By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
Martinez, California – Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton and other District Attorneys in the State of California reached a settlement with Walgreen Co. for $6,000,000 for violations related to expired baby food, drugs, and overcharging customers.
The civil case and settlement centered on the company violating state law by charging their customers more than the lowest price posted or advertised price. The allegations that the company was in violation of these laws were based on inspections of scanners. Moreover, the civil lawsuit led to a resolution that Walgreens failed to comply with laws that prohibit the selling or offering to sell over-the-counter drugs, infant formula, and baby food products beyond the expiration date.
The court ordered Walgreen Co. to pay $5.4 million in civil penalties and $600,000 to reimburse state district attorney offices for the cost of investigations, attorneys’ fees, and other costs associated with enforcement. Contra Costa County will receive $612,000 of the civil settlement and $10,000 to cover the costs.
Walgreen Co. will also implement a three-year program to promote pricing accuracy and the removal of expired products from its store shelves. This program requires store managers to conduct monthly checks of all aisles and shelves of medication, baby food, and formula, and remove any expired items. Managers must also conduct weekly store walks and remove signage displaying inaccurate sales tag information and post signs informing customers of Walgreens’ Price Promise Guarantee. The Price Promise Guarantee means that if a customer notices a scanned price is higher than the advertised price, the customer will be charged the lower price.
District Attorney Diana Becton said, “Customers should have confidence that companies that sell food and formula to infants and children are doing so by being scrupulous about the safety of the products in their stores. The same goes for medications that are sold beyond their expiration dates. The work of my office and those of other district attorney offices in the state shows that when we work together to enforce laws, we not only ensure compliance – we’re also restoring trust and safety in our communities.”
Case No. 1-13-CV-239110 | The People of the State of California v. Walgreen Co., an Illinois Corporation
Customers and a security guard can be seen at the US Bank branch inside the Antioch Raley’s store the day after the robbery. Photo by Allen D. Payton
Gave back money plus “a dollar extra”
“He probably just wanted a place to eat and sleep.” – Raley’s employee
By Lt. Michael Mellone, Antioch Police Department
On Monday, March 23, 2026, at 6:06 p.m., Antioch Police Department officers responded to a report of a robbery in progress at the US Bank located inside the Raley’s supermarket at 3636 Lone Tree Way, Antioch.
According to reports, the suspect, later identified as 41-year-old Pittsburg resident Gerald Anthony Oretger, entered the bank and passed a handwritten note to a teller demanding money. The teller complied and provided cash. Oretger briefly left the bank but returned shortly afterward and voluntarily returned the money to the teller. A security guard on the premises detained Oretger.
According to a store employee who spoke on condition of anonymity, “The guy walked into the store handed a note to the teller. There was no gun. He asked the security guard to arrest and handcuff him. But the guard said he had no handcuffs. He probably just wanted a place to eat and sleep. He actually gave the money back to the bank and gave them a dollar extra.”
When officers arrived and attempted to take Oretger into custody, he began striking, spitting on and kicking multiple officers. He also attempted to grab an officer’s service weapon. Oretger was transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation prior to booking.
No bank employees, customers or officers sustained serious injuries during the incident.
Oretger will be booked at the Martinez Detention Facility on the following charges:
1. Robbery — California Penal Code Section 211 (Felony)
2. First-Degree Burglary — California Penal Code Section 460(a) (Felony)
3. Attempting to Remove a Firearm from a Peace Officer — California Penal Code Section 148(d) (Felony)
4. Battery on a Peace Officer — California Penal Code Section 243(b) (Misdemeanor)
The Antioch Police Department thanks the public, as well as the employees of US Bank and Raley’s, for their cooperation during the response.
According to localcrimenews.com, Oretger was previously arrested twice in 2016 by Pittsburg Police for resisting, delaying or obstructing a peace officer and for an outstanding warrant.
Anyone with additional information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Antioch Police Department at (925) 778-2441.
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a fun way this Saturday and Sunday, March 14 & 15, while you stop, dine and shop in Antioch’s historic downtown Rivertown.
Presented by the Downtown Antioch Association. For more information visit www.downtownantioch.com.
Allison Norris (Herald file photo) and Joanne Bilbo (photo courtesy of Antioch Sports Legends) will be honored as Antioch’s 2025 Citizens of the Year at the annual Chamber Gala & Dinner on March 27th.
