News Archive (6192)
Amador County – The Ione Police Department said it took “more meth off the streets” early Monday in Ione. The IPD stopped a vehicle early Monday for a minor vehicle code violation and “again intercepted methamphetamine being transported through the city.”
IPD Chief Michael L. Johnson said meth busts are “quickly becoming a common practice in Ione.”
He said “an IPD Officer stopped a vehicle for a minor California Vehicle Code infraction,” and the “officer soon discovered the driver was operating the vehicle with a suspended license.”
“A search of the vehicle led to additional problems for the driver,” Johnson said. The driver, Bert Cherry, 42, “was placed in custody after IPD officers recovered methamphetamine and associated drug paraphernalia from the vehicle.”
Cherry was booked into the Amador County Jail on charges for felony drug possession and transportation of drugs. Cherry’s vehicle was impounded for vehicle code violations.
Johnson said: “Ione police officers are continuing their aggressive proactive enforcement efforts to combat drug infiltration in the city of Ione.” He said three recent meth-related arrests indicate an increase in such illegal activity in the area.
He said: “Although I do not necessarily think this is a new phenomenon in Ione, I do think the frequency has increased.” He said Ione police officer “are trained well and becoming more comfortable at drug related enforcement.”
“As their expertise continues to improve,” the chief said, he suspected “the arrests will continue to come in.” Cherry’s arrest makes for the third meth-related incident in Ione reported in less than a month.
The incidents have resulted in felony charges for three men, and misdemeanor marijuana possession charges for one woman.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador Public Library new shelves stand with $12K in donations
Written by Tom
Amador County – A “shelving campaign” last week realized the first phase of its project with installation of $12,665 worth of new shelves in the children’s section of the Amador County Library Main Branch in Jackson.
Monday, October 4th, the library held “Snapshot: One Day in the Life of California Libraries,” celebrated throughout the state with programs and exhibits. Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency’s Robin Valencia discussed techniques to keep children safe “in a changing environment.”
The event also had a dog that encourages children to read, and Smokey the Bear taught fire safety. They also gave information on library programs and resources.
Susan Staggs, president of Friends of the Amador County Library, said the big event of the day was unveiling the new children’s section shelving.
Friends of Amador County Library “was able to purchase the shelving through donations.” Jackson Rancheria Casino & Hotel gave $7,500. The Library Improvement Fund Taskforce contributed $2,665; Mother Lode Newcomers Club gave $2,000; and the “shelving campaign” received “an anonymous donation of $500.”
Fran Weinrob, President of Mother Lode Newcomers, attended the unveiling, as did Amador County Supervisor John Plasse (of District 1) and Supervisor Board Chairman Brian Oneto (of District 5).
Staggs said the “old shelving was over 45 years old and needed to be replaced for a number of reasons.” The new shelving is “versatile slat-wall shelving.”
She said it is “the correct height so that children of all ages can reach library materials. The books can be displayed on both sides, on tops, and on ends so the library can feature themed books and new arrivals.”
Staggs said the “children’s area is now a much more inviting environment for reading, exploring, and learning.” The new shelves are about 4-and-a-half feet tall, while other new shelves for teens and adult non-fiction sections will be about 6-and-a-half feet tall.
Amador County Librarian Laura Einstadter gave Oneto and Plasse a tour of the library resources. On one tour, she talked about “FACL’s campaign to raise $50,000 for new shelving for the teen and adult non-fiction sections of the library.
The new shelves were installed by the builder. Installation was completed Thursday, September 30th, while the library closed for the day to complete the work, and stock the new shelves.
The children’s section includes 4,000 to 5,000 items for children, and parents. It has an educational computer station donated by FACL. Software includes reading, math, and other lessons.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County – The “Big Crush” event last weekend drew visitors from far and wide to enjoy the best wines, food and live entertainment that Amador County has to offer. Also known as the Amador Vintner’s Harvest Wine Festival, the two-day event featured 34 wineries and was scheduled to align with the fall grape harvest.
