Tom
Friday, 19 February 2010 00:59
School District Budget Deficit Could Lead to Layoffs
Amador County – The Amador County Unified School District faces a budget deficit of over $8.2 million in the 2009-2010 fiscal year, according to an internal report discussed during the department’s regular meeting last week. The widening deficit is calculated based on projected versus actual funding from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal. Another $5.6 million is expected to be added to the difference between projected versus actual funding in 2010-2011, increasing the total deficit to $13.9 million by next year. Superintendent Dick Glock said this spells bad news for local education and job security. “What we’re probably going to have to do is layoffs, and we don’t know yet how severe those will be,” he said. The Amador County Unified School District board must vote whether to send out precautionary layoff notices, with a final determination to be made by May 1st. The projected funding for 2010-2011 is $26,464,047; more than $5.6 million more than what actual funding is expected from the state. Actual funding determinations are based on ADA, or Actual Daily Attendance. “This is the part that’s really sad because everyone’s done a great job and the thanks they get is some sort of reduction,” said Glock. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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News Archive
Friday, 19 February 2010 00:57
National Study Ranks Amador County as the 20th Healthiest County in California
Amador County - Amador County is the 20th healthiest county in California according to recently released rankings of a national analysis of health factors. The study, undertaken by the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, examined all counties in the United States, measuring each county using national benchmarks. “Our overall results were good,” said Dr. Bob Hartmann, Amador County Public Health Officer. “We are 4th best in Morbidity, a broad measure that represents health-related quality of life.” In addition, Amador County ranks 18th in Health Outcomes and 22nd in Health Factors. Health Outcomes looks at death rates and morbidity. Health Factors focuses on healthy behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and the physical environment. The County places 12th in Clinical Care and 22nd in Social and Economic Factors. The Physical Environment ranking is 31st. This measure encompasses air quality and the built environment. “As our county grows, we should have opportunities to improve this area,” adds Hartmann. “The main value is that this study shows where we can improve,” Hartmann points out. “Amador’s lowest ranking is Health Behaviors which measures obesity, smoking, alcohol use and unsafe sex. We need to develop more effective prevention strategies to improve these factors.” The Public Health Department plans to look at the ranking data in more detail. “We can be proud of where we are in many areas, but there are always opportunities to work with our community partners to improve the health of our citizens,” says Hartmann. Details of the study can be found at http://www.countyhealthrankings.org. A TSPN TV Report This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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News Archive
Friday, 19 February 2010 04:59
Jerry Cassesi - Friends of Amador County 2-19-10
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News Interview Videos
Friday, 19 February 2010 00:43
Amador County News TSPN TV with Alan Sprenkel 2-19-10
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News Broadcast Videos
Friday, 19 February 2010 00:59
School District Budget Deficit Could Lead to Layoffs
Amador County – The Amador County Unified School District faces a budget deficit of over $8.2 million in the 2009-2010 fiscal year, according to an internal report discussed during the department’s regular meeting last week. The widening deficit is calculated based on projected versus actual funding from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal. Another $5.6 million is expected to be added to the difference between projected versus actual funding in 2010-2011, increasing the total deficit to $13.9 million by next year. Superintendent Dick Glock said this spells bad news for local education and job security. “What we’re probably going to have to do is layoffs, and we don’t know yet how severe those will be,” he said. The Amador County Unified School District board must vote whether to send out precautionary layoff notices, with a final determination to be made by May 1st. The projected funding for 2010-2011 is $26,464,047; more than $5.6 million more than what actual funding is expected from the state. Actual funding determinations are based on ADA, or Actual Daily Attendance. “This is the part that’s really sad because everyone’s done a great job and the thanks they get is some sort of reduction,” said Glock. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Education
Friday, 19 February 2010 00:57
National Study Ranks Amador County as the 20th Healthiest County in California
Amador County - Amador County is the 20th healthiest county in California according to recently released rankings of a national analysis of health factors. The study, undertaken by the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, examined all counties in the United States, measuring each county using national benchmarks. “Our overall results were good,” said Dr. Bob Hartmann, Amador County Public Health Officer. “We are 4th best in Morbidity, a broad measure that represents health-related quality of life.” In addition, Amador County ranks 18th in Health Outcomes and 22nd in Health Factors. Health Outcomes looks at death rates and morbidity. Health Factors focuses on healthy behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and the physical environment. The County places 12th in Clinical Care and 22nd in Social and Economic Factors. The Physical Environment ranking is 31st. This measure encompasses air quality and the built environment. “As our county grows, we should have opportunities to improve this area,” adds Hartmann. “The main value is that this study shows where we can improve,” Hartmann points out. “Amador’s lowest ranking is Health Behaviors which measures obesity, smoking, alcohol use and unsafe sex. We need to develop more effective prevention strategies to improve these factors.” The Public Health Department plans to look at the ranking data in more detail. “We can be proud of where we are in many areas, but there are always opportunities to work with our community partners to improve the health of our citizens,” says Hartmann. Details of the study can be found at http://www.countyhealthrankings.org. A TSPN TV Report This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Health
Friday, 19 February 2010 00:55
Ione resident Mounts Drive to replace the Ione Police Department with the Sheriff’s Office
