Fire Chief Mark Morton then reported that the Jackson Fire Department finished out the year with 876 calls, which is a 21% increase in calls over 2005. He also reported that the new year has already been challenging with 19 calls so far as of Monday, and three of those were calls involving that all ended in fatalities.

The Council reviewed the request of the Amador Co. Little League East to place fundraising sponsorship signs on the Aime Field Fence. According to a letter from Fund Raising Committee Chairman Mark Lackowski, “…the Amador Co. Little League is trying to come up with ways to raise money for the league…my plan this year is to ask local businesses for help in sponsoring…The league’s thought is to sell “sponsorship” signs to local businesses that would like to have their business name displayed year around.” The signage Lackowski suggested would be permanent and would be 2 feet by 8 feet in size and the monies earned from the “sponsorship” signs would be used to purchase “much needed safety equipment” and make some field upgrades. City Manager Mike Daly introduced the item and said that the City recognizes that youth sports organizations are always struggling to make their financial needs, but in the past the City has discouraged the placement of advertising on City property to benefit any one particular organization. He also pointed out that similar requests have been turned down in the past and that the Amador County Little League (ACLL) East is not the only organization to use the field, so by allowing one organization to put up signs it could set precedence for all organizations in the future.  City Council persons had several questions pertaining to the request, but unfortunately a representative of ACLL East was not available.

Earlier this week the Sutter Creek Planning Commission held a public hearing on the Sutter Hill East Reorganization; which would annex 56.3 acres of Sutter Hill property to the city of Sutter Creek from Amador County’s jurisdiction. The annexation had inadvertently been sent to the city council last week lacking complete environmental documents and was then redirected to the planning commission for their recommendation to the council. The annexation includes the Amador Transit Mix concrete company and 3 other major sources of tax revenue opportunities for the city. The annexation has caused a bit of controversy with some of the surrounding land owners involved because portions of the annexation were possibly going to be rezoned from Residential to Planned development.

Senator Dave Cox has announced a Town Hall meeting that will be conducted regarding Mule Creek State Prison and its current issues, including those wastewater concerns. Senator Cox requested the meeting and Secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation James Tilton and Mule Creek State Prison Warden Rich Subia have all agreed to be present at the meeting which is open to anyone in the community. The meeting is Tuesday Jan 16th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Ione Jr High School. For more information you can contact Senator Dave Cox’s office at 916-783-8232.

 

 

On Friday January 5, 2007 at approximately 0330 hours, the Amador County Sheriff’s Office received a report that a 17 year old female had been sexually assaulted by her former step-father at a residence on Buckhorn Ridge Road in Pioneer.  Amador County Sheriff’s Deputies responded and contacted the female and the suspect.  The female stated she had taken medication and became drowsy.  She subsequently awoke to find the suspect, nude, orally copulating her.  She indicated the suspect sexually penetrated her digitally and with a foreign object.  The suspect was interviewed at the scene and confessed to the committing the acts. Amador County Sheriff’s Investigators responded to the scene to conduct additional interviews and to collect the physical evidence.  The victim was transported to the UC Davis Medical Center for an examination. The former step-father, John Frederick Gladish, 57, of Pioneer was arrested and transported to the Amador County Jail for processing.  Gladish was charged with violations of PC 288A(F), oral copulation of an unconscious victim; and PC 289(E), sexual penetration of a victim under the influence of medications.  Gladish’s bail was set at $50,000.00.

In case you have been wondering what is happening with Buena Vista Rancheria’s request to the Federal Government to build and operate a sewer plant- the answer, according to John Tinger with the EPA is that the permit, and the project, are on hold. According to Tinger “As the Tribe has agreed to do additional work on the Tribal Environmental Impact Report, the NPDES permit application is on hold until the TEIR has been completed.” Tinger states that his department anticipates that there will be another public notice on the NPDES permit to allow for comment on any additional information collected during the TEIR process, as that information relates to the NPDES permit.

Representatives of Jackson, Sutter Creek, Ione, ARSA, the AWA, as well as HDR all joined together yesterday to discuss short term improvements to meet the needs of local wastewater demands. In the audience representatives of the Foothill Conservancy, Present in the audience were Nolte Engineering of the Jackson Hills project, Castle Oaks Golf course, JTS Communities, and the Gold Rush and Wicklow Way subdivisions. County Administrative Officer Patrick Blacklock facilitated the meeting while representatives from HDR Engineering Inc. summarized the results of the last few meetings and went over some of the steps that can be taken in the future to ensure capacity for the development that is already on the books.

There’s a new Sheriff in town as things were made official today. In a sentimental ceremony Sheriff Martin Ryan was sworn in by his father, former Am. Co. Superior court judge Martin Ryan while his wife Theresa pinned his badge on. As young Martin continues a family legacy of law enforcement in the County as his grandfather G. W. Lucot served as an Amador Co. Sheriff from1914-1954.

The Amador Co. Sheriff’s Dept. is currently investigating a robbery that occurred this morning at the Jackson Rancheria Casino and Hotel. According to Law Enforcement Officials they were contacted by tribal police regarding a robbery that occurred when a male subject met up with a female suspect in the casino and they subsequently returned to a hotel room together.

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.