Antioch Police assisted Pittsburg Police in pursuing suspects in a stolen Kia that crashed in the parking lot of Somersville Town Center on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023. Photo source chose to remain anonymous.
Another stolen Kia found overturned at Antioch Skatepark Thursday
By Allen D. Payton
During a Pittsburg Police pursuit of a stolen Kia the driver crashed the vehicle at Somersville Towne Center in Antioch Friday Oct. 6, 2023. Antioch Police assisted Pittsburg PD with a foot pursuit of the suspect. The driver was taken into custody. According to mall security a female passenger who ran from the car was able to flee through the mall.
Another stolen Kia was discovered by Antioch Police overturned after being driven over ramps at the Antioch Skate Park in Prewett Family Park Thursday morning Oct. 5.
Stolen Kia was discovered by Antioch Police at the Antioch Skatepark on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. Photo source chose to remain anonymous.
About six Kias and Hyundais stolen each day in Antioch. Eight were recovered in just the last three days and the drivers and passengers were all ages 13 to 16.
Friday, Oct. 6 – This promises to be a busy weekend in the skies over the Bay Area as Fleet Week is back in San Francisco. BART is ready to help you get to the prime viewing locations for the air show.
BART is welcoming Fleet Week by offering longer and more frequent trains at night and on weekends throughout the festivities. This is the first Fleet Week that will benefit from BART’s reimagined schedule that was launched last month. Now riders will wait no more than 20 minutes on a station platform for a scheduled train. We are using only Fleet of the Future trains to fulfill our basic service plan so riders will enjoy a cleaner and safer BART experience. Many lines that have been served by 6-car trains will instead feature 8-car trains as we expand our capacity for riders going to Fleet Week.
Saturday, Oct. 7: California Golden Bears vs Oregon State University Beavers at Memorial Stadium
There’s a great matchup at Memorial Stadium Saturday as Cal hosts the 15th ranked Oregon State University Beavers. It’s the Bears’ Homecoming game so a big crowd is expected. Kickoff is at 7pm. The Bears need only three more wins to become bowl eligible. BART is the best way to get to the game. In addition to our increased weekend service and the longer trains we’re running for Fleet Week, we’ll stage an event train to expand our capacity for fans.
We hope you enjoy your weekend adventures aboard our trains. For an in-depth listing of local events, visit the BARTable website. You can also keep up with BARTable on Facebook and Instagram.
Healthcare workers participate in the strike at Kaiser Permanente’s Antioch Medical Center on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. Photos by Allen D. Payton
Largest healthcare worker strike in U.S. history spans hundreds of hospitals and facilities across the nation including Antioch
Outsourcing and under-staffing emerge as key sticking points
Bargaining scheduled to continue Oct. 12
On Friday morning, October, 6, 2023, SEIU-United Health Workers union issued the following announcement:
More than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers in multiple states are continuing their historic three-day strike to protest unfair labor practices and Kaiser executives’ failure to bargain in good faith over unsafe staffing levels and outsourcing protections at hundreds of Kaiser hospitals and facilities across the United States.
In Contra Costa County, the strike includes workers at Kaiser facilities in Antioch, Richmond and Walnut Creek. During the strike at Antioch Kaiser, today – part of a nationwide action – Antioch resident Angela Glasper, who has been a Kaiser employee for 35 years working as an optical services clerk, said, “We’re not backing down.”
The strike at Kaiser facilities expanded from coast to coast this week, following months of bad faith bargaining activity by Kaiser executives and repeated appeals by frontline workers for Kaiser executives to make the kinds of investments in staffing that could help stem employee turnover and reduce growing patient wait times.
The strike began in DC and VA at 6AM ET on Wednesday morning at 6AM EST, expanded to CO at 6AM MT, then culminated with tens of thousands of workers striking in CA, OR, and WA at 6AM PT. It is already the largest healthcare worker strike in U.S. history. The current strike is expected to conclude on Saturday, October 7, 2023 at 6:00 A.M. It is possible that the coalition will issue a 10-day strike notice after Saturday, which could lead to further striking by Kaiser employees after those ten days if Kaiser executives continue to commit unfair labor practices and bargain in bad faith.
Additional bargaining sessions were scheduled by the parties this morning for the dates of Thursday, October 12 and Friday, October 13, 2023.
Kaiser Permanente confirmed that in the following statement issued Friday morning, Oct. 6: “The next bargaining session has been scheduled to begin on October 12. We look forward to reaching a new agreement that continues to provide our employees with market-leading wages and benefits, and ensures our high-quality care is affordable and available to meet our members’ needs.”
Outsourcing of critical healthcare duties has become a key sticking point in negotiations in recent days, as Kaiser executives have refused to put limitations on subcontracting and outsourcing, which keep experienced healthcare workers in jobs and provide strong continuity of care for patients.
“Now more than ever Kaiser Permanente needs to retain and attract qualified healthcare professionals. Outsourcing and subcontracting would have the opposite effect,” said Kathleen Coleman, Medical Assistant Message Management, Arapahoe Primary Care in Colorado.
