By Sergeant Tom Fuhrmann, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau

This morning, (11/8/14) at approximately 2:25 AM, Antioch Police Officers responded to a request for a welfare check of a male possibly sleeping on the sidewalk on the corner of Grassland Way and Whitehoof Way. The officers arrived to find the adult male victim unresponsive with an apparent gunshot wound. The 36-year-old victim was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical responders.

This case is being investigated as a shooting homicide by the Antioch Police Department Investigations Bureau. We are in the preliminary stages of the investigation and no further information will be released at this time.

Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to call Det. Meads with the Antioch Police Department at (925) 779-6884. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

23,000 ballots still left to be counted, final count to be done before Thanksgiving

By Allen Payton

As of the update of the vote count at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 7, 2014, the County Elections website showed the results of Tuesday night’s election were confirmed in the Antioch City Council, Measure O and County School Board races.

Lori Ogorchock expanded her lead over appointed Councilman Tony Tiscareno for a total of 5,946 votes or 23.48% to 5,619 or 22.19%, who expanded his lead over third-place finisher, Antioch School Board Trustee Diane Gibson-Gray who had 5,1522 votes or 20.34% of the vote.

“I’m excited. I’m thrilled. I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work,” Ogorchock said after hearing the news of the results. “I want to thank everyone who voted for me. I have listened to what you’ve said. And I want those on my committee, Mary and Bill Chapman, Gary and Brenda Gorbal, Bob Lyles and last but not least, Kristen Vistali. Special thanks to my family for their support, and especially my husband and stood by me.”

Tiscareno, who was in the middle of celebrating at a restaurant when reached for comment, said his election was a confirmation of his appointment by the city council in 2012.

“It validates their belief in me and the people spoke,” he said. “I feel good about it. I’m honored to be elected, instead of appointed. It was a hard fought battle, but a clean campaign as far as candidates were concerned. I want to thank all of the candidates and congratulate Lori and thank Diane especially for running a nice race, as well, because we were neck and neck.

“I look forward to serving our community,” he added.

At a ribbon cutting for the new 420 Bar & Grill in downtown Antioch, on Thursday evening, Gibson-Gray said she was resolved to remaining on the school board and thought it was probably a good thing, with the recent loss of two other incumbents, Joy Motts and Gary Hack in Tuesday’s election.

Measure O passed and the yes votes increased over the no votes, by 7,867 to 7,436 votes, more than the 180 votes difference at the end of the counting on Tuesday night.

Reached for comment, Yes on Measure O committee Chairman Don Freitas said about winning by 431 votes, with a laugh, “In this case that is a huge, huge victory.”

“It feels great that the good guys finally won. I’m just happy for Antioch,” Freitas added. “By conventional political wisdom we should have lost miserably when a $200,000 campaign of lies, half-truths and distortions, was spent against you.”

“The people saw through all the out-of-town special interest money and voted for Antioch,” he stated. “This started as a citizens initiative and ended as one. It was a David vs. Goliath fight. It wasn’t right that most businesses in Antioch paid a business license fee and residential rental property owners didn’t. It feels great to be on the right side and have the community support us.”

“After two years of meetings between the Friday Morning Breakfast Club and representatives of the California Apartment Association and the Delta Association of Realtors, they never, ever offered an alternative,” Freitas said. “All they said was ‘no’.”

“It was a long, long tortuous journey,” he said with a sigh of relief.

In the contentious Area 5 County School Board race, Jeff Belle’s lead over Cynthia Ruehlig decreased, but he held on to win by 336 votes, with 12,991 votes or 50.27% versus 12,655 votes or 48.97% of the vote.

Also, in the Area 4 County School Board race, in which Antioch resident Richard Asadoorian was seeking reelection, Mike Maxwell increased his lead to 2,253 votes to win the seat.

There were a total of 236,727 ballots cast that have been counted, out of 527,521 registered voters in the county, for a 44.88% voter turnout, Tuesday night.

However, there are still votes left to be counted, according to County Clerk-Recorder Joe Canciamilla.

“There are 13,000 provisional ballots and 10,000 exceptions, which are ballots that are damaged and the machine can’t count them, or they’re somehow spoiled otherwise, that all have to be hand-processed,” he said. “But, I don’t expect anything to change in those races. They’ll be divided up pretty much the same.”

