Dorothea Puente series, Lake Natoma E. coli level. Top Sacramento stories July 9

Sacramento’s top stories Thursday spanned true crime, public health and basketball — from Geena Davis’s casting in a Dorothea Puente drama to E. coli warnings at Lake Natoma and Kings’ performance next season.

Here’s a quick digest:

• Oscar-winning actress Geena Davis will play Sacramento serial killer Dorothea Puente in an HBO drama series under development. Puente ran a boarding house where bodies of former tenants were unearthed in 1988, and she was convicted of killing three people before dying in prison in 2011.

• California State Parks is warning visitors away from parts of Lake Natoma after elevated E. coli levels were detected at Black Miners Bar Day Use Beach, Nimbus Flats and Willow Creek Day Use Area, per state health guidance for swimmers. Advisories will remain in place until two consecutive weeks of testing show bacteria levels below 320 most probable number per 100 milliliters.

• Charles Barkley said the Sacramento Kings need “a miracle” and divine intervention to compete, speaking Thursday at the American Century Championship near Lake Tahoe. The ESPN analyst praised the Kings’ fan base but said the team is “not close,” while noting rookie Darius Acuff Jr., the No. 7 overall draft pick, is a promising young player.