Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dan Lungren (R-Gold River), gave the following statement after U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the U.S. Department of Justice will prosecute Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the 9-11 co-conspirators in a military commission trial.

“Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that the United States Department of Justice will move the trials of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other individuals to military commissions. This represents another reversal of the Administration’s earlier plans to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in a civilian court located somewhere in the United States after an earlier reversal of the decision to try the 9-11 mastermind in New York City.”

Lungren said: “Ironically, in making the announcement to move the case to the Department of Defense for prosecution, Attorney General Holder blamed the Congress for forcing his hand in the matter.” He said: “As one who opposed trying the case in our civilian court system, I am honored to be associated with Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle who have all along argued that the Administration should reverse its wrong headed decision.”

Lungren said Holder launched “an ad hominem attack on those who disagree with him” for “settling ideological arguments or scoring political points.” Lungren said: “Although he most likely had something else in mind when he said it, I find myself at least in agreement with his sentiments. Ideology and politics should have nothing to do with the criminal justice system.”

“The trial of this case should have proceeded months ago,” Lungren said. “Were it not for precipitous decisions followed by agonizing delays over where it was politically feasible for this case to be tried, that would have been the case. The victims of 9-11 deserved no less. The time for justice to be done has finally arrived.”

Lungren, the former California Attorney General, represents Amador County. He serves as Chairman on the House Administration Committee in addition to serving on the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors set a special meeting today to consider ratifying a declaration of an emergency in the county made on Friday by the Office of Emergency Services, due to impacts from a winter storm that struck in mid-March.

Supervisors meet at 1 p.m. today to consider proclaiming a state of emergency and making a request for a presidential declaration, in the wake of the winter storm, the effects of which are still being felt, and which had depleted county emergency resources.

The request for the discussion and possible action came from Sheriff Martin Ryan on behalf of the Sheriff’s Department and the Office of Emergency Services. Supervisors will consider a draft resolution “proclaiming the existence of a local emergency and requesting (the) Governor to proclaim a state of emergency and request a presidential declaration.”

The draft resolution said a local ordinance “empowers the Board of Supervisors to proclaim the existence of a local emergency when this county is affected or likely to be affected by a public calamity.”

The resolution noted that Emergency Services “issued a proclamation of a local emergency for conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within this county.” It said the “county sustained considerable damages caused by the 2011 March storm commencing on or about March 16,” and “recovery efforts and damage assessments are still under way.”

Deputy Director of Amador County Emergency Services, Undersheriff James C. Wegner signed a proclamation of a local emergency last Friday, April 1, as allowed since the Board of Supervisors was not in session. The proclamation noted that it was “subject to ratification by the Board of Supervisors within seven days, and reaffirmation every 14 days thereafter, until such local emergency is terminated.”

Wegner’s proclamation noted that “it has now been found that local resources are insufficient and incapable of coping with the effects of said emergency.”

The Supervisors’ draft proclamation, which they will consider passing today, said “although current weather conditions have improved, there is a great likelihood that further damage is yet to be discovered.” That would be “part of an official damage assessment, and the full recovery process from these storms is likely to take months.”

The resolution also would order that a copy of the declaration be sent to the Governor, through the California Emergency Management Agency, with the request that the Governor “proclaim the county of Amador to be in a state of emergency; and further that the Governor request a Presidential declaration.”

The resolution also would order that the local state of emergency would remain in effect until the Board of Supervisors terminated it.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – Sutter Amador Hospital this week temporarily relocated the Sutter Amador Pediatric Center while the hospital conducts a focused environmental assessment on the building after employees expressed concerns about environmental safety issues.

Registered Nurse Nikki Allen, the hospital’s Patient Care Executive, said “employees have had concerns about the environmental safety of the clinic, and we are taking their concerns seriously.” She said employees are aware that the clinic is situated on the second floor of the building just above the hospital’s radiology department.

