Isleton’s Crawdad Festival — a defining event from the mid-1980s to the late 2000s for the tiny city along the Sacramento River — returned to Main Street for the first time in 14 years on June 17-18, swelling the city of less than 800 residents to an estimated 60,000 over the two-day event.

During a typical year, aquifers provide around 40 percent of the water the state uses; in drought years, that percentage soars to 60 percent or more. The state’s aquifers can hold a lot of water, but that number isn’t infinite, and California’s current rate of overdraft isn’t sustainable.

Oates rarely does “the least” he can do. He is chairman of the board of the Buzz Oates Group — a $3 billion commercial real estate investment, management and development firm founded by his late father. 

In 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to identify excess state-owned property that could be converted into affordable housing. Few local examples exist, leaving architects and developers to wonder if they are financially feasible and what, if any, kinds of funding are available.

Even when the tulips aren’t blooming during the April-May window, Crystal Hermitage is a destination experience that has received accolades by AAA Magazine as a top garden to visit in the West.

State prison yards may not look much like college quads. But some activists and educators want to bring a piece of the collegiate experience to incarcerated people in California, allowing them to earn degrees and job training behind prison walls — and potentially reducing their likelihood of returning to prison after their release. 

For over 15 years, Sacramento has turned to Kelly Brothers for making sense of Wall Street and the economy, where he serves as a frequent contributor to KCRA-TV and News Radio KFBK. But that’s only part of his story.

Across the Capital Region, companies and nonprofits are investing in diversity, equity and inclusion and seeing returns.  Comstock’s spoke to DEI leaders at some of these organizations to learn about their methods and future initiatives. 

DEI generally has three components that work jointly. “Diversity is looking at the makeup of the organization. Equity is giving people what they need to be successful. Inclusion comes after getting diversity and equity, and that ensures people are contributing to that environment,” says Dr. Colette Harris-Mathews, principal consultant at Harris Mathews Consulting in Sacramento. 

In their brightly lit, smartly appointed shop in Midtown, Topstitch owners Mallory Maupin and Samuel Rose teach workshops, fulfill custom orders, consult on product development and work on their own projects.