It should come as no surprise that the world’s sport has finally been embraced (some may say possessed) by America’s most diverse city. More than 14,000 people — a sellout crowd — attended Sacramento’s inaugural soccer match between the English Premiere League’s Norwich City F.C. and Mexico’s Dorados De Sinaloa. The match provided a glimpse of what is to come when the branding for Sacramento’s very own professional outdoor soccer club, Sacramento Republic FC, is unveiled.

When I was a girl, a visit to downtown Sacramento was thrilling. It was a busy, bustling place with Weinstock’s (“Sacramento’s Finest Department Store”) at 12th and K streets marking the high point of any shopping expedition.

I’d like to see a downtown Sacramento that can meet or exceed those childhood memories, one that is no longer scarred by vacant buildings, low-budget retailers and grimy streets.

Steve Ayers makes no bones about his vocal hope that several local contractors will be involved in the highly anticipated design and construction of a sports and entertainment facility in downtown Sacramento. And while he’s known as a humble person whose industry acumen, political clout and philanthropic activities stay largely under the radar, Ayers wants to be a prominent part of the project he believes will launch a downtown renaissance.

A hundred years ago, the California State Fair had a sure-fire way to entertain crowds: Operators would send two steam locomotives crashing into each other at 90 mph for pure spectacle. Today, Sacramentans with an eye on Cal Expo are still thinking big.

The first time Kimberly Foss went to a shooting range she froze her butt off.

“It was outside, it was cold and it was not a very fun experience,” says Foss, who took herself shooting for the first time to celebrate her 50th birthday. “I was brand new to shooting — it was something I’d been interested in for a long time — so I had no idea you could go to indoor ranges, much less really nice ones that cater to women as well as men.”

Justin Bartosh spun a soccer trophy around on its head like a top, thinking about his upcoming novel. Justin had never written a novel before, nor had he read one in several years. But he enjoyed imagining himself as a famous novelist.

It isn’t the official start for a gubernatorial run, but Getta Clue apparel store at the Downtown Plaza mall reports to have sold several hundred ‘Kevin For Governor’, ‘Thank You KJ’ and other unauthorized Kings celebration t-shirts for $20 apiece.

Squaw Valley USA was once the premier ski resort of California and the world-renowned site of the 1960 Winter Olympic Games. But in the decades that followed, the resort’s managers focused on the mountain, and Squaw became eclipsed by other resorts that boasted hotel rooms and other amenities to capture business in the dry months.

Alyssah Schafer was born with a congenital heart defect and has never been able to run or compete in sports. Over time, her friends drifted away, and the girl became depressed. But then she met a mustang named Montana at All About Equine, a horse rescue and rehabilitation organization in El Dorado Hills.  

The Sacramento Kings started their new season last month with a surprising amount of fan and business support. Surprising, that is, given the infuriating behavior of the owners, the Maloof brothers, last April. 

When towns host competitive endurance events with names like Ironman, Spartan Beast and Tough Mudder, you can expect that contestants will leave plenty of footprints. They’ll also leave a lot of money, sometimes millions of dollars.

Jim Hartley’s morning commute is more scenic than most. The 18-mile route follows residential streets devoid of traffic lights and includes a view over the American River from the Hazel Avenue bridge.

When Kelly Sassman started giving Pilates instruction at her Sacramento studio 12 years ago, people couldn’t even pronounce the name of the fitness program.

Failing in the restaurant business is a great way to go broke. The risks are huge, and the collapse rate is high yet there’s always the chance you’ll hit the sweet spot.

When he was winning college golf tournaments as a Fresno State senior, pro golfer Nick Watney was content to come up a few units shy of a history degree. In fact, Nick didn’t want a college degree to fall back on.

Some said it would never happen. We have bobbed and weaved around building a new sports and entertainment complex for more than a decade.

As chief executive officer of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), McKeever oversees planning and funding processes for cycling transportation projects, so he’s interested in what works and what doesn’t.

Hair rollers went the way of old-time beauty shops, but rollers of a different sort are in vogue at Bella Capelli Salone in downtown Yuba City, where owner Carol Milani sometimes styles hair in her skates.