By Lt. Desmond Bittner #3252, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau
On August 16th, 2024, at approximately 7:26 am, Antioch police officers responded to the area of E. 8th Street and A Street on the report of a welfare check. The caller reported hearing gunshots in the area earlier in the morning and now suspected a neighbor may have been shot. When officers arrived, they located a 47-year-old adult male inside of a residence on E. 8th Street suffering from a fatal gunshot wound.
The incident occurred at 3:13 am.
The Antioch Police Department’s Investigations Bureau, consisting of Crime Scene Investigators and detectives with the Violent Crimes Unit responded to take over the investigation. This is an active investigation, and no further information will be released at this time.
Any tips or other information can be directed to Antioch Police Detective Becerra at (925) 779-6937 or by email abecerra@antiochca.gov.
Three each vie for mayor, treasurer, council District 3, two each for council District 2, Trustee Areas 3 and 4, only one each for clerk, Trustee Area 1
By Allen D. Payton
With filing closing for some races last Friday and the rest yesterday, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, the list of candidates for Antioch mayor, city treasurer, clerk and council, and school board has been finalized. There are three candidates each for mayor, city treasurer and council District 3, two for District 2, and only one for city clerk. In the races for school board there are two candidates each in Areas 3 and 4, including the incumbent, and no one running in Area 1 against incumbent and current school board president, Antonio Hernandez.
In the race for mayor, second-time candidate Rakesh Christian, who is listed as a Community Volunteer and placed fifth out of five in the 2020 race, was the first to file, on July 23rd, to run against incumbent, Lamar Hernández-Thorpe, who is running for a second term and listed simply as Mayor. He was the last to file on Friday, after challenger and former city manager Ron Bernal, listed as a Business Consultant and is a first-time candidate, filed the day before. (See related articles here, here, here and here)
City Treasurer
In the race for city treasurer, former Mayor, Councilman and appointed City Treasurer, Jim Davis, whose ballot designation is listed as Educator and Instructor Trainer and lost his election in 2022 to incumbent Lauren Posada by just 15 votes, will take on current District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock who is a real estate agent and listed as a Small Businessperson and can’t run for re-election (See Council District 3 below). They both face newcomer Jorge R. Rojas, Jr., listed as a Chief Financial Officer. But no company showing him in that position could be found through an internet search. An effort to reach him was unsuccessful prior to publication time. (See related articles here, here, here, here and here)
City Clerk
The only candidate to file for city clerk to replace incumbent Ellie Householder who chose to not run for re-election, is
Melissa Rhodes who is listed as a Deputy City Clerk. According to Transparent California, she held that position in Martinez in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and in San Pablo in 2020 and 2021. She faces no opponent unless someone enters the race and runs as a write-in candidate.
Council District 2
Although four people pulled papers to run for the District 2 City Council seat, only two filed. Retired Antioch High School Principal Louie Rocha will face Dominique King, who is listed as a Businesswoman, Educator and Consultant, and ran unsuccessfully against Rocha’s mother Mary, for the Antioch School Board in Trustee Area 5 in 2022. Jose Aceves-Guzman pulled papers on July 15th and Haque N. Khan pulled papers on Tuesday, but neither filed them. (See related articles here, here, here, here and here)
Council District 3
Three candidates will face off for the open District 3 Council seat left vacant due to Ogorchock being gerrymandered into District 4 by the council majority during the redistricting process in 2022. Former Mayor, Councilman and Contra Costa Water Board Director Donald “Don” Freitas, listed as a Community Volunteer, will face second-time candidate Antwon Ramon Webster, listed as Chief of Logistics. He works for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They will both face newcomer and first-time candidate, Addison Peterson, who is listed as a California Policy Manager.
