Offers a calm approach and years of experience to end the chaos, cronyism and corruption

By Allen D. Payton, Publisher

After four years of chaotic leadership under Antioch Mayor Lamar Hernández-Thorpe and his fellow councilmembers, current Mayor Pro Tem and District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson and District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker, with their far left, progressive politics and policies, inability to hire and keep good city staff leadership, and growth in the size and cost of our city government it’s clearly time for a change.

More than enough has been written by other news organizations and me over the past several years that I don’t have to beat up on Hernández-Thorpe further about his personal behavior and antics to support my argument that his time on the council and as mayor needs to end. While I endorsed him for city council in 2016 to give him the opportunity to prove himself, and although I defended him in 2020 against a false attack mailer during his first run for mayor, I couldn’t endorse Lamar, then and I can’t, now and most of it is based on his foolish decisions, lack of leaders inside City Hall, lack of police, unwillingness to accept responsibility, as well as government and political-related activities, specifically his corruption, name calling, hypocrisy and arrogance.

Foolish Decisions

Unnecessary Rental Protection Overreach: The bottom line is Hernández-Thorpe didn’t have a majority of voters who supported him in 2020, yet he governed as if he had a mandate, pushing forward and supporting his and the two councilwomen’s agenda. They took issues only affecting some people such as renters at a few apartment complexes with irresponsible owners and property managers and instead of using Code Enforcement to require they follow existing state law, they approved unnecessary, citywide policies affecting all rental properties in Antioch. It will end up having the reverse effect with fewer investors owning single-family homes renting the and instead selling them to buyers who will make them owner-occupied.

Vote to Shutter the Natural Gas Pipeline: The mayor also took other unnecessary and irresponsible votes such as against the renewal of the franchise agreement for the low-pressure, natural gas pipeline based on false information that it could cause an explosion like the one that occurred in San Bruno in 2010, while following Wilson’s lead, who was following controversial Brentwood Councilwoman Jovita Mendoza’s lead, to please the out-of-town climate change activists. Yet, when shown the action actually worked against their desire to reduce carbon emissions, because some of the supply of gas to serve the Chevron refinery in Richmond now originates as far as 3,500 miles away in northern Canada instead of just 35 miles away in the Delta, Hernández-Thorpe wouldn’t bring the item back for a revote. Plus, it’s been costing the City hundreds of thousands of dollars in outside attorney’s fees to defend the lawsuit by the pipeline owner.

Ban on Tobacco Shop Sale or Transfer to Heirs: Then and although I don’t support any additional tobacco and liquor stores in town, it took Hernández-Thorpe a few years to reverse the ridiculous, unfair and seemingly unconstitutional vote to not allow the owners to either sell or pass on their shops to their heirs.

Amtrak Station Closure: On another matter, in September 2022 he foolishly chose to not inform his fellow councilmembers or the public about the impending vote in March 2023 to decommission the Antioch Amtrak Station, wanting to be the hero and save it. But he went to the meeting without the support of the community and failed. Then he repeatedly blamed former City Manager Ron Bernal for approving the decommissioning which was later proven false as a result of a Herald investigative report. Then it took the mayor 16 months to even have the council respond to the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority board’s vote asking them not to close the station. Finally, with the closure now delayed until late 2026 or early 2027, an informed public and multiple speakers at the SJJPA Board meeting in September, keeping the station open is a possibility. But the vote remains unchanged to decommission Antioch’s station as they wait on a plan from the City to reduce crime and homelessness, there which were the main reasons for the decommissioning.

Lack of City Staff Leadership

We finally have a city manager, who started just a month before next Tuesday’s election and given an expensive one-year $260,000 severance package on just a two-year contract, even though Hernández-Thorpe and the councilwomen hired her on a 3-2 vote. But before she arrived, we went through multiple permanent, interim and acting city managers during the mayor’s four-year tenure. Plus, the City doesn’t currently have an Assistant City Manager, and onlly has an Interim Police Chief, Acting Public Works Director and an Acting Community Development Director. That’s unacceptable and is indicative of the incumbent’s lack of leadership.

