A Lincoln man won over 1 million-three-hundred-thousand dollars playing a Star Wars penny slot machine at Jackson Rancheria Casino on November 26. “I never thought Star Wars would pay me more than $1 million!” said the 36-year old winner, who asked to remain anonymous. This is the largest single jackpot in Jackson Rancheria Casino’s history – the winner hit the MegaJackpot on the game machine. Jackson Rancheria Casino has had over 40 of the progressive MegaJackpot winners, more than any other casino in Northern California. “We have now awarded six jackpots over a million dollars and paid out over $19 million through these popular machines,” said Mike Pistoia, Director of Marketing and Player Development at the casino. Jackson Rancheria Casino features over 1,500 slot machines, and is the largest employer in Amador County, with more than 2,000 employees.

County road officials are once again looking at speed limits on Ridge Road. A Cameron Park engineering firm in October conducted an engineering and traffic survey – they were asked to review the posted speed limit along Ridge Road in the vicinity of New York Ranch Road between Hamricks Grade and Climax Road. The speed limit on Ridge Road from Hamricks Grade to New York Ranch Rd was reduced from 55 miles per hour to 50 miles per hour in 2003. Since then, a turn out lane and other improvements were made at the intersection of Ridge and New York Ranch Rds.

Now it’s time for TSPN’s Home for the Holidays series – featuring fun, free or low cost activities for the whole family to enjoy right here in Amador County, now through New Years Day! Here’s a look at what’s coming up this weekend:

The Amador County Fair has announced the Fair Theme for next year’s big event. The new CEO of the County Fair, Troy Bowers announced that the 2008 Amador County Fair will be held JULY 24 -27 and the theme will be: Barnyard Mardi Gras -- 70 Years of Family Fun. If you’re interested in participating in next year’s fair, applications for commercial exhibits, food concessionaires, and window displays, and the Vendor Information and Rules Booklet are now available, online, at the fair’s website: amadorcountyfair.com.

35th Annual Calico Christmas Merchant Open House in Amador City will be held December 1st and 2nd. Enjoy true holiday spirit and small town charm. Hot cocoa, free refreshments and live music – and shops will be open until 8 pm. Special Saturday Events include Pictures with Santa from 1-5pm and Traditional Tree Lighting ceremony. Meet at the Imperial Hotel at 5:30 for the Walk of Light led by traditional caroling through the streets to the town tree. The lighting of the tree will be at 6:00. For more information, contact Aimee at The Antique Gardener, 267-5551

Snow in the mountains overnight and temperatures in Jackson down to 30 degrees Sunday night has skiers and snowboarders looking up the mountain, wondering when Kirkwood will open. Kirkwood received 5 inches of snow in the last storm for a total of 12 – 20” so far this season. Kirkwood usually opens in mid-November -- this year the scheduled opening day is November 24, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

The unofficial results of the River Pines Public Utilities District mail-in ballot to elect two new directors are in – and Lylis McCutcheon and Jackie Keehan were the top two vote-getters. McCutcheon received 37 votes, or 29.4% of the vote, Keehnen received 32 votes, or 25.4% of the vote. Carol Albaugh and Sally Upchurch Hopkins were just one vote apart with 29 and 28 votes respectively. 213 registered voters were eligible to vote in the River Pines PUD election, and 79 votes were cast. These results have yet to be certified by the Amador County Election Department, and are obviously very close, but assuming these results stand, McCutcheon and Keehnen will take their seats on the first Friday in December.

Two families hoping to buy their first homes got a leg up through the Amador County First Time Home Buyer Loan Program. At the supervisors’ Administrative Committee meeting Monday, two prospective home buyers whose applications for county funded applications had been turned down presented supervisors Richard Forster and Louis Boitano with appeals. Initially the supervisors felt the two homes were too expensive for their buyers, making the debt ratio too high for the First Time Home Buyer Loan program – a special county program where first time buyers can apply for low-interest home loans. 

Biologists are searching for answers as an unprecedented number of bears and mountain lions have drowned in what is known as the Tiger Creek Canal. The flume in the North Fork of the Mokelumne River is owned by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company who has documented that from mid-September to mid-October, 15 bears and two mountain lions have drowned.  According to Paul Raquel, a senior biologist supervisor for the California Department of Fish and Game who was hired by PG&E to help investigate the deaths, "It is an unusually large number of animals that have been lost." He and other biologist are finding few clues for what could be the cause for the record numbers.

Hundreds of items including hand-crafted pottery, wood items and paintings will be offered at the 19th Annual Inside Out Art Show & Sale today and Saturday at the Mule Creek State Prison cafeteria. All items are made by the Mule Creek Arts in Corrections and Mill & Cabinet programs, and proceeds benefit Operation Care. The show is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Visitors are asked to avoid wearing blue jeans. The art sale is so popular that show organizers have arranged a sort of lottery for the opening on Friday from 8 to 8:30 a.m.  Visitors at the door when the show opens will receive a ticket, which, after being drawn at random by Warden Rich Subia, enables them to enter the show one-by-one and select one item for purchase. After 8:30 or so, the doors will open to all and there will be no limit on purchases. Inmates participate in the program with the knowledge their artwork will be sold with the proceeds going to Operation Care which helps victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. For more information, contact Lynn Shield at Operation Care -- 223-2897.