As mentioned, incumbent Antonio Hernandez will face no opposition in the race for Area 1 Trustee, as he seeks his second term on the Antioch School Board. That is unless someone files to run as a write-in candidate. (See related article)
Trustee Area 3
With incumbent Trustee Dr. Clyde Lewis not seeking re-election, two candidates filed for run for the Area 3 seat on the board. They are Dee Brown, listed as an Educational Program Director, and Scott Bergerhouse, listed as a Retired School Administrator. He is the former co-principal for Deer Valley High School, former principal for Dozier-Libbey Medical High School, as well as administrator for other schools in the district, and former Director of Student Support Services for the Antioch Unified School District. (See related articles here and here)
Trustee Area 4
In the race for Area 4 Trustee, incumbent Gary Hack, listed simply as Incumbent, is running for his fourth term on the board, having been elected in 2010, then lost in 2014, elected again in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. He will face challenger Olga Cobos-Smith, listed as a Pediatric Nurse and Entrepreneur. (See related articles here and here)
Write-In Candidates
According to the Contra Costa County General Election Candidate Guide for November 5, 2024, Any person interested in filing as a write-in candidate may file for office between September 9 and October 22, 2024. Any person who desires to be a write-in candidate and have any votes cast for them reported shall file a Statement of Write-In Candidacy. Forms are available at the Elections Office between the following dates: Write-In Filing Period: September 9 – October 22, 2024. They must file the same forms required of other candidates who have filed during the regular filing period.
Cities, East Bay Regional Park District, East Bay Municipal Utility District, Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District, and San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District require nomination signatures to be collected for a valid write-in candidacy. Signers of nomination papers for write-in candidates shall be voters in the political subdivision in which the candidate is to be voted on.
For more details see page 13 of the Guide.
Read more details later on each of the candidates in the various contested races in future articles. The election is November 5th.
Please check back later for any updates to this report.
High-density, high-rise housing construction would have been funded by the bond measure. Photo: BAHFA
Removed from all nine Bay Area counties after Contra Costa attorney opposed to measure filed lawsuit claiming ballot language was slanted, forced BAHFA to correct more than $240 million error
20 Billion Reasons opposition campaign responds
By Allen D. Payton
Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) Chair Alfredo Pedroza and Belia Ramos, president of the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)’s Executive Board today, Wednesday, August 14, 2024, issued a joint statement following BAHFA’s decision this morning to remove a $20 billion general obligation bond measure for the production and preservation of affordable housing from the November 5 general election ballot in all nine Bay Area counties:
“The BAHFA Board’s decision to withdraw the affordable housing bond measure from this November’s ballot is not one that was taken lightly. The Bay Area’s housing affordability crisis has been decades in the making and is far too big for any one city or county to solve on its own. This is the reason the state Legislature established BAHFA. A robust source of funding for safe and affordable housing across our diverse, nine-county region is essential to the Bay Area’s economic and environmental health and to its residents’ quality of life.
The decision followed the action of a group of Bay Area residents, known as Opportunity Now, who opposed the $20 billion regional housing bond measure and filed a court challenge on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, to Regional Measure 4’s (RM4) 75-word ballot question claiming it was slanted.
Source: Opportunity Now
Following is the press release from the group announcing the lawsuit, entitled “BAHFA blunders on ballot language for Bay Area tax measure” and “Gets busted for wildly lowballing cost to taxpayers”:
“Talk about misinformation. The discredited Bay Area Housing Finance Authority yesterday admitted that they’d misrepresented in ballot language the annual cost to taxpayers of the mammoth bond by (hold on) more than $240 million (you read that right) per year.
“The Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA), a recently created regional agency, placed RM4 on the November 5 ballot. The unprecedented size of the bond measure has already drawn opposition.
The 20BillionReasons.com group helped pull together ballot arguments rebutting the claims for the measure. The lawsuit asserts that the ballot question is slanted to prejudice voters to vote in favor of the measure.
BAHFA conducted multiple polls to test various phrases in relation to the measure and picked the most popular ones. The lawsuit asserts that the ballot question contains a series of phrases that are not found in the language of the measure. The legal standard is that the ballot question must be an accurate synopsis.
Opponents’ Attorney Jason Bezis sent BAHFA a letter last Friday demanding a series of nine language changes to remove prejudicial language. Opponents assert that the true annual cost of the measure is nearly 36% higher than the amount shown in the ballot question.
The very name of the measure is deceptive: Bay Area Affordable Plan. This measure’s taxes will make the Bay Area even less affordable. In response, BAHFA held a special meeting of its Executive Committee this morning.
The lawsuit has already had success: The Committee adopted General Counsel Kathleen Kane’s recommendation “to correct the Ballot Question for Regional Measure 4 by deleting ‘$670,000,000’ from the Ballot Question and replacing it with ‘$910,976,423’.” No other changes to the ballot question were adopted today.
General Counsel Kane described this as a “mathematical error”. Plaintiff Marc Joffe retorted: “How can the public trust an agency that can’t do basic arithmetic with nearly $50 billion of its taxes? Ridiculous.”