Lack of Police

Although Chief Brian Addington is doing a great job in recruiting and adding officers and leaders to the department, we’re currently still down 43 sworn officers from the 115 in the city budget which only gets us to 1.0 officers per 1,000 population which is low in an of itself. That’s because cops don’t want to work for a council with a mayor and councilwoman (Torres-Walker) who irresponsibly called for firing all those being investigated in the text scandal before the investigations had been completed, saying they were guilty before being proven innocent – which is anathema to our form of jurisprudence in America. Most of the officers merely received the texts and returned to work.

Worse, the incumbent blatantly lied, recently in one of his video posts on his Facebook page reels saying “dozens of officers” had violated residents’ rights. That video can no longer be seen.

Won’t Accept Responsibility

But Hernández-Thorpe won’t take any responsibility for either, blaming what’s happening nationally with regards to city leadership vacancies and the DA and FBI investigations – from which only 10 officers were fired – for the depleted police department staffing. In a KTVU interview earlier this month he literally blamed Bernal, who retired in December 2021 from his position as city manager, for all the current crime problems and lack of police.

Corruption

I’ll provide just four examples of the current mayor’s corruption. First, was the obvious, unfair gerrymandering of District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock by him and his two council allies literally drawing the line around her neighborhood live on the council meeting video, moving her into neighboring District 4, and forcing her to run against Wilson in 2022, which Ogorchock lost, and preventing her from running for re-election, this year. Worse, Hernández-Thorpe and the councilwomen violated state redistricting rules by unnecessarily dividing a Community of Interest, specifically the Mira Vista Hills neighborhood, south of James Donlon Blvd., between Districts 2 and 4.

Second, were the private meetings he had with the two councilwomen at his house – in violation of the state’s Brown Act open meeting law – where they planned the redistricting and were later investigated by both the Contra Costa DA’s Office and Civil Grand Jury. Due to a lack of evidence other than the verbal testimony from Hernández-Thorpe’s former friend who attended at least one of those meetings, the three council co-conspirators were not prosecuted.

Another example is the mayor misused his campaign funds during the recall for apparently personal purposes, because he had to “reimburse” – his words – the racist-named Stop the #KAREN Recall for Mayor Lamar Thorpe 2022 campaign committee with funds from his own pocket. It was the personal use of campaign funds that resulted in the resignations, prosecutions, convictions and fines of both the former Contra Costa District Attorney and County Clerk-Registrar of Voters.

Finally, just last week, Hernández-Thorpe had his council secretary post announcements on his social media accounts about his appearances at two political events for his campaign, misusing taxpayer funds. The mayor was asked about it but not surprisingly, he didn’t respond. He has since removed the announcements from his social media accounts. Both the Contra Costa Deputy DA for Public Corruption and the Fair Political Practices Commission state watchdog agency have been contacted and asked about it, as well as the City Attorney. Once responses from them have been received a separate article will be published.

Name Calling, Hypocrisy and Arrogance

Not only did he refer to his recall opponents with the racist epithet of being “Karens” which he also called Ogorchock and District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica, according to former City Manager Cornelius “Con” Johnson, during the campaign Hernández-Thorpe has called Bernal, his main opponent in the race, “chicken” for not attending two candidate forums. One of them was clearly biased with a local activist and supporter of the mayor serving as the moderator. Yet, the mayor is the one who is chicken as he limits who can comment below posts on his official Facebook page, has blocked my phone number on his cell phone for years preventing me from texting him for a quick question and comment, forcing me to leave a voice mail or catch him on his home line, at a meeting or community event or email his multiple accounts hoping he will see one; he won’t respond to most questions from me that are asked of him about things he says and does, showing utter arrogance in office; says he will have his council secretary invite me to his self-promoting press conferences – where he repeatedly airs Antioch’s dirty laundry, as Supervisor Federal Glover, at the Chamber of Commerce’s recent State of Business luncheon, referred to them and told him to stop doing. But then Hernández-Thorpe doesn’t invite me because he can’t handle being challenged and asked the tough questions by me and another local news reporter who know the details that the Bay Area TV media reporters don’t, as those stations have nine counties and 101 cities to cover.

