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– E S T. 18 51
– Weekend Edition – VOLUME 175 • ISSUE 9 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2026
County shifting gears to serve the homeless
A GOLDEN AGE CELEBRATION
Noel Stack Editor
Noting the current model of serving the local homeless population has “reached the end of its lifespan,” El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency Director Olivia Byron-Cooper on Tuesday presented a new path to the Board of Supervisors — one that allows for more local control and the development of a permanent homeless navigation center. That path was unanimously embraced, 5-0, with supervisors supporting an environmental analysis of the planned permanent facility at 300 Forni Road and staff pursuing ways to expedite its construction “We are very as well as delegating dedicated in our authority to the county effort to work with purchasing agent to execute agreements, our community not to exceed $500,000 partners to identify cumulatively, for architectural, planning soft landings for and environmental as many people as services for the new site. The current navigation we can during the center on Fair Lane next transition.” to the El Dorado County — HHSA Director Olivia Government Center in Placerville opened in Byron-Cooper early 2023. It’s a 60-bed, referral only facility following the Housing First model. “We have achieved far more than the original goal of the (temporary) navigation center, which was to provide beds in order to clear encampments,” Byron-Cooper said at the Jan. 27 board meeting. “Thanks to the incredible work of our housing and homelessness team, law enforcement, with the support of stakeholders and this board, we have secured permanent housing for over 75 individuals since the site opened.” Monthly costs at the current navigation center are $185,529, according to the HHSA director’s presentation. The county has a little more than $3.15 million available, which can cover roughly 17 months of operating costs. “The way we are operating currently is not sustainable,” Byron-Cooper told the board. “You’re all very aware of the volatility of the federal and state budgets.Our allocations are shrinking and the mandates around their use are prohibitive.” The temporary navigation center is expected to close in March 2027. That site is slated to be ■ See HOMELESS, page A8
Mountain Democrat photos by Andrew Vonderschmitt
Gold Discovery Day was commemorated on Saturday at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park on Jan. 24. The event was met with sunny skies and an enthusiastic crowd getting a glimpse into life during the early days of the Gold Rush. Above, brothers Joshua, 10, and Caleb, 8, learn how to make short work of a log, the old fashioned way from park volunteer Mark Eeagar.
The annual event celebrates one of the most pivotal moments in California history — the Jan. 24, 1848 discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill. The event draws visitors from around the region to present-day Coloma for a day of living history demonstrations and hands-on activities throughout the park. Above, Wes Murrish, a Gold Discovery Park Association board member, sings “Old Macdonald” to gathered youth while explaining that the popular song originally came from an opera written in the 1700s. See more photos on A10
PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
Commitment to safe schools, strong communities renewed Whitney Burke
El Dorado County Office of Education Over the last three years, the El Dorado County Office of Education has steadily strengthened and refined a robust threat assessment process designed to prevent targeted acts of school violence before harm occurs. This work is grounded in a simple but powerful belief: school safety depends on preparation, collaboration and early intervention. Through the continued growth of its multidisciplinary threat assessment team and sustained partnerships with local agencies, EDCOE remains committed to keeping schools safe while supporting students through thoughtful,
Courtesy photo
Behavioral threat assessment expert Efrain Antonio Beliz Jr., Ph.D. addresses El Dorado County educators and community partners at EDCOE’s January threat assessment event. ethical and coordinated responses. That commitment was on full display on Friday, Jan. 23, as EDCOE
hosted its most recent threat assessment event. The session reflected a reality facing schools nationwide today:
emerging threats are not always obvious, and understanding them requires more than surface-level
awareness. In many cases, threats are shaped by rapidly evolving online cultures, coded language and copycat behavior — factors that can blur the line between provocation and credible intent. The day opened with welcoming remarks from Carey Buchanan, EDCOE’s director of Charter Alternative Programs, who has been leading the county’s threat assessment work for the past three and a half years. The event then continued with opening remarks from key county leaders, including El Dorado County Sheriff Jeff Leikauf, District Attorney Vern Pierson and EDC Superintendent ■ See ASSESSMENT, page A8