11/7/24 UPDATE: As of 12:43 p.m. the County Elections office claims 191,700 unprocessed ballots remaining to be counted

As of Wednesday; no breakdowns by city; could affect outcomes in Antioch School Board Area 3 Trustee race and District 5 Board of Supervisors election

By Allen D. Payton

According to Dawn Kruger, Media Outreach Coordinator for the Elections Division of the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder’s Office, as of Wednesday morning there were still as many as 90,000 ballots remaining to be counted in the county.

“We had tallied 291,000 ballots as of Election Day. All the ballots received at the polling places, those were counted on Election Night, except for the Vote By Mail ballots submitted in their sealed envelopes at polling places,” she stated.

Those are part of “the upwards of 90,000 ballots we received included from Drop Boxes which were picked up last on Tuesday afternoon. Those still have to be processed with signature verification, then extraction, then tally,” Kruger explained.

Asked about the additional ballots from the Drop Boxes she said, “The boxes were locked at 8:00 p.m. and the ballots were picked up the following morning.”

“We expect to add all those ballots to the results on Friday’s update,” Kruger stated. “But we continue to receive ballots placed in the mail on Election Day which can be received up to seven days following, which is Tuesday, the 12th.

“We’ll have a better understanding this afternoon.” Kruger added. “By tomorrow afternoon at end of the day, we’ll have more of an exact count up on our website.”

She also shared they do not have a breakdown by city of remaining ballots to be counted.

The additional ballots could affect the outcome in close races such as in the Antioch School Board Area 3 Trustee race in which Dee Brown is leading Scott Bergerhouse by 204 votes. It could also change the results in the Board of Supervisors District 5 race in which Pittsburg Councilwoman Shanelle Scales-Preston and Antioch Councilman Mike Barbanica are separated by just 67 votes.

11/7/24 UPDATE: Estimated Number of Unprocessed Ballots in County

According to the Contra Costa Elections office, the estimated number of unprocessed ballots as of 12:43 p.m. on Thursday, total 191,700:

Ballots voted at a voting location – 200

Vote-by-mail ballots received on or before Election Day – 170,000

Vote-by-mail ballots received after Election Day – 6,500

Provisional ballots – 6,000

Conditional Voter Registration Provisional ballots – 6,000

Other (In Review, Damaged) – 3,000

Total – 191,700.

That’s over 101,000 more ballots than the estimated unprocessed ballots figure provided earlier in the day.

The next results update is expected at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8. The Elections office has 28 days to certify the election.

Driver veered off roadway to avoid gunfire

Police seek victims, suspect in 19th, 20th shootings in city since Sept. 2nd

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

Antioch police are investigating two shootings that appear to be related in connection with a rolling gun battle.

At approximately 6:18 PM, Antioch police officers responded to reports of shots fired in the area of Sycamore Drive and L Street. Officers arrived and found evidence of a shooting in the roadway between L Street and Peppertree Way. Officers also found a vehicle rollover crash in the parking lot of Sycamore Square in the 1100 block of Sycamore Drive.

Antioch PD dispatchers then received additional reports of another shooting on Auto Center Drive near Century Boulevard. Officers arrived and discovered evidence of a shooting. One victim reported that their vehicle had been struck by gunfire.

Based on the preliminary investigation, the two shootings appear to be related. Antioch police investigators are looking for the vehicles and the suspects involved. Evidence also indicates that the vehicle collision was not directly involved in the shooting on Sycamore Drive. The driver veered off the roadway to avoid the gunfire. No other victims have come forward at this time.

An earlier shooting Tuesday, also occurred in the Sycamore Drive area at approximately 12:42 p.m. in which an 18-year-old male was injured.

The latest two shootings are the 19th and 20th in the city since Sept. 2nd, which claimed the lives of two men. They’re the second and third shootings since the city council approved the Violence Reduction Initiative focused on both the Sycamore corridor and Cavallo Road neighborhood.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

17th in city since Sept. 2nd, first since council approved Violence Reduction Initiative

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

On Tuesday, November 05, 2024, at approximately 12:42 PM, Antioch police officers responded to reports of shots fired in the area of Sycamore Drive and Peppertree Way. Officers arrived on scene and located evidence of a shooting in the 2100 block of Peppertree Way. While officers canvassed the scene, an 18-year-old male victim arrived at a local hospital suffering from a gunshot wound.

Through the investigation, it was determined the victim was at the scene of the shooting. The 18-year-old victim is in critical but stable condition and is expected to survive. This case is in the preliminary stages and the names of the parties involved are not being released at this time.

