News Archive (6192)
El Dorado County - El Dorado County Sheriff Jeff Neves announced Friday his decision not to run for re-election to a third term. As the 2010 race heats up, with five other candidates in the running, Neves, 55, said he will step down after this term to spend more time with his family. Narcotics official and 15 year Amador County law enforcement veteran John D’Agostini formally announced on June 13th his run for the position. “I’ll bring a different culture and personality to the position that I personally feel will be more effective,” said D’Agostini. He’ll be up against four other strong candidates: Stan Perez, a former chief of the CHP’s valley division; Bob Luca, an El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office Investigator; Larry Hennick, a retired 32-year veteran of the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department; and Capt. Craig Therkildsen a veteran of more than 25 years with the department. 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 – During Monday’s meeting of the Jackson City Council, Jackson Police Chief Scott Morrison announced a new addition to his team: a K-9 drug sniffing dog. The German Sheppard’s acquisition was made possible through a grant from an anonymous donor from the bay area. The total cost of shipping the dog from Germany, vaccines and papers cost around $10,000. Reserve Officer Al Lewis, who is currently retired but previously spent 18 years in charge of the canine program at the Newark Police Department, will have full responsibility over the animal. Lewis will make a reserve wage and be authorized to act in a law enforcement capacity over 3 shifts per week. Morrison said the dog was needed in response to a growing drug problem in Jackson and the county as a whole. “We’ve been touching the top of the iceberg as far as narcotics in our city,” he said. The majority of funding for the upkeep and continuation of the program will come from the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund. This covers the costs of a specially equipped car, training and supplies. The dog is expected to be ready for narcotics detection on the streets in 3 to 4 weeks. 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 Board of Supervisors discussed a vital step in the development of a new county jail during Tuesday’s meeting: securing a viable piece of property held by Sierra Pacific Industries. The property is located near the Health and Human Services building off Conductor Boulevard and has long been discussed as the most sensible location for a much-needed and expanded county jail. Amador County General Services Director Jon Hopkins presented the board with details of a Purchase and Sale Agreement and Joint Escrow Instructions, and a Grant of Option and Right of First Offer with Sierra Pacific Industries. The discussion quickly focused on water rights and availability outlined in the contract. Supervisor John Plasse stated his long-term concern of “owning this property and down the road Sutter Creek can’t accommodate,” he said in reference to water capacity. Hopkins said capacity is related to infrastructure, not relative to whether water is available. Chairman Ted Novelli said he felt that if they began paying fees right now they would be locked into the current water rate and not subject to any potential future changes. Sheriff Martin Ryan urged the Board to consider reapplying for eligibility through the Assembly Bill 900 process. The Board had previously rejected some AB 900 money because of the large local matching grants required. Ryan said it was a good idea to reapply considering that many “other counties dropped out because they were intimidated by the matching process.” He said new guidelines could make it easier and more accessible for Amador to take advantage of that funding in the future, but details are still vague. The Board unanimously approved the continuation of the process with SPI. 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 - Sheriff Martin Ryan was present at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting to address a proposal for raising LiveScan fees and funding made available through the Secure Rural Schools Act. In reference to improved efficiency, Sheriff Ryan thanked the board for “the rare occasion when I come in front of a body such as yours and thank you for cutting our budget.” Ryan added that the “foremost priority of government is to make law enforcement and public safety a priority.” Supervisor Ted Novelli said that as Chairman, he “will try to help keep every deputy we need on the streets.” Ryan said that since 1999, the Sheriff’s office has been providing a successful LiveScan fingerprint service to residents and non-residents alike. During this time the office has only charged $5.00 per scan – the lowest in the state. Of 1,135 LiveScan’s in the 2007/2008 fiscal year, 879 were Amador residents and 256 were not. Ryan believes the high non-resident ratio is due to the low fee charged. He proposed raising the fees to a statewide average of $20.00 per resident and $27.00 for non-residents. The motion was approved unanimously. Ryan also asked to modify his original request for funds from the Secure Rural Schools Act from $20,000 to $18,000. These would go solely towards the Sheriff’ Search and Rescue Team. He said he had a recent discussion with Cathy Koos Breazeal, Director of the Amador Fire Safe Council, and decided he could function on fewer funds while her program needed more. The Fire Safe Council recently had to move its office into Koos Breazeal’s living room due to funding cutbacks. The Supervisors approved of both motions unanimously. 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 – Five firefighters escaped injury when a roof collapsed on them during a house fire Monday in the Castle Oaks Subdivision. The City of Ione Fire Department and 6 other fire brigades responded to the fire at 1116 Fairway Drive after a call 5:01 a.m. Monday when a passerby noticed flames. Residents of the home, Boyd, Bonnie and Bryan Selves, were unaware of the fire, which burned above the smoke detectors. The Ione Fire Department in a report said upon arrival, fire crews found heavy smoke coming from the attic area of the 2,450-square foot home. The occupants had been alerted and evacuated by Ione Police, before the fire department arrived. The report said “fire crews engaged in an aggressive interior attack … to find the deep-seated fire, which was in the walls and attic area.” About 10 minutes after engagement, a section of roof collapsed, briefly trapping one firefighter and piling debris on four others. The first firefighter was able to break through an exterior wall and escape and there were no injuries. Ione City Manager Kim Kerr said a fire camera was lost in the fire, when, after the collapse, all personnel were evacuated, due to possibility of another collapse. The fire was controlled in about 30 minutes and caused an estimated $375,000 in damage. 