By Juliet V. Casey, Director of Marketing and Media Design, Los Medanos College and Loni Swain, Director of Communications, Campaign for College Opportunity
Pittsburg, Calif. – The Campaign for College Opportunity named Los Medanos College a 2026 Pathway Champion of Placement for its Latino Student Success in English. This award recognizes colleges where Latino students are completing transfer-level English at the highest rates, with particular attention to closing racial equity gaps.
“We commend your institution’s commitment to advancing equitable student success and strengthening California’s transfer pathway,” said Jessie Ryan, president of The Campaign for College Opportunity. “This achievement underscores the extraordinary efforts of your faculty and staff to ensure all students, especially those historically underrepresented, have the opportunity to succeed.”
Ryan added that LMC is leading the way, showing what is possible “when equity and excellence go hand in hand.”
“Los Medanos College is a culturally rich institution, where more than 45% of the student population identifies as Latinx,” LMC President Ralston said. “We are honored and proud of this recognition.”
Ralston said that as a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, LMC prioritizes improving transfer-level English completion for this population but has not done so in isolation. The college’s Student Equity Plan includes strategies designed to address shared and intersecting barriers to completion of all students, she said.
Morgan Lynn, chair of LMC’s English Department, faculty members have been making student-centered, holistic, and innovative changes to our programming and pedagogy.
“This award is a testament to all of our committed faculty, who have dedicated themselves to truly putting students first,” she said.
LMC Vice President of Instruction A’kilah Smith applauded the English Department for their notable work.
“I’m especially proud of our English faculty and colleagues who have embraced the opportunity to rethink how we support students, remove barriers, and create pathways to early success in college-level English,” Smith said.
Marisa Johnson, director of policy impact for The Campaign for College Opportunity, said LMC’s approach stands out. During the 2023-2024 academic year, LMC’s overall transfer-level English completion rate within one year of initial enrollment was 69.4% and 65.1% among Latino students, below the threshold to qualify for the award. After implementing its equity plan, which includes targeted initiatives, services, guidance and resources, LMC’s completion rate overall and for Latino students both rose to 72%.
“So, this award really represents closing the equity gap for last year’s English gateway courses,” Johnson said.
Rachel Anicetti, LMC dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said the award also reflects LMC’s commitment to equity.
“I am incredibly proud for our English faculty and their collaborative investment in professional development, learning communities, and equitable teaching practices,” she said.
Pathway Champion awards honor campuses advancing landmark reforms in equitable placement (AB 705 and 1705, Irwin), which maximize student success in transfer level-courses, and the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT), which streamlines transfer between community colleges and CSUs. Since the passage of AB 705 and AB 1705 (Irwin), California Community Colleges have made historic progress in ensuring students are placed directly into transfer-level courses.
The Campaign for College Opportunity is recognizing 40 Pathway Champions this year. The 40 honorees include California Community Colleges and CSU campuses.
Source: The Campaign for College Opportunity
About Los Medanos College (LMC): LMC is one of three colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District serving the East Contra Costa County community. Established in 1974, LMC has earned federal designations as a Minority-Serving and Hispanic-Serving institution. It offers award-winning transfer and career-technical programs, support services, and diverse academic opportunities in an inclusive learning environment. With exceptional educators, innovative curriculum, growing degree and certificate offerings, and state-of-the-art facilities, the college prepares students to succeed in their educational pursuits, in the workforce, and beyond. LMC’s Pittsburg Campus is located on 120 acres bordering Antioch, with an additional education center in Brentwood. For more information visit www.losmedanos.edu.
About the Campaign for College Opportunity: The Campaign for College Opportunity is a coalition representing business, labor, civil rights, religious groups and civic organizations working to ensure that California keeps the promise of college opportunity to California’s next generation of students. The coalition is dedicated to ensuring every Californian can attend and succeed in college, building a stronger future for California’s communities and the students who power them.
El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation Board President Sharon Sobel Idul, the theatre and 60-Day Notice posted on the front door of the ticket office Wednesday morning, Sept. 30th. Sources: Sobel Idul and El Campanil Theatre.
Following receipt of 60-day rental termination notice
By Sharon Sobel Idul, Board President, El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation
The El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation (ECTPF) has been served with a 60-day notice from the attorney representing the new owners terminating our tenancy. These owners made no attempt to discuss the Foundation’s continued operations at the theatre with ECTPF before the notice was served. (See related article)
We know this news will be difficult for the many people who love the theatre. We want our audiences, artists, and neighbors to hear this clearly: all shows currently on the calendar through November 30 will take place. We look forward to seeing you all soon.
