🌱Messy Hwy 24 Crash + Concord Christmas Day Eats + Wknd Weather

Jeri Karges
Updated ·4 min read

Good morning, Concord! Let's get this Friday started off right. Here's everything you need to know about what's happening around Concord today.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny. High: 54 Low: 46.

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Here are the top 5 stories today in Concord:

  1. Walnut Creek’s future swim and community centers at Heather Farm will be constructed on the current community center site, the Walnut Creek City Council decided unanimously this week. Council members said the site is the least-noisy option for nearby residents and people using the park’s garden area. It will also maintain the community center’s view of the pond, which won’t be affected by the construction. “One of the things that really leads me to the community center site is the fact that, if you have a two-year construction window (at the current swim center), that means that’s two years where the kids don’t have city meet,” said Councilmember Cindy Darling. “They don’t have county meet, don’t have aquabears. This is going to be impacting the same generations that have been so impacted by COVID, and I don’t want to take anything else away from them at this point.” (Claycord.com)

  2. The driver of a semi truck walked away from a messy crash off Highway 24 onto Pleasant Hill Road early Thursday. Police closed the roadway to facilitate cleanup of spilled automotive fuels. The crash was reported shortly after 3 a.m. with the truck driver reportedly telling authorities that he had been rear-ended by another vehicle just prior to the crash. That vehicle left the scene. (News 24/680)

  3. The California Highway Patrol will ramp up its presence Friday in Concord, Contra Costa County and across the Golden State. All available CHP officers will hit the roads from 6 p.m. Friday to 11:59 p.m. Sunday. "Our goal is the same as yours: to make certain you arrive safely at your destination," said CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray in the statement. (Concord Patch)

  4. Nationally, about 77 percent of inpatient beds were occupied as of Dec. 22, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. About one out of every 10 beds are occupied by a COVID-19 patient. Here are the latest figures for hospitals in Contra Costa County. (Concord Patch)

  5. Following weeks of work, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission (CCRC) final maps released Monday put Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin and Sunol in a new state Senate 5th District that separates them from Contra Costa County cities, including Danville and San Ramon. The move makes them the western-most cities in a district that runs east to include San Joaquin County municipalities, including Stockton, Tracy and Manteca. The district includes the Altamont Pass and Interstate 580 from Dublin to Tracy. (Livermore Independent)

Today's Concord Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in Concord!

Today in Concord:

  • Have a Christmas Eve dinner to remember at LB Steak in San Ramon. The holiday inspired menu additions look amazing! (4:30 PM)

  • Dave "Ouzo" Land does Canyon Club. Spend Christmas Eve with friends at Moraga's newest and coolest brewery! (6:00 PM)

  • Join the Christmas Eve Party featuring Heart & Soul (Huey Lewis & the News Tribute) at Retro Junkie in Walnut Creek. (7:00 PM)

  • Listen to live music and dance the night away at the iconic Roundup Saloon in Lafayette. (9:00 PM)

From my notebook:

  • Here's your weekend weather forecast, as reported by AccuWeather. (Concord Patch)

  • The end of the year is a time to reminisce. Here's a look at some of the most influential families in Concord's history. Do you know any descendents?

  • Tired of all of the chaos of the holidays? Take Christmas off and let someone else cook for you! Here's a list of the restaurants that are open on Christmas Day in Concord.

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday off right. 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