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FAMILY GENES: Thanks to John Chapman, we have the following T-shirt statement: “INSANITY does not run in my family. Rather, it strolls through, taking its time getting to know everyone personally.” LOCAL WILDLIFE CLASS: A class titled “Local Wildlife” is being offered on March 19, from 7 to 9 p.m., for the general public. The class [...]
Kathy Reichs, best-selling crime writer, forensic anthropologist and producer of the hit television show “Bones,” is coming to El Dorado Hills with her co-author son for a booksigning 6:30 to 8 p.m. March 21. Reichs gained fame in 1997 with her first novel, “Deja Dead,” which became a New York Times bestseller and received the [...]
El Dorado County Undersheriff Rich Williams spoke of the annual report, the department’s budget and more at the El Dorado County Taxpayer’s Association meeting on Feb. 11. Williams, who was to speak along with Sheriff John D’Agostini, first noted that the sheriff was ill and could not attend. He then launched into a short recap [...]
In 2009 an accident left Dwayne Nystrom a quadriplegic. Today, the 39-year-old Cameron Park man is playing quadriplegic rugby with an eye on a national ranking for his team and a dream of competing for the United States someday in the Paralympic Games. Nystrom first tried quad rugby a year after his accident when he [...]
EDITOR: In response to Mr. Bado’s reasoning in eliminating 2nd Amendment rights of lawful citizens, it is nothing more than a mainstream liberal media talking point regurgitation of misinformation. A couple points, first the 2nd Amendment is a right given to us by our God in Heaven, not some fraud government. Nobody can take that [...]
On March 12, 2012 a retired El Dorado County sergeant was arraigned on an allegation of embezzling money from the El Dorado County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, of which had previously been the president of. Though initially pleading not guilty, he would later change his plea. Donald Philip Atkinson, of El Dorado Hills, pleaded not guilty [...]
Judge, Superior Court Joseph Hoffman Supervisor District 3 Brian Veerkamp City Council George Lowry, Carol Patton Proposition 30 — No Gov. Jerry Brown wants to raise sales taxes 1/4 cent and top marginal income taxes from 8 percent to 12.3 percent. This will kill a sluggish economic revival, send business out of state and slow employment [...]
FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE: Reviewing the “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” calendar, I located the following accurate statement: “You’ll enjoy life more and have a better experience if you focus a greater percentage of your attention on the parts that go well instead of zeroing in on the problems and hassles.” SOBER GRAD NIGHT MEETING: [...]
Most of the early history of the El Dorado Hills area occurred on and along two of the earliest major immigration and trade routes in early California, Green Valley Road to the north and to the south what is now generally Highway 50, but was historically known by many names including the Carson-Immigrant Trail, the [...]
Book review Book: “Left for Dead” Author: Howard C. Jencks Publisher: Xlibris Corporation, April 2012, 242 pages Available: Hardback, softcover and e-book versions available at Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com and Face in a Book in El Dorado Hill From homicide to human trafficking and drug cartels, Howard Jencks’ first novel, “Left for Dead,” moves from Tahoe to [...]
THURSDAY EVENINGS CONCERTS: Free concerts are presented on Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m., at the El Dorado Hills Town Center. On June 21, the “Unauthorized Rolling Stones” band will be performing. On June 28, the “Steelin’ Dan” group will perform. FREE FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERTS: Friday night free concerts are presented at 7 p.m. at the El [...]
The Mountain Democrat was chosen as the best overall newspaper among 33 others in its circulation category Saturday when the California Newspaper Publishers Association awarded it first place in the category of General Excellence.
Accepting the award at the ceremony in San Jose was Publisher Richard Esposito.
The judges’ comment said, “Strong coverage of crime news was nicely complimented by stories exploring local government policies and schools. Editorial page gets a big boost from letters to the editor. Clean layout and admirable focus on Placerville people.”
This is second time the Mountain Democrat has won first place General Excellence since Michael Raffety has been editor, winning in 1996. The Mountain Democrat won second place in that category in 1981 when Ursula Smith was editor and Raffety was city editor.
What: Authors’ Day Who: Placerville Shakespeare Club Where: Placerville Shakespeare Club, 2940 Bedford Ave. in Placerville When: Sunday, April 22, doors open at noon, program at 1 p.m. Cost: $10 Information: Betty at 530-642-9609 or Mary Jane at 530-676-8923 Humor, romance and mystery, history, conflict and friendship — this year’s Authors’ Day at the Placerville Shakespeare Club has [...]
Retired El Dorado County deputy sheriff Donald Philip Atkinson, 50, of El Dorado Hills was arrested in Nevada Thursday morning on 44 counts embezzlement, fraud, forgery, perjury, grand theft and theft from an “elder or dependent adult.” Bail was set by Judge Daniel B. Proud at $1 milion, according to the arrest warrant. The charges [...]
What: ”And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie Who: Oak Ridge High School Drama Department Where: Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center, 1120 Harvard Way in El Dorado Hills When: March 8-9 at 7 p.m., March 10-11 at 2 and 7 p.m., March 15-16 at 7 p.m. and March 17-18 at 2 and 7 p.m. Cost: Tickets for [...]
Her love was supposed to last a lifetime. But the prospect of a lengthy prison sentence was apparently too much for Tylar Marie Witt, who took the stand against her former boyfriend during his highly-publicized murder trial. Although he maintained his innocence to the very end, El Dorado County jurors found Steven “Boston” Colver, 21, [...]
Book review Book: “Dying for a Dance” Author: Cindy Sample Publisher: L&L Dreamspell, September 2011, 256 pages Cost: Soft cover, $16.95 Light on her feet, El Dorado Hills soccer mom Laurel McKay is not, but she is good at being involved in murder. As a single mother, Laurel has a lot of things to juggle, but [...]
Charged with the first-degree murder of his ex-wife, Steven Howard Mittelman was called to testify in his own defense Tuesday afternoon. Mittelman, 56, admitted to shooting ex-wife Valerie Rita Mittelman, 63, on the evening of June 17, 2010 during what he described as a drunken argument in the El Dorado Hills apartment the two shared [...]
Steven Howard Mittelman was convicted of the June 2010 first-degree murder of ex-wife Valerie Rita Mittelman Thursday morning, less than 24 hours after jurors began their deliberations. A jury of six men and six women found Mittelman, 56, guilty of murdering his ex with a single gunshot to the head on the evening of June [...]
Less than 24 hours into deliberations, El Dorado County jurors have reached a verdict in the first-degree murder trial of Steven Howard Mittelman. Mittelman, 56, is accused of fatally shooting his ex-wife, Valerie Rita Mittelman, during an argument in their El Dorado Hills apartment on June 17, 2010. Mittelman pleaded not guilty to the charge. [...]