“By law, Regional Measure 4 is coordinated by the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, so the Santa Clara County Superior Court is where this challenge was filed. The final language of the RM4 ballot question will now be determined by the court. See www.NoOnRM4.com for further information.”
“This public body, MTC in the form BAHFA, they finally acknowledged the public is not willing to support more taxes. It’s completely new to them. They’ve never recognized it before. They exist in this world in which the public is there to give them all the resources they want to monkey around with,” said David Schonbrunn, paralegal for the lawsuit said after the measure was removed from the ballot. “The worst part is MTC, when it comes to their transportation decision making, they have a dismal record on outcomes. Their outcomes are horrible. What I see them doing is it’s all about political deal making and it’s not about delivering solutions to the public.”
The BAHFA statement continued, “The BAHFA Board has always understood that it would be a steep climb to establish this source of funding. Recent developments have led the Board to conclude that the wise choice is to look ahead to another election season for a regional housing measure when there is more certainty and the voters have weighed in affirmatively on Proposition 5.
“In the meantime, BAHFA will continue to work on increasing the production of housing at all income levels, to preserve existing affordable housing, and to protect current residents from displacement. This includes maintaining, refining and expanding pilot programs such as the online Doorway Housing portal that makes it easier for prospective tenants to find and apply for affordable housing throughout the region and easier for developers and property managers to lease up their apartments; working to move thousands of planned housing units through the predevelopment pipeline; and implementing innovative programs to preserve affordable housing and prevent homelessness.
“BAHFA’s commitment to a regional approach toward solving the Bay Area’s housing affordability problems is stronger than ever. When the climb toward passage of a regional revenue measure resumes, the Board looks forward to teaming with every one of the Bay Area’s nine counties and 101 cities; and with the hundreds of other public, private and nonprofit partners who already have invested so much energy into this effort. Their work to prepare for a November bond measure, and the relationships built along the way, have laid a strong foundation for future success. Each step brings us closer to the summit.”
BAHFA is jointly governed by the ABAG’s Executive Board and by the BAHFA Board, which is comprised of the same membership as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). BAHFA and MTC Chair Pedroza and ABAG Executive Board President Ramos both also serve as members of the Napa County Board of Supervisors.
20 Billion Reasons Campaign Responds
In response to the withdrawal of the measure from the ballot, the opposition campaign, 20 Billion Reasons, responded with their own statement on Wednesday, August 14, 2024:
“This morning, the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) voted to pull Regional Measure 4, the $20 billion dollar regional bond measure, off the November ballot. Gus Mattammal, President of the 20 Billion Reasons campaign to defeat the bond measure in November, hailed the move.
Said Mattammal, “This decision is a win for Bay Area taxpayers, and a win for affordable housing. To address housing affordability in a meaningful way, we have to address root causes, not soak taxpayers for billions of dollars to pay bonds that would waste two thirds of their tax money on interest and overhead while barely making a dent in the issue.”
The 20 Billion Reasons campaign brought together Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and Independents in a single campaign, a rarity in recent times, but a necessity.
“Actually, working on the root causes of the housing crisis in California – a crisis created by our legislature and the corporate interests to which they are beholden – is politically difficult. It’s much easier to simply raise taxes,” said Mattammal. “That’s why it’s so important for voters to say ‘no’ to deeply flawed proposals such as Regional Measure 4: every time we do say no, it helps create the political conditions to work on the problem in a meaningful way.”
Though Regional Measure 4 is off the ballot for November, many other expensive proposals remain on that ballot. The $20 Billion Reasons campaign team is excited to regroup and consider the best way forward to help ensure that Bay Area taxpayers are getting real solutions for the taxes they pay and that they have a real voice in what is done with their tax money.”
John Goodwin, Assistant Director of Communications, Rebecca Long, Director, Legislation & Public Affairs, Metropolitan Transportation Commission contributed to this report.
George Washington Elementary School Principal Gina Lopez, in Lodi, welcomes students on the first day of school on July 30. Photo credit: Diana Lambert / EdSource
Include requiring menstrual products in elementary boy’s bathrooms – supported by all of Contra Costa’s state legislators; allowing kids 12 or older to consent to mental health care without parental consent, keeping transgender student secrets from parents, climate change instruction,more
California students, including those in elementary school, will have better access to mental health care, free menstrual products and information about climate change this school year. The expansion of transitional kindergarten also means there will be more 4-year-old students on elementary school campuses.