However, recently and finally, Bay Area TV reporters have caught on and begun asking the mayor tough questions and challenging him, which is the role of the media.

So, Hernández-Thorpe has had eight years on the council including four as mayor to do what he wanted to get done. We literally can’t afford another four. Like the name of that old TV series, I say, “Eight is Enough”.

Side Note: To be clear, I don’t hate or even dislike the mayor and frankly, when we see each other from time to time, we’re friendly toward each other and as I told him, I pray for him. Because I attended Ron’s campaign kick-off, which I rarely do for any candidate in campaigns I cover for my news websites, I offered Lamar to attend one of his events. He invited to be one of the roasters at his annual fundraiser earlier this year and I spent two hours preparing softball jokes. But unfortunately, Lamar didn’t return my calls the day before or the day of and never told me where or what time the event was being held. He later told me he didn’t hear my voicemail messages. What I don’t like are many of the decisions he has made and things he’s said and done while in office, and most importantly, the negative impacts it’s had on our community. Should Lamar lose, I wish him well in his future and frankly, think with two children who are still young, he should make them a higher priority in his life and be spending his extra time with them instead of trying to lead our city. He also needs time to mature, see things differently from outside of government and now in private business, and perhaps someday Lamar can return to elected office. As I’ve repeatedly told him, “Do better. Be better.”

UPDATE: A Positive Note

After thinking about it further, I do want to offer something positive about the mayor, and give credit where credit is due. I agree with his votes in favor of the new, more upscale home developments in the Sand Creek area and the City’s first transit-oriented development housing project, the condominiums near the corner of Hillcrest Avenue and Deer Valley Road, known as The Landing at Wildflower Station (near KFC), just about a mile away from the Hillcrest BART Station. More of that needs to be approved nearby.

Plus, while I would prefer the private sector handle things with the homeless, I have not opposed Hernández-Thorpe’s efforts to provide transitional housing using the Executive Inn motel on E. 18th Street. I have witnessed a difference in Waldie Plaza on W. Second Street across from City Hall, where my office is located, as there are periodically, only a few homeless residents who show up there, now, no longer living there in tents and taking care of their personal business in our doorway. The challenge will for the next council will be how to continue that once the federal funds run out, which will happen, soon.

Rakesh Christian

The third candidate in the race, Rakesh Christian, who is running for mayor for a second time, I have been getting to know over the past few years and find him to offer common sense views for what Antioch faces. I like his idea to bring a four-year medical college to Antioch. He has experience as a scientist and in business and offers a different life experience as an immigrant. I also respect the fact that he’s made himself available for all four candidate forums during the campaign and has shown he isn’t afraid to challenge both the mayor and Bernal on their records.

But the biggest challenge Christian has is, due to English being his second language, he’s very difficult to understand and that just won’t work in City leadership. I hope he works on his English skills and remains involved, perhaps with an appointment to a city commission or committee.

Bernal Offers Calm, Mature, Experienced Leadership

In a complete contrast to the incumbent, challenger and first-time candidate for public office, Bernal, offers a calm, mature, respectful, responsible alternative with decades of leadership experience inside City Hall to help guide Antioch in the top position on the city council.

A 25-year Antioch resident, having worked for the City of Antioch for most of that time, moving up from Public Works Director / City Engineer in his first year and my final year on the city council when I first met him, to Assistant City Manager, then Interim City Manager and finally City Manager, Bernal understands what it takes to get things done while working in collaboration with all fellow council members, as well as the city manager, department heads and staff. He has a more mellow personality, not prone to self-promotion and doesn’t care who gets the credit for accomplishments.

