Washington, D.C. – Last Friday, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA11) was admitted to the hospital to treat complications of pneumonia from a traumatic rib fracture that occurred after falling during a run. He was in serious, but stable condition, and the hospital later advised he was COVID-19 negative. (See related article).

“Unfortunately, Congressman DeSaulnier’s condition has deteriorated and he is in critical condition,” said Betsy Arnold Marr, DeSaulnier’s Chief of Staff.  “The doctors are doing everything they can to care for the Congressman. Mark’s family and staff appreciate your thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.”

He is an avid runner and has completed twenty-one marathons, according to his biography. DeSaulnier has represented California’s 11th congressional district, which includes parts of Antioch and most of Contra Costa County, since he was first elected to Congress in 2014.

“The office operations remain unchanged and staff will continue to serve our constituents. We are grateful for your thoughts and well wishes during this time,” Arnold Marr stated previously.

By Maria Arce, Manager of Customer Service and Marketing, Tri Delta Transit 

ANTIOCH, CA, March 20, 2020 – In response to growing concerns surrounding COVID-19, effective immediately, Eastern Contra Costa County Transit Authority (Tri Delta Transit) customers will be boarding fixed route buses through the rear door unless they require the wheelchair ramp.  This will ensure social distancing.  Additionally, all fares on all Tri Delta Transit buses will be free.

Industry response to the COVID-19 crisis changes hour-to-hour. Tri Delta Transit staff is working hard to make sure those traveling to essential services and jobs get the transportation they require while keeping our employees safe and healthy.

“As a transit agency, it is important that we take precautions so we may continue to provide transportation services.  Protecting the health and safety of our passengers and staff is our top priority.” said Chief Executive Officer Jeanne Krieg.

For updates on Tri Delta Transit service changes and response to COVID-19 visit TriDeltaTransit.com and register for text and email alerts.

Axe, skeleton mask, and a replica handgun found inside suspect’s car

By Antioch Police Department

As all of our fans already know, we aren’t standing down, and instead are standing UP to all crooks who think they can roll the dice against YOUR POLICE!

Cue last night’s bank bandit – this hapless lawbreaker thought he could smash his way into the Wells Fargo at 18th and A Streets to see what he could get from inside (at 2:43 AM, Saturday morning, according to Chief of Police Tammany Brooks). Our night shift rapid response team raced over and helped him on his way out the door into a set of custom bracelets. These astute officers tracked down his getaway vehicle (which was parked in-front-of the bank with the engine running) and found an axe, skeleton mask, and a replica handgun inside. Look closely at the airsoft gun and tell us whether you could distinguish the difference at night from afar? We were helped by our best buds at Pittsburg PD, who sent us an amazing dog to help clear the bank safely in a search for other bandits (you rock, PPD!).

You may have read our Chief’s message yesterday about the efforts we are taking to KEEP ANTIOCH SAFE. Those efforts include a series of modified responses to certain incidents, and the intent of that is actually two-fold. First, we have to keep ourselves healthy so we can operate at 100%. Did you know we disinfect our mobile offices at the start and end of each shift?! We are loaded up with gloves, hand sanitizers and masks. Our coppers are washing, rinsing and repeating (it says it on the bottle!).

Second, we are doubling-down on providing high-visibility patrol to our town. Don’t be alarmed if you see a black and white patrolling your neighborhood or business with the flood lights on (please from a social distance). Our ultimate goal with all of this is to PROTECT YOU and we hope you notice and feel a little safer while you’re doing your part to stop the virus.

As always, we have your back because you have ours! If you see anything out of the ordinary, give us a shout (not too loud, our ears are sensitive) at (925) 778-2441 or 9-1-1 if you think it’s an emergency.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

All officers reporting for duty are healthy

Message from Chief T. Brooks:

Hey everyone! First and foremost…how about a shout out to our social media team and the amazing way they can tell a story (see last post)! Not only was that some great police work, but the creative storytelling makes it fun to read! I’m so proud of the men and women of this organization!

I hate following up that story with my boring style of writing, and hope I don’t put you to sleep. But I felt this was important.

Suspect had multiple outstanding warrants

By Antioch Police Department

While our residents were heeding public health warnings to stay at-home, your APD night shift officers were diligently patrolling the town, to make sure things stay safe around here.

After washing his hands thoroughly an alert officer spotted a Toyota stolen from Oakland in the area of Somersville Road and the freeway. The officer tried to halt the driver of the Toyota, but he decided to put the pedal to the metal and lead us on a chase down Buchanan Road. Luckily, the streets have been empty, because our townspeople are fighting back against COVID-19 and staying inside. We chased him for a bit, but decided to pull back and use teamwork to keep a glaring eye on the only vehicle driving around at 1:00 am.

