Latest news with #Roseville-based
San Francisco Chronicle
07-07-2025
- Health
- San Francisco Chronicle
What a battle over who should clean feces in a state prison says about California politics
Cleaning blood and feces smeared across the walls of prison psychiatric units isn't exactly most people's idea of a dream job. But for 18-year-old James Barron, doing hard, dirty janitorial work inside the California Medical Facility, a state prison in Vacaville, has been the best job of his young life — beating out fast food and retail. Why? Barron has Type 1 diabetes, and he rarely received accommodation for his condition at his previous jobs. When his blood sugar dropped, causing him to feel dizzy and shake, managers would often tell him to keep working. But it's not that way with his current employer, Pride Industries, a Roseville-based nonprofit that for decades has provided good-paying jobs to people with disabilities. With Pride, Barron could take quick breaks when needed to eat a snack and regain his equilibrium, among other accommodations. Pride also paid Barron $29.75 an hour, far more than he could earn elsewhere with just a high school diploma. This allowed him to afford a car and set aside money for college — where he wants to study to become a registered nurse — while also helping his mom pay rent. But last week, Barron lost his job — along with 57 other prison workers employed by Pride, about half of whom have disabilities or are service-disabled veterans. Although inmate work programs provide job training and help reduce recidivism, there's nonetheless something ironic about progressive California laying off disabled workers and replacing some of them with barely paid incarcerated laborers — especially when Democratic and Republican state lawmakers have compared forced prison labor to indentured servitude and even pushed a ballot measure last year to ban the practice. You can thank the zero-sum nature of California politics — where even a few dozen jobs cleaning feces in prisons is cause for a bloody, years-long battle between the government and various interest groups. Here's what's going on: In February 2023, the Service Employees International Union Local 1000, which represents state workers, filed a challenge against the state prison health system's contract with Pride Industries to provide janitorial services at the Vacaville prison. In arguments before the State Personnel Board — which oversees the state worker hiring process and investigates alleged violations of civil service law — the union argued the jobs should be filled by civil service employees because the state hadn't met the threshold to outsource them to a private contractor. Under California law, the state government can only contract out jobs under certain conditions, such as when state employees aren't available or don't have the necessary expertise. California Correctional Health Care Services, which oversees prison health care, argued the Pride contract was necessary due to 'serious issues with recruitment and retention of qualified custodians' through the usual hiring process. The stakes were high: California's prison system has for decades been under federal oversight for failing to provide adequate medical care to inmates. It needs to meet certain cleanliness standards to restore state control. In May 2023, Suzanne Ambrose, the State Personnel Board's executive officer, ruled in favor of the union, determining the state hadn't tried hard enough to fill the jobs with civil service workers. Ambrose ordered the state to terminate its Vacaville prison contract with Pride within six months. She also encouraged all parties to work toward hiring Pride workers into civil service jobs. That didn't happen. At the repeated requests of federal and state prison officials, who maintained they were struggling to hire civil service staff, Ambrose kept extending Pride's contract — until it finally expired last Monday. Eric Murray, a bargaining unit chairperson for Service Employees International Union Local 1000, told me, 'If vacancies exist, the responsibility lies with the state,' adding that the union has long pushed for 'competitive salaries and improved working conditions to attract qualified applicants.' He also added that the union's challenge had nothing to do with Pride: 'This was about enforcing civil service protections, not targeting a vendor's workers.' Still, Pride workers undoubtedly got the short end of the stick. The situation is 'devastating,' as Barron put it to me. He doubts he'll be able to find another workplace with comparable wages and disability accommodations. It's beyond disappointing that Pride, the union and the state weren't able to reach a compromise for the Vacaville prison jobs. In 2018, a budget deal allowed Pride to keep about half of its 217 workers employed at another state prison, the California Health Care Facility in Stockton and gave the remaining jobs to civil service workers. Just consider last week's ferocious legislative debate over a proposal that would have established new wage floors for construction workers — part of Gov. Gavin Newsom's last-minute push to overhaul laws constraining home development. Although the bill would have raised wages for many of the lowest-paid construction workers who don't belong to a union and preserved higher prevailing wages for workers building 100% affordable projects or developments more than 85 feet tall, construction unions vehemently opposed it, likening it to Jim Crow-era laws and prison chain gangs. Unsurprisingly, lawmakers scrapped the provision. It's telling that this all-or-nothing, us-versus-them mentality exists even for some of California's least desirable jobs: cleaning prison psychiatric facilities. Even establishing a pathway for disabled Pride workers to enter the civil service has been challenging. After years of haggling, the furthest Pride, the union and the state have come is AB912 by Assembly Member Lori Wilson, D-Suisun City, to establish a pilot civil service apprenticeship program for people with disabilities to work as state prison custodians. But, even if Wilson's bill passes, it will be too late to save jobs like Barron's. With his finances uncertain, Barron likely will have to put his college plans on hold. He's trying to remain optimistic: 'I'm a person of faith,' he told me — but he couldn't help but feel the outcome was 'a disappointment.' Who can blame him? His job was just a pawn in the merciless game of California politics. Emily Hoeven is a columnist and editorial writer for the Opinion section.
