Year In Review: The Top 100 News Stories Of 2015 On CBS Sacramento, 25-1
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — As the new year approaches, we're taking a look back at the most popular stories on CBS Sacramento in 2015.
You can find all of our 2015 In Review content here.
25. Citrus Heights Residents Crying Foul Over Neighbor's Surveillance Camera Pointed At Their Hot Tub
Residents at a Citrus Heights apartment complex want something done about a prying eye pointed towards their hot tub from behind a neighbor's fence.
24. Broken Sprinklers At State Capitol Raise Concerns Of Water Waste During Drought
A CBS13 viewer sent in images of a sprinkler watering a bench while another set of sprinklers water a sidewalk, as well as broken sprinklers squirting water onto seemingly nothing at all. This wasn't happening at someone's home or business, but at the epicenter of where all the drought rules and regulations are coming from.
23. Sacramento Woman May Hold Key To Cure For HIV, AIDS
In the world, 35 million people are living with HIV or AIDS. Most take a myriad of drugs to suppress the disease from wreaking havoc on their immune system.
Loreen Willenberg is one of those 35 million, but in the 23 years since she was diagnosed, she takes no drugs, has no symptoms, and has never been sick.
22. Tulare County Drought Situation Dire As Neighbors Steal Water From Neighbors
It was even more dire in unincorporated East Porterville than the last time CBS13 was there. Tulare County buys and trucks in water to refill tanks in people's front yards.
In a sign of increasing desperation, some have resorted to stealing bottled water from their neighbors. A woman CBS13 spoke to says thieves ripped off the water pump she uses to wash her clothes and take showers that was hooked up to her tank.
Thankfully the county replaced it.
21. Wildlife Officials Puzzled Why Deer Are Dropping Dead Around Lodi Lake
The dead deer have all been reported by hikers—three carcasses were found along the north trail while a pile of bones were found in a nearby meadow.
20. Stockton Smart Meters Explode After Truck Causes Power Surge
A truck that crashed into a utility pole created a power surge that left thousands without power.
19. San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick Calls Out Fan On Twitter, Says 'Get Better At Life'
San Francisco 49ers quarterback and Turlock native Colin Kaepernick lashed out on a fan who he believed was questioning his work ethic on Twitter. It started with Kaepernick Tweeting about his workout, highlighting the physical work he'd done, as well as a two-hour study session. A fan replied to it, saying Kaepernick's ab workout won't help him find an open receiver, with the hashtag "study."
18. California Drought Could Wipe Cities Off Map If Their Water Runs Out
Before visiting Tulare County, a place where wells have gone dry and some people are living in third-world conditions, we went to a place deep in the Mojave Desert that offers a dire warning of what can happen when the water runs out.
17. White Van With 'Free Candy' Painted In Red Makes Natomas Parents Nervous
It's something you would see on Halloween, and it had nervous parents hoping it was just a trick and not really offering treats to children.
16. Loophole Allows Nudity on Sacramento Streets And Sidewalks
The culprit was section 9.04.060 of the Sacramento city code. It outlaws nudity in public parks, playgrounds and beaches, but it leaves out streets and sidewalks.
Under that law, a nude person would be violating the law if they were in Cesar Chavez Park, but technically they wouldn't be if they stepped onto the sidewalk.
After this story aired, the Sacramento City Council changed the rules.
15. UPS Driver Arrested In Theft Of Gold, Silver Bars
Officials say a driver with United Parcel Service has been arrested on suspicion of grand theft after several packages containing silver coins and silver and gold bars worth more than $200,000 went missing during the shipping process.
14. Google Photos Identifies Two Black Users As 'Gorillas'
The Google Photos image recognition software is intended to identify a photo and automatically file photos into groups with similar images – a photo of a tree would automatically be placed in a folder filled with other photos of trees.
But the software showed a glitch Sunday, prompting Google to apologize for placing the black friends into an automatically generated "gorillas" folder.
13. Placer County Man Punches Bear In Face To Save His Dog
You know what, just watch the video. You won't be disappointed.
12. Teens Face Lifetime Of Consequences Following Arrest For Sex Tape
A sex tape investigation on a local high school campus has led to the arrest of two teen boys, but is leaving parents shaking their heads.
11. San Francisco 49ers Chris Borland Says He's Retiring Over Head Trauma Concerns
In a year when concussions and attrition went hand-in-hand, the San Francisco 49ers lost a promising replacement for Patrick Willis when Chris Borland decided the risk wasn't worth it to continue playing.
10. Cellphone Video Shows Confrontation Between State Worker, Two Muslim Men Praying In Park
A cellphone video of a confrontation between a state worker and two Muslim men praying in a park has sparked a hate crime investigation.
The cellphone video shows the alleged verbal attack.
"But the people you tortured are going to be in eternity in Heaven. You are very deceived by Satan," said a state worker identified as Denise Slader. "Your mind has been taken over, brainwashed, and you have nothing but hate."
A park employee soon comes into frame trying to stop the exchange when the confrontation turns physical.
9. Vizio Smart TVs Track Watching Habits To Work With Advertisers
When choosing a smart television, buyers are often presented with a variety of features. One they may not be aware of: that TV could be watching you.
8. Police: Men Hunted Victim In Midtown Sacramento On Periscope
Sacramento Police say this is the first situation like this they've seen locally—a social-media user broadcasting for an hour what could have been a deadly encounter as all of his Periscope followers looked on.
7. Wal-Mart Bottled Water Comes From Sacramento Municipal Supply
According to the label, the water comes from the Sacramento Municipal Water Supply. This comes on the heels of Starbucks opting to move sourcing and production of its Ethos bottled water from California to Pennsylvania.
While the label reads Great Value, the fine print reveals the bottled water is anything but a deal, especially for Sacramento residents in California's devastating drought.
6. France Train Hero Spencer Stone Stabbed, In 'Serious Condition'
Viewers were concerned for the fate of a man who helped stop a suspected terror attack on a Paris-bound train only to be stabbed after a confrontation in Midtown Sacramento months later.
5. Growing Number Believe California's Drought Is A Government Conspiracy
The movement's leader, Dane Wigington, says he's putting his life on the line to reveal a truth that will shake society to its core.
4. Chaos At Sacramento's World Record Egg Hunt Attempt
Many parents left the Easter egg hunt at the state Capitol furious, claiming the family-friendly event took a less-than-festive turn.
"There was no organization at all, they all trampled each other. Little 2- and 3-year-olds were crying. The parents were scooping up all of the eggs for their kids and it was horrible," said mother Tessa Moon.
3. Mystery Man Found Decomposing In Car Had More Than 1,200 Guns, Cash, Underwater Car
Inside his home, detectives discovered more than 1,200 guns, scopes, 6.5 tons of ammunition, bows and arrows, knives, machetes and $230,000 in cash. They also found eight of the 14 vehicles registered to the man stashed across Los Angeles, including a Toyota SUV designed to drive underwater.
2. California Lake Mysteriously Runs Dry Overnight, Killing Thousands Of Fish
Thousands of fish lay dead in what used to be Mountain Meadows reservoir also known as Walker Lake, a popular fishing hole just west of Susanville. Residents say people were fishing on the lake last Saturday, but it drained like a bathtub overnight. Bauer has lived near this lake his entire life. This is the first time he's ever seen it run dry. He and other residents want answers.
1. California Water Cuts Leave City Days Away From Running Out Of Water
The community's sole source of water, the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District, was one of 114 senior water rights holders cut off by a curtailment notice from the state. The announcement set off a search for water as well as legal action.
