News Archive (6192)
Amador County – The Ione Police Department in separate incidents earlier this week saved a baby from the heat of a locked car, and also arrested a man for illegal possession of a gun. Ione police sergeant Rocky Harpham said around 11:15 a.m. Monday, “a young woman was babysitting a 3-month-old infant,” and accidentally locked the baby and her keys in her vehicle in front of Golden One Credit Union in Ione. IPD Officer Pollie Pent arrived before medics and noticed “the infant was red, sweaty and not responding to Officer Pent.” The temperature was reaching 80 degrees, the vehicle was not running and the windows were rolled up. Harpham said the “infant appeared to be in distress” so Pent used a “window breaking device to break open one of the windows and remove the baby from the car,” in time for medics to treat the infant. The infant reportedly had minor heat related issues but was treated by medics at the scene and released to its mother, who responded to the location of the incident. Harpham reported on another incident that occurred at about 8:40 p.m. Sunday (July 11th). IPD said a parolee from Lake Tahoe came to Ione to visit a relative and go shooting with a friend’s rifle. Harpham said 26-year-old Justin Page, was stopped by an Ione police officer for vehicle code violations, who learned that Page “did not have permission from his parole agent to travel to Amador County.” The Ione officer “conducted a parole search on the vehicle and found the rifle and some marijuana.” Harpham said it is illegal for a felon to possess firearms. Page was booked into the Amador County Jail for the weapons violation and for violating the conditions of his parole. In unrelated news, Amador County Sheriff’s Office took a report of a possible attempted rape on July 5th on Deer Trail. The reporting party’s 16-year-old daughter was the victim of attempted rape by a 14-year-old male. The boy reportedly had her in headlocks and threw her on the ground in the woods behind her house. The girl was able to fight him off. The boy was last seen running away, and got into a truck with his father. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Wednesday, 14 July 2010 06:23
Public Health Officials Outline Activities, Accomplishments
Written by Tom
Amador County - The Board of Supervisors heard a presentation Tuesday from the county’s health director and public health officer on the state of public health services. Health Director Kristin Bengyel opened by saying that despite cuts across the board and increases in certain medical needs, the health department has stretched its resources to successfully meet demand. She referenced various figures like a 44 percent cut in staff over the last year that has led to 305 extra staff hours, as well as a 100 percent increase in rattlesnake bites. She said the department goes largely unnoticed in the county. “When the public health department is noticed, it means that things aren’t done right,” she said. “We want to be the department that doesn’t get noticed.” Dr. Bob Hartmann, Amador County’s Public Health Officer, said that overall the county is doing very well in providing public health services as compared to other counties in the state. He cited a survey conducted in February by the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation which ranks Amador County as the 20th healthiest county in California. The County is ranked 4th best in morbidity (a broad measure that represents health-related quality of life),18th in health outcomes and 22nd in health factors. Hartmann said we also have “great prenatal results…and a low number of births to adolescent moms.” However, he said health factors can be improved. Statewide, 13.3 percent of people smoke, but 17.3 percent of people smoke in the foothills region. In Amador County, men meet the smoking average, but the number of women smoking is closer to 18 percent. In a different category, he said “suicide and drug-related deaths at Mule Creek throw things off…but overall we have higher suicide rates than we should among the elderly.” Other areas of improvement include motor vehicle accident rates, which improved slightly last year from 54th to 49th in the rankings. “At public health we’re eternal optimists and we think we can take the poor rankings and do better,” he said. His department has gone through some recent levels of high activity where staff have treated patients with ailments including lyme disease, interaction with rabid animals, possible tuberculosis, shigella and many sick prisoners at Mule Creek State prison. He stressed the importance of getting vaccinations, and praised Supervisor Richard Forster for setting an example by being the first to get a particular vaccine last year. Over the last year, Public Health had 887 client visits to its immunization department, 451 tuberculosis tests placed and 671 active patients in its women’s clinics. The supervisors asked questions about the current prevalence of H1N1 and whether that should be a cause for future concern. Hartmann said the epidemic started fifteen months ago and has since decreased, but they can’t measure accurately without looking at trends over a longer period of time. The supervisors thanked him for his service to the county. Hartmann said it was his pleasure. “I love what I do,” he said. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Amador County – A public hearing this Friday will review an appeal to a recently approved permit granting construction of a diesel engine power plant at Kirkwood Ski Resort. Both the Kirkwood ski resort and surrounding residences have been served by a temporary power plant after the permanent plant was destroyed by a powerhouse fire on new Year’s Day. The authority to operate the temporary generators will expire in January, 2011. As proposed, the new plant will truck in diesel to the area, which is independent from the national power grid. Construction of the new plant was approved by the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District on May 24. The appeal is sought by the SMART Energy group, which says in its appellant statement that “the District approved construction of an all-diesel power plant despite the availability of feasible alternatives that would reduce the proposed plant’s adverse impacts on air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and human health.” Instead, the group proposes the construction of a “bi-fuel plant powered by 90 percent natural gas.” Both natural gas and diesel gas would need to be transported to the plant by truck, but natural gas opponents feel that alternative will be cheaper and cleaner after the initial investment is made. Among other complaints, SMART Energy group says the cost of a grid connection may exceed $35 million for Kirkwood’s 600 residents, and a “fuel source should not be determined until all the environmental impacts associated have been disclosed.” Kirkwood Meadows Public Utilities District staff members are recommending a denial of the appeal based on concerns including safety, location, costs and technological feasibility. Those speaking on behalf of the plant at the meeting will include Everand Ashworth, a Principal with environmental consulting group Ashworth Leininger. He contends that diesel with pollution controls is the best means to supply residents with electricity. Under state law, the district must pick the best available control activity. If natural gas were chosen for Kirkwood, the district would have to extend the permit allowing the temporary plant while an assessment on transportation and storage was conducted, as required by the California Environmental Quality Act. The public hearing will take place this Friday at 10:30 a.m. in Markleeville, located approximately 42 minutes east of Kirkwood. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Tuesday, 13 July 2010 06:27
Correctional Officers Foil Escape Attempt by Rancheria Shooting Suspect
Written by Tom
Amador County – Gilbert Zaragoza, 19, a suspect currently being held for his alleged involvement in a suspected gang-related shooting at the Jackson Rancheria, was planning an escape from jail, according to reports Tuesday from the Amador County Sheriff’s Office. According to Undersheriff Jim Wegner, correctional officers conducted a search of Zaragoza’s cell on June 6th and “noticed the screws securing a light fixture had been damaged.” Upon removing the fixture, “alert corrections staff” discovered a crawl space containing “a threaded bolt, an adjustable end wrench and a contraband tee shirt.” Wegner says “staff found where the bolt and wrench were used in an effort to chisel a portal through an exterior wall.” Zaragoza had etched two small grooves into the wall. “Unbeknownst to the inmate, the jail walls are solid concrete, twelve inches thick and steel reinforced, so successfully chiseling out of the facility with the items possessed was extremely unlikely,” says Wegner. On the same day, Antonio Zaragoza, inmate Zaragoza’s nineteen year old brother from Manteca, was detained after taking cell phone photographs of “the visiting area and associated security measures” during a visit to the jail visiting area. Wegner said Antonio was issued a citation for bringing a cellular device into a correctional facility, a misdemeanor, before being released. Amador County Sheriff’s Crime Scene Technician confirmed through subsequent examination that the latent finger print transfers on the evidence collected from Zaragoza’s cell were positively identified as his own. Zaragoza was arrested by Sheriff’s Correctional Staff on June 30 for attempted escape, possession of a weapon and damages to a jail facility in excess of $400. According to the official booking form, Zaragoza received a new bail charge of $50,000. Zaragoza, a documented member of the Lathrop Hispanic Pride gang, is one of two suspects booked into the Amador County Jail on two counts of attempted murder for shooting two alleged members of an opposing gang inside the Jackson Rancheria Casino on March 14th at approximately 5:30 am. Surveillance video shows Zaragoza and others enter the casino and open fire on the victims in what was apparently a confrontation between rival gangs from the Stockton area. Video footage from multiple angles shows the shooting take place within a small area in the casino’s restaurant. Two Hispanic male victims, one an 18-year-old man and the other a 15-year-old boy, were shot in the neck or face during the shooting. They were subsequently transported to area hospitals where they eventually recovered from their wounds. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Amador County – The Ione City Council in late June held a special meeting to discuss the Amador County Grand Jury report based on a complaint in the city hall building inspection department. The board of supervisors released the report June 29th, and the city council met that same day to begin preparation of a response. Ione citizens were given a chance to respond at the meeting. City Manager Kim Kerr said Ione City Council “had a full house and most of the people did not agree with laying off the building inspector, and felt that it was an inappropriate investigation.” Kerr said the grand jury investigation was called inappropriate because “some assumptions were made,” and because Ione Building Inspector Don Myshrall “had not been interviewed by the grand jury.” The civil grand jury based its investigation on an October 6th, 2009, “complaint concerning inconsistencies in the fees charged by the building inspector for the city.” Kerr said the complainant’s identity is kept secret in the grand jury process. The city council directed Kerr to draft a letter for council to review, in conformance with requirements. The responses will be decided by the city council, likely at its July 20th meeting, and the council will recommend whether to agree with recommendations, partially agree, or totally disagree. The report recommends eliminating the “full-time building inspector position,” and contracting inspections on a part-time, or as-needed basis. The jury also recommended the city “establish a system to review permits