News Archive (6192)
Amador County – Multiple assailants left a man with a broken jaw after an attack Tuesday on French Bar Road in Jackson.
Jackson Police Captain Christy Stidger said police were looking for multiple assailants in an assault with “great bodily injury,” after receiving a call at 8:27 p.m. Tuesday of a report of “assault with a deadly weapon,” at 541 South Highway 49, at the Taco Bell in Jackson, after which the assailants left together in a van.
Stidger said “officers located the victim, Jeffrey Scharnow, on French Bar Road just east of Highway 49. Scharnow had been assaulted by approximately six to seven male subjects. A witness described Scharnow as being knocked down” like “a rag doll” and “being unable to get up again.”
Scharnow, 19, and an Amador County resident, was “transported to Sutter Amador Hospital and later flown out to Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Sacramento,” Stidger said. “The victim’s injuries consisted of a broken jaw, facial abrasions and lacerations. Other possible injuries had not been confirmed” as of Tuesday at noon. Scharnow could not tell law enforcement anything at the time due to his injuries.
Edwin Garcia, public affairs officer with Kaiser Permanente said that he remained in fair condition late Wednesday afternoon at Kaiser South Sacramento Medical Center.
Stidger said in the report that no weapons were seen or located at the scene, and “according to witnesses, all of the subjects jumped into the van, and the driver of the van left” headed south on Highway 49 “at a high rate of speed.
“One subject was described as a white male adult, 18-20 years old, wearing a red shirt, black shorts, and a black hat. Another suspect is described as a Mexican male adult, about 5-feet, 7-inches tall, 140-150 pounds, wearing a gray shirt with the ‘Element’ logo,” for skate equipment. “A third suspect is described as a white male adult, 5-feet, 7-inches tall, blond hair, blue eyes, wearing a white T-shirt and unknown color shorts.”
JPD said the investigation is ongoing, with several leads. Anyone who may have witnessed the altercation or can provide any additional information is asked to contact the JPD at (209) 223-1771.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Supervisors look at General Services during Tuesday budget work
Written by Tom
Amador County – Cuts in some “extra help” personnel were among the discussion Tuesday during budget work by the Amador County Board of Supervisors.
General Services Administration Director John Hopkins presented the various departments in the GSA, with department heads. Animal Control Officer John Vail said “two extra help positions are marked to be eliminated,” including an animal care technician, and an animal control officer position held by Jennifer Mason. Instead of eliminating the position, supervisors chose to remove funding, but leave the position, to make it easier if they need to bring her back, because it would leave the department with only one animal control officer.
Vail said Mason has much experience and can typically handle an after-hours call by herself, and knows the livestock owners all around the county. Supervisor Brian Oneto agreed, saying that Mason could look at the animals and know that the owner might be at the coffee shop, or elsewhere to find them, and “that’s invaluable experience.” Oneto said they should hold the budget line for her.
County Administrative Officer Chuck Iley said they can leave one position open, and remove the funding and “they will have met their goal,” to meet and not exceed last year’s budget reductions.
Hopkins said they can leave the position vacant and not funded, and then if they need to, “they can come back to Chuck and say: We really need the body.” He said leaving the vacancy means they would not need to re-advertise to fill it.
Supervisors also discussed the Amador County Airport budget, and Hopkins said it is the only “enterprise fund” that the county has, meaning it “has to be self-sustaining.”
Supervisor Ted Novelli said the gas tank is the biggest cost difficulty for the Airport, whose Director Dave Shephard said the tank debt has a balance of $70,598, at 5 percent interest. Oneto asked about fuels sales, and Shepherd said they are not selling more fuel, it just costs more. Aviation gas is $5.70 a gallon, and jet fuel is $5.20 a gallon.
He said the Airport has benefited from improvements and renting by CAL-STAR helicopter ambulance service. Shepherd said he is also looking for Federal Aviation Administration grants, for which he is able to fill matches with the department.
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Sheriff Swift Water Team rescues man from Mokelumne river
Written by Tom
Amador County – The Amador County Sheriff’s Department’s “swift water rescue team” helped save a man from the middle of the Mokelumne River last weekend after he became stranded in a tree by fast-flowing water.