On March 30, physicists from both the hospital and the Sutter Health system conducted tests in the first floor radiology department and in the second floor pediatric clinic to test radiation levels. Readings were normal and no findings and concerns were noted. However, to ensure that the workplace environment is completely safe, the hospital also has hired an independent health physicist, who is in the process of conducting a complete risk assessment of the entire building. The hospital expects to know results later in the week.

“Our employees have expressed anxiety over these recent health issues, and we want to alleviate their concerns by conducting testing in the outpatient building,” said Allen. “During this process, we have been very sensitive in maintaining confidentiality of our staff members and taking their feelings into consideration while at the same time providing the facts to assure them that they are in a safe environment.”

It is important to note that nationwide, approximately 30 percent of women have nodules detectable by ultrasound, and in fact, the diagnosis of a thyroid nodule is the most common endocrine problem in the United States.

“The cause of most thyroid nodules is not known, but a lack of iodine in the diet and certain genetic factors can cause the development of nodules,” said Dr. Robert Hartmann, a member of the hospital medical staff and Public Health Officer for Amador County.

Hartmann said exposure to radiation increases the probability that a nodule is cancerous, but “Americans are exposed to radiation every day even if they don’t work in a hospital because of the sun, cell phones and microwaves. It also takes decades for this kind of exposure to develop into a thyroid nodule or thyroid cancer. ”

The Sutter Amador Pediatric Center was built in 2007 to strict state standards as a mixed-use building for diagnostic imaging and other outpatient services. This means strict building codes are followed, including lead walls and concrete ceilings between the two floors to ensure a safe environment for staff, physicians and patients.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Jackson Planning Commission voted 3-0 Monday to deny a request for a subdivision of Rollingwood Estates mobile home park, saying the applicant did not completely follow legal requirements, including filing reports of the impacts on residents and non-residents of the park, if the subdivision were to occur.

More than 100 people attended the public hearing in the Jackson Civic Center, with the majority of public speakers testifying against the project. Proponent and majority owner of Rollingwood, Joe Chirco, spoke, saying: “I don’t know where all this opposition came from.” He said Rollingwood residents, in his proposal, do not have to buy their land, but can sign a lease, and “if someone buys their home, they can take over the lease.”

Chirco said he was “not trying to suck every dime out of people,” but “we’re a business and we have to make money.” He said: “As long as I own the park, we’re going to be sure that nobody is financially hurt or thrown into the street.”

Chirco’s attorney, C. William Dahlin, said a number of speakers asked the Commission to deny the application because of the survey that showed a majority did not support the project, with 135 “no” votes, 16 “yes” votes. Dahlin said “the law does not say homeowners have veto power.”

Mike Kirkley, the Sutter Creek Planning Commission chairman, whose mother lives in Rollingwood, said that surveys have been used by other jurisdictions to reject mobile home park subdivision applications, including in Capitola, Carson, Santa Rosa and Sonoma.

Dahlin said the cities of Sonoma and Carson did reject park splits on surveys, but were also “busily lobbying for Senate Bill 444,” which succinctly states that the surveys can be used by city councils and land planners to make their decisions on mobile home park subdivision applications.

Kirkley said the mobile homes were assessed at a lower rate than their purchase price, and the loss was due to the “in-place value” of the land.

Dahlin said “they don’t own the in-place value,” and the “assessor’s handbook says: Don’t assess for this in-place value because the home owner does not own it. That is, however, what is offered for sale.”

After public input, Planning Commissioner Dave Butow said he found the application did not meet several Government Code requirements, including that the applicant “shall obtain a survey of support.” Another was a lack of a report on the impact from the park’s conversion on residents, and third was an insufficient report of projected financial impacts on non-residents.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Jackson Planning Commission voted 3-0 Monday to deny a request for a subdivision of Rollingwood Estates mobile home park, saying the applicant did not completely follow legal requirements, including filing reports of the impacts on residents and non-residents of the park, if the subdivision were to occur.

