Tom
Friday, 16 April 2010 02:00
Amador Public Health Finds 2 Non-Contagious TB Cases in School
Amador County – Amador County Public Health announced Wednesday that it had found 2 non-contagious cases of tuberculosis at the school, and will conduct more tests in May. Public Health, in cooperation with Amador County Unified School District administrators, has completed the first round of tuberculosis (TB) screening. As of Wednesday, 2 individuals among the student and staff had a positive TB skin test. Dr. Bob Hartmann, Amador County Health Officer said he wanted “to assure students and staff that these individuals with a positive TB skin test are not contagious. They have the inactive form of the germ and cannot spread the TB germ to anyone else.” Hartmann said: “These two individuals with a positive skin test are in good health and are not a health risk to other students, staff, family members, and friends.” This round of testing found that 2.7 percent of the people tested had a positive TB skin test, indicating that they were infected with the TB germ at some time in their life. Lori Jagoda, Amador County Public Health Communicable Disease Coordinator, said: “We would normally expect about 3 percent of our community to have a positive TB skin test.” Because there is an 8 to 10 week incubation window for TB infection, Public Health will be conducting a follow-up round of testing with each student or staff member that tested negative in this round. The second round of testing will begin during the week of May 17th. This will assure that anyone who may have been infected from the original case will be identified. If a student or staff member is negative during the first and the second round of testing, then they are not infected with the TB germ. If they are positive at second TB skin test read, Amador County Public Health will evaluate further and proceed to the appropriate treatment. Hartmann said: “I sincerely appreciate the cooperation that the school district administration, parents, students, and staff have given Public Health during the TB investigation.” As a reminder, it is important to recognize that there is a difference between TB infection and TB disease. People with TB infection without disease have the TB germ in their body, but are not sick because the germ is inactive. They cannot spread the germ to others. People with TB disease are sick from the germs that are active in their body. They may cough a lot, feel weak, have a fever, lose weight, cough up blood, or sweat a lot at night. Those with TB disease may transmit the infection to others. For information, call Public Health at (209) 223-6407, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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News Archive
Friday, 16 April 2010 05:56
Steven Brink - California Forestry Association
Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 4-16-10 - TSPN reporter Jim Reece sits down with Steven Brink, Vice President of Public Relations for the California Forestry Association.
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News Interview Videos
Friday, 16 April 2010 01:51
Amador County News TSPN TV with Christian Toma 4-16-10
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News Broadcast Videos
Friday, 16 April 2010 05:56
Steven Brink - California Forestry Association
Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 4-16-10 - TSPN reporter Jim Reece sits down with Steven Brink, Vice President of Public Relations for the California Forestry Association.
Published in
Local
Friday, 16 April 2010 02:04
Khylee Monson Passes Away At Age 5
Amador County – A little girl that inspired the community with her courage has passed away. Khylee Monson, age 5, of Pioneer, passed away Wednesday after a 10-month battle with terminal cancer. Friends of the family said there are plans for a Celebration of Life to be held in Khylee’s memory. Details for the Celebration are still pending. Khylee was diagnosed June 11th, 2009, with a terminal brain tumor, and suffered from one of the rarest brain tumors in children. The diagnosis has no survival rate. Khylee was given 9 months to live even with radiation and chemotherapy treatment. She died Wednesday afternoon, April 14th, 2010, at age 5. There will be a Celebration of Life to be announced soon. A Yahoo group, “For Khylee’s Sake,” was formed as a fundraising and support group to raise money for her family to help pay for the treatment. The Khylee Fundraising Group on the website “Just One Dollar” reported recently that it has raised more than $12,000 in donations from canisters around Amador County and online. The dinner last August raised more than $14,500. Coworkers of Khylee’s mother, Jackie, at Volcano Communications “generously donated over $15,000 to her family.” Khylee began to feel sick in the spring of 2009 and was diagnosed in June 2009 with pontine glioma, a rare form of brain tumor. After her diagnosis, Khylee underwent intense medical procedures, including six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy. The treatments slowed the tumor but did not stop it. “For Khylee’s Sake” was created by Jennifer Wilson, a Monson family friend, whose daughter is friends with Khylee. Friends at Khylee’s Sake website expressed prayers and thoughts for the family, including big sister, Bailee. Wilson suggested donations to the bank account at Bank of Amador for the family. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Local
Friday, 16 April 2010 02:02
AWA Changes CAWP Loan Interest Rate
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency on Thursday voted to tack on interest to an existing internal loan to the Central Amador Water Project, looking to fix past board mistakes. President Bill Condrashoff figured loss of funds to be as much as $87,000 in an internal loan of $800,000 to CAWP, from Amador Water System. Interim General Manager Gene Mancebo said the board “agreed to use an average historic interest rate of earning applied to each of the last 5 years that money was utilized.” For the future, he said the agency would base CAWP’s rates on the LAIF index (or a minimum of 2 percent) over 30 years. Finance Manager Mike Lee showed the board past unpaid balance over the last 5 years, and investment rates then in effect, to estimate a $55,185 loss in potential interest, Mancebo said. The CAWP system “kind of went in the hole for the last few years,” and “in a way, it was using money that was some other district’s” money, he said. The “board recognizes there should be some interest earnings for those systems,” and some “interest might have occurred, had this money been invested someplace.” The board needed to do something that was fair and reasonable, and agreed variable rates were fair and reasonable. Lee said CAWP has had a deficit since 2007-2008. The board voted to