Happy ! r a e Y w e N C a l i f o r n i a ’ s O l d e s t N e w s pa p e r – E s t. 18 51
Volume 170 • Issue 1 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Friday, January 1, 2021
Photo by Paul Cockrell
The sun rises over downtown Placerville. It’s a new day and, much to the relief of many, 2021 is here — the dawning of a new year and with it recovery, prosperity and good health.
Year Review in
Editor’s note: On this first day in the new year, the Mountain Democrat staff looks back on some of the top news stories of 2020.
Top 10 of 2020 NO. 1
NO. 2
COVID-19 strikes, challenging businesses and everyday life
Schools, students adapt to COVID-19 restrictions Dawn Hodson Staff writer
Dawn Hodson Staff writer COVID-19 crept into California in early March with 43 positive cases, according to the state Department of Public Health. By the end of the year nearly 2.2 million positive cases were confirmed across the state. El Dorado County reported its first COVID-19 case March 20. By the end of December the county’s case count climbed to 5,649. July 17 marked the county’s the first death — a South Lake Tahoe man older than 65. The county’s death toll has since climbed to 22 as of
Mountain Democrat photo by Kevin Christensen
Dining restrictions after COVID-19 hit required restaurant owners to adapt. Sheila Kelly, owner of Powell’s Steamer Co & Pub on Main Street in Placerville, serves a beer as patrons sit at the bar adorned with a makeshift protective barrier constructed as a way to mitigate the possible spread of the virus. Dec. 30. Trying to contain the disease, state officials issued a series of orders. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first stay-at-home order was issued March 19; county officials followed that with their own shelterin-place order. A directive extending the restriction on
$1,000
activities followed on March 31. On April 3 the county issued a directive ending non-essential travel to the Lake Tahoe region as it had a large portion of county’s COVID-19 cases. Cases very slowly increased n
See covid-19, page A6
CASH BACK!
Financing with 1.49%APR and
The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly hard on students, their parents/ caregivers, teachers and administrators due to the on again/off again classroom instruction and lack of the athletic, cultural and social activities for youngsters. El Dorado County schools shifted to distance learning in the spring due to the COVID-19 health crisis and the shelter-inplace order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom. School districts then scrambled to set up instruction via Zoom while also working to ensure students had the equipment they needed for online instruction. Some
Mountain Democrat photo by Thomas Frey
Dominick Silva sits atop his car, waiting his turn to receive his diploma at Union Mine High School’s drivethru graduation ceremony in June. with a makeshift protective barrier constructed as a way to mitigate the possible spread of the virus. districts tried a hybrid model, employing both distance learning and in-person instruction while others opted n
See Schools, page A6
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