This years Amador County Fair is finally here. Today the Fair kicks of with Kids Day from 9am where children 12 and under are free from 9am-6pm. Also tonight at 7pm is the free show Hounds and Hoofbeats. One of the key events of the Amador County Fair is the Miss Amador contest which will take place tonight at 8pm. Here are some pictures by Bill Lavallie of the contestants preparing for this coveted title.  This years contestants include (from left to right): Arieal Konze, Courtney Anderson, Brittany Vincini, Cassandra Ding, Kevlyn Walsh, Jacey DeWing. Don't miss this special event. 

The California Democratic Senate Leader, Don Perata, yesterday blasted Republicans in the state senate, calling their handling of the stalled state budget "fiscal terrorism." With the budget now 25 days overdue, Senate Republicans Wednesday released a new set of proposed spending reductions, including calling for cuts to welfare programs and the elimination of 6,000 vacant state worker positions. "We need to reign in spending and I think the people of California understand that," said Senate GOP leader Dick Ackerman, R-Tustin. But Democrats blasted the proposed cuts, quickly adjourning the morning's Senate session after just 10 minutes. “Let's face it, a handful of right wing Republicans are holding up the state budget," said Senate President Pro Tempore Don Perata, D-Oakland. "As far as I'm concerned, they're going to continue to hold up the state budget because I'm not going to capitulate to this kind of terrorism," Perata said. Perata said he adjourned the Senate until Thursday morning, to give Democrats more time to study the GOP plan. The state Assembly passed a $145 billion spending plan last week with bi-partisan support, but Senate Democrats have been unable to get the two Republican votes needed to pass it in the upper house.

It was a close call for a Pioneer resident when the rear wheel of someone’s vehicle came flying into his lane on Saturday. According to Officer Jeremy Dobler’s report Norberto Marquez, 35 and of Ceres was eastbound on Ridge Road entering the sweeping curve just west of Ridge View Drive when his 1989 Chevy suddenly lost its left rear wheel. The wheel flew into the westbound lane where it collided with 67 year old Robert Chapman of Pioneer’s 2001 Dodge. According to the report neither driver was injured.

Amador County and the State, through CALFire and the California Youth Authority, have reached a mutually beneficial barter program- youth authority muscle, for Amador County Public Work’s asphalt. The program, approved Monday morning by the County’s Administrative Committee provides for cleaning and clearing of roadsides, ditches and general roadside maintenance by Pine Grove Camp crews in exchange for county crews providing asphalt paving to the parking lots at the California Department of Juvenile Justice’s Pine Grove Camp.  The Pine Grove Conservation Camp is located east of Pine Grove on Aqueduct Road. The camp houses about 110 wards ranging from 17 to 25 years of age with personnel from two state agencies staffing the camp.

The City of Ione is hosting a welcome reception for Kimberly Kerr, their new City Manager on Wednesday, August 8 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. The event is open to the public and will be held at the Castle Oaks Golf Club in Ione. Light refreshments will be served. Kimberly joined the City of Ione as manager on July 16th. She was employed for 10 years by Humboldt County where she held positions as director of general services and most recently risk management director/deputy county administrative officer. When announcing her appointment, Ione Mayor Jerry Sherman stated, “Ione is fortunate to have hired someone with such strong overall experience in so many areas. Kim’s understanding of the all aspects of municipal government brings a comprehensive package to our City.”

The Amador County Integrated Solid Waste Management Agency will soon be recognized for achieving a major milestone, compliance with Assembly Bill 939 and exceeding the 50% waste diversion, according to Solid Waste Program Manager, Jim McHargue. AB 939, also known as the Integrated Waste Management Act, addresses the growing problem of California’s increasing amount of solid waste and more importantly where to put it. Signed into law in September of 1989 the Bill restructured the state’s approach to solid waste management and integrated a waste management hierarchy consisting of first and foremost source reduction, then recycling and composting, and finally environmentally safe transformation and land disposal of the waste.

The Ione City Council discussed the Amador County Transportation Commission’s proposed local traffic mitigation fee on residential, commercial and industrial development. The City has the authority to update these fees under Government code in order to mitigate the impact of new development on local roadways. The ACTC completed the study on behalf of each of the cities and the county. According to ACTC Executive Director Charles Field ACTC, although not required to do so, the agency is completing the study to honor a commitment. Field explained that the cities and county “adopted the regional fees in a cooperate effort for us 2 and 3 year ago, and at that time they asked ‘well what about our local roads?’ and instead of saying ‘that’s up to you’ ,we said ‘if you adopt the regional (fee) we’ll help you with your local (fee).” Field said that the Cities and County adopted the fee and that it has been working very well ever since. He said completing the Nexus study was honoring the commitment that ACTC had made to each of the cities and County, however he did say once they present the study to the entities that is where ACTC’s involvement ends and the rest is up to them.

The Amador County Local Agency Formation Commission is moving forward in continuing to become in compliance with state law. While LAFCO has been somewhat dormant for the last couple of years a wake up call and renewed commitment has had them working diligently towards becoming a functional commission. The California State Legislature directs the Local Agency Formation Commission to promote orderly growth and development, discourage urban sprawl while preserving open space and agricultural lands and encouraging efficient service areas for local governments. LAFCO operations are governed by the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000.