Deadline: May 4thto register to show your creations
By Cheyenne Erickson, CEO, Contra Costa Fair & Event Park
Calling all crafters, bakers, photographers, plant lovers, sewers and more—this is your time to shine! Enter your creations and be part of the 2026 Contra Costa County Fair, May 14-17.
By UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
The UC Master Gardener program in Contra Costa County’s 2026 Annual Great Tomato Plant Sale fundraiser in East County will take place April 18 in Antioch.
Every year, the Great Tomato Plant Sale brings gardeners something special. This year, we’re excited to introduce a fresh lineup of new delicious tomato varieties, along with peppers and other vegetables chosen for flavor, productivity, and garden performance.
You’ll get a preview of what’s new, from unique heirlooms to exciting modern varieties that deserve a place in your garden. You’ll also find helpful articles and growing tips designed to set you up for a successful vegetable season—from choosing the right tomato to protecting plants during hot summer days. A short guide explaining the disease-resistant codes is also included to help you understand what they mean and how they can benefit your garden.
Take a moment to explore and read ‘Here’s What’s New in 2026’, then follow the links to discover the full collection of plants and resources waiting for you at this year’s Great Tomato Plant Sale.
We are looking forward to seeing your smiling faces very soon. Please mark your calendars with the date below, as we’d hate for you to miss a single minute of the excitement. See you there!
Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Rivertown Demonstration Garden, Antioch (located in the Contra Costa Event Park & Fairgrounds, 1201 W 10th Street);
Please note:
Fruits & Vegetables
70+ varieties of tomatoes, plus peppers, eggplants, squash and more
All plants are $4.00
All sales are Visa, MasterCard, Cash or Check
Remember to bring boxes or containers to carry your new plants home!
For safety reasons, pets are not allowed inside the sales area.
Zahvon Hopson was arrested in San Diego on Friday, April 10, 2026. Photo: Antioch PD
By Acting Sgt. John Cox #5705, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau
Wanted by Antioch Police for the February fatal shooting of a 20-year-old woman in Antioch, 21-year-old Zahvon Hopson was arrested on Friday, April 10, 2026, by San Diego Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit. Antioch Police Department would like to thank our partners at San Diego Police Department for their assistance in apprehending this dangerous individual.
The case is expected to be filed with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office later next week.
The Investigations Bureau will provide additional updates as they become available.
Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Shaffer at (925) 779-6944 or via email at cshaffer@antiochca.gov.
We’re WILD about the Fair and 2026 is bringing the ROAR!
By Cheyenne Erickson, CEO, Contra Costa Fair & Event Park
Get ready, Contra Costa County… new thrills, new events and wildly exciting surprises are coming to the Fairgrounds during the Contra Costa County Fair May 14-17.
Mark your calendars:
Friday, May 15 – Bulls & Broncs Rodeo kicks things off at 7PM
Saturday, May 16 – Flat Track Motorcycle Racing! FREE with fair admission!
All weekend – New and exciting grounds acts you won’t want to miss
Sunday, May 17 – Junior Livestock Auction at 9AM
We’re turning up the fun and going full safari mode!
This year’s fair is shaping up to be an exciting one. Some of the highlights include:
Exotic animals and family-friendly attractions
The return of the Bulls & Broncs Rodeo—back for the first time in 20 years
Flat Track Motorcycle Racing on Saturday (FREE with fair admission)
Junior Livestock Auction on Sunday—support local youth and enjoy some of the best locally raised meat around
We are also crowning our very FIRST Mini Miss Contra Costa during our Miss Contra Costa Scholarship Program Thursday, May 14 at 6pm. They have been working very hard on resumes, honing their communication skills and leadership development.
More details coming soon… until then, stay WILD about the Fair!
Antioch Police Acting Lt. Gary Lowther is joined by Captains Matt Koch and Shane Bower for the SLI graduation on April 3, 2026. Photo: Antioch PD
Chosen by classmates to speak at graduation
By Allen D. Payton
Lt. Lowther speaks at the SLI graduation on April 3, 2026. Video screenshot courtesy of Antioch PD
In an April 7th, 2026 post on their Facebook page, the Antioch Police Department wrote, “We are proud to congratulate Acting Lieutenant Gary Lowther on his recent graduation from the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute (SLI) after completing the program’s rigorous eight-month long course. This program continues to train new leaders while they learn and collaborate with some of the most experienced law enforcement innovators. Acting Lt. Lowther was honored to be chosen by his peers to be a speaker at the SLI graduation.
Congrats Gary on the accomplishment and we’re excited to watch your career continue to grow!”
California Law Enforcement Officers who hold the rank of Sergeant are the individuals who get to attend this program.
Antioch PD Captain Matt Koch said the graduation was held in Folsom on April 3rd and offered additional details about the program saying, “SLI is an eight-month leadership course, one week a month for eight months. It focuses on adaptive leadership and culture shifts.”
The institute is part of the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards & Training, known as POST.
“According to POST’s website, The Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute (SBSLI) is a program designed to stimulate personal growth, leadership, and ethical decision-making in California law enforcement front-line supervisors. Designed and implemented in 1988 through the efforts of California law enforcement professionals and top educators and trainers, the SBSLI is an intense program based on experiential learning techniques. Students are challenged to learn new ways to resolve issues through group and individual work.
“The curriculum takes students through an analysis of management (planning, organizing, directing, etc.) and leadership (inspiring, challenging, developing, etc.) and how each discipline compliments the other. The course progresses from self-evaluation, to interpersonal evaluation, to organizational relationships.