“Frontline healthcare workers continue to await meaningful action by Kaiser executives to address our key priorities, including safe staffing, outsourcing protections for incumbent healthcare workers, and fair wages to reduce turnover,” said Gwendolyn Holloway, a Contact Lens Technician at Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center.
Workers on strike include those employed as licensed vocational nurses, emergency department technicians, radiology technicians, ultrasound sonographers, teleservice representatives, respiratory therapists, x-ray technicians, optometrists, certified nursing assistants, dietary services, behavioral health workers, surgical technicians, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, transporters, home health aides, phlebotomists, medical assistants, dental assistants, call center representatives, and housekeepers, among hundreds of other positions.
WHAT: 75,000 healthcare workers are on strike at Kaiser Permanente hospitals across the U.S.
WHEN: Today, Friday, October 6th, 2023 @ 6AM – Afternoon times TBD
WHERE: Hundreds of Kaiser Permanente hospitals and facilities in California, Colorado, Washington, Oregon
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
ANTIOCH: Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center, 4501 Sand Creek Road, Antioch
RICHMOND: Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center, 901 Nevin Avenue, Richmond
WALNUT CREEK: Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center, 1425 S Main Street, Walnut Creek
BACKGROUND
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions represents 85,000 Kaiser healthcare workers in seven states and the District of Columbia. In April, the Coalition began its national bargaining process ahead of the September 30th contract expiration. On Sept. 22, Coalition unions representing 75,000 Kaiser healthcare workers gave Kaiser executives 10-day notices for an unfair labor practice strike beginning Oct. 4. The Coalition and Kaiser Permanente last negotiated a contract in 2019, before healthcare workers found themselves on the frontlines of the COVID pandemic that has worsened working conditions and exacerbated a healthcare staffing crisis.
At issue, healthcare workers say, are a series of unfair labor practices related to bargaining in bad faith, along with simmering staff concerns related to unsafe staffing levels that can lead to dangerously long wait times, mistaken diagnosis, and neglect. After years of the COVID pandemic and chronic understaffing, Kaiser healthcare workers are calling on management to provide safe staffing levels.
Workers say that Kaiser is committing unfair labor practices and also that understaffing is boosting Kaiser’s profits but hurting patients. In arecent survey of 33,000 employees, 2/3 of workers said they’d seen care delayed or denied due to short staffing. After three years of the COVID pandemic and chronic understaffing, healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente are calling on management to provide safe staffing levels.
Kaiser has reported $3 billion in profits in just the first six months of this year. Despite being a non-profit organization – which means it pays no income taxes on its earnings and extremely limited property taxes – Kaiser has reported more than $24 billion in profit over the last five years. Kaiser’s CEO was compensated more than $16 million in 2021, and forty-nine executives at Kaiser are compensated more than $1 million annually. Kaiser Permanente has investments of $113 billion in the US and abroad, including in fossil fuels, casinos, for-profit prisons, alcohol companies, military weapons and more.
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions unites more than 85,000 healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente facilities in California, Colorado, Oregon, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington.
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors is seeking applicants for the Public Law Library Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees was established pursuant to State law and County Ordinance to maintain a law library in Martinez and a branch library in Richmond.
The Board of Trustees is the governing body for the Law Library with the authority to determine personnel, fiscal, and administrative policies to fulfill the legal information needs of the community. County residents who are members of the State Bar and have an interest in public policy and library administration are encouraged to apply for this non-paid volunteer opportunity. The County Board of Supervisors will appoint to fill one vacancy for a one-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2024 and ending on Dec. 31, 2024. The Board of Trustees meets monthly for a midday meeting, time and date to be decided by the Board.
Applications should be returned to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, County Administration Building, 1025 Escobar St., Martinez, CA 94553 no later than by 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023.
Applicants should plan to be available for public interviews to be conducted virtually via Zoom on Monday, November 13, 2023.
More information about the Contra Costa Public Law Library can be obtained by calling Carey Rowan at (925) 646-2783 or Carey.Rowan@LL.cccounty.us , or visiting the Law Library website at http://www.cccpllib.org.
Marty Storti is the new Los Medanos College Athletics Director. Source: LMC
Los Medanos College (LMC) is pleased to announce Marty Storti as Athletics director, effective Oct. 2, 2023.
“Mr. Storti comes to us with a wealth of experience in intercollegiate athletics administration” Vice President of Student Services Tanisha Maxwell said. “We are confident he will help elevate our sports and help our student athletes achieve their highest potential.”
Storti, who joins LMC after a career of more than 20 years as a coach and athletic administrator at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, said he is eager to work with student athletes at the community college level.
“At Saint Mary’s, I designed the recruiting protocols for Club Athletics that included transfer students. We engaged and helped many community college athletes navigate the admissions and financial aid processes,” he said. “LMC, as a feeder school to UC Davis and Berkeley and other great universities, gives student athletes a unique opportunity with a unique set of support systems to help them win and graduate.”
