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C ALI FORN IA’S OLDE ST NE W SPAPER
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– Weekend Edition – FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2026
VOLUME 175 • ISSUE 59 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
BRAVE BOY City receives clean audit
■ Leaders addressing financial
reporting deficiencies Andrew Vonderschmitt Features editor
Finance Director Natalie Tornincasa presented the findings of a clean audit for the city’s 2024-25 fiscal year during Placerville’s July 14 City Council meeting. The report was presented on behalf of the city’s independent auditor, The PUN Group, after the firm’s partner was unable to attend the meeting. Tornincasa explained that the city’s financial statements are audited annually by an independent certified public accountant to determine whether they “present fairly in all material respects the respective financial position of the city.” The city underwent two separate audits: its annual financial statement audit and a federally required single audit because it spent more than $750,000 in federal funds during the fiscal year. Tornincasa highlighted several positive findings. “So, good news here, there were no corrected or ■ See AUDIT, page A9
Mountain Democrat photos by Shelly Thorene
Cole takes it easy at his Placerville home after surviving what was likely a mountain lion attack on July 10.
Brindle boxer survives Grand jury activities, recommendations likely lion attack met with critcism
Shelly Thorene Staff writer
Noel Stack
A
9-year-old, 75-pound brindle boxer from Placerville is recovering from an attack that left him with a broken right front leg and a deep laceration to the bone — likely the result of a mountain lion encounter. Cole’s owner, Richard Phillips, returned to his Cool Water Court home from a late night trip to the airport in Sacramento on July 10 to find his pup limping to the door — a rare sight as he said the dog is rarely outside after dark. Phillip’s parents, Bill and Pat, share the household and are Cole’s caretakers while their son works. Richard wrapped Cole’s leg and took him to Crossroads Veterinary Clinic in the morning. Bill said the bone on the dog’s right front leg was exposed and veterinarian Dr. Arman Gotra stretched the skin from both sides and stitched it back together. The vet told the dog’s owner that a mountain lion is the only animal
PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
■ See ATTACK, page A11
Editor
Bill Phillips sits with his son Richard’s brindle boxer at the family home in north Placerville. Despite his injuries, the pup is in good spirits.
The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors and El Dorado County Grand Jury are at odds over the grand jury process itself, with the board on July 21 unanimously approving a report response that largely disagrees with findings made by the 2025-26 grand jury. Case 26-03: “El “The grand jury, just Dorado County Civil Grand Jury generally speaking, Website – Bringing not a specific one, Clarity to the Public Process” maintains … has credibility the grand jury’s problems.” website is difficult to navigate and — District 4 Supervisor provides incomplete Lori Parlin information. Of the six findings in the report released in May, the Board of Supervisors “disagrees wholly” with five and partially disagrees with one. “Regarding the content on the website, who’s responsible for that?” District 1 Supervisor Greg Ferrero asked. “The grand jury itself is responsible for the actual content, and then the IT department works in collaboration with the grand jury to post the content,” replied Grant Webber with the Chief Administrative Office. “So if they create whatever material that they want to put on the website, IT will post it to the website for them.” The county’s response notes IT staff will make time to meet with the incoming 2026-27 El Dorado County Grand Jury foreman to discuss changes to the website. “Throughout the term, ■ See RESPONSE, page A9
Diamond Springs Parkway almost wrapped up Noel Stack Editor
Mountain Democrat photo by Noel Stack
A tractor moves through a new intersection along the Diamond Springs Parkway, which is expected to open late this year or in early 2027.
The smell of fresh pavement lingers in the air as summer heats up and the Diamond Springs Parkway glistens under bright sunlight. The connector project decades in the making in now in its home stretch. “We’re actually hoping to get most of the work done this year,” said El Dorado County Department of Transportation Project Manager Dustin Harrington. “We’re looking really good ... on schedule.” The four-lane, divided roadway connects Missouri Flat Road to Highway 49, providing a parallel connection that DOT officials note will relieve traffic congestion through the historical town of Diamond Springs as well as provide an alternative evacuation route during wildfires or other emergencies. The parkway is expected to open to drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians in late 2026 or early 2027. Funding for the nearly $40 million project came almost exclusively from traffic impact fees, with a small grant received during this second phase of the two-part project. Phase 1A — realignment and widening of Highway 49 from Pleasant Valley Road to just ■ See PARKWAY, page A10