Mountain Democrat, Wednesday, November 17, 2021

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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

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Volume 170 • Issue 135 | 75¢

mtdemocrat.com

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Mountain Democrat photo by Eric Jaramishian

“No mask allowed” reads a sign placed in the window of Danette’s Brick Oven Pub in Placerville.

County files suit against 2 restaurants Eric Jaramishian Staff writer El Dorado County filed a complaint Nov. 8 against two Placerville restaurants — Apple Bistro and Danette’s Brick Oven Pub — for continual operation without health permits required by the state and county. The lawsuit seeks an order from the court to require the closure of the restaurants until both establishments obtain the required permits, according to a news release sent by the county’s Chief Administrative Office. Plaintiffs in the complaint include Jennette Waldow and Farmers Kitchen LLC for Apple Bistro and Thomas and Danette Inman for Danette’s. Due to violations of state and county health codes, the county Environmental Management Department suspended both health permits in the summer of 2020 for violating COVID-19 restrictions. Fines of $500 a day followed as the restaurants continued to operate without health permits. El Dorado County’s Communications Director Carla Hass told the Mountain Democrat that Apple Bistro’s fines now total around $203,200

Mountain Democrat photo by Eric Jaramishian

Community Economic Development Association of Pollock Pines Executive Director Jeanne Harper presents the family of fallen Galt police officer Harminder Grewal a memorial lantern at the Stars In Action celebration Nov. 11 at Apple Mountain Golf Resort in Camino. Grewal died in a car crash in Elk Grove in August on his way up to assist during the Caldor Fire.

HStars in ActionH

pays tribute to first responders

Eric Jaramishian Staff writer

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ommunity leaders, businesses and residents alike participated in a tribute to first responders who bravely fought the Caldor Fire that burned in El Dorado County August to October. Stars In Action was held at Apple Mountain Golf Resort in Camino Nov. 11 as a special thank you to those who fought the blaze and those who kept communities and residents safe, including staff from the U.S. Forest Service, Cal Fire, El Dorado County Fire Protection District, El Dorado County Sheriff ’s Office, California Highway Patrol and the National Guard. Dinner, prize drawings, awards and a slideshow depicting the fire and first responders in action were all main attractions at the soldout celebration. Community Economic Development Association of Pollock Pines Executive Director Jeanne Harper said the event was wonderful and came off the way she wanted it to. PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE

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Cal Fire firefighters Austin Adrian, Geoffrey Augustin and Josh Vickers, top row, from left, and Brandon Rylee and Diana Swart, bottom row, from left, pose for pictures at the event. “The whole goal of this was for those first responders to feel the love and I am as happy as I can possibly be,” Harper said. “Everything was upbeat — the camaraderie in the room, the laughter in the room and (it was) so filled with love going back and forth.” The family of fallen Galt police officer Harminder Grewal, who died in a car crash in Elk Grove responding the the Caldor Fire, were in attendance as part of a memorial. Harminder’s sister Navdeep Sidhu spoke to the audience, recounting that Grewal wanted to become a police officer since he was 9 years old. The family was presented a lantern etched with Grewal’s image as a gift in his memory. “I don’t know why god decided to take him so early,” Navdeep said. “He is brave and he will live in our hearts forever.”

Pullen gets 364 days in jail Thomas Frey Staff writer Ryan Pullen was sentenced Monday afternoon in El Dorado County Superior Court to 364 days in county jail with two years probation for felony possession of child pornography and misdemeanor child abuse. Pullen, a former Union Mine High School drama teacher, was found to have a video appearing to have been filmed with a discrete, strategically placed camera and edited into a seven-minute segment of students undressing. It included bare breasts, up-skirt shots and thong underwear, according to court documents. In total there were 15 different clips put together and edited with “slow motion, pauses and cutaways.” He was originally arrested Jan. 14 and when El Dorado County sheriff ’s detectives obtained a warrant to search Pullen’s home, they found several more videos containing child pornography and secret recordings of female students. Drugs were also located, including illegal mushrooms, a mushroom grow kit, marijuana, LSD, DMT and erectile dysfunction pills. At Monday’s sentencing hearing in front of

Navdeep Sidhu, sister of fallen Galt officer Harminder Grewal, speaks about her brother at Stars In Action, a tribute event for Caldor Fire first responders. Navdeep and her family attended the evening event, which included a memorial for Grewal. First responder agencies were not the only ones honored at the event. Pollock Pines businesses — Burger Barn, Crystal Valley Station/Shell and

1 DENTIST DENTIST! 01 6

Mountain Democrat photo by Thomas Frey

Ryan Pullen is taken into custody after sentencing Monday in El Dorado County Superior Court.

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See Complaint, page A7

Three Years Straight!

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“Look For My Column On Page 3 Today!”

Subway, Heartsong Laundry and Pizza Factory all assisted first responders when evacuation orders were ordered in the community.

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See Pullen, page A3

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