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Tuesday, 31 August 2010 06:21

Pioneer couple dies in apparent murder-suicide

Amador County – The Amador County Sheriff’s Office released the details late Monday on a murder/suicide investigation in which a Pioneer man apparently shot his wife before taking his own life. On Sunday, August 29th at approximately 12:17 pm, the Sheriff’s Office received a 9-1-1 call from a reporting party who said they heard a woman screaming and multiple gunshots coming from a neighbor’s residence on Holiday Lane in Pioneer. The first deputy on the scene found a vehicle blocking the road to the residence and occupied by Holly Heather Hayden, 52. The Sheriff’s Office said in a release said “Hayden was deceased in her vehicle and had suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the torso.” It appeared Hayden was attempting to drive away from the residence at the time of the shooting. A witness on scene told deputies they observed Hayden’s husband, 54-year-old James Frederick Weber, walking away from the vehicle and back to the rear deck of the residence, after which they heard an additional gunshot. The release said: “A perimeter was established and additional resources, including the Amador Sheriff’s SWAT Team and the Amador Sheriff’s Investigations Bureau were activated. California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officers controlled traffic on Holiday Lane and a CHP aircraft was requested to conduct aerial reconnaissance of the scene in an effort to locate the suspect. The aircraft’s search efforts revealed no sign of the suspect.” SWAT team member deployed multiple electronic surveillance techniques in order to locate Weber within the residence. His body was eventually located by the team on the main level of the residence, “with an apparently self inflicted gunshot wound to the head.” The release said the Sheriff’s Office “has not previously responded to any reported domestic violence incidents involving this residence or the involved parties, although neighbors did tell Amador Sheriff’s Detectives of prior domestic disputes between the two.” CHP, American Legion Ambulance, Amador Fire Protection District and Cal Fire personnel also assisted with this incident. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in Local

Tuesday, 31 August 2010 06:19

3 candidates compete for 1st Senate District primary seat

Amador County - Three candidates have announced their run for the 1st Senate District seat formerly held by Senator Dave Cox. Analysts predict a tight race between the two Republican candidates: Roger Niello, representing the 5th Assembly District, and Ted Gaines, representing the 4th Assembly District. Both are competing for this seat during a time in which many Republicans are being challenged to show what makes them truly conservative. Niello’s record of public service stretches back to 1995. He is a longtime friend of the Cox family, and received a campaign gift of $7,800 from the late Senator shortly before his death earlier this month. Cox passed away after a long battle with prostrate cancer. Niello’s campaign received another big boost August 17th when Maggie Cox, Dave’s widow, announced her support for Niello’s campaign. “Dave knew that Roger would be the only choice to continue on his legacy of public service – of ensuring that every person that lived in his district would be listened to, cared for, and represented,” she said. On his website, Niello’s top issues include fighting for budget reform, fighting higher taxes, and standing against illegal immigration. Ted Gaines began his service in local government on the City of Roseville's Planning Commission in 1997, and has since worked his way up the political ladder to his current position. He received a big endorsement last week from Tom McClintock, a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from California's 4th congressional district. “Ted Gaines is the conservative in the race and the one candidate who voters can trust to never raise their taxes,” said McClintock. According to his website, Gaines is pushing for “no tax increases – period,” creating private sector jobs and balancing the state budget by limiting spending. The third candidate is Rancho Cordova Mayor Ken Cooley, a Democrat and principal consultant for the state Senate Committee on Banking, Finance and Insurance. Although Republicans outnumber Democrats 43 percent over 34 percent in the 1st Senate District, Cooley believes his background as a moderate Democrat and his strong family values will appeal to voters no matter their political party affiliation. He has served on the Rancho Cordova city council since the city’s incorporation in 2002. He ran unsuccessfully in the 2002 Democratic primary for the 10th District Assembly seat, which was won by Republican Alan Nakanishi. All three candidates can’t officially file for the election until August 31st. The primary election takes place on November 2nd. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in State

