Tom
Monday, 22 March 2010 01:49
2 Jackson Men Hurt When Car Hits Tree on Clinton Rd.
Amador County – The California Highway Patrol late Thursday afternoon was investigating a 1-vehicle crash that left 2 Jackson men injured on Clinton Road near Butte Mountain Road. The driver and passenger were separately airlifted by helicopter from the scene. California Highway Patrol reported that Roger Dale Chandler Jr., 31, sustained moderate injuries, when the 1997 Mercury Mystique he was driving missed a curve, left the roadway and struck a tree and fence. His passenger, Matthew Keith Wade, 20, sustained major injuries and was airlifted to Sutter Roseville Medical Center, where he remained in critical condition Monday (March 22). Chandler was flown to Mercy San Juan Hospital in Carmichael, where was in good condition Friday, and by today (March 22) he was reportedly no longer a patient there. CHP said the investigation continues. The collision was reported as a car versus tree accident, with injuries, and occurred at about 5:50 p.m. Thursday. The Mercury was eastbound on Clinton Road and failed to negotiate a curve at an unknown high rate of speed and the vehicle left the roadway. The Mercury continued off the roadway and the right side of the vehicle hit a tree and fence. The Mercury came to rest up against, and partially wrapped around the tree, at the corner of Clinton Road and Butte Mountain Road. Responders compressed air-power used Hurst extrication tools to cut apart the Mercury. CHP said there were multiple injuries, including compound fracture of the femur of one of the men. After removing the men from the vehicle, responders in groups of 6 carried them on stretchers up a hill and into a pasture next to the crash site, where 2 helicopter ambulances waited. There were nearly 2 dozen emergency personnel at the scene. Responders included CDF and Jackson Fire Department, Jackson Police, the CHP, and American Legion Ambulance, plus 2 helicopter ambulances, including one from Calstar, based at Westover Field in Martell. CHP said the investigation continues. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 22 March 2010 05:49
Board of Supervisors Pre-Agenda Report with John Plasse 3-22-10
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News Interview Videos
Monday, 22 March 2010 01:54
Amador County News TSPN TV with Alan Sprenkel 3-22-10
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News Broadcast Videos
Monday, 22 March 2010 05:49
Board of Supervisors Pre-Agenda Report with John Plasse 3-22-10
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Amador County Board of Supervisors Reports
Monday, 22 March 2010 01:54
Amador County News TSPN TV with Alan Sprenkel 3-22-10
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Video
Monday, 22 March 2010 01:49
2 Jackson Men Hurt When Car Hits Tree on Clinton Rd.
Amador County – The California Highway Patrol late Thursday afternoon was investigating a 1-vehicle crash that left 2 Jackson men injured on Clinton Road near Butte Mountain Road. The driver and passenger were separately airlifted by helicopter from the scene. California Highway Patrol reported that Roger Dale Chandler Jr., 31, sustained moderate injuries, when the 1997 Mercury Mystique he was driving missed a curve, left the roadway and struck a tree and fence. His passenger, Matthew Keith Wade, 20, sustained major injuries and was airlifted to Sutter Roseville Medical Center, where he remained in critical condition Monday (March 22). Chandler was flown to Mercy San Juan Hospital in Carmichael, where was in good condition Friday, and by today (March 22) he was reportedly no longer a patient there. CHP said the investigation continues. The collision was reported as a car versus tree accident, with injuries, and occurred at about 5:50 p.m. Thursday. The Mercury was eastbound on Clinton Road and failed to negotiate a curve at an unknown high rate of speed and the vehicle left the roadway. The Mercury continued off the roadway and the right side of the vehicle hit a tree and fence. The Mercury came to rest up against, and partially wrapped around the tree, at the corner of Clinton Road and Butte Mountain Road. Responders compressed air-power used Hurst extrication tools to cut apart the Mercury. CHP said there were multiple injuries, including compound fracture of the femur of one of the men. After removing the men from the vehicle, responders in groups of 6 carried them on stretchers up a hill and into a pasture next to the crash site, where 2 helicopter ambulances waited. There were nearly 2 dozen emergency personnel at the scene. Responders included CDF and Jackson Fire Department, Jackson Police, the CHP, and American Legion Ambulance, plus 2 helicopter ambulances, including one from Calstar, based at Westover Field in Martell. CHP said the investigation continues. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 22 March 2010 01:46
ARTS Board Hears About Concept 'Grapevine Express'
Amador County – The Amador Regional Transit System board of directors last week heard an abbreviated update on its staff’s concept “Grapevine Express” winery touring trolley route. Terry Grillo, advertising consultant for ARTS, asked for 5 more minutes for an item not on the agenda, and showed 3 logo concepts for the proposed Grapevine Express. ARTS board members in a previous meeting were concerned about liabilities in using a transportation vehicle in the winery row route along the Shenandoah Valley. Supervisor Richard Forster last week said he was further concerned that they were using the new trolley busses, which do not have seatbelts, and could increase liabilities. ARTS Manager James Means told the board that the busses are designed with a taller passenger area, to be above traffic, and therefore safer that regular traffic. He said the trolley busses are designed to be ridden without seatbelts. Means said if they get to the point where they have to worry about seatbelts on the Grapevine Express, then they should probably end the program. Grillo also presented a handout with advertising sales data, on billboard sales on busses. Board Chairman Greg Baldwin said it would have been nice to get the information before the meeting. Amador County Transportation Commission Executive Director Charles Field said the he has asked Means to present such information to him, so that he can oversee the propriety of the agenda packet, and so that the board can be “able to read it before the meeting.” Means said he would provide full “Grapevine Express” information in the next agenda packet. Councilman Pat Crosby asked if there would be alcohol consumption on the Grapevine Express, and Means said that there would not be, though there might be alcohol consumption at the wineries along the way. The board said ARTS should expedite the implementation of a “Compressed Natural Gas” filling station in Amador County, if the new trolleys are to be used on the Grapevine Express. The trolleys operate on both natural gas and diesel fuel, but must get the natural gas fueled at a station in Roseville, the nearest place to do so. Forster said they did not want to have the trolleys running weekend routes along the Shenandoah Valley while only half-filled with fuel. Means said opening a CNG fueling station could be handled in the next 30 days. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Transportation