We are also working with Black Diamond Ballet to see whether its beloved production of Nutcracker can be moved to an earlier date at El Campani Theatre. We know how much this holiday tradition means to our community and we will share an update as soon as plans are confirmed.
For years, you have filled the seats, made donations, volunteered your time, brought friends to performances, and spoken up for this theatre. Your support has meant more to us than we can say. We are grateful to be part of a community that cares so deeply.
We hope you’ll join us for the shows ahead. Bring someone who has never been to El Campanil Theatre. Share an event you’re excited about. Most of all, come enjoy the music, dance, and stories that this stage was made for.
Find upcoming shows, tickets at www.ElCampanilTheatre.com. We will share further updates as they become available.
Source: El Campanil Theatre
State law requires a 60-day notice to terminate tenancy for commercial buildings.
As previously reported, on August 20th, Sobel Idul issued a statement that included, “The El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation (ECTPF)…is a tenant of the theatre property, which is owned by an out-of-state landlord. We are aware of the potential sale of the property and of fundraising efforts being circulated online by a potential buyer. Those efforts are independent of ECTPF and do not reflect the mission of our organization and it is unlikely that we would be able to continue to provide theatre programming at El Campanil Theatre if they acquire the space.
She further wrote, “We hope the city, our community, and artists alike can come together to help maintain our mission, if not we will no longer be able to continue our arts management in this space.”
“For now, our focus remains on operating the theatre, welcoming audiences and community organizations, supporting the artists and renters who bring this stage to life, and continuing to be a gathering place for Antioch and the surrounding region,” Sobel Idul concluded in her Aug. 20th statement.
About the El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation
The El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation is the nonprofit organization dedicated to maintaining and operating El Campanil Theatre, a historic performing arts venue in downtown Antioch, California. Originally opened in 1928, the theatre is a cherished cultural landmark presenting live performances, films, and educational programs for audiences of all ages. The Foundation relies on community donations to preserve this beloved institution and keep the arts thriving in East Contra Costa County.
That’s a useful response when an unexpected caller pressures you for money or personal information.
Scammers can fake caller ID, use real officers’ names, and imitate a loved one’s voice. Knowing your name or address doesn’t make a caller legitimate.
The Antioch Police Department encourages residents to take these steps:
PAUSE BEFORE YOU PAY
• Hang up and contact the organization yourself. Use the number on your bank card, statement, or the agency’s official website—not a number supplied by the caller.
• Police will not demand gift cards or cryptocurrency to keep you from being arrested.
• Don’t transfer money to a “safe account” because a caller says your savings are at risk.
• Don’t share passwords or login verification codes, install an app, or give remote access to your device at an unexpected caller’s direction.
MAKE A FAMILY PLAN
Choose a private family code word for emergency calls. Keep it off social media. If someone claims a loved one needs money, contact that person independently—even if you recognize the voice. A code word adds protection; it doesn’t replace checking.
LET YOUR PHONE SCREEN CALLS
iPhone: Go to Settings → Apps → Phone → Screen Unknown Callers. Where available, choose Ask Reason for Calling so unfamiliar callers explain why they’re calling before your phone rings. Choose Silence to send those calls to voicemail. Older software may instead offer Silence Unknown Callers.
Android: Open the Phone app → menu → Settings:
• Google Pixel: Look for Spam and Call Screen or Call Screen, then configure automatic screening.
• Google Phone app on other supported phones: Open Caller ID & spam and enable caller/spam identification plus Filter spam calls, if available.
• Samsung Galaxy: Enable Caller ID and spam protection, then Block spam and scam calls, if available.
Features vary by phone, software, and carrier. Save important contacts and check voicemail—doctors, schools, and police may call from unfamiliar numbers. Screening helps, but it doesn’t prove a caller is trustworthy.
PROTECT YOUR CREDIT AND PERSONAL INFORMATION
• Freeze your credit for free separately with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. This helps prevent new credit accounts from being opened in your name. You can temporarily lift a freeze when needed. Instructions and bureau links.
• Secure your accounts with strong, unique passwords and two-factor authentication. Keep checking bank and card activity—a credit freeze doesn’t stop misuse of existing accounts.
Already paid or shared information? Act quickly. Contact your bank or payment provider and ask whether the transaction can be stopped or reversed. Save messages, voicemails, and receipts.
12-hour statewide effort focuses on identifying and arresting impaired drivers
By Jaime Coffee, Director of Communications, Office of Media Relations, California Highway Patrol
SACRAMENTO — One impaired driver can change or end a life in an instant. To help prevent these tragedies, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is mobilizing uniformed personnel statewide for a targeted enforcement effort to keep impaired drivers off California roads. Drivers should plan ahead, arrange a sober ride and never get behind the wheel while impaired.
Beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2, and continuing through 5:59 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, all uniformed CHP personnel will participate in a statewide Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP). During the MEP, officers will increase their presence on California roads and focus on identifying and stopping impaired drivers.
“The message is clear: Impaired driving will not be tolerated on California roads. It is preventable, dangerous and puts every person nearby at risk. If you plan to drink or may be impaired, arrange a sober ride home. During this statewide enforcement period, CHP personnel of every rank will make it their mission to identify and remove impaired drivers from our roads.”
– CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee
By the Numbers
From 2022 through 2024, data from the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System show that alcohol- or drug-impaired driving contributed to an average of nearly 800 fatal crashes each year and a total of more than 39,400 injury crashes on California roads.
During last October’s 12-hour MEP, held over the Halloween weekend, CHP officers arrested more than 500 impaired drivers. Officers also issued nearly 2,000 speeding citations, including 96 citations for drivers traveling faster than 100 mph.
Help Keep Impaired Drivers Off the Road
As California’s state police, the CHP remains committed to keeping California’s roads safe for everyone. The CHP asks the public to remain vigilant and report suspected impaired drivers. Driving unusually slowly, swerving between lanes or nearly colliding with obstacles are a few indicators that a driver may be operating a vehicle under the influence.
If you see a suspected impaired driver, call 9-1-1 and provide as much information as possible, including the vehicle’s make, model, license plate number and direction of travel.
Never drive impaired or ride with an impaired driver. Designate a sober driver, use public transportation or arrange for a rideshare service.
Together we can help keep California’s roads safe for everyone.
The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service,and Security.
Janika spent most of her childhood living with her family in Richmond and Antioch. At 18, she says, “I moved out of my mom’s house and got my own apartment”. She was successfully housed for years until her father’s illness in 2024 triggered debilitating grief and mental health challenges. “I started realizing I wasn’t myself. I was going through a depressed mode and also a manic mode”, she explained. While in Chicago managing her father’s affairs, she remembers, “I wasn’t communicating. I wasn’t answering my phone. I was just falling off of my responsibilities.”
She returned six weeks later to an eviction notice on her door. “I ended up getting kicked out. I didn’t really think I would get kicked out,” she reflects.
She was homeless with her two small children for almost a year until one day in May 2025, when, she says, “I was in a hotel room and thought I was pregnant. In my mind I thought, ‘I cannot be living like this.” She continued, “Something in my mind clicked. I started reaching out to resources and trying to get myself back together.”
She reached out to her CalWORKs case manager who connected her to a special CORE mobile outreach team for CalWORKs families. She explained that with her income, “rent had to be $1,000 or less. It’s hard to find a place that low.” A CORE team member she worked with agrees, saying, “people can’t sustain rent just on the income they get from CalWORKs. Government assistance is not enough for people to survive on.”
Janika was fortunate to find a furnished housing opportunity on her own, within walking distance of her son’s school. Afraid the opportunity might pass before Janika could be connected to a Rapid Rehousing program, her CORE case manager researched something that might provide rental support more quickly. She was not eligible for some programs because she didn’t have a high enough income and another program had restrictions that conflicted with the particular housing situation she had identified. They were thrilled to learn that Janika qualified for rental support through through Behavioral Health Bridge Housing. Janika explained, “My rent is $950, they pay $650 and I pay $300. I get this help for a year.”
Today, Janika and her three children are safely housed in East County, close to schools and services.
“My son has his own room. That was important to me,” she shared.
Janika has continued attending mental health appointments, staying connected to her children’s services, and has begun planning for childcare and her own education.
“I talked to my worker today about going back to school. I want to do public health or become a social worker. I want to help people in my situation.’
When asked about her future, she says, “I see myself with a good stable job.”
She hopes others, especially single mothers, hear her message: “I want other single mothers who feel like they don’t have nobody to know there’s always somebody. Don’t give up.”
Following a Closed Session at 11:00 a.m. to discuss a potential lawsuit, on Thursday, Oct. 1st, the Antioch City Council will hold a Special Meeting at 12:00 p.m. to discuss outstanding fuel invoices, rescinding the current fuel service contract and approving a new agreement with a different provider.
Closed Session Matter: Possible Litigation
The description of the Closed Session item reads as follows: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(e)(2): Number of potential cases: (1). The City is in receipt of information concerning facts and circumstances that might result in litigation against the City which are known to a potential plaintiff or plaintiffs pertaining to possible Labor Code Section 1102.5, and Fair Employment and Housing Act violations.