These and other new pieces of education legislation will go into effect this school year, including a bill that bans schools from suspending students for willful defiance and another that offers college students more transparency around the cost of their courses and the materials they will need to purchase for them.
Here are a few new laws that may impact students in the 2024-25 school year.
Climate change instruction required
Science instruction in all grades — first through 12th — must include an emphasis on the causes and effects of climate change, and methods to mitigate it and adapt to it. Although many schools are already teaching students about climate change, all schools must incorporate the topic into instruction beginning this school year.
Content related to climate change appears in some of the state curriculum frameworks, according to an analysis of Assembly Bill 285, the legislation that created the requirement.
Assemblymember Luz Rivas, D-Arieta, the author of the bill, said the legislation will give the next generation the tools needed to prepare for the future and will cultivate a new generation of climate policy leaders in California.
“Climate change is no longer a future problem waiting for us to act upon — it is already here,” Rivas said in a statement. “Extreme climate events are wreaking havoc across the globe and escalating in severity each year.”
Menstrual products in elementary bathrooms
A new law in effect this year adds elementary schools to the public schools that must offer a free and adequate supply of menstruation products — in order to help younger menstruating students.
Last school year, the Menstruation Equity for All Act went into effect, requiring public schools serving sixth- through 12th-grade students to provide menstruation products. It affected over 2,000 schools.
The new law expands the requirement to public schools that serve third- through fifth-grade students. A Senate analysis of the legislation notes that 10% of menstruation periods begin by age 10, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.
The new law requires affected schools to offer free menstrual products in all-gender bathrooms, women’s bathrooms and at least one men’s bathroom on each campus. The legislation, authored by Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes,D-San Bernardino, includes one men’s bathroom on each campus to offer access to transgender boys who menstruate.
Supporters of the bill note that menstruation isn’t always predictable and can strike at inopportune times, such as during a test. Menstruation products can also be pricey — especially for students who might also be struggling with food insecurity.
Girl Scout Troop 76 in the Inland Empire advocated for the bill. Scout Ava Firnkoess said that menstruation access is important to young girls, like her, who started menstruating early.
“I have another friend who also started at a young age. She had to use toilet paper and paper towels because she did not have access to menstrual products,” Firnkoess said in a statement. “We think young students who start their periods need to have access to products, not just those who start in sixth grade or later.”
According to the California Legislative Information website, State Senators Steve Glazer (D-SD7, Orinda) and Nancy Skinner (D-SD9, Berkeley), and Assemblymembers Tim Grayson (D-AD15, Concord), Lori Wilson (D-AD11, Suisun City), Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-AD16, Orinda) and Buffy Wicks (D-AD14, Oakland) all voted for the bill.
Younger students on campus
Elementary students may seem to be getting a little smaller this year, as transitional kindergarten classes are expanded to children who will turn age 5 between Sept. 2 and June 2.
Transitional kindergarten, an additional grade before kindergarten, was created for 4-year-old children who turn 5 before Dec. 2. It has been expanded each year since 2022 to include more children aged 4. All 4-year-old students will be eligible in the fall of 2025.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond have celebrated the expansion of transitional kindergarten, pointing to numbers that show enrollment doubled over the past two years, from 75,000 in 2021-22, to 151,000 in 2023-24. However, a recent analysis by CalMatters found that the percentage of children eligible for transitional kindergarten who actually enrolled had gone down 4 to 7 percentage points.
Colleges must disclose costs
The typical California college student is expected to spend $1,062 on books and supplies in the 2024-25 academic year, according to the California Student Aid Commission.
The exact costs can be hard for students to predict, leaving them uncertain about how much money to budget for a given class. Assembly Bill 607, which Newsom signed last year, requires California State University campuses and community colleges to disclose upfront the estimated costs of course materials and fees for some of their courses this school year. The bill asks University of California campuses to do the same, but does not make it a requirement.
The schools must provide information for at least 40% of courses by Jan. 1 of next year, increasing that percentage each year until there are cost disclosures for 75% of courses by 2028. This year, campuses should also highlight courses that use free digital course materials and low-cost print materials, according to the legislation.
Proponents of the law, which was co-authored by Assemblymembers Ash Kalra, D-San Jose; Isaac Bryan, D-Los Angeles; and Sabrina Cervantes, D-Inland Empire, said it will promote price transparency. The bill covers digital and physical textbooks as well as software subscriptions and devices like calculators.
