Latest News
The Almost Daily Briefing, October 9, 2025
The Almost Daily Briefing
Published news articles from local, regional, and national media on topics of interest to the #LoveLafayette Community
LOCAL NEWS
Green Valley Fire: Fire Breaks Out Next to Acalanes - The Contra Costa County Firefighters received a call at 4:57 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 3 with news that three small spot fires broke out along Pleasant Hill Road. By the time they arrived on scene, the fires had merged into a single vegetation fire. (Acalanes Blueprint)
Use an Electric Blower or Rake Those Leaves - City of Lafayette is reminds the public that gas-powered leaf blowers are not permitted for use in Lafayette.(Contra Costa News)
Bay Area community will have to use California FAIR plan as rate hike looms - The entire city of Clayton shares a common ZIP code, 94517. And hundreds of its homeowners there share something else: They've all been kicked out of their insurance companies and sent to the California FAIR Plan. The 215 homeowners have been "non-renewed" and sent to the FAIR Plan, which covers only fire loss and can cost thousands of dollars more than private insurance. (CBS)
How a City Awash in Garbage Is Trying to Take Out the Trash - Illegal dumping plagues cities nationwide, but Oakland has one of the nation’s worst problems when accounting for the city’s smaller footprint and population of 444,000. Based on rough estimates provided by local governments, it appears that only a handful of larger cities, such as Los Angeles and Detroit, pick up more illegally discarded garbage each year. (New York Times)
Contra Costa Fire to Host Open House and Pancake Breakfast - The community is invited to join Contra Costa County Fire Protection District on Oct 11 for an open house and pancake breakfast in the City of Concord. (Contra Costa News)
Major Pharmacy Closes All CA Locations Amid Bankruptcy - The pharmacy chain Rite Aid has closed the remainder of its stores in California and nationwide as it continues its bankruptcy proceedings.(Patch)
'Communities will not survive': Insurance nightmares could empty small California towns - As wildfire risks rise, rural living faces new demands (SF Gate) Related: California FAIR Plan asks state for major increase for home insurance coverage (Sacramento Bee)
2 Major CA Faults Could Produce Back-To-Back Earthquake Disasters, Study Says (Patch)
New California law makes Diwali a state holiday starting in 2026 - Public schools are required to shutter for some holidays including New Year’s Day, Memorial Day and Thanksgiving. The new state law gives school boards the ability to give teachers and students the day off for Diwali as well, but it doesn’t require them to. (East Bay Times)
California sues city over surveillance data, warns it can be shared with federal agencies - California limits how police store and share data they collect with automated license plate readers to protect residents’ privacy. The state is suing El Cajon, alleging it’s misusing that data. (Cal Matters)
These Napa wineries lost millions in a wildfire. Can they find someone to blame — and pay for it? (San Francisco Chronicle)
LOCAL HAPPENINGS
Indigenous Peoples Day - City Admin. Offices will be closed on Monday, Oct. 13
Read the Fall 2025 Issue of Lafayette Vistas
Lafayette Planning Applications Received
Major Development Projects Map
Lafayette Community Information & Emergency Radio AM 1670
Shop, Dine & Gather in Lafayette
HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION AND CITY PLANNING
Developers tout California affordable housing aid amid high demand, uncertainty - It had been several days since a California housing agency announced it was funding housing developments across the state, but Linda Mandolini was still excited. Her organization, Eden Housing, received tens of millions of dollars for five projects […] The recent awards from the California Department of Housing and Community Development totaled more than $414 million for 30 projects. Overall, there were more than 160 proposals submitted for consideration, a sign of the high demand for state dollars. (Sacramento Bee)
Forget stock options. Some Bay Area employers are handing out down payments - Employers from local governments to universities are offering their employees down payment assistance to help them buy a home closer to work. (Mercury News)
Why this wealthy Bay Area suburb is at the center of the next big fight over California housing - Los Altos Hills agreed to legalize some apartment buildings. State housing regulators agreed. Nearly two years later, the town wants the state to reconsider. (Cal Matters)
A Wave of New Apartment Buildings Is Set to Take Over Midtown Manhattan - For years, office-to-residential conversions were concentrated in lower Manhattan, where buildings tend to be older. But recent changes in zoning laws and project restrictions — plus a weak office market — have developers eyeing newer properties farther north. As of early September, there are 12.4 million square feet of conversion projects underway or planned in Manhattan. (Bloomberg CityLab)
Where New York City's Zoning Reform Will Add Housing - The ‘City of Yes’ plan is already having an impact. The changes to the city’s landscape will mostly be subtle — on purpose. (Bloomberg CityLab)
SFMTA finds new cameras cut speeding 72% at 15 sites, spurring changed driver behavior – (Local News Matters)
Why electric bikes are everywhere in Berkeley (Berkeleyside)
MIXTAPE
Deadline Extended For NorCal Residential Earthquake Retrofit Grants
The Walnut Festival moves from Walnut Creek to Antioch due to construction at Heather Farm Park
Danville Named One Of Nicest Small Towns In NorCal
Teens 'Recklessly' Drive E-Bikes Through Danville, Run Red Light While Fleeing Police
Clipper BayPass phase two pilot shows success with single pass option
Newsom signs first-in-nation law to ban ultraprocessed food in school lunches
La Niña has returned. Here’s what it means for California weather
MEANWHILE IN ANOTHER LAFAYETTE
Lafayettte’s Public Safety Center has changed its lights to pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
AND FINALLY…
Saint Mary's and Cal will co-host the ITA Northwest Regional Women’s Tennis Championships from Friday through Tuesday at the Hellman Tennis Complex and Channing Tennis Courts in Berkeley and at the Timothy Korth Tennis Complex in Moraga. The event is a qualifying tournament for the NCAA Singles Championship and NCAA Doubles Championship and is one of 13 ITA regional events around the country.
&
UC Berkeley professor Omar Yaghi wins Nobel prize in chemistry | UC Berkeley’s John Clarke wins Nobel Prize for discovery that led to iPhone, quantum computers
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The Almost Daily Briefing (ADB) is an aggregation of links to news articles from local and regional newspapers, magazines, websites, and other news sources. Its purpose is to alert readers to current issues and affairs that may impact Lafayette. The ADB does not promote, favor, disfavor, support, reject, or endorse any position, candidate, campaign, or proposition, and nothing about the ADB, including the selection, presentation, arrangement, or content of the links presented should be construed as an advocacy position.
At times, the ADB features articles from sites that limit access for nonsubscribers. The Contra Costa Library offers access to multiple newspapers online for all cardholders, including the Los Angeles Times (via the ProQuest E-Library digital resource) and the New York Times Digital. Visit the library’s website to learn how to get a library card or access digital services.
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