More than 100 people attended the public hearing in the Jackson Civic Center, with the majority of public speakers testifying against the project. Proponent and majority owner of Rollingwood, Joe Chirco, spoke, saying: “I don’t know where all this opposition came from.” He said Rollingwood residents, in his proposal, do not have to buy their land, but can sign a lease, and “if someone buys their home, they can take over the lease.”

Chirco said he was “not trying to suck every dime out of people,” but “we’re a business and we have to make money.” He said: “As long as I own the park, we’re going to be sure that nobody is financially hurt or thrown into the street.”

Chirco’s attorney, C. William Dahlin, said a number of speakers asked the Commission to deny the application because of the survey that showed a majority did not support the project, with 135 “no” votes, 16 “yes” votes. Dahlin said “the law does not say homeowners have veto power.”

Mike Kirkley, the Sutter Creek Planning Commission chairman, whose mother lives in Rollingwood, said that surveys have been used by other jurisdictions to reject mobile home park subdivision applications, including in Capitola, Carson, Santa Rosa and Sonoma.

Dahlin said the cities of Sonoma and Carson did reject park splits on surveys, but were also “busily lobbying for Senate Bill 444,” which succinctly states that the surveys can be used by city councils and land planners to make their decisions on mobile home park subdivision applications.

Kirkley said the mobile homes were assessed at a lower rate than their purchase price, and the loss was due to the “in-place value” of the land.

Dahlin said “they don’t own the in-place value,” and the “assessor’s handbook says: Don’t assess for this in-place value because the home owner does not own it. That is, however, what is offered for sale.”

After public input, Planning Commissioner Dave Butow said he found the application did not meet several Government Code requirements, including that the applicant “shall obtain a survey of support.” Another was a lack of a report on the impact from the park’s conversion on residents, and third was an insufficient report of projected financial impacts on non-residents.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors set a special meeting today to consider ratifying a declaration of an emergency in the county made on Friday by the Office of Emergency Services, due to impacts from a winter storm that struck in mid-March.

Supervisors meet at 1 p.m. today to consider proclaiming a state of emergency and making a request for a presidential declaration, in the wake of the winter storm, the effects of which are still being felt, and which had depleted county emergency resources.

The request for the discussion and possible action came from Sheriff Martin Ryan on behalf of the Sheriff’s Department and the Office of Emergency Services. Supervisors will consider a draft resolution “proclaiming the existence of a local emergency and requesting (the) Governor to proclaim a state of emergency and request a presidential declaration.”

The draft resolution said a local ordinance “empowers the Board of Supervisors to proclaim the existence of a local emergency when this county is affected or likely to be affected by a public calamity.”

The resolution noted that Emergency Services “issued a proclamation of a local emergency for conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within this county.” It said the “county sustained considerable damages caused by the 2011 March storm commencing on or about March 16,” and “recovery efforts and damage assessments are still under way.”

Deputy Director of Amador County Emergency Services, Undersheriff James C. Wegner signed a proclamation of a local emergency last Friday, April 1, as allowed since the Board of Supervisors was not in session. The proclamation noted that it was “subject to ratification by the Board of Supervisors within seven days, and reaffirmation every 14 days thereafter, until such local emergency is terminated.”

Wegner’s proclamation noted that “it has now been found that local resources are insufficient and incapable of coping with the effects of said emergency.”

The Supervisors’ draft proclamation, which they will consider passing today, said “although current weather conditions have improved, there is a great likelihood that further damage is yet to be discovered.” That would be “part of an official damage assessment, and the full recovery process from these storms is likely to take months.”

The resolution also would order that a copy of the declaration be sent to the Governor, through the California Emergency Management Agency, with the request that the Governor “proclaim the county of Amador to be in a state of emergency; and further that the Governor request a Presidential declaration.”

The resolution also would order that the local state of emergency would remain in effect until the Board of Supervisors terminated it.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.