San Francisco Chronicle
01-07-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Can't afford an average home in S.F.? Try a mansion in Sacramento instead
A mid-priced home in San Francisco and San Mateo County costs nearly as much as a luxury home in the Sacramento area. It's not just that homes in the San Francisco metro area are far more expensive than they are in the Sacramento region — though they certainly are. The estimated price of a mid-tier home that sold in the San Francisco area from March to May was nearly $1.5 million, according to online real estate brokerage Redfin, almost three times the typical $589,000 price tag in the Sacramento area. But the price gap between a 'normal' home (one in the middle third of values) and a mansion (in the top 5%) is also greater in the Bay Area than it is in the Sacramento region. A top-tier home in the San Francisco metro area, defined in Redfin's data as the city and San Mateo County, cost about $6.2 million, more than four times the price of a mid-tier home. In the Sacramento metro area, a sprawling region that stretches to Lake Tahoe, a luxury home costs less than $1.7 million, less than three times the price of a mid-tier home. The most expensive metro areas don't necessarily have the largest gaps between luxury homes and mid-tier homes. Florida's West Palm Beach and Miami metro areas have relatively moderate prices for mid-tier homes, at just above $500,000. But luxury homes in those metros can cost about eight times as much as a non-luxury home. The Sacramento metro area, on the other hand, has the second-lowest gap, with the Portland, Ore., area having the absolute lowest ratio. Cheryl Dibachi, a Roseville-based luxury home broker associate with Compass who moved from the Bay Area in 2005, said she regularly receives inquiries from Bay Area homebuyers who realize they can get much more space for their money further inland. She herself more than doubled her square footage for roughly the same amount of money once she moved to the Sacramento area, she said. 'If you want a luxury property but can't spend the $20 million-plus, there are great opportunities here, and you still have the proximity to the Bay Area,' Dibachi said. Additionally, the luxury market is relatively new to the Sacramento area, Dibachi said, with higher-end properties mostly being homes rebuilt after 2000, around when the region saw a jump in housing demand. That new demand may have partially stemmed from out-migration of relatively well-off people from the Bay Area, which has a longer history of mansions with eye-popping prices. The difference in the price gap likely reflects the two regions' levels of income inequality. The average income of the top 20% of earners in San Francisco was 28 times what the bottom 20% made, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2023. The same ratio was just 14 in Sacramento and Placer counties. But the Sacramento region has its own affordability challenges. Researchers have found that the cost of home insurance is far outpacing homeowner income. And Dibachi also said home prices are also starting to rise as more people flock to the area. 'Over the last three years, I've seen a pretty dramatic jump in what people are willing to pay,' she said. 'And it's really, I think, mainly because they can't get the product anywhere else.'