“Not every ballot that we have will apply to every race. Because a lot of the ballots, we pulled both pages, even though only one page had a question,” Canciamilla added. “Not every provisional ballot will be counted, because people voted where they aren’t registered or they voted by mail and forgot and voted at the polls.”

“We will issue a report a week from the day, and another one the following Friday,” he said. “We have until December 2nd  to certify the results, but we’ll certify before Thanksgiving.”

For complete results visit www.cocovote.us.

LATEST RESULTS

Antioch City Council Election

LORI OGORCHOCK 5,946 23.48%

TONY G TISCARENO ( I ) 5,619 22.19%

DIANE GIBSON-GRAY 5,152 20.34%

LAMAR THORPE 4,398 17.37%

ANTHONY SEGOVIA 1,866 7.37%

KARL DIETZEL 825 3.26%

JEFFREY HALL-COTTRELL 752 2.97%

STEVEN BADO 625 2.47%

WRITE-IN 142 0.56%

 

Measure O

Yes 7,867 51.41%

No 7,436 48.59%

Total 15,303

County School Board – Area 5

CYNTHIA TEVES RUEHLIG 12,655 48.97%

JEFF BELLE 12,991 50.27%

WRITE-IN 194 0.75%

Total 25,840

County School Board – Area 4

RICHARD ASADOORIAN ( I ) 19,494 47.04%

MIKE MAXWELL 21,747 52.47%

WRITE-IN 203 0.49%

Total 41,444

DeSaulnier’s election to Congress begins possible game of political dominoes

By Allen Payton

With State Senator Mark DeSaulnier’s victory Tuesday night in the Congressional election for District 11, he will now have to vacate his seat in the California Senate. In light of this, Governor Jerry Brown will soon be calling for a special election for California State Senate District 7, which will occur early next year.

Mark Meuser, a local attorney, has announced that he will be running for the open seat in the upcoming special election. He was the Republican nominee who ran and lost to DeSaulnier in the 2012 election. Senate District 7 (SD7) covers most of Contra Costa and Alameda counties, east of the Berkeley hills, and includes all of Antioch.

In addition to the special election in SD7, there will also be special elections held in SD21 and SD37, which are both in southern California, due to those Senators also being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday.

Meuser, whose law firm focuses on civil litigation for both individuals and small businesses, said in a news release on Friday, November 7, “that his priority is to insure that your future, your children’s future, and California’s future is bright. The spirit of entrepreneurs in California is as strong today as it was during the gold rush. It needs an advocate in Sacramento, and Meuser wants to be that advocate. Ensuring that our communities stay strong—and grow stronger—requires a long-term vision for future generations, and Meuser has that vision. It is time to elect a representative to Sacramento who will fight for the citizens of Contra Costa and Alameda counties.”

In addition to Meuser, Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, a Democrat, who was just re-elected to her third and final term, said she’s in.

“Yes, I will be running for the Senate seat,” she stated in an interview, today. “I had planned to run in 2016 and everything was accelerated due to George Miller’s retirement. We’re just in the beginning stages of developing the campaign.”

Miller decided to not run for reelection to Congress, this year, triggering DeSaulnier’s run for the seat.

When asked why she wanted to be in the State Senate, Bonilla replied “I really love my job and have seen the difference that can be made in Sacramento. I feel I’ve developed a level of experience to serve my constituency affectively and would be honored to continue that service as a State Senator.”

A former teacher, Bonilla served on the Concord City Council and as a member of the County Board of Supervisors before being elected to the State Assembly in 2012.

The process will be triggered by DeSaulnier’s resignation, which is expected before January 5, that day he is scheduled to take the oath of office as a new Congressman.

The governor will then have two weeks to announce the date of the election, which is expected to be in mid- to late-March for the Primary. In a special election a candidate wins if they receive a majority of votes. If not the top two candidates with the most votes in the Primary will face off in the General Election in June.

