🌱 Patch AM: Why coconut oil suddenly shut down major routes east of Davis.

Hi Davis! We have the latest buzz right here. Let's keep you in the loop and get this morning started right! ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• Why coconut oil suddenly shut down major routes east of Davis.
• Which local golfer took a painful shot on a Davis course?
• How new pollinator funding could shape Davis-area farms and wildlife.

Also on today's calendar: Request for help for Christmas and 1 more event.

Today's riddle: Last night I had a dream. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Saturday: Occasional rain and drizzle, with a high of 56 and low of 52 degrees.
• Sunday: Periods of rain, temps: high: 62, low: 55.
• Monday: Periods of rain, with a high of 60 and low of 53 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Yolo roads near Interstate 80 close for a slippery reason — coconut oil (sacbee.com) — A coconut oil spill from a waste truck shut down key rural routes just east of Davis on Friday, snarling rainy-day commutes near the Yolo Causeway. County Roads 32A and 105, including the I-80 32A offramp, were closed while crews cleaned the slick mess, with officials urging drivers to avoid the area and use alternate routes.
   

2. Golf Notes: Putt it Nicely (advocate-news.com) — Local golfers might smile—or wince—at this column’s tales of lip-out putts, age-defying rounds, and one painful shot taken on a Davis golf course. The writer mixes on-course mishaps with small-town stories, from near-misses to a blueberry pie lesson at Mendocino’s Harvest Market.
   

3. Nearly $570,000 allocated for Yolo County Pollinator Habitat Restoration (dailydemocrat.com) — Federal funding is helping restore pollinator habitat in Yolo County, with City of Davis Councilmember Linda Deos highlighting how crucial this support is amid government cutbacks. The Yolo Habitat Conservancy’s Pollinator Parkway project will restore and improve hundreds of acres, plant native milkweed, and involve local residents through outreach events, supporting monarch butterflies and other threatened species while balancing conservation with future development.
   

4. UC Davis puts home win streak on the line against Northern Colorado (durangoherald.com) — UC Davis women’s basketball puts its six-game home win streak on the line Saturday evening in Davis when the Aggies host Northern Colorado. The matchup features strong three-point shooting from UC Davis and solid recent form from both teams, giving local fans a competitive game to catch close to home.
   

5. Renowned wireless expert wins UCD Teaching Prize (davisenterprise.com) — A longtime UC Davis engineering professor, Zhi Ding, has been honored with the 2025–26 UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement, one of the nation’s largest teaching awards. The $80,000 donor-funded prize recognizes his two decades of advancing wireless communications and inspiring students in Wellman Hall classrooms right here in Davis.
   

📸 Around Davis

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Davis

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Thursday December 25

• Request for help for Christmas
  9:00 am

Saturday January 10

• Crossing Over with Psychic Medium John Edward Live in Sacramento!
  Hilton Sacramento Arden West, 2200 Harvard St, Sacramento
  2:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Sunday December 21

• Davis Bookworms
  Nashoba Wines , 820 4th St , Davis
  1:30 pm

Thursday December 25

• In Person at Aggie Square Launch
  Aggie Square Launch Space , 2270 Stockton Boulevard , Sacramento
  6:00 pm

📣 Davis Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Saturday December 20

• Breakfast With Santa
  Ulatis Community Center , 1000 Ulatis Dr , Vacaville
  9:00 am
• Crafts & Drafts at Drakes the Barn — River City Marketplace
  Drake's: The Barn , 985 Riverfront St , West Sacramento
  12:00 pm
• Woodland Library Board Game Open Gathering - 3rd Saturday
  Woodland Public Library , 250 1st St , Woodland
  12:00 pm
• The Nutcracker Sweet
  "The Woodland Opera House" Community Theatre , 340 Second St , Woodland
  2:00 pm
• Northern Colorado Bears at UC Davis Aggies Women's Basketball
  University Credit Union , Memorial Union , 1 Shields Ave Ste. 246 , Davis
  2:00 pm
• Of Persian Poetics
  International House , 10 College Park , Davis
  6:00 pm
• R&B Past Present Future
  Journey Downtown , 308 Main St , Vacaville
  6:00 pm
• Davis Class of 2015 10-Year Reunion
  Ruhstaller Farm , 6686 Sievers Rd , Dixon
  6:00 pm
• Pomegranate Sunday Presents: The Pomegranate Sunday Christmas Spectacular
  Sacramento Youth Center , 1901 Del Paso Blvd , Sacramento
  7:00 pm
• Greetings! by Tom Dudzick
  Winters Opera House home of the Winters Theatre Company , 13 Main St , Winters
  7:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Davis PatchAM possible:

• Heritage Exteriors Windows And Siding — (916) 756-9671
  James Hardie Siding & Windows Contractor

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• This dumpling style isn’t something I learned later in life.
  When I married into my husband’s family, I also became part of a long dumpling tradition. It’s a craft that’s been quietly passed down at home, long… (Nextdoor North Davis)

• University of California Davis posted a job opening for Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies in Davis. Apply here.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. posted a job opening for Crew Member in Davis. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Davis here.

Ok Davis! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I dreamed I was swimming in a pool of orange soda, but it was just a Fanta-sea.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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