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rescue center receives record number of animals following Thursday storms
A wildlife rehabilitation nonprofit says it received a record number of animals following Thursday's storms in the Twin Cities. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota says it received 257 new animals on Thursday, marking a new record for the center. The Roseville-based facility says it anticipates more animals being dropped off on Friday, including squirrels and birds that fell from trees during the storms. Severe weather rolled through the Twin Cities and western Wisconsin Thursday, prompting a tornado warning in Minneapolis. While a tornado didn't materialize in Minneapolis, one was produced just across the Wisconsin border between Hammond and New Richmond. Before bringing an animal in, WRC encouraged people to make sure the animal is obviously injured. The center also recommends filling out an admit form in advance.
Time Business News
07-05-2025
- Business
- Time Business News
How Does SEO Work in Small Cities?
Many small business owners think of SEO as something for big cities and giant companies. But in reality, local SEO is often more effective in smaller markets. People in places like our hometown Roseville, California still rely on Google to find services, whether it's an auto repair shop, a roofer, or a family dentist. The difference is that the competition is usually lighter — which means it's easier (and cheaper) to rank if you do it right. At our Roseville-based SEO agency, we've seen firsthand how a well-optimized website and Google Business Profile can drive dozens of monthly leads, even though it's under 200,000 residents. Let's break down how SEO really works in small towns and what steps local businesses can take to start showing up. Local SEO focuses on helping your business show up when someone nearby searches for a product or service you offer. For a city like Roseville, that means targeting searches like 'electrician Roseville,' 'best hair salon near me,' or 'auto repair in Roseville, CA.' Unlike traditional SEO, you're not competing with the entire internet — just other local businesses. The core elements of local SEO include: Google Business Profile (GBP): Your free listing on Google Maps — critical for visibility. Location-based keywords: Adding city names to your service pages and metadata. Local content: Writing blog posts or FAQs that mention landmarks, neighborhoods, or local events. Consistent citations: Making sure your business is listed (accurately) on directories like Yelp, Nextdoor, and YellowPages. Customer reviews: Arguably the most powerful ranking factor for local trust and visibility. Take a Roseville roofing company as an example. With a well-optimized GBP, clear service pages, and a few solid reviews, they can start ranking in the local 'map pack' within weeks — even with just a few competitors. Search habits don't change just because a city is smaller. People still use Google daily to find everything from plumbers to pediatricians. What's different is the search volume. A keyword like 'emergency plumber near me' might only get 70–100 searches per month — but those are high-intent users ready to call now . In small towns, people often search using: 'Near me' terms: e.g., 'tire shop near me' e.g., 'tire shop near me' City-specific keywords: e.g., 'Roseville car detailing' e.g., 'Roseville car detailing' Time-sensitive modifiers: 'open now,' 'same day,' or '24 hours' Mobile usage plays a major role too. The majority of local searches are done from phones, and Google often prioritizes results based on proximity. That means a well-optimized business right down the street has a strong chance of showing up first. A good example is a Roseville-based HVAC technician. By optimizing their GBP and including phrases like 'AC repair in Roseville' on their homepage, they can win a top spot in both Google Maps and the standard organic listings. One of the biggest misunderstandings we see from business owners is overestimating how much traffic they need . In small cities, the total number of searches is lower — but that doesn't mean SEO isn't worth it. The key is understanding that small numbers can still lead to real results. Let's say your website gets 150 visitors a month from Google. That might not sound like much. But if 25 of those people call you, and you close 8 of them into paying clients, that's a significant return — especially for service-based businesses with high ticket prices. What to expect from SEO in a small city: Lower traffic, but higher intent Slower growth, but better long-term ROI Fewer competitors, so easier to rank More personal connections — reviews and referrals carry weight We've worked with a local home contractor in our city who went from zero traffic to ranking on the first page within 90 days. Even though their keyword only gets about 80 monthly searches, they now receive 3–5 qualified inquiries per week — all organic. You don't need to hire anyone to start seeing results — just a bit of time and consistency. Here are simple steps any small-town business owner can take: Add photos, services, hours, and a solid description. Make sure the business name, address, and phone (NAP) are consistent everywhere. Write