Amador County Undersheriff Jim Wegner released details of the incident Wednesday, saying that at about 4 p.m. Saturday, the “Sheriff’s 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Center received a call reporting a male subject was stuck in a tree, in the middle of the Mokelumne River,” about “2 miles east of Highway 49 on Electra Road.”
Amador Deputies, CHP, American Legion Ambulance and fire personnel from Cal Fire, Jackson and Sutter Creek responded. Wegner said “the stranded individual was part of a group which had been tubing down the river. He became stranded after falling off his tube and being pushed into the tree by the force of the water.” The man “was not wearing a floatation device or any protective equipment. The river level was extremely high and the flow was determined to be approximately 4,800 cubic feet per second, making the river very dangerous.”
Wegner said “CHP closed Electra Road, and fire department personnel cleared the river bank of brush and acted as downstream support, while members of the Amador County Sheriff’s Swift Water Rescue Unit prepared to recover, 30 year old Oakland resident Hamid Aghdael.
“An experienced kayaker known to the swift water rescue team was recreating in the area and assisted the team by delivering a personal floatation device and rope to Aghdael. A Sheriff’s Sergeant then swam to Aghdael, conducted a quick evaluation of Aghdael and briefed him on what to do and what to expect during the rescue.
“The swift water rescue team then used ropes and the river’s current to pendulum Aghdael and the Sergeant to the shore. Aghdael was checked by American Legion Ambulance personnel at the scene and released.
Amador County Sheriff Martin Ryan said “the rescue was successful due to the collaborative efforts of all the rescuers and first responders.” He also wanted to “remind everyone that the elevated river levels, very cold water temperature and high flow rate create very hazardous conditions.”
Ryan encouraged people to “enjoy recreating on the county waterways, but to be safe, not to underestimate the force of the water or overestimate your experience or capabilities, and always wear appropriate safety equipment including a personal floatation device.”
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Ione City Council hears of recall, approves sewer contract talks
Written by Tom
Amador County – Ione City Council on Tuesday approved initiation of a contract with PERC Water to design, build, finance and operate a new wastewater treatment plant. The vote was 3-1 with one abstention. Mayor David Plank, Andrea Bonham and Daniel Epperson voted yes; Vice Mayor Ron Smylie voted no; and Lloyd Oneto abstained.
Also Tuesday, the group “Voice in Ione” led by James Nevin filed a notice of their intention to circulate a recall petition against Plank. The filing said Plank “supported economic policies that have drained our city’s ‘Total Cash and Investments’ from $9 million dollars in 2006 to $2.3 million in 2011,” and “approved the current Ione City Budget which was revealed to be $199,999 deficit the night of your vote.”
Nevin in the filing said Plank “without fail supported the former Ione’s City Manager’s financial agenda, characterized in” her own words as “spending more than we’re taking in.”
Nevin’s filing said: “Without seeking either alternatives or competitive bids you have pressed for the construction of a new $17 million dollar wastewater plant which would require tripling current sewer rates to finance.”
The notice said he “approved spending of over $850,000 in legal fees during the past three years,” and a contract “extension which could increase the Police Chief’s pension by up to 38 percent.”
Nevin in the filing said as Mayor, Plank “alone denied an Ione citizen his Constitutional Right to freely express his opinion before the City Council,” and “violated the Constitution, your Oath of Office and the trust of the people.”
Plank will have 10 days to file a reply. The Council did not discuss the notice Tuesday, but some issues were addressed in discussion of the wastewater plant contract. One included the estimated cost of $17 million. City Manager Kim Kerr said the cost of the new wastewater treatment plant would not be known until 30 percent of the project is designed. She said the capacity of the proposed project was reduced from 4.8 million gallons a day to 533,000 gallons a day.
Regarding competitive bidding, City Attorney Kristen Castanos said a Request for Proposals was not required for a project that is “Design-Build-Finance-Operate.” Kerr said it is a “public-private partnership.” Castanos said nevertheless, RFPs went out and three companies made proposals, but two took themselves out of contention.
