Sacramento leaders asked National Basketball Association officials visiting Thursday to keep the Kings in Sacramento for at least another year while the region proves a new arena can be built – and an answer is expected May 2. In a closed-door meeting at the state Capitol Thursday morning, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and other elected officials from the city and state asked the NBA to give the region a year to show they will be able to replace Power Balance Pavilion with a new home for the Kings. Kings supporters also did their best to paint the town purple – waving purple-lettered signs outside City Hall, hanging Kings banners on buildings and dressing in the team's color

What a difference a recessionary year makes. Thursday morning’s meeting of the Sacramento First Task Force, which has been looking at competing proposals for a new sports and entertainment arena, was scaled down in every way from last March’s high-profile event. Held in the much smaller Old City Hall meeting room, which was notably chilly (which task force co-chair Chris Lehane half-jokingly explained as city cost-cutting) the event drew far fewer people, nearly half of whom were on one of the four teams vying for approval. The media presence was far smaller than last year. With four proposals instead of seven, and even the task force itself smaller by two members, everything in the roo

Chris Nestor knows people are in need of a little comfort right now. The chef behind INK decided the time is right for a restaurant which may be able to provide that. On Jan. 12, he will open House Kitchen & Bar at 555 Capitol Mall. Opening first for lunch, House will serve re-imagined American comfort food in a warm setting, with dinner prices that won't go above $17. The concept is a response to the times, with many people facing continuing economic challenges, said Nestor. "Everybody has changed their mindset about what they want to pay when dining out," Nestor said. "Times are different right now. Meals are different right now. People's needs are different. So I just think it's a ne