Remote Surveillance Trailer in El Dorado Hills, CA

Blue Shield of California plans to lay off 18 employees in Rancho Cordova and El Dorado Hills, bringing total job cuts at the two capital region hubs to 87 over the past nine months, according to state filings.

The layoffs, which are scheduled to take effect April 8 and May 19, include 12 employees at 4203 Town Center Blvd. in El Dorado Hills and six at 3300 Zinfandel Drive in Rancho Cordova, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notice submitted to the California Employment Development Department.

The reductions were part of a broader statewide layoff affecting other Blue Shield offices in Oakland, Long Beach, Woodland Hills, San Diego, Redding and Lodi. The nonprofit health insurer, based in Oakland, provides health coverage to individuals, employers and public program enrollees, including Medicare and Medi-Cal members, and serves about 6 million members with more than 6,500 employees.

Since July, the company has reported 301 layoffs at its offices across the state to EDD officials, including 60 in El Dorado County and 27 in Sacramento County.

The new layoffs for El Dorado Hills include four claims processors, one innovation analyst, one program manager, one strategic planning and performance employee, and one senior director of technical engineering, according to the notice. The new layoffs for Rancho Cordova include three quality assurance auditors, one customer service employee and one senior manager of program and project management.

“As a nonprofit health plan, Blue Shield of California is driven by our mission to provide access to high quality health care that’s sustainably affordable,” Mark Seelig, a Blue Shield of California spokesperson, said in an email. “We regularly adjust our staff based on business needs — reducing headcount in some areas and adding in others — while continuing to grow and transform across the organization.”

Seelig said the cuts were part of ongoing staffing adjustments and affected less than 1% of the company’s workforce.

The company said affected employees would receive 90 days’ notice and continue to receive pay and benefits through their separation date, with access to internal job postings, skills training and severance benefits.

“We are proud that in 2025 we redeployed 43% of our impacted employees into new roles within the organization,” Seelig said.

Fresh off a huge night at the 2026 Academy Awards for the Sacramento-filmed Best Picture-winner "One Battle After Another," a new movie is set to begin filming in California's El Dorado County.

Gold discovery and El Dorado County's Gold Country are set to become the backdrop of the next Northern California movie production led by Hollywood director Ang Lee. The movie, titled "Gold Mountain," is about two Chinese American orphans' journey during the gold rush.

Some of California's expanded tax credits for filmmakers have been awarded for the production plan.

Kathleen Dodge is El Dorado County's film commissioner. The new production comes at a critical time in California film production, with more productions choosing to film somewhere else.

"When productions come to our community, we want them to feel welcome," Dodge said.

In the last quarter of 2025, while California saw a 20% drop in film and TV spending, New York and New Jersey saw big increases.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has doubled state tax credits from $330 million to $750 million to keep movies like "Gold Mountain" filming here.

"I have to really applaud our governor for making these incentives high enough to hold a project like that, in the state of California, where the story is and where it should be told," Dodge said.

Placerville Hardware still sells gold mining equipment in El Dorado County. The store has been open and operating since 1852. Owner Albert Fausel says any attention from the movie will help his bottom line.

"Well, it just brings a whole other crowd to our town to experience the gold rush fever and the theme of our town," Fausel said.

According to the California Film Commission, "Gold Mountain" will have 58 cast members, 170 crew members, 1,300 extras and will spend $31 million while filming here.

"From what I've learned, that's an A-list team," Dodge said.

In:

EL DORADO HILLS, Calif. —

Residents of El Dorado Hills are expressing concern after a series of burglaries in the Serrano area, with the latest incident occurring last Friday afternoon on Breese Circle.

Anthony Milano, a Serrano resident, said, "We woke up Saturday morning, and there was a note on NextDoor," referring to a request for surveillance video from neighbors on the app. Milano added, "That was jarring, and you know, we were really surprised."

The homeowner affected by the recent break-in was out of town at the time, and the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office has reported five burglaries in the area this year, raising alarm among residents.

Inderpal Nahl, another Serrano resident, said, "We moved from the Bay Area because we thought the schools were good and also, it's a safe area to live."

Detectives suspect three men were involved, initially on foot before leaving in a car parked on Appian Way. A witness described the vehicle of interest as a light gray Audi SUV, with the suspects wearing black beanies and black long-sleeve shirts.

Milano speculated on their entry, saying, "It didn't seem like they were going through the front, and the back window was smashed in, so therefore, you think they must get on the trail and just kind of walk that way." He noted that the fire trail is commonly used by runners and cyclists.

But the recent break-ins have put the community on high alert.

Milano expressed his concerns, saying, "I always think it's more dangerous down by the freeway intersections and whatnot. People can jump in and jump off, but yeah, it's concerning. It's surprising. People are probably rethinking their security. I'm kind of paranoid. I keep everything locked."

The sheriff's office is investigating whether these burglaries are connected.

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The John Adams Academy - El Dorado Hills (El Dorado Hills, CA) varsity basketball team won Thursday's home playoff game against Lowell (San Francisco, CA) by a score of 56-47.

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