Over the course of his tenure at Saint Mary’s College, Storti managed numerous areas within the athletic department, including human resources, strategic planning, and program assessment. In his role, Storti oversaw athletic camps, campus recreation, event management, facilities, sports medicine, and strength and conditioning. He also served as the sports supervisor for several teams, which included baseball, cross country, track, men’s golf, women’s rowing, men’s soccer, and softball.
“LMC is an attractive opportunity, given its potential for growth in the athletics, from increasing the number of sponsored sports to increasing the number of student athletes. We will demonstrate how important student-athletes can be to the institution and the broader community,” he said. “Sports at LMC can be that light that guides more students toward higher education and long-term success.”
As assistant vice president for Club Athletics, Storti spearheaded a departmental rebranding initiative for recruiting and revenue generation. Under his leadership, Storti introduced a student-athlete council and devised a comprehensive student leadership development program. His oversight resulted in a notable rise in student-athlete applications and enrollments. He led successful revenue-generating initiatives, which led to increases in facility rentals, camp revenue, ticket sales, and annual fundraising.
Under his administrative leadership, several of Saint Mary’s teams achieved national success. Storti was the men’s soccer sport administrator when they participated in the 2011 NCAA tournament, where they reached the elite eight. He served as the lead administrator for men’s rugby, contributing to their historic achievements by securing USA Rugby D1A (highest level) National Championships in 2014, 2015, 2016 (7s), and 2017.
Storti earned his master’s degree and bachelor’s degree in business administration from Saint Mary’s College.
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.
By U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Juan Valentin Manriquez, 21, of Antioch, was sentenced today to three years and eight months in prison for unlawful dealing in firearms, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, co-defendant Andrew Jace Larrabure-Tuma used Snapchat to advertise narcotics and guns for sale. Law enforcement used undercover officers and a confidential informant to buy guns from Tuma. Tuma of Sacramento was 19 years old and could not legally purchase a gun in the state of California. Tuma ultimately introduced the informant working for law enforcement to his gun supplier, Manriquez. During the course of the following month, Manriquez sold the informant nine guns in exchange for cash.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sacramento Police Department, and the Western El Dorado Narcotics Enforcement Team. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee prosecuted the case.
Tuma pleaded guilty to unlawful dealing and manufacturing firearms and was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Two police officers stand near the downed motorcycle at the scene of the collision on Deer Valley Road near Prewett Ranch Road Thursday afternoon, Oct. 5, 2023. Photos by Allen D. Payton
Speeding driver of car determined at fault
The driver of the AMR ambulance witnessed the collision.
By Allen D. Payton
A 63-year-old Bay Point man riding a motorcycle on Deer Valley Road was rear-ended by a black sedan near the Prewett Ranch Road intersection in Antioch, at 2:08 p.m. Thursday afternoon. As an AMR ambulance was on its way to Kaiser medical center with a patient inside the driver witnessed the collision. But the ambulance was not involved in the collision. Antioch Police officers in the area and AMR personnel immediately performed CPR.
The motorcyclist was transported to the hospital with major head trauma where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The black sedan was damaged on both front sides and the back window blew out during the colission.
Two pickup trucks were also struck in the accident, with the sedan striking one and the motorcycle hitting the other after the first impact. The driver of the sedan remained at the scene and cooperated with Antioch Police Officers. An officer on the scene said she was emotionally distraught and had a difficult time communicating what happened. It was determined she was at fault as numerous witnesses claimed she was speeding.
The two pickup trucks damaged in the collision remained at the scene during the police investigation.
The driver has not yet been arrested as the police must do an inspection of her car before they can file a case with the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office.
Some of the roads leading to the intersection were closed for several hours causing those driving to Kaiser to make a detour through nearby neighborhoods. The roads were cleared and reopened about 7:20 p.m.
Banner displayed at Rio Vista Elementary School in Bay Point. Source: CCC Public Works Dept.
By Kelly Kalfsbeek, PIO, Contra Costa County Public Works Department
October is National Pedestrian Safety Month and it’s a reminder of the importance of safe streets for everyone. In 2021 there was a pedestrian fatality every 71 minutes and an injury every 9 minutes in traffic related crashes. That’s why the Contra Costa County Vision Zero team is working tirelessly to change these numbers. Our message is clear: “Slow Down for Our Families. Get there Safely!” You’ll find our banners on buses and at 11 local elementary schools, spreading the word throughout our county. Join us in making our roads safer for ALL. Learn more about our efforts at: www.contracosta.ca.gov/visionzero. For more pedestrian safety resources visit: Everyone is a Pedestrian | Traffic Safety Marketing
About Contra Costa County Public Works Department:
Contra Costa County Public Works Department (CCCPWD) maintains over 660 miles of roads, 150 miles of streams, channels, and other drainage and over 150 County buildings throughout Contra Costa County. CCCPWD provides services such as Parks and Recreation, Sandbag Distribution and Flood Control throughout the unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County. CCCPWD operates two airports, Buchanan Field Airport in Concord, and Byron Airport in Byron. For more information about CCCPWD, please visit us at: www.cccpublicworks.org
