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SUTTER COUNTY, Calif. —

Multiple roads in Sutter County are shut down due to flooding.

Although the closures are spread out across the county, many are located along Pleasant Grove Road.

You can use this link to go straight to a map showing the latest closures and road conditions.

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Starting in the Pleasant Grove area. Keys Rd at Pleasant Grove Rd is closed due to flooding. You can really hear the wind here! 2/@kcranews pic.twitter.com/WHKhrZSy6o

— Brittany Hope (@BrittanyKCRA) March 14, 2023

Although county officials have posted clear signage warning drivers of closed roads and flood waters, KCRA 3 crews saw multiple people drive past those barricades.

In one case, an elderly woman drove past a closure on Pleasant Grove Road and drove right into deep flood waters. Her car ended up on the side of the road, feet-deep in water.

Luckily, a passerby saw her trapped vehicle and rescued her as water began to enter her vehicle.

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This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Just came across this car on the side of Pleasant Grove Road, near Cornelius Avenue. The driver is luckily okay, but very shaken up. Water is flooding the car. A reminder to not drive on roads that are closed or blocked off because of flooding. They are not safe.4/ @kcranews pic.twitter.com/EVbLSGIL3m

— Brittany Hope (@BrittanyKCRA) March 14, 2023

Another person came by and pulled her vehicle out of the ditch with his van. The woman is OK.

As of Tuesday afternoon, water levels on the Pleasant Grove Creek were high. Fifield Road is shut down due to those flood waters.

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

WOW! This explains why Fifield Road off Pleasant Grove Road is closed. Water from the Pleasant Grove Creek is flowing over the roadway, and moving pretty quickly. The wind is kicking too. #SutterCounty @kcranews 3/ pic.twitter.com/GCbU8CrNRr

— Brittany Hope (@BrittanyKCRA) March 14, 2023

A sixth-generation Sutter County farmer who spoke with KCRA 3 said he's not used to getting this much free water.

"It's a good thing, but you know, we probably got enough," he said. "It would be good for it to back off a little bit because we're not too far off from the point where we need to start planting a new crop."

The rice farmer hopes conditions will dry out so he can plant in mid-May.

Track the latest storm updates as they come down here. Watch full storm coverage from our 6 p.m. newscast on March 14 below.

ELK GROVE, Calif. (KOVR) – A student performance at a California school assembly has stirred debate.

Students from Pleasant Grove High School’s LGBTQ group danced to a routine in drag on Friday.

The assembly – meant to showcase different cultures and backgrounds – was mandatory for students. But some parents said their children were uncomfortable and should have been allowed to leave.

Those parents also said school leaders did not make it known ahead of time that students would be performing in drag at the assembly.

“They were not transparent, and it [the assembly] was mandatory,” mom Heidi, who did not provide her last name, said.

Video from the assembly shows clips of the four-minute-long performance, showing students dancing in drag.

Amy, another mom who did not provide her last name, said the performance made her son uncomfortable.

“My son said to me, he said, ‘Mom, I’m just going to put my head down.’ I texted him back and said you can leave if you are not comfortable, and he said that they were not allowed to,” she said.

School district leaders said in a statement that “all performances at the multicultural assembly were approved by school staff and administration.”

Amy said she feels it is her right as a parent to decide when her son is exposed to certain things.

However, not everyone thinks the performance was inappropriate. Beverly Kearney with Sacramento’s Love is Love movement said she sees nothing wrong with it.

“While one parent may take offense to it, what about that parent whose kid for the first time got the chance to be who they are?” Kearney said.

Kearney argues every child deserves to see themselves represented.

“It sends a message to kids that who they are is valid, it’s important, it matters. That there is nothing wrong with them,” she said.

At the center of the debate is whether performing in drag sexualized the students who chose to perform.

“When you are sexualizing kids under the umbrella of inclusivity, that is where it draws a line,” Heidi said.

But others say there’s nothing sexual about it.

“I’ve seen far more sexualized performances by high school dance teams, and they are wearing far less clothing than the drag performers were,” Kearney said.

In a statement, the Elk Grove Unified School District said the show was “held in full compliance with student codes of conduct and existing requirements for on-campus events.”

The district went on to say, “The primary responsibility for a student’s attire resides with the student and families. The school district and individual schools are responsible for seeing that student attire does not interfere with the health or safety of any student and that student attire does not contribute to a hostile or intimidating atmosphere for any student.”

Copyright 2023 KOVR via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.

