By Paul Burgarino, Community Education and Engagement Specialist, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department

Results from the November 6th General Election have been updated on the Contra Costa Elections website, as of Friday, Nov. 9th at 5:00 p.m. You can view the Update 1 here. The Contra Costa Elections Division has processed over 1.7 million ballot cards to this point.

Please note that the updated results are still unofficial.

The Elections Division estimates that there are about 82,000 Vote-By-Mail envelopes remaining to be counted, as well as 25,000 Provisionals and 1,000 Conditional Voter Registrations.

Our next scheduled update is at 5:00 pm on Friday, November 16th.

The Elections Department has 28 days to certify the election results. So, close races may not be decided until the beginning of December.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

By Sergeant Matthew Harger #3305, Antioch Police Field Services Bureau

On Friday, Nov. 9, 2018 at about 7:30 pm, Antioch Police units were dispatched to the 2500 block of D Street regarding a shooting. When Officer’s arrived on scene a 20-year-old male victim was found on the sidewalk suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Evidence at the location suggested numerous gunshots were fired into an occupied residence by someone in a passing vehicle. The victim was struck by the gunfire while he was inside of the home. The victim was transported to a local hospital suffering from multiple non-life-threatening gunshot wounds which were a result of this shooting. There is not any suspect information at this time.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925) 778-2441 or 925-779-6884. You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.

DVHS Drum Major Marcanthony Ponce and AHS Drum Major Mariah Capote with their first place trophies. Photo by AUSD.

By Allen Payton

The Deer Valley High School and Antioch High School Marching Bands both took home first place trophies in their divisions for the parade competition at the 41st Annual Lodi Grape Bowl Classic Band Review on Saturday, Nov. 3. Hosted by Lodi and Tokay high schools, the review included Marching Band Parade Competition, Jazz Band Competition and Field Show Competitions for middle and high schools.

The event was held at Lawrence Elementary School, followed by a field show at the Lodi Grape Bowl, according to the Lodi Sentinel.

Susan Te contributed to this report.

New Antioch Police Officer Calvin Prieto takes his oath of office administered by Chief Tammany Brooks, Monday, Nov. 5, 2018. Photos by APD

By Chief Tammany Brooks

Please join us in welcoming our newest Police Officer, Calvin Prieto!

New Antioch Police Officer Calvin Prieto with Chief Brooks.

Calvin grew up in San Leandro and graduated from San Leandro High School in 2007. After High School, Calvin enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. As a Marine, Calvin deployed several times including Operation Iraqi Freedom and Humanitarian aid services in Myanmar. Calvin was honorably discharged at the rank of Sergeant in 2011.

After returning to the Bay Area in 2011, Calvin put himself through the Alameda County Sheriff’s Regional Training Center. Upon graduation, in February 2012, Calvin was hired by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office and was assigned to custodial services as a deputy. He left ACSO in 2014 to work for the city of San Leandro as a Police Officer.

While working as a police officer, Calvin attended school part time and obtained his bachelors degree from the American Military University in Criminal Justice in 2014. He later returned to JFK University in June 2018, and obtained a masters degree in Business Administration, with a concentration in Organizational Leadership. Calvin is excited to bring over his family to the Antioch Police Department and serve the community.

In his free time, Calvin enjoys spending time with family and friends and enjoys taking his family on road trips.

A fun fact about Calvin is that he has participated in the U.S. Police & Fire Olympics and has won two gold medals in the “prestigious” sport of Dodgeball. His pre-game routine includes watching the movie “Dodgeball,” and quoting Ben Stiller.

Asked how many officers are now on the force, Brooks responded, “We’re at 99 right now. I anticipate being at 100 by end of the year.” Previously he stated there are six recruits in the academy that he hopes to have on the force by early next year.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

By Daniel Borsuk

To address rising costs of meeting strict environmental water quality regulations, Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Election Day, Tuesday, unanimously approved a way to pay for a $5 million permit with the Regional Water Conservation District.

