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Last Updated: Jul 08, 2026 01:26PM • Subscribe via RSS • ATOM

Rancho Murieta Marks America’s 250th Birthday with its Biggest Fourth of July Celebration

Jul 08, 2026 01:26PM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

Hundreds of residents and visitors lined Murieta Parkway for the parade as Rancho Murieta celebrated America’s 250th birthday with the largest Fourth of July turnout that longtime residents can remember, capping the day with an expanded fireworks spectacular honoring the nation’s semi-quincentennial.

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Summerfest Presents July 3 Celebration

Jul 08, 2026 01:05PM ● By Joe Wirt

Several hundred people, most of them families, turn out for Summerfest’s free July 3 celebration at Stonehouse Park.

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Grand Jury Findings and Recommendations at a Glance

Jul 01, 2026 04:06PM ● By Joe Wirt

The Sacramento County Grand Jury made 12 findings and 11 recommendations in its June 24 report on the Rancho Murieta Community Services District. Under California law, the Board of Directors must respond to each finding and recommendation within 90 days.

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Grand Jury Describes CSD as ‘Still a Work in Progress'

Jul 01, 2026 04:03PM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

Three years after a Sacramento County Grand Jury concluded the Rancho Murieta Community Services District had “lost the public trust,” a new Grand Jury report says the district has made measurable progress but remains “a work in progress.”

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Study Explores Ways to Keep Jackson Highway Open During Disasters

Jun 29, 2026 04:21PM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

Keeping Jackson Highway open during floods and wildfires is the goal of a Sacramento County resilience study that could shape how Rancho Murieta residents evacuate during future disasters.

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Blockbusters, Enthusiastic Crowd Launch ETC’s 25th Anniversary Concert Season

Jun 29, 2026 09:12AM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

The Blockbusters didn’t have to work hard to get Rancho Murieta concertgoers on their feet on June 20.

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CSD Details Response to June Manganese Flare-Up

Jun 26, 2026 10:30AM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

Rancho Murieta Community Services District operators dumped approximately 200,000 gallons of treated water into Lake Clementia, temporarily shut down both water treatment plants, and relied on water already stored in the system to prevent elevated manganese from reaching customers during last week’s precautionary water advisory on June 19 and 20.

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Manganese Alert Lifted; Questions Remain

Jun 23, 2026 04:12PM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

Just two days after Rancho Murieta Community Services District staff told directors that manganese levels in the community’s drinking water were within state guidelines, the district issued a precautionary alert advising residents to give infants and babies bottled water because manganese had reached what it described as “EPA maximum contaminant levels.”

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CSD Improvements Discusses New Culvert Failures

Jun 23, 2026 04:11PM ● By Joe Wirt

With repairs now complete on a failed culvert near the 14th hole on Rancho Murieta Country Club’s north course, Rancho Murieta Community Services District officials have identified four additional drainage failures that will require another round of construction work.

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Rancho Murieta Association July 4 Schedule

Jun 23, 2026 03:58PM ● By MPG Staff

Summerfest Celebration, pancake breakfast, fun run, parade and music highlighted.

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Resident Raises Concerns About Transparency, Community Involvement at RMA Board Meeting

Jun 22, 2026 08:37AM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

Questions about transparency, communication and member participation surfaced during public comment at the June 16 Rancho Murieta Association Board meeting, where resident Tom Shewchuk said several recent board actions have created a perception that community involvement is becoming less important in association governance.

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CSD Approves Budget, Rate Increases

Jun 22, 2026 08:27AM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

The Rancho Murieta Community Services District Board approved a 2026-27 budget, capital improvement program and a series of water, sewer and solid waste rate increases on June 17 despite objections from one resident to the proposed rate hikes and separate questions from others about the district’s long-term water planning priorities.

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Wildfire Preparedness Pays Off for Rancho Murieta

Jun 22, 2026 08:11AM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

Rancho Murieta's wildfire-preparedness efforts have earned a new state designation that could help residents secure insurance discounts and strengthen the community’s ability to compete for future wildfire-related grant funding.

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Rancho Murieta Pickleball Club Scores Strong Showing Against Rollingwood

Jun 19, 2026 02:13PM ● By Alan Chase, President, Rancho Murieta Pickleball Club

The Rancho Murieta Pickleball Club’s travel team turned in an impressive performance on June 6 during a series of matches against the Rollingwood YMCA Pickleball Club in Fair Oaks.

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Integrated Water Master Plan Issues Discussed at CSD Meeting

Jun 18, 2026 03:51PM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

Nearly two months after the Rancho Murieta Community Services District Board directed resident Jim Farrell to meet with water consultant Lisa Maddaus to review differences between the district’s draft Integrated Water Master Plan and the IWMP Working Group’s findings, Farrell reported that the effort is underway but remains a work in progress.

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RMA Board Reviews Security, Scooter Rule, July 4 Plans

Jun 18, 2026 03:41PM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

A myriad of topics were discussed during the June 16 Rancho Murieta Association Board meeting, including the future of security services in Rancho Murieta, Fourth of July plans, a proposed stand-up motorized scooter rule, a ramp for the North Gazebo and a new volleyball court at Clementia Park.

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BlowBacks Bring Music, Dancing to Record Women’s Club Luncheon

Jun 17, 2026 10:16AM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

The Rancho Murieta Women’s Club welcomed 129 attendees to its May 27 luncheon at the Rancho Murieta Country Club, drawing the organization’s largest crowd since the COVID-19 pandemic outside of its annual fashion show.