Monday, 22 March 2010 01:40
Motorcycle Crashes and Burns After Hitting Deer
Amador County – At about 10 a.m. Friday, a man riding a motorcycle was struck by a fast-moving deer on Highway 49 in Jackson, then the bike slid to a stop and burst into flames. TSPN AMLive host Kam Merzlak recorded the results of the ensuing fire, as the motorcycle burned while laying on the center line of the road. The deer reportedly came from near the Big O Tires building, 705 South Highway 49, in Jackson. The deer reportedly approached the motorcycle at a high rate of speed and slammed into the front wheel of the motorcycle, causing the rider to be ejected. The motorcycle then skidded on its side to a stop, during which time it burst into flames. California Highway Patrol said the deer apparently was startled by the sound of the motorcycle. The deer reportedly got up after the collision and fled the scene. Jackson Police Officer Victor Capaz said it was a total loss of the Harley Davidson motorcycle that was involved in the collision. Capaz made a report, but did not get the name or hometown of the rider of the motorcycle. He said the collision occurred in front of Big O Tires on Highway 49, and all he knew was that a motorcycle hit a deer. Capaz said there were no arrests and no witnesses to the incident, and the deer was gone when he arrived. The Harley Davidson came to a rest in the middle of Highway 49, and was still on fire when Capaz arrived. Someone doused the fire using a fire extinguisher. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 22 March 2010 01:30
Regional Tranportation Plan Roundtable Debut is Rocky
Amador County – The Amador County Transportation Commission heard that its Regional Transportation Plan update has met some discord in the first gathering of its “Stakeholder Roundtable.” ACTC Program Manager Neil Peacock said that he was not expecting as much confrontation in the first meeting of the RTP “Stakeholder Roundtable.” He sought “consensus building,” but after spending 25 minutes discussing where the group should meet, he exercised the authority to call for a vote. He said after picking a central location in Jackson for meeting, people from groups in the Upcountry said it was “an undue hardship to meet in Jackson.” Peacock said they will meet the 2nd Wednesday of every month “for the duration of the project,” and will meet at 6 p.m. at the government services administration building. ACTC board member John Plasse asked if the dialogue, motions and voting in the first roundtable meeting were open to both primary members and alternates. Plasse said they “need to stick to primary” members for voting and making motions. Peacock said he appreciated the board direction. He said all attendees were allowed to speak because he “wanted to hear from all members,” and he “didn’t think it would be so contentious.” He intended to use a “caucus,” or a dialogue between primary and alternate members, but he did not get to that point. He said the meeting had already gone past the intended ending time. Supervisor Richard Forster said the roundtable idea started with 24 members, but became 15. And with alternates in attendance, became 30 members at the first meeting. John Carlson of the Upcountry Community Council said the argument about location was whether the roundtable meetings should circulate around the county and meet at different locations. He also questioned the alternate status of some groups, including his group and Amador Citizens for Smart Growth, and the primary status of others, such as Foothill Conservancy. Regarding roundtable membership, Plasse said they were “recognizing this board’s decision to have 15 stakeholders.” Forster said he liked the idea of having a central, primary meeting place for the roundtable, with rotating alternate meeting places at different places around the county. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Transportation
Friday, 19 March 2010 06:00
ARTS hears About Mobility Management Dept.
Amador County – The Amador Regional Transit System board of directors heard an update on a new Mobility Management program that was announced earlier this month. The board at its regular meeting Wednesday heard from new ARTS Mobility Manager Mel Welsh, who said the program actually began with a September 2009 federal grant that gives the program $250,000 over 2 years. Welsh said the grant was administered by the California Department of Transportation, and the department had already submitted an application for another 2-year grant. Welsh said programs offered through mobility management are trip planning, “Google Transit,” travel training, and programs through Sutter Amador Hospital and volunteer drivers. She said some projects include a volunteer fair; the “Sierra Wind, Wellness & Recovery Center;” adult GEDs; and Earth Day events. The department is also working on partnerships with Calaveras Transit and Tuolumne Transit; and was accepted as a training associate for Motherlode Job Training. Welsh said her assistant Caitlin Grillo had also identified out-of-date, or un-dated ARTS manuals, and a project would update those for a “comprehensive resource manual.” Transit board member Supervisor Richard Forster said mobility management is also about making services and solutions cost-effective, and because ARTS does not have as much money, they should make it work for the customers and for the transit board. Supervisor John Plasse said ridership in the county continues to decline, and mobility management should make sure funds are being used in the most cost-effective way. He said a bus will never work for everyone, and a public subsidy does not mean “bailing out” a gambler from Oakland who over-extended herself at the casino and cannot get home. Welsh said among her biggest effort areas would be the Sierra Wind project, and a planned “social services roundtable.” She said Mobility Management will especially help elderly, low-income and handicapped people. But it will also help anyone wanting to learn about mass transit or other transit. She said it will be involved with community agencies and non-profits “to assist with mobility issues and find solutions.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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