News Archive (6192)
Monday, 23 August 2010 06:33
Jackson Rancheria Gang Shooter Pleads Guilty, Will Get 22-Year Sentence
Written by Tom
Amador County – A gang member who shot 2 people at the Jackson Rancheria Casino in March made a plea bargain Thursday (August 19th) in exchange for a 22-year prison sentence. Gilbert Zaragoza, 20, a resident of Stockton, “pled guilty to the felony charges of assault with a firearm and child abuse;” and “admitted that he personally used a firearm and committed the assault for the benefit of a criminal street gang,” Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe said in a release. He said “in a separate case, Zaragoza pled guilty to a felony charge of damaging jail property,” and “as a result of the pleas and admissions, Zaragoza will receive 22 years in state prison.” The latter charges stem from an attempted escape from a cell in the Amador County Jail, after his arrest in March. The shooting charges “stem from a gang-related encounter that occurred inside the Jackson Rancheria Casino on March 14th,” when a “group that included Zaragoza, a known member of the Norteno street gang, dressed in predominantly red clothing, approached a group that included people from a rival street gang, which included victims Hamid Flores, 19,” and a male juvenile. “Words were exchanged and one of the people in Zaragoza’s group spit on the male juvenile’s shoe. The victims thought that there was about to be a fist fight, when Zaragoza pulled out a firearm and shot Flores in the face.” He also shot “the fleeing juvenile in the neck,” and “both victims survived.” Surveillance video at the Jackson Rancheria Casino helped to quickly identify Zaragoza and aided in his capture. Riebe credited the Amador County Sheriff’s Department in aiding the case by “promptly capturing Zaragoza and conducting a thorough and effective investigation.” He said the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department “provided valuable assistance in the investigation by assembling the evidence proving that Zaragoza was a gang member and that the crimes were committed to benefit the Norteno street gang.” Riebe said because Zaragoza pled guilty to a violent crime, considered a “strike” crime under the state’s “Three Strikes” law, he must serve 80 percent of his sentence before he can be released. Sentencing is scheduled for September 30th. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 23 August 2010 06:25
Amador County Tax Collector Reminds That Unsecured Tax Payments Are Due Tuesday, Aug. 31
Written by Tom
Amador County – Amador County’s Treasurer and Tax Collector last week announced a reminder to taxpayers that unsecured taxes for the 2010-2011 fiscal year are due and payable, and will become delinquent if not paid by 5 p.m. Tuesday, August 31st. Treasurer and Tax Collector Michael E. Ryan released a notice Thursday, August 19th by e-mail telling of the looming deadline. Ryan said “unsecured taxes are typically owed on boats, airplanes, business property, possessory interests, and mining claims.” After August 31st, delinquent unsecured taxes will be subject to a 10 percent penalty, he said. Additional penalties and fees will accrue if the taxes remain unpaid after November 1st. Ryan said payments may be made by mail sent to the Amador County Tax Collector, 810 Court Street, Jackson, CA 95642-2132, and must be postmarked by the delinquent date of August 31st to avoid late penalties. Payments may also be made in person during normal business hours at the tax collector’s office in the county administrative building at 810 Court Street in Jackson. Ryan also reminded people that Amador County administrative offices are closed on Fridays due to work furloughs. Additionally, payments may be made with a credit card over the telephone by calling 1-800-609-4599. Credit card and e-check payments may also be made over the Internet by visiting the websites shown on the Amador County tax bill. Ryan said any questions regarding unsecured property taxes should be addressed to the Amador County Tax Collector at (209) 223-6364. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Amador County – Plymouth City Council will host a public meeting today (Monday, August 23rd) to discuss the Final Environmental Impact Statement on the Ione Band of Miwok Indians’ “Fee To Trust” action on land that would be home to the tribe’s gambling casino. Plymouth City Council will hold a special meeting 2 p.m. Monday, August 23rd, at Lodge Hill, at 18565 Empire Street in Plymouth, to receive information and discuss the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Ione Band of Miwok Indians, regarding its 228-acre fee to trust land transfer project. The tribe is seeking to build a world-class gambling casino and hotel in Plymouth and surrounding property in unincorporated Plymouth. Pam Baumgartner of the Ione Miwok tribe said Friday that Analytical Environmental Science prepared the FEIS, which will have a comment period open through mid-September. She said the FEIS is available online at www.ioneis.com. The FEIS studies impacts of the casino, including economic. In part, it lists that the casino would draw 3.6 million annual visitors, with an estimated 39 percent coming from beyond 50 miles. Expenditures in the state were estimated at $29 million by the 2nd phase of the project, which would have a casino, hotel, and food and beverage. By the 2nd phase, it was estimated casino jobs would pay $38 