The problem has been a sharp rise in the availability of illicit fentanyl, or fake pills, which has shown up in other drugs. The crisis comes when a user doesn’t know the pill they are taking is laced with a deadly dose of fentanyl.

An elite training facility near Cal Expo has a number of major leaguers have been loyal customers.

After several years of work by Wilton Rancheria, the tribe’s casino operator Boyd Gaming, and local leaders, Sky River is finally up and running.

Some people call the western Nevada County area a mini-Silicon Valley. While the area has a technical and collaborative spirit, some are skeptical about the long term potential for the new guard.

In an era where every major commercial radio station seems to be sticking to a tight format, some local radio stations are focusing on diversity, community and originality.

Vivek Ranadivé sometimes draws the ire of fans and media criticism for perceived meddling in his team, which hasn’t made the playoffs in 16 years. But there’s another side to his story, his work as a leader of one of the highest-valued businesses in the area and the potential impact he continues to have on Sacramento.

The California Capital Airshow hearkens back to the years when the Capital Region was a hub of aerospace and defense manufacturing. After pandemic losses, the event broke records in 2021 and is set to continue its rise.

Thanks to the popularity of “Ru Paul’s Drag Race,” which featured former Sacramento Ballet dancer Rex Wheeler as Lady Camden in season 14, drag has become an increasingly mainstream pastime with big earning potential — for those at the top. We checked in with Wheeler and other local queens to learn more about drag economics.

California’s aerospace, aviation and defense industries support more than 511,000 high-paying jobs and generate more than $66 billion in annual economic activity, larger than the agriculture and entertainment industry combined. We checked in with industry players in the Capital Region.

In the 2 1/2 years since the former Tower Records and Tower Books buildings were demolished at the southeastern corner of 16th Street and Broadway in Sacramento, the site has sat vacant. Finally, things could be starting to change.

Extreme athletes see what they can accomplish, however improbable — like the 100.2-mile ultramarathon Western States — and use their hobbies to contribute to regional economies.

For many young professionals, a job isn’t just a job, but rather a chance to make a difference in the world — to be beacons and forces for good, even change within their companies. 

Mark Otero, founder of the Sacramento-based mobile game company KlickNation, is now working on “Legions & Legends,” a combat roleplaying game and the debut effort from his studio, Azra Games.

Upgrades in water meters are helping to reduce water waste, but installation of new infrastructure can be slow and difficult to fund.

Although the hot housing marketing has made it a great time to be a builder in California, it’s also uniquely challenging as supply chain issues create pricing volatility, delays and decreased margins. 

The owners of Pachamama Coffee aim to operate their cooperative business sustainably, considering environmental, economic and social issues.

Nearly two years into the pandemic, the Crocker’s art park project is being brought back to life, though there are a few hurdles to overcome before breaking ground.

Tribal officials are working with Sacramento city government to secure a formal recognition of tribal land, creating opportunities for education.

KJAY in West Sacramento broadcasts a mix of Hmong, Russian, religious and oldies programming, and that’s just a part of what makes the station an outlier in a world of corporate radio.

Amid the ongoing pandemic, several tribes in the Capital Region are either building new casinos or undertaking significant expansions of existing operations.

Factoring in local matches, a common requirement for federal grant awards, the money could go much further.

Sacramento businesses continue to adapt and recalculate as COVID-19 evolves.

The Rosser family has provided 60 years of roping and riding for rodeo professionals and enthusiasts in Marysville.

A father-and-son team have kept Newcastle-based Selby’s Soil Erosion Control business operating since the 1960s.

Cities such as Roseville, Folsom, Rancho Cordova and Elk Grove have become self-contained places where people barely have to leave city limits for housing, work, shopping and entertainment.

After 19 years in Winters, the Center for Land-Based Learning welcomes farmers to a larger home in Woodland. 

A local business group is partnering with the Sacramento Kings and Golden 1 Center to bring an esports competition with approximately 20 colleges to Sacramento and Roseville this week.

Kyle Wakamiya is director of strategic planning and analysis at West Sacramento-based Origin Materials, which makes environmentally friendly bioplastics.

For the second time, a fire station in downtown Roseville has lost its chance to become a university campus.

Dr. Lenora Lee, an infectious disease specialist at Kaiser Permanente Sacramento and Roseville for the past seven years, has made the most of working through the coronavirus pandemic.

The Sacramento Kings’ former arena site in Natomas is slated for new life.

“It’s a really exciting time to be in the business,” says Cal.net Chief Operating Officer Ken Garnett.

The casino is expected to open in the fall of 2022 on Wilton Rancheria tribal trust land at the site of an uncompleted mall.

More than a few downtown eateries have become casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those that remain are embracing long-term survival strategies.

A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, many entrepreneurs feel reasons for hope, both for their companies and the world at large.

Jose Gomez, Francisco Barajas and Brian Montagnese will travel to Tacoma, Washington, to compete on “American Ninja Warrior” for a chance at an ultimate $1 million prize.

A new Kaiser Permanente hospital and a Sacramento County courthouse continue at The Railyards, the largest urban infill development project west of the Mississippi River.

Co-owner Peter Hoey is optimistic for the future, saying, “It’s not pre-pandemic numbers, but we’re in a good spot as far as restaurant sales.”

In the Capital Region, educational paths are plentiful for those looking to make a transition.

PODCAST: Roger Valine helped transform VSP from a small local company to an international operation by 2006 when he decided to retire. This profile is part of The Next Chapter, in which we check in with Capital Region professionals who moved into new pursuits or retirement after successful careers.

For more than three decades, the Ronald McDonald House Charities and the McDonald’s Corporation helped to define Ramirez, who became a franchisee in Galt in 1988.

Roger Valine joined VSP in 1973 and worked his way up from being a management trainee to become the driving force as the CEO of the Rancho Cordova company.

PODCAST: Listen to a six-part series about Capital Region professionals who found new pursuits after successful careers. 

The latest iteration of the controversy surrounding Aggie Square involves two lawsuits filed in mid-December over the project against the University of California Board of Regents under the California Environmental Quality Act.

Davis voters narrowly rejected Measure B this past November, declining to change land-use designations to pave the way for the Davis Innovation and Sustainability Campus.

Every little bit matters in Roseville, which prides itself as a full-service city.

Comstock’s has been following four businesses in Sacramento since March to see how they’re faring amid the pandemic. Here’s how they stand now.

Amy Seiwert’s term as the artistic director of the Sacramento Ballet ended in July, but she is continuing to create with dance companies in California and the Midwest.

While large companies often have shareholders and untold numbers of employees to satisfy, family businesses can maneuver more deftly and swiftly, powering through as best they can.

PODCAST: West Sacramento’s Washington District has transformed in the past decade, due to efforts by the City of West Sacramento, developers and food entrepreneurs.