BENICIA – Benicia voters could decide on two ballot measures to raise taxes in the city in November as the City Council is proceeding with a plan for a new property transfer tax and a group of citizens have proposed a new sales tax, just months after voters already approved a sales tax hike. The City Council voted on Tuesday to move forward with a proposal to place a measure on the November ballot to become a limited charter city for the sole purpose of instituting a real property transfer tax. City staff will bring a proposed set of terms to the council for approval on May 21 which will incl ..read more

VALLEJO – The Vallejo City Council is expected to confirm the appointment of former Pinole City Manager Andrew Murray as Vallejo’s next permanent city manager at the council meeting on Tuesday, according to a council agenda published Wednesday afternoon. He will be hired at a salary of $303,000, according to the council agenda. Councilmember Tina Arriola said that Murray’s experience and knowledge of city government stood out from the other candidates. “We've got a lot of big projects in the pipeline,” she said. “I think he’s ready to take the bull by the horns.” Arriola said she thought the ..read more

VALLEJO – The city of Vallejo was sued on Friday for an incident that went viral on TikTok last October when a Vallejo police officer pulled a woman from a car, slammed her against a cement truck and punched her after she had crashed while fleeing the officer. The lawsuit on behalf of Maiya Green, who was 19 years old at the time of her arrest, accuses Vallejo police and Officer Colin Eaton of excessive force and assault, among other allegations. Eaton was pursuing Green for shoplifting at a nearby Kohl’s store. Eaton has a history of discipline for excessive force and was one of six officers ..read more

VALLEJO — This week you can enjoy a five-ringed circus, shop from small businesses while being entertained by live music on the waterfront, run with mermaids on Mare Island, and meet local artists, musicians and downtown business owners during Art Walk. The Garden Bros. Nuclear Circus will be at the Solano County Fairgrounds with two shows on both Thursday and Friday, and three shows on both Saturday and Sunday. The five-ringed circus, which claims to be the largest circus on earth, is an action-packed, fast-paced, 100-minute performance with acts named Human Slingshot, Wheel of Death, Human ..read more

BENICIA - The school principal at Robert Semple Elementary School was placed on paid administrative leave last week as the Benicia Unified School District conducts an investigation into claims made in pending litigation, according to an email sent to district parents on Sunday and obtained by the Vallejo Sun.  A lawsuit filed last month involving four former students alleges that Robert Semple Elementary School Principal Christina Moore mishandled misconduct allegations from students about former 5th grade teacher Matthew Joseph Shelton during the 2022-2023 school year.  Shelton was ..read more

VALLEJO – A planned 47-unit supportive housing project under construction on Broadway in North Vallejo is facing a $6.1 million budget shortfall caused by construction delays and the loss of a key partner, according to information revealed by city officials last month during an emergency request for sales tax revenue to bail out the project. Construction on the project began in September 2022. City officials estimated that it would cost $22 million with an expected opening date in the spring of 2023. But delays and funding problems have pushed the overall estimated cost of the project to $26 ..read more

VALLEJO – The city of Vallejo was sued last week for a police shooting in November when an officer pursued two armed robbery suspects and shot one in the arm as he was running away while allegedly holding a gun.  Vallejo police have released few details about the Nov. 20 shooting, arguing that they are legally prohibited from disclosing information about it because the suspect was 17 years old at the time. But body camera video played in court and viewed by the Vallejo Sun showed Vallejo police Corporal Matthew Komoda shot the suspect while his back was to Komoda. The suspect, identified ..read more

VALLEJO – Students and other supporters of a plan to expand a Vallejo charter school into a vacant downtown building shut down Vallejo City Hall with a sit-in protest on Wednesday, a day after the Vallejo City Council voted to block the project. The council voted 4-3 at a special meeting Tuesday to reject the proposed high school, which would have been operated by Elite Public Schools. Under the plan, Elite would redevelop a downtown office building at 241-255 Georgia St. as a high school for 400 students. The city Planning Commission approved it in March, but the council vote upheld an appea ..read more

VALLEJO —  The Vallejo Yacht Club will be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday with food, drink and boating information during the annual Great Vallejo Race.  Live music and dancing take place in the clubhouse on Saturday evening. Vallejo’s waterfront-facing restaurants and parks also offer great views of the sailboats as they race from Berkeley to Vallejo on Saturday, and back to Berkeley on Sunday. Vallejo’s multicultural community will be out in force this weekend. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a fiesta downtown on Saturday, and Los Cochinos Latin rock and soul at Vino Godfat ..read more

BENICIA – The Benicia Unified School District is facing a second lawsuit accusing the district of failing to take adequate steps to prevent alleged sexual abuse by a former teacher at Robert Semple Elementary School.  Four students, who are not identified in the suit filed in Solano County Superior Court on April 24, allege Matthew Joseph Shelton, 42, harassed and sexually abused them during the 2022-23 school year. Shelton, who is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, was charged this year with seven felony counts of lewd acts with a child for allegations made by two victims. The vi ..read more