Martinez News

The Contra Costa County coroner's office determined in an autopsy today that an 18-year-old Martinez man whose body was found on the side of the road in an unincorporated part of the county Monday was strangled and suffered a blunt force injury to his head.

An 18-year-old man was found dead yesterday on McEwen Road, just north of Highway-4 in unincorporated Martinez, and today, authorities are saying he was the victim of a homicide.

George and Georgia Schumann, a retired couple from San Pablo, sit in the observation car after leaving Martinez on the California Zephyr in Martinez, Calif., as part of a nearly four-day train trip to Fayetteville, N.C., to visit their daughter and son-in-law and two grandchildren for Christmas on Wednesday, Dec.

"We have no motive and no suspects at this time," said Jimmy Lee, a spokesman for the sheriff's department, which was not releasing the man's name on Monday evening until family members could be notified.

An El Sobrante man suspected in the November 2008 death of a Martinez cyclist pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter, with nearly 50 of the victim's relatives and friends on hand to witness the brief proceeding.

To ensure that the show will go on, Martinez will keep paying the rent for the Willows Theatre Company.

MRS. FEZZIWIG busy at a table coloring the Jasmine character from Disney's "Aladdin," with a young singer, Marley, clanging his chains to the delight of Raggedy Ann, and the Train is showing off his roller blade skills to Tiny Tim.

Congressman George Miller, telephoning from Copenhagen, described what appears to be the failure of world leaders to come to a solid agreement at the global climate change summit as a disappointment but not a waste of time.

Students at Saul Martinez Elementary School thought they were going outside for a school assembly.

Ingredients for opening a new restaurant include savvy management, a skilled chef, tasty dishes and a freezer full of cash.

Steven Douglas Burton, 39, entered his guilty plea Monday in U.S. District Court in Riverside to a misdemeanor count of unauthorized wearing of military medals or decorations, averting a trial that had been scheduled for January.

Commuter: Why does Arco have lower prices than all the other gas stations? George Ramas, San Francisco Queen: That's an excellent question, George.

For the second time in six years, Martinez Junior High is on a watch list because some students did not meet achievement targets set by the U.S. Department of Education.

Hugh Vanderspek, general manager of BAE Systems, is overseeing the cleaning of the World War II-era Earlham Victory at drydock in San Francisco, Calif., Wednesday Dec.

A new health center for West Contra Costa, to be built on the campus of Doctors Medical Center San Pablo, took a big step closer toward reality Wednesday with a $12 million infusion of federal economic stimulus funds.

Police on Friday arrested 65 protesters inside a classroom building that was partially taken over for several days at the University of California, Berkeley.

Katrina Ritchie, at home in Berkeley, sports the same velvet jacket she wore in junior high school.

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A Sacramento area man was sentenced to death Tuesday for killing his sister and brother-in-law in their El Cerrito home in 2006, even though the couple's son said his parents did not believe in the death penalty and would not have wanted someone executed in their names.

This morning, a little before 2:30, two Contra Costa Sheriff's Deputies shot and wounded a burglary suspect after the 50-year-old Oakland man tried to run them over with his vehicle, according to the Sheriff's Office.