A Teichert representative said they pulled out because the market uncertainty of a 30-year agreement with the city. He said they came back to the last meeting because he heard there might be 30 percent design contract.
PERC’s representative, Bob Gillette, said the company stands by its proposal, which includes getting the new sewer plant designed, built, financed and operating for 30 days before the city has to make any payment. The cost share is part of the contract negotiation, which is the next step, Kerr said.
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Roaring Camp says dredging law change could impact camp, county economy
Written by Tom
Amador County – Members of family-run Roaring Camp gold mine and dredging operation in Amador County said last week that a potential law change in the suction dredge mining industry would affect their 55-year-old business, which could have a rippling impact on Amador County economics.
Dennis Rodman said Roaring Camp is the only road access into the Pine Grove stretch of the Mokelumne River, and people regularly come to do suction dredging and pan for gold. He said they have their own mining claim and deed, and they can also give access to claims on Bureau of Land Management property along the River.
“We get people literally from all over the world,” Rodman said, thanks to the Travel Channel.
They have had three generations of visitors to mine at Roaring Camp, as well as to work there. His dad, Elton, founded Pine Acres and Roaring Camp in 1956. Rodman’s son Mike and sister Kim now run Roaring Camp, with Elton, who is 92 and still works there. Rodman said “the grandchildren work there in the summer time,” so that is the third generation, and his son’s wife is expecting, the potential fourth generation for Roaring Camp. He said “it has always been a family-run operation.”
Rodman said he started school in 1950 at Pine Grove Elementary, and graduated from Amador High. His kids also went to the schools.
Roaring Camp has been on a regular program on the Travel Channel a couple of different times, one of their rotating programs. Rodman said “we were part of the Treasure Hunter show,” which has given the camp a wide presence and helped it draw tourists.
Rodman said: “That’s the hardest thing about losing this suction dredge mining on the river because it discourages the gold mining” and tourism and the economy would be hurt. He said backers of the law change say there are 4,000 suction mining permits in California, but that’s just a small part of the industry’s impacts on the state economy.
He said Sierra House restaurant in Pine Grove “is just packed with Roaring Camp visitors on Sundays,” when the week switches over. They come into the county, stay somewhere in the county over the weekend, and leave early Sunday morning.
Rodman said “every dollar is worth seven because the money gets re-spent in the county” and “that’s a huge amount of money to a county that’s a small as ours.” He said tourism is a big industry for Amador County, and every attraction is important.
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Amador County suit may have CDCR looking at a “warm closure” of Preston
Written by Tom
Amador County – Discussion of the pending closure of Preston Correctional Youth Facility last week included the difference between a “cold closure” or a “warm closure,” the latter having less impact on potential restart, due to regulations.
In a presentation to the Amador County Board of Supervisors, Dr. Oral Custer of the Sierra Historical Consortium said he has “heard that the state will take responsibility for a warm closure” of Preston. Amador County Counsel Greg Gillott said: “We are in discussion” with CDCR, and “there has been no agreement and no resolution.”
Supervisor Chairman John Plasse said he also has “heard that the state is considering a warm closure,” in lieu of the county’s suit under the California Environmental Quality Act, and not “cold closure,” as proposed before. But he has seen “nothing on paper yet.”
Custer said “we’re not going to get any leadership from the state.” He doubted that the court in the county’s suit would not do what the county needs, and have the “state keep the property warm and protect it through the end of the year.”
Plasse said that is why Amador Supervisors supported Assemblywoman Alyson Huber’s Assembly Bill 8, “which would have given more time to find solutions to keep Preston open,” with a 6-month delay. Plasse said he “attended the AB-8 hearing and it was very unceremoniously dismissed, because of support by unions,” intent on “keeping opportunities to transfer in place,” by “giving the appearance that they were not bucking their employers’ wishes.”
Supervisor Brian Oneto said he was “kind of curious to know how much it would cost to keep the facility in place.” Plasse said it would cost $800,000 “just to keep it warm.”
Supervisor Ted Novelli said he would like to see the hidden cost and agendas that the state has to keep it open. He said he likes the idea of keeping our youths here, rather than sending them out of the county, but the costs have caused closures, and “we have been losing these facilities since 2000.” He said they “don’t see a lot of prisons privatizing.”
