The Natural Resources Conservation Service has announced that applications are now being accepted from farmers and ranchers wishing to participate in the 2007 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The cut-off deadline for accepting applications is December 1, 2006. The EQIP program offers funds on a cost-share basis to producers for practices ranging from cross – fence and water development to tree & shrub establishment and forest stand improvement to grazing systems. Applications are scored and ranked based on a locally modified scoring system striving to get the best environmental benefits. It gives each county an opportunity to focus EQIP dollars and prioritize conservation work to address its most pressing resource concerns.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger may have won a second term at Governor in a landslide election but some familiar problems continue to plaque his governorship.

In a daring daytime raid, gunmen wearing the uniforms of Iraqi security forces kidnapped between 100 and 150 people Tuesday morning, the country's minister of higher education told parliament. Abed Dhiyab al-Ajili ordered universities closed until security improves, calling the situation unsafe.

Good news for Natural gas customers. Natural gas bills in November are expected to drop 26.6% from last year, when market prices were at record-high levels. PG&E's residential customers can expect to pay $15.79 less for natural gas in November of 2006, compared to November of 2005. Reasons For The November Bill Outlook Include the repairs to Hurricane damage improving the vital Gulf Coast infrastructure.

More Central Valley farmers, as well as some elsewhere in the state, will be eligible for aid to offset losses caused by the July heat storm, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says. The six California counties added to the list of primary natural disaster areas are Amador, Contra Costa, San Benito, San Joaquin, Santa Clara and Yuba. All qualified farm operators in the designated areas are now eligible for low-interest emergency loans from USDA's Farm Service Agency, provided eligibility requirements are met.  

The Jackson Police Department in a partnership with the Historic Jackson Business Association is inviting all business owners and business employees in Jackson to join them for a town hall meeting on November 16th. The meeting to be held at the Jackson Civic Center will give citizens up to date information regarding crime alerts in the area and also offer crime prevention tips. Another subject to be discussed by local law enforcement will be Holiday Season crime trends and scams commonly seen. The meeting begins at 6pm at the civic center at 33 Broadway in Jackson 

Wednesday, the AWA held a special meeting to discuss a long term regional wastewater management plan.

The Amador County Board of Supervisors has adjusted their November meeting schedule to accommodate holidays and other fall break vacations and has announced they will meet only once this month. There will be no meetings on November 7th or 14th due to scheduling conflicts that will create a lack of quorum. On November 21st the Board will meet as regularly scheduled. Because of a California State Association of Counties Meeting on November 28th the local supevisorial meeting will be cancelled for that date. The meeting schedule should return to normal in December.

 

The 10 member Board that oversees the Amador County Recreation Agency recently approved a Recreation Master Plan. This is a significant milestone in the development of the countywide agency, which under the direction of Tracey Towner Yep, has grown by leaps and bounds. The report discusses the need for parks and other recreation facilities within Amador County, as well as, contains a summary of the findings from the youth and adult surveys, eight public workshop meetings, and contacts with individual stakeholders which have been conducted countywide for the last year. 

The Amador County Elections Department is reporting a dramatic increase in the amount of absentee ballots requested by local voters this General Election cycle. During the lead up to the June Primary Election 8,536 absentee ballots were taken out by Amador County Voters. This November General Election that number has again increased with a whopping 9020 absentee ballots that have been taken out through the elections department. This represents 44.8 percent of the 20,119 registered voters here in Amador County. Of the 9020 ballots currently out to voters, only 3841 have been returned as of Wednesday, Nov 1st, to the Elections Department.