Community parks add to the fun along 10-mile roundtrip bike ride

Roseville, Calif. – Today, we’re kicking off Biking Roseville, a brand new series that explores and celebrates local trails. Join us on a bicycle tour around Roseville’s expanding maze of interconnected trails. The multi-use system of Roseville is a treasure of trails, open spaces and parks of the community. For many of us residents, the trail system exponentially cranks up the livability factor of Roseville.

The first installment on the Pleasant Grove Creek Trail, takes riders through a suburban and scenic 10-mile roundtrip in west Roseville. Multiple entry points along this route allow cyclists to tailor a ride to easily suit their needs and available ride time. Saddle up the bike, don your shades and join us on the trails!

Taking riders from Foothills Blvd to Winding Creek and back this bike ride clocks in at exactly 10 miles. Traversing a mostly flat and paved multi-purpose path, cyclists can easily enter on either end and circle back to your original starting location.

Visitors have lots of options here. Perfect for either a quick ride when your time is limited or a full day experience. There is plenty of shade to be found, beautiful parks for picnics & play, restrooms along the way and and opportunities to explore further.

The mighty Blue Oaks adorned in their full spring bloom are imposing figures that dominate portions of the landscape as fields of California Poppies and other colorful wildflowers set the fields ablaze in color. Goats are an annual favorite for all ages that offer entertainment as they help mitigate fire risk. Chill creekside under the cool canopy of trees as the hot summer sun reaches its peak as egrets warily standby and keep watch.

For full day adventures, Nugget Market and Raley’s One shopping centers are a short distance from the trail for a quick lunch and beverage stop. Timber Creek in Sun City is slightly further, but offers outdoor dining and easy access with bike racks. Have a cold one while watching golfers practice their swings under the sun is fun!

Easy Access Points

(By Car)

(By Bike)

Safety reminder that bikes ride right, pass left and pedestrians walk on the left. Some residents and visitors may still learning the rules of trails so be patient and kind.

ELK GROVE, Calif. (CITC) — Parents in a California public school district are outraged after their children were allegedly forced to attend a student-led drag show without their knowledge.

The Elk Grove Unified School District (EGUSD) held its annual multicultural assembly at Pleasant Grove High School Friday. The assembly, designed to celebrate "the sights and sounds of various cultures," has previously included presentations, musical performances and a candle-lighting ceremony.

However, parents claim a drag performance was added this year unbeknownst to them. Video shows a performer dressed in drag, allegedly a student, saying that both gender and sexuality are included in culture because "culture emerges from community."

"I just don't see how that has anything to do with education," one mother said during Tuesday's school board meeting. 'It's straight up perversion."

Parents allege that the performers danced in a "provocative" manner, with at least one removing articles of clothing. While acknowledging that students can choose whether to partake in such activities once they're adults, they argued it should not be "forced upon them" as "children."

One mother told board members her son texted her saying he felt "uncomfortable and trapped" upon learning that the performance was taking place.

"The administration could have easily included an outline or program in the mass but vague email they sent out about the assembly less than 24 hours before the assembly happened," she said.

The resounding concern amongst EGUSD parents is that the performance was not communicated ahead of time, taking away the opportunity to opt their children out. They claim that the assembly was mandatory and families were instructed that early dismissals would not be permitted.

"Why was this sexual, political performance kept from parents? And students, for that matter?" another mother asked. "If you have nothing to hide, then don't hide it. If you're proud of it, then tell us. Be transparent. These are our kids, not yours."

A EGUSD spokesperson told Crisis in the Classroom (CITC) that the show "was held in full compliance with student codes of conduct and existing requirements for on-campus events" and all performances affiliated with the assembly were "approved by school staff and administration with the support of EGUSD Secondary Education."

"The primary responsibility for a student’s attire resides with the student and families," the spokesperson said. "The school district and individual schools are responsible for seeing that student attire does not interfere with the health or safety of any student, and that student attire does not contribute to a hostile or intimidating atmosphere for any student."

Back-to-back storms at the start of the new year put one Sacramento-area farm 3 feet underwater, drowning crops and squelching income.

“We lost everything,” said Rosie Kaperonis of Azolla Farm, who has been farming in Pleasant Grove for six years with her business partner Scrivner Hoppe-Glosser.

“You could literally kayak on the farm,” she said.

It was forced to close for the rest of the winter season.

A heavy string of storms has pounded Northern California since the start of January. Sacramento has received nearly 15 inches of rain from January to March, the National Weather Service reports.

