Launched on June 12, the City of Martinez Outdoor Downtown program gives merchants the opportunity to provide outdoor dining and shopping experiences for their customers, while facilitating the physical distancing of patrons to comply with the current County Health Order. By allowing businesses to use portions of City sidewalks, streets, …

BY DANIEL GLUSKOTER Jumping out to a 5-0 first inning lead before Shohei Ohtani could record an out, the A’s rode five shut out innings from their bullpen to record a 6-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels Sunday afternoon at the Coliseum. In what had the potential to be …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ Hours before the first pitch of the 2020 MLB season was to be thrown, the Major League Baseball Players Association and the owners announced an agreement that will expand the postseason from ten teams to 16 teams for the 2020 campaign. Each league will still feature three …

BY DEBRA J. MORRIS We never imagined that a COVID-19 pandemic would upend nearly every aspect of society and the local food supply chain. Thankfully, farmers markets were declared essential businesses early on, albeit smaller and with limited access and with extensive safety guidelines and restrictions. More than ever before, …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ As of this writing, the delayed MLB season is set to commence in a matter of days. It’s still entirely possible that circumstances driven by the COVID-19 pandemic may prevent games from actually being played, but until that becomes reality, a preview of what the season may …

BY J.A. SCHWARTZ As the COVID-19 pandemic looms over the competitive sports landscape in the US, Major League Baseball will become the first of the four major leagues to attempt to stage contests, though they will do so without fans to witness them. Starting Thursday, July 23, the latest Opening …

The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday that 30-year-old Martinez resident Joseph Osuna has been charged with three criminal counts, including two felonies, for his alleged action of the unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person on Sunday, July 5. Osuna drove by a Black Lives …

No one is non-essential. Families and businesses around Martinez have felt the economic impact of the government shut down orders. To help out families hardest hit by the shelter in place, and local restaurants that lost business, a local attorney is stimulating Main Street with $30,000 in free meals. Tully …

At a special Board meeting on July 14, 2020, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an urgency ordinance that continues an eviction moratorium for residential tenants and small businesses in the County through September 30, 2020. The urgency ordinance also continues a moratorium on certain residential rent …

Putting both the drama and trauma of a recent series of racist incidents the past few weeks behind it, a crowd estimated of close to 2,000 people gathered in downtown Martinez Sunday afternoon for a peaceful protest march from the county courthouse to Waterfront Park calling for an end to racial …