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Welcome to the City of Rancho Cordova's news page. Read current and archived news, and access media contacts and press announcements.

City Holiday STAR Program Recognizes 29 Rancho Cordova Students

Post Date:12/22/2022 11:11 AM

The City of Rancho Cordova’s Holiday STAR program recognized and rewarded 29 high-achieving local students with a special breakfast, on-stage ceremony and shopping spree on December 14, 2022.

The Holiday STAR (Student Talent Achievement Reward) program is a joint effort by the city, Rancho Cordova Police Department, schools and community partners. For the sixth year in a row, the program recognized preschool and elementary school students who, despite challenging financial circumstances, have worked hard to become high achievers both academically and behaviorally.

“The Holiday STAR program is a wonderful way for us to partner with our local schools and businesses during the holiday season to show our students how much we care about their success and future in Rancho Cordova,” said Mayor Linda Budge. “We are so proud of all of them for the tremendous effort and hard work they’ve put into school.”

The event kicked off with a special breakfast for the Holiday “STARs,” their parents and school principals. An on-stage recognition ceremony followed that was emceed by Mayor Budge and Chief of Police Brandon Luke, and each principal said a few words about the students they’d nominated. The students were then presented with new backpacks, pajamas, a special Holiday STAR sweater, a McDonald’s gift card, and a $100 shopping spree at Rancho Cordova Target.

The fun and excitement continued as each Holiday STAR student was paired with a city staff member, police officer or Sacramento Metro Fire District firefighter for their shopping spree. At the sound of the airhorn, the students and their shopping partners rushed inside Target and hand-picked toys, clothes, school supplies and more.

“It made me really happy, like something special is happening to me and I deserved this,” said Holiday STAR student Josiah. “I had to work hard, put myself before others, and help others in need.”

Local community partners who helped make the Holiday STAR program possible include the Rancho Cordova Police Activities League, Rancho Cordova Target, Sacramento Metro Fire District, Golden State Water Company, Wake Audio and Huhtamaki.

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Press Announcements

Media Contacts

Maria Chacon Kniestedt
Communications & Public Affairs Director
916.851.8791
916.200.6181 (cell)
mkniestedt@cityofranchocordova.org

Samantha Mott
Senior Communications Officer
916.851.8796
916.579.0671 (Cell)
smott@cityofranchocordova.org

Danielle Hale
Communications Officer
916.851.8792
916.809.0465 (cell)
dhale@cityofranchocordova.org

Lauren Burke
Communications Officer
916.851.8723
916.247.2587 (Cell)
lburke@cityofranchocordova.org

City of Rancho Cordova Opens $8.4M Youth Center

On November 3, 2022, the City of Rancho Cordova opened the Rancho Cordova Youth Center, the first youth center in the community. The Youth Center will provide a welcoming, central and safe environment for year-round youth programs, build relationships with local youth, and show local youth how much the community cares about their success and future in Rancho Cordova.

City of Rancho Cordova Breaks Ground on Citywide, Ultra-High-Speed Gigabit Broadband Network

On February 28, 2022, the City of Rancho Cordova, SiFi Networks and GigabitNow announced the launch of Rancho Cordova FiberCity®, a revolutionary infrastructure project to bring a fast, affordable, and reliable all-fiber internet network to every home, business, and institution in Rancho Cordova.

For more information, please contact Danielle Hale at 916.809.0465 or dhale@cityofranchocordova.org.

Mather Veterans Village Dedication Event

On October 12, 2021, Mercy Housing California, Nation’s Finest, the City of Rancho Cordova and the County of Sacramento celebrated the completion of all three phases of Mather Veterans Village, the first permanent supportive housing development for homeless and disabled veterans in the Sacramento region.

These documents are password protected. Please contact Danielle Hale at 916.809.0465 for access.

Crime Drops in Rancho Cordova by 61%

The City of Rancho Cordova is proud to announce that violent crime and property crime combined has decreased by 61% from 2004-2019 when adjusted for population. Since the city incorporated and established the Rancho Cordova Police Department 18 years ago, the city has implemented creative and proactive policing programs that have led to this significant drop.

Media Advisory about Crime Drop in Rancho Cordova
Fact Sheet on Programs
Speaker Bios from Crime Drop Announcement
B-Roll, Photos and Crime Statistics (This is password protected. Please contact Ashley Downton at 916.542.3875 for access.)
News Release: Crime Drops in Rancho Cordova by 61%

Rancho Cordova Breaks Ground on Rio Del Oro Development

Elliott Homes, Inc. and the City of Rancho Cordova are breaking ground on Rio Del Oro, the largest development in the city’s history. Rio Del Oro spans 3,800 acres in Rancho Cordova and could fit Downtown Sacramento in its footprint. The development will feature thousands of new homes, over 7.6 million square feet of commercial, professional and industrial space, one of the largest parks in the region at 130 acres, and the city’s next high school.

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