Small businesses in Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties may now apply for low interest disaster loans from the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA).  “These disaster loans offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by the extremely low temperatures and drought in Amador and Calaveras counties beginning January 1, 2007,” said Alfred E. Judd, Director of SBA’s Disaster Field Operations Center - West. Small businesses may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) of up to $1.5 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster not occurred.

Senator Dave Cogdill is continuing his push to eliminate the problem of methamphetamine from rural California. The Senator from Modesto that represents our neighbors to the south has announced his introduction of Senate Bills 591 and 592. Senate Bill 591 would change the possession of methamphetamine from a simple misdemeanor to a felony carrying the punishment of imprisonment in a state facility. Senate Bill 592 proposes creating a new fund within the Illegal Drug Lab Cleanup Account to assist land owners in paying the costs for the removal of methamphetamine by- products illegally dumped on their property. Cogdill says, “Methamphetamine use has grown exponentially over the last few years. Senate Bills 591 and 592 will aid this effort by creating a harsher penalty for those who simply posses meth and by providing assistance to those who suffer the consequences of the dumping of meth by-products on their land.”

The U.S. Agriculture Department on Tuesday declared Amador and Calaveras counties primary disaster areas. This will now make local farmers and ranchers eligible for low-interest emergency loans. The USDA said Amador and Calaveras counties both experienced unseasonably cold temperatures combined with drought like conditions this year. This move by the USDA also makes six additional counties in California also eligible for assistance because they are close to the primary disaster areas, Amador and Calaveras Counties. The USDA's Farm Service Agency said farmers have eight months to apply for emergency loans to help cover part of the financial loss of their crops. Each loan application will be reviewed based on the extent of losses and the ability to repay the loan, the agency said.

Monday afternoon the city of Ione some saw excitement in the form of a law enforcement action. According to Ione Police Chief Bob Olson, a broken down motorist at the Chevron station attracted the attention of the Ione Police Department when he attempted to obtain a ride from another patron of the station by jumping in their car and demanding a ride. The local resident declined to give the subject the ride and contacted the Ione Police Department. Ultimately, the subject reentered the vehicle that he had been driving. Upon arrival of the Ione Police Department on scene the subject was identified as Nai Saecho of Sacramento. Saeho became non-compliant with the requests of law enforcement and after a check of the vehicle the Amador County Sheriff’s department, Sutter Creek Police Department and the California Highway Patrol all arrived for a mutual aid action. The uncooperative subject was tasered by Sgt. Garret Anderson of the Ione Police Department and taken into custody. Saecho was subsequently identified as a suspect in a burglary in the Sacramento area and the car that he was driving identified as stolen.

Additional softball field access in Ione will be the subject of an agenda item on the Amador County Unified School District’s agenda next Wednesday night. Currently, Amador County little league west controls all baseball fields in Howard park, two of which were specifically designed for softball when they were constructed. According to city officials the city has an agreement for use with Amador County Little League West which grants the little league first right of refusal for usage of the fields based on the agreement which specifies that the ACLLW will provide maintenance and improvements at the park. The softball program, last season, began working with the city for greater field access and now the school district, at the request of the Amador County Recreation Agency may become part of the solution to an ongoing problem.

Amador County SWAT was again called into action on Monday afternoon when SWAT officers from two county agencies, Amador and El Dorado Counties, surrounded a home searching for a parolee at large Monday afternoon.  Lt. Kevin House, spokesman for the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department, said officials were looking for Kevin Beam, a man well-known to law enforcement. Amador County and El Dorado County SWAT teams began a search for Beam around 2 p.m. Monday. House said Beam, of Georgetown, had been involved in a fight earlier in the day. Officials believed he was in a home in the 2000 block of Salmon Falls Road. Around 4:20 p.m. SWAT officers fired a "percussion grenade" into the residence, hoping to draw Beam out, if he was indeed in the home. Officials believe he may have fled the area and could be driving a black sport utility vehicle. Anyone with information as to his whereabouts are asked to contact the El Dorado Sheriff Department at (530) 621-6600.

 

The Amador Co. Transportation Commission has changed their meeting location for the meeting that is to be held on February 21st. They will now be meeting at the American Legion Hall at 11350 American Legion Drive, in Martell. The commission is to take another look at the unmet transportation needs with special emphasis on a Saturday bus service to Kirkwood. The unmet transportation needs public hearing began in November of 2006, but was continued due to an active group of citizens who wanted to research what transportation needs really are unmet in the County. Raised at the public hearing continued in January were 5 basic recommendations by the group of active citizens who serve on the Social Services Transportation Advisory Council.

The Amador Unit of the CHP had a busy afternoon Monday when two accidents occurred within minutes of each other. The first accident happened at the intersection of Hwy 88 and Lower Ridge Road at approximately 12:25 pm. Samuel Santos of Sutter Creek was traveling west on Hwy 88 and failed to see the red light at Hwy 104, Lower Ridge Rd. Carl Guelzow, of Elk Grove was east bound on Hwy 88 making a left hand turn onto Ridge Rd on a green arrow when he was hit head on by Santos. Santos and his passenger, Florence Coats, also of Sutter Creek were both injured. Coats was transported to UC Davis Med Center with moderate injures. Santos was transported to Sutter Amador Hospital as was Carl Guelzow and his passenger Edith Guelzow.

Because today is President’s Day tonight’s Jackson Planning Commission Meeting has been moved to tomorrow, Tuesday February 20th. The commission will be tackling a full agenda as well as a workshop to develop a recommendation to the City Council on the Housing Equivalent Units, or HEUs, Allocation for the upcoming year, as well as the development criteria. In December of 2004 the City Council adopted the Resource Constraints and Priority Allocation Policy per the Planning Commission’s recommendation. The policy is the City’s growth management program and is designed to control growth at a rate that can be supported by the infrastructure and service demand created by new housing units.