N ews i N B rief

Pittsburg man charged in murder of convenience store clerk

A Pittsburg man faces a four-count felony complaint related to the murder of a convenience store clerk on March 22.

Gregory Rossignon, 37, of Pittsburg has been charged by the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office with the murder of Abdul Raouf, 44. Rossignon also faces a charge of discharging a firearm with gross negligence, dissuading a witness by force or threats, and possession of a firearm with prior felony convictions.

The murder charge comes with an enhancement for the intentional discharge of a weapon that killed Raouf and special allegations related to Rossignon’s prior felony offenses.

The incident occurred at 9:40 p.m. at the E-Z Stop Convenience Food shop on Power Avenue in Pittsburg. An argument between Rossignon’s girlfriend and another employee at the shop occurred. A short time later, Rossignon entered the store and shot Raouf – who was not involved in the argument, police said.

He died at the scene. Police arrested Rossignon in Modesto on April 5 and booked him into the Martinez Detention Facility. His arraignment was set for April 10.

Maximum for late property taxes help raised to $80,000

The Tax Collector’s Office is notifying homeowners that the California Mortgage Relief Program has raised the limit for assistance with delinquent property taxes from $20,000 to a maximum of $80,000 per household.

This update comes as homeowners face upcoming property tax deadlines. To prevent delinquent property taxes and reduce additional penalties, homeowners must pay the second installment of their secured property tax by April 10, 2023 After this date, late payments will be penalized 10 percent.

Many Californians may still be feeling the impact of the financial hardships as a results of the COVID-19 pandemic. By increasing the cap on property tax assistance, the program is continuing to act as a safety net for homeowners. If you are eligible, you are urged to re-apply, the Tax Collector’s Office said.

Homeowners who previously applied for property tax assistance have been notified that they may be eligible for additional funding. To receive additional assistance for property tax payments, homeowners must meet all other program requirements at the time of reapplication.

In February 2023, the program expanded eligibility by allowing previously awarded homeowners who are still eligible to return for additional funds; includ- ing grants to reduce or eliminate partial claims or loan deferrals received during or after January 2020; resetting the delinquency date for past due mortgage and property tax payments to March 1, 2023; and expanding assistance to homeowners whose property has up to four units.

The assistance provided through the California Mortgage Relief Program is in the form of grants to eligible households, which do not need to be paid back. While there is no strict deadline for applications, homeowners in need should apply as soon as possible at CaMortgageRelief.org

Homeowners with questions are encouraged to call the Contact Center at 1-888-840-2594 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. They can also visit CaMortgageRelief.org/help to learn more about resources and assistance available to them.

The CalHFA Homeowner Relief Corporation (CalHRC) is a special-purpose affiliate of the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

Applicants sought for county’s employees retirement board

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors is seeking individuals with a sound business background, experience in pension fund investment or administration, or in equity investments or banking to serve on the Contra Costa County Employees’ Retirement Association Board of Trustees.

To be considered, candidates must be County residents, must not be Retirement System members or retirees, and may not market any investment, consulting, or related service to the Contra Costa County Retirement Board or any other 1937 Act Retirement Board.

Regular meetings of the board are on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 9 a.m. and sometimes extend into the afternoon. There may also be additional meetings on special topics that arise from time to time.

Board members receive $100 per meeting up to a monthly maximum of $500, plus reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses. The appointment will be for a full three-year term beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2026.

Application forms can be obtained from the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors by calling (925) 655-2000 or by visiting the County webpage. Applications should be returned to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, County Administration Building, 1025 Escobar St., Martinez, CA 94553, no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, April 21. Applicants should plan to be available for public interviews in Martinez on Monday, May 9.

For more information, call Gail Strohl at 925-521-3960 or by visit www. cccera.org

LMC Associates math degrees ranked 12th best among U.S. community colleges

Los Medanos College (LMC) ranked No. 12 among the Best Accredited Colleges for Associate Degrees in Mathematics in the U.S., according to BestAccreditedColleges.

org

The online publication annually releases rankings and information about highquality schools with the aim of helping students make the best college decisions for their personal goals. Its ranking for associate degrees in mathematics ranks the top 50 among accredited colleges in the country. According to the U.S. Department of Education, there are 1,462 community colleges across the country. Of these, 1,047 are public institutions and 415 are private.

“Strong math skills are essential for success in today’s ever-changing and increasingly technical careers in just about every field,” Interim President Pamela Ralston said. “We are proud of our expert faculty, academic counselors and student services staff who are dedicated to seeing our students achieve their goals.”

Students at LMC can choose from a variety of associate degrees in mathematics depending on their intended major, including a liberal arts and math degree, and an associates in math for science and technology.

Nicole Trager, interim dean of math and sciences, said LMC faculty prioritizes one-on-one support for students and provides opportunities for them to access math labs for in-person and online help.

“The state of California has been implementing changes for how math is accessed and taught to improve outcomes,” she said. “And our faculty have been at the forefront of development of the curriculum to bring about these major changes.”

LMC is one of two Contra Costa Community College District schools to make the ranking. Diablo Valley College ranked No. 2 on the list.

BestAccreditedColleges.org uses methodology that considers accessibility, affordability, quality of education, and return on investment to ensure an accurate ranking that reflects well-rounded schools, according to the website. The rankings include only accredited schools.

The publication’s approach to judging schools uses a proprietary ranking system, which combines data points from the U.S. Department of Education with schoolspecific details, including education support and resources, non-traditional credit programs, retention and graduation rates, and student-faculty ratio.

County court in-person family law services to resume May 1

Effective May 1, the Family Law division of the Contra Costa Superior Court will return to in-person child custody recommending counseling appointments and in-person self-help workshops and clinics.

For child custody appointments, remote access may be available in special and limited circumstances. For more information on child custody appointments, please visit the Family Court Services website: https://www.cc-courts.org/family/fcs.aspx

For more information on self-help events, workshops, and clinics, visit the selfhelp Services website https://www.cc-courts. org/self-help/welcome.aspx