The shooting is the 17th in the city since September 2nd which claimed the lives of two men. It’s the first since the council  approved the Violence Reduction Initiative paying up to $200 per hour for overtime to outside agency officers and for the use of their equipment and focused on both the Sycamore corridor and Cavallo Road neighborhood. The initiative is designed to assist the “understaffed, overworked police department”, according to District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker in whose district 16 of the shootings have occurred.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Beginning Dec. 1

By Brooke Converse, PIO, Contra Costa County Library

The Contra Costa County Library is piloting a new program designed to give patrons access to the Concord Library on Sundays when the branch is normally closed. Patrons who sign up for the service in advance will be able to enter the Concord Library between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Sundays beginning December 1. There will not be any staff on site, but two security guards will be present to ensure that only patrons who have signed up for the service are entering the library.

Patrons can browse the collection and check out books, return items, pick up holds, connect to Wi-Fi, and use the space for studying or reading.

“We know our patrons would like the libraries to be open more and especially on Sundays,” said County Librarian Alison McKee. “We don’t have the budget to staff the libraries on Sundays, but this pilot offers an alternative solution that, if successful, could expand to other branches in the future.”

“The Library is such an important resource in our communities,” said District IV Supervisor Ken Carlson. “Having self-service hours on Sundays will give more people the opportunity to use libraries more often.”

To sign up for the service, patrons must have a library card in good standing, a valid ID, attend an in-person orientation, and sign the user agreement. Approved patrons will scan their library card at the door and use a unique PIN code to enter.

The Library will assess the pilot program after six months and consider expansion.

“We are very excited to have a pilot program on Sundays that rewards our residents with self-service, which goes with our spirit of being in concordance with one another to build a community with trust and cooperation,” said Concord Mayor Edi Birsan.

Services not available will include computers, printing, scanning, and photocopying, restrooms, LINK+ pickups, and returns, use of the community meeting room, and the Friends bookstore.

The first open Sunday will be December 1, but patrons must sign up for the service in advance. Sign-ups are available now. To get started visit, ccclib.org/self-service-sundays.

Has history of arrests dating back to 2014, twice for shoplifting less than $950; already out of custody

By Benicia Police Department

During the late night hours on Sunday, Nov. 3rd, officers made contact with a driver for multiple vehicle code violations in the 1900 Block of E. 2nd Street.  During the initial conversation officers noticed a meth pipe visible in the vehicle.  Upon further search, the suspect, 48-year-old male out of Antioch, Gabriel Ryan Henry was found to be in possession of methamphetamine. 

Also found were Norco pill (without prescription), burglary tools, multiple plastic bottles smelling of gasoline, a collection of flexible hoses, bolt cutters, and approximately $500 of stolen groceries from the Benicia Safeway.  The suspect’s car was impounded, and he was arrested and booked into County Jail without incident. 

The five-foot, nine-inch tall, 230-pound Hispanic suspect was charged with the following crimes:

11377(A) HS: Possess controlled substance (M)
11350(A) HS: Possess narcotic controlled substance (M)
11364(A) HS: Possess unlawful paraphernalia (M)
4060 BP: Possess controlled substances without a prescription (M)
466 PC: Possess/etc burglary tools (M)
459.5(A) PC: Shoplifting (M)

Case #24-1642

According to localcrimenews.com, Henry’s bail was set at $7,500 and has a history of arrests by dating back to 2014 by multiple agencies including Concord PD, Walnut Creek PD, Clayton PD, Dublin PD and the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office. He was charged with a variety of crimes including petty theft, drug possession, receiving or concealing stolen property and shoplifting.

According to the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, Henry was released early Monday morning, Nov. 4th.

In Sunnyvale

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Friday, Nov. 2, 2024, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) issued the following statement after the Department of Commerce announced that the CHIPS for America Design and Collaboration Facility (DCF), the official headquarters of the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), will be established in California. Earlier this year, Padilla led the entire California Democratic delegation in urging Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to establish the NSTC headquarters in California.

The DCF in Sunnyvale, California, will be a colocation of the NSTC headquarters and the flagship design hub from where all NSTC R&D work will be coordinated. The headquarters will serve as a site to host NSTC member and semiconductor ecosystem convenings, NSTC programmatic activities, the Workforce Center of Excellence, the future investment fund, and more. The national design facility will include the NSTC Design Enablement Gateway and an institution for design research focused on chip design, electronic design automation, hardware security, and chip system architecture.

“California is the clear choice to lead NSTC’s semiconductor innovation and R&D. Our state has built a world-class innovation economy and has been at the forefront of the semiconductor industry for decades. We are uniquely positioned to leverage our R&D, manufacturing capacity, and end-users to drive this industry forward.

