With the revelation this week that Mule Creek State Prison is producing waste water flows at a rate of over 200,000 gallons more per day than expected. A joint meeting between the City of Ione, the Amador Regional Sanitation Authority and Mule Creek representatives this week puts the current agreement between the three entities in limbo. Wednesday afternoon the representatives, including the Ione City Council, met to discuss the agreement approved by the Ione City Council on March 13th.

State officials on Tuesday took an official Sierra snow survey for the season. The findings indicate that snow pack, a critical part of California's water supply, is far below normal, ranging from 55 percent of the average in the north to 40 percent of average in the southern Sierras. Department of Water Resource officials say there is still enough water in California's reservoirs to assure normal deliveries of water to cities and farmers this summer, but the lower than normal expected runoff amounts means that reservoirs will be abnormally low in the fall.

Adults who smoke in a vehicle carrying children could be fined $100 under a bill that cleared its first committee Wednesday. A 2006 report by the Harvard School of Public Health said particulate matter in a smoker's car can be as much as 10 times higher than in a smoker's home. That can sharply increase the risk of heart disease, lung cancer and other ailments, Sen. Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach, told the Senate Health Committee. Oropeza’s bill would make it illegal to smoke a cigar, pipe or cigarette in vehicles carrying a minor, regardless of whether the car is parked or moving. It also creates a public health education program focused on the dangers of second-hand smoke. According to Fox news the committee sent her bill to the Senate Appropriations Committee on a 6-3 vote. Smoking in a car with the windows down isn't enough because the U.S. surgeon general has said there is no safe level for second-hand smoke, American Cancer Society lobbyist Alecia Sanchez testified. "Children are completely captive. There's no refuge for them" in a vehicle, she said.

A little-known, under publicized, Medicare open-enrollment period that begins this Sunday, April 1st, could an unpleasant April Fool’s Day for seniors considering switching health plans, experts warn. The period which opens on Sunday is Called the "limited open enrollment period," and it allows people currently enrolled in the traditional Medicare program to sign up for Medicare Advantage plans that don't include drug coverage. Open enrollment runs from Sunday through December. Many Medicare beneficiaries are not familiar with the Medicare Advantage program and some senior advocates fear thousands of seniors could lose their drug coverage or switch to more expensive health insurance if they don't do their homework. Because some insurers are offering lower premiums and co-pays as well as perks such as eye exams, hearing aids and acupuncture treatments, there's ample incentive to switch. "This danger isn't being widely publicized at all," said David Lipschutz, staff attorney with California Health Advocates, which helps seniors understand Medicare benefits told the Oakland Tribune.

The Amador County Board of Supervisors has considered the El Dorado irrigation District’s request to impose a new speed limit on Silver Lake. Bill George, president of the EID Board began his presentation by presenting a resolution from his board formally requesting the speed limit change to 5 miles per hour. George explained that his board held public hearings on the matter before approving the resolution requesting the change. Legal counsel for EID stated that the resolution   EID looked at limited personal water craft and reducing the speed limit. The lake has many submerged hazards, is small and not suitable for high speed travel by boats and other watercraft.

Fire is the enemy of all historic buildings and that proved to be true yesterday morning in downtown Jackson. This morning just after 8 am a fire was reported at Pitt Street and Center Street at what is considered the oldest home in Jackson. Jackson City Fire, Sutter Creek City Fire, Amador Fire Protection District Battalion 10, and CalFire Crews all responded to fight the fire with additional responses by Jackson Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, Amador County Sheriff’s Deputies and the Sutter Creek Police which all assisted with traffic control as Hwy 88 and the Pitt Street bridge were closed to allow for the safety of firefighters and emergency personnel.

The STAR based test scores that make up the Academic Performance Index were released this week by the California State Department of Education- and it was good news for the Amador County Unified School District. Local Elementary schools all showed improved scores, with the exception of Sutter Creek Elementary and Pine Grove Elementary. However, there is no alarm necessary as Sutter Creek scores were at the magic number of 800 this year down just slightly from 807 last year. A score of 800 is considered the goal for all schools in the state. Sutter Creek Elementary was the first school in the district to reach that mark several years ago. The school has maintained that standard and now Pine Grove Elementary and Pioneer Elementary, which reached the 800 benchmark last year, continued at that level as well.

Are you interested in serving your county in a capacity that looks toward the future growth of our area? The Amador Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) will be appointing a new Alternate Public Member to a 4-year term, running from January 2007 to February 2011. Applicants must be a resident and registered voter in Amador County and cannot be a city, district or County official of any public agency within Amador County. Those seated on LAFCO are subject to the Fair Political Practices Act and must file an annual conflict of interest statement.

The Sutter Creek Police Dept. has announced that the search for a parolee at large has come to an end with the man safely taken into custody and booked at the Amador Co. Jail. At approximately 10pm on Monday March 26th, Jerry Wayne Locklear was arrested in the backyard of a residence in the City of Sutter Creek. Locklear was being sought for violating the terms of his parole out of San Joaquin County, and was being sought for questioning by the Sutter Creek Police Dept. in regards to a domestic violence incident which had occurred on Saturday March 10th in the City of Sutter Creek.

Recently, the Amador County Unified School District was made aware of a potential mold problem in two classrooms at Ione Elementary.  Upon inspection and testing, one classroom came back with one mold spore found.  The remediation (clean up) was completed and the room retested.  Test results indicate the room is clean. In the second classroom it was determined there was a higher than usual level of an allergen/mold.