Last Thursday and Friday Tuolumne County Officials announced two large marijuana grow busts, one near Moccasin and one near Columbia. Combined Tuolumne County officials eradicated nearly 25000 plants worth about 15 million dollars. In Calaveras County, Sheriff’s officials announced yesterday that they too had been busy during this grow season.

Amador County  Public Health is seeing a sharp increase in the number of residents who are being exposed to bats in their homes. This carries a risk for rabies exposure. In the last month 10 Amador County residents have received rabies post exposure treatment for in home exposure to bats. According to Amador County Health Officer, Dr. Bob Hartmann, “Anyone who has touched a bat or has been sleeping in a room where a bat is found will be considered exposed to rabies”.

The Joint Water Committee, made up of members of the Board of Supervisors and Water Agency Board of Directors met this week to discuss the current water and wastewater matters in the county.

At this week’s Board of Supervisors meeting the Board will once again focus on the General Plan Update which is currently underway. The General Plan is in a review and revise period that was begun by the county near the end of 2005. The General Plan is a document that is the "constitution" or foundation upon which future land use and development decisions will be based for the unincorporated areas of the County.

Summer is the time for lazy days, warm evenings, county fairs and carnivals. In rural communities throughout the nation, the Fair is the biggest event of the summer and it is no different for Amador County. And this is the week- the Amador County Fair officially opens Thursday with kids day and seniors day.

Whether or not the recently reappointed Jackson Planning Commissioner Wayne Garibaldi has a conflict of interest regarding any decisions made by the planning commission over the Jackson Hills Golf Community Project has been a source of conflict in the community. At recent City Planning Commission and City Council meetings, community members have questioned whether or not a conflict exists given the Mr. Garibaldi is employed at Bank of Amador. The conflict being, according to the community members, that Mr. Garibaldi could profit from a subdivision full of new homes when the Bank of Amador made home loans for the potential buyers.

Tuolumne County officials have announced the discovery and destruction of more than 9,000 marijuana plants worth roughly $2 million dollars. The bust occurred in southern Tuolumne County late last week. Members of the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office and the Tuolumne Narcotic Team, were joined by the state’s CAMP  team, or Campaign Against Marijuana Planting  team, after deputies had discovered the grow from an aerial surveillance conducted from a flyover earlier in the month. Law enforcement mulched and then burned the 9,072 plants found in the Moccasin area. 

The Amador County Board of Supervisors will hold a special meeting this morning at 8am. The subject of the meeting is a closed session item regarding a Conference with County Counsel over a Potential Litigation [Government Code 54956.9(b)] with the Buena Vista Rancheria. The county is already involved in one litigation over the proposed Flying Cloud casino proposed by the Buena Vista Band of Me-Wuk Indians for a 67 acre piece of land located on Coal Mine Rd in the Jackson Valley Area.

Yesterday afternoon a fire was reported outside of Amador County just off Clay Station Road in Sacramento County. The fire near Simmerhorn Rd was clearly visible from Amador County. A fire Saturday was reported by CAL FIRE officials outside of Valley springs in Calaveras County. Nearly 200 acres off of Hwy 26 in the Linden-Peters area was contained after several hours of fire fighting. Responding to the fire: all Columbia Air Base aircraft plus a helicopter from Yosemite, three local engines, 14 state engines, two dozers, four hand crews, one strike team from Morgan Hill in Santa Clara County and three water tenders.There were no injuries or structures damaged.