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 Sheriff’s Office has arrested three suspects for a series of vandalisms in the Sutter Creek, Martell, Jackson and Lake Camanche areas. Cody Allen Gribble, 20, and Jaimeson Russell Kelly, 18, of Sutter Creek were arrested and charged with Vandalism and Conspiracy to Commit a Crime. Both Gribble and Kelly are currently in custody at the Amador County Jail. A 17 year old male juvenile was also arrested in connection with the crimes. The juvenile is currently in the custody of the Amador County Probation Department. During the last two days, over 40 vehicles have been reported as vandalized by the suspects. The majority of the reports were damaged vehicle windows. The crime spree began early Wednesday morning when three vehicles in the Martell area had their windows shot out with BB guns. Jackson and Sutter Creek Police Departments received similar reports around the same time. More reports of broken windows came the following morning from the Jackson and Lake Camanche areas. James “J.D.” Harding, a resident of the Lake Camanche area, woke up at 4:30 Thursday morning to find the back window of his Ford Explorer shattered and the rear paneling halfway removed. He estimates the cost of repairs at around 6000 dollars. He flagged down a passing Sheriff who was investigating similar reports from the neighbors. When Harding awoke again at 7 am, he found an apparent hand-written confession on his windshield. “It was in a girl’s handwriting and basically said ‘This is Jamieson Kelly and I am the person responsible for your damage, along with an address and phone number’.” Harding said he contacted the sheriff, who arrived with a pocketful of confession notes. There is speculation as to whether the note was a frame job or the suspects were given up by someone who knew of their activity. A Jackson Police officer arrested the three individuals during a routine traffic stop Thursday morning. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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By Alex Lane -
The Amador Superior Court will host a mock trial for Ione Elementary’s seventh graders as part of a participatory program that helps to educate youngsters about law procedure. On October 21st, Judge Susan Harlan will preside over lawyers, a bailiff, stenographers, and court staff proceeding as if it were a real case. The trial will last approximately two hours, with the seventh grade students broken into three ‘juries’. The students will deliberate at the conclusion of the trial, and each jury will announce their verdict. This mock trial follows the success of another performed last May for fifth grade students at Sutter Creek Elementary School. The positive feedback was overwhelming. “I learned a lot about how the judicial system works and I felt like I was in a real trial…The experience was extremely cool,” wrote one student. The story revolves around an incident between a high school boy and his girlfriend, whose face is accidently cut when he pushes her into his car. The young jurors must decide if he is guilty or innocent. Judge Harlan, who is a member of the Domestic Violence Council, has presided over mock trials before and believes they are a great way for students to “experience this very real dilemma.” According to District Attorney todd Reibe, “This event shows our students in a very real way the inner workings of the criminal justice system, informs them on the dynamics of domestic violence at a level they can understand, and presents to them examples of career opportunities available within the criminal justice field.” For more information on the mock trial, contact Alexandra M. Asterlin, Senior Attorney, Amador Superior Court at 257-2653 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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Amador County – Hand crews and aircraft helped subdue a wildland grass fire Thursday afternoon on the Saint Sava Mission property. Initial reports of the fire came before 2 p.m. and responders came from Jackson, Sutter Creek Fire departments, Amador Fire Protection District, the U.S. Forest Service, and the California Department of Fire Protection. A fire official said “you could see the flags of Saint Sava through the smoke.” The fire burned along the eastern edge of Saint Sava Mission’s entry road, off Broadway Street in Jackson, and hand crews by 2 p.m. had gotten a partial perimeter. One spot flared up again and a tender truck and crew from Jackson Fire Department came to the spot and sprayed the area. A sign along the roadway burned in the fire, which near the road seemed to have been destroyed only dry grass and weeds. On hand to combat the fast-moving blaze were CALFIRE tractors and various air support, including one helicopter and one water tanker. Jackson Fire reported they had three fire engines at the blaze. Approximately 45 personnel including 3 Pine Grove Youth Authority were on hand. The fire burned approximately 11.3 acres. No lives were threatened and no buildings were damaged. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation. Story by Jim Reece and Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Amador County – An elderly woman was injured after a car struck the KFC Restaurant in Jackson Wednesday afternoon at approximately 2:45pm. According to Jackson Police Chief Scott Morrison, a woman driving a red Hyundai Elantra mistook her gas pedal for her brake and bolted over the curb and into the wall by the restaurant’s front doorway. The impact severely damaged the support beam and knocked a pinball style machine into a bench where 92-year-old Catherine Campau of Wilseyville was eating along with her husband. Fire Chief Mark Morton and Morrison were the first to arrive on scene. Campau complained of head trauma and Morton advised her to “go see a doctor.” After paramedics arrived on scene, Campau reluctantly chose to go to the hospital via ambulance. At the time of this report there is no word of her condition. The driver of the Elantra told TSPN she was surprised the impact had not caused her vehicle more damage. After assessing the damage to the restaurant, one fire official advised the manager on duty “not to take anymore customers” due to the structural damage. The manager said she would have to clear that with her superior. 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 fire broke out Friday afternoon on the steep slope adjacent to Highway 88 East of Previtali. A combination of fire teams from Amador Fire Protection District Battalion 10, CALFIRE and the City of Jackson were on scene. Additional units from Sutter Creek were spotted heading to the fire but turned around after reports that the fire had been contained. According to CALFIRE’s captain on-scene, the blaze burned about ¼ acre of dry grass along the slope and into trees before being effectively contained. Earlier reports over the radio indicated that at full blaze the fire “let off quite a bit of smoke and heat.” Reports also stated that the fire damaged all or part of a PG & E utility pole. The geography of the canyon presented a unique challenge to fire crews. Traffic was delayed up to 15 minutes in either direction as fire crews in full gear carefully scaled the slope with shovels and fire hoses. Sheriff’s officers poked prodded still smoldering piles of ash in hopes of finding the source of the blaze. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. One officer on scene suspected a cigarette butt or spark from a passing vehicle as the cause, but that is unconfirmed. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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