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vallejosun.bsky.social
The Vallejo Sun
@vallejosun.bsky.social
An award-winning independent news publication illuminating Solano County, California, with coverage of local government, police, housing, schools and arts.

https://www.vallejosun.com
This week in Vallejo:

🎸 Earl "The Pearl" Stevens at Bambinos!
💋 The Lipsmackers at Red Men's Hall!
💃 The Hidden Fantasea drag show!

Plus lots more. Check out the full list of events here:
www.vallejosun.com/upcoming-val...
Upcoming Vallejo Events — Live music at Vallejo 2nd Friday Art Walk
Plus, Miss Vallejo/Tri-City, Miss Napa County and Miss Vallejo/Tri-City's Teen crowning at the Empress Theatre.
www.vallejosun.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Solano County Sheriff’s deputies told a nonprofit group and its clean-up crew to leave a U.S. Army Reserve property in Vallejo under threat of arrest Monday, after the group had worked most of the day to remove materials dumped at the site.
www.vallejosun.com/solano-count...
Solano County Sheriff halts nonprofit clean-up of U.S. Army Reserve property in Vallejo
The former U.S. Army Reserve site has drawn attention for accumulating trash in recent months.
www.vallejosun.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Restaurateur Edson Vega remodeled a former Chinese restaurant to create Lucky Garden Peruvian Cuisine, Solano County's first Peruvian restaurant.
www.vallejosun.com/lucky-garden...
Lucky Garden Peruvian Cuisine: a piece of Peru in Vallejo
Restaurateur Edson Vega remodeled a former Chinese restaurant to create Solano County's first Peruvian restaurant.
www.vallejosun.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Have you voted in our inaugural Best of Vallejo & Benicia contest yet?

Check out the finalists and make your selections today!
bestof.vallejosun.com
Vallejo Sun - Best of Vallejo & Benicia 2025
Pick the best things to do and local businesses in Vallejo and Benicia for 2025!
bestof.vallejosun.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:39 PM
The Vallejo Sun, represented by the @facoalition.bsky.social, filed a lawsuit against the city of Vallejo on Wednesday over the city’s failure to comply with state transparency laws involving a recent police shooting.
www.vallejosun.com/the-vallejo-...
The Vallejo Sun sues Vallejo over release of police shooting video
The First Amendment Coalition is representing the Sun in its lawsuit over the city refusing to release unedited footage from the Aug. 29 shooting.
www.vallejosun.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Reposted by The Vallejo Sun
FAC is representing @vallejosun.bsky.social in a public records lawsuit against the City of Vallejo. The city refuses to hand over video about police officers shooting of man in mental distress; the video they did release improperly blurs officers' faces. firstamendmentcoalition.org/news/post/fa...
FAC Sues City of Vallejo for Police Shooting Records
Vallejo Police are denying the Vallejo Sun video footage of the shooting of Alexander Schumann.
firstamendmentcoalition.org
November 6, 2025 at 5:47 PM
The Vallejo City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a plan for a developer to issue bonds to convert the Bay Village Apartments in South Vallejo into mostly affordable housing in the coming years.
www.vallejosun.com/nonprofit-pl...
Nonprofit plans newly affordable homes in South Vallejo
The nonprofit Step Up Housing plans to convert the Bay Village Apartments into a partially affordable housing property.
www.vallejosun.com
November 5, 2025 at 11:49 PM
This week in Vallejo:

🎨 Vallejo Open Studios
🇺🇸 Veterans Day events
🇵🇭 Original Pilipino Music classics

Plus lots more live music and more! Get the full list of events here:
www.vallejosun.com/upcoming-val...
Upcoming Vallejo Events — Vallejo Open Studios citywide art tour
Plus, Veterans Day Celebrations and the Lost Boats of Mare Island memorial service.
www.vallejosun.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Former Vallejo housing manager Judy Shepard-Hall sued in 2023, claiming she was fired in retaliation for complaints about discrimination and harassment.

She settled for $130K, but tried to back out after reading about a similar suit from another employee.
www.vallejosun.com/lawsuit-brou...
Lawsuit brought by fired Vallejo housing manager settled for $130K
Judy Shepard-Hall sued the city in March 2023, claiming the city fired her in retaliation for her complaints about discrimination and harassment.
www.vallejosun.com
November 4, 2025 at 5:35 PM
The annual tradition of honoring the dead with Día de Muertos festivities filled the streets of Vallejo with Latin American music, food and art over the weekend, despite ongoing community fears of federal immigration raids.
www.vallejosun.com/vallejo-cele...
Vallejo celebrates Día de Muertos despite raid fears
Organizers expected a lower turnout in Vallejo this year amid the community’s heightened fear of immigration raids.
www.vallejosun.com
November 3, 2025 at 9:06 PM
The finalists for the Vallejo Sun's inaugural Best of Vallejo & Benicia contest are here! We received hundreds of nominations across 117 categories.

Now the final round of voting begins – voting begins today and will last until November 30.
www.vallejosun.com/announcing-t...
Announcing the Best of Vallejo & Benicia 2025 finalists
The finalists for the Vallejo Sun's inaugural Best of Vallejo & Benicia contest are here!
www.vallejosun.com
November 1, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Benicia City Council members called into a Bay Area Air District meeting to ask that a portion of the grant money from an $82 million settlement with Valero be given to the city to offset the loss of city funding when Valero potentially closes in April.
www.vallejosun.com/benicia-mayo...
Benicia mayor asks air district for grant funding to offset city shortfall
The money would come from recent air pollution violation payments, like an $82 million settlement with Valero.
www.vallejosun.com
October 31, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Vallejo’s drag brunch is a monthly event hosted by Bambino’s that is centered around dance, comedy, and self-expression.