A student speaking in support of AB 607 in May 2023 said she felt “helplessly exposed and vulnerable” when she had to appeal to a professor for help covering the surprise costs of a textbook’s online course content.
“If I would have known that a month ahead of time, I could have organized and evaluated my budget in an effective manner for the entire semester,” said Rashal Azar. “This would have prevented my financial anxiety and not triggered my mental health as well.”
TK exempt from English language test
Students enrolled in transitional kindergarten, also known as TK, are no longer required to take the initial English Language Proficiency Assessment for California (ELPAC). The test, which measures proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing in English, is required to be taken within 30 days of enrollment in kindergarten through 12th grade, if parents indicate in a survey that their children speak another language at home.
Previously, transitional kindergartners also had to take the ELPAC when enrolling. But many school district staff and advocates for English learners said the test was not designed for 4-year-old children and that it was not identifying English learners accurately, because the children were too young to answer questions correctly.
The California Department of Education has directed school districts to mark children’s English language acquisition status as “to be determined” in the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System, if their parents indicate on the home language survey that their primary or native language is a language other than English. These students will take the initial ELPAC when they begin kindergarten the following year.
Californians Together, which advocates for English learners, and Early Edge California, which advocates for quality early education for all children, were among the organizations that celebrated the bill.
“As the parent of bilingual children and a dual language learner myself, I deeply appreciate Governor Newsom, Assemblymember (Al) Muratsuchi, and California’s legislators for supporting our young multilingual learners by championing AB 2268,” said Patricia Lozano, executive director of Early Edge California in a news release. “This bill will create more support tailored to their needs and strengths, so they can learn and thrive from the early years onward.”
Kids can consent to mental health care
A new law that took effect in July makes it easier for children on Medi-Cal who are 12 or older to consent to mental health treatment inside and outside of schools. Children older than 12 on private insurance can already consent to mental health care without parental consent.
Previously, students in this age group could only consent to mental health treatment without parental approval under a limited number of circumstances: incest, child abuse or serious danger, such as suicidal ideation.
“From mass shootings in public spaces and, in particular, school shootings, as well as fentanyl overdoses and social media bullying, young people are experiencing a new reality,” said Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo, D-Los Angeles, author of the bill. “The new law is about “making sure all young people, regardless if they have private health insurance or are Medi-Cal recipients, have access to mental health resources.”
Children who need mental health care but do not have consent from their parents could potentially seek help from social media and other online resources of sometimes dubious quality, according to the legislation.
The legislation allows mental health professionals to determine whether parental involvement is “inappropriate” and also whether the child in question is mature enough to consent.
California Capitol Connection, a Baptist advocacy group, opposed the bill, stating, “In most cases, a parent knows what is best for their child.”
This is not strictly an education bill, but it does affect schools. The law notes that school-based providers, such as a credentialed school psychologist, find that some students who want to avail themselves of mental health resources are not able to get parental consent.
No willful defiance suspensions
Beginning this school year, and for the next five years, California students across all grade levels cannot be suspended for willful defiance.
Acts of willful defiance, according to Senate Bill 274, include instances where a student is intentionally disruptive or defies school authorities. Instead of being suspended, these students will be referred to school administrators for intervention and support.
SB 274 builds on previous California legislation that had already banned willful defiance suspensions among first-through-eighth-grade students, and had banned expulsions for willful defiance across the board.
Los Angeles Unified, Oakland Unified, San Francisco Unified and other school districts have already banned the practice.
SB 274 would apply to all grades TK through 12 in both traditional public schools and charters. The bill would also prohibit schools from suspending or expelling students for being tardy or truant.
Schools can’t ‘out’ students
After Jan. 1, California schools boards will not be permitted to pass resolutions requiring teachers and staff to notify parents if they believe a child is transgender.
Newsom signed the Support Academic Futures and Educators for Today’s Youth, or SAFETY Act, in July in response to the more than a dozen California school boards that proposed or passed parental notification policies in just over a year. At least seven California school districts passed the policies, often after heated public debate.
The policies require school staff to inform parents if a child asks to use a name or pronoun different from the one assigned at birth, or if they engage in activities and use facilities designed for the opposite sex.
The new law protects school staff from retaliation if they refuse to notify parents of a child’s gender preference. The legislation also provides additional resources and support for LGBTQ+ students at junior high and high schools.