With scant discussion from supervisors and zero comments from the public, supervisors approved Contra Costa County Flood Control & Water Conservation District Division Manager Tim Jensen’s recommendation to pay for the five-year permit through service reductions.

Some jurisdictions, like San Diego and Santa Clara counties most notably have refused to pay rising storm water permit fees, Jensen said.

Jensen informed supervisors the county has about $3.2 million in funds set aside for the RWCD permit, but the there are no other funds available from the County’s General Fund to fill in a $1.2 million deficit for the certificate.

Jensen said his staff identified $510,000 of road funds and $75,000 of flood control funds that could be spent for program activities but, noted the road funds might be unavailable should state Proposition 6, the State Gas Tax measure wins in Tuesday’s election.  A Proposition 6 victory would deliver a financial blow to the county’s road fund. (NOTE: Prop. 6 failed)

The county flood control manager presented to supervisors a four-point service reduction plan that would help the county plug up the $1.2 million deficit to cover the RWCD permit.  The plan consists of:

• Street Sweeping – Transfer street sweeping to the Road Fund even though this might not materialize if Proposition 6, the state gas tax measure, won at Tuesday’s election.
• Inspections – Reduce inspections by 50 percent.
• Outreach – Reduce the Public Information and Participation Program by 50 percent.
• Calendar – Eliminate the annual calendar.

County Agricultural Crop Production Down 6 Percent

In other business, supervisors approved, on consent, the county’s 2017 Agricultural Crop Report that showed a 6% decline in gross value of agricultural crops.  During that year, agricultural crop gross value was $120,441,000, a decline of $7. 6 million from 2016, Humberto Izquierdo, Contra Costa County Agricultural Commissioner Sealer of Weights and Measures wrote in his report to the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.

Izquierdo’s report cited how high labor costs and an overall shortage of farm workers have been key factors behind the longstanding decline in the county’s asparagus industry.  Today there is only one asparagus grower in the county who sells strictly at the Certified Farmers’ Markets.  The total acreage in asparagus production has decreased to less than 50 acres.  “The loss of (a 25% tariff) protection, combined with rising labor costs, have resulted in an increase in imported asparagus from 10.8 percent of U.S. consumption in 1980 to 91.2 percent in 2015,” he wrote.

The county crop report also showed that 2017 sweet corn harvested was down to 37,500 tons compared to 44,300 tons in 2016.  That corn harvest produced $18.9 million in total value in 2017 compared to $23.3 million in 2016.  Tomato harvest was up in 2017, at 209,300 tons valued at $23.4 million in comparison to 169,000 tons at a value of $19.9 million in 2016.

Shelter in Place Recognized

Contra Costa County Shelter in Place Week received official recognition from the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. Supervisors passed a resolution recognizing the 17th anniversary of Shelter in Place Day that was held November 7 at Garin Elementary School in Brentwood with a drill. At the presentation Board Chair Karen Mitchoff presented the resolution to A. J. (Tony) Semenza, executive director of Community Awareness Emergency Response, and Michael Dossey, an accidental release prevention engineer with the Contra Costa Health Services Hazardous Materials Programs.

Adoption Awareness Month

Also, at the meeting, Supervisors recognized November as Adoption Awareness Month.  Board Chair Karen Mitchoff presented a resolution recognizing the good deeds of the county’s Children and Family Services to Sandra Wohala of Concord who recently adopted two girls.

In order to adopt the girls, Wohala said that she had to move out of her 550 square foot condominium and into a house with a backyard. This year Children and Family Services placed its first ever non-minor dependent adoption. Some 2,000 children in the county receive adoption assistance.