Fuel Services
During their meeting on Sept. 22nd, the Council discussed and weren’t happy with the outstanding balance for the City’s fuel services between July 1, 2026 through August 31, 2026, of $178,042.33 and the fact the contractor did not have the required insurance coverage. Staff was also requesting approval to purchase fuel on an emergency basis through December 31, 2026, in an amount not to exceed $500,000. (See 3:21:00 mark of meeting video)
However, staff explained that the company is insured, but the City wanted to be named as an additional insured on the company’s policy.
Under Item 1 on the agenda, the Council will vote on paying the balance of the outstanding fuel invoices now totaling $228,705.61 as of Sept. 24th and Under Item 2, rescinding the existing fuel services contract, approving a new one with a different supplier, and amend the Fiscal Year 2026/27 Vehicle Maintenance Internal Service Fund budget in the amount of $650,000 for fuel purchases and $650,000 in corresponding billing revenue to departments for fuel usage, through July 1, 2027.
Meeting Details
The meeting will be held in the Council Chambers at 200 H Street, in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown and can be viewed in-person, via livestream on the City’s website, on Comcast cable TV channel 24, AT&T U-verse channel 99, or on the City’s YouTube channel.
Join us aboard a Hornblower Cruise on October 11th for an unforgettable day on the San Francisco Bay! Enjoy spectacular views of the San Francisco skyline, Golden Gate Bridge, and Fleet Week festivities all from the water.
Sunday, October 11th – Meet: 11:00 am | Depart: 11:30 am $214 Resident | $233 Non-Resident Activity #14471
LIMITED TIME: Want to bring someone along? Now you can! This trip is open to anyone 18+, so grab your adult kids, grandkids, or family members and experience Fleet Week together from the water!
Accessibility: Level 2 – may include periods of standing and light walking on stairs, inclines, and uneven surfaces. Wheelchair, cane, and walker accessible.
Joined by the council members, Professor Bradley Strawser, Founder and CEO of EthiCards presents Chief Vigil and leaders of the Antioch Police Department, with the “Compass Leader in Ethical Culture” certificate. Photo: Antioch PD
“Developed by military experts, proven in combat zones, adapted for law enforcement.”
“Antioch is a true leader, here, in this space.” – Founder & CEO of EthiCards
By Antioch Police Department
Integrity in policing is built through continuous practice, open dialogue and a commitment to doing what is right every single day.
On Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, Lt. Franco Cesar delivered a presentation to the Antioch City Council introducing EthiCards – an innovative, scenario-based ethics training program designed to engage officers across all ranks in regular, real-world ethical problem-solving. (See 1:57:00 mark of meeting video)
EthiCards moves beyond traditional classroom lectures, putting structured ethical dilemmas directly into daily briefings and roll calls to sharpen critical thinking, promote active bystandership, and reinforce procedural justice in the field.
Following the presentation, Founder and CEO of EthiCards, Bradley Strawser, a Professor of Military Ethics and Chair of the Defense Analysis Department at the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, honored Chief Vigil and the Antioch Police Department with the “Compass Leader in Ethical Culture” certificate. This award recognizes APD’s outstanding leadership in going above and beyond to prioritize ethics, accountability, and continuous professional development for our personnel.
Strawser told the City Council, “We started this program based on over a decade of research. Most ethics approaches within law enforcement just don’t do much. It’s just sort of a check the box exercise. We’re in about 150 departments across the country, right now which sounds like a lot but it’s not. There are thousands of police departments across the country. So, really Antioch is a true leader, here, in this space.”
EthiCards app example. Video screenshot source: EthiCards.
According to the Compass EthiCards website, they were “Developed by military experts, proven in combat zones, adapted for law enforcement” and “grounded in behavioral science and organizational psychology—research that reveals what actually drives ethical behavior.”
They are “52 expertly crafted cards with real-world policing scenarios, organized into 4 suits with ethical insights from our experts” and offer “Personalized features like marking cards as completed and saving favorites for each team member.” The company also offers access to “Access to the EthiCards app and website for your entire department—not just sworn officers,” and “Annual Deck Updates” with “a brand new set of 52 fresh scenarios to keep discussions current and relevant.”
The company claims the cards have “Reduced Misconduct, Improved Retention,” they “Lower Liability” and are “Proven Globally” and “The result: a healthier, ethical culture built from the inside out.”
Thank you to the City Council and our Antioch community for your continued support as we invest in proactive, high-standard training for our officers!
