Latest local news briefs include a fire at a Citrus Heights home the day after Christmas, homelessness in Citrus Heights being featured in a statewide magazine, a local marble collector being featured in a Pennsylvania newspaper, and more.
Citrus Heights PD publishes new video of ‘Operation Christmas Cheer’
Local police published a new 3-minute video on Wednesday of its annual December gift drop to in-need families around the city. The video compilation follows a live broadcast the department hosted on Facebook during the Dec. 21 gift drop. (See video on Facebook or at the top of this article)
Citrus Heights featured in statewide magazine for collaborative approach to homelessness
The League of California Cities put the spotlight on Citrus Heights in its January 2018 edition of “Western City,” a publication focused on governance in California cities. The article is titled “Citrus Heights addresses homelessness in a suburban community,” and follows Citrus Heights being recognized by the League in September for winning a 2017 Helen Putnam Award in the category of Housing Programs and Innovations, for the city’s approach to homelessness that uses a partnership with police, churches, a full-time homeless “navigator,” and the Citrus Heights Homeless Assistance Resource Team, a local nonprofit organization.
Related: new police survey shows significant drop in homeless-related calls in Citrus Heights
A pilot “navigator” program was first launched by the city in 2015 in partnership with Citrus Heights HART and a contract with another nonprofit, Sacramento Self-Help Housing. After the program was credited with helping house the homeless, the city provided additional funding to expand the program.
Local ‘Marble Grandma’ story picked up by newspaper in Pennsylvania
A 78-year-old Citrus Heights woman who was featured last month in a Sacramento Bee story for her extensive collection of more than 20,000 marbles was featured in a daily newspaper in the state of Pennsylvania on Thursday. According to the article, Judy Headley, known as the “Marble Grandma,” began collecting marbles with her first $1 bag of 100 marbles about 30 years ago, and now enjoys entertaining her grandkids and great-grandkids with her vast collection. The article was re-printed by the Indiana Gazette, which serves Indiana County, a county with a population of about 90,000. Although the newspaper’s name implies the publication is from the state of Indiana, the county is located in the southern portion of Pennsylvania, about 300 miles away from the similarly named state. (See story)
Citrus Heights father seeking double lung transplant featured on Fox 40
A 54-year-old Citrus Heights man with two sons and four adopted grandchildren living with him is seeking to raise about $15,000 to help pay for expenses related to a double lung transplant, according to a Dec. 26 news video on Fox 40. The story interviews Mike Bjers, who was diagnosed with COPD and emphysema seven years ago, and shows video of his grandchildren playing outside their Citrus Heights home.
Bjers is on a transplant list but says he needs about $15,000 to raise money for treatments and checkups at a San Francisco hospital. Shown wearing oxygen tubes during the interview, Bjers is currently on disability and is hooked up to oxygen 24 hours a day. According to a GoFundMe page, his only chance of survival is a double lung transplant. The fundraising page lists a total goal of $20,000, with about $11,500 raised as of Saturday. (See Fox 40 video or GoFundMe page)
Fire damages home near Sungarden Drive on day after Christmas
Firefighters responded to a blaze on Geowood Way in Citrus Heights on the morning of Dec. 26, the day after Christmas. A public information officer from Metro Fire tweeted that crews had knocked down an attic fire at the residence by 7:15 a.m, with all occupants evacuated and no injuries reported. Additional details about damage or the cause of fire were not listed on the agency’s twitter account.
