Like many competitions, The Sacramento Press Journalism Open 2012 can spark creativity and drive just as easily as it can spark apprehension and pure terror. On Tuesday, The Sacramento Press held a workshop to help writers develop ideas and answer any questions about the writing contest. Sacramento Press Editor-in-Chief Colleen Belcher went over the rules and criteria for this year’s Journalism Open. Because The Sacramento Press is a hyperlocal newspaper, Belcher emphasized keeping stories both local and relevant to the readers. When asked about the subject of target audience, Belcher said writers should think about how local residents would react to their story, and to frame it as if yo

A controversy is growing over a medical marijuana dispensary that wants to do business in East Sacramento. There's mixed reaction, but not everyone is happy a medical pot shop may be operating out of a storefront and attached house at 3257 Folsom Blvd. There's disagreement over whether the dispensary has opened shop yet. Questions arose after representatives of the dispensary and the landlord notified some neighbors the building's lease had been taken over by the dispensary and the storefront's windows were tinted black in late December, then retinted darker in January. The space has been vacant since a charitable thrift store, This 'n' That Thrift & Gift, left in early September. Half