approve a variable interest rate on the CAWP loan, based on 4 indexes averaged over the last 5 years. Directors Terence Moore, Don Cooper and Gary Thomas initially were against raising the rate above the current 1 percent. Condrashoff wanted to look at potential losses from investments foregone by AWS because of the loans. Cooper said he was bothered that the board could “go back and slap ratepayers for something the previous board decided.” Vice President Debbie Dunn asked if Cooper meant to set a “precedent” of ignoring past board actions. Cooper said he meant it only “in this particular case.” Moore and Cooper later suggested increasing the loan rate to 3 percent, and Dunn urged a higher percentage. Moore said “we’re taking the heat now because we’re admitting we can’t do this.” He said AWA “has been stealing funds from AWS to subsidize CAWP and other systems.” Jackson Councilman Keith Sweet said the Jackson City Council is “extremely concerned over the situation” and “alarmed you were making loans at zero percent interest.” Moore said: “We’ve already spent the money – it’s gone.” He said the agency needed to find a fair percentage rate and go back and charge the districts, or start now with higher internal loan interest rates. Sweet said raising percentages “will only make it harder to pay,” but Jackson is “strongly supportive of the effort to memorialize loans and recover lost costs.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Water
Friday, 16 April 2010 02:00
Amador Public Health Finds 2 Non-Contagious TB Cases in School
Amador County – Amador County Public Health announced Wednesday that it had found 2 non-contagious cases of tuberculosis at the school, and will conduct more tests in May. Public Health, in cooperation with Amador County Unified School District administrators, has completed the first round of tuberculosis (TB) screening. As of Wednesday, 2 individuals among the student and staff had a positive TB skin test. Dr. Bob Hartmann, Amador County Health Officer said he wanted “to assure students and staff that these individuals with a positive TB skin test are not contagious. They have the inactive form of the germ and cannot spread the TB germ to anyone else.” Hartmann said: “These two individuals with a positive skin test are in good health and are not a health risk to other students, staff, family members, and friends.” This round of testing found that 2.7 percent of the people tested had a positive TB skin test, indicating that they were infected with the TB germ at some time in their life. Lori Jagoda, Amador County Public Health Communicable Disease Coordinator, said: “We would normally expect about 3 percent of our community to have a positive TB skin test.” Because there is an 8 to 10 week incubation window for TB infection, Public Health will be conducting a follow-up round of testing with each student or staff member that tested negative in this round. The second round of testing will begin during the week of May 17th. This will assure that anyone who may have been infected from the original case will be identified. If a student or staff member is negative during the first and the second round of testing, then they are not infected with the TB germ. If they are positive at second TB skin test read, Amador County Public Health will evaluate further and proceed to the appropriate treatment. Hartmann said: “I sincerely appreciate the cooperation that the school district administration, parents, students, and staff have given Public Health during the TB investigation.” As a reminder, it is important to recognize that there is a difference between TB infection and TB disease. People with TB infection without disease have the TB germ in their body, but are not sick because the germ is inactive. They cannot spread the germ to others. People with TB disease are sick from the germs that are active in their body. They may cough a lot, feel weak, have a fever, lose weight, cough up blood, or sweat a lot at night. Those with TB disease may transmit the infection to others. For information, call Public Health at (209) 223-6407, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Health
Friday, 16 April 2010 01:58
Kennedy Mine Seeks Pioneer Day Volunteers
Amador County – The Kennedy Mine Foundation is looking to improve on last year’s inaugural Pioneer Day for 5th grade student, when more than 200 youths took part in the festivities. The foundation is seeking volunteers to help in the 2010 Pioneer Days, set for Thursday, May 13th. Dennis Price, School Tour Manager, requested Kennedy Mine Volunteers to mark the date for the second Pioneer Day at The Kennedy Gold Mine. Dennis Price said: “We are very hopeful some the community will help us make this year's event a success.” He said they “especially need help assisting presenters as we move 350-400 kids through the activities.” They are “also very interested in those who may want to present or demonstrate activities from our rich historic past.” Those unable to attend the event were asked to help the foundation “connect with the numerous ethnic and religious groups with deep historic roots in our county, as well as mining, logging and ranch families, the Native American community and anyone who would enjoy sharing early California history with Amador County 5th grade students.” The May 2009 Pioneer Day was attended by nearly 250 5th grade students. The students, along with teachers, began the adventure by gathering at the Kennedy Amphitheater for instructions and entertainment. They divided into smaller groups to experience, candle dipping, button whizzer making, yarn doll making, rope making, and plowing with youngsters pulling the plow. They saw cowboy skills and learned to throw a lasso. A logging demo showed how to debark a log and handle a two man saw. They saw yarn making with a drop spindle and story telling. They played an Indian game with the help of volunteers from the Indian Grinding Rock State Park. Patty Reid led doll making and there was a blacksmithing demonstration. They visited a working blacksmith shop, watched the Kit Carson Mountain Men organization, where they could throw an axe. They hobnobbed with the Mormon Battalion, and Company “C” Civil War presenters, led by Jim McGuirk Company C later being treated to two very loud cannon shots by that group. There was a chance to visit a traditional store to purchase memorabilia and watched the start of a Pony Express mail ride. The Kennedy Mine Foundation is dedicated to educating youths “in understanding what came before them and what molded the world, as they now know it.” For information, call Dennis Price at 296-3106 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Local
Friday, 16 April 2010 01:51
Amador County News TSPN TV with Christian Toma 4-16-10
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Video
