As Mayor Kevin Johnson prepared for a Thursday night meeting to discuss new arena options, his chief of staff talked with Sacramento State students about the issues currently facing Sacramento -- namely, the arena, public safety and who’s in charge. Kunal Merchant joined the Mayor’s office in Dec. 2008 and has had a lot to manage in his year of service. Despite the furloughs and layoffs surrounding him, however, he is hopeful about Sacramento’s future. “We feel really optimistic about sacramento's prospects,” he said. “This is a moment in time where we have a chance to get things really right that can have positive consequences for decades.” Getting things right, he said, includes improv

Sacramentans are arming themselves in increasing numbers, statistics from the Sacramento County Sheriff reveal. Applications approved by the sheriff to carry a concealed weapon have increased more than 500 percent from 2008, statistics show. By September 30, the department had approved 37 applications to carry a concealed weapon, compared with six approved applications in 2008. The sheriff also has been denying applications in increasing numbers: 25 applications were denied by September 30, compared with 10 permit denials in 2008. Overall, the sheriff had approved or denied 62 concealed weapon permits by October, nearly four times as many as had been processed through 2008. Earlier this

You're right, I think it would be pretty difficult to conceal those weapons! The picture is from the Mather Mud Run -- the sheriff had a display with their firearms set out for people to look at. It was the only stock photo with the Sheriff and guns that I had :)