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VOLUME 172 • ISSUE 102 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2023
Weber Creek could see $25M in fire protection
– E S T. 18 51
Classic collection
A 1964 convertible Ford Mustang is parked on display for the Hangtown Car Show in downtown Placerville, Aug. 31. Organizers estimate about 200 classic and custom vehicles rolled in for the evening show.
Eric Jaramishian Staff writer El Dorado County could receive a total of $25 million for defensible space clearing and home hardening work in the Weber Creek area of Placerville. The county has been granted approximately $1.4 million in funding for home assessments and public outreach on home hardening, defensible space and hazardous vegetation removal. The grant comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, awarded to jurisdictions to reduce disaster losses. The county’s Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience, which applied for the grant on behalf of the county, will use the money as part of a bigger pilot fire mitigation project for 525 homes near Weber Creek, a campaign that will cost around $25 million. The county will assess homes in the Weber Creek area as part of the first phase of the project, which is expected to take around 20 months to complete. After that, county staff anticipates it will receive an additional $23.5 million to do actual defensible space clearing and home hardening work following FEMA approval. It is anticipated the county will be awarded the grant in spring 2025. The news came from Tom Meyer, the county’s new program manager for the Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience. Meyer at the Aug. 29 Board of Supervisors meeting gave a packed update on his wildfire resilience team’s efforts to adapt a wildfire protection and preparedness strategy and what have they been doing as part of their defensible space program. ■ See DEFENSIBLE SPACE, page A7
Photos by Cecilia Clark
Rattlesnake Bar body identified ■ Woman was missing since January Isaac Streeter Staff writer
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Natalee Heilaman, a 27-year-old woman from San Francisco, was identified Wednesday as the individual found dead near the Rattlesnake Bar area of the
American River’s North Fork Aug. 19, according to Sgt. Kyle Parker of the El Dorado County Sheriff ’s Office. Described as “an exhaustive investigation,” Parker noted in an email to the Mountain Democrat that the Sheriff ’s Office used DNA to ID Heilaman, who was reported missing from Nevada County in January. The coroner has not confirmed a cause of death but EDSO’s investigation did not indicate foul play, Parker added. Deputies had initially responded Aug. 19 to a report of a body found after an individual recreating in the area discovered Heilaman’s remains in the water and dialed 911. Rattlesnake Bar is on the upstream stretches of Folsom Lake.
“Which Way” is a 1953 Chevy owned by Chuck Adams, left photo, of West Sacramento. The car is a Chevy front end and 1953 Pontiac front end on the rear. Adams talks shop, right photo, over a 1953 Pontiac front end on the back of his 1953 Chevy. Rad rides were parked along historical Main Street, which was open only to pedestrians for the event. Sandra Morgan’s ‘56 T-Bird was one of the many classic vehicles making an appearance.
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5.625%3.61 5.93% YEAR3.250 1515YEAR 3.250 3.61
HOME LOAN HOME LOAN
Fixed RateFixed Rate
Annual Percentage Annual Percentage Rate Rate
• ReÀ• nance Purchase ReÀnance PLACERVILLE Purchase PLACERVILLE 4040 ElRoad Dorado• 622-1492 Road • 622-1492 • 4040 El •Dorado
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