Tours of Coast Guard ship at the Smith’s Landing dock Sunday, Sept. 14

Local high school students to perform, volunteer

By Allen D. Payton

A unit from Beale Air Force Base near Sacramento has volunteered to support this year’s Stand Down on the Delta with a flyover of two T-38 fighter jets from the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron on Saturday, September 13. Pilots who fly the U-2 jets at the base train on the T-38’s.

The flyover will occur during Opening Ceremonies Saturday morning beginning at 10:00 A.M. at which the Deer Valley High Divine Voices will perform the National Anthem.

The four pilots from the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron participating in the flyover will be Lt. Colonel “Mako” Willard, Major “Dice” Dodds, Major “Merle” Paegelow and Captain “Blitz” Alexander.

On Friday, as veterans arrive to the Contra Costa Event Center (fairgrounds) the U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West will perform.

Then on Sunday from 10:00 AM to Noon, tours will be offered on a Coast Guard ship at the Smith’s Landing dock at the foot of L Street.

Local High School Students Volunteer

This year members from the Heritage High School Air Force Junior ROTC and Antioch High Army Junior ROTC members will be volunteering during the weekend events.

De La Salle High School students are participating in a competition in which they’re working on a sock drive for veterans. That’s one of the items So far, they have collected 1,900 pairs but the effort continues until Thursday. The school has also donated 150 sweatshirts to be distributed during the weekend.

Stand Down on the Delta, presented by Delta Veterans Group, will again be held at the Contra Costa Event Park (fairgrounds), located at 1201 W. 10th Street in Antioch. For more information click, here.

#AFFlyover

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Driver from Morgan Hill, passenger from Oakland

By Antioch Police Department

Sunday night, Sept. 7, 2025, the Antioch Police Department received multiple calls about a sideshow at the Antioch Marina and when officers arrived, they saw a Lexus doing donuts in the boat launch parking lot.

According to Lt. Joe Njoroge, around 11:25 pm officers overheard the screeching of tires coming from the vicinity of the marina. The driver and passenger tried to exit quickly, but Officers Tryner and Drace looked inside the car and spotted something they shouldn’t have had, a gun.

The driver, Jose Martinez, 31-year-old out of Morgan Hill was arrested for VC 23103 – Reckless Driving. The passenger, Brian Gallegos Avina, 27-year-old male out of Oakland was arrested for: PC 25850(c)(6) – possession of a handgun when not the registered owner; PC 32310(a) – receiving a large-capacity magazine; PC 25850(a) – carrying a loaded firearm on a person or in a vehicle while in any public place; and PC 25400(a)(2) – carrying a concealed upon a person any pistol, revolver or other firearm.

The Lexus got a one-way tow out of the marina.

Thank you for working with us and reporting problems when you see them.

According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, as of today, Thursday, September 10th, Avina is out of custody with no charges filed. No additional information from online searches could be found about Martinez.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

By Allen D. Payton

The City of Antioch is now accepting applications for the City Clerk position! The part-time position pays $1,900 per month plus benefits. The City Council will make their decision on the appointment at their regular meeting on Tuesday, September 23. The appointed City Clerk will serve through the beginning of December 2026 and if desire to continue serving must run for election that November for the remaining two years of the current term. (Please see related articles here and here)

The City Clerk is the official keeper of the municipal records and is sometimes referred to as the historian of the community. City Clerk responsibilities include:

• Acting as the official custodian of records for the City and is responsible for all City Council agendas, minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and legal publications
• Coordinating Fair Political Practices Commission filings including the Statement of Economic Interests and Campaign Disclosures
• Acting as the service agent for the City regarding claims, subpoenas, and summons
• Overseeing the City’s records management, legislative history, bids, contracts, archives, election activities, and board/commission/committee programs

Communications directed to the City, its legislative bodies, and their members (i.e., City Council, Planning Commission) or City staff are public records and are subject to disclosure pursuant to the California Public Records Act and Brown Act unless exempt from disclosure under the applicable law.

Stop by the Third Floor of City Hall with a valid government-issued ID to pick up your application in person at 200 H Street, Antioch, Monday–Friday, between 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM.