And the rising snowpack in the Central Sierra is cause for flooding concern as temperatures warm this spring.

The constant rain has been affecting farmers across the state, including strawberry fields in Watsonville and Salinas after a levee ruptured.

Occasional floods are normal and will typically last up to 24 hours, Kaperonis said. But with the snow melt in the foothills and lack of sun, her farm was flooded for 20 days straight.

“We lost all our crops,” Kaperonis said, “which means we lost all of our current income and also the cost and the time invested.”

Fields at Azolla Farm, at the time, were filled with a variety of broccoli, cabbages, cauliflower, onions, herbs, radishes, carrots, collard greens.

Some of the vegetables were planted in August and they were slowly beginning to harvest most of the fields.

Kaperonis estimated that the farm lost up to $40,000 in projected sales. However, with production expenses, such as diesel, seeds and fertilizer — which have recently increased due to inflation, she added — the loss goes up to $70,000.

Since the 20-day flood, Azolla Farm was flooded twice due to rains and snow melt combined. The last time they sold produce at the markets was December.

“We work with the elements so much and we’re able to adapt very quickly,” Kaperonis said, “but in terms of this, it’s a standstill. There’s no scooping the water away or something.”

While some growers didn’t face the same amount of flooding, they are still reeling from damages.

On March 23, a handful of local farmers ran their booths at the Certified Farmers Market on Florid Road — just after another storm had rolled through the region.

Tou Cor Khang of T.C. Khang Farm said he couldn’t go out to harvest his products, due to the rain, because it’s too wet and muddy. With too many of his greens dying, he’s had to miss a few days at the farmers’ market.

The good part of the rain is you don’t have to irrigate, said Susan Kelso of Kelso’s Black Gold Ranch, a citrus farm in Oroville.

But the wind and rain have damaged her fruits and it’s been difficult to get into the farm to pick with the soil still wet, she said.

Rain-drenched soil has delayed the next season of crops.

“The hard part for us is we can’t get ready for the summer right now,” Khang said at the Thursday farmers market. “... Usually by this time, every other year we’ll be out there getting fields ready, plowing and all that stuff.”

Typically, during the winter season in California, you can find products such as broccoli, citrus, squash and kiwis, according to California Grown, a state blog site. As we transition into the warmer months, you should anticipate goods such as asparagus, avocado and blueberries.

“Usually by now we are planting tomatoes,” Khang said. “This year, don’t count on it.”

While he expects to yield a lower amount of crops, he said the harvest will be very late.

Azolla Farm is also pushing back its next season.

Kaperonis said she was hoping to plant seeds this week but they’ve been set back because they’re unsure when the ground is going to dry.

“We’re kind of trying to play it safe, but that’s a risk,” she said, “because in this area, it’s a very quick spring usually and it goes quickly into summer.”

She said they’ll get into the ground with quicker-growing crops, such as arugula, radish, turnips and smaller greens.

The region’s recent rain and blowing winds are also halting operations at farmers’ markets, a key outlet for farmers to sell their goods.

“This has been a brutal winter,” said Dan Best, coordinator of Certified Farmers’ Market, an outdoor market for California farms in Sacramento County.

There have been fewer farmers at the markets, he said, and they’ve had to cancel the market some days due to the weather. With winds causing rain to drop horizontally, it can get dangerous and difficult to protect customers with just a tent.

Grocery store costs, in general, have been on the rise across the country.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the consumer price index for grocery store and supermarket purchases went up 0.3% from January 2023 to February 2023.

Prices for all categories of food, such as meat, have increased, except for fresh vegetables and eggs, the department reported.

And despite the overhaul of crops on farms, you’ll likely find steady prices at the farmers’ markets.

Best said he thinks growers aren’t thinking about grocery store prices.

“They’re just looking at their own particular situation,” he said. “They’re creatures of habit. There’s some really good bargains from them, because they just need the money.”

Raising prices can be a big gamble, Kaperonis said. People are used to seeing some farmers at the market or restaurant, and so an increase of 25 or 50 cents can make some feel like they’re getting shorted.

“We’ve been kind of taking a hit already over last year,” she said, “not being able to increase our prices as much for fear of losing clientele and being able to sell it.”

With spring quickly approaching, drenched farmland will finally dry. Weather experts are predicting rain should be mostly mostly over for the year.

Forecasts of precipitation have been teetering for the start of April, but as of Friday, rain is not expected in next week.

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This story was originally published April 1, 2023, 5:30 AM.