Antioch Police Acting Lt. Lowther (sixth from left) with his SLI graduating class and instructors. Courtesy of Antioch PD
“During the program, a typical successful student develops the ability to:
Correlate the relationship between personal and organizational principles and values
Exercise greater leadership in personal and professional activities
Increase personal influence with individuals and groups to accomplish organizational goals
Analyze issues from multiple perspectives
Develop increased self-confidence and confidence in the ability of others
Provide support and development for peers and subordinates
Recognize and address areas for personal improvement
Effectively integrate management skills and leadership qualities
“A typical successful student is willing to learn, open to new ideas, and able to engage in deep self-examination of values and beliefs. The program is not a ‘how-to’ course and should not be viewed as a fix for problem individuals. The curriculum provides a forum for personal growth and development of qualities necessary for effective public safety leadership.”
The institute was named for Sherman Block, the 29th Sheriff of Los Angeles County. According to his Wikipedia page, he served from 1982 until his death in 1998, during his campaign for re-election, which he was expected to win, following a 42-year career.
Officers responded to the scene and determined that a 54-year-old man was riding his motorcycle eastbound on James Donlon Blvd. when he collided with a vehicle that had just entered the roadway from northbound on Tabora Drive.
The impact caused severe injuries to the motorcyclist. He was transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and was also transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.
APD’s Traffic Unit has assumed responsibility for the investigation. At this time, drugs and alcohol are not believed to be contributing factors.
Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925) 778-2441 or Traffic Collision Investigator Sergeant Green at 925-779-6864, email rgreen@antiochca.gov
“Hardworking Californians face a severe shortage of affordable housing options, and minimum wage workers must work an average of 88 hours per week to afford a modest one-bedroom rental at fair market rates. The HOME Act will help change that,” said Representative Garamendi.
“The Senate’s affordable housing legislation includes my HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which, for the first time since 1994, will bring this crucial program into the 21st century,” Garamendi continued. “It will provide states and local governments with the funding needed to construct and rehabilitate affordable rental housing, as well as expand homeownership opportunities for working families. I’d also like to thank Senator Masto for introducing this bill in the Senate and Representative Beatty for co-leading in the House.”
On February 9th, Garamendi voted in favor of the Housing for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 6644), which passed the House with strong bipartisan support. Then, on March 12, the Senate overwhelmingly passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. The bipartisan bill combines elements of both the House and Senate-passed legislation. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act includes 18 sections drawn from both the House and Senate bills, including Garamendi’s HOME Act.
This comprehensive housing package will take important steps to boost the nation’s housing supply, improve affordability, and increase oversight and efficiency of federal regulators and housing programs.
HOME Background
The HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) is the largest federal affordable housing block grant and is HUD’s flagship affordable housing production program.
Since 1990, HOME has helped state and local housing agencies support a wide variety of housing needs, from financing new construction and home repairs to funding down payment and rental assistance. It also provides additional funding to housing developments financed by the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, helping the program serve more extremely low-income people, including seniors, veterans, those experiencing homelessness, and people with disabilities.
Since 1992, the HOME program in California has:
Invested $5.27 billion into housing across the state;
Built or preserved 121,727 homes;
Given rental assistance to 43,840 families;
Supported 277,318 jobs; and
Generated $19.2 billion in local income.
The program was last re-authorized in 1994 and needs critical updates to better address today’s housing crisis. Garamendi’s HOME Investment Partnerships Reauthorization and Improvement Act would reauthorize the HOME program and make several much-needed improvements. Specifically, it would:
Authorize $5 billion in HOME funding for fiscal year 2024 and boost the funding for the program by five percent annually through 2028. Garamendi’s legislation would address chronic underfunding of the affordable housing investment program, which received only $1.5 billion in 2023;
Improve HOME’s ability to provide downpayment assistance to homebuyers and home repair assistance to homeowners;
Enable HOME funds to support Community Land Trusts and other shared equity homeownership programs; and
Increase access to HOME funds for nonprofits and provide state and local governments loan guarantee options that would allow them to leverage their future HOME funds for investments today.
Representative Garamendi has spent his entire career advocating for affordable housing, robust homeowner protections, and rental assistance programs. As California’s first-ever elected Insurance Commissioner, Garamendi successfully implemented Proposition 103, which reformed the homeowner insurance industry and lowered homeownership insurance rates.
In 2023, Garamendi and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) led members of California’s congressional delegation in sending a letter to California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara urging him to use his power under state law to protect homeowners in the face of an insurance crisis. During his congressional tenure, Garamendi worked with Habitat for Humanity to establish a financing mechanism that utilized existing funding to build new veteran housing units.
The Office of Congressman John Garamendi has also worked with local partners to increase access and support the development of affordable housing projects throughout California’s 8th Congressional District including: Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, East Bay Housing Organizations, Tiny Village Spirit, Eden Housing, Multi-Faith ACTION Coalition (MFAC), Hope Solutions, Interfaith Council of Contra Costa, Crankstart Foundation, and the California Association of Housing Authorities.
The bill is endorsed by: Hercules Vice Mayor Alexander Walker-Griffin, Hercules Council Member Dilli Bhattarai, Richmond City Council Member Cesar Zapeda, National Council of State Housing Agencies, Institute of Real Estate Management, National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, National Association of Realtors, Enterprise Community Partners, National Apartment Association, National Multifamily Housing Council, National NeighborWorks Association, National Community Development Association, National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations, National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies, Council of State Community Development Agencies, National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Grounded Solutions Network, and Habitat for Humanity.
Garamendi represents California’s 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives which includes the northern and western portions of Contra Costa County and a majority of Solano County.
