On Monday, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the death of Staff Sgt. Sky R. Mote of El Dorado.

Mote, 27, was killed Aug. 10 during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion out of Camp Pendleton, California, and served in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Thursday this fallen hero is coming home, and his family could use your support.

A Hero's Welcome is scheduled at McClellan Air Force Base on Thursday, August 16 at 4:30 at Hanger 3.

Elk Grove -- Corey Chatsfield (right), tasting room manager, kicks off Diva Night with Jodi Adams from Ione. Men hanging out at local sports bars Friday night may have wondered where all the beautiful women were because about 250 enjoyed Diva Night at Elk Grove's McConnell Estates Winery. Divas (young and "older") start celebrating with champagne as we stroll the beautiful courtyard visiting venders displaying jewelry, cosmetics, clothing, fragrances, diet supplements and air-brush spray tans!

And the food is a heavenly round-table of chocolate cupcakes, brownies, cookies, scones and candy. A 1970s flashback surrounds a velvety cheese fondue pot offering four types of gourmet bread and fresh fruit ready to be skewered, dipped and then savored by our taste buds.

Dancing Divas surround a DJ who knows what we like -- oh, yeah. Friday evening's cool breeze perfectly set the mood for fun, laughter and "girl talk" while tasting excellent wines at McConnell Estates!

Todd Gearou, Sacramento based film producer, remembers well moving to Sacramento at age 15, with horror sweeping our communities as the East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker continued his rampage of terror.  Having committed 50+ rapes and 10 murders attributed to the East Area Rapist, he, if still alive or not imprisoned, is nightmarishly still at large.  Says Gearou, “anyone who lived in the Sacramento area during the late 1970s will easily recall the overwhelming fear that California’s most prolific serial rapist and possibly future murderer had over this area.” 

Gearou, like many others, including law enforcement, often wondered what happened to this night phantom some 26 years after his last murder in Irvine, Ca (1986).