Public Safety · Elk Grove, CA
A Sacramento Bee investigation revealed that Scott Saetern, 37, died in June 2025 after Elk Grove police restrained him during an apparent mental health crisis at a gas station using a constraint device and spit hood for 10 minutes. The coroner attributed his death to cocaine toxicity without blaming officers, but an independent autopsy could find asphyxia. Assemblymember Nick Schultz is considering legislation requiring police departments to release footage and disciplinary records for compression or asphyxia deaths, which current law does not mandate. Elk Grove Police internal affairs and the Sacramento County DA's Office are reviewing the incident.
Transportation · Sacramento, CA
Sacramento Regional Transit's Green Line light rail resumed operations Monday, Oct. 12, after being shut down since June 2025 for construction of a new station in the Railyards district. The reopening reconnects the River District with Downtown Sacramento and restores service to the 7th & Richards/Township 9 Station. Bus Route 11 is returning to its regular schedule, ending extra evening trips from Natomas Marketplace to City College at 7:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. The Green Line now operates Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. SacRT will open the new 7th & Railyards Station on Thursday, Oct. 15, its 55th light rail station, located adjacent to the future Sacramento Republic FC stadium site.
Housing & Development · Elk Grove, CA
An anonymous commentary calls on the Elk Grove City Council to reject a proposed General Plan amendment and rezoning for the Summer Villas project, which would convert approximately 116 acres currently designated Rural Residential (two-acre minimum) to allow up to 499 age-restricted homes. The piece cites the City's own draft environmental report, which identifies significant unavoidable impacts including damage to visual character, light or glare, greenhouse gas emissions, unplanned population growth, construction noise, and transportation effects. Under CEQA, approving a project with remaining significant effects requires specific written findings supported by substantial evidence. The commentary argues that rural protections should not be overridden by the developer's request.
Local Politics · Galt, CA
Galt voters will decide three City Council races this November, the city's first election under district-based voting. Mark Jackson runs unopposed in the 1st District, Bonnie Rodriguez is unopposed in the 3rd District, and incumbent Paul Sandhu faces challenger Tom Silva in the 5th District. Voters will also consider Measure L, which asks whether the offices of Galt Treasurer and City Clerk should become appointive rather than elected positions. The article outlines each candidate's background, stated priorities, district boundaries, and campaign finance figures as of mid-September.
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Local Politics · Sacramento County
Democrat Dr. Richard Pan announced endorsements from Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper and District Attorney Thien Ho in the competitive CA-06 Congressional race against Rep. Kevin Kiley. Kiley, who currently represents CA-03, switched to run in CA-06 after Proposition 50 redistricting. Kiley has aired TV ads featuring former Sacramento County DA Ann Marie Schubert characterizing Pan as soft on crime. Cook's Political Report rates the district 'Solid D' while the University of Virginia Center for Politics lists it 'Likely Democrat.'
Local Politics · Sacramento, CA
The California High Speed Rail Authority board voted 7-2 on Friday to strip CEO Ian Choudri of sole contract-approval authority under $25 million, following an inspector general finding that consultants improperly billed the state nearly $700,000 between 2024 and 2026 for expenses including steakhouse dinners, luxury travel, and entertainment venues. Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang, running against Rep. Doris Matsui in the 7th Congressional District, faced a public rebuke from colleague Lisa Kaplan over an upcoming fundraising stream with Twitch personality Hasan Piker; Vang said appearing on his show was an opportunity to reach young voters. Former Vice President Kamala Harris visited Richard Pan's North Natomas campaign headquarters Friday, speaking for about nine minutes to roughly 100 supporters and criticizing Rep. Kevin Kiley. Readers also reacted strongly to an ICE detention of a father at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, an event outside the Sacramento area.
Crime · Sacramento, CA
The California Highway Patrol identified William Allen Spears Jr., 48, of Sacramento, as the pedestrian killed in a hit-and-run around 10:30 p.m. Oct. 8 on Folsom Boulevard west of Norcade Circle in the Rosemont area. Investigators said Spears was in the roadway outside a marked crosswalk when struck by an unknown vehicle; the driver fled without stopping. Spears was pronounced dead at the scene, and neither the suspect vehicle nor driver has been identified. CHP asked anyone with information to contact the East Sacramento Area office at 916-464-1450 or email 260POP@chp.ca.gov.
Education · Sacramento, CA
Black families at St. Francis High School, an all-girls Catholic campus in East Sacramento, raised alarms after racist and antisemitic messages were found on school grounds in August 2026. The incident has drawn attention to the school's documented history of racial controversies. The report also notes broader changes underway in Sacramento's Catholic school landscape.
Social Events · Sacramento, CA
The GoldenSky country music festival will return to Sacramento's Discovery Park on Saturday, Oct. 9, and Sunday, Oct. 10, 2027, after a two-year hiatus, producer Danny Wimmer Presents announced Monday. The city of Sacramento has extended its partnership with DWPresents for another decade, and tourism officials committed to investing in the festival for at least three more years. Tickets go on sale Friday morning in three waves—text subscribers at 10 a.m., email subscribers at 11 a.m., and the general public at noon—with payment plans starting at $1 down; the artist lineup will be revealed Thursday at 10 a.m. New features for 2027 include first-time camping options with shuttles from Cal Expo, five new food and drink experiences, and a Country Club SVIP lounge area.
Social Events · Sacramento, CA
Sacramento ceramicist Brittany Clark Espitia and muralist Karen Chen will host the third annual Wormie World, a free urban art scavenger hunt hiding roughly 700 hand-painted ceramic worms throughout the city's central neighborhoods on Saturday. The event, launched in 2024 and inspired by the global Game of Shrooms hunt, has grown to include support from more than a dozen local businesses, including the Sacramento Zoo and the Sacramento History Museum, which will offer worm-themed giveaways. Sponsors will hide worms at or near their locations, and Yelp Sacramento is creating a map marking every spot. Some coffee shops and restaurants will give customers a chance to receive a worm with each purchase.
Local Politics · Elk Grove, CA
Indivisible Elk Grove-Laguna will hold a No Kings rally on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 10 a.m. to noon at the northeast corner of Laguna Boulevard and Bruceville Road in Elk Grove, CA. The event emphasizes early voting and voter education ahead of November midterm elections, organizers said. Participants are asked to engage in nonviolent activities, comply with applicable laws, and avoid bringing weapons. The rally is part of a nationwide No Kings coalition effort and one of several scheduled throughout the Sacramento region.
Transportation · Elk Grove, CA
A big rig fire started shortly before 6 a.m. Monday, Oct. 12, on southbound Highway 99 just south of Elk Grove Boulevard, according to the California Highway Patrol. The truck's cab caught fire while its trailer carrying wood pallets remained intact, and the driver was uninjured. Southbound lanes were reduced to one, causing delays toward Galt, while northbound traffic was unaffected. A tow truck arrived around 6:30 a.m., but the lane closure was expected to last for some time; the cause of the fire had not been determined.
