Citrus Heights News Briefs: update on paralyzed man, cop support, shopping local

Updated Nov. 27, 12:05 a.m.–
Latest news briefs include Citrus Heights police sending Honor Guard members to the memorial of a fallen deputy, a local report on Small Business Saturday, and an update on a local man who was able to return home for Thanksgiving after being paralyzed in Hawaii three months ago.

CHPD Honor Guard sent to slain deputy’s memorial
On Tuesday, Citrus Heights police sent a motorcycle unit and several members of its Honor Guard to attend the memorial of Deputy Dennis Wallace, who authorities say was shot twice in the head at point-blank range in Stanislaus County earlier this month. Lt. Jason Russo said CHPD has sent officers to memorials of slain law enforcement officers in the past, notably attending the memorial of five officers slain in Dallas, Texas, and another memorial in Louisiana. He said officers typically volunteer to attend as a sign of support for the fallen and their families, sometimes paying travel expenses out of their own pocket. “We treat it the same as losing a brother or a sister,” said Russo. The suspect in Wallace’s killing, David Machado, was arrested following a manhunt.

Citrus Heights man paralyzed in Hawaii returns home in time for Thanksgiving
After being paralyzed from the neck down during a body surfing accident in Hawaii three months ago, Citrus Heights resident Mike Droter finally returned home from the hospital — in time to celebrate Thanksgiving with family, according to news reports. Speaking to Fox 40 in a wheelchair this week, Droter said it has been difficult to transition from “a normal life to this life and to accept it and stay happy.” His fiancee, Jordan Lovas, told the news station that the tragic accident has brought the two closer together, so they “have both been grateful that we get to spend all this time together.” She will be his primary caretaker.

According to Fox 40, Droter and Lovas were recently engaged and plan to be married in 2018. Although doctors reportedly had low expectations for Droter’s recovery, his fiancee says he’s now able to move several fingers and toes, turn his wrists, and “fire up his triceps.” A GoFundMe page for Droter, which has raised over $23,000, says the 30-year-old spent about a month at a hospital in Honolulu and the past two months at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. (See Fox 40 story)

Local shops get boost from Small Business Saturday
After Black Friday’s shopping frenzy, small businesses in Citrus Heights and around the country received a financial boost from the seventh annual Small Business Saturday on Nov. 26 — a day designed to encourage consumers to support small, local businesses in their communities. Louise Hansen-Cordray, local owner of the Java Cherry coffee house on Van Maren Lane, said her business had a pretty busy morning on Saturday and several customers specifically said they came in to support her because of the Small Business Saturday effort.

Launched in 2010, Small Business Saturday quickly received official recognition and support — from President Barack Obama on down to governors, mayors, and senators. By 2012, American Express reported an estimated $5.5 billion was spent at small, independent businesses on Small Business Saturday — with that number nearly tripling by 2014. Although initially launched and heavily promoted by American Express, the day is now sponsored by a wide coalition of organizations and businesses, and the credit card company says its focus is on small businesses rather than AmEx.

Also published this week on The Sentinel:

• Demolition proposal to build new Citrus Heights gas station sparks opposition
• CHPD: Mom, boyfriend charged with murder of 2-year-old
• SMUD publishes list of over 1,000 customers with unclaimed checks