Out & About August 2023
Out & About By Jessica Laskey August 2023 STEM Victory St. Francis girls are world robotic champions St. Francis Catholic High School girls beat teams from 30 nations to take the top prize at a world robotic championship in Denver. The students developed a...
Out & About July 2023
This post is sponsored by Out & About By Jessica Laskey July 2023 Bloom Where Planted County honors volunteers who share their wisdom Sacramento County honored 18 citizens with its 5 Over 50 Award, recognizing volunteers over the age of 50. The county’s Adult and...
Pocket Life July 2023
Find out what is going on in Pocket during the month of July!
Offensive Fences
Temporary chain-link fences showed up overnight. Stretched across the Sacramento River levee, blocking the gravel path, disheveled and lurching like drunks after a party. One fence ran into the water, breaking federal and state laws.
Somehow, the fences were approved by state officials from the Central Valley Flood Protection Board.
In May, a staff member at Central Valley Flood issued temporary permits for two private, cross-levee fences and gates in Pocket. The new barricades went up fast.
They were erected by property owners near the river, the small, loud group that spent years fighting to keep the public away from the levee.
Jail Brake
The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors endured a controversial hearing last December about overcrowding and the quality of inmate care at the Downtown Main Jail and Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center in Elk Grove.
Testimony pitted law enforcement supporters against social justice advocates. Supporters urged financial investment to improve jail conditions. Advocates argued against more money for incarceration.
In the background, warnings from a federal judge about constitutional rights violations at the jails drove concerns about a potential court-ordered mass release of prisoners.
Tensions flared. Supervisor Phil Serna said support for jail enhancements came from “fear mongering.” By a 3-2 vote, the supervisors compromised. They agreed to consider capital improvements and work toward incarceration alternatives.