A state senate district includes roughly 800,000 people, which is larger than a Congressional seat and Senators are elected for four-year terms. With the new term limits, state legislators in California can serve a maximum of 12 years, regardless of whether they serve in the Assembly or State Senate. However, because Bonilla was elected before June 5, 2012 she is restricted by the previous term limits, approved in 1990, which limited legislators to three terms in the State Assembly and two terms in the State Senate. Since the election will be past the half-way point in DeSaulnier’s term, if elected, she will serve less than two years, allowing her two more full terms for a total of close to 10 years. The same would apply to Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan, who is termed out this year, and is also rumored to be considering a run for the Senate seat. She did not respond to phone calls for this story.

“It’s not just about hanging around for more years, but using the knowledge and influence you gain to really serve the residents of Contra Costa more effectively,” Bonilla said. “If you don’t have experience, you don’t get assigned to be chair of a committee.”

She said she would stay in the Senate the entire time, if elected and re-elected and doesn’t want to be a career politician.

“I won’t be using this as a stepping stone to higher office,” she added.

Others whose names have been floated included Republicans District Attorney Mark Peterson, County Supervisors Mary Piepho and Candace Anderson, and Catharine Baker, who was just elected to replace Buchanan in the Assembly in the 16^th District on Tuesday night, was also floated as a possible candidate. But, Peterson stated recently he’s not interested in running for the seat.

Anderson’s whose star just rose with her vote against the 33% pay raise the Board of Supervisors gave themselves, two weeks ago, is also out.

“No I’m not running for Senate,” she said, today. “There’s a lot of work to be done in the county. I enjoy the breadth of issues I’m working on and am committed to this position.”

Another name put forward was Orinda City Councilman Steve Glazer, a Democrat, who ran for State Assembly, this year, also in the 16^th District, but wasn’t one of the top two winners to make it to the General Election.

Piepho, Baker and Glazer also did not respond to attempts to reach them for this story.

If Bonilla is elected to the seat, then a special election would have to be held for the remainder of her two-year term in the Assembly. If Piepho were to be elected, the Governor would be able to appoint her replacement for the time remaining of her term on the Board of Supervisors, which is in 2016, as well.

Voters will soon see if the game of political dominoes continues.

Check back for updates to this story.

 

By Tom Fuhrmann, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau Sergeant

On Thursday, November 6, 2014 at approximately 11:33 AM, Antioch Police Officers responded to a report of a shooting in the parking lot of the Somersville Towne Center, in front of the 24 Hour Fitness at 2632 Somersville Road. The officers arrived to find the 33-year-old adult male victim from Pittsburg, incapacitated from apparent gunshot wounds.

According to other news reports, the man was shopping in the mall with his brother. As they were leaving the mall, near the health club, a blue car drove by and multiple rounds were fired.

Life saving measures were implemented at the scene, but paramedics were unable to revive the victim and he subsequently died at the scene.

This case is being investigated by the Antioch Police Department Investigations Bureau. They are in the preliminary stages of the investigation and no further information will be released at this time.

Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to call Det. McManus with the Antioch Police Department at (925)779-6940. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

It was the third shooting in four days in Antioch and the city’s seventh homicide this year, according to statistics on the Antioch Police Department’s website, which can be viewed here.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

By Allen Payton

According to witnesses, a security guard was shot, today, near the Starbucks in the Grocery Outlet shopping center, located at A and 18th Streets.

According to one business owner in the center, who prefered to remain anonymous, the security guard, Linzy Gordon, got caught in cross fire between two gangs shooting at each other. He was hit in the back of the arm and shoulder and was in surgery at about 4:35 p.m.

UPDATE: According to a press release by Corporal William Dee, Patrol Division of the Antioch Police Department, received by the Herald, Wednesday evening:

At 2:09 p.m. on Wednesday, November 5, 2014, officers were dispatched to the area of A Street and W. 18th Street for a report of shots fired with at least one person shot. As officers arrived, witnesses provided descriptions of the suspect. The suspect was soon detained a short distance away and was found to be in possession of a firearm. That suspect was taken into custody without further incident.

Officers at the scene also found a security guard had been struck once by gunfire. Based on information obtained during the investigation, it appears an argument at a nearby bus stop preceded the gunfire. An armed security guard observed this, drew his own weapon, and began to fire at the suspect.

During the exchange, the security guard was struck once and pulled into a nearby business. The security guard was taken to an area hospital and expected to make a full recovery. No other injuries were reported.

The case is under investigation and anyone with information is urged to contact the Antioch Police Department.