His campaign and his term as mayor if elected, will be focused on the major issues Antioch faces including crime, homelessness and our struggling economy. As Bernal said at his campaign kickoff in January why he’s running for Mayor of Antioch, “Because I want to make it a better place and want to improve it…I love this community. I love the people of Antioch…my neighbors, my neighborhood…everything this place has to offer.”

From my own experience in and covering government through my own and other newspapers and news websites for the past 19 of 24 years, I’ve witnessed there are two types of people involved: those with an empire building mentality who see all the wonderful things that government can do, and then go try to find ways to raise this tax or that tax to do it, or spend more than is received in revenue. Then there are those who recognize the limits of government, prioritize spending on those things that matter most to the residents and taxpayers, and how the private sector can usually do many things better and for less money.

Bernal will help lead Antioch away from the impending double-digit deficits projected for the next three fiscal years, due to the overspending by Hernández-Thorpe and his fellow council members.

Like the mayor, Bernal operates a consulting business and has since retiring at the end of 2021. But unlike Hernández-Thorpe, he didn’t start it while working for the City which has raised questions about who the current mayor’s clients are and if they have any business before the council creating potential conflicts of interest.

On a personal note, Bernal is married to Irma, and together they have children and grandchildren who live in the area, and he’s respected throughout our city, East County, the county and beyond. I truly believe Bernal will not do anything to embarrass us as a community, he’ll never yell at members of the public from the dais nor challenge anyone to go outside for a fight.

The former city manager says, “I am committed to developing a safer, more inclusive, and better tomorrow for our residents and businesses. Our city has immense potential, yet we find ourselves at a crossroads. I invite you to join me on this journey to transform Antioch into a place that values relationships, delivers real results, and operates in a spirit of collaboration and trust.”

I agree about the potential of Antioch. While the City’s slogan is Opportunity Lives Here, we need a mayor who understands how and will work to fulfill it.

Furthermore, that last word is the most important. I know I can trust Ron Bernal as both a man and as our next mayor, who gives me hope for Antioch’s future, again.

As his campaign theme states, “Change Starts Today!” together we can make that day next Tuesday, November 5th and it couldn’t happen any sooner. Please join me in supporting and voting for Ron Bernal for Mayor of Antioch for the next four years.

For more information about Bernal’s campaign visit https://ronbernal.org.

Join us this Halloween for some fun at Antioch Wesleyan Church. We will have a bounce house, popcorn, trunks full of candy and time for you to come and enjoy.

Antioch Wesleyan Church is located at 2800 Sunset Lane in Antioch. For more information about the church, visit www.antiochwesleyan.com or the church’s Facebook page or call (925) 778-8056.

Brings force to 82 sworn

By Allen D. Payton

During a ceremony at the Antioch Police Facility on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, Interim Chief Brian Addington administered the oath of office to four new officers and a new corporal promoted from within the ranks. He introduced each of the five men, Corporal Matt Mulholland and Officers Ali Kahlili, Jarred Flower, Cameron Mbanugo and Michael Drace then read about their backgrounds.

“This isn’t something that was handed to you. Each of you have worked extremely hard…wearing the Antioch Police Department patch,” Addington said to them.

In attendance for the ceremony inside the Community Room were District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock, City Manager Bessie Scott, Economic Development Director Kwame Reed, Parks and Recreation Director Brad Helfenberger as well as department leaders and officers, as well as family members and friends.

Corporal Matt Mulholland

Addington shared the following about new Corporal Mulholland saying, “Matt began his law enforcement career at the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office in 2013. In seven years of service with ACSO he served as a classification and custodial deputy at the Santa Rita jail and a patrol deputy at the Eden Township and Tri Valley substations. Matt transferred to Antioch police department in 2020 and has been assigned to patrol. Throughout his career, Matt has been a field training officer, crisis negotiator, crime scene investigator, and a drug recognition expert. Matt is also a Major in the U.S. Army Reserve with 16 years of military service and is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom with a deployment to Kandahar, Afghanistan. Matt enjoys the outdoors, attending concerts and sporting events, and is a lifelong 49er fan. Matt lives in Brentwood with his wife Samantha and daughter Savannah (in attendance).

