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– Weekend Edition – VOLUME 173 • ISSUE 80 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2024
HERE WE GO AGAIN
Wildfire scorches acreage; residents evacuated Eric Jaramishian and Odin Rasco
Help for evacuees
Senior staff writers
The El Dorado Community Foundation announced the Crozier Fire Relief Application is open to El Dorado County residents under mandatory evacuation orders from the Crozier Fire.
Nearly 1,200 acres have burned in northern El Dorado County. The Crozier Fire began after midnight on Aug. 7 northwest of Slate Mountain and prompted evacuations in the communities of Mosquito and Swansboro. By Wednesday evening evacuation orders and warnings expanded to include Volcanoville, Quintet and parts of Georgetown, Garden Valley and Kelsey. Visit perimetermap. com to view the mandatory evacuation zones and evacuation warning zones. The El Dorado County Sheriff ’s Office also posts this information on its Facebook page. “The fire is burning in a remote part of the forest within heavy timber, thick brush and difficult access,” ■ See CROZIER, page A5
This is one-time-only emergency funding of $300 for emergency relief needs like food, medication, pet food and other basic nonpermanent housing needs; temporary housing like hotel costs are allowable. Funding will be distributed in the form of gift cards. Proof of primary residency in the mandatory evacuation area of El Dorado County is required and only one request per residence is allowed.
Photo courtesy of Cal Fire
Visit eldoradocf.org/ community-emergencies/ to apply. Anyone with questions regarding the application is asked to contact the El Dorado Community Foundation at (530) 6225621 or via email kathy@ eldoradocf.org.
Smoke from the Crozier Fire is reflected in the water on the morning of Aug. 7.
Rescue Union School District facing lawsuit for alleged sexual assault Odin Rasco Senior staff writer
A lawsuit filed against the Rescue Union School District and key staff at Green Valley Elementary School has recently gained increased attention
MAIL LABEL
among parents and community members after information about the suit was posted on social media. Initially filed in March 2023, the suit alleges a first grade girl, identified as “S.O.”, who received special education services at Green Valley school in the 2021-22 school year was repeatedly bullied, harassed and sexually assaulted by at least one fellow student, identified as “E.” E. reportedly led S.O. to an unsupervised area of campus and sexually assaulted her, saying they were doing so because S.O. was a new student. Because S.O.’s disabilities impact her ability to communicate verbally, the suit states the extent of harassment suffered by her is unknown. A different student, K.O., reported being
bullied and harassed by a larger group of students for “his disabilities and his perceived sexual orientation,” the suit states. The suit claims some students threatened to bring a gun to school to shoot K.O., and that one student, J., had choked him, grabbed his genitals and left sexually harassing notes on his desk. The suit claims Green Valley Principal Michelle Winberg, along with staff including Special Education and Student Support Services Director Laura Hendrix, were negligently failing to monitor and protect students. Additionally, the suit alleges Winberg, Hendrix and others failed to properly document, investigate and address reports of ■ See LAWSUIT, page A8
Courtesy photo
An aerial view shows just how close the Silver Fire got to some structures.
Silver Fire holding at 41 acres Mountain Democrat staff El Dorado County fire crews jumped on a blaze that started at 2:17 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7. The Silver Fire was reported at the 2300 Block of Green Valley Road near Silverleaf Drive in the Green Springs Ranch area between Cameron Park and El Dorado Hills. Incident command reported the fire was just 1-2 acres in size but spreading at a moderate speed through grassy oak woodland.
Crews battled the flames from the air and on the ground. Over the course of an hour the fire spread to 35 acres and evacuation orders were given for resident in the area. As of press time Thursday, the fire had burned 41 acres and was 50% contained. Evacuees were sent to the Cameron Park Community Center until orders were lifted Wednesday evening. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Lic # 559305
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