🌱Pittsburg Men Guilty in Death Row Case + Last Music & Market!

Hey, friends! I'm back with your new copy of the Concord Daily, fresh off the presses. Follow along for everything you need to know about what's going on around town. Today's briefing includes news about...

• Walnut Creek Meals on Wheels was lucky to be right next door to Fire Station #1 on Friday. That's because their building caught fire!
• Concord City Council has $19M in ARPA funds to allocate. Check out where it is recommended to go.
• Thursday night marks the last Music and Market of the season. Attending is a great way to send summer off in style.

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But first, today's weather:

Sunny and remaining warm. High: 88 Low: 56.

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Here are the top stories in Concord today:

1. Two Pittsburg men plead guilty in federal court on Friday, along with another man from Tracy, to charges of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and bribery of a public official. Another woman from Las Vegas had already plead guilty to the charges. According to the Department of Justice "On September 29, 2021, Keith Christopher, 38, of Pittsburg; Isaiah Wells, 33, of Tracy; Tanisa Smith-Symes, 46, of Las Vegas, Nevada; and Dustin Albini, 38, of Pittsburg, were charged in a federal indictment with bribery of a public official and conspiring to smuggle numerous cell phones into San Quentin State Prison (SQP) located in Marin County." Christopher was employed by San Quentin State Prison on the block known as "Death Row." Again, according to the DOJ "the object of the conspiracy was to pay Christopher bribes in exchange for his smuggling of contraband cell phones into SQP. He delivered the cell phones to [a condemned inmate], who in turn sold the phones to other inmates." U.S. District Judge Illston scheduled sentencing hearings for Christopher and Wells for January 13, 2023, and set status hearings for Albini and Smith-Symes for September 15, 2023. (Claycord.com)
2. At the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Concord City Council is expected to allocate $19M in Federal relief funds. According to the staff report, the following proposals will be reviewed: $7 million for city projects, including infrastructure, public safety and special events. $7 million for grants to nonprofit organizations for housing and non-housing projects. $3 million to be combined with the previously allocated $2.4 million to support the unhoused. $2 million for grants to small businesses, including licensed family child-care homes. (Pioneer Publishers)
3. If your building is going to catch on fire, you'd pretty much hope the firefighters would be right next door. As luck would have it, that's just what happened at the Meals on Wheels Walnut Creek location on Saturday night. It's right next door to the firehouse and when firefighters heard the alarms go off, they jumped into action. You can see some great pictures of the action in this article from News 24/680. (News 24/680)
4. Police and fire department personnel responded to an apartment on Carol Lane in Lafayette on Saturday night where a homeowner had, reportedly, disarmed a man with a gun who broke into their house. According to News 24/680, "Early indications are that a struggle ensued with the occupants wresting control of the weapon away from a white male in his 20s and overwhelming him. Several neighbors reportedly ran to assist the tenants. The suspect was found down and bleeding from a 'significant' head injury." The exact nature of the injuries was unknown at press time. (News 24/680)

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Today in Concord:

• It's Martini Monday at Smith's Landing Seafood Grill in Antioch. Signature cocktails are only $6 all day. (All Day)
• It's Manic Monday at Painting with a Twist where you get 50% off the second seat you reserve. They're painting fireflies tonight. (6:30 PM)
• Come Jam with instructor Vince Lay lead guitar/vocals and Joey Nunez acoustic guitar on the new stage and dancefloor at Vinnie's Open Mic Monday event at Vinnie's Bar in Concord. (8:30 PM)

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From my notebook:

• Hancock is a good boy! Friday night K9 officer Hancock was asked to assist in a vehicle search. Hancock used his nose and located methamphetamine hidden in the vehicle. Excellent work Officer Hancock! (Concord Police K9 Association via Facebook)
• Visit Concord welcomes new Taco Trail destination and recently opened ISLA Restaurant on Clayton Road, in Concord, to the trail! They offer a wide range of Mexican favorites and traditional seafood dishes and of course, delicious tacos! (Visit Concord via Instagram)
• This Thursday is the last Music and Market of the summer! Come out and send off summer the right way, with fresh produce and fresh music! (City of Concord, California via Facebook)
• Check out these pictures from Walnut Creek Magazine of The Creek before it was The Creek! Walnut Creek was first known for its grapes. but prohibition made those crops less valuable. "By 1936, Walnut Creek was celebrating walnuts, pears, and citrus. Its annual fundraising carnival, The Walnut Festival, became the city's signature event." Did you attend the Walnut Festival at Heather Farms Park last weekend? The 1936 event was its ancestor.

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Monday! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with another update.

— 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...

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Concord Daily? Contact me at Concord-Ca@Patch.com