Antioch SWAT arrives on scene on Deerfield Drive where the standoff occurred, Monday night, Nov. 5, 2018. Photo by Allen Payton

By Sergeant John Fortner, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau, Violent Crimes Unit

On Monday, Nov. 5, 2018 at approximately 7:26 pm, a citizen called the Antioch Police Department to report that their neighbor (a 32-year-old male) threatened him with a firearm. When officers responded, they contacted the reporting party and learned about an on-going dispute between the two neighbors. During this day’s incident, the victim and his neighbor were standing outside attempting to mediate the issues when another family member brandished a black semi-automatic firearm in a threatening manner. The victim returned to his residence and called the police.

When officers arrived, they learned about the dispute and the brandishing that happened just moments prior. As officers approached the suspect’s residence, he called out to them from an open upstairs window. The officers identified themselves and their purpose for being there. The suspect told them he would be right down. Upon opening the front door, and without warning, the officers were immediately fired upon. One officer was struck in the head and retreated to a parked vehicle. The officer’s injuries were visibly consistent with being struck by gunfire, and other officers at the scene reported that an officer had been shot. The suspect retreated into the house and closed the door barricading himself. The victim officer began bleeding profusely and was quickly transported to a local area trauma center.

Shortly afterwards, police supervisors arrived at the scene and a call for emergency support and mutual aid was requested. With the assistance of responding allied agencies, the scene was quickly contained and cordoned off. Initially, a shelter-in-place was initiated for the immediate neighborhood while officers were attempting to establish contact with the occupants of the residence.

The response to the Officer Involved Critical Incident included the Contra Costa County Sherriff’s Office, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, the District Attorney’s Office, and numerous local allied agencies. The response provided valuable support to the Antioch Police Department’s SWAT Team, the Hostage Negotiation Team, the Investigations Bureau, and Command Staff.

During preliminary negotiations with family members, it was learned that the 32-year-old suspect was refusing to surrender peacefully. The barricaded suspect was home with his parents, and information developed that the suspect had a history of law enforcement contact in another city, which involved the possession and use of a black semi-automatic firearm that currently showed to be registered to him.

During the standoff, one family member exited the house. One other family member did not exit, and it was unknown if they were being held against their will. As the standoff continued, it was discovered that the injured officer sustained multiple non-life-threatening injuries consistent with being shot by a high-powered BB-type firearm. Once this information became known, Hostage Negotiation Team members continued to work with family members at the scene to build rapport with the suspect, which led to the peaceful surrender of the responsible and a successful resolution to the incident.

As the suspect was transported to the Antioch Police Department jail for booking, the Investigations Bureau took over the investigation with the assistance of senior inspectors from the District Attorney’s office. A search warrant was served at the location and two high-powered BB-type rifles were recovered along with a BB-type replica of a black full-sized semi-automatic pistol, BB ammunition, and live pistol ammunition.

At the conclusion of the investigation, this case will be referred to the District Attorney’s office for the felony charges of PC 245(c), Assault w/a Deadly Weapon Other than a Firearm on a Peace Officer; PC 422, Criminal Threats; and PC 417.8, Brandishing a Deadly Weapon at a Peace Officer.

The Antioch Police Department wishes to express sincere gratitude for the outpouring of support and assistance during this critical incident, from the beginning through to its peaceful resolution.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925)778-2441 or Detective Gonzalez at 925-779-6923. You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.

Lori Ogorchock and Joy Motts are winning in the Antioch Council race, Mary Rocha and Ellie Householder are winning in the Antioch School Board race, on Election Night.

By Allen Payton

It appears to be the Year of the Woman in Antioch elections. As of the Interim Update 3 Report from the Contra Costa County Elections Department at 11:10:39 PM PST, with 32% of the precincts reporting Antioch’s Measure W sales tax increase was passing overwhelmingly with 63.27% of the vote. In the council race, challenger Joy Motts was leading with 27.38% of the vote, trailed by incumbent Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock at 24.05%, with Councilman Tony Tiscareno in third place at 20.34%. In the Antioch School Board race, former Antioch mayor and school board member, Mary Rocha had a strong, first place lead with 26.84% of the vote and newcomer Ellie Householder in second place with a 189-vote lead over former Antioch mayor Jim Davis. (See all election results in the county, here).

