Join Sacramento Heritage, Inc. on Saturday, February 9 for a "Dessert Tour." This two-hour stroll through Midtown Sacramento's residential and business district will visit architectural treasures, share stories of the city's past, and include delicious desserts from four of Midtown's most popular purveyors of sweets. Proceeds benefit Sacramento Heritage Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to protecting and maintaining Sacramento's architectural treasures. For fans of historic architecture, the tour will feature a look at Midtown Sacramento's diverse architectural styles, including 19th century Italianate and Queen Anne, early 20th century Craftsman and revival styles, and even Mid-Century

Soon after she was adopted from the Sacramento SPCA at an estimated two years old in February 2003 Sheila became a fixture around Midtown, walking everywhere with her companions, running errands, going to appointments, yoga, and even attending church. Sheila was hard to miss with her classic black and tan coat and eagerness to meet everyone. The SPCA had classified her as an Australian Cattle Dog/mix. Those around her would testify to her all Cattle Dog behavior. She did know how to put on her best behavior. Sheila once greeted former Mayor Fargo at a National Night Out event at the end of the driveway without stepping on the sidewalk without her leash as the mayor had instructed. Sheil

Those of us Midtowners, used to trekking all the way to the Sunday farmers’ market beneath the freeway, will soon have a more convenient location to pick up fresh produce. Announced Thursday via the Facebook page, the news of a Midtown farmers' market spread quickly through the social media world. And the people behind the movement – at the Midtown Business Association – couldn't be more pleased. "Sometimes with things like this you have to rip off the band aid to get it started," said MBA Executive Director Elizabeth Studebaker. The foundation of the market is strong enough as far as its design, support from neighbors and businesses, and having a secure location, to spread the word, she

A woman trying to sell a pound of pot Monday was instead robbed at gunpoint in the Safeway parking lot on Alhambra Boulevard. The victim was meeting the suspect to deliver medical marijuana at 6:38 p.m., the Sacramento Police Department reported. The would-be purchaser arrived and stole the pot from the victim at gunpoint. The police are investigating the incident, SPD Spokeswoman Michelle Gigante said.  Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

A 23-year-old woman was arrested after allegedly hitting a pedestrian in the heart of Midtown's entertainment district early Sunday morning. Sacramento Police officers were dispatched to the scene of a traffic accident – at 20th and K streets – at 1:54 a.m. Sunday, where driver Tiffany Rogers was found to be driving under the influence, according to police.  The victim was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries; Rogers was arrested on suspicion of DUI and booked into the county jail.  Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

TGIF, am I right? Fingers crossed as the 49ers take on the Falcons this Saturday, and don’t forget that BaconFest starts on Sunday. Whether you prefer pigskin or pork fat, take a minute before heading out for the weekend to make sure you didn’t miss anything this week on The Sacramento Press. Community Contribution: 5. Outside the Cage: Max 'Pain' Griffin by Ahsan Awan Ahsan Awan offered a preview of what’s in store at this year’s West Coast Fighting Championship that included an interview with local fighter Max “Pain” Griffin. 4. The state of medical cannabis in the city of Sacramento by Ron Mullins First-time contributor Ron Mullins tracked the history of our state and city’s relati

Marina Filistoeich likes to dine at the tables on the patio when she visits the Crepeville restaurant in Midtown, but it was chilly Sunday evening, so she and her family went inside. Not long afterward, a car ran up on the sidewalk, crashing through the wrought iron fencing, tables and chairs. “God is in control, that is how it makes me feel”, Filistoeich said, visibly shaken. “It was just too cold today, that is why we didn’t stay outside; we decided to come in and have dinner in here.... We dine out there pretty often at that spot outside, so just imagine us sitting there...” Witnesses stated that two vehicles were traveling next to each other, west on L Street when the grey vehicle in

A woman was shot in Midtown Friday night when she resisted a man who was trying to steal her purse, according to police. The shooting occurred just after 10:30 p.m. on the 800 Block of 27th Street, half a block from where a community meeting on public safety was held Thursday night to address crime in Midtown. The 34-year-old victim was shot in the arm, with the bullet traveling through to her chest, and was transported to a hospital in stable condition, according to Lieutenant Wendy Brown of the Sacramento Police Department. The woman was attending a party and had stepped outside when she was approached by the suspect, police said.  "It sounded like a gun shot, and then a woman starti

It should be an action-packed weekend for Sacramento. The 49ers are up against the Packers for the NFC championship on Saturday, Dine Downtown will be running through the weekend and next week, and the hogs are scheduled to overtake the city for the Easyrider bike show at the Convention Center. But before you dive in, make sure you didn’t miss anything this week on The Sacramento Press. Community Contributors 5. Sacramento's Newest Rising Star by Emilie Cameron Everyone loves to see a local artist edge their way into the national spotlight. Local photographer Ryan Greenleaf is on his way. 4. ‘My Kind Of Town Sacramento Is’ by Kathleen Johnson Kathleen Johnson connected with readers

With the public on edge after a recent spree of armed pedestrian robberies in Midtown, law enforcement leaders fielded questions at a forum Thursday night in hopes of quelling residents’ fears. It was standing-room only at the Hart Senior Centerm, with about 200 people present as Sacramento Police Department Cpt. Ken Bernard and Lt. Marc Coopwood addressed the robberies, as well as other crimes that affect those on the grid. "Nobody's more frustrated than we are that we can't provide the services we want to," Bernard said, regarding cuts to the department. But despite the elimination of entire units in recent years, people should still report crime so there's a record and police can ide

