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Friday, November 20, 2020
mtdemocrat.com
Volume 169 • Issue 135
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Police hold Seeing red … and orange out for ‘clear understanding’ in boy’s death Krysten Kellum Associate editor It’s been 10 months since an 11-year-old boy, who weeks before had moved to Placerville with his family, was reported missing and hours later was found dead. The investigation into Roman Lopez’ Roman Lopez death continues. Placerville Chief of Police Joseph “It is imperative Wren on Monday we set emotion told the Mountain Democrat a aside and “very active, thoroughly suspicious death investigate investigation” involving several the case, not different law rushing or cutting enforcement and forensic agencies is corners. This is still ongoing. “Our investigators not a cold case.” are working closely — Joseph Wren, with experts to not Placerville chief of police only determine what occurred at the time of Roman’s death but to also provide a more clear understanding on what events led up to this suspicious death,” said Wren. The night Roman went missing, Jan. 11, local law enforcement and volunteers searched neighborhoods surrounding the home at 2892 Coloma St. where Roman’s father, Jordan Piper, and his wife Lindsey had moved from Michigan with eight children in tow. The next day Placerville police broke the news the young boy had been found but it was not until an afternoon press conference it was learned Roman was found deceased. No other information was shared at that time. Now 45 weeks later Placerville police officials say they are still not ready to reveal n
See Boy’s death, page A6
Mountain Democrat photo by Krysten Kellum
FALL FROM ORANGE — Red maple trees and Boston ivy at New Wine Christian Fellowship church in Placerville have teamed up to turn the corner of Bee Street and Highway 49 orange and red since the rest of the county seems to have gone purple (purple tier that is after the state assigned El Dorado County to the most restrictive of color-coded reopening tiers amid the coronavirus pandemic). The virus obviously can’t stop Mother Nature’s magic as fall color throws a vibrant splash across the Western Slope.
Resolution would push for local coronavirus response Dawn Hodson Staff writer The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors took up a resolution Tuesday as a follow-up to an Oct. 29 conference of north state leaders to “seek common ground on topics such as the reopening of the economy and civic life, the reopening of our schools and actions in response to the state of California’s threat to withhold entitled funds of the counties.” Last month supervisors were unable to agree on who should attend the conference in place of Supervisor Brian Veerkamp, who due to a schedule confict was unable to attend, so as the chair of the board, Veerkamp asked Sheriff John D’Agostini to attend. Out of the conference came the following resolution, which the board was asked to discuss, vote on, and if
approved, send to the state: 1. That our county is best served by an ability to respond locally to the COVID-19 virus in accordance with our local data and circumstances, as specified, for instance, in the attestation filed with the California Department of Public Health. 2. That our county is geographically diverse and ill-suited for the county-wide restrictions imposed by the “blueprint for a safer economy” and the state should enable our COVID-19 response to be tailored to geographically separate areas, such as different zip codes, as circumstances and case levels warrant. 3. That school districts in our jurisdiction are urged to safely open all schools as soon as possible and provide in-person instruction to the greatest extent n
See Local response, page A7
Formula business snatches up old Combellack’s spot n Therapy Stores now
waits for city’s OK Thomas Frey Staff writer
Mountain Democrat photo by Thomas Frey
The city Planning Commission will vote Dec. 1 on whether to allow Therapy Stores a conditional use permit to operate at 339 Main St. where Combellack’s did business for more than a century. Therapy Stores is considered a formula business because there are more than five locations and formula businesses are required to have a conditional permit in the Central Business District of Placerville.
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After more than an hour of listening to public comments on the topic of issuing a conditional use permit to allow a formula business at 339 Main St. in historical downtown Placerville, the city Planning Commission adjourned and will vote on the topic at its Dec. 1 meeting. If allowed, Therapy Stores would take over the same building where Combellack’s did business for more than a century. Therapy Stores started with one store in San Francisco in 1994 and there are now 11 locations, most of which are in small downtowns like Livermore, Folsom and Pleasanton. Others are in big cities like Oakland,
San Francisco and Portland, Ore. Because there are more than five locations Therapy Stores qualifies as a formula business. A formula business is defined as “any business with a proposed or existing exterior design that is essentially identical to five or or more other business sites using the same or similar name or identity” in an ordinance adopted by the City Council in 2004. In order for a formula business to do business in the Central Business District of Placerville, a conditional use permit and site plan review must be approved by the Planning Commission. More than 50 people — mostly residents of Placerville — called or sent letters in to the commission, stating why bringing in a formula business like Therapy Stores would n
See Therapy Stores, page A7
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