By Sara Beth Williams–
Through the lenses of our staff and freelance photographers, The Sentinel has covered thousands of local stories on business, crime, civic, community, religious and school district news since 2014.
Out of more than 700 stories reported in 2025, these 15 photographs capture some of the most impactful moments and meaningful events seen through the lenses of our photographers.
After the major national retail company released a list of stores that were expected to close, The Sentinel covered the journey toward impending closure of Macy’s Men’s and Women’s at Sunrise Mall, along with the closure’s impact on the rest of Sunrise Mall in the months that followed. The iconic anchor first opened at Sunrise Mall in the 1980’s and closed officially in March 2025. See full story here.
After a slew of closures in 2024, and with the impending closure of Macy’s at Sunrise Mall looming, California Basic owners posted a “We’re Not Closing” sign in front of their storefront in March 2025. See full story here.
In May, groundbreaking took place on a major stadium revitalization project at San Juan High School, which hasn’t had an updated stadium in decades. The new stadium will be similar to the new stadium at Mesa Verde High School, completed in 2023, although the bleachers at San Juan High will remain. Mesa Verde High never had a stadium prior to 2023 and its football team shared San Juan’s old stadium for decades. See full story here.
Last summer, Mark’s Hallmark announced it would be closing its Sunrise Mall location at the end of July. The Hallmark store has existed inside Sunrise Mall in some format since the 1980’s. Mark’s Hallmark has a second location on Douglas Avenue that remains open. See full story here.
Habitat for Humanity broke ground on the Sayonara housing project in June 2025, one of its biggest housing projects for the nonprofit to date. The housing project will result in the construction of 26 permanent homes that low-income families can apply to purchase, helping to end cycles of generational poverty, Habitat’s CEO said. See full story here.
The site of the former Marie Callender’s restaurant on Sunrise Boulevard was demolished in August and September, leaving nothing but the foundation. The building had been vacant for five years following Marie Callender’s’ closure, and the interior had been greatly damaged due to persistent homelessness. See full story here.
Infinity Jewelers was among five more stores that left Sunrise Mall at the end of October 2025. See full story here.
Beto’s Tacos owner Hortencia Molina shared with The Sentinel the struggles her restaurant has faced during the Auburn Boulevard Complete Streets construction project. See full story here.
A mural painted at DarkHeart Brewing in the summer, along with another mural on the wall of Ciro’s Pizza, served to launch the beginning of a new Citrus Heights Arts District, founded by nonprofit Citrus Heights Arts and officially adopted by the City Council later in the year. See full story here.
The Sunrise Recreation and Park District marked a major milestone of 75 years with a community jubilee event on Oct. 4 that filled Rusch Park with live music, food, vendors, and lights, and highlighted the long local history of the Rusch family. See full story here.
Co-founder of the Veterans Community Center on Sylvan Road, Rounsavell passed away in the fall of 2025 after dealing with consistent health issues. Jeanne’s husband, Jim Rounsevall, passed away in 2021. A memorial at the veterans community center was held in Jeanne’s honor in September. See full story here.
The Pastor family made the difficult decision to sell a family-owned gas station that had been a prominent fixture in Citrus Heights for 50 years. Freelancer Mike Hazlip covered the removal of the iconic Ford Model A from the gas station’s ceiling. See full story here.
Santa’s Workshop at Sunrise Mall moved into a vacant store during the 2025 holiday season. after decades of being set up in the grand corridor of the Sunrise Mall in front of JCPenney, accompanied by a two-story high Christmas tree. The move from the central corridor further exasperated the perception of dismal decline at Sunrise Mall. See full story here.
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