YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 20, No. 27
READ THE DAILY NEWS AT WWW.THEPRESS.NET!
July 6, 2018
Ranch, Mother murdered, son arrested Farm, Harvest Fresh by Ruth Roberts and Tony Kukulich Staff Writers
A Brentwood man was arrested Tuesday morning in connection with the murder of his mother. Marta Redmond, 54, was found dead in a bathroom around 10:30 a.m. in her home on the 300 block of Torrington Drive, according to Brentwood Police Captain Doug Silva. “It appears she was the victim of a violent assault,” said Silva. “Her son was taken into custody and will be charged with her murder.” Matthew Redmond, 29, was apprehended and questioned following reports of vehicle and residential burglaries in the neighborhood. “During the interview he made comments that caused po-
Photo by Tony Kukulich
Brentwood police officers confer outside the home of murder victim Marta Redmond, 54. Her son, Matthew Redmond, 29, will be charged with the violent assault, according to the Brentwood Police Department. lice to respond to the Torrington address at which time they found
Press national awards The Brentwood Press and Publishing Corporation has earned eight awards in the 2018 National Newspaper Association’s Better Newspapers Contest. Sports editor Kyle Szymanski took third-place honors in a story series for his article, “Seeing double, triple on the Heritage High School football field.” Press photographer Tony Kukulich won second place in the best sports photo category for his depiction of the Liberty High School football team’s last-minute win and shared third-place honors with The Press production team for best use of photography in our holiday issue. The production department took home firstplace accolades for “The Press Living 50 Plus” special section, second place for “The Press Auto Guide,” first place for best small-page ad for Gursky Ranch and graphic artist Anne Ray won second place for her Sticky Chicken and Ribs ad.
the body of the suspect’s mother,” Silva said.
Next steps for Franks Tract restoration by Tony Kukulich Staff Writer
The Franks Tract restoration project took a step forward when the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) presented the final draft of its project feasibility study during a Delta Stewardship Council (DSC) meeting in Sacramento on Thursday, June 28, stating that the project is both feasible and expensive. CDFW’s plan calls for the construction of a berm that would split Franks Tract in two along a line that runs roughly north to south. Approximately 1,000 acres of tidal wetlands would be created by dumping millions of cubic yards of fill on the west side of the berm and in Little Franks Tract. An open-water channel of approximately 2,000 acres would be established on the east side of the berm. Access to False River and the San Joaquin River to the east of the tract would be permanently blocked by the project. The stated objectives of the restoration project are to: improve habitat for the Delta smelt,
reduce saltwater intrusion into the central and south Delta, reduce submerged aquatic weeds and reduce invasive nonnative fish species that feed on native fish like the salmon and the Delta smelt. However, the path to achieving these objectives is squarely at odds with the economic and recreational activities of residents and communities as far west as San Francisco. Franks Tract and the adjoining Little Franks Tract are submerged islands with an area of 3,000 acres and 330 acres, respectively. They are located just off the north and east shores of Bethel Island, separated from the island by Piper Slough and a broken series of levees that allow boat traffic access to open water. By filling Franks Tract and eliminating access to False River, boater access to fast water from Bethel Island would be eliminated, and access to fast water is a driver of property values. “We have over 400 boats in dry storage and I have 100 in the water,” said Jamie Bolt, harbormas-
POST AN EVENT! FIND AN EVENT! Connect with The Press!
Scan QR code with your mobile device.
Silva added that, based on his proximity to the crime scene and other physical evidence found at the site, Matthew was taken into custody and transferred to the county jail in Martinez. The weapon used in the crime has not been recovered, and the case remains under investigation. The Antioch Police Department responded with a canine unit and searched the surrounding area. According to Silva, Matthew lived at home with his parents, along with a younger brother. There were no other victims, and no one else was present in the home at the time of the assault. Silva emphasized that there is no threat to the public and anyone with information pertaining to the case should contact Detective Matthew Head at 925-809-7734. This is the city’s first homicide of 2018.
www.thepress.net /calendar
see Franks Tract page 30
BART Bond
www.thepress.net/news/webextras
BART’s bond rebuilding program is already paying off for riders.
Find out where to get the best of East County’s bountiful fruits and vegetables. Page 10
Taking It To The Creeks
Volunteers head down to local creeks to participate in annual trash inventory. Page 5
Overcoming Adversity
Trampolinist injured at championships in Bolivia still comes home with bronze. Page 21 Calendar................................31 Classifieds.............................24 Cop Logs................................29 Entertainment.....................13 Food........................................12 Health & Beauty..................19 Milestones............................15 Opinion..................................20 Pets...........................................8 Sports.....................................21
Wildfire Bill
www.thepress.net/news/press_releases
Bills to enhance protections for wildfire survivors have passed the Senate.