You may text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

 

On Saturday, November 8, 2014, St. Vincent de Paul of Contra Costa County, (SVdP), will hold its 50th Anniversary Event at St. John Vianney Church and Mullen Commons, marking a half-century of service to the poor in the county. The 5:00 pm Mass on Saturday, November 8 will feature celebrant The Most Reverend Michael C. Barber, SJ, Bishop of Oakland. Please join Bishop Barber and members of the St. Vincent de Paul of Contra Costa County organization celebrating this significant milestone.

Date: Saturday, November 8, 2014,

Mass: 5:00 pm

Reception/Dinner: 6:00pm

Venue: St. John Vianney Church and Mullen Commons, 1650 Ygnacio Valley Rd, Walnut Creek

Tickets: $50/person available at www.svdp-cc.org

Our Services

St. Vincent de Paul assists more than 200,000 county residents annually, providing basic human services while families stabilize and work toward improving their situation long-term.

SVdP’s goal is to resolve the problems of hunger, homelessness, unemployment, suffering and low health outcomes in Contra Costa by providing a complement of services including:

Emergency Assistance and Benefits Access/Referral, (County-wide), 650 Vincentians, located at 27 conferences throughout the county, operate 21 food pantries, provide emergency assistance, (e.g. rental assistance, utility assistance, transportation, homeless prevention), and referral/access to additional community services.  Over 150,000 residents are served annually by Vincentians.

Free Adult Medical Clinic, (Pittsburg), the RotaCare Pittsburg Free Medical Clinic at St. Vincent de Paul, is a free clinic that provides care for the uninsured, providing over 3,700 patient visits since opening in 2011.

Free Dining Room, (Pittsburg) providing 40,000 hot meals annually in partnership with Loaves & Fishes of Contra Costa.

21 Free Food Pantries, (21 locations), providing food annually valued at $1.5M to hungry and low-income individuals and families in the County.

Free Clothing and Furniture, (Pleasant Hill and Pittsburg), via our Thrift Stores, providing over $100,000 in clothing and furniture to needy individuals and families annually.

Workforce Development Program, (Pleasant Hill and Pittsburg), providing job training, mentorship and paid, part-time transitional employment for those returning to society from incarceration, addiction, and/or homelessness.

Daytime Homeless Shelter, (Pittsburg), in partnership with Winter Nights Shelter, providing daytime shelter for up to 700 individuals annually.

One Warm Coat Program, (County-wide), distributing over 4,000 warm coats in the County per year.

Please visit our website at www.svdp-cc.org. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/svdpcontracosta/.

By Allen Payton

According to the Contra Costa County Elections Office, as of 1:30 p.m., today, there were still 95,000 ballots left to be counted in the county. Those could affect the outcomes of close races, like Measure O, which is leading by just 180 votes and the County Board of Education race in Area 5, where Jeff Belle leads Cynthia Ruehlig by just 464 votes, or 2.59%.

In response to learning the news, Belle said by email “As far as I’m concerned, it’s done. No more comments.”

The uncounted ballots might also affect the outcome of the Antioch City Council race, where Lori Ogorchock, who is in first place, is leading appointed Councilmember Tony Tiscareno by just 267 votes or 1.59%, and he is leading current third-place finisher, Antioch School Board Member Diane Gibson-Gray by just 229 votes or 1.37%.

A total of 158,443 ballots have been counted and those are the ones reflected in the unofficial results posted on the County Elections website. That figure does not include the additional uncounted ballots. So only 62.5% of the total 253,443 ballots cast in the election have been counted, so far. With 37.5% of the ballots left to be counted, it could change the results of the close elections.

Of the uncounted ballots, 82,000 are vote-by-mail ballots that were turned in at drop boxes throughout the county since Saturday, November 1^st or delivered to the polling places.

The other 13,000 are what are known as provisional ballots, which include those by voters who voted in a different polling place than where they are registered to vote, and by vote-by-mail voters who misplaced their ballots.

The next update from the Elections Office will not be until this Friday, November 7 at 5:00 p.m. So those in the close races will have to sit on pins and needles until then. But, all the remaining ballots may not be counted by then. The County Elections Office has 28 days to certify the election.

For all the election results in the county, visit www.cocovote.us.