that ensures the information is complete and that fees are charged consistently.” The report found that “building permit fees and sewer connection fees are levied inconsistently,” and “projects with no discernable difference in specifications are charged differing fees.” The report said the job did not merit a full-time inspector, noting that “in 2009, there were only 21 building permits applied for by JTS, a major builder in Ione.” Kerr said the council can’t be completely in disagreement, but “will respond on each question as necessary.” She said some of the findings were issues she was working on already. The city has been revamping its building fees, and some of those have changed, setting basic rates and specific fees for certain activities. Last week, the council voted 5-0 to approve a first reading of an ordinance banning medical marijuana dispensaries in the city. The ordinance is scheduled for a second reading July 20. The July 6th meeting included no public comment on 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 Sutter Creek City Council heard both criticism and praise of its recently departed police chief and city manager last week, who later this week will be honored with a farewell banquet. The council also assigned a response committee to the extensive grand jury report that looked at 5 areas that received complaint. City resident Ed Arata at the meeting July 6th took credit for a written complaint to the Amador County Grand Jury that “ran to 4 pages and covered 8 areas of concern, plus 2 references to material that had been supplied to (Arata) by other citizens.” Arata said he wrote the complaint after he and his wife, Mimi gathered 350 signatures to petition the city council to not take out a loan to repay itself for money borrowed from the Sewer Fund. Arata said he made the complaint when he “saw no action” by City Manager Rob Duke “to make corrections to the city budget or to carry on meaningful dialog with the public.” Arata in a statement released only the introduction to his 4-page complaint, which ended saying that the city’s council in 1999 “decided to combine the position of city manager and chief of police into one staff person, and this decision does not seem to be working out very well.” Duke held those positions, along with the jobs of Director of the Amador Regional Sanitation Authority, and manager of the city’s wastewater treatment plant. All 4 were among areas investigated by the grand jury after complaints were received. The Grand Jury received complaints about the “spending of Sutter Creek Funds;” the “quality and effectiveness” of the sewer systems; and the city administration. It also received a complaint about “reasonable kennel sizes” in the field of animal control. The report included grand jurors saying that in attending city council meetings, they “observed some members of the city council managing by intimidation and being unresponsive to citizens’ concerns.” Arata in a statement last week said “this attitude has extended beyond the city council to ARSA meetings where Sutter Creek Mayor (Gary Wooten) acts as chairman of that agency.” Resident Andy Fahrenwald spoke in support of Duke, saying it was “a tragic loss” for the city, and a major loss of knowledge. Wooten agreed. Planning Commissioner Frank Cunha applauded the “post 2008” city council for its hard work, saying commissioners and citizens had been asking for and receiving change in the city. The response committee will prepare draft answers for the council to consider, possibly by the August 2 council meeting. 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 - Kids Bowl Free.com and over 750 participating bowling centers from coast to coast have teamed up to provide kids with two free games of bowling every day all summer. Local bowling centers provide the Kids Bowl Free – two free game program as a way to give back to their local community for all of their support throughout the school year and winter months. Local bowling centers are partnering with schools, churches and businesses to distribute information now so that families can register online for the Kids Bowl Free program in their community. The Kids Bowl Free Program currently has over 750 participating bowling centers in 45 states. Given the current state of the economy Kids Bowl Free is a fantastic way for families to have a great time together without breaking the bank. During the summer of 2009 over 475,000 families and 1,076,000 children participated in the Kids Bowl Free program. Families that register will receive coupons valid for Two Free Bowling Games each day sent to their email address every Sunday morning from the starting date at their center until the conclusion of the program in their community. Most Kids Bowl Free programs end in late August 2010. If you would like to learn more, contact Bruce Davis at (239) 272-2738 or Darin Spindler at (920) 632-7018 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 Thursday discussed revenue shortfalls that were bad in April and worse in May, leaving a gap between budget revenue and expenditures. General Manger Gene Mancebo said May 2010 numbers show revenue down $500,000 compared to last May, and this April was $200,000 down from April 2009. He said that should be taken into account as they discuss the budget July 22nd. The board approved the budget last week, with layoffs equivalent to 4 full-time employees. Mancebo said the board on July 22nd will look at whether to make a 4% rate increase in the service area known as the Amador Water System. They must also look at “debt service coverage” and whether they can lower the amount they pay toward Amador Transmission Pipeline financing. The board must also look at a cash flow problem, which Mancebo said “has the potential to be much more significant than the other 2 items.” Vice President Debbie Dunn said May “actuals” were e-mailed to the board by Finance Manager Mike Lee on July 1st, and she would have liked to have had those numbers before approving the budget earlier that day. Lee was on vacation this week, but last