Custer pointed to Rite of Passage in Calaveras County as one instance of privatizing. He said CDCR was going to announce another closure last Wednesday, and “it is looking in the future like Pine Grove will stop being a juvenile facility.”
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Three crashes involving alleged drunk drivers occurred last weekend
Written by Tom
Amador County – Three people were arrested on charges of Driving Under the Influence of alcohol after vehicle crashes last weekend, including one man which left a male passengers with major injuries.
The California Highway Patrol released details of the three crashes Monday, including one that occurred at about 6:45 p.m. Sunday on Highway 49, south of Bell Road.
The driver, Cole Gabree, 22, of Pioneer, was arrested for felony DUI, after the 2002 Subaru he was driving crashed and caused injuries to the driver and three passengers.
CHP said it was a solo vehicle crash, and Gabree and his passengers had been “at the river,” drinking beer. Gabree was driving south on Highway 49 and allowed the vehicle to drift onto the right shoulder. The vehicle then went out of control, veered across the roadway and ran off the east side of Highway 49 where it hit a tree.
Gabree and two passengers were airlifted to three different hospitals. The driver had minor injuries and was transported to Mercy San Juan Hospital. Passenger John Thornock, 25, of Sutter Creek, had minor injuries, and was transported to Sutter Roseville Hospital. Steven Rodriquez, 22, of Pioneer, also had minor injuries, and was transported to Sutter Amador Hospital. Nicholas Moore, 31, of Amador City, sustained major injuries, and was transported to U.C. Davis Medical Center.
Another solo-vehicle DUI crash occurred at about 9:55 p.m. Sunday on Bobbie Lane, north of Highway 26. CHP said Donald Keeling, 52, of Jackson, was arrested for a DUI at the scene. Keeling was south-bound on Bobbie Lane driving a 1990 Chevy pickup truck, and “due to his level of intoxication, he ran off the road and collided with a tree.”
CHP also reported a DUI arrest at 1:55 a.m. Saturday, at Highway 88, east of Court Street. CHP said James Scott Glenn, 26, of Mountain Ranch, was driving a 1997 Honda Civic east on Highway 88. “CHP initiated an enforcement stop,” and Glenn “yielded onto the right shoulder and failed to come to a complete stop, before colliding with a paddle marker.” Glenn was arrested for driving while under the influence of an alcoholic beverage.
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Amador County – Last week, Amador County Board of Supervisors heard a presentation from Dr. Oral Custer for “repurposing” the Preston Correctional Youth Facility, which is slated for closure at the end of June.
Supervisor Richard Forster recused himself “because the county is still in active litigation with the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation.”
Custer, a consulting psychologist and member of the Sierra Historical Consortium, went through a list of some alternative uses for Preston, as suggested by the public and by Preston Castle volunteers. Among those was “potential for refurbishing the institution.”
He said some options could be use by the School District, for classes or an occupational center. He said Preston has an “industrial arts facility that is just outstanding,” including masonry, auto body, mechanics and computer repair. With dorms, it could be used as a residential college, a specialized training institute, or a private college arranged through the county.
Preston’s three areas, he said, include the castle, the prison area, and staff housing. He said it could easily become a fire training center, or could be home to a regional training school for heavy equipment operations, like the one planning to relocate to Amador County, between Plymouth and Ione.
Supervisor Chairman John Plasse said he and Supervisor Brian Oneto toured Preston with the Rancho Murieta training school official. Plasse and Oneto thought it would meet the needs, with its classrooms, dormitories, shops, cafeteria, and kitchen. Plasse said: “Apparently he was not as impressed that it was as good a fit for his needs as we were.”
Custer said “I’m really impressed with your knowledge” on the subject, and he suggested that they “try to get minimum security youths” for incarceration at Preston.
Supervisor Ted Novelli said: “I’ve told the last four probation chiefs that I would rather have our youths stay here than send them to another county.” He said all four have told him “it would cost the county too much money.”
Custer suggested that the 104-bed Preston would be ideal for a fire training center: They “just need to take down the razor wire.”
