Latest news with #Sacramento-based
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Placer County to remove lead from former gun range near Lincoln housing developments
Placer County supervisors have approved a plan to clean up a former law enforcement gun range in Lincoln, located across from the Sun City Lincoln Hills 55+ community. The $5.1 million project will remove lead and other debris and restore the soil to meet residential environmental standards. Roughly $750,000 has already been spent on assessments. The plan includes a $3.7 million budget for contracted labor and work is expected to begin later this summer, once a contract is awarded. The plan is expected to be completed by the fall. The board previously selected the residential cleanup option in 2022, following a presentation by Eric Findley, the county's real estate services manager. That method, which involves off-site storage of contaminated soil, was the most expensive of the proposed approaches but was recommended due to its long-term benefits. 'Cleaning up to residential standards and hauling it off-site is the most conservative (option) in the sense that it would provide the most flexibility for future use of the property,' Findley told the board. 'It would increase the value of the property and I think it would ... lessen the chance of litigation in the future.' The pricing estimates were developed by Sacramento-based Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group, which also prepared the project for contract bidding. The board approved a $400,000 contract extension for the firm as part of Tuesday's action. The county has owned the site since 1968. The gun and skeet ranges, once used to train police officers, have been closed since 1999. In addition to lead, the county's staff report notes the site includes bullet and clay pigeon debris that must be removed to meet residential standards. Supervisors Cindy Gustafson and Shanti Landon commended the Department of Facilities Management's work on the project, which has gone back to at least 2017. Landon, whose district includes Lincoln, commended the staff's efforts: 'It's very important for the Lincoln community that this remediation project move forward to ensure this site is safe for future generations,' said Landon, whose district includes Lincoln. Before Placer County developed the site into a police training range, it was home to a Cold War-era Titan-1 missile base. Built in 1962, the facility included three 160-foot-deep silos and miles of tunnels, which were later flooded and sealed. But the base also left behind trichloroethylene, or TCE, a cancer-causing solvent used to clean missile oxygen systems. The chemical was first discovered in the area's groundwater in 1991, according to previous Bee reporting. A Placer grand jury report last year found that 'nothing substantial' had been done to remove it and warned that the contamination plume had advanced roughly 150 feet toward Sun City Lincoln Hills. While the TCE leaks worried some residents of the Sun City development, data collected in July 2024 showed that monitoring probes near the closest homes show no signs of TCE. The Army Corps of Engineers resumed its feasibility study in 2018 and estimates a $26 million remediation effort could begin in 2027. The city of Lincoln supports an accelerated timeline, citing ongoing housing development nearby, according to previous Bee reporting. According to the county's development activity map, the area around the former range is rapidly developing. To the north is the under-construction, 233-unit Hidden Hills project. South of the site is the approved Waterfront project, which will include 271 rental units and 50,000 square feet of commercial space. Nearby is the proposed Village 1 Specific Plan, which has been in the works since 2013 and envisions more than 5,000 residential units, parks, mixed-use areas, and a golf course. Also on Tuesday, supervisors adopted a 2025-29 housing action plan with goals to increase the county's supply of 'achievable housing,' preserve housing stability and secure long-term funding. The plan sets a target of 1,300 new housing units by mid-2029. According to the county, Placer's median home price is about $665,000, while the median household income is $108,000. 'We incorporated a lot of great feedback from the board into our updated plan to consider potential community impacts and outcomes across Placer's unique regions,' Housing Manager Nikki Streegan said in a statement. 'This plan advances broad priorities like economic development, infrastructure and strategic collaboration with our partners from the state and throughout the region.'
