Student Body President Fifita Grewe

By Allen D. Payton

In a post on the Antioch High School Facebook page on Friday, February 16, 2024, reads, “We’re excited and proud that Fifita Grewe has been named Youth of the Year for the City of Antioch. The junior is student body president and is a four-sport athlete. Fifita was chosen was for a long list of reasons but at the top is her drive to lead Antioch High, increase school spirit and help others on campus. Fifita will be celebrated, along with other city winners, on March 22 at Lone Tree Golf.”

UPDATE: Fifita is a junior at Antioch High and is the current student body president. Historically, this position is held by a senior but Fifita, showcasing her selflessness and determination, has been successful in receiving this position as a Junior.  She excels in four sports and with her standout quality lies in her ability to enhance any team she joins. Through her passion, hard work, and charisma, she stands out as a remarkable student. Her dream is to study kinesiology and build a career in sports medicine.

Each of the winners, including the Citizens, Businesses and Non-Profit of the Year, will be honored at the Chamber’s annual Gala on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Lone Tree Golf & Event Center. For more information visit the Chamber’s website at www.antiochchamber.com.

Virtual event will be held on Zoom on Tuesday, February 27

TreVista in Antioch is proud to announce its collaboration with Patriot Angels, a leading organization founded in 2012 to assist veterans and their families in accessing rightful benefits for long-term care and other essential services. To raise awareness and provide valuable information, TreVista invites all veterans and their families to a virtual presentation to be held on Zoom on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The presentation will be led by Mali Covington, Director of Senior Living Partnerships at Patriot Angels. Attendees must register in advance to receive a personalized event link to access the virtual presentation.

Event Details:

Date: Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Time: 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Location: Virtual Presentation on Zoom

RSVP: Reserve your space by contacting TreVista at 925-470-3395 or Antioch@TreVistaSeniorLiving.com.

Patriot Angels was established with the mission of connecting veterans with the assistance they rightfully deserve. Many veterans and their families are unaware of the benefits available to them, specifically designed to aid in covering the costs of long-term care and other essential services. Patriot Angels serves clients Nationwide by helping them navigate through the process of applying for Aid and Attendance, a monthly pension available to eligible Veterans and spouses to help them supplement the cost of long-term care. This event aims to shed light on these benefits and guide attendees through determining their eligibility. To date, Patriot Angels has helped nearly 20,000 Veterans and spouses be approved for benefits that allow them to be cared for with dignity and honor.

Join us for this informative session, where experts from Patriot Angels will share insights, answer questions, and guide attendees through the steps to uncover unclaimed benefits. Whether you’re a veteran or a family member, this event is an opportunity to learn more about the support available.

“At TreVista, we are committed to supporting our veterans and their families. Partnering with Patriot Angels aligns with our dedication to ensuring that those who have served our country receive the benefits they are entitled to,” says Tamsen Meierdierck, Senior Living Consultant at TreVista Senior Living and Memory Care.

For more information about the event, please contact TreVista at 925-470-3395 or email Antioch@TreVistaSeniorLiving.com.

To learn more about Tre Vista Senior Living & Memory Care visit https://trevistaseniorliving.com/.

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Will honor Historical Black Colleges & Universities and the Divine Nine Black sororities and fraternities

By Allen D. Payton

During Antioch Unified School District’s Black History Month Celebration on Wednesday, Feb. 21, they will honor the Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) and the D9 or Divine Nine Black sororities and fraternities. The event will include music, spoken word, special guests and more, and will be held in the Beede Auditorium at Antioch High School from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The community is welcome.

The HBCU’s were established before 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the Black community. According to HBCUConnect.com, there are 105 schools on the official list.

According to BlackEnterprise.com, the D9 consists of the nine pioneering black Greek-letter organizations: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Antioch High is located at 700 W. 18th Street. For more information about the event visit www.antiochschools.net or email velmawilson@antiochschools.net.

For more information about the crab feed or service organization visit Antioch Rivertown Veterans Lions Club – Lions e-Clubhouse or www.facebook.com/AntiochRVLions.

Program is key to the mayor’s efforts to keep City’s youth out of crime

Deadline to apply for 3rd Cohort is March 1st

On Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, Antioch Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe hosted an event celebrating the graduation of the participants in the second cohort of the Mayor’s Apprenticeship Program (MAP). He was joined by Monserrat Cabral of the City’s Department of Public Safety and Community Resources and a representative of Rubicon Program, Inc.

The program is key to the mayor’s youth crime prevention strategy.

In collaboration with Rubicon Programs, MAP trains, supports, and places youth adults ages 18-26 who may have been justice-involved, were in foster care system, or have had challenging barriers to employment and were assigned to the city’s public works department. Participants receive 60 hours of paid workforce development training and ongoing professional growth in an environment that actively encourages and supports their individual success.

The estimated costs for two cohorts annually were $600,000. As a result of savings, MAP will welcome its 3rd cohort in the next few weeks. To apply visit Mayor’s Apprenticeship Program (MAP). The deadline is Friday, March 1st.

Oath of office ceremony set for Feb. 13

Six more recruits in academies

By Antioch Police Department

We were quite proud to attend the graduation of Officers Justin Talavera (3rd from left) and Travis Donaldson (6th from left) at the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Regional Training Center.

Both successfully completed six months of intensive academy training and will be hitting the streets of our community in a few weeks, where they will endure several months of field training.

Six More Recruits in Academies

We currently have four recruit officers in the junior class at the Alameda County Sheriff’s Regional Training Center (set to graduate in May) and two more at the Sacramento Police Department Academy (set to graduate in June). We are preparing now to send another group to the Alameda Sheriff’s Academy in March.

Would you like to join these officers, get paid to go to the academy, and receive a $30,000 hiring bonus? Visit https://joinantiochpd.com

For more details on our generous pay and comprehensive benefits.

Come be the change and work for a community that supports their police!

Oath of Office Ceremony Feb. 13

Talavera, Donaldson and two other new APD officers will be sworn in during an oath of office ceremony next Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 4:00 p.m. According to Acting Chief Joe Vigil that will bring the total to 85 sworn officers on the force out of 115 budgeted.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

By Allen D. Payton

As previously reported, Lydia Stewart, a 12-year-old entrepreneur and 7th grader from Antioch, is the proud owner of Lydia’s Soap. She has successfully secured a spot as one of the 10 finalists in the upcoming Contra Costa Youth Shark Tank Competition. To gear up for the February 6, 2024, event, Lydia is seeking support from her community.

The public is invited to Lydia’s practice event, organized by Antioch resident Dominique King, this Saturday, Feb. 3 at 3:30 p.m. inside TnT Smoothie and Juice Bar, 208 G Street in historic, downtown Rivertown, where attendees can enjoy refreshments, snacks, and explore various youth-run businesses as vendors.

“Let’s come together on a Saturday to celebrate and uplift our young entrepreneurs!” King said.

Space is limited for the free event to not overwhelm Lydia with a large audience. So, those who want to attend as mock audience members must register at Lydia’s Soap Shark Tank Rally Tickets, Sat, Feb 3, 2024 at 3:30 PM | Eventbrite.

By Walter Ruehlig

During the January 23, 2024, Antioch City Council meeting at City Hall the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Antioch Library (FOAL) presented a $60,000 donation for furniture and technology upgrades for the Antioch Library.

Since inception, FOAL has raised some $700K for library improvements through Amazon rare book offerings, used book sales, lobby magazine purchases, estate gifts and membership dues.

To learn more visit Antioch Friends | Contra Costa County Library (ccclib.org).