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THE DAVIS
WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2022
Sisson provides update on COVID, masks, monkeypox By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer
A crowd of nearly 100 gathers for a December 2018 candlelight vigil at Davis’ City Hall in Max Benson’s honor following his death. Fred Gladdis/ Enterprise file photo
Three indicted in Davis boy’s death By Lauren Keene Enterprise staff writer Three former educators appeared in an El Dorado County courtroom last week after being indicted on involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with the 2018 death of a 13-year-old Davis boy. Max Benson, who was autistic, died two days after being restrained by staff and losing
consciousness at the now-closed Guiding Hands School in El Dorado Hills. Filed on July 15, the El Dorado County grand jury indictment names the school’s parent corporation, Guiding Hands School Inc., along with its former executive director Cindy Keller, principal Staranne Meyers and special-education teacher Kimberly Wohlwend. The document alleges that
each of the defendants “had a legal duty to (Benson), a human being, failed to perform that legal duty, that failure was criminally negligent, and that failure caused death.” Keller, Meyers and Wohlwend pleaded not guilty to the felony charge at a July 19 arraignment hearing. They’re due back in court Sept. 2 for a
See INDICTED, Page A4
Courtesy photo
13-year-old Max Benson died in November 2018 after being restrained at the private El Dorado Hills school he attended.
With COVID-19 testing in Yolo County dropping below the statewide average — and now just 10 percent of the peak testing volume during the original Omicron surge in January — wastewater levels “paint the best picture of how much virus is circulating in our communities,” Yolo County’s health officer told county supervisors on Tuesday. Currently wastewater is being monitored for COVID-19 levels in the city of Davis, the UC Davis campus, and in Winters, Woodland and Esparto by Healthy Central Valley Together, the latest offshoot of Healthy Davis Together. West Sacramento is part of the city of Sacramento’s wastewater monitoring program. So what does that data in Davis and surrounding communities show? A lot of COVID-19, said Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson. In the city of Davis, “the current levels … are as high as they were in the original Omicron wave in January … and trending up.” Levels in Winters, meanwhile, are higher than they were two weeks ago,
See UPDATE, Page A5
Med Center ranked among nation’s best Yolo County Sheriff’s Office
hosts first Citizen’s Academy
By Caleb Hampton Enterprise staff writer The UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento was recognized as one of the best hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report, which released its annual survey of more than 4,500 hospitals this week. UC Davis Medical Center retained its ranking as the best hospital in Sacramento, which it has held for the past 11 years. It was also ranked the sixth-best hospital in California. “UC Davis Medical Center continues to be a national leader, utilizing the most innovative advances in medicine to achieve the best possible outcomes for our patients,”
VOL. 124 NO. 90
INDEX
Business Focus A7 Forum ��������������B2 Obituaries �������� A4 Classifieds ������B5 Green Page ������ A7 Sports ��������������B1 Comics ������������B4 Living ����������������B3 Events �������������� A6
By Aaron Geerts Enterprise staff writer
Wayne Tilcock, UC Davis Health/Enterprise file photo
UC Davis Health nurse Liz Dones gives the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to Jesus Espidola, the first patient to receive the shot at the UC Davis Medical Center in 2021. said David Lubarsky, CEO of UC Davis Health. “This recognition is due to the expertise and dedication of every member of our health
WEATHER Thursday: Sunny and still hot. High 97. Low 61.
system, who work tirelessly to provide patient-centered care every day to every
See RANKED, Page A5
The Yolo County Sheriff ’s Office recently announced its inaugural Citizen’s Academy. Designed to bolster trust and transparency, this program is an opportunity for Yolo County’s citizens to get a “behind the scenes” look at the Sheriff ’s office and brave individuals who within it. The academy’s curriculum will include classroom presentations on law-enforcement topics, a tour of the newly expanded jail, a tour of the coroner’s office, demonstrations from the
Marine Patrol Unit, SWAT, hostage negotiators as well as drone pilots. Alongside that, participants will also be able to take part in useof-force training scenarios. “The Citizen’s Academy is designed to give the public a basic understanding of law enforcement and the knowledge of how we operate here at the Sheriff ’s office. It also doesn’t require anybody to have knowledge of lawenforcement, but it’s a chance for people to see what happens ‘behind the scenes’ of the Sheriff ’s
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See SHERIFF, Page A5
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