when changes to federal nutrition programs are putting additional pressure on some California families, it’s an achievement we must protect.
But hunger doesn’t follow a school calendar.
California’s universal meals program feeds children during the school day. Children still need to eat Friday night, Saturday, Sunday, holidays and school breaks. California has also embraced summer grocery benefits for eligible families, another important piece of the solution. But summer assistance does not solve the gap that arrives every week between Friday afternoon and Monday morning.
For a family already choosing between rent, utilities, transportation, and groceries, those aren’t simply gaps in a schedule. They can be the days the refrigerator runs empty. That’s where White Pony Express makes an enormous difference.
Every day, White Pony Express drivers collect surplus food from grocers, farms, wholesalers, and restaurants – high-quality food that is perfectly good but has nowhere to go. We sort it for quality the same day and deliver it, free of charge, to neighbors throughout Contra Costa County. Of the 135,000 people White Pony Express serves each year, nearly one-third – about 40,300 – are children.
Photo: WPE
Our School Pantry Program brings fresh groceries directly into 23 school communities where 80 percent or more of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Families shop at no cost, with no forms and no questions asked.
One pantry coordinator remembers a young mother raising three children alone after losing her husband. She came to the pantry for groceries, including peanut butter and chicken.
“She doesn’t have money to buy much,” the coordinator told us, “but she told me it’s a blessing to have White Pony Express helping us.”
Since the School Pantry Program began in 2015, White Pony Express has delivered more than three million pounds of food to school communities – the equivalent of roughly 2.5 million meals.
The model works because it connects two resources that already exist: good food that would otherwise go unused and trusted neighborhood schools where families already gather.
It also demonstrates something larger. Public programs and community organizations do not have to compete with one another. They can complete one another.
Photos: WPE
California has shown what is possible when we make a public commitment to feed children at school and then build a system capable of doing it at an extraordinary scale. Now we need to look just as honestly at the hours the school cafeteria cannot cover.
More than two million California children still lack reliable access to healthy food. For them, the problem doesn’t begin Monday morning. It begins Friday afternoon, when the bell rings. And that is a gap communities like ours can – and must – close.
To volunteer, donate food, or support the School Pantry Program, visit whiteponyexpress.org.
MOMS Clubs are for Moms Offering Moms Support. Join us for a family-friendly afternoon of Halloween fun while supporting an incredible local nonprofit!
This year’s Trunk or Treat will benefit Be Exceptional Programs, which provides inclusive and adaptive programs for individuals with disabilities and their families.
Families can look forward to:
Decorated trunks
Candy and non-candy treats
A petting zoo
Sensory-friendly activities
Children’s games and activity stations
Food vendors
Crowd-favorite trunk voting
More seasonal fun to be announced!
Admission is free, but preregistration is encouraged so we can plan for attendance, candy, and supplies. Optional donations will benefit Be Exceptional Programs.
Businesses, organizations, families, and community groups to host decorated trunks
Donations of individually wrapped candy and non-candy treats
Volunteers to help with setup, activities, parking, check-in, and cleanup
Community sponsors and in-kind donations
Food vendors interested in participating
Trunk hosts are encouraged to create child-friendly themes, carnival-style games, and interactive experiences.
Decorations may not include blood, gore, graphic imagery or realistic weapons.
Guests will be able to vote for their favorite trunks by making donations, with all voting proceeds benefiting Be Exceptional Programs. Prizes will be awarded to the trunks receiving the highest donation totals.
Interested in hosting a trunk, volunteering, sponsoring, or donating?
Follow this event page for vendor announcements, volunteer opportunities, attraction updates, parking information, and other event details as October approaches.
Children must remain under the supervision of their accompanying adult throughout the event.
We can’t wait to celebrate with our East County community!