million. That would include 721 gaming employees, 236 food & beverage, and 197 administrative and general workers, among 1,500 total jobs. Government impact included an estimated $13.5 million in sales tax revenue statewide annually, and $3 million in total mitigation payments to Plymouth annually, “in addition to a 1-time payment of $6.4 million.” The analysis said Amador County could expect a total net output of $281 million from the casino. City Clerk Gloria Stoddard said Gil Jamerson, vice chairman of the Ione Miwok tribal council, had met briefly with City Manager Dixon Flynn to discuss the meeting. Stoddard said the city council will try to keep comment on the Final EIS, and not on the casino project. The meeting announcement noted that public comment is normally limited to 3 minutes per person, with 20 minutes being allowed for all comments. Any public comments beyond the initial 20 minutes may be heard at the conclusion of the agenda. Mayor Patricia Fordyce has the discretion to lengthen or shorten allotted times. Stoddard said Lodge Hill is being used because City Hall is scheduled to be used by Women Infants & Children. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors last week looked at streamlining its relationship with home renting customers. Staff told the board August 12th that disproportionate office time is spent on a small group of customers, namely tenants of rental property. Board Clerk Cris Thompson said in effect, agency staff is acting as the middleman in the housing rental business. General Manager Gene Mancebo said the Rules & Rates Committee (made up of District 5 Director Terence Moore and Vice President Debbie Dunn of District 4) will look into the issue, and could direct staff on further study. The aim is to help agency staff limit its time spent on customers who rent homes, or to possibly change the fees involved. Finance Manager Mike Lee said the agency deals with tenants, but the owner is liable for bills. They also “notify owners (when a tenant bill is delinquent) so they can stay ahead of our shutoff procedure.” The agency has a lot of turnover in rentals, with costs coming from meter readings for old tenants, another for new tenants, and service orders. Lee said “right now we’re right in the middle of the rental business,” and new policy “takes us out of the rental business.” Thompson said “11 percent of the customer base creates 35 percent of the customer service workload.” Mancebo said the agency will look at its ability to bill for extra work. Attorney Steve Kronick said penalties and interest are set by statute, and cannot be surpassed. Penalties for late payments, door tags and shutoff charges can be raised, but must be reasonably related to actual costs. Late payment is a 1.5 percent penalty, a door tag is 10 percent, and a shutoff is 25 percent (and more than that after hours,) Mancebo said. Thompson said it takes 3-4 months to collect from an owner when a renter ditches on a bill, and “even then it goes to a lien.” Thompson said with owners, you can shut off service and create a lien, but with tenants, “a lot of times we can’t collect.” Lee said a “$10 door tag has to be reviewed,” and changing it would take some study. Staff was asked to look for areas to lower costs, Thompson told the board, and she said has brought this to the attention of the AWA board before, with no change. The board discussed the possibility of involving the property owners at a future meeting. Mancebo said the board indicated that through the committee, they would give direction to staff on how to proceed, and where to study the issue. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Amador County – The annual local cancer-fighting “Camp Out For Cancer” has a new home this year, and will be held at the Amador County Fair grounds in Plymouth. The location is the third in the history of the Camp Out For Cancer, which began at the Amador High School football stadium, and also was held at the Argonaut High School football stadium. The cancer support group, “Amador Support, Transportation and Resource Services” (or STARS) is the annual sponsor of the walk-a-thon that raises money that primarily stays local, and typically raises close to $100,000. This year’s Camp Out For Cancer is September 11th and 12th at the Amador County Fair grounds in Plymouth. The theme will be Roping and Riding for the Cancer Cure, so participants are encouraged to start planning their western decorations. Team captain and team member registration materials are now available for download at AmadorStars.org. Organizers said the Amador County Camp Out for Cancer “is an amazing community event,” with cancer survivors and people of all ages participating in the 24-hour event to raise money and awareness of local cancer needs. “Each team has at least one person walking throughout the event,” and “volunteers fill luminary bags with sand and candles, prepare meals for the crowd, play games, and have their heads shaved in support of cancer victims – all leading up to Saturday night’s moving Illumination Ceremony.” With thousands of lighted luminaries honoring cancer victims and survivors ringing the staging area, “the names of the honored are read aloud while the campers walk in silence.” Organizers said “STARS is proud to help meet local cancer needs and assist in the search for a cure.” Organizers said the “Amador STARS sponsors 2 support groups for those on the cancer journey.” The “General