Antioch Chamber of Commerce announces other community award winnersincluding Businesses, Non-Profit, Youth and Veterans of the Year
To be honored at 2026 Gala & Awards Dinner
By Allen D. Payton
The Antioch Chamber of Commerce has announced Allison Norris and Joanne Bilbo as the 2025 Antioch Citizens of the Year as well as other winners of the annual community awards. Honorees will be celebrated at the 2026 Gala & Awards Dinner, Friday, March 27th.
CITIZEN OF THE YEAR 2025
Most Impact 2025
Allison Norris
Lifetime Achievement
Joanne Bilbo
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2025
Small Business
Almost There Travel Agency
Large Corporation
US Bank
NON-PROFIT OF THE YEAR 2025
SHARE Community – Homelessness Resources
YOUTH OF THE YEAR 2025
Amanda Brown – Deer Valley High School
ANTIOCH LIFETIME VETERAN OF THE YEAR 2025-2026
U.S. Army Veteran Bob Franchetto
ANTIOCH VETERAN OF THE YEAR 2025-2026
U.S. Army Veteran Ricky Diaz
The Veterans of the Year winners were announced, previously, during the Antioch Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11, 2025.
Annual Gala & Awards Dinner
The Annual Gala will include the Awards Ceremony, Silent Auction, Golden Tickets, 50/50 Raffle, No-host bar, Music by DJ GBaby and Dinner Buffet:
Fresh baked garlic rolls & garlic butter
Italian green salad with vinaigrette
Lone Tree Caesar salad with marinated tomatoes, croutons & shaved parmesan cheese
Local military veterans’ leader, J.R. Wilson enters the Grocery Outlet store on Buchanan Road in Antioch, Saturday, March 7, 2026. Photo by Allen D. Payton
Company announced this week underperforming stores will close this year
By Allen D. Payton
Emeryville-based Grocery Outlet announced this week that they plan to close 36 of their 536 stores across the United States this year. Nineof the stores are located in California. However, it was learned Friday, that the Antioch store is not on the list.
Net sales for the year increased by 7.3% to $4.69 billion, gross profit increased 7.4% versus 2024 to $1.42 billion and gross margin was 30.3% compared to 30.2% in 2024. But the company’s operating loss was $221.7 million and net loss was $224.9 million compared to net income of $39.5 million, in 2024. Adjusted net income was $75.2 million compared to $76.3 million the previous year.
“We made progress on our strategic priorities in 2025; however, our fourth-quarter results made clear that we have more work to do, and we’re moving quickly,” said Jason Potter, President and CEO of Grocery Outlet. “Consumer pressure intensified, federally funded benefits were delayed, and competition grew more promotional in the fourth quarter. In response, we have begun to sharpen our focus on what matters most: delivering clearer value and a better in-store experience. We’re intensely focused on restoring the opportunistic mix to rebuild value perception with the customer and advancing our store refresh program, and we’re already seeing early, measurable improvements. At the same time, we’re closing underperforming stores, reshaping our new store growth strategy and reallocating resources to strengthen operating results and returns on capital. We are confident that we have identified the core challenges and now have the right plans in place and the right team to execute them.”
Optimization Plan and Restructuring Plan
As a result, the company announced those plans as follows:
“To strengthen long-term profitability and cash flow generation, improve operational execution, optimize our existing store footprint and align with our disciplined new store growth strategy, in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 we conducted a strategic, financial and operational analysis of our store fleet. Following that review, on March 2, 2026, our Board of Directors adopted the Optimization Plan that provides for the closure of 36 financially underperforming stores, including the termination or sublease of the applicable store leases, the termination or sublease of a lease for a distribution center facility that we are no longer utilizing, and the termination of operator agreements with independent operators (‘IOs’) for the applicable store locations as well as certain other store locations. These actions under the Optimization Plan are expected to be substantially completed during fiscal 2026.”
Grocery Outlet Partners with Independent Owner/Operators
According to the company’s website, “Since 1973, Grocery Outlet has partnered with retail leaders to operate their expanding locations. Our Independent Operators have considerable local-decision making autonomy over store operations including hiring, merchandising, marketing and more. You hire, train, and lead your team, doing what you do best, and then we share the profits of your retail store according to our commission structure. We each assume different risks but share the rewards.
“We support our Independent Operators with training, mentorship, marketing, finance and accounting professionals to assist with any questions or issues that come up.”
Antioch Store on Buchanan Road Not Closing
Kyle Noble, Grocery Outlet’s Senior Director of Marketing was asked if it is correct that stores in California are closing and if so, whether or not Antioch is included.
