🌱 CoCo County Doubles Testing + Antioch Sesquicentennial

Jeri Karges
Updated ·5 min read

Happy Thursday, neighbors! Here's everything you need to know about what's happening today.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 62 Low: 42.

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Here are the top five stories today in Concord:

  1. Contra Costa County is testing almost twice as many people for COVID-19 than any other time during the pandemic, county health services director Anna Roth told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. The county is administering about 15,000 tests per day. Before the latest surge, the high was 8,400. Active daily cases, which have been rising since November with the arrival of the omicron variant, are currently at a seven-day average of 2,320 a day, Roth said. County officials are just starting to see those numbers stabilize. (Bay City News)

  2. Contra Costa communities are scrambling to rewrite local ordinances and waste hauler contracts to meet a new state law’s compost benchmarks. Senate Bill 1383, effective Jan. 1, requires California residents and businesses to separate food waste from the rest of our trash. The statewide mandate will require cities to implement new infrastructures as well as monitoring and reporting practices. “There will be a fee increase to cover the costs of providing this new service.” Councilmember Carlyn Obringer said. The program, which will be phased in over the next two years, is the most ambitious piece of waste reduction legislation in decades. (Pioneer Publishers)

  3. On January 16, the CHP’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force carried out an operation in an undisclosed location in the Bay Area, which they say led to the arrest of a known fencing suspect and recovery of stolen merchandise worth an estimated $185,000. The Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF) was first organized in 2019, bringing together law enforcement agencies across California. Since 2019, the CHP has participated in 773 investigations, made 240 arrests, and assisted in recovering nearly $19 million in merchandise. (News 24/680)

  4. Two people suspected of a series of jewelry thefts targeting senior citizens in San Ramon and elsewhere in the Bay Area were detained by police during a traffic stop at Crow Canyon Road and Reedland Circle around 3:15 p.m. Monday after detectives developed a lead stemming from another San Ramon theft that took place on Sunday January 16, 2022. Following the officer’s investigation, the two suspects were arrested and booked on multiple felony charges, including Grand Theft, Theft from an Elder/Dependent Adult, and Conspiracy to Commit a Crime. (News 24/680)

  5. The San Joaquin County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified 37-year-old Reginald Hill, of Stockton, as the man killed when a 15-year-old suspect, wanted out of Contra Costa County, allegedly crashed into his car while evading police Sunday. An officer with the Stockton Police Department was helping San Joaquin County sheriff’s deputies "catch up" to the 15-year-old. A spokesperson for the Concord Police Department said the 15-year-old's car was wanted for felony evasion following an incident earlier in January, but added that the driver of that car wasn't identified. (ABC10)

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Today in Concord:

  • Celebrate Visit Concord's 5th Annual Comfort Food Week with a Mixer at Side Gate Brewery & Beer Garden! (4:00 PM)

  • Join NAMI CC to Celebrate the launching of the African American Uplift Program, designed to support peers, families, & the community by utilizing lived experience, African-centered approaches, and community defined strategies. (4:30 PM)

  • Check out Live Band Karaoke Thursdays at Retro Junkie in Walnut Creek. (9:00 PM)

From my notebook:

  • This year, Antioch is celebrating 150 years of cityhood! In 2022, the City of Antioch, in partnership with the Celebrate Antioch Foundation, is planning a series of events to pay tribute to our heritage and vision of the future. The first celebration will be to mark the anniversary of incorporation on February 6th. This will be a small ceremony located at the “Birthplace of Antioch” historical marker at the foot of F Street, followed by a reception at the Nick Rodriquez Community Center. (Antioch on the Move)

  • Have you ever wondered about that beautiful mural in downtown Walnut Creek? Check out a video of the story and watch the creation all over again!

  • Households in Concord can order up to four free rapid antigen coronavirus tests beginning with the launch of a federal government website — covidtests.gov — to help ease a nationwide shortage of the tests. Orders will be shipped within seven to 12 days, according to senior Biden administration officials briefing reporters Friday. (Concord Patch)

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You're all caught up for today! I'll see you soon.

— Jeri Karges

About me: Jeri Karges has been living in and loving the Sacramento region for over 30 years. Her passion is finding new and unique ways to enjoy the city and surrounding areas. On weekends, you can find her pestering her friends to sample the restaurant that doesn't have silverware, or try their hand at throwing an axe. Jeri also enjoys writing about retirement planning at https://rockinretirement.subst...

This article originally appeared on the Concord Patch