The name “Big Crush” refers to a tradition as old as time: when family and friends would gather together to crush the grape harvest with their feet as the first step in the winemaking process. This labor-intensive method is rarely practiced in the modern day, but that doesn’t mean there was any shortage of harvesting activities. Thousands of guests were able to watch the harvesting process in full swing while sampling the fruits of that labor.
“We usually host the event at the end of our harvest season, but the weather this year delayed the process and allowed guests to view grape picking and harvesting activities they wouldn’t normally see,” said Jaime Lubenko, Executive Director of the Amador Vintner’s Association.
The variety of featured entertainment was as diverse as the wineries themselves. Vino Noceto winery featured the rockin’ blues of The Esquires, while an authentic mariachi band and tamales were the featured attraction at Borjon Winery just down the road.
“This whole event really gives me an idea of just how much work goes into making these wines and what a fun process it really is,” said Gina Cherrystone, an Ione resident. “We’ve been to six wineries so far and each one makes me more curious about what the next one has to offer.”
Lubenko said it is premature to calculate attendance and sales numbers, but presales were higher this year than in previous years. Overall, more people attended the event Saturday than Sunday. She said the rain that hit the area Saturday night and gray skies Sunday morning may have deterred some people from coming on the second day.
The profits generated from the event cover approximately 80 percent of the operating costs for the Amador Vintner’s Association.
Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sutter Creek Council appoints Rabe as next city manager
Written by Tom
Amador County – Acting City Manager Sean Rabe officially took over for his long-time friend and mentor, succeeding to the position of City Manager of Sutter Creek.
Mayor Gary Wooten announced the appointment Monday, saying the Sutter Creek City Council had evaluated Rabe’s job performance in closed session earlier Monday.
Wooten said: “I’m proud to announce” Sean Rabe “has been appointed our city manager effective today.”
All five city council members stood to applaud Rabe after the announcement. Wooten said: “For those of you who did not know, Sean interviewed for the county (chief administrative officer) position.” Wooten said: “I went to church and prayed he wouldn’t get it.”
The mayor said he had tough shoes to fill, taking over for former City Manager and Police Chief Rob Duke, but Rabe successfully did so three months ago as acting city manager.
Duke is a long-time friend and mentor of Rabe, who grew up in Sutter Creek, and covered the city council as a newspaper reporter.
Rabe said he was happy to be with the city, and ready to face upcoming challenges. He said he was glad the CAO position at the county didn’t work out.
Planning Commissioner Mike Kirkley in public comment said “it has been a breath of fresh air working with Sean,” whom he said brings more transparency to city hall than he felt with Duke.
Kirkley said the only drawback he felt was that Rabe recently bought a house in West Sacramento.
Also Monday, the city council OK’d a request for proposals for public works services in the city. Staff must clarify what “prevailing wages” are in the RFPs.
City Attorney Derek Cole said “any public work as defined under state law must pay prevailing wage,” as determined by the California director of industrial relations, by area throughout the state.
Councilman Pat Crosby said it meant basically paying San Francisco wages in Sutter Creek. Vice Mayor Tim Murphy also asked Rabe to ensure the RFPs included a statement that the city could accept or reject all or part of proposals it receives.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
El Dorado County RAC accepts proposals for National Forest lands projects
Written by Tom
Amador County - The El Dorado County Resource Advisory Committee is accepting proposals for projects that benefit National Forest lands in El Dorado County.
The committee currently has $500,000 available to recommend projects to the Eldorado National Forest and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Forest Supervisors for implementation on their respective units. Additional funds will be available after January.
RAC funds were made available under Title II of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act of 2008 which spells out how the funds can be spent. The Act says funds may be used for the purpose of making additional investments in, and creating additional employment opportunities through, projects that improve the maintenance of existing infrastructure, implement stewardship objectives that enhance forest ecosystems, and restore and improve land health and water quality.
