C ALI FORN IA’S OLDE ST NE W SPAPER
– E S T. 18 51
– Midweek Edition – VOLUME 175 • ISSUE 28 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2026
Cameron Park Happy hoppers woman pleads not guilty in fatal DUI crash Chris Woodard Staff writer
Cheyanne Wright pleaded not guilty on April 3 to multiple felony charges connected to a fatal DUI case. Wright, 35, was indicted by an El Dorado County criminal grand jury on March CHEYANNE WRIGHT 25. Prosecutors charged her with murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, DUI causing injury and two counts of child endangerment. The case had previously been filed by the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office. The charges stem from a May 3, 2025, wreck in which Wright’s vehicle reportedly drifted off ■ See PLEA, page A7
Supervisors back new approach to setting salaries Noel Stack Editor
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El Dorado County will change the way it establishes salaries for employees, with the Board of Supervisors supporting a data-driven approach that also takes into consideration fiscal outlook, vacancy rates and hard-to-fill positions. The decision came after a lengthy discussion at the March 24 board meeting,
during which supervisors received a presentation on Section 602, the salary and benefits resolution for unrepresented (nonunion) employees, and received a total compensation study for unrepresented classifications. Additional directions given to staff: • Conduct a total compensation survey off all benchmark classifications, countywide at least every two years; • Draft revisions to the unrepresented salary and benefit resolution for unrepresented employees to require an annual board review each fall of compensation for unrepresented employees and the Board of Supervisors; and • Develop benchmarks and internal linkages for all unrepresented classifications for positions that currently don’t have benchmarks ■ See SALARIES, page A8
Mountain Democrat photo by Shelly Thorene
The Easter Bunny and his community partners hid thousands of eggs around El Dorado County this past weekend — much to the delight of childcare eager to fill their baskets with goodies. Above, around 100 children ages 0-12 raced to collect 4,000 plastic eggs placed by volunteers with the Mother Lode Lions Club at Indian Creek elementary School on Sunday, April 5. Some of the eggs contained candy and others contained coupons for prizes or Dewey cash ($5) and Mary Ellen money ($1). A total of $400 was given out to the children. Top right, they’re off and running at the Marshall Gold Discovery Easter Egg Hunt. Hundreds of children lined up to partake in the mad dash to collect as many eggs as their little hands could grab on Saturday, April 4. It was a mad rush at the El Dorado Hills Town Center Spring Flower Festival, Butterfly Release and Egg Hunt also held Saturday. Children also got to meet the Easter Bunny. Bottom right, Ricky Bobby Mallot, 1, of Rescue, left, enjoys some candy and brother Brayden checks out what’s inside his Easter eggs. Mom Renee brought the siblings to Indian Creek for some sweet fun.
Mountain Democrat photo by Andrew Vonderschmitt
Photo by Laurie Edwards
■ SEE MORE EGG
HUNT PHOTOS ON PAGE A3
Mountain Democrat photo by Shelly Thorene
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Published bi-monthly in the Mountain Democrat and Village Life
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Gold Mine
Fixed Rate
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