Fun fact: Matt enjoys traveling and has been to 35 states and 20 countries.

About the new corporal Addington shared, “Our officers often turn to him for advice with stripes or not. He also serves on the board of our police union, as well.”

Mulholland’s wife Samantha pinned on his new badge.

See Facebook video of the new Antioch Police Corporal’s comments of appreciation.

Officer Ai Khalili – Police Trainee

About new Officer Khalili, the chief said, “Ali was born in Martinez and raised in Antioch. He graduated from Deer Valley High School in 2019. After graduating Deer Valley, he attended Los Medanos College and CSU Sacramento where he earned his Associate’s and Bachelor’s Degrees in Criminal Justice. Prior to becoming a trainee, he worked at the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff as a Student Intern for two years in the Emergency Services Division. Ali first joined the Antioch Police Department as a Police Explorer in 2017, where he stayed until 2023. Ali is fortunate and happy to be back at the department he considers home and is excited to begin!

Fun Fact: Ali has worked at three different Agencies, Contra Costa Community College District Police Department, Sacramento State Police Department, and the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff.”

“We were fortunate to hire him. He just graduated from the Sacramento Sheriff Academy,” Addington added.

Khalili had his mother pin on his new badge.

See Facebook video of the new Antioch Officer’s comments.

Officer Jarred Flower – Police Trainee

About new Officer Flower Addington said, “Jarred was born in Martinez and raised in Concord. He graduated from Mt. Diablo High School. After high school Jarred attended San Francisco State University from 2011 to 2019, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in History. In his free time Jarred enjoys playing airsoft, playing video games, and going to the shooting range. Jarred is excited and ready to go to the academy and begin working with APD.

Fun Fact: Jarred enjoys history documentaries.”

“We also sponsored him through the Sacramento County Police. He’s excited to be done with the academy,” the chief stated.

Flower asked Antioch Police Sgt. Price Kendall to pin on his badge.

See Facebook video of new Officer Flower’s comments.

Officer Cameron Mbanugo – Academy Graduate

About Officer Mbanugo the chief said, “Cameron was born in Martinez and raised in Vacaville. He attended and graduated from Vanden High School in Vacaville. Shortly after, he attended the Alameda County Police Academy and graduated on May 13, 2024. Cameron was influenced by his stepfather, who is with the BART Police, to become a police officer. On his free time, he enjoys travelling, hiking and shopping.

Fun fact: If Cameron was to move out of California, he would move to Puerto Rico.”

“We’re excited to have him join our ranks,” Addington added.

The new officer had his mother pin on his badge.

Side note, if his last name looks familiar to some Antioch residents, it’s because he is the nephew of local business owner Clifton Mbanugo of Clifton Creative Web. Their last name is pronounced, “Em-BON-uh-go”.

(Awaiting video of new Officer Mbanugo’s comments. Please check back later for the link).

Officer Michael Drace – Lateral

About Officer Drace, Addington said, “Michael was born in Lodi and raised in Antioch and Oakley. He attended and graduated from Freedom High School (in Oakley) and during his senior year enlisted in the Marine Corps. Once he graduated high school, he left for the Marine Corps, where he served four years as an armorer, and was stationed in Twenty-Nine Palms, CA. He was honorably discharged from the Marines in 2022. He then attended the Alameda County Police Academy and graduated in 2023. He found his calling to be a police officer because of his service in the Marine Corps and the similar brotherhood. On his free time, he enjoys dirt biking, fishing, weightlifting, jiu-jitsu and spending time with his one-year-old daughter Stella.

Fun fact: Michael has a twin sister.

“He graduated from the academy with Antioch Officers who are close friends. He broke the bad news to the Pleasanton Police Department. Bad news for them good news for us, I think,” the chief shared with a smile.