a separate service page for each major offering (e.g., 'Deck Repair in Roseville'). Use your city name naturally in headings, page titles, and meta descriptions. Submit your info to free platforms like Bing Places, Apple Maps, Angi, Yelp, and others. Use a citation tool if you want to speed up the process. Reach out to happy customers and ask for Google reviews. Just five good reviews can make a visible difference in rankings. Post updates about local events, showcase projects you've completed in your area or answer common local questions. We helped a painter grow their web presence simply by adding three location pages, cleaning up their citations, and gathering a few five-star reviews. Within two months, they began appearing on the first page of Google — without spending anything on ads. Small cities like Roseville may not get the same traffic as Los Angeles or San Francisco, but that's exactly why local SEO works. With fewer businesses investing in optimization, you have a chance to stand out — often with just the basics done right. If you're a local business owner wondering whether SEO is worth it for your small town, the answer is yes. And you don't need to go all-in right away. Start with your Google listing, build out your website, and ask your best customers for reviews. The results may come slower than ads — but they'll last much longer. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Business Journals
24-04-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
EnergyAid acquires Sunworks' customer lists after bankruptcy
Santa Ana-based residential solar service company EnergyAid has acquired the customer lists and intellectual property of solar power installers that had a long presence in the Sacramento region before going out of business. Santa Ana-based residential solar service company EnergyAid has acquired the customer lists and intellectual property of solar power installers that had a long presence in the Sacramento region before going out of business. EnergyAid, which only does service on solar systems, acquired the intellectual assets of Sunworks Inc., a solar installer founded locally in 2002 that filed for bankruptcy in January this year. EnergyAid is offering services 'to customers who have been abandoned by their installers,' said Bryan Jackson, vice president of sales and marketing with EnergyAid. GET TO KNOW YOUR CITY Find Local Events Near You Connect with a community of local professionals. Explore All Events EnergyAid already had a Sacramento office, where 15 of the company's 100 employees work. The company has seven offices in California and one in Arizona. Sacramento is its second-largest office, Jackson said. In 2021, Roseville-based Sunworks bought Solcius, a Utah-based residential solar installer, in a cash deal valued at $51.8 million. Solcius worked in 12 states. Sunworks later that year moved its headquarters to Utah, but it still had installers in Sacramento until the bankruptcy. Sunworks, when it was still a publicly traded company based in Roseville, installed the solar photovoltaic system on what is now Sutter Health Park, home of the River Cats and now the Athletics. Several times, Sunworks was one of the region's fastest-growing companies. It was the fourth-fastest-growing in 2016. 'A lot of unfortunate things have been happening in the solar industry,' Jackson said. The solar install business has been difficult in recent years because high interest rates have made installations less affordable. Also, permitting cycles from local governments got longer with the pandemic and remain so today. And some installation incentives have expired or just gone away. In California, the net metering rules changed in 2023 to make the value of electricity sold to the grid less than what it had been for the previous decade. Also, equipment and labor costs have escalated with increasing competition, he said. EnergyAid started up in 2014 to service residential solar systems, many of which came with warranties from installers that have now gone out of business. EnergyAid didn't buy any hard assets from Sunworks, and it didn't pick up any employees through the bankruptcy purchase, Jackson said. He declined to say how much it paid for the intellectual property. Between home ownership changes and failing installers, many homeowners don't know who to turn to for service, Jackson said. EnergyAid can help homeowners find out if they have a warranty from the panel or equipment manufacturers, and the company does work to update technology on residential solar systems. Many older systems run on 3G cellular networks, and they are no longer supported by carriers, which means that they aren't optimized, and the monitoring of the system may no longer work. The panels in a photovoltaic array tend to be the most reliable component. If there are no immediate problems, they tend to last a long time, Jackson said. They do, however, need to be cleaned. The wiring, connections and inverters tend to be longer-term trouble spots. EnergyAid's business model is that it will become a trusted service provider, and then as people upgrade and expand their system over years, it will be able to help those customers add more power, battery backup and support power and install electric vehicle charging.
