A utility vehicle from SMUD leaves the scene of a collision involving a power pole Wednesday night on Sunrise Boulevard. // CH Sentinel
Sentinel staff report–
Thousands lost power in Citrus Heights Wednesday night, leaving residents and businesses without electricity for about an hour while utility crews restored power.
Residents lost power around 7:45 p.m. March 10, with power restored by 8:40 p.m. SMUD tweeted Wednesday night that the outage had been caused by a “car/pole accident” in Citrus Heights.
SMUD crews and Citrus Heights police units could be seen in the area of Sunrise Boulevard and Larwin Drive, with police blocking off a section of northbound Sunrise Boulevard between Larwin and Woodmore Oaks Drive. Wires and a severed pole could be seen dangling along the roadway, and a four-door sedan with significant front end damage was observed nearby on the side of the road.
According to SMUD’s online outage map, a total of 16,946 customers lost power during the outage. Businesses at Sunrise Boulevard and Antelope Road could be seen completely dark during the outage, with only traffic signal lights working at the intersection.
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District has published a list of more than 1,500 customers who have unclaimed money in amounts ranging from as little as $15 to more than $1,000. By law, money not claimed by Dec. 23, 2016, will become the property of SMUD.
In a statement accompanying an alphabetized list of customer names and unclaimed dollar amounts on its website, SMUD says “if your name or the name of a family member is on the list we encourage you to follow up before 5 p.m. on Dec. 23, 2016 to claim the money.”
According to SMUD, the uncashed checks are all dated between Oct. 1, 2012 and Sept. 30, 2013. Under California Government Code Section 50050-50057, money “that is not the property of a local agency that remains unclaimed in its treasury or in the official custody of its officers for three years is the property of the local agency after notice if not claimed or if no verified complaint is filed and served.”
SMUD spokesman Jonathon Tudor told The Sentinel via email that the utility district goes through the process of trying to unite checks with customers each year. He said the checks are mostly refunds on customer accounts that were never cashed and total more than $100,000 this year.
Click here to view the list of customers with unclaimed checks.
To make a claim, customers can call (916) 732-7440 and provide the claimant’s name, current address, and telephone number and the address for the time period Oct. 1, 2012 to Sept. 30, 2013. Claims can also be mailed to:
Sacramento Municipal Utility District Unclaimed Monies
6201 S Street, mail stop K109
Sacramento, CA
Police and firefighters gather near a CHPD vehicle at the scene of a power pole collision Tuesday night, after apprehending a driver who was reportedly fleeing the scene. // CH Sentinel
Citrus Heights police said a 26-year-old was arrested after he crashed his vehicle into a power pole on Antelope Road late Tuesday and then tried to flee the scene. The collision resulted in thousands of homes in the area temporarily losing power for up to three hours.
In an email statement to The Sentinel late Wednesday, Officer Wesley Herman said police responded to a reported solo-vehicle collision with a power pole on the 7000 block of Antelope Road around 11:30 p.m., with responding officers finding the driver of the vehicle “fleeing from the scene of the accident.”
Herman said the driver was “actively defiant with officers during their instructions, but was eventually detained.”
The driver, identified by police as Andrew Tolbert of Sacramento, was subsequently arrested for DUI, hit-and-run collision, “resisting/delaying/obstructing a public officer,” and violating probation, according to Officer Herman. Police said Tolbert was on probation for domestic battery, resisting arrest, burglary, and several other offenses.
After police said he was “medically cleared,” Tolbert was taken to the Sacramento County main jail. Herman said the driver “sustained minor superficial wounds during the time he was resisting arrest.”
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According to SMUD’s online outage map, more than 16,000 customers in the Citrus Heights area lost power at 11:33 p.m. on Tuesday, apparently from the collision. A SMUD truck arrived shortly after midnight and could be seen shining a light on the pole, which was leaning over towards Antelope Road, although still mostly upright.
Residents on Mariposa Avenue and some other areas reported having their power restored by around 12:20 a.m. Wednesday, and most others had power back on by 2:30 a.m., according to SMUD’s website.