Addington then asked Drace about his twin sister, “Does she want to be a police officer as well?” “No,” the new Antioch Police Officer said with a laugh.

Drace also asked Sgt. Kendall to pin on his badge, who was razzed about it by other Antioch PD leaders and officers in attendance.

After each had their badge pinned to their uniforms, the five men were given the opportunity to say a few words, thanking Addington for the opportunity and their families for their support.

See Facebook video of new Antioch Officer Drace’s comments.

IACP Oath of Honor

Addington then spoke about the Oath of Honor, which he’s been having each of the new recruits and those promoted in leadership to take, this year.

“I had the opportunity this past weekend to attend the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference,” the chief shared. “They asked all the sworn officers in the room to take the Oath of Honor.”

Addington then charged the five men, “To adhere to this oath and to live up to the highest ethical standards” and asked them, “Do each of you understand that?”

“Yes sir,” they all responded.

The chief then administered the IACP Oath of Honor.

Following the conclusion of the ceremony, the new corporal and officers gathered with their family, friends for photos, enjoyed refreshments and took tours of the Police Facility.

Addington later said that brings the Antioch Police force to 82 sworn officers. That’s out of 115 in the budget.

For more information visit https://smithslandingantioch.com/order-ahead. Smith’s Landing SeafoodGrill is located at 1 Marina Plaza at the foot of L Street in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown.

By Lt. Matthew Koch #3018, Antioch Police Field Services Division

On October 28, 2024, at approximately 10:58 AM, Antioch Police officers responded to reports of a solo motorcyclist down in the 4300 block of Hillcrest Avenue. Upon arrival, officers found the 43-year-old (Antioch resident) motorcyclist on the ground, suffering from major injuries, and unresponsive. Unfortunately, the motorcyclist succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Hillcrest Avenue was temporarily closed between Hidden Glen Drive and Via Dora Drive.

Traffic Accident Investigators took over the investigation. This collision investigation is in the preliminary stages and the names of the parties involved are not being released at this time. Based on preliminary information at the scene, it was determined the solo motorcyclist was traveling northbound on Hillcrest Avenue at a high rate of speed and collided with the sidewalk where he was ejected from the motorcycle.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925)778-2441 or Traffic Collision Investigator Sergeant Green at 925-779-6864, email rgreen@antiochca.gov.

Estimates according to a new USGS predictive model. Exposure to some PFAS may lead to adverse health risks.

Antioch has some of the highest levels

Approximately 71 to 95 million people in the Lower 48 states – more than 20% of the country’s population – may rely on groundwater that contains detectable concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, for their drinking water supplies. These findings are according to a U.S Geological Survey study published Oct. 24. The predictive model results can help members of the public, water suppliers and regulators understand the potential for PFAS contamination, guide future studies and inform strategic planning for water resources.

USGS scientists are the first to report national estimates of PFAS occurrence in untreated groundwater that supplies water to public and private wells. This research also provides the first estimate of the number of people across the country who are potentially affected by PFAS-contaminated groundwater.

Along with a scientific report, the USGS published an interactive, online map so users can see probability estimates of PFAS occurrence. Note that predictive results are intended to be evaluated at state, regional and national scales rather than at individual household levels. Probability estimates are for the presence of PFAS in groundwater and do not account for any subsequent actions taken by states, municipalities or individuals to treat drinking water. The model does not include estimates of PFAS concentrations; testing is the only way to confirm the presence of contaminants.

Exposure to certain PFAS may lead to adverse health risks in people, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals used in a wide variety of common applications, from the linings of fast-food boxes and non-stick cookware to fire-fighting foams and other purposes. PFAS are commonly called “forever chemicals” because many of them do not easily break down and can build up over time, making them a concern for drinking water quality.

