Concord, CA|News|
Concord City Council Approves Fines for Truants
Parents could be on the hook for cash if kids play hooky.

Much of my journalism background is in sports. I started in high school, working for the Vallejo Times-Herald and BeniciaNews.com. I went on to major in journalism at Cal State Long Beach and was a freelance reporter for Torrance Daily Breeze. My senior year, I was the sports editor of the university newspaper, the Daily Forty-Niner.
After school, I worked as a sports reporter for the Daily Republic in Fairfield, CA. I started my own soccer Web site in 2009, IntelligentSoccer.com. I started freelancing for Patch in March 2010, covering news and sports for a variety of Patch sites and wrote columns for Benicia Patch.
Starting in November 2011, I was hired by Patch to be its local editor in Clayton. Then, a year later, I switched cities and I'm now the local editor in San Ramon.
Other than journalism, news and sports, I'm also an avid movie watcher and have no trouble digesting television (oh, how I miss "The Wire"). I also love traveling (this is starting to sound like Match.com profile).
Your Beliefs
At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable.
Politics
I'm a registered Democrat, but, as a journalist, I carefully go through individual issues to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments.
Parents could be on the hook for cash if kids play hooky.

Pastor Robinson talks about some of the concerns raised about the proposed complex.
In the second part of our four-part series with Pastor Shawn Robinson, he talks about the four buildings he hopes will be built downtown.
Clayton Community Church pastor Shawn Robinson talks about how he got involved with the church and how the Clayton Community Church has grown to what it is today.
Clayton Community Church pastor talks about his proposed downtown development.
A look at noteworthy activity by the Clayton Police Department from June 1 to June 7.
With the state's budget now passed, Clayton could be forced to slash as much as $458,000 from its general fund budget.
A look at noteworthy activity from the Clayton Police Department from June 24 to June 30.
Police, firefighters responded to incident involving illegal fireworks on 2500 block of Olivera Road.
Hundreds came out for the Clayton Fourth of July parade on Monday.
The man some Claytonians watch for their local news announced the Clayton Fourth of July parade.
Residents urged to wear insect repellent and drain standing water during this holiday weekend.
"We've seen too many sad endings that could have been prevented," department Deputy Director Kat Brown said in a statement.
Last year, more than 40 fires caused by fireworks were reported in the fire district's service area.
The top two newsroom editors for Walnut Creek-based Bay Area News Group-East Bay are leaving. The reporters and editors in the East Bay now will report to Mercury News editors.
Governor reaches agreement with Democrats in the state Legislature on a 2011-2012 budget.
Dan Lawrence swam from Alcatraz to San Francisco on Saturday morning.
Transit agency agrees to pay $1.3 million to the mother of BART passenger who was shot to death on Jan. 1, 2009.
The website SaveClayton.com says it wants to preserve Clayton's Historical Downtown.
In a letter responding to the draft environmental review of the Clayton Community Church building project, the Clayton Historical Society says the complex would disturb archaeological deposits and destroy a historic building.