“Politically motivated attacks on the rights, safety and dignity of transgender, nonbinary and other LGBTQ+ youth are on the rise nationwide, including in California,” said Assemblymember Chris Ward, D-San Diego, who introduced the legislation along with the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus.
Held on $11.7 million bail, has history of arrests
By Lt. Desmond Bittner #3252, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau
Antioch Police Department officers arrested a man wanted on a laundry list of charges, including attempted murder and animal cruelty. On August 7th, at approximately 11:52 PM, an Antioch police officer was patrolling the area of Buchanan Road and Contra Loma Blvd. when he observed an Infiniti doing donuts in the intersection. As the officer approached, the car took off at a high rate of speed and crashed into an unoccupied vehicle parked about a quarter mile down the road on Cortez Court. The collision disabled the Infiniti, and the officer was able to detain the driver, who was identified as 23-year-old Francisco Javier Hernandez, Jr. of Antioch (born 9/5/2000).
The officer discovered the Infiniti was reported stolen and found that Hernandez had two arrest warrants which were obtained by Antioch Police detectives several weeks prior. One arrest warrant was for attempted murder and the other was for animal cruelty. Over the course of about three weeks, Hernandez had been on a crime spree that involved multiple shootings and stolen vehicles. See the crime details listed below.
-July 15th, 2024, shot and killed a friend’s dog during a dispute. Fled the scene in a stolen vehicle.
On August 12th, Antioch Police Department detectives presented the above cases to the Contra Costa County District Attorney and the below felony criminal charges were filed against Hernandez.
Count 1) Attempted murder – Case 24-006227
Count 2) Attempted murder – Case 24-006736
Count 3) Assault with a firearm – Case 24-006756
Count 4) Animal cruelty – Case 24-006208
Count 5) Vehicle theft – Case 24-007002
According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot-four-inch tall, 200-pound Hernandez is being held in the Martinez Detention Facility on $11.7 million bail. His next court appearance is scheduled of August 27 at 1:30 PM in Superior Court Dept. 03.
According to localcrimenews.com, Hernandez was arrested in March 2019 by Antioch PD for driving without a license, in October 2022 for shooting at an inhabited dwelling, vehicle, etc., carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle and carrying a loaded firearm when not the registered owner. He was again arrested twice on the same day, April 5, 2024, by Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department and Antioch PD for receiving stolen property – motor vehicle.
If you have any further information regarding these crimes, please contact Detective Cole Shaffer at (925)779-6944 or by email cshaffer@antiochca.gov.
Artificial intelligence-generated designs including one of the author’s glasses. By Neil Sterud.
By Neil Sterud
Having recently attended the 2024 Augmented World Expo (AWE) in Long Beach, I was struck by the growing prevalence of extended reality (XR) in our society. XR, an umbrella term encompassing virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), is making significant inroads into various aspects of our lives.
Notable examples of XR are becoming increasingly visible. The Sphere in Las Vegas, with its immersive displays, showcases the potential of large-scale XR experiences. Virtual home tours have revolutionized the real estate industry, while Snapchat filters have made AR a daily reality for millions. Meta’s Quest headsets continue to push the boundaries of consumer VR. Even Facebook, recognizing the potential of this technology, rebranded itself as Meta in 2021, signaling a strong commitment to the “metaverse.”
While many desks currently feature multiple monitors, the future may look quite different. AR laptops and headsets promise to create virtual screens, potentially reducing the need for physical displays. Microsoft’s HoloLens and the rumored Apple AR/VR headset are examples of how major tech companies are investing in this vision.
After the conference, I experimented with Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses for a month. While their capabilities were impressive, including hands-free photo and video capture, I noticed that some features overlapped with voice assistants like Google Assistant. However, it’s important to note that smart glasses and voice assistants serve different purposes – the former provides visual augmentation, while the latter focuses on audio interactions.
This observation highlights a challenge in the XR industry: ensuring that new technologies offer clear value propositions to avoid being shelved. Nevertheless, using smart glasses is a form of augmented intelligence, a subset of artificial intelligence that focuses on enhancing human capabilities rather than replacing them. This concept promotes a collaborative partnership between humans and AI technologies, aiming to assist in decision-making and problem-solving.
XR is not limited to personal use. Industries such as healthcare, education, and manufacturing are exploring its potential. In healthcare, AR is being used for surgical planning and guidance. In education, VR field trips are making immersive learning experiences possible. Manufacturing companies are using AR for complex assembly processes and remote expert assistance.
