Kenneth “Chris” Hurst Sr. is the new leader of the West Contra Costa Unified School District, replacing Matthew Duffy, who led WCCUSD for five years. Before taking the job in May, Hurst was superintendent of the Othello School District in Othello, Washington, for five years, where he is credited with increasing graduation rates and decreasing overall student absences. Prior to his long career in education, he served 12 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. Following that, he received his doctorate in…
In a Facebook message posted Saturday, two days after a body believed to be that of missing Richmond teen Antoine Whittley was found in San Pablo Bay, those who rallied to find him thanked the community for its support and condolences. “We continue to mourn and celebrate Antoine’s life,” read the post on the “Find Antoine Whittley” Facebook page, which was created after the 17-year-old Kennedy High School student went missing in February. On Thursday, police announced a body was…
As the delta variant spreads across the state, the number of new COVID-19 cases has more than doubled in Contra Costa County since California officially reopened on June 15. Over the last two weeks, 76% of 96 new specimens collected have been of the delta variant. “This is just a sampling, but it’s safe to say we have seen delta steadily grow in Contra Costa County,” said Dr. Sefanit Mekuria, deputy health officer with Contra Costa Health Services. “We believe…
Richmond teen Antoine Whittley was last seen on Feb. 10 on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.
It could take as long as six months before people in Richmond know what caused a Chevron pipeline to leak hundreds of gallons of a diesel product into San Francisco Bay in February. An independent firm will investigate what caused a quarter-inch hole to open in the line, allowing 500 to 750 gallons of a diesel-water mixture to pollute the bay, Randy Sawyer, deputy director of Contra Costa County Health Services, told Richmond City Council. He said the work will…