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Community Corner

🌱Parkway Flood Control + City Hall Crow Conundrum + I Do Redo

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Sacramento.

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Jeri Karges, Neighbor
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(Patch Media)

Rise and shine, Sacramento! It's Saturday, so let's get you started with everything you need to know going on around town today.

First, today's weather:

Sunshine and patchy clouds. High: 63 Low: 33.

Here are the top five stories today in Sacramento:

  1. After suspending late fees and power disconnections when the pandemic began, SMUD is now asking customers to pay up. The energy company is dropping its moratorium on late fees and shutoffs. The utility company says it has 600,000-plus customers, and of that total, about 204,000 are behind on payments — roughly a third. SMUD says it is trying to get the word out that collections will resume. SMUD's message for people who don't think they can come up with the money: "[We] really, really encourage them to contact us." (Good Day Sacramento)
  2. One spot along the American River near Sacramento State is a popular place for hiking, biking and walking dogs, but now this nature area is about to be transformed. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is launching a new flood control project to strengthen this levee that protects Sacramento from flooding. "It's probably one of the prettiest places in the parkway and it's going to be gone," one Sacramento resident said. "The idea is to save property, save lives, save Sacramento," said Jeff Harris, city council member. Once complete, flood control officials say the rocks will be covered with dirt and new trees will be planted. "It might not look exactly the same and we'll have to adjust to a little bit different visual for a while, but we're going to save billions of dollars of property and probably many lives by doing so," Harris said. (CBS Sacramento)
  3. A crow conundrum is causing quite a mess in downtown Sacramento. Thousands of them swarm the several blocks around Sacramento City Hall each night. Like clockwork, when the sun goes down, the crows come out. To solve the messy situation, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership hired skilled falconers to move the crows out of downtown safely. "We're bringing in trained predators, which are hawks and falcons, to scare the crows out of a predetermined area in downtown Sacramento," said Adam Baz, a falconer with Integrated Avian Solutions. Right now the falconers focus on 36 blocks where the crows congregate the most, including along J, K and L Streets, moving the birds away from outdoor dining and over to Capitol Park and Cesar Chavez Park. (Good Day Sacramento)
  4. The largest university fair in northern California is happening this weekend. "Steps To College 2022" is coming to Sacramento for its 11th annual event. The fair focuses on bringing resources and aid to students seeking higher education. This year, the bilingual fair will be virtual and nearly 50 universities – including community colleges, universities, and even Mexican institutions – will be attending and offering workshops, one-on-one interviews with college counselors and help with financial aid and scholarships. Students and parents can sign up on stepstocollegesac.org. The workshops will be recorded and available to watch after the event, for those who can't register. The event is on Saturday, Feb. 5 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (KCRA3)
  5. A man was arrested in connection with a deadly hit-and-run crash from November 2021, Rancho Cordova police said Friday. The crash happened Nov. 8, 2021, around 10:20 p.m. in the intersection of southbound Sunrise Boulevard and Trinity River Drive. On Wednesday, Derek A. Gibson, 32, was identified as a suspect in the crash. Gibson was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail, police said. Gibson is facing felony hit and run resulting in death and driving without a license charges. (KCRA3)

Today in Sacramento:

  • Come see the beautiful, accomplished ladies of Sacramento compete for the title of Miss Sacramento County at Benvenuti Performing Arts Center in Sacramento! (7:00 PM)
  • Come and cheer on hometown favorites the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center when they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. (7:00 PM)
  • Come out for An Evening with Allen Stone at Ace of Spades in Midtown. (7:30 PM)
  • Palace An International African Restaurant will offer it's Comedy Menu (a condensed offering of international cuisine and Comedy Club finger foods) for its double header featuring Elis Rodriguez and Tristan Johnson. (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

  • Not only is it Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day (uh... count me IN!), but Jeni's Ice Cream is giving you a chance to be part of a world record! We don't have a Jeni's here in Sac, but no matter. She's allowing you to eat whatever kind of ice cream you have in the freezer. Post the pic and be part of history! Oh! And you get to EAT ICE CREAM FOR BREAKFAST! Mom would not be proud. (Patch.com)
  • Memorial Service Honoring Fallen Stockton Fire Captain Max Fortuna is scheduled for Tuesday, February 8, 2022, at 11 am. Services are closed. Members of the community are encouraged to view online and observe roadside procession. For info: www.stocktonca.gov/Fire (Instagram)
  • You'll love @sawyerhotel's "I DO" RE-DO all-inclusive vow renewal package on February 12-13 for Valentine's Weekend! (Instagram)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow with another update!

— Jeri Karges

About me: Jeri Karges has been living in and loving the Sacramento region for over 30 years. Her passion is finding new and unique ways to enjoy the city and surrounding areas. On weekends, you can find her pestering her friends to sample the restaurant that doesn't have silverware, or try their hand at throwing an axe. Jeri also enjoys writing about retirement planning at https://rockinretirement.subst...

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