The purpose of the El Dorado County Resource Advisory Committee is to recommend funding of eligible projects to the Forest Supervisors of Eldorado National Forest and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. The next scheduled RAC meeting is October 18 at the El Dorado Center, Folsom Lake College, in the Community Room, beginning at 6 pm. Project proposal presentations to the RAC will begin on January 24, 2011 at the same location and time.
The deadline for applications is December 1, 2010. Applications, instructions, project evaluation considerations and other information are found on the Eldorado National Forest website: www.fs.fed.us/r5/eldorado.
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Sacramento – Two bipartisan governmental reform measures authored by 3rd District Assemblymember and Amador County representative Alyson Huber were signed last week by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
AB 1659 and AB 2130 will “create a process to conduct comprehensive and regular reviews of the state’s many boards, commissions, agencies and departments,” said Jennifer Wonnacott, Huber’s spokeswoman, in a release. If entities cannot demonstrate they are being effective and efficient, they will be automatically eliminated.
The governor’s signature completes the final step in the legislative process. The bill previously passed the legislature with strong bipartisan support.
“The Legislature creates new boards and commissions to solve a problem. Far too often, there is no on-going oversight of the newly created bureaucracy to ensure it actually solved the problem it was created to solve. The lack of accountability has been studied and known for years yet no action had been taken, until now,” said Assemblymember Alyson Huber.
She said the review process, known as the sunset review process, “finally gives us the tools we need to really cut down on waste.”
Both bills were co-authored with bipartisan support from Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) and Assemblymember Roger Niello (R-Fair Oaks). The bills will make California the latest state to implement a sunset review process.
Texas’ Sunset Advisory Commission created in 1978 saves $27 for each dollar spent on the Commission. Furthermore, total savings achieved by the Commission equals roughly 5 percent of the state's budget – in California 5 percent is $4 billion.
The Little Hoover Commission issued a report in 1989 which found that, “California's multi-level, complex governmental structure today includes more than 400 boards, commissions, authorities, associations, councils and committees. These plural bodies operate to a large degree autonomously and outside of the normal checks and balances of representative government.” The Commission concluded that “the state's boards, commissions and similar bodies are proliferating without adequate evaluation of need, effectiveness and efficiency.”
Huber said, “These bills show that when Democrats and Republicans works together we can take steps in the right direction to achieving the change our state desperately needs.”
In related news, Huber will visit Amador County on Tuesday (October 5th). She will be interviewed here on TSPN for the noon news. She will also be touring the Amador County Interfaith Food Bank at 8:30am and in the evening will be participating in the Amador Child Care Council's Candidate Forum at 6:30pm.
Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
2 arrested at Jackson Rancheria on drug charges, resisting arrest
Written by Tom
Amador County – An Ione man and an Angels Camp woman were arrested Monday for charges including possession of a controlled substance, providing false identification and resisting arrest after the man was chased through the parking lot at Jackson Rancheria casino.
At approximately 4 am that morning, Jason Lee Rydel, 33, was spotted by a Sheriff’s Deputy while unsuccessfully attempting to break into a locked Ford Explorer in the lower parking lot of the casino complex. The deputy was driving through the parking lot on a routine check. Rydel claimed the vehicle belonged to his girlfriend and he was attempting to break in because he did not have the keys or the door code. The registration information he provided did not match the name of the person he claimed was his girlfriend.
Rydel then provided the officer with what was supposedly his own name and date of birth, but when no record was located based on that information, Rydel fled the scene on foot.
According to a release from Undersheriff James Wegner: “The subject ran through the parking area, towards New York Ranch Road, then back towards the casino. As the subject fled, the deputy observed him throw an object. The deputy subsequently caught the subject, who was taken into custody without further incident.”
Upon further inspection of the area where Rydel had thrown something, the deputy discovered “a clear plastic baggy containing methamphetamine.”
Rydel’s true identity was subsequently revealed. He was “arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance, providing false identification to a peace officer, and obstructing/resisting a peace officer,” said Wegner.
Jackson Rancheria Security officers advised the deputies that during the incident a woman subject had entered the Ford Explorer and moved objects from that vehicle into a nearby Honda Accord.