“This study’s findings indicate widespread PFAS contamination in groundwater that is used for public and private drinking water supplies in the U.S.,” said Andrea Tokranov, USGS research hydrologist and lead author of this study. “This new predictive model can help prioritize areas for future sampling to help ensure people aren’t unknowingly drinking contaminated water. This is especially important for private well users, who may not have information on water quality in their region and may not have the same access to testing and treatment that public water suppliers do.”

The EPA has established legally enforceable levels, called maximum contaminant levels, for six types of PFAS in drinking water. The EPA regulates public water supplies, and some states have additional regulations for drinking water. Some homes use private water supplies, where residents are responsible for the maintenance, testing and treatment of their drinking water. Those interested in treatment processes and testing options can read EPA’s guidance or contact their state officials or water supplier.

The states with the largest populations relying on public water supplies with potentially contaminated groundwater sources are Florida and California. Regarding private wells, Michigan, Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio have the largest populations relying on potentially contaminated groundwater.

The study also presents data according to population percentage. In Massachusetts, for example, the source water for 86 to 98% of people who rely on groundwater from public water supplies could be contaminated with PFAS. In Connecticut, the source water for 67 to 87% of the people who rely on groundwater from private wells could be affected. Details by state can be seen in the report’s tables S6 through S8.

“To derive these estimates, the team analyzed 1,238 groundwater samples collected by USGS scientists and determined how factors such as urban development and well depth can impact PFAS occurrence,” continued Tokranov. “With that information, a detailed machine learning model was developed and used to identify which geographic areas have a higher likelihood for contamination. That information was combined with existing USGS research on the number of people in a given area who rely on groundwater for drinking water to establish population estimates.”

Scientists present separate estimates for public and private wells because they typically receive water from different groundwater depths. Public wells using groundwater as the primary water source are usually deeper than private wells.

There are more than 12,000 types of PFAS, not all of which can be detected with current tests; the USGS study tested for the presence of 24 common types. The USGS estimates consider the presence of at least one of those 24 types of PFAS. The most frequently detected compounds were perfluorobutane sulfonate known as PFBS, perfluorooctane sulfonate known as PFOS and perfluorooctanoate known as PFOA.
This research provides a broad outlook for the Lower 48 states and presents state-level estimates. Scientists did not look in detail at specific cities or provide estimates for the types of PFAS present or PFAS concentrations.

The new USGS study was published in Science.

Learn more about USGS research on PFAS by reading the USGS strategy for the study of PFAS in the environment and visiting the USGS PFAS Integrated Science Team’s website.

For more information about PFAS regulations, visit the EPA’s website on addressing PFAS.

By Antioch Police Department

Join us this Saturday, October 26th, from 10 am to 2 pm at the DEA Take Back event! Dispose of your unused medications safely and anonymously at convenient local drop-off locations nationwide. Locate a collection site near you: www.DEATakeBack.com.

Solid and liquid medications may be disposed. No medical sharps will be accepted.

Where: Antioch Police Department
300 L Street, Antioch
Inside the front lobby
From 10:00am to 2:00 pm.

93rd stolen vehicle stopped on Wednesday; motor vehicle thefts already more than last year with two-and-a-half months remaining, continue to increase year after year

By Allen D. Payton

According to a Facebook post on the Antioch Police Department page, “Your Antioch Patrol Officers and CSO’s have been busy in October! In the first 19 days of this month, they have located 92 stolen cars and returned them to their owners! They made multiple ARRESTS of car thieves and are not slowing down!

We hear you, and we are working 24/7 to slow the uptick in car thefts in our area. Together we can tackle any problem!”

A 93rd stolen vehicle was stopped on Railroad Avenue near A Street and the driver was arrested on Wednesday, according to Captain Joe Vigil.

According to the APD Crime Statistics, so far this year, through September there have been 1,292 motor vehicle thefts in Antioch surpassing last year’s total. Plus, the 93 in October brings the total to 1,385.

That compares to 1,245 in 2023 when it increased by 91.5% over 2022 when 650 motor vehicle thefts occurred in Antioch and 552 in 2021.