Tuesday, 31 August 2010 06:17

Pollock Pines man injured after DUI crash

Amador County – A Pollock Pines man was injured after a vehicle crash Friday night in River Pines, when he reportedly fell and cut himself on a whiskey bottle he was carrying. The Amador County unit of the California Highway Patrol arrested Robert Hedrick, 54, of Pollock Pines after a 7:44 p.m. incident Thursday on Shenandoah Road at River Pines. CHP in a report Monday said Hedrick was under the influence of alcohol as he drove west-bound in a 1985 Mercury station wagon, and was crossing the bridge in River Pines at the El Dorado and Amador County line. CHP said: “He lost control at a right hand curve and struck a sign,” then his car went into a ditch. Hedrick “was seen stumbling while walking down Shenandoah Road with a whiskey bottle in hand.” The report said “as he was creating a scene, screaming and yelling at passing cars, he fell down, breaking his bottle and injuring himself on the broken glass.” He was arrested for a DUI at the scene and was release to medics and admitted to Sutter Amador Hospital due to his injuries. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in Local

Tuesday, 31 August 2010 06:14

Ione, Supervisors to discuss amendments to Ione Sphere of Influence

Amador County – The Ione City Council will host a joint meeting with the Amador County Board of Supervisors today (Tuesday, August 31st) to discuss an agreement for planning and development of lands within the Ione “Sphere of Influence.” The council and board will discuss a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) prepared by City Planner Christopher Jordan and County Planning Director Susan Grijalva, who prepared a joint staff report recommending the board and council take public comment and provide staff direction. Ione made an August 19th application with the Amador Local Agency Formation Commission to amend its Sphere of Influence, and the city and county are required by state law to “meet and discuss the proposed new boundaries.” The law says the two must “explore methods to reach agreement on development standards and planning and zoning requirements within the sphere to ensure that development within the sphere occurs in a manner that reflects the concerns of the affected city and is accomplished in a manner that promotes the logical and orderly development of areas within the sphere.” The law does not require that the two entities reach an agreement, and the meeting satisfies all “requirements of law,” according to the report. Supervisors Richard Forster and Louis Boitano, Mayor Skip Schaufel and Vice Mayor David Plank met twice as an ad hoc committee “to go over the framework and review the draft agreement language,” the report said, and the committee recommended the full board and council consider the draft agreement and provide direction to staff. Jordan and Grijalva in the report said the city requested and prefers a MOU “because it makes the agreement formal and something that can be easily referred back to in the future,” and it “would not create any new agency” nor “new bureaucratic process.” The report said the MOU “would obligate the county” to impose land usage regulations on land within the city’s current or future sphere of influence, as recognized by LAFCO. It would “require a minimum 40-acre parcel size,” and “limit land uses to single-family residential and agricultural uses” with a “maximum 1 home per lot, plus second dwelling units allowed by right consistent with state law and county code.” The amendment to the Sphere of Influence requests the addition of properties along Old Stockton Road, 5 Mile Drive, and Irish Hill Road. The meeting is 6 p.m. today (Tuesday, August 31st) at Evalynn Bishop Hall. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in Local

Tuesday, 31 August 2010 06:10

CHP prepares statewide DUI crackdown enforcement period

Amador County – The state office of the California Highway Patrol announced Monday that its officers are preparing for the “final maximum enforcement period of the summer driving season,” beginning Friday, September 3rd. Fran Clader of CHP media relations in Sacramento said roadside sobriety and license checks will begin 6 p.m. Friday for the Labor Day “maximum enforcement period.” The holiday enforcement initiative continues through to midnight Monday, September 6th. CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said he hopes “everyone enjoys the Labor Day weekend by keeping safety in mind.” He said the holiday should contribute to highway crowding “with many families headed for fun.” Farrow said: “Mixing these factors with alcohol, speed and not wearing a safety belt can lead to a deadly consequence.” Although last year’s road fatalities “were far lower than previous Labor Day weekends,” he said last year there were 12 people killed in crashes on California roadways. CHP said 75 percent of all fatalities in the state involved someone not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Clader said besides the Labor Day maximum enforcement period, CHP is “in the midst of an aggressive crackdown on impaired driving.” The statewide crackdown began August 20th. She said a national campaign, “Drunk Driving, Over the Limit, Under Arrest,” is a “coordinated effort of law enforcement agencies throughout the country and continues through the holiday weekend.” Last year’s Labor Day weekend crackdown statewide made 1,417 arrests for driving under the influence, Clader said. Farrow said if the CHP finds an impaired driver, “we will arrest you, no exceptions.” He said driving under the influence “is a careless disregard for human life.” Clader said the CHP encourages motorists to call 9-1-1 if they encounter a suspected drunk driver, and “to help law enforcement intervene, callers should be prepared to provide dispatchers a description of the vehicle, its location and direction of travel.” Farrow said: “Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Designate a driver in advance, always wear your seat belt, don’t speed and be sure to pay attention to the road.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in Law Enforcement

