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VOLUME 172 • ISSUE 106 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2023
County frees up funds for jail expansion Noel Stack Managing Editor “Go forth and build.” District 3 Supervisor Wendy Thomas gave this direction after she and fellow supervisors unanimously approved the $40.5 million Placerville jail expansion project Tuesday. A $37,375,565 contract was awarded to Roebbelen Contracting Inc. based in El Dorado Hills with another $3,124,435 designated for other expenses. The majority of project funding comes from a $25 million Senate Bill 844 grant received in 2017 and $15.5 million from the county’s Designated Capital Reserves. The board’s approval kickstarts the project’s design phase. Construction could begin as early as mid 2024 with anticipated completion in late 2025. The county operates two jails — one in Placerville and one in South Lake
Tahoe, which was renovated in 1994. Placerville’s Forni Road facility covers about 86,000 square feet and was built in the mid-1980s, Sheriff Jeff Leikauf told the board. “The jail was designed to hold short-term, primarily misdemeanor inmates,” he said. “Legislative and regulatory changes since that time have made most older jails in California obsolete.” Challenges the El Dorado County Sheriff ’s Office Custody Division staff face today include inadequate space for female inmates and inmates with mental health issues, insufficient recreation yard space and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance — which could be a huge liability for the county, the sheriff noted. “This project is absolutely necessary to bring us into ADA compliance ■ See JAIL, page A6
Courtesy rendering
The Placerville jail expansion will add nearly 23,000 square feet of space on .65 acres adjacent to the current facility.
named Nation’s First Byron-Cooper new head of HHSA Eric Jaramishian Staff writer Interim Health and Human Services Director Olivia Byron-Cooper has been named the official department head for El Dorado County. Byron-Cooper filled the role after OLIVIA BYRON-COOPER the county dismissed previous director Evelyn Schaeffer in December 2022. Before that, ByronCooper held various positions for El Dorado County since 2008 including becoming a director of public health, an agency quality improvement manager, program manager and epidemiologist. County leaders praised Byron-Cooper during her public appointment at their Tuesday meeting, lauding her leadership during her time as interim director. “Your rapport with staff, your ability to build a team and decision-making done with a team have been demonstrated over and over again, particularly with the navigation center and other ■ See HHSA, page A3
Mountain Democrat photo by Odin Rasco
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California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber speaks before the filled council chamber, celebrating the work of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Tribal Council. The council passed a resolution Tuesday to establish the first voter registration center in the nation to be located on tribal land.
Tribal voter registration center officially open Odin Rasco Staff writer
T
he Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Tribal Council made history during a special event Tuesday morning, designating a voter registration center on tribal land — the first of its kind in the nation. Approving a resolution accepting the designation of the Shingle Springs Health and Wellness Center
as a voter registration agency under the National Voter Registration Act, the council was joined by guests including California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber to mark the occasion. “This designates the first tribal medical facility as a voter registration agency, the first one in the nation,” Weber said. “We’re excited about that because in ■ See REGISTRATION CENTER, page A7
Victim Identified in suspicious Tahoe death Ashleigh Goodwin Tahoe Daily Tribune SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — The El Dorado County Sheriff ’s and District Attorney’s offices, as well as the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, continue to search for answers in a suspicious death at the Lakeland Village Resort. Investigators have identified the decedent as Oceanside resident Jacqueline Cason, 63, who was found unresponsive just
after midnight Sept. 7. Multiple search warrants have been served and the investigation is ongoing, officials said. According to SLTPD Det. Sgt. Nicholas Carlquist, an autopsy has not yet been completed and the cause of death remains unknown. Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to email the South Lake Tahoe Police Department Detective Division at crimetips@ cityofslt.us and reference case 2309-0058. Lic # 559305
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