“Establishing the NSTC headquarters in California will capitalize on our state’s unparalleled assets to grow a highly skilled workforce and develop next-generation advancements. I am confident that this CHIPS Act funding will propel emerging technologies and protect America’s global semiconductor leadership, all while bringing good-paying jobs to our state.”

Santa Clara County alone holds 20 percent of all semiconductor utility patents granted in the last decade, and California is home to more semiconductor R&D, design, intellectual property (IP), and electronic design automation (EDA) firms than Texas, New York, and Oregon combined – with over 175 companies operating out of Silicon Valley. The design facility is one of three planned major NSTC centers. The Department of Commerce recently announced the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Accelerator in New York, and said a Prototyping and NAPMP Advanced Packaging Piloting Facility is still forthcoming.

In April, Padilla, Senator Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.-18), and Representative Doris Matsui (D-Calif.-07) led the entire California Democratic delegation in urging Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to establish the NSTC headquarters in California. The letter came after Padilla and Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statement rebuking the CHIPS Program Office’s (CPO) cancellation of the third CHIPS Act Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for advanced commercial research and development facilities in the United States.

In 2022, Senator Padilla and Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) sent a letter urging Senate leadership to support provisions in the final version of the United States Innovation and Competition Act that would require semiconductor companies receiving federal assistance for research, design, and manufacturing to invest in a more diverse workforce and improve procurement from minority-, veteran-, and women-owned businesses. Padilla and Warnock applauded the passage of one of these provisions through the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) for America Act later that year.

To view the release online, click here.

By Lt. Joe Njoroge #7052, Antioch Police Field Services Division

On November 02, 2024, at approximately 7:56 PM, Antioch Police officers responded to reports of a solo go-cart collision on N. Lake Drive. Upon arrival, officers found the 54-year-old male (unknown resident) driver of the go-cart on the ground, suffering from major injuries and unresponsive. Officers on scene immediately provided medical assistance to the driver until paramedics arrived. The driver was thereafter transported to an area hospital where he is currently being treated.

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 go-cart driver was traveling eastbound on N. Lake Drive at a high rate of speed and collided with a parked vehicle after veering off the roadway.

According to a resident who chose to remain anonymous a neighbor said, “I thought someone had died. There was blood everywhere.”

“APD towed a go-cart, I was told,” the resident continued. “Someone always driving around Lake Alhambra in a go-cart.  Those don’t belong on the street!!!”

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.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Helps fund the STREET III – Sideshow, Takeover, Racing, Education, and Enforcement Taskforce

By CHP Media Relations

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol (CHP) received $2 million in federal funding that will expand its major crackdown on dangerous sideshows and street racing statewide, holding participants and organizers accountable for reckless driving behaviors.

Federal funding for the Sideshow, Takeover, Racing, Education, and Enforcement Taskforce (STREET III) grant comes after the CHP received $5.5 million in state funding to combat illegal street racing and sideshow activities, resulting in a 40% decrease in illegal sideshow incidents from 2021 to 2022. The STREET III grant aims to reduce the number of fatal and injury traffic crashes attributed to reckless driving, street racing, and sideshows. The CHP will implement a public awareness campaign to tackle these unlawful activities and conduct specialized enforcement operations such as excessive speeding behaviors where motorists are traveling more than 100 mph on state highways. Last year, CHP officers participating in specialized speed enforcement operations from January 2023 to July 2024 issued over 30,000 citations to motorists exceeding 100 mph.

“Sideshows and street takeovers are reckless, criminal activities that endanger our communities and make streets less safe. We have seen too many people killed or hurt at these illegal events. California will continue to ramp up our efforts to crack down on sideshows. For anyone considering attending a sideshow: know that not only do you risk getting hurt at these events, but you also risk the potential loss of your vehicle,” said Governor Gavin Newsom.

Since February, the CHP has made 1,125 arrests, seized 110 illegal guns, and recovered more than 2,000 stolen vehicles in Alameda County and the East Bay alone. Last month, Governor Newsom signed four bills into law that impose stricter penalties and strengthen law enforcement’s ability to combat sideshows and street takeovers.

“The CHP’s top priority is the safety of our communities. This new grant allows us to strengthen our efforts in addressing the growing issues of sideshows and illegal street racing, which endanger lives and disrupt neighborhoods,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee.“By increasing patrols, deploying advanced technology, and partnering with local organizations, we are committed to making our roads safer and holding those responsible for reckless driving accountable.”

Alongside allied agencies, the CHP established task forces to tackle the challenges posed by street racing and sideshows.  In addition, social media initiatives have been introduced to enhance public awareness regarding the dangers associated with aggressive driving behaviors, including illegal street racing and sideshows. The STREET III grant allows for a campaign starting this month through September 30, 2025. 

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.