Amador County – An Ione resident and a Jackson Valley resident were authorized Tuesday to mount a signature drive on an initiative that would remove the law enforcement authority of the Ione Police Department and replace it with the Amador County Sheriff’s Office. Jim Scully, a long-time critic of Ione police, and Ione resident Denise Robertson of Stonybrook Road, both requested the city to release a title of the initiative. The city council did so Tuesday, entitling the initiative the “City of Ione Law Enforcement Services Act.” City Clerk Janice Traverso said Scully is not a resident of Ione and is not eligible to sign a petition, but was authorized in a filing by Robertson to gather signatures. In the initiative, Scully and Robertson declare that “it is essential that Ione law enforcement have an open, transparent, and responsible official procedure to receive, investigate and process citizen complaints” regarding “actions by law enforcement.” It lists among its purposes to provide Ione citizens “with law enforcement that would be professional and competent.” It seeks to “transfer responsibility for providing law enforcement service from the Ione Police Department to the Amador County Sheriff’s Department.” Purposes say it would “eliminate redundancy, enhance efficiency and lower the cost of law enforcement,” and “build community trust and support via a formal and responsive citizen complaint system.” The initiative seeks to allow “Ione to use savings to balance the budget or provide other emergency service.” City Attorney Kristen Castanos told the Ione City Council Tuesday it was an illegal and unconstitutional initiative, but state law required release of the title, which initiates the process to collect signatures to place it on a ballot. Castanos said the city reserves “its option to file a lawsuit to challenge this initiative.” Councilman Lee Ard said: “I don’t agree with this at all. I don’t believe that we should put an excellent police department up to public scrutiny, just to satisfy a few people, who don’t have anything better to do than take shots at the city.” Ard said: “I’m totally opposed to this process and I felt that it should have been shut down now, and I’m very disappointed in staff and this council because it was not.” Councilwoman Andrea Bonham said she “will fight tooth-and-nail to keep” the local department, and Mayor Skip Schaufel said “I guarantee that I will want to see this lawsuit follow.” Vice Mayor David Plank said: “This no doubt will require a challenge on the city’s part.” 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
Friday, 19 February 2010 00:52
Ione Attorney Calls Scully Initiative Illegal, Unconstitutional
Amador County – A majority of the Ione City Council vowed Tuesday to fight to protect the Ione Police Department from a citizen-driven initiative to force the sheriff’s office to take over law enforcement in the city of Ione. The fight included filing a lawsuit against the initiative, the proponents of which are now gathering signatures to place it on a ballot before voters. Mayor Skip Schaufel said after closed session that they had authorized City Attorney Kristen Castanos to release a title and summary of a proposed initiative, and issue a report explaining the issue. City Manager Kim Kerr said the council waived attorney-client privileges so Castanos could speak. Castanos said: the city received a “petition for an initiative that proposes to transfer (quote): ‘Law enforcement services’ [unquote] from the city of Ione Police Department to the Amador County Sheriff’s Department.” Castanos said “Per the requirements of the elections code, I was required to provide a title and summary of that initiative to the city clerk by today, which I have done; and your direction in closed session was that title and summary be released to the petitioner so that they can proceed with signature gathering.” Castanos said her “legal review of the initiative” leads her “to believe that the initiative is illegal and unconstitutional for a number of reasons.” She said: “It suffers from being vague because the term ‘Law Enforcement Services” is not defined. It also attempts to compel the county to take an action – that is, take over law enforcement services for the city – and a city initiative does not have the ability to compel the county to take action.” Castanos said: “I believe it’s invalid because” the “right of the city to contract for police services is vested in the council’s discretion, and this initiative therefore is a matter of statewide concern that’s committed to the discretion of the council and not a proper subject for an initiative.” Castanos said it also “interferes with an essential government function by failing to provide for a companion initiative to ensure that law enforcement services will be provided in the city if the initiative passes.” Councilwoman Andrea Bonham asked her to clarify that, and Castanos said: “If it passes and the county refuses to accept service for the city, then the city does not have an ability to provide law enforcement services within the city. Those responsibilities would have been removed from the police department.” Castanos said: “For those reasons, I believe that the initiative is invalid.” 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
Friday, 19 February 2010 00:51
Pioneer Home Searched in Burglary Investigation
Amador County – Amador County Sheriff’s Deputies executed a search warrant February 12 at a home in Pioneer for property reportedly stolen during the burglary of a cabin in Pi-Pi Valley, in El Dorado County, on or about January 29, 2010. Amador County Undersheriff James Wegner said the warrant included a search of one of the home’s residents. The search was conducted in cooperation with Detectives from the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office to execute an El Dorado County Superior Court Search Warrant for the premise at 25241 Highway 88, Pioneer. Wegner said one of two persons suspected to be responsible for the burglary were located and detained at the residence. “A search of the location resulted in the recovery of a substantial quantity of property stolen from the cabin in PiPi Valley, including power tools, hand tools, a video game system, firearms ammunition, and a firearm,” said Wegner. He said five additional firearms, ammunition, suspected cocaine, suspected methamphetamine, drug use paraphernalia, and other property possibly associated with a burglary in Amador County were also located. He said the suspect searched was not arrested by the El Dorado Sheriff’s Deputies, but Amador County Detectives have routed a crime report to the Amador County District Attorney’s Office requesting prosecution based upon the items found at the scene. The report says the subject was a convicted felon in possession of firearms, ammunition, stolen property, a controlled substance, a narcotic controlled substance and other drug paraphernalia. Wegner said Amador County Detectives are conducting a follow up investigation into these subjects possible involvement in an Amador County burglary. Since officers did not arrest the suspect located at the scene, and no arrest warrants had been issued for the suspects, their names are not subject to release. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Law Enforcement