Appointments are strongly encouraged by emailing cityclerk@antiochca.gov or calling (925) 779-7009.

The filing deadline is Thursday, September 11, 2025, at 4:30 PM.

For more information about the City Clerk’s Office visit City Clerk – City of Antioch, California.

Efforts to reach City staff asking for details on the benefits of the position were unsuccessful prior to publication time. Please check back later for any updates.

For more information visit www.facebook.com/RivertownTreasureChest or stop by 306 G Street in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown.

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City Manager, consultant refute claims “our city is, or might be, out of compliance”

By Allen D. Payton

Following a Closed Session at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, for a Conference with Labor Negotiators for various employee groups, the Antioch City Council will receive presentations from the police department including the Quarterly Update with staffing stats and the U.S. Department of Justice Settlement Agreement Bi-Annual Update. Included is City Manager Bessie Scott’s Memorandum to the City Council and Police Oversight Commission dated August 18, 2025, and a letter from the outside consultant refuting concerns that the City is possibly out of compliance with the USDOJ Agreement.

She wrote, “It has come to the attention of city staff that some individuals have publicly claimed that our city is, or might be, out of compliance with the USDOJ Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). As the City Manager, I am happy to take this opportunity to address these concerns and have asked our Consultant on this matter, Manjit Sappal, to formally provide an update on the status of all elements within the MOA.”

Proclamations

The regular meeting starts at 7:00 p.m., and before the APD presentations the Council will consider approving three proclamations Celebrating California’s 175th Anniversary of Statehood, 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance, September 11, 2025, and In Honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, September 2025.

Commission Openings

The agenda also mentions the following City Commission openings for interested members of the public to apply for appointment:

• Planning Commission – 3 Full Term vacancies, expiring October 2029;
• Antioch Police Oversight Commission – 1 Partial Term vacancy, expiring November 2026;
• Board of Administrative Appeals – 2 Full Term vacancies, expiring March 2028 and 1 Alternate vacancy, Two-year term.

Applications for the vacant positions are due Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. in the City Clerk’s Office. For more information see agenda item #4 and below:

Proposed Changes to Housing and Homeless Staff Positions

Under the only other major item on the agenda, item #7, according to the City staff report, the council will consider amending the personnel budget for the Housing and Homelessness Division of the misnamed Public Safety and Community Resources Department (which does not include police or fire services). The proposed budget change in the amount of $79,025 for fiscal year 2025-26 is to fund one Housing Manager and two Housing Services Coordinators in lieu of one Administrative Analyst I, one Unhoused Resident Coordinator, and one Housing Program Specialist.

The Department currently is led by Interim Director Monserat Cabral following the resignation of former Director Tasha Johnson.

Click here to view the Council Meeting Full Agenda Packet.

The meetings will be held in the Council Chambers at 200 H Street in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown. They can also be viewed via livestream on the City’s website and the City’s YouTube Channel, on Comcast Cable Channel 24 or AT&T U-verse Channel 99.

By Allen D. Payton

The Antioch Police Department will add two more officers to the force and promote two from within on Thursday, September 11, 2025.

The department will be welcoming new Officers Nicholas Kegle and Jordan Morrow. Lieutenant and Acting Captain Matthew Koch is being promoted to Captain and Sergeant and Acting Lt. William Whitaker is being promoted to Lieutenant.

All four will be given their oaths of office during a ceremony at the Nick Rodriguez Community Center Theater at 213 F Street, beginning at 3:00 p.m.

By Celebrate Antioch Foundation

This is a Fun-Filled Day with Music, Food, Wine & Beer and Great Shopping!  The Rivertown Peddlers Faire offers a Little Something for Everyone! Featuring Repurposed, Handmade, New & Used and Great Vintage Finds! We Look Forward to Seeing You at The Rivertown Peddlers Faire!

• Saturday, September 13, 2025
• 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
• West 2nd Street at G Street in Antioch’s historic downtown

Presented by Celebrate Antioch Foundation. For more information visit http://www.celebrateantioch.org.