Week in Review, Jan. 29: Job Creation, A Foodie's Lament, More

This week ended on a sad note, with a on Highway 99 near Laguna Blvd that killed one. The accident happened on a stretch of road I've driven countless times, and I know many of us were thinking, "There but for the grace of God..."

The week brought several reminders of the fragility of things, from the of one of Elk Grove's few independent coffee shops to a thief who got away with one heist, then a little too far.

Elk Grovians also found reasons for optimism, though: signs of a possible recovery in the local and industries, and for favorite sports teams. Elk Grove Patch continued our coverage of the city's burgeoning art and style scene, discovering that Elk Grove is home to a plethora of talented , artists and other creative types.

Next week, stay tuned for a decision by the Elk Grove Unified School District Board on which middle and high schools students in certain areas will attend. Plus, the city begins counting its pennies in the annual budget review. For now, here's a recap of our top stories from the week of Jan. 23-29.

We caught up with a local sculptor who creates art dedicated to breast cancer survivors.

Some of those vacant lots in the Madeira development are finally being filled in, our business writer discovered.

Our columnist meditated on the gastronomic state of the city...and started quite a conversation.

Talk about chutzpah: A woman (police suspect someone local) got away with robbing a Subway on Laguna Boulevard, then tried the same move the next day at a Safeway across the street.

A new business park, a sparkling civic center and more mass transit were just a few of the solutions proposed by consultants hired by the city. But some residents weren't convinced.

Our fashion columnist debuted with a rundown of the best places to score vintage gear in Elk Grove.

As protests rocked the Arab world, one Egyptian-American Elk Grove resident gave us her take on why Egypt was imploding, and why Arab-Americans in Sacramento County were taking to the streets in solidarity.