This particularly bad driver, a 28-year-old resident of Oakland, lost control of the vehicle near the Post Office on West Tregallas Road, but quite fortunately, his only victim was a street sign. Instead of calling it quits, he decided to try his luck at a game of cat and mouse by running into an adjacent neighborhood. He sunk to a new low, when he snatched a bicycle belonging to one of our younger residents and tried to pedal away, but a clever officer found the man drenched in sweat with a bad story about how he got there in the first place. Thanks to cooperation from our AWESOME residents (who pulled some video surveillance) we were able to trace this unlucky fella back to the scene of the crime.

As it turns out, the crook had several outstanding warrants for auto theft, in addition to a parole violation for robbery. We had no hard feelings over the matter, and instead provided free shuttle service to the County Jail for one individual who should’ve listened to all warnings to stay at home, and not commit crimes in Antioch!

We know during this difficult time, many of our residents are concerned about what the future might hold. YOUR APD officers are committed to protecting OUR CITY and will do all that it takes to keep YOU SAFE!

 

Antioch school district’s Measure T bond fails by just 43 votes.

Other results from throughout the county: 4 other measures pass, 2 fail

By Allen Payton

With the final results in for the March 3rd Presidential Primary from the Contra Costa Elections Division on Friday afternoon, District 5 Supervisor Federal Glover missed winning the election outright by just 54 votes. He will face County Assessor Gus Kramer in a November General Election runoff. (See results here.)

Had any candidate received 50% plus one vote they would have won in the Primary.

With all the votes counted Glover garnered 22,142 votes or 49.88% of the vote. Kramer placed a distant second out of the three candidates, with 11,441 votes or 25.78% of the vote. He was trailed by Martinez Planning Commissioner and first-time candidate for public office, Sean Trambley, by just 637 votes, with 10,804 votes or 24.34%.

The fall campaign has already begun as Kramer wasted no time in attacking the incumbent.

“I’m looking forward to the run-off. It will give me the chance to show the electorate who I really am and who my opponent really is,” he said when reached for comment, while social distancing at his cabin for the next three weeks. “Glover said four years ago and eight years ago that would be his last time running. It’s one of the reasons I’m running against him. He’s not a man of his word.”

“The citizens of Contra Costa deserve a supervisor they can trust,” Kramer said.

“I want to thank all the voters who voted and supported me,” he stated. “And all those who didn’t believe the political hit pieces that were mailed out and the campaign the East Bay Times has mounted against me for the past eight years but, continued to show faith in me. We’re hoping, and will be working to build on that support for November.”

“He doesn’t plan on fulfilling this term, is what I’ve been told by those who are close to Federal,” Kramer added. “Then he will lobby the governor to appoint someone who he supports, to replace him.”

Glover wasn’t ready to engage at this point, but just thanked his supporters and encouraged people to comply with the coronavirus orders.

“It’s interesting, but we’ll gear up for November,” he said. “I really just want to thank the voters for their continued support of my candidacy. Going into November we’re going to continue to ask their support of our efforts. I look forward to continuing to represent the district.”

He is focused on the coronavirus, for now.

“While I’m very thrilled with the election results and the voters who supported me, my major concentration, now is this coronavirus,” Glover stated. “The county as a whole, and my district, it’s really important that we follow the rules, now so that we can flatten the curve to be able to get on with our routine services.”

“But, if everyone does not follow the orders that have been put out there, it’s going to take us just that much longer,” he said. “So, please be obedient to the rules as we’re all in this together.”

“Be safe and stay healthy,” Glover added.

Other Election Results – Four of Seven Measures Pass

Measure T fails in Antioch. The $105 million school improvement bond covering the former Mello-Roos District 89-1 required 55% of the vote. It barely lost at just 43 votes shy of passing with 54.53% of the vote.

Measure J fails countywide. While a majority of voters supported it, the countywide, half-cent sales tax measure for transportation needed a two-thirds vote to pass, meaning 66.7% of the vote. But it only received 51.59%. So, the $3.4 billion measure failed. It would have meant an additional half-cent in sales tax would have overlapped the current Measure J half-cent sales tax for 14 years.

Measure A fails in Pleasant Hill. The bond measure for the Pleasant Hill Park & Recreation District needed a two-thirds vote to pass, but only received 60.15%.

Measure L passes in the Lafayette School District. The parcel tax election, which required a 2/3’s vote to pass, received 73.07% of the vote.

Measure M passes in the Moraga School District. The parcel tax election, which also required a 2/3’s vote to pass, with 70.74% of the vote.

