Tom
Wednesday, 12 May 2010 05:55
Ione Band of Miwok Indians Releases Details On the Resignation of Tribal Chairman Matthew Franklin
Amador County – Ione Band of Miwok Indians Vice Chairman Johnny “Gil” Jamerson confirmed the resignation of tribal chairman Matthew Franklin late Tuesday in a press release. Jamerson said the resignation announcement came on Saturday, May 8, at a regularly scheduled General Council meeting for the Band. “The Tribal Council is grateful for Matthew Franklin’s dedicated service to the Ione people and his long commitment to advance our Tribal interests,” said Jamerson. Jamerson makes no mention of tribal corruption or misuse of funds, which tribal member Glen Villa alleged in an earlier email were reasons for Franklin’s resignation. Franklin was first elected to the Tribal Council in 1996, and has served as Chairman of the Tribe since 2003. “As a Tribal leader, he has pursued the land to trust process for over a decade and his leadership will be missed as the Tribe continues to work to secure a homeland,” Jamerson said. He called this a “very sad time” for the tribe. TSPN will continue to investigate the allegations of corruption. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Local
Wednesday, 12 May 2010 03:13
BOS Report for 5-11-10 with Richard Forster, Supervisor
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Local
Wednesday, 12 May 2010 03:08
AM Live - 5-12-10: Wine, Dine and Good Times with Gale
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Wine, Dine, & Good Times
Wednesday, 12 May 2010 03:03
Sheriff’s Deputies Arrest Felons During Traffic Stop
Amador County – The Amador County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday the arrest of two convicted felons after a routine traffic stop in Ione on Sunday. On Sunday May 9, 2010 at approximately 1638 hours, Amador County Sheriff’s Deputies conducted a traffic detention of a vehicle on Hwy 124 at the Ione Car Wash, for displaying suspended registration. The deputies recognized both the driver and the passenger in the vehicle from numerous prior contacts and were aware the driver was on active CDCR Parole. An Ione Police Officer responded and assisted with the detention. As one deputy contacted the driver, Christopher Allen Dechesero, 40, of Pine Grove, the other deputy contacted the passenger, Barry Craig Standridge, 50, of Jackson. The deputy speaking with Standridge, a convicted felon, began to conduct a search and identified that Standridge had a firearm concealed in his pocket. The deputy, assisted by the Ione Police Officer, took Standridge into custody and recovered the loaded, semi-automatic pistol. A search of the involved vehicle revealed suspected methamphetamine and a hypodermic needle. Standridge was arrested and booked into the Amador County Jail charged with felon in possession of a firearm, being armed in the commission of a felony, possession and transportation of a controlled substance, and possession of a hypodermic needle. Standridge’s bail was set at $30,000.00. Dechesero was arrested and booked into the Amador County Jail charged with violation of parole, possession and transportation of a controlled substance, and possession of a hypodermic needle. Due to his parole status, Dechesero is being held without bail. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Law Enforcement
Wednesday, 12 May 2010 03:02
Supes Approve Post-Closure Maintenance Costs For Buena Vista Landfill
Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors discussed and approved Tuesday a resolution for financial assurance for post-closure maintenance of the Buena Vista landfill. Kristin Bengyel, previous Interim Transportation Director and Public Works Director, said the action was necessary in order to “meet the State requirements for Certification of Completion of the corrective action for the Buena Vista Landfill.” The resolution states that California Code requires “operators of solid waste landfills to demonstrate the availability of financial resources to conduct closure, post-closure maintenance, and corrective action activities.” In other words, said Bengyel, this guarantees “that there is always enough money being set aside…for unforeseen future costs.” Board Chairman Brian Oneto asked if this means the County is “still on the hook if something shows up 100 years down the road,” referring to environmental costs. Mike Israel, Amador County Environmental Health Director, said any landowner would be responsible for costs related to their property. Bengyel said the County would have to set aside as much as $210,000 a year out of the General Fund over a 30-year period, but that was the “worst-case scenario.” The closure process began last year after the County determined that it would be environmentally beneficial and cost-effective to contract out for landfill services and transport local waste elsewhere, including to the 250-acre Kiefer landfill in Sacramento. The closure process was officially completed in January, but Bengyel said the site will continue to change over time, resulting in the release of methane gas. She said it takes roughly 25 years for a landfill to settle, and the site can drop as much as 8 feet during that time. The Supervisors unanimously approved a motion to approve the resolution and to set aside the requested amount of approximately $200,000 a year out of the General Fund for future, unforeseen costs. The Board required changes be made to the resolution verbiage to replace “Chief Engineer” with “Landfill Operator” as the future overseer of the site because the county does not currently have a Chief Engineer on staff. Supervisor John Plasse said the Landfill Operator will either be the County as a whole or the responsibility of the Local Enforcement Agency through the Environmental Health Department. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Local
Wednesday, 12 May 2010 03:01
Amador Sheriff's Call Log Dispatcher Report- $8 Verbal Tussle
