The murder trial has been set for two men accused of killing a Mokelumne Hill man in the spring of 2005. Donald Pinon and Daniel Rocha are accused of shooting David Jessop, 19 in the back of the head while Jessop was in bed. According to Calaveras County officials drugs and gangs are believed to be involved. A Calaveras County Superior Court Judge ruled in May 2005 that two Valley Springs men must stand trial for murder along with other charges. Twenty-one-year-old Donald Pinon and 20-year-old Daniel Rocha stand accused in the shooting death of Jessop who was found shot to death in his bed early on March 16th  2005 in Mokelumne Hill.

The State Department of Fish and Game is considering changing the kind of bullets that can be used when hunting certain types of animals in certain areas. Current regulations provide for methods to be used in the “taking” of big game. Those methods include the use of the traditional bullet which contains lead. The new regulation proposed would require non–lead bullets, muzzleloader balls, and/or shotgun slugs for the taking of big game mammals in the geographic area inhabited by free–ranging California condors. Alternatives to the proposed action are “no change” to existing regulation, requiring non–lead bullets statewide, and extending the Proposed Action to the historic California condor range which increases the geographic area up into the Southern Sierra Nevada.

According to the California Highway Patrol fewer people lost their lives on California’s roadways in 2006 compared to the previous year, according to preliminary California Highway Patrol statistics. Highway collision fatalities decreased 9.22 percent to 3,907 people when compared to 2005. “While I am saddened to see these deaths, I am pleased to see what appears to be a substantial reduction in the number of casualties,” said CHP Commissioner Mike Brown. “The projected reduction reflects the emphasis the CHP places on safety.” Within CHP jurisdiction alone, the number of traffic fatalities is projected to have dropped 5.56 percent in 2006. One of the goals of the CHP is the prevention of death, injury, and property damage. The indicator of a state’s relative success in traffic safety is represented by the number of traffic fatalities per every 100 million miles of vehicle travel, referred to as the Mileage Death Rate (MDR). The MDR is affected by both increased educational and enforcement efforts.

On Monday March 5, 2007 at approximately 1708 hours the Amador County Sheriff’s Office received a report of possible illegal dumping occurring on Coal Mine Road south of the Co-Gen plant.  Upon arrival, deputies observed a black truck parked in a turnout, occupied by one subject.  As deputies drove past the vehicle, the subject exited the vehicle and fled into the woods.  Amador County Sheriff’s Deputies, with the assistance of an Ione Police Officer and a California Highway Patrol Officer, set a perimeter. 

This weekend’s beautiful sunny weather was deceiving for many drivers as they encountered slick and icy roadways.  Late Friday morning an accident occurred on Hwy. 88 just west Silver Drive when Karen Strachan, 54 of Pioneer was traveling west bound on Hwy. 88 ascending the grade in her 2006 Ford F-250 entering a righthand curve. Strachan stated that she thought her speed was 25 mph, but according to CHP Officer Patrick Ong, he estimated her speed to be closer to 35-40 mph. Subsequently she lost control of her vehicle on the icy roadway and ran off of the north side of the highway causing her truck to overturn and collide with a tree. According to the report Strachan only had minor injuries. Just a half hour later at approximately at 11:05am Agnese Jekabsons, 53 of Pioneer was traveling eastbound in her 1997 Ford Taurus at an estimated speed of 40 mph entering Buckhorn in the upcountry area. According to Officer Patrick Ong’s report, Jekabson negotiate a curve to her left and lost control of her vehicle but her speed causing the Ford Taurus to run off the north side of the Highway and subsequently collide with a ditch embankment and over turned.

Five Mile Road in the Ione area remains closed

This morning a search was begun for an Ione man after he was reported missing. According to Ione Police Chief Bob Olson, the man identified as an Ione resident was reported missing by family members. The search was initially centered in the general Ione area and was then narrowed to the Howard Park area after the discovery of the missing man’s car near the Park. The search will be continuing this afternoon with the Amador county Sheriff’s Department sending deputies on ATV’s.(

Last night nearing 6pm a serious vehicle accident was reported at 13654 South Camanche. Details given to emergency crews included that a green ford ranger had hit a tree, pinning the driver in the vehicle. A tow truck and medical air lift were called in immediately and just minutes later that driver was reported as having major injuries at the least. The jaws of life were used to extricate the driver from the vehicle and they were later transported via helicopter to UC Davis Medical Center. We hope to have more information surrounding the details of the accident by noon.

Friday afternoon a fatal collision occurred on Hwy 16 near Old Sacramento Rd.  The car was apparently traveling east bound on Hwy 16 when for an unknown reason the driver left the roadway rolling over multiple times. The car then caught fire and started a wildland fire that was contained quickly due to the efforts of a local rancher and his water truck. Fire Crews from the Amador Fire Protection District Battalion 20 and CalFire arrived on scene to complete the containment and mop up the scene. The name of the victim has not yet been released by the California Highway Patrol.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) Commissioner Mike Brown has issued a challenge to the state’s motorists this Independence Day holiday; one entire day with no traffic fatalities throughout the state. Since 1968, when record keeping began, there have been only three days when death took a holiday from California roadways.  The most recent fatal free day was September 12, 2000.  The other two were May 1, 1991 and March 11, 1968.