The Halloween show featured costumes from “Hocus Pocus" and a comedic reenactment of “Scream.”
www.vallejosun.com/bambinos-dra...
Bambino’s drag brunch lights up downtown Vallejo
Owner Ismael Palacio said community support has been overwhelming since it debuted in June.
www.vallejosun.com
October 31, 2025 at 4:22 PM
This week in Vallejo:

🎃 Halloween events galore!
🌹 The annual Día de Muertos celebration!
🎻 New Century Chamber Orchestra at the Empress Theatre!

Plus lots more great community events in our weekly listings:
www.vallejosun.com/upcoming-val...
Upcoming Vallejo Events — Halloween and Día de Muertos
Plus, the New Century Chamber Orchestra to perform at the Empress Theatre.
www.vallejosun.com
October 29, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Vallejo’s long-awaited supportive housing project on Broadway has been delayed once again and likely will not start taking residents until December.

For each week the project is delayed, the city must pay an additional $18,000.
www.vallejosun.com/vallejo-supp...
Vallejo supportive housing project delayed again as costs escalate
For each week the project is delayed, the city must pay an additional $18,000.
www.vallejosun.com
October 29, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Three plaintiffs in Vallejo police lawsuits, including families of Angel Ramos and Willie McCoy, filed new claims that the city defrauded them.

Plus, a homicide victim's family, who says police released suspects who had blackmail material on an officer.
www.vallejosun.com/lawsuit-test...
Lawsuit testimony leads to new claims in settled Vallejo police cases
The families of Angel Ramos and Willie McCoy, filmmaker Adrian Burrell and the family of 2011 homicide victim Enrique Jimenez have filed new claims against Vallejo police.
www.vallejosun.com
October 29, 2025 at 12:31 AM
Thousands of Solano County residents could lose federally funded food assistance benefits as soon as November amid a government shutdown fight over cuts to health care subsidies and new eligibility requirements for social safety net programs.
www.vallejosun.com/solano-count...
Solano County residents brace for loss of food assistance during government shutdown
As the federal government shutdown drags on in a fight over social safety net benefits, local residents on food assistance programs could lose support as soon as November.
www.vallejosun.com
October 28, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Federal immigration agents arrived in the Bay Area on Thursday amid protests.

Meanwhile, the North Bay Rapid Response network, a local organization with a mission of helping affected immigrants, prepared for the potential increase in enforcement.
www.vallejosun.com/as-feds-thre...
As feds threaten Bay Area immigration crackdown, North Bay response network gears up
Federal immigration agents arrived in the Bay Area Thursday and the North Bay Rapid Response network is preparing for a potential increase in enforcement in Vallejo and the region.
www.vallejosun.com
October 24, 2025 at 4:45 PM
NEW: Local air monitoring groups say they've found data which calls the accuracy of emissions reporting at Bay Area refineries into question.

They're asking the Bay Area Air District to more strictly regulate how the refineries report emissions.
www.vallejosun.com/benicia-rode...
Benicia, Rodeo environmental groups push for stricter emissions monitoring at Bay Area refineries
Environmentalists are questioning the accuracy of data reported by the refineries as the Bay Area Air District prepares to revise its regulations.
www.vallejosun.com
October 23, 2025 at 9:58 PM
This week in Vallejo:

👻 Halloween block party on Mare Island
😱 Classic horror film “The Terror” at the Empress
🎃 Floating Pumpkin Patches
🎭 Wonderlandia at the Vallejo Museum

Plus lots more! Check out the full list of events here:
www.vallejosun.com/upcoming-val...
Upcoming Vallejo Events — Halloween Block Party on Mare Island
Plus, the classic horror film “The Terror” screens at the Empress, and the musical “Wonderlandia” opens at the Vallejo Museum
www.vallejosun.com
October 22, 2025 at 8:37 PM
When you talk to Kevin Jones, the owner of Vallejo Cellars, two things become immediately clear: he’s passionate about winemaking and he loves Vallejo. That’s why he uses the labels of seven of the wines he produces to promote Vallejo nonprofits, and he donates 20% of the sales proceeds to them.
October 18, 2025 at 7:14 PM
During a meeting Wednesday, the Vallejo City Unified School District’s Board of Education declined to adopt a document that would have allowed Elite Public Schools, a charter school, to apply for state funding to build 13 classrooms. Superintendent Ruben Aurelio said it would cause financial risks.
October 17, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Vallejo housing department closure draws confusion, worry. A local real estate agent said the closure has affected the ability of landlords to collect payments for rental assistance programs. The closure is due to “severe staffing shortages” and to allow staff to address service backlogs.
October 17, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Former Vallejo Police Activities League executive director Michael Kollar died last week at the age of 84. He was a Vallejo police officer for 30 years, led the PAL for over 40 years and was inducted into the Vallejo Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. 
www.vallejosun.com/vallejo-pal-...
Vallejo PAL long-time director Mike Kollar dies at 84
Kollar was a police officer for 30 years and worked as Vallejo PAL for over four decades.
www.vallejosun.com
October 16, 2025 at 4:27 PM
The Vallejo City Council balked at approving a contract to purchase controversial gunshot detection technology, flagging concerns about Flock, the company providing the technology, and the privacy of the data it collects.
www.vallejosun.com/vallejo-lead...
Vallejo leaders call for ‘guardrails’ before purchasing gunshot detection tech
The city council on Tuesday unanimously rejected a $210,000 contract to use Flock Safety’s Raven gunshot detection technology for 18 months,
www.vallejosun.com
October 16, 2025 at 3:39 AM