Amador County – The Amador County Sheriff dispatchers reported various incidents lately, including theft of a purse, a dog stranded on a roof, and a verbal tussle over $8. Disturbing the peace was reported April 28th at Kmart on Wicklow Way. The caller said he was blocking an unknown subject’s vehicle. The subject possibly attempted to hit the reporting party with his vehicle. He said “they were in a verbal argument over $8.” Disturbing the peace was reported April 28th on Marilyn Lane. A female caller said that her father had threatened to kill her. She said they were separated, with her outside of the house, while at the time he was inside the house, “breaking a computer.” Property theft was reported 2 p.m. April 29th at Jackson Elementary School. A caller said a man took a purse from a beige SUV. He was described as a 40-year-old white male wearing a blue sweatshirt and gray sweat pants. He left the scene on foot headed toward the cemetery. Also that day, at Jack-in-the-Box on Old Mill Lane, a caller reported seeing a Hispanic male step outside the business, “take a handful of pills of unknown type and go back inside the restaurant.” He was described as 5-foot-7, 150 pounds, wearing a gray jacket with a furry hood. A barking dog was reported 7 p.m. April 29th on Parview Street. The caller said a dog was barking and “the dog somehow got itself on a shed roof and possibly stuck.” About 9:30 p.m. April 29th a caller said a woman who had been drinking alcohol came up to a valet at the Jackson Rancheria and said “she was brought against her will” and “forced into the car.” But the woman then “got back into the vehicle.” The caller said the woman was “intoxicated,” and wearing a white shirt, black pants and white knee boots with fur. The vehicle left heading north on New York Ranch Road. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Law Enforcement
Wednesday, 12 May 2010 02:59
AWA Sees Third Quarter Expenses, Revenues Both Down
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board will get a third quarter financial report Thursday, which will help determine how much money the agency should seek in a loan from the county to ease a cash shortage. Finance Manager Mike Lee prepared a report for the quarter budget review for the period ending March 31st, and likely will give a presentation on the report. Water sales and other revenue are down a total of 11 percent over the fiscal year, with total operating revenue in the hole by $924,000. Lee said in the report that “water sales are below budget projections through March because Lake Camanche is billed every other month, the budgeted rate has not been adopted, and this is a low water use time of year.” “Other operating revenue,” down $200,000, is under budget because Pacific Gas & Electric’s “payment was lower than projected and we have not made any transfer from reserves through March,” Lee said. Operating expenses were down by $1,080,000, or 13 percent overall, led by a 75 percent drop in “reserve contributions and contingencies,” down by $188,000. The report said O&M spending was under budget “because distribution and treatment plant costs are lower than budgeted and payment to Sutter Creek for treatment and/or disposal has not been made.” Administration costs were down by $158,000 or 21 percent, Lee said, because the agency has spent “less on consultants, software licensing and or support and training than expected through March.” Debt service spending was down by nearly $500,000 because a second payment had not yet been made on the “2006 Series A” bonds. Non-operating revenue was under budget by $4.5 million, or 47 percent, because the agency had “not received funding for the (Gravity Supply Line), Backwash Pond upgrade or Camanche tank projects.” Capital salaries were below budget by $350,000 “because less time was charged to capital projects than anticipated.” Capital expenditures were down by $5.5 million (or 67 percent), Lee said, “because we have not incurred the level of capital construction through March.” A cash balance comparison” between this fiscal year and 2008-2009 showed the cash down to about $2 million for the last 6 months, including may, where last year it was $2.7 million and this May it was shown at $705,000. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Water
Wednesday, 12 May 2010 02:57
Ione’s Howard Business Park Would Be Hub of Ione Bypass
Amador County – The Howard Business Park would be part of a swath of land that includes a new Ione Bypass, and the city worked last week to lower some of its costs for the development. City Planner Christopher Jordan said discussions with Tim Smith of Howard Properties and the Kreth Family (and plans for development of the lands south of Ione, west of Highway 124) led to city planning commission and council adoption of a General Plan that designates 348 acres as the Industrial Park Policy Area. With a Special Planning Area designation, Jordan said the land has a maximum development potential of more than 2 million square feet of commercial space; 1.4 million square feet of offices; and 6.1 million square feet of light-warehousing to heavy manufacturing. Under the General Plan, development of the Industrial Park Policy Area “is to be created and refined through the adoption of a Specific Plan or Planned Development Master Plan,” Jordan said, “which is to say the entire area must be planned together as a cohesive unit.” The site is “the future realignment of Highway 104 as detailed in the West Ione Roadway Improvement Strategy and the General Plan,” which runs through the 107 acres of the Howard Business Park. Executive Director Charles Field said ACTC is concerned that the project design shows intersections “on the proposed Ione bypass that are spaced too close together to meet Caltrans’ expressway standard,” and should be redesigned to meet those standards, if state funding is wanted for the project. Field said Howard Business Park should help coordinate the bypass alignment, seek access to it, and design it to qualify for STIP funding and Caltrans approval. Amador Transportation and Public Works Department’s Roger Stuart listed several potential impacts on county roads. He said “projects to keep in mind are the Casino off Coal Mine Road, the proposed expansion of the Jackson Valley Quarry from 500,000 tons a year to 2 million tons a year, and the most recent application submittal of the RV park at the Goose Hill Quarry site.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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