Happy New Year from Comstock’s magazine! You may have seen our Top Stories of 2025 post last week, but I still thought it would be interesting to share what our readers found most interesting in the final month of the year. Though we ran more holiday content than usual this December, from a rundown of Sacramento’s favorite treats to an essay on the giving spirit, readers showed their unshakeable interest in Comstock’s bread and butter: rigorously reported business stories on topics like tariffs, data centers and more.
We were also happy to receive a healthy amount of feedback on social media last month. In the January print issue, we featured comments from followers on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, including former Comstock’s Young Professional Laine Himmelmann. Leave us a comment and you might see your name in the magazine next month!
Another way to see your name in print is to become a Comstock’s contributor. If you’re a freelance journalist looking to share stories of life and business in the Capital Region, check out our submission guidelines and send us a pitch with your CV and clippings.
Do you know a woman in the Capital Region who deserves to see her name — and professionally shot photo — in print? Nominate her for our 2026 Women in Leadership issue. Nominations close Jan. 16.
–Jennifer Fergesen, digital editor
Last Month’s Most-Read Stories
Top Story: Parkinson’s Is on the Rise in the Sacramento Valley. Dancing and Boxing Can Help
Sacramento is right in the so-called “Parkinson’s Alley,” a nickname for the Central Valley that refers to the high rates of Parkinson’s in the region. Some researchers believe that these rates are linked to pesticide exposure in the largely agricultural valley. Though there’s not yet a cure for Parkinson’s, Capital Region health care systems are working to prevent and treat the disease, including through exercise programs like boxing and dance.
Sacramento Manufacturers and Distributors Weigh the Effects of Tariffs
The web-only installment in our two-part exploration of tariffs’ impact on local businesses features a sandblasting cabinet manufacturer in Sacramento, a Roseville-based computer mouse designer who uses factories in the U.K. and China, and a Vallejo coffee roaster, among others. The second installment, our January print cover story, went online today.
Companies Are Racing to Fuel and Cool AI
Data centers — and the water and energy they use — are a constant topic in the news lately, and we wouldn’t be doing our due diligence as journalists if we didn’t explore how these facilities are impacting our region. But veteran tech journalist Russell Nichols had data center doors close on him all over the region, with nearly every facility he contacted declining to comment. Here’s what he found out anyway.
Employees Aren’t Washing Their Hands. Is It My Job as HR to Tell Them What They Should Have Learned in Kindergarten?
Suzanne Lucas’ Evil HR Lady column was again a top-read story this month — and Pulitzer Prize-winning illustrator Jack Ohman’s creepy-cute germs with coffee mugs likely helped. This column addresses personal hygiene in workplaces that aren’t required to put up those “Employees Must Wash Hands” signs. Can you still get employees to keep clean?
Yes, the Sacramento Candlelight Concerts Are Real — and They Have Fans
I assigned contributor Eric Schucht to take on this story because I was admittedly suspicious of the ads for these candlelit, perfectly aesthetic concerts I frequently saw on social media. Though they mentioned Sacramento, the venues didn’t look like anywhere I recognized in the city, and later ads made obvious use of generative AI. But as Eric reported, the insistent marketing is driving customers to concerts that are both very real and offer reliable pay for local musicians.