News Archive (6192)
Amador County – The Ione City Council last week appointed City Manager Kim Kerr and City Planner Christopher Jordan to represent the city on a 15-member regional traffic planning “roundtable.” The Amador County Transportation Commission’s “stakeholders” roundtable that will take area input in making its Regional Transportation Plan update. The council voted to approve Mayor Skip Schaufel’s selection of the city manager and planner to represent the city as member and alternate member of the roundtable. Kerr in a January 29th memo said participation by the city appointees would be paid through the city General Fund and Special Funds. Kerr said “there is no additional cost to participate other than staff time to attend the meetings.” ACTC Executive Director Charles Field explained the 2010 RTP Update Stakeholder Roundtable in a January 27th letter to Schaufel and the council. Field said “as the Regional Transportation Planning Agency for Amador County and its five incorporated cities,” it is ACTC’s “core responsibility to develop and maintain a Regional Transportation Plan in order to plan, prioritize, and fund multi-modal transportation
improvements of regional significance.” California law requires ACTC to update its RTP every 5 years. Field said “in order to enhance stakeholder involvement,” the commission, which included Ione Councilman David Plank, “intends to establish an advisory committee comprised of various stakeholder representatives to actively participate in recommending policies and priorities” as the update is developed. The purpose of the Stakeholder Roundtable, Field said, is to “ensure that the concerns of a broad cross-section of local and regional interests are represented throughout the planning process.” In the letter, Field said “ACTC is requesting that the Ione City Council appoint a primary and alternate representative with delegated authority to speak on the city’s behalf in regards to regional transportation policies and priorities.” In order to ensure the group’s success, Field said “it is the ACTC’s desire to work with individuals who are able to make a commitment to collaborating with other participants by respecting differing opinions, providing informed input, ensuring regular attendance, and balancing local/special interests with a regional perspective.” After member appointments – due by February 17th – ACTC “will contact each representative in order to explain the planning process and proposed ground rules.” 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 directed staff late in January to look at varying levels of implementing state “Best Management Practices,” for conservation, and also executed an agreement on a planning grant for a regional water reclamation program. Interim General Manager Gene Mancebo said the board directed staff to look at greater and lesser implementations of a Water Conservation Plan, due to budgeting issues. The board directed staff to work on 2 alternatives to implement state “Best Management Practices.” Mancebo said 1 alternative will look at ways in which rate structures can be used to reduce impacts on AWA ratepayers. Another alternative will plan for the event that the agency received grant money to fund the use of Best Management Practices. The board said the latter alternative would include what the agency would like to do with management practices, if it had the funding. The agency faces the implementation of 14 Best Management Practices that were mandated by Assembly Bill 1420 last year. The BMPs include programs such as surveys to monitor for leaks; looking at ways to work with property owners to reduce water usage; and rebates for the use of high-efficiency toilets or appliances. The board also directed consultant Leslie Dumas of RMC Water and Environment “to see what we could do about reducing the costs.” Mancebo said: “We haven’t seen much in the way of grants so far, but we have heard there may be grant money coming.” He said if there is no grant money, they still want to carry on, but to not impact ratepayers. In its last January meeting, the AWA Board also executed an agreement with the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, with a slight amendment, because of a delay in the arrival of the funding, which changed deadlines in the original grant award notification. Mancebo said “with the California budget crisis, a lot of programs were put on hold, and this was no exception.” The board discussed a future “kick-off” for the planning project, which will plan a regional water reclamation program, to be used as a blueprint for other regions in the state. Mancebo said “stakeholders” that are “interested in regional wastewater and reclamation” would be invited to participate. He said that could include anybody from the cities, the counties, agricultural users, planners, and even environmental groups. The program will “look at how we might improve reclamation in Amador County.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 08 February 2010 00:21
Rearrest Draws Criticism from CA Reduction Plan Opposition
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Amador County – An inmate released last Monday through California’s controversial prison population reduction plan has been rearrested on charges of attempted rape, stoking criticism from the plan’s opposition. 22-year-old Kevin Eugene Peterson was one of 190 inmates released this week on good behavior after serving 2 months on a 4-month probation violation. He was being housed in the Sacramento County Jail. He was arrested just hours later on suspicion of attempted rape of a female counselor, sexual battery, false imprisonment and violating the terms of his probation. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) said before the release that only inmates with non-violent records would be considered for early release. Peterson had been arrested previously for assault against a family member, but was released because the injuries weren’t considered life-threatening. Upon hearing the news, Jim Cooper, a candidate for Sacramento Sheriff in the upcoming election, released a statement saying he is “appalled” by the news. “The decimation of law enforcement resources due to budget cuts means that our worst fears are becoming reality. Response times to 911 calls have increased, sheriff’s deputies have been laid off and now the state piles this on top of us. This is unacceptable and it must stop,” he said. 10th District Assemblymember and Amador County representative Alyson Huber responded strongly to the news. “I was very troubled to hear about the rearrest of an inmate released early today. I voted against the early release proposal because of this very kind of risk and the challenges our local law enforcement will now be shouldered with,” she said. Huber referred to AB 1678, a proposed bill she crafted along with fellow Assemblymember Ted Lieu that would “mandate common-sense public safety protections.” Input on the bill was collected during a meeting last week with law officials, including Amador County Sheriff Martin Ryan. It would allow local law enforcement agencies to formally object to the release of certain convicted felons; require CDCR to notify local law enforcement with critical information about recently released inmates; and increase transparency by making public a list of crimes committed by prisoners being released without parole supervision. Lieu sent a letter to CDCR Director Matthew Cate in late January accusing officials of trying to deceive the public by defending the plan. "In my over 15 years of public service, including serving on active duty to defend our country, I have never before seen this scale of deception and misleading statements being made by a California governmental agency to the media," said Lieu. Cate stands behind the plan. The CDCR has called it a “landmark achievement” because it provides incentives for the completion of educational courses and substance abuse programs with the long-term intent of reducing recidivism. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 08 February 2010 00:23
Kathleen Harmon, Floyd Martin Win 2010 Golden Nugget Awards
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Amador County – The Jackson Rancheria has selected its 7th Annual Margaret Dalton Golden Nugget Award recipients for 2010, the Amador County Chamber of Commerce announced in its February newsletter. The awards will “honor and celebrate the selfless contributions” of Kathleen Harmon of the Interfaith Food Bank and Floyd Martin of the American Legion. The Amador Chamber newsletter said the “prestigious award is given to Amador County’s unsung heroes, an inspiration of the late Margaret Dalton, Jackson Rancheria's Tribal Chairperson for over 25 years.” The Jackson Rancheria Casino, Hotel & Conference Center will give the awards during a dinner Friday, March 12th at Thomi’s in Jackson. Kathleen Harmon is Executive Director of Amador County Interfaith Food Bank, which oversees fundraising and procurement of goods to operate daily food distribution, recruitment and management of the 100 percent volunteer staff. The Food Bank needs at least 60 volunteers each week to operate. The Chamber newsletter said Harmon is “a great human being who gives her time and efforts unselfishly to others.” Floyd Martin is a 24-year, “Paid up for Life” member of the American Legion. His history with American Legion includes service through Post, District and Department Chairs. Floyd is a Vietnam-era veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force from 1960-1964. Since his discharge he has continually contributed to his community, Amador County. He coached and umpired youth baseball for many years and is an Honorary Member of the Amador County Little League Association. He supported the Sober Graduation Program; served on the local volunteer fire department board of directors; and was 1 of 4 founders of Pioneer Community Park. Martin now serves veterans as Amador County Veterans Service Officer. He has held the position 10 years. The Chamber said “these are just a few of the highlights and accomplishments for which we are honoring Floyd.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 08 February 2010 00:25
Jackson Realtor Davenport Wins $5K Through Shop Jackson Program
Written by Tom
Amador County – The highly successful “Shop Jackson” promotion through the Jackson Rancheria paid back one of Jackson’s loyal customers Wednesday evening in $5000 cash. Kellee Davenport, a Real Estate Agent and Jackson resident, was surprised when she was awarded the prize after two names were drawn to people not in attendance. Jackson Mayor Connie Gonsalvez joined Jackson Rancheria CEO Rich Hoffman on the Casino’s Dalton Town Hall stage to pick the lucky winner. Davenport’s boyfriend, Kam Merzlak, owner of Merzlak Signs, was on hand to film the drawing. When asked what she would do with the money, Davenport’s reply had nothing to do with Disneyland. She said she would be using the money to pay bills. Davenport entered the drawing during one of her visits to Jose’s Mexican Restaurant. Jose’s owner Martha Perez told the Rancheria that “this program is so successful that my customers just come in and show their card.” She said she is “amazed at the number of Dreamcatcher’s Club members who eat at our restaurant. This is truly a win-win program.” The “Shop Jackson” promotion began last summer as a partnership between the Jackson Rancheria and the Jackson Revitalization Committee. Since then, over 70 businesses have signed on to offer special promotions and discounts to Rancheria Dreamcatcher’s Club members who shop in Jackson. Members who participated in this program between November 1st, 2009 and January 31st 2010, were entered in a drawing to win $5000 at the Jackson Rancheria. The Jackson Revitalization Committee will be holding another raffle and the kick off meeting is on February 11th at the Jackson Civic Center. The public is welcome to attend and find out more about the JRC and its efforts to revitalize the local community and economy. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Friday, 05 February 2010 00:59