Cancer Support Group,” meets 10 a.m. on the 4th Wednesdays of each month at the Amador STARS office. Both men and women are welcome to attend the group’s meetings. Organizers said the “group welcomes everyone touched by cancer to attend,” including “cancer patients, caregivers or anyone needing support. Another group is Women Shine With STARS, which meets 10:30 a.m. on the 4th Tuesday of the month at the Amador STARS office. The group is designed for women only, for “those who are going through cancer treatment, those supporting a cancer patient, or caregivers of cancer patients. The women support each other, while doing an array of projects or field trips.” The Amador STARS office is in the Safeway shopping center, 2 doors down from Safeway. Call Amador STARS at 223-1246. STARS support includes transportation of cancer patients, a lending library and other resources. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Friday, 20 August 2010 06:16
Mountain Lions Protected, But So is California Public Safety
Written by Tom
Amador County – Mountain lion sightings in Ione and Sutter Creek recently have led local authorities to warn people to be on the lookout. California Department of Fish & Game says 4,000 to 6,000 mountain lions could live in California, where more than half of the state is considered “prime mountain lion habitat.” Fish & Game’s website said mountain lions are not threatened nor endangered, but “are legally classified as specially protected species,” after passage of Proposition 117 in 1990, which made it illegal to hunt mountain lions in California. “This status and other statutes prohibit the Department of Fish and Game from recommending a hunting season for lions, and it is illegal to take, injure, possess, transport, import, or sell any mountain lion or part of a mountain lion.” Mountain lions may be killed only “if a depredation permit is issued to take a specific lion killing livestock or pets;” “to preserve public safety;” or to “protect listed bighorn sheep.” Fish & Game’s Public Safety Wildlife Guidelines say “an animal is deemed to be a public safety threat” if there is a “likelihood of human injury based on the totality of the circumstances.” Factors considered in the determination “include the lion’s behavior and its proximity to schools, playgrounds and other public gathering places.” The determination that “an animal is a public safety threat” is made by Fish & Game, or “local law enforcement.” If that determination is made, Fish & Game or police “will secure the area, then locate and kill the offending animal as soon as possible.” Fish & Game “does not relocate mountain lions that are a threat to public safety.” Mountain lions “can be found wherever deer are present, since deer are a mountain lion’s main food source. Foothills and mountains are the most suitable mountain lion habitat.” Fish & Game said “mountain lion attacks on humans are rare,” with only “16 verified mountain lion attacks on humans in California since 1890.” 6 of the attacks were fatal. The last documented attack in January, 2007, in Humboldt County. Fish & Game “receives hundreds of reported mountain lion sightings annually statewide, but fewer than 3 percent turn out to be verified public safety threats.” For example, in 2004, “there were 14 public safety mountain lions killed” in California. Fish & Game recommends reducing encounter risk by deer-proofing the landscape, to “avoid attracting a lion’s main food source.” Also, remove dense vegetation from around the home and install outdoor lighting to make it difficult for mountain lions to approach unseen. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Friday, 20 August 2010 06:19
Mountain Lion Spotted on Carson Drive, Allen Ranch in Sutter Creek
Written by Tom
Amador County – Sutter Creek has been the latest area to get several reports of mountain lions being spotted. New Sutter Creek Police Chief Brian Klier (Clear) reported to the city council Monday (August 16th) that approximately 10 mountain lion sightings have been reported, with the sightings occurring on Carson Drive and Allen Ranch. Klier said no police personnel have seen the lion, but the people making the reports “are pretty sure about what they saw.” He said the California Fish & Game ranger for the county has been notified. He asked that people be careful in those areas, especially in the early morning and late in the day. Klier noted that Ione Police Department last week announced it had verified mountain lion sightings near the Ione Junior High School, which included a suspected mother lion and her young. Klier said if people encounter a mountain lion, they should make themselves “bigger,” raising arms. They should also make the lion aware that people are present, by making noise. He said do not throw anything at a mountain lion. They can only be shot “in cases of eminent danger for human life,” Klier said. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Amador County - Students across Amador County are savoring their last days of summer freedom. The majority of Amador County schools will be going back in session over the next two weeks. In preparation for the new school season, school and law enforcement officials are reminding citizens to look out for children while driving, especially during the hours shortly before and after school is in session. Ione Elementary’s new year began on August 16 and Jackson Jr. High’s session started August 17. Many local kindergarteners are also already back in class. Upcoming start dates for elementary schools are Tuesday, August 24 for Jackson Elementary, Pioneer Elementary, Sutter Creek Elementary, and 2nd through 5th grade at Ione Elementary. Sutter Creek Primary also starts August 24, and Pine Grove Elementary starts August 31. Argonaut and Amador High are both set to start school again on September 1, although Amador High’s start date is subject to change. Ione Jr. High School starts Wednesday, September 1. The latest start dates are for Independence High School and North Star Independent on Thursday, September 9. TSPN will bring you another report in the coming weeks on attendance numbers. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Thursday, 19 August 2010 06:17