Custer said the most viable uses of Preston appeared to be as a fire training center or as a regional juvenile service center. Plasse said it has been battered about. Supervisor Ted Novelli said there has been an invitation by Sen. Ted Gaines for the “county to hold a workshop to discuss ideas for the purposes of refurbishing Preston.
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Amador County – Amador County Probation Chief Mark Bonini gave an idea of the workload his office faces Tuesday when the Amador County Board of Supervisors was considering a draft budget for 2011-2012.
The Probation Chief came to Supervisors with a budget that was $130,000 over what the Board requested that Probation meet. Supervisor Richard Forster said Supervisors needed a better idea of the workload the Probation department faces.
Bonini said when he took over as chief in 2007, he attempted to backfill two vacant positions. Instead, department hiring was frozen. Probation now has been down three positions since October 2008. He said: “There are 11 of us, and that once was 14,” a 21 percent reduction of probation officers in three years, and a 57 percent reduction of support staff in that time, another seven people were lost.
The reduction in staff has been done with creative ways to oversee people on probation. They have also turned over eight vehicles, given to other county departments. He said “I don’t have any vacant or unfunded positions.”
Forster said “caseloads are pretty extreme that officers are carrying.” Bonini said people who have not worked in Probation would think the caseloads were not possible. Two officers supervise 280 felons, or about 140 each. Another officer is handling 480 cases, and “if a person gets in trouble, we have to file violations.”
Two officers cover courts, for violations in court; and two handle 90 juvenile cases, from beginning to end. Those include contact with family, schools, and the offenders, “so caseload numbers have to be reduced.” Bonini said a “Youthful Offender Block Grant” has helped fund and put in place an automated check-in system for youths to ease the workload.
Supervisor Chairman John Plasse said the budget shortfall “comes down to a decision by this board.” He said they could ask Bonini to see about continuing with a 36-hour work week, or it might be equivalent to laying off one officer.
Supervisor Brian Oneto said he would like Bonini to go back and work to try to bring the number down. Forster said they should also try to get the union to consider the issue of work week hours.
Plasse said “our desire is to retain jobs and not send people home, and it’s a lot easier to help those that help themselves.”
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Amador County – Sutter Creek City Council approved a preliminary budget Monday that may come to have another city officer, but might mean a loss of participation in the county narcotics officer program.
Sutter Creek Police Chief Brian Klier said the budget did not include the Amador County Combined Narcotics Enforcement Taskforce officer, which was funded by a grant, and the City Council intends to bring that city officer back to the SCPD.
During budget discussion, Klier told the council that with the two major cases, the murder at Days Inn, and the stabbing at Amador High School both fell on his shift, and he put in a lot of extra work on that. He said it would be nice to have the officers to delegate work.
City Manager Sean Rabe said the budget anticipates losing the ACCNET funding. Mayor Tim Murphy said the city should consider withdrawing from ACCNET and “use this person to beef up coverage,” and help the police department and the chief. Murphy said they would not have all of the program’s funding, and he would like to notify the Amador County Sheriff’s Office that they might have to pull out the city’s funds.
Rabe said “frankly, I think you are right.” Murphy said they need to talk to the chief about it. Klier said two years ago, the ACCNET program had funding for two city officers. He said if no money comes into the program, it had money to fund the officers for two weeks in July before funds ran out.
Klier said there was a possibility that there could be a $50,000 chunk in the last quarter of this fiscal year that could fund the first quarter of 2011-2012, “and keep those two officers there.” He said the contract for the Jackson Police officer has one more year, and the Sutter Creek officer would be released July 1st.
The Chief said “the two biggest cases this year have fallen on my shift and I would love to be an administrative shift worker who could delegate.”
Klier said the May incident log included 484 service calls, including 74 calls from citizens, and 410 initiated by officers. There were 97 vehicle stops, and 28 citations issued. He said 19 arrests were made, including 4 felonies.
Two burglaries and eight thefts were reported, and investigators looked at two incidents involving drugs or narcotics, and one report of child abuse.
Klier said as a result of accepting a grant from the Jackson Rancheria, he will be ordering a new vehicle and equipment very soon.
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