AWA Could See Gravity Supply Line Environmental Comments by Feb. 25
Written by Tom
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency discussed upgrading the Central Amador Water Project on Monday, and in about 3 weeks will look at public comments on a proposed Gravity Supply Line project’s environmental impacts. District 4 Director Debbie Dunn said she had “not made a decision yet” on what to do in the Central Amador Water Project. She said only 2 board members represent Upcountry residents, including herself and District 3 Director Don Cooper, but all 5 directors must vote on the issue. Any action on the Gravity Supply Line must wait until environmental work is completed. Acting Engineering Manager Erik Christeson said the agency received 7 comments regarding the California Environmental Quality Act in relation to the AWA’s negative declaration of environmental impact on the Gravity Line’s. They received no comments on national EPA law. The comments will not be ready for the AWA board until possibly February 25th, said Interim General Manager Gene Mancebo. Discussion Monday included rebuilding the CAWP pipeline, which would cost $4 million, Christeson said, not including the need to build 75 percent of it under roads. He said that must be done because the project would have to be built parallel to the existing line, to keep it operational and serving customers during construction. Upgrading the pumps would cost $4.6 million, for a $9.6 million total cost. The Gravity Supply Line was estimated to cost $13.4 million, and AWA has applied for a $5 million grant and an $8.3 million loan through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Finance Manager Mike Lee said the grant will be available once the environmental work is finalized, probably later this month. He said funding will come available as soon as AWA accepts it. Lee said the agency must meet conditions, such as showing adequate money to repay the loan and acquire easements. He said they usually get 6 months to meet terms. Dunn asked if it would take a year-and-a-half to get the grant funding, and Mancebo said it would “probably take 6 months or less, if we had a green light.” 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 County Combined Narcotics Enforcement Team (ACCNET) announced Thursday the arrest of a Lodi man for possession of a controlled substance and multiple charges stemming from a methamphetamine laboratory in San Joaquin County. Shawn Tegen, 48, was arrested after a joint investigation with the Amador County Sheriff’s Department. In the early morning hours of Tuesday, February 2, 2010, Amador County Sheriff’s patrol deputies responded to a suspicious vehicle parked on private property in the unincorporated area of Ione. ACCNET personnel arrived to assist in the surveillance of the vehicle. A short time later the vehicle drove away from the scene and was stopped with the assistance of Ione Police. Tegen, a resident of Lodi, was found to be in possession of .4 grams of methamphetamine and a methamphetamine smoking pipe. Further investigation led ACCNET agents to Tegen’s residence in Lodi where they discovered a fully functioning methamphetamine laboratory in the detached garage. Two manufacturing processes were discovered at the scene: the common red phosphorous/iodine process, and the Nazi, or lithium/ammonia process. The lab had the capability of producing up to two ounces of finished product per manufacturing cycle. ACCNET personnel where assisted at the lab site by the Lodi Police Department, San Joaquin County Metro Narcotics Task Force, and the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Forensic Services. Tegen was arrested and booked into the Amador County Jail for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Transportation of a Controlled Substance. He is facing multiple charges stemming from the methamphetamine laboratory in San Joaquin County. ACCNET is one of the 48 regional narcotic task forces that is operated by the Attorney General’s, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement. The Amador County Combined Narcotic Enforcement Team is a cooperative effort between the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement,
Amador County Sheriff’s Office, Amador County District Attorney’s Office, Amador County Probation Department, Amador County Child Protective Services, Jackson
Police Department, Sutter Creek Police Department, Ione Police Department, Mule Creek State Prison, and the Amador Area Office of the California Highway Patrol. A TSPN TV Report This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Amador County - The Amador County Board of Supervisors discussed the merits of a bill Tuesday that would reimburse air ambulance companies like CALSTAR for their services, ultimately tabling the discussion until certain questions can be answered. Assembly Bill 1153, as proposed by Democratic Assemblymember Jim Beall, would enhance Medi-Cal reimbursement for air medical transportation services by attaching additional fines to traffic offenses. Providers of care to Medi-Cal enrollees like CALSTAR are compensated for their services by the state. Supervisor Richard Forster, local delegate to the Regional Council of Rural Counties (RCRC), said that organization is in support of the measure, assuming some new language is included to clarify administrative duties. “Medi-Cal is what’s not being covered the way it should be anymore by the federal government,” said Forster. Supervisor Louis Boitano agreed, saying it is getting increasingly difficult for EMS agencies throughout the sate to survive. In a letter to the board, RCRC representatives said “California’s provider rates are woefully inadequate, ranking at the bottom of the fifty states.” Christian Giller, Chief Operations Officer speaking on behalf of CALSTAR, said the bill has unanimous support from air ambulance services statewide. “This bill as introduced will offset the deficit from underinsured and uninsured patients,” he said. Giller said Medi-Cal currently subsidizes about 40 percent of his company’s actual costs for