Measure R passes in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. The school bond election required 55% of the vote to pass and garnered more than enough with 58.59%.

Measure Y passes in Danville. The voters of the Town of Danville approved the development of 69 homes on 410 acres. It required a simple majority to pass and received 54.23% of the vote.

SAN FRANCISCO – U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson of the Northern District of California today urged the public to report suspected fraud schemes related to COVID-19 (the Coronavirus) by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline (1-866-720-5721) or to the NCDF e-mail address disaster@leo.gov.

In coordination with the Department of Justice, Attorney General William Barr has directed U.S. Attorneys to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of Coronavirus fraud schemes. The NCDF Hotline can receive and enter complaints into a centralized system that can be accessed by all U.S. Attorneys, as well as Justice Department litigating and law enforcement components to identify, investigate and prosecute fraud schemes.

“Unfortunately, there are fraudsters out there who will try to use this public health emergency to scam the public and profit on the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Anderson. “As communities throughout Northern California take steps to limit the spread of COVID-19, we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to guard against fraud and bring swift justice to those who try to ply their scams in our district.”

Some examples of these schemes include:

• Individuals and businesses selling fake cures for COVID-19 online and engaging in other forms of fraud.
• Phishing emails from entities posing as the World Health Organization or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Malicious websites and apps that appear to share Coronavirus-related information to gain and lock access to your devices until payment is received.
• Seeking donations fraudulently for illegitimate or non-existent charitable organizations.
• Medical providers obtaining patient information for COVID-19 testing and then using that information to fraudulently bill for other tests and procedures.

In a memorandum to U.S. Attorneys issued March 19, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen also directed each U.S. Attorney to appoint a Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator to serve as the legal counsel for the federal judicial district on matters relating to the Coronavirus, direct the prosecution of Coronavirus-related crimes, and to conduct outreach and awareness activities.   The Northern District of California has appointed an Assistant U.S. Attorney to be a Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator who can be reached at 415-436-7200.

The NCDF can receive and enter complaints into a centralized system that can be accessed by all U.S. Attorneys, as well as Justice Department litigating and law enforcement components to identify, investigate, and prosecute fraud schemes.  The NCDF coordinates complaints with 16 additional federal law enforcement agencies, as well as state Attorneys General and local authorities.

To find more about Department of Justice resources and information, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

 

Invoicing by mail to supplement FasTrak^® during Covid-19 Emergency

March 20, 2019 . . . At the request of Gov. Newsom, Caltrans and the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) today announced the temporary suspension of cash toll collection at the region’s seven state-owned toll bridges in order to minimize toll collectors’ and toll-paying customers’ risk of exposure to Covid-19 during the current public health emergency.

The temporary suspension of cash toll collection will affect drivers who cross the Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael, San Francisco-Oakland Bay or San Mateo-Hayward bridges. The Golden Gate Bridge adopted all-electronic tolling in 2013.

Beginning at midnight tonight, all toll booths at all Bay Area toll plazas will be unstaffed. Toll bridge patrons who normally stop at a toll booth to pay cash should continue through the toll plaza without stopping. Automated, high-speed cameras will capture images of customers’ license plates, and the FasTrak^® customer service center will process the images and then mail a toll notice to the address at which the vehicle is registered with the DMV. While these notices will include a heading that reads “Toll Violation Notice,” these transactions will not be considered violations and the amount due on each notice will be for the toll amount only. The FasTrak customer service center will waive all toll violation penalties during the period in which cash toll collection is suspended, and also will suspend the escalation of penalties for previous unpaid toll crossings. This will include a temporary halt to referrals to the DMV for a hold on vehicle registration after a second toll violation notice has gone unpaid.

Patrons who normally use a FasTrak^® toll tag or license plate account for toll collection will see no difference in their statements.

Caltrans and BATA encourage toll bridge customers who do not already have FasTrak accounts to open accounts online at www.bayareafastrak.org or by phone at 1-877-229-8655 (BAY-TOLL). Customers who may be leaving their homes to buy food or medicine at a Costco or Walgreens store may obtain a FasTrak toll tag at these stores and then activate their new accounts online. A map of retail locations at which FasTrak toll tags are available may be found at https://www.bayareafastrak.org/en/howitworks/retailmap.html.

Caltrans and BATA will monitor toll bridge operations and heed ongoing public health guidance before making any decisions about resuming cash toll collection at Bay Area toll bridges.

BATA administers all toll revenues from the region’s seven state-owned toll bridges. Caltrans owns and operates the state highway system, including the seven Bay Area toll bridges.