Fair Oaks and Carmichael Patch Will Merge Thursday

Fair Oaks and Carmichael Patch will merge into one mega-site on Thursday. While this means there will be one place to find your Carmichael and Fair Oaks Patch news, don't expect that quantity or quality of that news to diminish in any way.

From Joshua: Victor and I have talked at length about our affiliations with and . It's been our distinct honor and pleasure to bring news to these great communities through Patch. It is with that, that we are proud to announce the merger of Fair Oaks and Carmichael Patch under one site, where Patch will continue to bring community news to the area.

So what does this mean for you, the reader? First off, don't worry. For those used to finding their news at fairoaks.patch.com or carmichael.patch.com, expect to type that address into the search bar and find the new site. A new URL will be available soon.

What about the social media, Josh? Well, that's a little trickier. We're asking all readers, whether you live in Fair Oaks or Carmichael, to Like Fair Oaks Patch on Facebook and follow Fair Oaks Patch on Twitter. Please take a minute to do this now, if you haven't already. Those will transform into the social media feeds for the new site, with the latest updates from both communities, so make sure you're in the loop!

On a more personal note, I'm very excited to add Carmichael to my news beat. My parents live in Carmichael now and I've come to know both communities pretty well in the 20-plus years I've lived in the area.

We're looking forward to this new chapter for Fair Oaks and Carmichael Patch. We hope you'll be there to turn the page when we do too on Aug. 23.

From Victor: Readers, while we may be merging the Patch sites for Carmichael and Fair Oaks, you can still count on the combined site being the go-to place for local community news.

As for myself, I will be leaving Carmichael-Fair Oaks Patch at the end of August and moving to Tucson, Ariz. where my girlfriend has started law school at the University of Arizona. I'm confident, however, that Josh will do a great job covering Carmichael and Fair Oaks news.

Carmichael readers, please introduce yourself to him and share your news on the site.

There has been some overlap in our coverage particularly with the San Juan Unified School District and schools including Del Campo High School, which is located in Fair Oaks but draws some students from Carmichael. Josh is a proud Bella Vista High School alum. Patch will continue to share news from all local schools together with your assistance.

Also, police and fire news sometimes crosses into both communities and you can rest assured that if there is any breaking news, or if a Carmichael resident gets arrested in Fair Oaks (or vice versa), Carmichael-Fair Oaks Patch will have the most complete coverage.

Patch will also be able to better cover regional news, such as festivals, business news and more.

I hope you'll also continue to join the online conversations about what is going on in Carmichael and Fair Oaks. This is your site as well. Please continue to post comments and your announcements, news, photos, videos and blogs. Carmichael-Fair Oaks Patch looks forward to telling your stories daily.

I will write more about my departure and what I've enjoyed about covering the people of Carmichael later this week. I've known Carmichael since I attended Jesuit High School from 1996 to 2000. Thank you for letting me get to know the community.