air services. Supervisors expressed some skepticism over a requirement in the bill that each county establish an emergency air medical fund to deposit the levy imposed by this bill, thus creating a state-mandated local program. Giller said Medi-Cal subsidies would be collected into one fund by the state and then divvied out accordingly. Forster said a little trust in the state is needed, and “if it is built into the legislation, the money will (eventually) transfer” to the service companies. He said it’s important to remember that the “people impacting the system the most are those who can’t afford the insurance.” Board Chairman Brian Oneto said he is leery about the additional traffic fines, saying “it’s a tax and we have enough taxes already.” The Board approved a motion by Forster to send a letter expressing their concerns to Assemblymember Beall and legislative representatives including Assemblymember Alyson Huber and Senator Dave Cox. 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 – Ami Bera asked people in Jackson Thursday what he could do to win his first-time run for office in the California’s Third Congressional District, looking to unseat Dan Lungren in the U.S. House of Representatives. Bera, speaking to the Progressive Women’s Club in Jackson, thanked Amador County Democrats “for creating space” for him to talk about the race, and asked what the group can do to help. He said his backers “have to own” the race. He plans to talk, listen and engage people, the way Alyson Huber and Scott Brown were elected. Huber won the 10th California Assembly seat in 2008, and Brown this year took Ted Kennedy’s seat in Massachusetts. Bera also pointed to Bill Durston for showing him that Lungren was vulnerable, when Durston took 44.5 percent of the vote in 2008. Bera said Brown went directly to the voters, unlike his opponent. Huber did the same thing, “outworked her opponent and her message reflected what she was hearing.” Bera said: “I don’t know all the answers to all the issues,” but no one really does. He did not think “floating bonds is the answer” to the state’s nearly last-place ranking in education. He was not sure about increased parent participation in schools, either. Bera said “parents and neighborhoods need to take back schools,” and politicians should look at where the money is going. “No Child Left Behind” program “put money into testing.” Bera said “education is dear” to him, and he would also try to create “real jobs that pay real wages,” probably though trying to “recreate the manufacturing sector” in the district. Asked how he would reform the health care system, he said, again, you must follow the money. He said in the health care industry, people “pay more and get less,” and 50 million Americans are uninsured. He said the United States annually spends $2.4 trillion on health care, or about $4,000 per person. He said that money could be pooled to set up an insurance system: It could be done through an “external agency appointed by the president,” which could “design a policy that got everyone covered.” Bera said riders on bills were the reality of Congress, which he likely would use, but he would “not just vote the party line.” Bera asked for donations (or hosts for “house party” fundraisers) but said he has outgained Lungren in fundraising the last 3 quarters, and Bera has “$740,000 cash on hand” in his campaign. Bera criticized Lungren for not letting people speak at his “town hall” meetings, and said the Congressman “thinks he is a delegate,” and works too much on the national level. Bera said he would listen to District residents, find out what they want and go out and fight for them. He said Lungren’s “signature piece of legislation is the Three Strikes Law.” 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 hosted a brainstorming session on possible alternatives for the Central Amador Water Project on Monday, with about 40 people attending. Staff gave presentations, starting with Interim General Manger Gene Mancebo, who said they will look at suggestions and try to get the best overall project solution. He said the main question was “why do we need to improve or replace the raw water conveyance system” for Central Amador. He said the pump system operates with 18 percent of its budget going to electricity, and power costs would increase, with those costs passed on to the customers. He said CAWP has “a much greater electricity cost than other systems” in AWA. It is also vulnerable to power failures, which can cause rationing in the system. In long outages “there is little or no fire protection.” Acting Engineering Manager Erik Christeson said the Buckhorn plant would be unaffected by power loss, in a storm or fire, because it has generators, but the distribution capability is minimally affected, as the majority of the system distributes by gravity from the main storage Tank “A.” Christeson said fire would not impair water delivery by the GSL, unlike a fire taking out power to the pumps. Supervisor Ted Novelli asked how the system would handle a week of 100-degree weather, followed by a fire. Operations Manger Chris McKeage said Buckhorn normally has a 6-hour down time, but would have to be run at 100 percent capacity around the clock to keep flows ready for fire fighting. The system has 20 storage tanks, a total capacity of 2.5 million gallons and serves 4,000 customers. Its largest storage vessel, Tank “A,” has a 500,000-gallon capacity. Dave Wardall, a former fire investigator, said “a major fire would put a lot of people at risk,” and he saw “a potential for a catastrophe.” Christeson said the pump system in CAWP had 18 hours of electrical and communications down time Friday, and staff worked 7 hours of overtime on it Saturday. He said they buy parts on eBay from people selling items from their old systems. Christeson said the 2004 Power Fire left Tank “A” with a foot of water in 2004, and the “El Nino” storm season in 1996 took the Tank “A” water level to 6 inches. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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