week warned of eminent cash problems, saying agency “operating money,” or total cash, was $500,000. He said the agency was “marginally close” to being able to pay July bills, and it was a “critical juncture” to “be able to make the bond payment in 6 months.” Lee said “cash isn’t there,” due to the fact of “what’s coming in the door, what’s going out the door.” Also last week, Mancebo said “we know we are at the ragged edge,” and options to cut costs could potentially come from furloughs, but he did not know how much more they could reduce costs, other than salaries and benefits. In a staff report, Engineering Manager Erik Christesen announced some development moves, including that the Wildflower Subdivision in Ione has a new owner. He said Wal-Mart is ready to take water, and Pine Bluff has sought to extend its permits. Quail Ridge owners heard about the AWA’s 5% conditional will-serve fee payments, and applied for 10 of those, instead of 82, in “first phase” developing. Christesen said a Big 5 sporting goods store has taken over about 5 Martell storefronts including the former home to Mountain Mike’s Pizza. The storefronts are between Save Mart and Triple A Insurance. 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 discussed capacity constraints of the Central Amador Water Project service area. The board gave staff direction to bring back information about a water rights application filed with the state. General Manager Gene Mancebo said the board wants to see how much time and money it would take to increase water rights. The CAWP has a capacity “limitation of 1,150 acre feet annually,” and as recently as 2004, the usage was “up to 1,133 acre feet.” The agency set about the “process of expanding the water right,” Mancebo said. “Since then, water demands have dropped off significantly,” which could be due to cooler, milder weather, or the economy. Current usage is “probably less than a 1,000 acre feet annually,” or “at least 10 percent less that it was a few years ago,” but he said the agency must be prepared “if it gets hot again and people use water more like they have in the past.” Staff is also concerned about allowing new connections to CAWP. Mancebo said the application would expand AWA’s capacity usage from 1,150 acre feet a year to 2,200 acre feet a year. Amador County water rights through the CAWP total 1,150 acre feet. The Jackson Valley Irrigation District uses another 3,850 acre feet. Mancebo said AWA also has “the water right that came with the Amador Canal, which is substantially larger, and we are not using all of that.” It totals another 15,000 acre feet of water. One thought was to “use some of that canal water in CAWP” on an interim basis. Mancebo said an increase to 2,200 acre feet of rights in CAWP matched the capacity of the proposed Gravity Supply pipeline, but if that were not built, the agency could improve the CAWP pump stations to handle that flow. He said they were hoping to hear something from the USDA soon about a possible $5 million grant for the GSL project. Staff Thursday reported that the CAWP system’s Pump Number 2 at Silver Lake Pines was reparable. The “pump can” had developed a leak, which the company, Don Pedro, repaired and reinforced by welding a bowl to its bottom, and creating a mid-can seam, instead of a bottom seam. It was the second time in three years that Pump 2’s can developed such a leak, likely due to the constant pressure of the pump. It still needed to be sandblasted, coated with epoxy and installed. Staff said the pump motor looked really good and they did not bother to rebuild it. 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 last week had yet to start verifying the protests submitted July 1st aimed at stopping a rate increase in the Central Amador Water Project service area. General Manager Gene Mancebo said the verification could get underway today (Monday, July 12th). The Proposition 218 protest verifications had not yet begun due to vacation time being taken, he said. At the July 1st protest, Board Clerk Chris Thompson said it would likely take about two 8-hour days to verify the protest. She said other protests, such as the Camanche water system, were easier to verify because they were all on the same piece of paper. On July 1st, organizer David Evitt delivered 1,691 protests. They need 1,313 valid protests to stop the rate increase. Thompson said they were each on individual forms, which all must be compared with the AWA database. Karen Gish of the AWA said Thompson and Mancebo were on vacation last week. The verification must look at whether signers of protests were the owners of the properties, or if they were renters. The process will also look to eliminate duplication. Protest organizer Ken Berry said there would be duplicates, but he and board members expected there to be enough protests to end the rate increase. Evitt said he, Berry, and other volunteers spent 200 to 400 hours collecting signatures door-to-door. He would say: “Hi, I’m David Evitt and I’m here to talk to you about why your water rates are going up.” He said 98 percent of the people he talked to signed a petition. Last week, Director Don Cooper said the board should “talk about how to interface with the public” and educate them about the agency. He spent 2 hours at a holiday party explaining the difference between the Central Amador Water Project service area and the Gravity Supply Line project. He said “our customers are not totally aware of what we are,” and did not know that the Central Amador Water Project was a territory and was not (in itself) the Gravity Supply Line. Vice President Debbie Dunn agreed, but said “you should build a relationship with them before you educate them,” and “you just can’t keep slamming them with information.” Cooper agreed, and said they really need a “marketing plan.” Rich Farrington agreed, saying some explanations by the board at the July 1st rate hearing seemed to help CAWP residents better understand the situation. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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