C ALI FORN IA’S OLDE ST NE W SPAPER
– E S T. 18 51
– Midweek Edition – VOLUME 173 • ISSUE 77 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2024
Courtesy photos
Toys for Tots El Dorado County-Placerville volunteers load up their carts during a 2023 shopping trip. Nearly 11,000 items were distributed to kids and families last year. Mountain Democrat file photo by Eric Jaramishian
Meet mascots, first responders, community leaders and more at National Night Out festivities around the county on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
PREPARE TO PARTY ■ National Night Out celebrations
coming to the county and city Odin Rasco Senior staff writer
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s the first Tuesday in August approaches, communities across El Dorado County and the United States are preparing for an evening of music, fun, conversation and, of course, free food in recognition of National Night Out. First introduced in 1984 and involving 400 communities, NNO has grown into a truly nationwide event intended to enhance relationships between neighbors and their local law enforcement agencies. By bringing together towns and neighborhood blocks, NNO is an opportunity
for neighbors to meet and chat with each other and bring together communities and police in a positive way, according to the NNO web site. El Dorado County has been an active participant in NNO for decades, with celebrations set for locations across the county (and across the week — El Dorado Hills will be celebrating the event on Friday, rather than Tuesday). Sponsors supply the food and fun activities for the kids, and many community events also feature live music. Placerville’s yearly involvement in NNO has garnered no small amount of attention, earning the No. 1 spot among all California communities celebrating the event multiple times. This year, community parties will be held at: • Grocery Outlet • Placerville Union ■ See NNO, page A9
Local Toys for Tots campaign earns national recognition Noel Stack Editor
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ven before the last of the Christmas cookies are gone, Stacie Walls, coordinator for Toys for Tots El Dorado County-Placerville, is already thinking about next year — how to improve the distribution process, how to get more toys and cash donations and how to get additional volunteers involved. Walls’ tireless efforts have not gone unnoticed as the local campaign recently received Local Community ■ See AWARD, page A9
Items at the Toys for Tots warehouse last year are sorted into categories, making it easy for volunteers filling bags for each family.
1 dead, 1 hospitalized in Hwy 193 collision Odin Rasco Senior staff writer
A 79-year-old man was killed and his 4-year-old passenger rushed to a hospital with major injuries after a vehicle crash on State Route 193 Thursday, July 25. California Highway Patrol officers were dispatched to SR 193 near Circle Drive shortly after 1:40 p.m., discovering a Toyota Highlander SUV and a Freightliner truck towing a trailer had collided. The driver of the Highlander, Stefan Key
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of Hidden Valley Lake, was pronounced dead at the scene, while his passenger was transported via helicopter to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento for emergency care. The identity of the 4-year-old has not been made publicly available. CHP crash information does not indicate the driver of the Freightliner, 32-year-old Jacob Morgan from Pueblo, Colo., sustained any injuries as a result of the crash. The cause of the incident is still under investigation, according to CHP officials.
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