“Deputies contacted the female subject who was identified as Michele Elaine Smith, 29, of Angels Camp. They also contacted a female seated within the Honda Accord. The female, a 37 year old from San Andreas, was on active CDC parole,” said Wegner.
A subsequent search of the Honda Accord resulted in the discovery of methamphetamine and methamphetamine paraphernalia that belonged to Smith. A search of the Ford Explorer found unlawfully possessed narcotic prescription medications.
Smith was arrested and charged with possession of controlled substances and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The arresting deputy received assistance from additional Amador County Sheriff’s Deputies, Officers from the Jackson and Sutter Creek Police Department, and Jackson Rancheria Casino Security officers.
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Columbia College gets $1.1M grant for disadvantaged students
Written by Tom
Amador County – Columbia College in Sonora was awarded a $1.1 million federal grant that will be used to expand services to disadvantaged students, the college announced in September.
Coni M. Chavez, executive assistant to the president said Columbia College “has been awarded a $1.1 million, five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education.”
The “Student Support Services” grant will give funding for “increased counseling, advising, and transfer services to students,” Chavez said. The program will also feature group workshops, special activities and events such as field trips to four-year universities. She said the program will “grant aid directly to qualified students.”
The college will hire a full-time faculty counselor/project director and full-time program coordinator to implement the activities.
The Student Support Services grant will be overseen by Dean of Student Services Melissa Raby.
Raby said the “additional funding could not have come at a better time.” She said Columbia College “students really need this extra support, and while our enrollment has been consistently growing over the past few years, our budget has been cut tremendously by the state.”
Chavez said “counselor-student ratios at the college are well beyond generally accepted levels for community colleges,” normally 400 to one. She said Columbia has “only one counselor for every 1,379 students.”
The program will specifically target students that are low-income, disabled, or first-generation college students – each of whom typically experience far lower retention, graduation, transfer, and good academic standing rates other than comparative groups, Chavez said.
In fall of 2008, 1,722 Columbia College students identified themselves as first generation according to a USDE definition, in which neither parent has a bachelor’s degree. The figure represented 73.1 percent of students who provided data regarding their parents’ educational status. Another 43 percent reported meeting low-income criteria, while 14.5 percent reported a disability of some kind.
Director of Development Beccie Michael coordinated the Columbia College grant proposal, which she said “scored 297 points out of 300 possible.”
Michael was hired through another five-year grant to help expand resources available to the college.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County - The Amador Aviation Alliance is inviting the public to come to Westover Field, 12380 Airport Road, Martell on Saturday, October 2nd. Several rotorcraft will be on hand to view and talk to the crew, including the local firefighting helicopters, the local medical helicopter, and tours through the largest helicopter in the US Army's fleet, a California National Guard CH-47D Chinook, with 2 engines, and tandem rotors able to lift 24,000 pounds! Time: Pancake Breakfast 8-10am, Displays 10am to Noon. Individual Helicopters may not be available if called by an emergency. For more information contact Amador Aviation Alliance at (209) 304-2070. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County – The Jackson Business and Community Association (JCBA) will host its membership Kick-Off party on Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 6 pm in Thomi’s Café, 627 South Highway 49 in Jackson. The new association is open to all Jackson business owners and to all others who live in Jackson or are interested in Jackson’s future vitality. This is a city-wide group, described as “neighbors joining with neighbors in the old-fashioned Jackson way to work together for the good of the business, civic and cultural communities.” The JCBA encourages everyone to come October 14 to Thomi’s and check out what the future can hold for Jackson. Patrick Crew, Jackson City Council member and long-time involved resident and business owner, says “I feel this city-wide association will be an important addition to our city’s future. The Kick-Off Party is only a few weeks away. Do not miss this event!” The JCBA invites you to meet your neighbors and share your ideas while enjoying an evening of hosted hor d’oeuvres, wine and music by Over the Edge. For further information contact Patti Busch at 209-223-5830 or 209-217-4719. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
