Health
Yvonne R. Walker: Economic Justice
What can you do to end poverty for all? That can be a difficult question to ponder when you may be a paycheck away from poverty yourself. According to the Federal Reserve, one out of […]
Community
Local Issues
Sacramento County Activists Protest Funding Increases for Jail Expansions
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ Just this month, in a stunning move, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to scrap a $1.7 billion jail project. Officially, the project was meant to replace the Men’s […]
Labor
Yvonne R. Walker: Finding strength in a united voice
Labor leads way to California for all This weekend, we celebrate Labor Day, a federal holiday for 125 years. It’s not the end of summer; it’s a historic milestone. A salute to the enduring contributions […]
Local Issues
Sacramento Coalition Spearheads Effort to Reclassify or Reduce Cannabis Convictions
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ Sherie Drawn’s life derailed after she got pulled over by Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputies in 2006. According to Drawn, officers searched her car and found “maybe ½ an ounce” of medically prescribed […]
Local Issues
Sacramento DHA Works to Dismiss or Reduce Cannabis-related Felonies
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ The Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance (DHA) strives to help people transition from public assistance to financial independence. More than 420,000 county residents receive services from DHA, ranging from Medi-Cal to […]
Local Issues
Sacramento Residents Call for Stronger Tenants’ Rights
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ Gina Massey’s South Sacramento apartment has rats and electrical issues —problems, through no fault of her own recently landed her in the ER. So, like any responsible tenant, she reported the issues […]
Environment
Community Leaders Join Together to Restore Morrison Creek
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ In 2017, the Avondale Glen Elder Neighborhood Association (AGENA) wanted to apply for a hefty state grant to help restore Morrison Creek, a storm water drainage canal that stretches from Rancho Cordova […]
Local Issues
Repairing Sacramento’s RT System
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ Sarah Kerber attends almost every Sacramento Regional Transit Board meeting. When the Board discusses proposals that might negatively impact public transportation in Sacramento, she protests them during the public comment period. “Our […]
Local Issues
Advance Peace Sacramento Fights to End Gun Violence
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ After doing prison time for non-violent crimes, Clemmie Fields vowed never to be behind bars again. The 54-year-old Sacramentan has upheld that promise since 2003 and urges others do the same through […]
Local Issues
Sol Collective Creates Space for Arts and Activism
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ As a troubled high school senior, Deveon Smith wasn’t sure what to expect when he first visited Sol Collective — a Sacramento nonprofit that uses art and activism to provide programs, promote […]
Environment
City of Sacramento Takes Environmental Focus
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ With temperatures rising everywhere, scientists have sounded an alarm and the community is responding: Global warming endangers the entire planet. When Sacramento residents attended a recent “open house” meeting for the city […]
Local Issues
Form Allows SCUSD Students to Express Gender Identity
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ For students whose gender identity differs from their assigned sex, the name on the attendance sheet may not reflect who that student really is. Youth in the Sacramento City Unified School District […]
Local Issues
Land Trust Aims to be ‘Developer for the People’
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ Nine new “luxury homes” located on 34th Street in Oak Park recently went on the market. The listing price? More than $500,000 each. A wiser use for land in Oak Park would […]
Local Issues
CalFresh Recipients Welcome at Farmers Markets
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ The call for artists went out last May: A striking design was needed for two Sacramento billboards announcing that CalFresh — also known as food stamps — are welcome at farmers markets. […]
Local Issues
Sacramento Nonprofits Help Ex-inmates Thrive on the Outside
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ After serving 18 years in prison for manslaughter with a gang enhancement, Henry Ortiz was determined to prove he was a new man. But in November 2017, after only five days of […]
Local Issues
A Voice in Community Planning
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ Choices made by city planners affect the health of people in those cities. Consider, for example, that people’s life spans have been linked to their ZIP code. “If you live in Oak […]
Local Issues
Shoppers Double Their CalFresh Benefits at Farmers Market
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ Every Saturday, from May through October, smart shoppers look for great deals at Oak Park Farmers Market. They always find them. But besides low prices on fresh fruits, vegetables and other edibles, […]
Local Issues
‘More Days, More Ways’ to Vote in the General Election
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ Tamie Dramer treasures her right to vote. The Sacramento resident has voted in every presidential election — and in every mid-term and primary contest — since 1988. “Voting is important for me, […]
Local Issues
Community Creates a Safe Place to Heal After Clark Shooting
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ Maybe it was a coincidence, a numerical happenstance. But 20 days after police fired 20 shots at Stephon Clark in his grandmother’s backyard in Meadowview, special healing circles began in Sacramento. The […]
Local Issues
Organizers Urge Community-led Cultural Awareness Training for Police
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ It happened six months ago. But for some Sacramentans, the grief over the slaying of Stephon Clark continues unabated, as if he died yesterday, community activists say. Clark, 22, an African American, […]
Local Issues
From the Ground Up
BY EDGAR SANCHEZ Rubie Simonsen found her calling as a child, in her grandmother’s lush gardens. The little girl spent countless hours playing among miniature roses in front of her grandma’s home, and by herbs […]