According to the AP, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will propose "full family sanctions" and other tough-love measures to encourage hundreds of thousands of state welfare recipients back to work, his administration said Sunday. The proposal is aimed at avoiding stiff federal penalties and balancing the state's budget. The idea is to hit parents receiving welfare from the state's CalWORKS program who don't meet work requirements. Those parents could face shrinking monthly checks and other reduced benefits for their entire families this year if lawmakers accept the plan, which aims to bring California in compliance with federal guidelines and cut state costs by $465 million annually. Currently, California is far behind other large states in reaching federal targets, which require 50 percent of single parents on welfare to work 30 hours a week, and adults in two-parent homes to work 30 to 55 hours a week.

On January 1st at approximately 2:15pm, Jackson Police Department, Jackson Fire Department and American Legion Ambulance responded to 124 Allen Street in Jackson in response to an unconscious 26 year old female. Upon arrival of the Jackson Police Officer Chris Rice and Jackson Fire Chief Mark Morton, the female who was later identified as Michelle Ann Destefano, was located in a back bedroom and not breathing. Chief Morton and Officer Rice immediately began CPR until the arrival of paramedics. After approximately thirty minutes of life saving measures, Destefano was pronounced dead on scene.

The Amador County General Plan is well underway according to Jeff Henderson with EDAW, the consulting firm hired by the County to assist in the general plan update. Henderson recently gave a presentation describing what progress has been made up to this point. Henderson explained that after the formation of the General Plan Amendment Committee 5 open houses were held at different times and at various places throughout the County for anyone who was interested in the General Plan process. These open houses featured information stations that were organized in different topics covered by the General Plan. Overall, Henderson said that about 150 people attended these open houses, which he said was “relatively good input (and that) we would like to see that level of input continue if not increase. Henderson also said that the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) has held 6 meetings thus far to facilitate the general plan update process.

According to the application for trust status submitted by the Ione Band of Miwok  to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to gain trust status on nearly 230 acres in the town of Plymouth the Tribe is proposing to develop a gaming facility and related structures, including parking, a hotel and other facilities that are necessary to support the casino on the Proposed Acquisition site.

The state has started to crack down on people who drive without car insurance. Now according to California Vehicle Code all insurance companies are required to report insurance status information to DMV for all private use vehicles and law enforcement and court personnel have access to DMV records to verify that your California registered vehicle is currently insured.

According to a new study released this month binge drinking is common among high school students in the United States and is strongly associated with sexual activity, violence, and other risky behaviors. The study, entitled Binge Drinking and Associated Health Risk Behaviors Among High School Students, has been released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in the January 2007 issue of Pediatrics.

The study analyzed data from the 15,214 high school students who completed the 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. CDC scientists found 45 percent of the students reported past-month alcohol consumption, and 64 percent of students who drank reported binge drinking (defined as having five or more drinks of alcohol in a row).

According to the Associated press Computer security researchers announced yesterday that  they have discovered a vulnerability in Adobe Systems Inc.'s massively popular Acrobat Reader software that allows cyber-intruders to attack personal computers through trusted Web links. Virtually any Web site hosting Portable Document Format, or PDF, files are vulnerable to attack, according to researchers from Symantec Corp. and VeriSign Inc.'s iDefense Intelligence. The attacks could range from stealing cookies that track a user's Web browsing history to the creation of harmful worms, the researchers said.

Last night the first fatality on Amador County roads was reported when two vehicles hit head on near the Twin Bridges area of hwy 88 about 3 and one half miles east of the Amador/San Joaquin County line. The highway was closed after the 7:54 pm accident for approximately one hour from Liberty Road through the accident site. According to witnesses on scene the accident occurred when a Toyota Camry traveling west bound on Hwy 88 veered off the right side of the roadway, hit the guide rail and bounced into the east bound lane colliding head-on with a Chevy suburban causing fatal injuries to the driver of the Camry.

A new Amador County Librarian has been hired to head the county’s library system. That person is Laura Einstadter, the former head of the city of Pinole’s library system. Einstadter’s office will be at the main library branch in  Jackson. She will be in charge of the main Amador County Library in that city as well as the six branches in other parts of the county. She will begin her new job this month. Einstadter has been the Pinole senior branch librarian since November 2001. Einstadter joined the Contra Costa Library in July 2001 as a temporary branch librarian and was promoted to senior branch librarian for the Pinole and El Cerrito branches in November of that year

Thursday, January 25th, at 7pm, the Amador County Historical Society will hold its first event for 2007, a special tour of the Amador County Museum, conducted by Museum Director, Georgia Fox. This will be a special inside view of the history of the Museum itself, as well as its marvelous collections and displays. The Historical Society had an important role in originally acquiring the property that houses the Museum for the county.

The Amador County Museum was built as a home in 1859 by Armstead C. Brown, one of Jackson's earliest settlers. This classic Greek Revival-styled dwelling sits atop Corral or Court house hill overlooking downtown Jackson. Cedar trees tower on each side of the concrete walk to the front door, planted there we believe by Brown when he completed the house. In 1849 A. C. Brown, older and more established than most gold seekers, left his Wisconsin home and law profession to "see the elephant" in the gold fields.