Monday, 30 August 2010 06:12

Plymouth hears AFPD, Ione presentations on city fire service

Amador County – The Plymouth City Council leaned toward a 3-2 renewal of a fire services contract with the Amador Fire Protection District last week, but directed staff to prepare a comparison of offers from AFPD and the City of Ione. AFPD Chief Jim McCart and Ione City Manager Kim Kerr gave presentations on costs to offer fire services in Plymouth. The council leaned toward AFPD, with councilmembers Patricia Shackleton, Mike O’Meara and Jon Colburn saying they liked the leverage they would get with their funds and extra manpower AFPD would keep in the area. Vice Mayor Greg Baldwin said he would prefer to have the renewed pride of a city-operated fire department, which a contract with Ione Fire Department could help the city move toward. Plymouth City Manager Dixon Flynn said it might be helpful to have a summary, which he did not make before the Thursday, August 26th meeting. He said he “wanted to get a bottom line from both departments, and we have that now.” Flynn said a $239,000 a year subsidy from AFPD would be hard for us to make up,” and Ione cannot offer that. Kerr said “Ione is not going to supplement services,” and “what you pay for is what you are going to get.” She said $110,000 annually would get Plymouth a paid full-time firefighter during weekday daytime shifts. It would also include volunteer backups, along with per-call firefighter coverage overnight and on weekends, similar to a system Ione is now using. She said the numbers could be negotiable, but she recommended keeping the same salary and benefits that Ione Fire Department uses. Firefighter pay would be $42,000, with benefits, taxes and retirement another $25,000. AFPD would have a paid fire engineer at station 122 in Plymouth 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and a paid firefighter at the station nine hours a day, five days a week. Both estimates took into account Measure M firefighting funds. Kerr said it would be about $90,000, and McCart figured it at about $104,000 annually. AFPD’s $369,000 annual budget had Plymouth paying $129,000. Less the Measure M funds, it would be about $25,000 a year. McCart’s proposed contract was for 10 years, with three staff members around the clock, and an additional weekday, daytime staff member. Colburn said he liked the idea that they could also borrow funds from AFPD to complete the upgrade of the Plymouth firehouse. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in News Archive

Monday, 30 August 2010 06:08

AWA quarterly budget shows expenses down 74% from 2009

Amador County – Amador Water Agency board of directors received a quarterly budget review last week, seeing reductions in expected revenue. General Manager Gene Mancebo said “the cooler weather has affected revenue.” Finance Manager Mike Lee’s report for the quarter ending June 30th showed net capital revenue was $6.7 million, down 8.4 percent from last year, while operating expenses were down $1.2 million, or 74 percent since last year. Lee said “operating salaries and benefits were above budget” because the “salary budget was reduced $200,000,” and “capital salaries were down significantly.” Board President Bill Condrashoff asked why salaries were only down 4.45 percent over last year, after staff was cut by 25 percent. Lee said the agency “reduced the salary budget by $200,000,” the equivalent of four positions. Condrashoff said Amador Water System salaries and benefits were $200,000 over budget, asking why it was “so far over” in “just one system.” Director Gary Thomas said it was also the agency’s largest system, and cuts were only for part of the year, with some employees leaving at mid-year, in December or January. Mancebo said some position vacancies were spread throughout the year, and early retirements also were spread out. Director Terence Moore said the reductions likely would show more at the end of this budget year. Director Don Cooper said he thought they “considered this” when they did the current budget. Mancebo said there is a difference in the rates for capital project salaries, such as work at Gayla Manor, and operation and maintenance salaries, such as pipeline repairs. He said they could make projections for salaries for specific employees, such as capital or O&M work, and break down every project into tasks per employee. But if actual work did not happen that way, it would not match the budget. Mancebo said the agency is looking at using a different format, and different software. Lee said “we don’t have the budget software wherewithal” to give more explicit detail, and buying new budget software would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. He said he uses an Excel spreadsheet to combine the nine different systems, which end up in the budget report with attachments of 25 different worksheets. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in News Archive

