ANTIOCH – The Antioch Unified School District supervisor accused of using a forklift to put an underling’s desk on a roof and other instances of bullying and harassment has been placed on administrative leave, officials confirmed to this news organization. The decision to place Kenneth Turnage II on leave comes as AUSD opens two independent investigations into the district’s alleged mishandling of complaints that first publicly surfaced last fall. Some employees who filed complaints against Turnage have accused Superintendent Stephanie Anello of turning a blind eye to the alleged misconduct be ..read more

BRENTWOOD — Two decades after it was first proposed, a regional amphitheater and event center project in southern Brentwood is on hold, with a smaller, outdoor community-oriented performance venue now planned. Costs have skyrocketed from $8 million to $14.5 million in the first phase of The Vineyards at Marsh Creek amphitheater/event center. The City Council, at a special meeting on Tuesday, was asked by staff whether to continue the project in south Brentwood, to pause it or to revisit its scope. In January, the council directed staff to move forward with an environmental review and examine s ..read more

MARTINEZ — Two years after prosecutors charged an Antioch man with murdering his wife and son inside their apartment, a third victim has been added to the case: the unborn child of the woman who authorities now say was at least seven weeks into a pregnancy. John Henderson Walton Jr., 36, now faces three murder charges and special circumstances enhancements for allegedly bludgeoning to death 30-year-old Alexis Parson and 15-year-old Malik El-Ameen. At the time of Walton’s arrest in 2022, Antioch police specifically noted in a news release that an autopsy determined Parson was “not pregnant.” Pr ..read more

California’s population grew for the first time in three years as legal immigration rebounded and the great California exodus during the COVID pandemic dramatically slowed as remote workers returned to the office, according to a state report released Tuesday. The overall population gains were relatively small — a net increase of some 67,000 people to raise California’s population to 39.1 million people in 2023, according to the California Department of Finance. Some Bay Area counties lost population, including Alameda and San Mateo, as layoffs took hold last year and residents continued to see ..read more

”Survey says” looks at various rankings and scorecards judging geographic locations while noting these grades are best seen as a mix of artful interpretation and data. Buzz: Californians are increasingly worried about the economy, with their collective optimism falling to nearly a two-year low. Source: My trusty spreadsheet analyzed the Conference Board’s monthly consumer confidence indexes for the state, which are based on regular polling of shoppers. We also peeked at the national results and optimism scores for two California economic rivals: Texas and Florida. Topline California’s co ..read more

Long ago, Bay Area residents left their homes to be entertained. Before TV, record players or even radio, the local concert hall was the place to see vaudeville or grand opera, popular touring bands, famous singers or silent movies accompanied by the music of a live organ. By the early 1900s, nearly every Bay Area enclave had its own live performance space. Some of these venues felt like small palaces, as splendid as the finest big-city opera house. Others began as neighborhood clubs or community halls, before evolving into beloved destinations for arts and culture. Several of these historic t ..read more

We live in a ranking age with lists of “best” and “worst” and “in-between” touching every slice of life, industry and geography. Some of these scorecards are based on polling. Others are data-based, trying to decipher government or business stats. And some are simply opinions – individual or consensus. Yes, these rankings can be discussion starters – whether for policy debate or just plain fun. Before the chats get too intense, be aware that the creation of these grades is far more art than statistical science. I’m bemused at the wave of state-vs.-state rankings that flow into my inbox at work ..read more

Protestors are gathering at Antioch Police Department on Sunday to address concerns over the reinstatement of some officers involved in last year’s racist, homophobic and sexist text scandal. “A bunch of them are starting to get their jobs back and we don’t want them (to),” said Reimagine Antioch’s Frank Sterling Jr., one of the organizers of the rally. The rally was set to begin at 2 p.m. Sunday in the parking lot of Walgreens on Deer Valley Road in Antioch. The plan — as detailed on First Voice Media’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/firstvoicemedia — was then to move to the police d ..read more

U.S. health officials are closely monitoring the recent leap of avian flu from birds to cattle — and earlier this month, to a Texas dairy farmer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stresses the current public health risk is low — the virus isn’t known to spread among people or through the food supply, is rarely caught from exposure to infected animals, and where human infections have occurred, is often mild and manageable. But the leap of the H5N1 influenza strain, widespread among wild fowl and a regular threat to domestic poultry, into cattle was unexpected, and a worrisome devel ..read more

In California, rattlesnakes bite about 800 people in a typical year; approximately two are fatal in a year. The threat usually begins in April and will decrease by September. Rattlesnakes are not confined to rural areas. They have been found near urban areas, rivers, lakes and golf courses. Rattlesnakes do not always rattle before striking defensively. Related Articles Environment | Bird flu’s disturbing new turn into cattle — are California herds safe? Environment | Northern California dog owners warned by state wildlife officials to keep their canines away from raw fish Environment | Giv ..read more