Education · Sacramento County
Highlands Community Charter and Technical Schools, which operates two Sacramento-area charter schools serving nearly 2,000 adult learners, filed for bankruptcy last week after a state audit found ineligible funding use, wasteful spending, and improper hiring practices. The organization reported a $45 million net position but approved $2.1 million in retainers for law firms Sheppard Mullin and Young Minney & Corr plus financial adviser Arch + Beam Global, drawing criticism from the Twin Rivers teachers union. The California Department of Education says Highlands owes approximately $243 million, while the organization estimates closer to $180 million; a bankruptcy court hearing on repayment is set for Nov. 10, two days before the State Board of Education considers Twin Rivers' appeal of the Sacramento County Board's decision to keep Highlands' charters active. Highlands has also applied for a new charter in Sutter County, expected to be considered in December.
Crime · Yuba City, CA
Adrienne Rose Maloney, 41, of Yuba City was sentenced by Sutter County Superior Court Judge David I. Ashby to approximately 16 years and 8 months in state prison for the January 2024 fatal crash on South George Washington Boulevard that killed 53-year-old Christine Myers. Maloney pleaded no contest to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and DUI with a .08+ BAC causing death, receiving credit for 1,135 days already served in Sutter County Jail. A second-degree murder charge and several enhancements were dismissed as part of the plea deal. The crash occurred around 4:05 p.m. when Maloney crossed into the southbound lane, causing a head-on collision; investigators determined alcohol was a contributing factor. Maloney had pleaded not guilty to separate DUI and hit-and-run charges in December 2023.
Social Events · Yuba City, CA
The 47th Guru Gadee Nagar Kirtan Annual Sikh Parade will take place on Sunday, November 1, in Yuba City, California, drawing an estimated 150,000 attendees along a 4.5-mile route starting and ending at the Sikh Temple Gurdwara on Tierra Buena Road. Federal, state, and local agencies—including the FBI, FAA, California Highway Patrol, Yuba City PD, Sutter County Sheriff's Office, and multiple neighboring jurisdictions—have coordinated traffic control, security barricades, bus shuttles from River Valley High School, and coded emergency signage along the route. Approximately 3,000 residences in northwest Yuba City received mailers with zone maps explaining road closures and access instructions. Organizers noted that special event permit processing timelines remain incomplete pending information from the Sikh Temple.
Community News · Marysville, CA
The Child Care Planning Council of Yuba and Sutter counties will hold a public meeting on Oct. 20 at 1 p.m. at its office, 1104 E. Street in Marysville, to assess child care needs of mid-Valley families. The resulting needs assessment update will be reviewed by both counties' boards of supervisors and superintendents of schools before submission to the California Legislature. CCPC official Tonya Byers said the data will guide local planning and serve as a basis for distributing child care and development services funding over the next five years.
Education · Yuba City, CA
Yuba City Unified School District fired boys basketball coach Manny Phagura, who was hired in June, approximately one month before the team's scheduled tryouts. Superintendent Doreen Osumi said the district could not disclose the reasons for the dismissal due to personnel confidentiality under district policy and state law. Tryouts will proceed as planned, but the district had not named a replacement head coach or identified who would oversee them. The firing leaves players uncertain about leadership heading into a season that could end the program's six-year losing streak.