He was also asked since no list has apparently yet been publicly provided, when it will be, how long will the current owner/operators be given to prepare for their closures or if they have already been informed. Noble did not respond before publication time.
However, a store employee, who chose not to be identified, informed the Herald on Friday that the Antioch store located on Buchanan Road will not be closing.
Open since Nov. 12, 2015, the current owner/operators are Fadi Fayad and Kelly Talaie.
According to a report on Patch, the nine California stores to close are in Azusa, Brawley, El Cajon, Kerman (near San Jose), La Habra, Ontario, Patterson, Poway and Ridgecrest.
24 Stores to Close on East Coast
According to a KRON4 news report, “While no announcement has been made as to which stores will close…According to a report in the grocery industry trade publication, Grocery Drive, 24 of the stores set to close are on the East Coast.”
The company “currently operates around 17 stores in the Bay Area” and “more than half of Grocery Outlet stores are in California,” according to the report.
About Grocery Outlet:
Based in Emeryville, California, Grocery Outlet is a growth-oriented extreme value retailer of quality, name-brand consumables and fresh products sold primarily through a network of independently operated stores. Grocery Outlet and its subsidiaries have more than 560 stores in California, Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Idaho, Nevada, Maryland, Ohio, New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Delaware, Kentucky and Virginia.
Please check back later for any updates to this report.
The Slatten Ranch Shopping Center on Lone Tree Way at Highway 4 in Antioch has been sold. Photos by Allen D. Payton
Sterling Organization expands portfolio with acquisition
Named after the late John Slatten and family
Sterling Organization, a vertically integrated private equity real estate investment firm headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, has added another asset to its national retail portfolio with the acquisition of Slatten Ranch Shopping Center (“Slatten Ranch”), located at 5709 Lone Tree Way in Antioch, California, a San Francisco MSA submarket. The purchase was made on behalf of Sterling’s $600 million institutional value-add fund, Sterling Value Add Partners IV (SVAP IV).
The 118,187-square-foot shopping center, named for long-time Antioch resident and business owner, the late John Slatten and his family, where their farm was once located, is shadow anchored by a 142,000-square-foot Target, which ranks among the top performing stores in the U.S. The center is leased to tenants including Burlington, Five Below, Sephora and Harbor Freight Tools, plus a mix of daily needs retailers. The shopping center sits along Highway 4 and Lone Tree Way, where more than 81,000 vehicles pass daily. Slatten Ranch draws a robust consumer base, and within a three-mile radius of the property, there are more than 122,000 residents with average household incomes exceeding $168,000.
The Target store and parking lot are not part of the purchase which also does not include the stores in the neighboring Empire Shopping Center, where Old Navy, PetSmart and Office Depot are located.
“Opportunities like Slatten Ranch don’t come along often in a market like this. Slatten Ranch is a high-quality asset that benefits from the draw of Target while offering immediate actionable upside with over 30,000 square feet of well-positioned vacant space. Our team is looking forward to executing our business plan and delivering strong results for our investor partners,” said Jordan Fried, Principal at Sterling Organization. “We’d like to thank Ryan Nickelson with LRG Investors, as well as Eric Kathrein, Gleb Lvovich, Geoff Tranchina, Andrew Spangenberg and the JLL team for their collective efforts and professionalism on this transaction,” added Mr. Fried.
“We are thrilled to add Slatten Ranch Shopping Center to our value-add portfolio,” said Bob Dake, Principal at Sterling Organization. “This acquisition presented the opportunity to purchase a market-leading, Target shadow-anchored asset in a densely populated and high-growth Northern California Bay Area submarket. Our team looks forward to filling the existing vacancies and increasing the occupancy rate at the property from 72% to our goal of 100% during our hold period. We also intend to improve both property operations and tenant mix to better serve the community,” he added.
Vacancies available for lease range from 5,627 to 27,000 square feet. Leasing inquiries can be directed to leasing@sterlingorganization.com.
With the addition of Slatten Ranch, Sterling Organization and its affiliates now own 82 properties nationwide, totaling more than 13 million square feet and exceeding $3 billion in value. The firm continues to actively seek new investments and currently has more than $1 billion in aggregate buying power across its various strategies. Acquisition and disposition inquiries may be sent to investments@sterlingorganization.com.
For more information about the new owner of the shopping center visit sterlingorganization.com.