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
Officials issue warning after wolf leaves bloody mess on resident's front porch: 'A dramatic increase in attacks'
The Sierra County Sheriff's Office in California shared a warning to locals via Facebook, with a striking statement at the beginning of the message: "Under Gray Wolf Siege." For the entire month of April, police say Sierra Valley residents lived "under siege from escalating gray wolf activity." The Facebook post explained that the presence of gray wolves in Sierra County was neither new nor uncommon, but "a dramatic increase in attacks" prompted officials to issue a warning. Authorities in the county said the incidents escalated in early April, resulting in injuries to eight calves, two of which were subsequently euthanized. Sacramento-based journalists visited the scene to cover the uptick in gray wolf activity. While they were on the scene at one of "the affected ranches," two gray wolves prowled around the ranch's cattle "in broad daylight." "Although efforts were made to haze the wolves from the pasture, they returned within an hour and attacked two more calves," the sheriff's office said. Authorities described a "particularly concerning incident," during which a calf was killed "while California Department of Fish and Wildlife game wardens were actively patrolling the property." Police said that the incident "highlights the inefficiency of current [wolf] hazing policies," adding that the standing approach is "impractical for large-scale ranching operations." As the Sierra County Sheriff's Office stated, its local gray wolf population is "demonstrating very little fear of humans" while "moving closer and closer into our residential areas and communities." Conditions like urban sprawl — when human development encroaches on animal habitats — are driving wildlife into unexpected places. A skier recently encountered a bear on the slopes in Colorado, and in April, another bear frightened shoppers near a Connecticut mall. Wolves and bears in residential areas are becoming more common. In addition to habitat loss, warming temperatures and increasingly extreme weather are prompting unusually aggressive behavior in wildlife, while food scarcity is exacerbating behavioral anomalies in wild animals. Not enough, according to the Sierra County Sheriff's Office. Do you worry about getting diseases from bug bites? Absolutely Only when I'm camping or hiking Not really Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The "escalating behavior represents a serious public safety concern that cannot be ignored by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife," it said at the end of the post. Authorities are routinely warning residents of such risks, and organizations provide advice for folks in the event they unexpectedly encounter wolves in the wild. In addition to remaining aware of unusual activity in local animal populations, broader actions are a big help, too. Donating to climate-related causes is another way to combat habitat destruction and offset the havoc it wreaks on wildlife and ecosystems. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Business Journals
22-05-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
5 things: The Grazing Goose opens in Rocklin Crossings
Welcome to Thursday, loyal readers. I'm looking forward to seeing you at our Inclusivity in Business Awards this afternoon. Here's what you need to know in the meantime. Want more local business headlines? Sign up for our morning and afternoon newsletters to get Sacramento business news delivered straight to your inbox. GET TO KNOW YOUR CITY Find Local Events Near You Connect with a community of local professionals. Explore All Events The Grazing Goose opens in Rocklin Last year, my colleague Jake Abbott told you that The Grazing Goose, a local catering and charcuterie board business, was joining the Rocklin Crossings retail center. Update:The business opened Wednesday at 5410 Crossings Drive, Suite 102, according to a social media announcement. The new location is called The Grazing Goose Bakery + Cafe. In addition to charcuterie boards, it offers items such as sandwiches, salads and coffee. Ava Kivley owns the business. In Rocklin, The Grazing Goose fills a spot previously occupied by Jon and Bon's Yogurt Shoppe. New plans for Sac Republic FC stadium released Sacramento Republic FC has filed new plans for a stadium in Sacramento's Railyards development, with some notable differences from previous iterations. The stadium would have a capacity of 12,000 with the ability to expand to up to 20,000 in a second phase, according to the application. The last stadium concept, intended for the soccer club's move to Major League Soccer, would've had a maximum capacity of 25,000, but never began construction after an investor pulled out of joining team ownership. Senior Reporter Ben van der Meer has details about new plans for a Sac Republic FC stadium in the Railyards. UPS to cut shifts, hundreds of jobs in West Sac United Parcel Service Inc. plans to end two of three shifts at its longtime warehouse in West Sacramento, with a permanent layoff of up to 355 employees, according to a filing with state employment officials. Atlanta-based UPS filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification of a pending permanent layoff at the UPS center at 1380 Shore St. in West Sacramento. Reporter Mark Anderson explains what you need to know about UPS' planned West Sacramento cuts. Major construction project at SMF nears halfway mark Sacramento International Airport's $390 million Terminal B parking garage is in the early vertical construction phase and remains on track for completion in fall 2026, according to airport officials. "We're in the early phases, probably the first 30% of construction,' said Sheri Thompson-Duarte, deputy director of airport operations for SMF, in an interview. 'But it's very visible now. We're going vertical, and passengers can see that work is clearly underway." Reporter Chris Campbell has the latest on the new Terminal B parking garage at SMF. Murphy Austin picks up practice group from Downey Brand Sacramento-based commercial law firm Murphy Austin Adams Schoenfeld LLP has added a new specialty to its offerings following the addition of a family law group previously with Downey Brand LLP. Murphy Austin, which was founded in 1999, specializes in practice areas focused around corporate, tax, and real estate transactions, construction, business and commercial litigation, labor and employment, health care, nonprofits and estate planning. Its new family law practice team, which joined the firm this week from Downey Brand's Sacramento office, consists of attorneys Mary J. Martinelli, Kelly L. Pope, Trina L. Spivack, Michelle R. Albright, Crystal R. Vizina, Vanessa Villarruel and Jensen Blaine, as well as paralegal Casie Campbell. Reporter Jake Abbott has details about Murphy Austin's new family law group. Have a great day, folks. Thanks for reading.