Sacramento firefighters arrived to find a lot of flames coming from the windows of a Victorian apartment at 5th Street and D streets on Wednesday evening, Jan. 9, according to Jonathan Williams, battalion chief for the Sacramento Fire Department. The call was dispatched a little after 6 p.m. “We had multiple calls of a three-story Victorian with fire coming from between the first- and second-floor area,” Williams said. “The first in engine found fire coming from the rear of the second-floor area, and initiated fire attack. We sent some crews to the roof to vent (cut holes in the roof), just in case it went up the walls into the attic space.” The blaze was contained to one room. There wer

The following is from press release from the Sacramento Police Department:  On Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013, the Sacramento Police Department arrested 53-year-old Robert Binns for robbery and violation of parole. On December 30, 2012, at approximately 1 a.m., a victim left a local nightclub in the 2000 block of K Street and started to walk home. As the victim approached 21st and J Street, the suspect rode up on a bicycle, asked a question and then moments later struck the victim, knocking him to the ground. The suspect stole the victim's wallet and keys to his roommate's vehicle before fleeing the area. Later that same morning, the roommate's parked vehicle, a 2011 gray Honda Pilot, was stol

Sacramento fire crews were dispatched to a report of flames coming from a Victorian home in Midtown early Tuesday morning. The fire displaced a family of three, but none of the residents were hurt. Just after 1:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, the Sacramento Fire Department responded to the 1300 Block of Q Street for a report of a residential structure fire. When fire crews arrived they found a two story Victorian home with three apartments on fire with flames coming out the roof, according to Battalion Chief Scott Williams. The cause of the fire is under investigation, Williams said, and Red Cross would be called out to take care of the displaced family of three. Check back on this story for m

In the wake of a string of pedestrian robberies that rocked Midtown, the Sacramento Police Department will join community leaders for a meeting on public safety this Thursday night. Councilman Steve Hansen, the Midtown Buisness Association, the Marshall School/New Era Park Neighborhood Association, the Midtown Neighborhood Association and the Alkali/Mansion Flats Historic Neighborhood Association, will be on hand at the Hart Senior Center at 915 27th Street from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., to "discuss tips on being prepared and staying safe," according to the event's Facebook page. Hansen, who is visiting a series of neighborhood associations this week, said the purpose of the meeting was to

A Sacramento Police Department officer spotted a stolen vehicle Friday just before 8:30 p.m. while patrolling Midtown and arrested the female driver.  Police followed the vehicle from the 19th Street and K Street area, traveling eastbound K Street, then east on 17th Street then eastbound on O Street near 18th. “The vehicle was followed by two patrol vehicles with a Sac PD helicopter overhead,” Midtown resident Anthony Cathey said.  Police officials said the vehicle was stolen in the Sacramento area, in the California Highway Patrol’s jurisdiction, however information on what part of Sacramento the vehicle was stolen from was not immediately available. The vehicle, described as a 1994 m

Police have arrested some suspects believed to be involved in a rash of armed pedestrian robberies in Midtown, but details are vague. Over the weekend, officers stopped a vehicle that matched the description of one used in an armed robbery on Dec. 22, at H and 18th streets. "It is very likely that these suspects were responsible for, or involved in, the armed robberies," Sacramento Police Department Cpt. Ken Bernard wrote in an email. "Since their arrest, the armed robberies have ceased (knock on wood)." The vehicle has been described as an older, white, four-door Saturn. The suspects had been described as Hispanic males (possibly four), in their 20s, however police couldn't be immediate

Many who visit downtown Sacramento note that, on evening or weekends, it seems like a ghost town. There is little pedestrian traffic, and most businesses are closed. In some ways, downtown Sacramento became a ghost town when half the central city’s population was forced to leave, and their homes were destroyed. Perhaps the ghosts of 30,000 former residents wander the streets, wondering what happened to their downtown neighborhood? The drop in Sacramento’s downtown population after 1950 is easy to see using census data. The US Census tracks population down to the “Census Tract” level, neighborhood-sized chunks of about 4,000 people. In 1950, the portion of Sacramento now known as “the grid

Sacramento’s central city continues to be the target of bicycle thieves looking for a quick score. Numbers from the Sacramento Police Department reveal there's been a steady increase in reported bike thefts in police patrol District 3 – which covers downtown, Midtown and East Sacramento areas – as well as citywide in recent years. Yet one of the tools used to fight this crime – a sting bicycle with GPS technology that’s been used as recently as October 2010 – sits underused at police headquarters. During a recent tour of the department, SPD Spokeswoman Michelle Gigante said the sting bicycle is available, but due to fewer resources, not currently in use.  On Friday, SPD Spokesman Doug Mo

Lowbrau, the new German beer hall at 20th and K streets, will be holding its official opening with a New Year's eve show. St. Lucia, a Brooklyn based electronic pop group, is headlining. Their most popular track on SoundCloud, "September" is an atmospheric and danceable elctro track: Tickets run $20 and can be purchased at Ace of Spaces site. Lowbrau's beer menu is still coming together, but here's what they had prepared for their soft opening last week. LowBrau The idea for Lowbrau was partly inspired by other businesses with similar concepts – Wurstküche in Los Angeles and Suppenküche in San Francisco, and co-owner Michael Hargis said he hopes Lowbrau will see the same success i

“Phono Select will be moving to a new location” reads the sign in the front window of the independent music record shop. Owners Dal Basi and Nich Lujan are in negotiations to move into a new building space by February of 2013. Since 2010, when they first opened at 2312 K St., rent has increased. Now, the two are looking for a better place with a better rate. “We have a couple of leads,” Basi said. “We’re in negotiations with a couple of people.” The building changed hands over the summer, just as  Basi and Lujan were in the process of negotiating a new lease. While the new owners were not willing to lower the rent, they have allowed Phono Select to rent month-to-month since  July.  Bas