Sacramento commuters and traffic officials face perhaps the most worrisome and uncertain summer ever.

What's going to happen when state highway officials post "closed for repair" signs on busy Interstate 5 in downtown Sacramento next month?

Will there be freeway chaos regionwide? Will gridlock rule downtown streets?

New development fees are being considered to help cover an estimated $162 million increase in the cost of levee projects in Natomas, and could become "deal breakers" for some small projects.

In April, property owners in flood-prone areas of Sacramento and southern Sutter County voted to pay annual assessments to fund new flood-protection projects. An engineering report released in preparation for the vote put the cost of improving Natomas levees at $414 million.

Police are searching for a bicycle-riding bandit who shot a Natomas resident during a robbery attempt.

Three similar robberies occurred last weekend in the North Natomas area, on Vosspark Way, Bridgecross Drive and Arnold Gamble Circle.

During one of them, the man shot an intended victim in the buttocks, according to the Sacramento Police Department.

"He is accosting people when ...

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A man on a bicycle has been robbing people at gunpoint in the Natomas area of Sacramento, police said.

Authorities said the bike bandit has been cruising through Natomas, holding up residents and then riding away.

Police said the man has tried to ...

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The city of Sacramento is trying to squeeze every nickel of fees and taxes out of North Natomas before the federal government shuts down new construction.

City staff has been asked to identify key revenue-generating projects north of the American River and move them quickly through the development approval pipeline to qualify for building permits by year's end.

In December, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is expected to place North Natomas in an official flood zone – resulting in a de facto building moratorium until the levees are upgraded.

"We're working on projects that are likely to beat the deadline," said city planning manager David Kwong.

The current plan by the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency is to regain 100-year flood protection by 2010. When the improvements are halfway complete, perhaps in mid-2009, the city could apply to FEMA to lift the building restrictions.

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A major roadblock in the Sacramento International Airport expansion plan appears to have been removed.

The Host Airport Hotel, located at the airport, may soon be torn down to make room for a new terminal expansion project.

The county airport system announced Tuesday that it has reached a tentative settlement to buy out the remainder of the hotel's lease. The hotel would continue operating through July 31 and the county would acquire it on Aug. 1. Demolition could begin the next day.

The county was prepared to use eminent domain to force the hotel's hand, but now it appears like the county will not have to resort to such drastic measures.

The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to authorize steps for eminent domain in case the deal falls through.

Officials said the deal will likely be finalized this week or next week.Read more...  

Sacramento officials say there is even more reason to be concerned about the Natomas levee report.

For nearby residents, it means paying for flood insurance which could triple in price if not purchased before next December. The economic impact is even more widespread stretching across sacramento and there is already talk of potential job cuts.

A Weather Channel Documentary exemplifies the concern the U-S Army Corp of Engineers fears for the Natomas Basin: "The levee will sag, and it will collapse and then water rushes over the top, and then it's chaos. It's a matter of minutes the change starts to occurs, a large crunch ...one of the most powerful forces in nature. It will carry away anything, buildings, cars, powers, the works, nothing can stop it"Read more...