Things are a bit on the quiet side in Citrus Heights for the first part of June, with only a handful of events and meetings scheduled for this week.
On Monday night, the Citrus Heights History & Arts Commission will hold its monthly meeting at the Community Center on Fountain Square Drive, hearing updates on the Auburn Boulevard revitalization effort and city hall moving plans. Commissioners will also be selecting up to three members to meet with the city council’s Quality of Life Committee regarding History and Arts Commission operation.
On Wednesday at 10 a.m., the Sacramento Municipal Utility District will hold a grand opening event at its new fast-charge station for electric vehicles at the Citrus Heights Raley’s on Lichen Drive. The new charging station reportedly can deliver an 80 percent re-charge in just 30 minutes.
As happens each Saturday, rain-or-shine, those seeking farm fresh produce will find the Sunrise Mall’s Farmers Market open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot behind Sears this weekend. The year-round market features produce, flowers, artisan cheeses, baked goods, grass-fed beef and “so much more.”
Events coming up next week include the Soroptomist club’s Brewfest at the Rusch House and an outdoor movie night at the Citrus Town Center.
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A team of six performers pose for a photo at Michelle Solorzano’s property in Citrus Heights. // M. Hazlip
A partially burned shopping cart could still be seen outside the former Flaming Mountain sushi buffet, several days after a fire at the site. // M. Hazlip
Updated 12:57 p.m.–
A power pole was left severed at the base and dangling along the roadside this morning when a pickup slammed into the pole, cutting power and causing Citrus Heights police to temporarily shut down traffic on Antelope Road.
Citrus Heights police and SMUD crews respond to the Antelope Road accident, Thursday morning.
Sergeant Mike Wells with the Citrus Heights Police Department said the vehicle was traveling east on Antelope Road around 6:20 a.m. when it struck the pole, causing it to fall into the roadway. Responding officers closed down both directions of Antelope from Auburn Boulevard to Mariposa Avenue.
No other vehicles were involved in the collision, and there were no reports of injuries “at this time,” according to the sergeant.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District crews were observed working on the downed pole shortly after the collision, and estimate power to be restored by 1 p.m., according to the utility company’s website.
A SMUD outage map online shows the power outage occurring at 6:17 a.m., with Citrus Heights police alerting media via email of the road closure around 6:30 a.m.
The road was re-opened by 7:10 a.m., according to CHPD.
Meghan Huber is the new economic development manager for the City of Citrus Heights. // CH Sentinel
Jeff and Jason Liang own and operate Aquarium Depot in Citrus Heights, along with their father. // CH Sentinel
Citrus Heights Vice Mayor Sue Frost (left) and council member Jeannie Bruins (right) accept the 2014 “Growing Greenprint” award from the Sacramento Tree Foundation. // Photo courtesy of City of Citrus Heights.
The City of Citrus Heights received the 2014 “Growing Greenprint” award from the Sacramento Tree Foundation this month, in recognition of the City’s “noteworthy contributions” toward building a better urban forest.
“We are honored to receive the Growing Greenprint Award,” said Citrus Heights Vice Mayor Sue Frost, who accepted the award on behalf of the City. “We appreciate Sacramento Tree Foundation who has played an important role in helping our city achieve our greenhouse gas reduction goals.”
Contributing factors that led to the award include the City’s establishing of urban forest policies, developing community partnerships, working to create an Urban Forest Management Plan and the City’s planting of approximately 150 new trees in 2013.
Emphasizing the benefit of trees in the city, the vice mayor explained the role of trees in promoting clean air, protecting against harmful UV rays and helping to filter and retain water.
The City’s General Plan also cites the benefit of shade trees in reducing building energy use – a fact which SMUD has recognized as well, offering free shade trees to residents through a partnership with the tree foundation.
This year, the City is continuing its green efforts through a Green Parking Lot Demonstration and Monitoring Project which includes the planting of 65 native trees.
“We all know ‘Trees are a blessing,’ and we look forward to continuing our efforts to replenish our wonderful tree canopy,” said Frost.
For more information about the award, or to participate in the free Shade Tree program, readers can visit http://www.SacTree.com/.