Monday, 30 August 2010 06:05

Volcano Communications assists $46.6 million broadband expansion

Amador County - Volcano Communications Group (VCG), part owners in the Central Valley Independent Network (CVIN), and in partnership with the non-profit Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC), has been awarded $46.6 million by the federal government’s stimulus program through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act The Central Valley Next Generation Broadband Infrastructure Project (CVNGBIP) is designed and developed by CVIN, a consortium of eight independent telephone companies which includes Volcano Telephone, Calaveras Telephone, Sierra Telephone and Ponderosa Telephone. VCG will participate in the construction, operation and ongoing maintenance of a 1371 mile fiber optic network which will traverse an 18 county area comprised of the western slope of the Sierras, and portions of the Central Valley. The new network will extend from Bakersfield to Yuba City and will provide much needed fiber optic commercial broadband services to K-12 schools, community colleges and universities, libraries, public safety, and all levels of government agencies. Additionally, the network will extend services to residential and business locations throughout the region. Local counties include Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Tuolumne, and Mariposa. The partner organizations together share an immense amount of expertise in the deployment and operation of advanced communications and network services throughout California. CVIN, LLC is a joint enterprise comprised of affiliates of eight Independent Telephone Companies located in central and northern California. These companies cover over 7,000 square miles and operate more than 1,700 miles of fiber and have vast experience in providing broadband services. Many of these companies are over 100 years old. On behalf of nearly all of California's K-20 research and education community, CENIC currently owns and operates the California Research & Education Network (CalREN), an ultra-high-performance fiber-optic network infrastructure consisting of nearly 3,000 miles of CENIC-owned fiber extending from the Mexican border to Corning and San Diego into Arizona which is the largest and most robust statewide optical network for education in the nation reach nearly 10 million K-20 students, faculty, and staff. “This is precisely the type of government and public partnership that has so successfully developed our nation’s infrastructure. Just as the build-out of the Federal Highway System enabled the flow of goods throughout our economy, so too will this network enhance the flow of the Information Super Highway in California”, said Sharon Lundgren president of Volcano Telephone. VCG subscribers will benefit directly from increased broadband capacity, higher reliability, and potentially lower cost services. Additional information regarding the CVNGBIP project can be found at www.cvngbip.org. Via Press Release This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in News Archive

Monday, 30 August 2010 06:10

Supes discuss alternatives for Ridge Road Signal & Merge Lane project

Amador County - The Board of Supervisors last Tuesday discussed design alternatives for the Ridge Road Signal & Merge Lane project at New York Ranch Road, and directed staff to return with more plan alternatives. Barbara Belvoir, Senior Project Engineer for the Public Works Department, said the project provides for a widening of Ridge Road lanes in both directions including a left turn lane onto New York Ranch Road with a flashing beacon safety light system. In 2006, the Public Works Department constructed the original phase of the improvements based on a design by Stantec. The project’s budget is based on two $900,000 grants from Caltrans and a local share of $434,000. The total estimated project cost is currently $2,234,000. Bill Williamson, Senior Project Manager for Stantec, said safety and visibility are top concerns for the project because “we still have the complication of a lot of trucks and vehicles moving through the intersection with the potential for broadsides.” He said the project currently includes two alternatives, with the second providing more visibility at an additional cost of $5,000 to $7000. Alternative 1 aligns with the topography and fits the funding of the existing project, while Alternative 2 widens the road to four lanes and allows for longer acceleration and deceleration lengths. Supervisor Richard Forster said “the main question is, do we have the extra $5,000 to $7,000? To me, that makes the decision pretty easy.” Supervisor Louis Boitano noted that the Jackson Rancheria had chipped in for the cost of two previous road projects and wondered aloud if they would be willing to contribute “since the bulk of the traffic will be generated by them.” Belvoir said “one of the main people (at the Jackson Rancheria) who was helping us get the funding is no longer there.” Forster recommended conferring with the tribe on the matter. Belvoir said it will cost “an extra $200,000 for another 125 feet of additional site distance of which we don’t have funds for.” Williamson said that “for the sake of budget control, we only worked with Alternative 1.” Another staff member in the audience said it would cost roughly $50,000 to create a detailed analysis for Alternative 2. One of the Supervisors main concerns was at the road’s curve. The board unanimously agreed to direct staff to return in the next few weeks with a cost estimate for both alternatives including additional curve modifications for safety. Boitano said “one of the insurmountable problems all along has been the neighborhood up there, and,….had we done this Alternative 2 in the beginning, we wouldn’t be here talking.” He said the neighborhood didn’t want full stoplights and consequently the board is visiting the issue for the third time. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.