Convicted Killer Smithey Found Ineligible for Death Penalty
Written by Tom
Calaveras County – The Calaveras County District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday in a release that convicted killer George Hatton Smithey is determined to be mentally retarded, making him ineligible for the death penalty under the U.S. Constitution. Smithey, 70, was convicted of the April 5, 1988 murder, attempted rape and robbery of Cheryl Ann Nesler, 25, in her trailer near Glencoe. Calaveras County Deputy District Attorney Seth Matthews and Deputy State Public Defender Mary K. McComb obtained a court order on Monday that authorized a neuropsychologist, Dr. Daniel Martell, to conduct the test. Martell was also retained to analyze the findings of the defense psychologist used in the case, Dr. Dale G. Watson. The release said the move came as the result of an order issued by the California Supreme Court in September 2008 “requiring the Calaveras County District Attorney to show cause as to why the death penalty should not be vacated due to the Defendant’s claim of mental retardation, and a life sentence imposed instead of death.” The California Supreme Court order was issued in response to a habeas corpus petition filed by Smithey’s defense in 1998. The same court denied all other claims in that petition. In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court prohibited the use of the death penalty for punishment of mentally retarded offenders under the Eighth Amendment. The Calaveras County District Attorney said that as a result of these new findings, “we expect the court will commute the Defendant’s sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole.” The next court hearing is set for August 23, 2010 at 3 p.m. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Thursday, 19 August 2010 06:20
Sutter Creek Reallocates $325K to align Prospect-Bowers Drives
Written by Tom
Amador County – Sutter Creek City Council joined most of the Amador County Transportation Commission members Monday in approving the reallocation of $325,000 toward the realignment of Prospect Drive in Sutter Creek. The funds were left over from the Mission Drive extension project, now complete in Jackson. The realignment of Prospect Drive will join it with Bowers Drive at a T-intersection on Ridge Road. ACTC Executive Director Charles Field said the project would help traffic in-flow into the new Walgreens store at Ridge and 49, with road access from Bowers Drive. Field said the reallocation of funds would allow ACTC the matching funds to qualify for a grant of $1.7 million for construction of the Sutter Creek project, up from $1.2 million. Councilman Pat Crosby asked if the project would allow left turn lanes into Bowers and Prospect. Field confirmed that it would. He said the intersection would not be “signalized” with electric lights, but the conduits for them will go in place, in this, the 2nd phase of the project. He said signals must meet Caltrans “warrants,” and a list from a “guide book” that “justifies signals on a state highway.” Lights would go in with Phase 3, but “would be unhooked from signals until Caltrans gives us the green light,” Field said, asking pardon for his pun. Mayor Pro Tempore said “it sounds like a great project for us, and it is one example where cities and the county share revenue for everybody’s benefit.” The funds come through the Regional Traffic Mitigation Program. Field said Wednesday that the Fee program came together quickly and has stood up well for ACTC members. A recent amendment created a new 3-tiered schedule of rates for different types of restaurants. He said a new nexus study was not needed because engineering existed for the change. Plymouth City Council criticized the 3-tiered plan because it gave a preference for lower rates to Carl’s Junior. Field said the tiers have obvious differences in the car trips they create, and Plymouth later approved it. Field said the Amador County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday gave another show of support for the regional fee program when they unanimously voted to decline a request to reduce traffic mitigation fees for Big 5 Sporting Goods in Martell. Big 5 is being built in 5 store fronts in Martell, including the former locations of Mountain Mike’s Pizza, BeginAgains, AAA Insurance, and Verizon Wireless. Field said ultimately, a new traffic impact nexus study will be needed, for a new, streamlined fee schedule. ACTC members want it simpler, such as commercial and residential categories, to help curb requests for rate adjustments and exemptions. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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