Fall prescribed burning will begin soon in the Eldorado National Forest and continue during the next few months as the weather and air quality conditions allow. The Forest Service cautions that anyone with respiratory illness or who thinks the smoke might adversely affect them should contact the nearest Eldorado National Forest Ranger Station and request to be put on a ‘sensitive person” pre-burn notification list. According to Eldorado Forest Supervisor Ramiro Villalvazo, Prescribed burning is designed to make the forest less susceptible to wildfires and to improve overall forest health. Approximately 7,000 acres of widely distributed acres of national forest lands are scheduled to be burned this fall and winter.

A campaign to stop four tribal gambling agreements with the state may be a step closer to going before voters in February. The gambling agreements would allow four Southern California tribes to operate up to 7,500 slots in exchange for sharing their earnings with the state. Each tribe currently has about 2,000 slots. Officials with the campaign to overturn the agreements said they have gathered the signatures needed to put four initiatives on the ballot, including one for each tribe. 

An El Dorado County man is suing a company that manufactured a paintball gun that killed his wife three years ago. According to News 10 reporter Jason Kobely, Mark Contois claims KEE Action Sports has failed to warn consumers about the dangers associated with their paintball guns. Contois' wife died in 2004 after a teenager removed a valve while disassembling his gun, causing a charged carbon-dioxide cylinder to launch into the back of her head. Two years later, her husband received an $8 million settlement under which the manufacturer agreed to warn consumers about the guns' potentially deadly discharges. In exchange, he agreed to dismiss his original lawsuit. Contois' new lawsuit alleges the company has not lived up to its agreement to warn players.

On Wednesday the Amador County Sheriff’s Office and the Amador County Agriculture Agency received several phone calls from residents in the Pine Grove area reporting a bear . The bear was seen in the area of the Tabeau Mobile Home Park, El Dorado Savings Bank and Pine Grove Elementary School, and had obvious significant injuries to its lower jaw and one paw. The Amador County Sheriff’s Office notified California Department of Fish and Game regarding the injured bear. At approximately 5:15 pm, the bear was sighted at the rear of the Sierra House Restaurant.  Unfortunately sheriff’s deputies and Fish and Game officials decided that they had to shoot the bear, based upon the animal’s evident injuries, its proximity to the school and due to concerns for public safety.

Amador Fire Protection District Battalion 20, responded to a residential structure fire near Plymouth at 3:44 Wednesday.The house on Shenandoah School Road was too far gone for firefighters to save by the time they arrived.  AFPD personnel arrived within six minutes of the dispatch but the residence was well involved in fire by then, and the occupants had already evacuated. The best firefighters could do was contain the fire to the burning building, and protect the other buildings and vineyards. One occupant suffered a minor foot injury, and was treated and released at the scene.

A two vehicle, non-injury collision occurred Wednesday at 2:35pm on westbound Ridge Road east of Hwy 49. The accident is still under investigation, but may have been a possible medical episode with one of the drivers according to Sutter Creek Police.  The driver of the truck appears to have tried to avoid the stopped Honda by going to the right of it but did not quite make it and grazed the rear of the Honda causing it to then broadside the entire vehicle. Passengers in the Honda were unharmed and the driver of the Dodge was taken by ambulance to the hospital for a checkup.  a Bill Lavallie story.

Attention teens who say there’s nothing to do in Amador County! In an effort to create events especially for our teens in Amador, the Amador County Recreation Agency (ACRA) is sponsoring the Battle of the Bands this Saturday, October 6th at Detert Park in Jackson. Six bands will battle next to the swimming pool. Music genres will include Hard Rock, Metal, Classic Rock, Psychedelic, Funk, Blues and Rap. The bands playing are:  A Brutal Awakening, Blacktooth Grin, Poncho and the Spazz, Sundown and Thanks 4 Nothing. The fun starts at noon. Food and drinks will be available and Admission is Free! For more information, contact ACRA at 257-1764 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Following Tuesday’s announcement of fire restrictions lifted in the Eldorado National Forest, fire restrictions are now lifted within the High Hazard Areas of the Stanislaus National Forest. The Forest Service today announced that, due to recent storms and cooler temperatures, visitors can use wood, charcoal, or gas fires or stoves outside of developed campgrounds as long as they possess a valid California Campfire Permit and follow the permit regulations. Forest fire officials emphasize that fuel conditions in most of the Stanislaus National Forest are still dry and fire season remains in effect. California Campfire Permits are required for campfires and barbeques outside developed campgrounds.

Ione City Council met Tuesday evening with a special presentation. The Ione Police Department received first place for the 2007 California Law Enforcement Challenge for police departments with 1-10 sworn personnel. Interim Police Chief Bob Olson presented the award to the council, noting that the award could have some economic rewards for the city. Two new grants are now open for application, and the fact the city received this top award puts them in a very good position to receive that money. Councilmembers voted to keep Ione Planning Commissioners Joe Wylie, Laurie Lord, and David Jenkins in their respective seats for another four years.

An unusual partnering of the California State Grange and California bicyclists has succeeded in getting a bill on the Governor’s desk that would establish bikeways on the levee system in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The Great California Delta Trail would be the result of the Governor signing SB 669 into law. The Delta Trail would link Sacramento trails to the San Francisco Bay and will be open to persons on foot, bicycles, and horseback. The trail system would cover more than 1,000 miles of the Delta waterfront of Solano, Contra Costa, Sacramento, and San Joaquin counties. The bill squeezed by the Senate on a party-line vote, but got much broader, bipartisan support in the Assembly.