Upper Westside project advances, Newsom fined: Your Sacramento weekly wrap
From political investigations on Governor Gavin Newsom to free park passes for Juneteenth, the Sacramento Bee has you covered on news you may have missed throughout the week.
Take a look at headlines that shaped the week:
- The Fair Political Practices Commission fined Gov. Gavin Newsom $31,500 for failing to timely report more than $5.6 million in behested payments, a penalty announced just one week before Newsom disclosed that the Trump administration’s Department of Justice had opened an investigation into him and his wife.
- The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to approve the controversial Upper Westside Project, which would add 25,000 residents on more than 1,500 acres west of Natomas. Opponents, including former Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo, signaled a likely environmental lawsuit under CEQA, which would need to be filed within about 30 days.
- Tandoori Pizza has permanently closed its Downtown Commons location less than a year after opening in October, with low foot traffic blamed for the shutdown. The Indian fusion chain, founded by UC Davis graduate Tejinder Singh, still operates 18 other locations across California.
- The Air Force identified the eight people killed in a B-52 Stratofortress crash at Edwards Air Force Base on Monday during a routine developmental test mission. An interim safety investigation board is probing the crash, with findings possibly six months away.
- Former Capital Public Radio general manager Jun Reina returned to court Wednesday on embezzlement, fraud and grand theft charges tied to roughly $1.33 million allegedly misappropriated from the NPR affiliate. Credit card records obtained by The Bee show spending on luxury resort travel, high-priced consumer goods and home improvements between 2015 and 2022.
- California is offering free passes to more than 30 state historic parks from Juneteenth through July 6 to mark the holiday and the 250th anniversary of the United States. Gov. Newsom used the announcement to criticize President Trump for ending free admission to national parks on Juneteenth.
- Gov. Newsom’s order requiring state workers to return primarily in person starts July 1 and has drawn opposition including caravans and billboards. The Sacramento Bee will host a live Zoom webinar on the state’s return-to-office order on June 25 at noon, with state worker reporter William Melhado answering any questions you may have.