May 19, 2021
Hospitality House and its partners recently introduced Peace Officers and Standard Training (POST) curriculum in Nevada County, a training focused on homelessness best practices that is officially available to all law enforcement throughout the state of California.
Felton Pruitt interviews Nancy Baglietto, Executive Director of Hospitality House, Nevada County Sheriff, Shannan Moon, and Grass Valley Police Chief, Alex Gammelgard about POST.
A man was found dead in a heavily wooded area near Brunswick Road early Wednesday, authorities say.
Police found the body around 8:30 a.m. on the west side of Brunswick Road, about a half mile south of Sutton Way, according to Grass Valley Police Capt. Steve Johnson. The body was found after authorities had been searching the area for a 48-year-old male who had been reported as missing last Friday.
It has not been confirmed that the body found is that of the missing individual, though there is some evidence to support this conclusion, Johnson said.
Neither the identity of the missing man nor that of the man found dead have been released by authorities.
Authorities say they’ve identified the person found dead Wednesday near Brunswick Road.
The body of William Rieg, 48, was publicly identified by the Nevada County Coroner’s Office Thursday morning, putting an end to a police search for Rieg that had started May 7.
No cause of death has yet been determined, as authorities are awaiting the official results of an autopsy that could take up to several weeks, according to Grass Valley Police Capt. Steve Johnson.
The death has been classified as suspicious, although there are no obvious signs of foul play, Johnson added.
While he was homeless at the time of his death, Rieg had maintained intermittent contact with his family and was employed, Johnson said. Family members reached out to police after they learned that he hadn’ been showing up to work, and had been unable to reach him on his cell phone, Johnson added.
California Violence Intervention and Prevention social worker Kelly Gallaugher, left, and Grass Valley Police Officer Jonathan Brown speak with a member of the community last week in the Glenbrook Basin. Brown and Gallaugher are both trained in the Peace Officers and Standards Training (POST), which teaches officers how to work with mental health challenged people and encourages de-escalation.
Photo: Elias Funez
Nevada County law enforcement officials and advocates for homeless people are applauding a training program designed to improve police officer’s interactions with the homeless.
Hospitality House, the county’s largest homeless shelter, introduced the Peace Officers and Standards Training (POST) curriculum to Nevada County earlier this year, in partnership with regional law enforcement entities. These partner agencies include the Grass Valley Police Department, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, and the Nevada City Police Department.
Police arrested two people Tuesday on drug charges at a Grass Valley home, authorities said.
Amethyst Elizabeth Inez Neil, 29, and Douglas Arthur Brantley, 32, were apprehended by police at a house in the 300 block of North Church Street. The residence, owned by Neil, is a known location for drug use, Grass Valley Police Sgt. Clint Bates said.
Authorities descended on Neil’s home after suspecting she was using the address to sell illegal substances, including methamphetamine and fentanyl. A search uncovered substantial quantities of both suspected drugs, along with drug paraphernalia, stolen identification cards, and a slew of debit and credit cards that also appeared to be stolen, the sergeant said.