C ALI FORN IA’S OLDE ST NE W SPAPER
– E S T. 18 51
– Weekend Edition –
Mountain Democrat photo by Chris Woodard
Undersheriff Eric Palmberg said he loves serving the community he has called home for 20 years.
Undersheriff offers selfless service and empathy Chris Woodard Staff writer
E
ric Palmberg never set out to climb the ranks, only to find fulfillment in a new law enforcement career. “I never started law enforcement with the idea that, you know, I’m going to go to work for El Dorado County and I’m going to be an undersheriff someday,” Palmberg said. “It just kind of happened organically.” Now, newly promoted to El Dorado County undersheriff, Palmberg brings decades of varied experience, a service-driven philosophy and a personal connection to the county he has called home for nearly 20 years. Palmberg entered law enforcement later in life, after first working in the private sector as a business owner. He met his wife while the two of them attended California State University, Sacramento, and they had three children before he answered the ■ See PALMBERG, page A9
PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
VOLUME 174 • ISSUE 102 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2025
Mountain Democrat photos by Shelly Thorene
Toys for Tots Coordinator Stacie Walls, right, gives instructions to volunteers from the Marine Corps League and a group from the El Dorado Hills Area Foundation in the warehouse on Dec. 12. A total of 16,000 toys were collected for families who picked them up in a drive-through event on Dec. 13 & 14.
TOY TIME! Community’s generosity supports cherished program Shelly Thorene Staff writer
V
olunteers from the Marine Corps League, California Highway Patrol and the El Dorado Hills Area Foundation gathered in a 5,000-square-foot warehouse filled to the brim with toys, books, puzzles and more to help bag and tag toys and games for families in the annual Toys for Tots campaign in Cameron Park Plaza on Dec. 12. Bagged and tagged toys were distributed to close to 400 families over the weekend in an efficient drivethrough behind the warehouse with the help of officers from CHP. Toys for Tots Coordinator Stacie Walls has been involved with the group for 30 years. She and her daughter, Linde Simmons of Shingle Springs, who has been volunteering since age 5, have got the system down
California Highway Patrol officer Andrew Brown, right, assists Miss El Dorado County Madison Tatum, 18, of Placerville, left, and Universal Miss Nevada Morgan Lowder of Shingle Springs, right, as they fulfill toy requests for families in the Toys for Tots warehouse in the Cameron Park Plaza shopping center on Dec. 12. pat. Items in the warehouse are organized by age and volunteers are given a family’s registration forms listing only the number of children, their ages and items
requested. Other information is kept confidential. Each child is given an item off their wish list ■ See TOYS, page A10
Loewen pleads not guilty; CSD gets clean audit Noel Stack
trial setting conference has been Former El scheduled Dorado Hills for Feb. 6, Community 2026, in Services District Department General Manager 2. Loewen is Kevin Loewen represented pleaded not guilty by Brooks in El Dorado Parfitt with County Superior Crowell Court last month. Law Offices On Oct. 30 an based in the El Dorado County Sacramento KEVIN LOEWEN Criminal Grand area. Jury issued an Loewen indictment against Loewen, resigned from his leadership alleging two felony perjury position in December 2023. counts, one felony count of His announcement came participating in a government several months after El contract while having a Dorado Hills residents raised financial interest, and three concerns about possible misdemeanor counts of ethics and employment participating in a government contract violations related decision while having a to Loewen’s professional conflict of interest. activities outside the district Loewen entered the plea at and his relationship with a his Nov. 24 arraignment. A consultant that had a contract Editor
for professional services with the CSD. He served as general manager January 2017 through December 2023, and had been employed with the district since February 2014. Listening to concerns from the public, and in an effort to be more transparent with its finances, the EDHCSD conducted a forensic audit with firm Baker Tilly, which presented its findings at the Dec. 11 EDHCSD Board of Directors meeting. Baker Tilly conducted an audit covering fiscal years 2022 and 2023 with a focus on financial documents that Loewen signed or initiated. The scope included: • Examination of expenditure authorizations • Use of district-issued credit cards and purchase orders • Vendor contracts and payments • Travel and reimbursement practices
• Compliance with district policies and state law Based on its review, which included pouring over 700plus documents as well as accounting for $60 million in revenue and $38 million in expenditures, Baker Tilly representative Micahel Artiglio reported the findings that adequate internal controls were in place in regards to the district’s finances and all recommendations for improvements to streamlining processes based on industry best practices were immediately acknowledged and implemented. The auditor also noted the investigation found no evidence Loewen received any personal benefits related to the use of district credit cards. The district spent about $75,750 for the audit. Interim General Manager Stephanie ■ See CSD, page A3