Measure W

When reached for comment about Measure W, Mayor Sean Wright said “It looks positive, should things continue I thank the voters. I look forward to hiring more officers and improving Antioch’s quality of life throughout town.”

“With 17% reported, Measure W is passing at 62.77%,” he continued. “I am feeling extremely confident that this trend will continue.”

“Thank you to all the volunteers who put their time and energy into supporting this measure. Thank you to all of the voters for supporting this opportunity for Antioch. I promise that I will push the council to increase our police force, create more youth programs and hire more code enforcement personnel to make our community cleaner.”

Economic Development Commissioner Tim McCall, one of the organizers of the Yes on Measure W campaign, offered his thoughts on the success of the campaign.

“It’s the right thing to do,” he said. “I’m very proud of our residents for taking the time to understand what Measure W is and the willingness to invest their hard-earned money into helping Antioch reach its potential. There truly are great opportunities in Antioch’s future.”

Council Race

Ogorchock, who was celebrating election night with supporters at Celia’s Mexican Restaurant, said, “It’s not over, yet. Many votes are still left to be counted. City Clerk Arne Simonsen said there were 1,000 absentee ballots turned in at City Hall, today. We saw what happened in two years ago. So, it’s too soon to say.”

Motts who was celebrating with supporters at her home in the Rivertown area, said “Things look positive. We don’t know for sure, yet.”

Asked about her campaign, she said “I ran a grassroots campaign. I didn’t have a lot of money. They probably outspent me four or five times. But we really ran a good campaign.”

“I fought hard,” Motts continued. “Here’s the thing. I’m just all about a better Antioch. It’s not rocket science. You have to work hard, collaborate and do what we need to do to take us to the next level.”

“We have 115,000 people, we have incredible opportunities. We need to fight for that,” she said. “We have a beautiful waterfront. We have the new BART Station. Wilbur corridor, a deep-water port. Downtown, we’ve had plans that have come and gone.

“I’m all about putting our best practices in place. I’m not coming here thinking I have all the answers,” Motts shared. “What I have is the passion and dedication to put in the hard work to make a difference, and a resume of getting things done.”

Mayor Pro Tem Lamar Thorpe and Councilwoman Monica Wilson had a big night with the passage of Measure W, and two of the three candidates they backed for council and school board winning.

“I’m delighted that the good people of Antioch agreed with me and Councilwoman Wilson that we have to invest in public safety, before and after school programs and quality of life,” he said. “Ellie is neck and neck with Jim Davis.”

He said he thinks that she will end up winning.

“The big one is Joy Motts, having her come in as the top vote getter (in the council race),” Thorpe stated. “We look forward to supporting her and making sure she’s a successful Mayor Pro Tem.”

Absentee ballots will still be received by mail by the county Elections Department through Friday, and they have 28 days to certify the election. So, close races might not be decided for a few more weeks.

Please check back later for more details and updates.

Police cars from a variety of agencies line Deerfield Drive where the suspect was holed up in his home, Monday night. Photo by Allen Payton

By Sgt. William Dee, Antioch Police Patrol Bureau

On Monday, Nov. 5, 2018 at approximately 7:45 p.m., Antioch Police responded to 4559 Deerfield Way for a report of a man with a gun. While on scene, a 32-year-old male resident, shot one of the responding officers, striking him in the head. The officer was rushed to an area hospital, where he was treated and later released with minor injuries. Numerous area police agencies responded to the scene and set up a perimeter. (See related article).

After a 5-hour stand-off, the suspect surrendered to police and was taken into custody without incident. The suspect is currently in custody at the Contra Costa County Detention Facility.

Any further information or additional press releases will be provided by the Investigations Bureau at (925) 779-6939. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

See more photos on the Antioch Herald Facebook page.