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Prospecting Sierra School educators bringing smiles, lessons to students through video.
Hands4Hope annual donation drive collects essentials for those in need.
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See page 6. BE COUNTED , BECAUSE WE ALL MATTER! mtdemocrat.com
Monday, March 30, 2020
Volume 169 • Issue 37
| 75¢
Separation is in the preparation for Marshall Medical n Marshall Medical
puts up screening tents, braces for inflow of COVID-19 patients Kevin Christensen Staff writer
In preparation for a potential influx of patients due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Marshall Democrat photo by Kevin Christensen Hospital has set up a 20-by The 35-foot-long tent in Marshall Hospital’s parking lot will be used to 35-foot tent in its emergency screen anyone showing flu-like symptoms prior to entering the facility. parking lot to eventually screen
Coronavirus cases grow to 9 in county
anyone entering that part of the hospital. Smaller tents have also been set up outside Marshall Medical Center clinics all over the county to screen anyone entering its facilities. When the time comes, this will be the first stop for everyone prior to entering the hospital and all clinics, according to Brittany Garcia, Marshall Medical Center’s marketing communications specialist. “All patients who may have COVID-19 will undergo an
“This is only one of the many steps Marshall is taking to protect our patients/staff and reduce the spread of the coronavirus.” — Brittany Garcia, Marshall Medical Center communications specialist initial screening before they’re allowed to enter the emergency room,” said Larry Schmidt, director of emergency and trauma services for Marshall n
See Marshall medical, page 12
pretty in pink
n Marshall Hospital treating
one COVID-19 patient Dylan Svoboda Staff writer
The number of coronavirus cases in El Dorado County grew to nine Thursday evening as health officials reported six additional residents tested positive for the disease. The county entered last weekend with just two reported cases in a county resident but testing has revealed seven more cases this week. One patient is currently being treated for COVID-19 at Marshall Medical, according to hospital spokeswoman Brittany Garcia. At least one of the cases appears to be locally acquired as county officials reported Tuesday its first case of COVID-19 from an unknown source. County officials reported its first case of coronavirus in a county resident last n
See Coronavirus, page 2
DOT educational campaign denied Dylan Svoboda Staff writer Facing a near-$3 million annual deficit, the El Dorado County Department of Transportation is aiming to launch an educational program surrounding the dire state of county roads. But the agency’s efforts took a significant hit last Tuesday when the Board of Supervisors denied a funding request to kickstart the effort. Starting next fiscal year, the department’s Road Fund is expected to fall short by $2.8 million. On Tuesday, DOT Director Rafael Martinez pleaded with the board for $40,000 in funding to initiate a “public outreach and education program” to increase public awareness of current road conditions and funding needs, with an eye on a possible ballot measure in the not-so-distant future. “What I need to do … is to provide a ‘State of the Roads’ to our county residents,” Martinez said. “Letting our residents know how our [pavement condition indexes] line up with other counties. Letting them know how our Road Fund matches up on a year-toyear basis … coming to them on a yearly basis and just informing them, educating them.” n
See DOT, page 11
Democrat photo by Krysten Kellum
While everyone may be stuck indoors observing the shelter-in-place mandate ordered amid the coronavirus pandemic, if you do happen to pop outside you might catch a glimpse of these blossoming beauties. Red bud’s in bloom right now, speckling the the hills around Placerville and Cameron Park, this stunning specimen found overlooking the Cameron Airpark and Cameron Park Lake, which can been seen in the distance.
Placerville City Council clears hurdle to bring first new apartments in 20 years Pat Lakey Staff writer
accommodate affordable housing, with the state of California mandating that a set percentage be so designated. That caused controversy locally, with a handful of property Just before schools closed, businesses shuttered windows owners vehemently opposed to being included within and the world hunkered down under the onslaught of a the overlay, feeling they were being “forced” to develop virus, the Placerville City Council took action March 10 that low-income housing on their respective holdings. City could lead to the first apartment complex in some 20 years Development Services Director Pierre Rivas said some being built in town. owners considered it “a sort of reverse condemnation” of The council unanimously their property, citing the adopted resolutions that fact that the market for “We have a housing crisis — we had a housing would facilitate federal and affordable housing was not crisis when Gov. Schwarzenegger was here … state funding to go to the viable at that time. and it has just expanded from that time and it developer of two proposed That dust settled in the low-income apartment just increases on an annual basis because we’re next few months as owners complexes, one on Mallard were assured they would not not producing the housing.” Lane off Green Valley Road be obligated to surrender — Consultant Chris Westlake, speaking to Placerville City Council their property to undesired and one at Middletown and Cold Springs roads, where use without due course — the clearing of property but then a lack of affordable housing not just locally but already has occurred in recent months. statewide became the focus and now such developments The two projects combined would add some 150 apparently are not looked at askance, according to Rivas. affordable housing units to the city’s inventory, according Pointing out that California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom “calls to planning staff. The last time a similar project was built himself the ‘housing governor,’” Rivas told the council that was the Cottonwood Senior Apartments on Clay Street, the Newsom “is trying to make this type of housing available.” council was reminded. Thus the grant money began stacking up, waiting for cities The Mallard Lane and Middletown properties were and other governmental entities to ask for a share so that rezoned by the council in 2016, placing them within a new low-income and middle-income housing could be built. The affordable housing zoning “overlay” that at the time had grants must be administered through such entities, with many landowners bristling. the resolution passed by the Placerville council providing a City planning staff had been tasked with identifying n See New apartments, page 10 properties within city limits that potentially could
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