Latest local news briefs include video highlights from the police department’s annual Shop with a Cop event at Walmart, high speed 1-gigabit internet coming to the area, a house fire near Mesa Verde High School, and Citrus Heights making national headlines.
Citrus Heights police post video of 2017 ‘Shop with a Cop’
The Citrus Heights Police Department published a 90-second video on Tuesday showing highlights from this year’s Shop with a Cop event at Walmart. The video shows smiling kids traveling through the store with shopping carts, accompanied by uniformed officers. The San Juan Unified School District said on its website that a total of 18 students from various schools in Citrus Heights participated in the event this year, with each student receiving a $100 gift card to pay for the shopping spree. The district said students were selected based on criteria focused on character and ethics. (See video)
‘Criminal Santa’ story from Citrus Heights goes viral
News of the Dec. 13 arrest of a man who got stuck in a chimney pipe while allegedly trying to break into a business on Greenback Lane has spread worldwide. The Associated Press and UK-based Daily Mail quickly headlined the story, followed by Time Magazine’s website on Tuesday, and national coverage on ABC and Fox news.
Police had said the suspect, 32-year-old Jesse Berube, slid down the chimney to gain access into the business, but was unsuccessful and became lodged inside the chimney. Police said he was fortunately “able to move just enough to call for help.” (See original story)
House fire reported on Gingerblossom Drive
Metro Fire reported knocking down a house fire on Monday, located near Mesa Verde High School on Gingerblossom Drive. Limited details were published on the agency’s Twitter account, but crews had arrived at the scene and were initiating fire attack by 9:33 p.m. on Dec. 18 and reported knocking down the fire about five minutes later. The home was determined to be clear, following a search for possible victims inside the residence.
More briefly:
- Bike giveaway. In a Dec. 19 newsletter, the San Juan Unified School District reported that more than 300 students from Grand Oaks Elementary School and Lichen K-8 in Citrus Heights received bikes during a “Love Our City Christmas” event earlier this month, presented by Destiny Community Center and the Buzz Oates Charitable Foundation.
- Turkey drop. The school district also reported that more than 35 turkeys were distributed at San Juan High School during an annual holiday food drive, organized by the San Juan Alumni Association. Families were also given canned goods and other non-perishable grocery items.
- High-speed internet. Comcast announced last week that it is launching 1 gigabit high-speed internet in the Sacramento area, including Citrus Heights. (Read more)
- Citrus Heist? Several homeowners in the Citrus Heights and Orangevale area told Fox 40 their citrus is being stolen from off their trees. Police advise residents to always report the crimes, at least with an online report, in order to help with documenting and tracking the incidents. (See story)