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Water Vision Group Explains Role at CSD Improvements Meeting

Jun 17, 2026 10:11AM ● By Joe Wirt

The Rancho Murieta Community Services District Improvements Committee spent nearly an hour on June 10 reviewing the future of the Water Vision Working Group and a newly created matrix intended to organize the district’s growing list of water-related projects and responsibilities.

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May New Home Sales Remain Steady

Jun 15, 2026 02:08PM ● By North State Building Industry Association News Release

New home sales in the greater Sacramento region remained steady during May despite continued affordability challenges and slightly higher mortgage rates, as members of the North State Building Industry Association reported 474 sales during the month.

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RydeFreeRT Cards
RydeFreeRT Cards for 2026-27 School Year Now Available

Jun 15, 2026 01:02PM ● By Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) News Release

The Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) announced June 9 that new RydeFreeRT cards, valid June 1, through June 30, 2027, are now available for students and youth across the Sacramento region.

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Sheriff’s Inspection Finds No Active Encampment Behind Rancho Murieta

Jun 11, 2026 11:51AM ● By Joe Wirt

A Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office inspection found no active homeless encampment on property behind Rancho Murieta that had concerned residents earlier this spring, although county officials continue to review the presence of several recreational vehicles on the site.

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Levee Erosion Near Airport Prompts Repair Planning

Jun 11, 2026 11:46AM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

Preliminary planning is underway to repair approximately 300 feet of levee erosion between the Jackson Highway Bridge and the north end of the Rancho Murieta Airport runway after Reclamation District 800 trustees approved survey work and funding for a new access ramp during their May 21 meeting at the Wilton Community Center.

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Budget, Water Issues Dominate CSD Meeting

Jun 11, 2026 11:40AM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

Rancho Murieta residents could see higher utility bills and fewer security patrols next year under a proposed Community Services District budget that would increase rates by 31.5% while eliminating two patrol officer positions.

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RMA Revives Security Committee, Reviews South Gate Renovation Plans

Jun 11, 2026 11:28AM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

The Rancho Murieta Association Board of Directors on May 19 reactivated its Security Ad Hoc Committee to study whether RMA could eventually assume responsibility for security services within the gates of Rancho Murieta and reviewed conceptual plans for a long-awaited renovation of the South Gate entrance.

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ETC Opens 25th Anniversary Season with Record Kickoff Attendance

Jun 11, 2026 11:23AM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

More than 400 people attended Entertainment, Theatre & Culture for Rancho Murieta’s annual kickoff event on May 17, helping to launch the organization’s 25th-anniversary concert season and setting the stage for the first concert of the summer on June 20.

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Beep Beep Fun Run Tops Goal, Raises More Than $35,000 for PTA

Jun 11, 2026 11:07AM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

More than 360 Cosumnes River Elementary School students hit the grass running May 1 as the school’s annual Beep Beep Fun Run raised $35,615 for programs, supplies and activities that benefit students throughout the year.

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SMUD
Apply Now for SMUD’s Shine Program

Jun 08, 2026 03:31PM ● By SMUD News Release

The application period for SMUD’s Shine Awards is open June 1 through July 31 to nonprofit organizations. The Shine program is designed to improve and revitalize communities in the Sacramento region.

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Sacramento Regional Transit
ZipPass Mobile Fare App Ending June 15

Jun 08, 2026 11:26AM ● By Sacramento Regional Transit News Release

SacRT Urges Riders to Transition to Transit Connect

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District Repairs 35,000-Gallon Sewage Leak

Jun 05, 2026 09:13AM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

An estimated 35,000 gallons of sewage escaped from a failed sewer connection near Rancho Murieta's Yellow Bridge on May 17, triggering a 15-hour emergency response that cost the Rancho Murieta Community Services District $106,189.

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Water Vision Fight Sparks Accusations of Developer Influence, Secret Meetings

Jun 03, 2026 09:15AM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

Accusations of secret committees, developer influence, anti-growth politics and even a “horrible memory” flew between directors and audience members on May 27 as a Rancho Murieta Community Services District discussion about the Water Vision Working Group devolved into one of the board’s most contentious exchanges in recent months.

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Developer Threatens Lawsuit Against CSD Over Water Meters

Jun 01, 2026 08:41AM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

A threatened lawsuit by a Rancho Murieta developer moved into public view after Rancho Murieta Community Services District counsel released a government claim and draft complaint filed by River Canyon Properties LLC, which alleges the district is improperly withholding water meters needed for residential construction.

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Summerfest Spray Park Opens

May 20, 2026 11:39AM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

Perfect weather and high spirits mark opening day at the Summerfest Spray Park in Riverview Park on May 16.

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Gere Pushes New Tank Site

May 20, 2026 11:31AM ● By Joe Wirt

A sharp debate over the location of Rancho Murieta’s proposed emergency water storage tank and a broad review of next year’s capital improvement projects dominated the Rancho Murieta Community Services District Improvements Committee meeting on May 6.

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ETC Grants Support Arts Programs at Three Schools

May 20, 2026 11:29AM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

Entertainment Theatre & Culture for Rancho Murieta (ETC) continued its support of arts education on May 13 by presenting $1,000 grants to three local schools to help fund theater productions, costumes, equipment and other arts-related needs.

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Garden Club’s Plant Sale Extravaganza Blooms

May 20, 2026 11:21AM ● By Gail Bullen, River Valley Times Reporter

The annual River Valley Garden Club Plant Sale Extravaganza drew a steady stream of shoppers to the Rancho Murieta Association parking lot on May 9, with organizers calling the fundraiser a major success for both the club and the community.

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