However, the widespread adoption of XR faces challenges. Privacy concerns, particularly around data collection from AR devices, need to be addressed. Technological limitations, such as battery life and processing power, are ongoing issues. Social acceptance of wearable XR devices in public spaces remains a hurdle.
Despite these challenges, the collaborative nature of XR makes us all integral to the future of technology. As XR becomes more common, it promises to revolutionize how we interact with both digital and physical worlds. From enhancing workplace productivity to transforming entertainment experiences, XR has the potential to reshape numerous aspects of our daily lives in the coming years.
As we move forward, it’s crucial to stay informed about XR developments and consider their implications. Whether we’re early adopters or cautious observers, XR is a technological trend that will likely impact us all in the near future.
New Sutter Delta Medical Center CEO Trevor Brand. Photo: Sutter Health
Starts August 26th
By Monique Binkley Smith, Manager, Media Relations, Sutter Health
EMERYVILLE, Calif., Aug. 12, 2024 – Northern California-based not-for-profit Sutter Health has named Trevor D. Brand to be the next CEO of Sutter Delta Medical Center in Antioch.
Brand comes to Sutter Health from City of Hope Atlanta, where he was chief operating officer, managing operations across six states and overseeing $2 billion in annual revenue. Under his leadership, service line performance improved, increasing hospital revenue by 13%. At City of Hope Atlanta, Brand also focused on fostering a culture of trust, implementing “people plans” that enhanced employee retention and engagement and reduced turnover rates by 5% annually. He also initiated a capital planning process resulting in a $10 million equipment and facilities improvement plan.
“Trevor Brand is an experienced and dynamic healthcare leader with a proven track record of excellence in hospital operations,” said Tosan Boyo, president of Sutter Health’s Greater East Bay Market. “I am thrilled to welcome him to Sutter Health to lead Sutter Delta Medical Center. In his new role, Trevor will focus on strengthening and growing Sutter Delta’s community partnerships and physician relationships and ensure the medical center continues to the deliver high-quality, connected and equitable patient care for which it is recognized.”
Brand’s previous roles include chief operating officer/senior vice president of Operations at City of Hope Phoenix and chief of staff and vice president of Strategic Initiatives at City of Hope National. He also held leadership positions at Erlanger Health System in Tennessee and North Carolina.
Brand holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Georgia State University and a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management from Austin Peay State University. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Brand succeeds Sherie Hickman at the helm of Sutter Delta. Hickman retired earlier this year after a long and successful career at Sutter.
Brand starts at Sutter Delta Medical Center on Aug. 26.
The silver Lexus following the two-vehicle rollover crash its driver caused on Hwy 4 on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024. Photos by Allen D. Payton
Under investigation; adult female driver not wearing seatbelt
By Allen D. Payton
A two-vehicle collision on Highway 4 in Pittsburg Sunday afternoon, Aug. 11, 2024, occurred following calls to the CHP of “street racing” and “erratic driving” and caused a traffic back up. According to CHP-Contra Costa PIO Dan Gilmore, “The crash occurred on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. on Hwy 4 westbound east of Bailey Road.”
Dashcam video screenshots show the silver Lexus and a burgundy Dodge racing by another driver on Highway 4 on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024. Driver chose to remain anonymous
“A Silver Lexus driven by an adult female, who was the only occupant side swiped a Ford F-250 pickup truck driven by an adult male, also a sole occupant,” he stated. “While the crash call came out, there were also calls of street racing and erratic driving by the Lexus.”
“The Lexus driver lost control and crashed into the right shoulder guardrail, it overturned and landed on its wheels and came to rest in the right shoulder,” Gilmore continued. “The driver was not seat belted.”
“The crash resulted in minor injuries and complaints of pain. Both parties were transferred to the hospital where they were expected to recover,” he added.
Con Fire and CHP personnel attend to the driver of the pickup sideswiped by the Lexus on Hwy 4, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024. Photo by Allen D. Payton
Asked if it was a DUI Gilmore said, “No DUI is suspected.” Asked if the driver of the Lexus was arrested he stated, “Results are pending the investigation which is still ongoing.”
A driver on Hwy 4 at the time shared dashcam video and screenshots showing the Lexus and a Dodge passing by. The driver wrote, “Here is the video of the silver Lexus and burgundy Dodge.”
