Since a salmonella scare has caused many customers to shun what's normally a summer favorite, tomato farmers across the nation have had to plow under their fields and leave their crop to rot in packinghouses. As losses across the supply chain top $100 million, industry leaders are calling for a congressional investigation into the government's handling of the as-yet unsolved outbreak. McDonald's Corporation, Wendy's International and Yum Brands resumed offering some tomatoes on their menus in the last few weeks. But now tomato farmers said their summer season has already withered despite U.S. authorities' recent announcement that some other type of fresh produce might have caused the country's largest salmonella outbreak.
The outbreak has sickened 922 people in 40 states.

"Now the government has a doubt as to whether it was tomatoes after they've already blackened our eye?" said Paul DiMare, president of The DiMare Companies in Johns Island, South Carolina. "June and July are the best time of the year for tomatoes, but our movement has completely stopped in the United States." Farmers, packers and shippers fear it could take months to rebuild the $1.3 billion market for fresh tomatoes. In Fresno County, deep in California's heartland, one grower chose to lose 225,000 dollars by letting his tomatoes rot in the fields this weekend because he would have taken a bigger hit hiring crews to harvest them, said Ed Beckman, president of the statewide cooperative California Tomato Farmers. Officials with the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said the sheer complexity of the outbreak and the industry's vast international supply chain have hampered efforts to find the sources of contamination. However, recent evidence links the salmonella outbreak with the consumption of food that took place in restaurants, which has resulted in the broadening of the investigation to include foods commonly consumed with tomatoes, such as jalapeno peppers fresh cilantro, scallions, and onions.   

The Amador County District Attorney’s Office has just released its 2008 Annual Report, a comprehensive account of the department’s future goals and accomplishments over the previous year. The report also includes statistics on prosecutions, trends and suggested methods of improving the system in the future. “We have accomplished many of our goals in 2008, but we don’t intend to rest on our laurels- we will continue our efforts to seek justice, serve justice and do justice while maintaining the highest ethical standards,” said District Attorney Todd Riebe. According to the report, the number of felony and misdemeanor arrests has increased over the years since 1996 in conjunction with county population growth. An interesting figure of note is that misdemeanor arrests have grown steadily over the years, while felony arrest growth has been relatively smaller. Perhaps the most educative part of the report is the outline of the many departments that make up the Office’s complex inner workings. The Criminal Division alone encompasses several different departments, including narcotics, elder abuse, prison crimes, child abduction, worker’s compensation fraud and auto insurance fraud.

Of course, the report also highlights the Office’s many accomplishments, including public seminars educating citizens in the area of elder abuse, insurance fraud and internet crimes against children. Most notable of these accomplishments is the formation of the Amador County Combined Narcotics Task Force Team in cooperation with the Sheriff’s Department. The two entities also created the Amador Law Enforcement Response Team, designed to assist police departments in the investigation of major crimes committed within their jurisdictions. “Public safety is the top priority of (our) Office. Whether it is crime prevention, reducing recidivism, or helping victims…the DA’s office is proud of our contribution towards making Amador County a safer place to live,” said Riebe.

A large crowd was in attendance for a ground breaking ceremony Thursday morning for the new Ione fire station. The event was hosted by Mayor Andrea Bonham, city council members Lee Ard, Skip Schaufel, Kim Kerr, and Fire Chief Ken Mackey. A significant crowd had gathered at 600 Preston Avenue to show support, including local residents, Ione police and fire personnel. The station is still currently in its design phase, and will not begin construction until at least August of this year. The station is scheduled to be completed in early 2009. According to city manager Kim Kerr, the design of the new fire house includes fire suppression sprinklers, a facility for waste oil, a trash collection site, and vinyl floor coverings. The Planning Commission is scheduled to make a decision regarding the fire station at their July 8th meeting, and the City Council has added the item to their agenda for their July 15th meeting. During the groundbreaking ceremony, an emotional Bonham addressed the crowd and expressed her gratitude to the community for all of its support and encouragement.  Chief Mackey also spoke to the audience saying, “it’s been a lot of hard work” and that “it’s time.” Councilmember Ard addressed the fire personnel present, saying that in his opinion, “you’re the best station going right now.”

The Amador County Unified School District is gearing up for the 2008-09 school year.  A special board workshop Tuesday marked the first official day for new Superintendent Richard “Dick” Glock.  At the meeting, board members discussed their vision and goals for the upcoming year, making several changes to the existing Vision and Goals poster. In relation to the board’s vision, Glock quoted the book Results Now, How We Can Achieve Unprecedented Improvements in Teaching and Learning, which talks about the huge difference between well-known essential practices and the reality of most classrooms. The book lectures about consistent curriculum, authentic literacy education, and professional learning communities for teachers.  Taking from the book, Glock said, “simple plans work best – those with a direct focus on straightforward actions and opportunities.” He also recommended that teachers “analyze their achievement data, set goals, and then meet at least twice a month – for 45 minutes.” Glock brings a wealth of experience from his previous superintendent positions, including eleven years with the Temecula Valley Unified School District in Southern California, as well Superintendent of Schools in Nebraska.

The board also discussed streamlining the suspension and expulsion policies and looked at the possibility of hiring four retired administrators to sit on the Expulsion Hearing Panel. Another item the board felt needed streamlining was Dress Code Policy enforcement.  Collectively, the board recognized the need to address and enforce dress code policy violations at the very beginning of the school year, as well as notifying parents of the policy.  The board also touched on homework policies, as well as the proper procedure for staying in touch with parents or guardians regarding missing assignments and failing grades.  And finally, the board requested a copy of the board’s cell phone policy, which regulates student use of cell phones at school and outlines the proper procedure to follow when phones are confiscated.

Anyone who is present to donate blood at the Jackson Elks Community blood drive on Monday, July 21 will receive a coupon for a free pint of Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream. Thanks to the generosity of local donors, when you receive care at a Sacramento-area hospital, such as Kaiser Permanente, UC Davis Medical Center, Sutter or Mercy hospitals, the blood you receive comes from BloodSource blood donors. BloodSource provides blood to Sutter Amador Hospital in Jackson. Blood donations are used to treat burn victims, transplant patients, people who must undergo surgery, those injured in accidents, patients with leukemia and more. To give blood, you must be in generally good health, free from cold symptoms for at least 48 hours and at least 17 years old. The drive is sponsored by the Jackson Elks Lodge 2426. Anyone who visits a BloodSource center or mobile drive during the month of July will be automatically entered to win one of five gas cards worth $500. For more information about the Jackson Elks Community blood drive please call Kathy at 209-223-1905.

Lawmakers have sent Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger a bill requiring more notice from lenders seeking to foreclose on homeowners. The legislation by Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, both Democrats, passed the state Senate on Wednesday.It requires mortgage holders to provide a 30-day warning before filing a default notice, which typically precedes foreclosure. It also gives tenants at least 60 days to move out of a home that is being foreclosed.Lenders that repossess homes also must maintain the properties so they don't cause neighborhood blight.Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear says the governor expects to sign the bill.

The first stage in the prosecution of an accused voyeur at Holiday Cleaners in Jackson resulted in misdemeanor charges at the Amador County Sheriff's Office on June 5. Alex Ko, a 35-year-old resident of Pine Grove and co-manager of the business along with his parents, was booked on multiple counts of taking digital photos of women in various states of undress without their knowledge. The alleged crime occurred in the changing room at Holiday Cleaners, where female customers regularly try on tailored clothing. Victims began coming forward after a woman told Jackson police in October she had noticed someone holding a camera over the top of the changing stall at the cleaners, located at 525 South State Highway 49 in Jackson.