The Raley’s Food For Families and Feeding America Food Bank. Photo: Raley’s
Launches new 2026 infrastructure grant cycle to strengthen food access in communities it serves
New grant-funding round supports critical infrastructure needs at food banks and partner agencies throughout California and Nevada
By Carol Barsotti, Chief Communications Officer, The Raley’s Companies
WEST SACRAMENTO, CA – For 40 years, Raley’s Food For Families has been a steadfast partner in the fight against hunger. Since 1986, the organization has donated more than 81 million dollars and 70 million pounds of wholesome, nutritious food to its existing network of 12 Feeding America food bank partners and their subsequent network of more than 2,400 agencies.
Now, as Raley’s Food For Families marks this significant anniversary, the organization is demonstrating its long-term dedication with the launch of its renewed 2026 Infrastructure Grant Program. The grant initiative builds on immediate hunger relief efforts by investing in infrastructure that enables sustained, meaningful impact for years to come.
“For four decades, Food For Families has been privileged to donate millions of pounds of food and to provide support to hungry families across our communities. This milestone is a moment to celebrate that impact and recommit to the long-term work of food security,” said Julie Teel, President of Food For Families Board of Directors. “By focusing on infrastructure, we’re strategically making funds available so these vital community partners can strengthen their ability to get food to those who need it most.”
Building on a Year of Impact
The new grant cycle builds on the success of the inaugural 2025 Infrastructure Grant Program, which distributed just over $340,000 to support critical needs identified by food banks and their partner agencies. The first funding round made a significant impact, including funds for refrigeration units, box trucks, forklifts, and pallet jacks, along with many smaller infrastructure items, such as shelving units.
“These investments directly translate to increased food access for families by allowing food bank staff and volunteers to work more efficiently, ultimately serving more people with the same resources. For example, a single pallet jack can save 76 manual trips per truckload,” said Teel. “The grant funding is a tangible example of the profound commitment Raley’s has made to the communities it serves.”
2026 Infrastructure Grant Cycle Details and Guidelines
The 2026 Infrastructure Grant Program will prioritize grants that directly increase food access rather than focus on food education. Eligible applicants include partner agencies, food pantries and closets affiliated with Raley’s Food For Families’ Feeding America food bank partners:
Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano
Alameda County Community Food Bank
Central California Food Bank
Food Bank for Monterey County
Food Bank of Northern Nevada
Feeding the Foothills
Redwood Empire Food Bank
Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services
Second Harvest Silicon Valley
Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County
Second Harvest of The Greater Valley
Yolo Food Bank
As a way to celebrate and recognize its long-term food bank partner network, Raley’s will also highlight the work of one partner food bank each month throughout 2026. For more information about the 2026 Infrastructure Grant Program food bank partners should reach out to their Feeding America food bank partner.
“We’re honored to mark 40 years of food security leadership and real-world impact,” said Teel. “Raley’s Food For Families has remained committed in its mission to alleviate hunger by providing nutritious food to those in need. The organization’s longevity reflects a deep-rooted belief that food security is foundational to community health and opportunity.”
About Raley’s Food For Families
Raley’s Food For Families is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit, which provides food to Feeding America Food Bank Members and their network of more than 2,400 partner agencies. The organization serves the communities of Northern and Central California and Northern and Central Nevada through Raley’s, Raley’s O-N-E Markets, Bel Air Markets and Nob Hill Foods stores. Since 1986, the organization has donated over 81 million dollars and 70 million pounds of fresh, wholesome food to its partners. With a long commitment to local communities, Raley’s Food For Families continues to grow and thrive as an organization dedicated to alleviating hunger by providing nutritious food to those who need it most. For more information and to learn how to donate, visit www.foodforfamilies.org. Raley’s Food For Families tax ID is 68-0195082.
About Raley’s
Raley’s is a family-operated customer experience grocery company. Founded in 1935, Raley’s stores are the destination for the best fresh products, affordable offerings and personalized service. The company’s commitment to infusing life with health and happiness by changing the way the world eats, one plate at a time, has made it a trusted source for food, nutrition, and wellness. Raley’s strives to enhance transparency and education in the food system in order to help customers make more informed, healthy food choices. Raley’s operates 119 stores under four banners: Raley’s, Bel Air Markets, Nob Hill Foods and Raley’s O-N-E Market. Making healthier offerings accessible to everyone, Raley’s has expanded beyond the store to operate grocery curbside pick-up and delivery in their nearby communities. Please visit at www.raleys.com for more information. Raley’s is a division of The Raley’s Companies.