Business Journals
21-05-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Former Downey Brand family law group joins Murphy Austin
Sacramento-based commercial law firm Murphy Austin Adams Schoenfeld LLP has added a new specialty to its offerings following the addition of a family law group previously with Downey Brand LLP.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
How Donald Trump's 'America First' may have put brakes on the sector that was working to bring business back to the US
Even before the "America First" doctrine became a hallmark of the Trump administration's foreign policy, the U.S. semiconductor industry was actively working to bring manufacturing back home, fueled by government incentives and a strategic push to bolster domestic production. As reported by the Associated Press, the Greater Sacramento region stands as a prime example of this resurgence, where tech giants like Intel, AMD, Bosch, Samsung, and Micron are expanding operations, building upon Intel's decades-long presence. This growth is part of a nationwide trend, with billions of dollars invested in research, development, and manufacturing. However, President Donald Trump's recent trade policies, including proposed tariffs and investigations into chip imports, are casting a shadow of uncertainty over this burgeoning industry. What's hurting semiconductor companies in the US "You're starting to see some of it now. Samsung announced a delay in the fabs in Texas," Mario Morales, an analyst with the International Data Corp., told the AP. "That facility was supposed to come online in 2024 now it's being delayed to 2028. I think some of these companies are delaying it because they now know that they're not going to likely get funding, or because of the uncertainty around the acts that we're seeing around the new trade policy." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Her body cannot endure this level of pain; please help her. Donate For Health Learn More Undo Despite the U.S. being a major producer of certain semiconductor chips, its global market share, measured by volume, has dwindled from 37% in 1990 to just 10% in 2022, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association. This reliance on imports, particularly from Taiwan and South Korea, prompted the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act in 2022, aiming to revitalize domestic manufacturing and reduce supply chain vulnerabilities. Benefits of CHIPS Act undone The CHIPS Act, championed by the previous Biden administration, has spurred significant investment, with projections indicating the U.S. will more than triple its semiconductor manufacturing capacity, the highest growth rate globally, according to a May 2024 report by the Semiconductor Industry Association and Boston Consulting Group. Barry Broome, president of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council, told the AP that the pandemic underscored the risks of relying on offshore production. "It was 'abundantly clear that having these chip products offshore in Vietnam, Taiwan, China for cost savings had serious implications.'" The region's established tech infrastructure and skilled workforce have attracted major investments, such as Bosch's $1.9 billion project to produce electric vehicle chips, creating up to 1,700 jobs. Dinakar Munagala, cofounder of Sacramento-based AI startup Blaize, highlighted the increasing interest from defense and border security sectors in domestically produced chips. "We're built here," he said to the AP. Trump Tariffs cause confusion, earn experts The Trump administration views domestic chip production as a national security imperative, aiming to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers and mitigate risks associated with concentrated manufacturing. However, the fluidity of the administration's tariff policies is causing concern. Alvin Nguyen, senior analyst at Forrester, told the AP that "the fluidity of the state of administration's tariffs will cause confusion about the impact on the supply chain 'due to the complexity of tracking where materials and manufactured goods are produced and assembled.'" The uncertainty has already impacted industries, with video game companies like Nintendo adjusting prices in response to potential tariff increases. Broome expressed hope that the tariffs are a short-term measure to restructure global trade relationships, cautioning that prolonged uncertainty could stifle investment. "If the tariffs are used for leverage to get better agreements in the next two or three months, then we'll come back quickly, and will benefit from it," he told the AP. "If they're considered long-term policy, I think it'll really ice the capital markets from putting real money on the table." AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
