Amador County – The Ione city council approved an agreement with the police union on Tuesday and authorized City Manager Kim Kerr to work to finalize revisions. The council approved a $186,000, 3-year contract with the Ione Police Officers Association Tuesday. Kerr said a comparison of pay rates between Ione Police Department officers showed they were paid 8 percent below the rates paid to Jackson Police Department officers. The sergeant pay was 20 percent under JPD’s pay rate, and the agreement, covering January 2009 to July 1, 2010, aimed at narrowing the differences through annual raises. She said the officers’ first raise will be 5 percent, and a sergeant’s rate raise will be 8 percent. Councilman Jim Ulm said basing the pay on Jackson P.D. was not a good idea as the JPD was looking at layoffs to balance its budget, not unlike every other municipality and also the Amador County Sheriff’s Office. Ulm said he would rather not give raises if they must look at layoffs and he hoped the money holds out, saying: “we are the only ones not cutting.” Vice Mayor Lee Ard said Ione has “the luxury of a fine management team and a strong balance sheet.” Ard said he found no discomfort in raising police pay because public safety is the most important thing. Councilman David Plank said the main objective should be retaining quality officers and the IPD has one officer who has been there 3 years. Plank asked if the city can absorb $186,000 in 3 years. Councilman Skip Schaufel said if the city had a catastrophic event, it could renegotiate the contract, and the agreement “shows good faith on our part.” Bonham said “there is a cost to recruiting and not keeping your officers in place,” noting that they police force had lost good officers all because of money. She said they like the community and still live in Ione but work elsewhere. The contract passed 4-1 with Ulm voting no. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

By Alex Lane -

A wild grass fire whipped by strong winds ravaged a section of open fields and pockets of oak trees near Lake Pardee Thursday afternoon. A swift and strong response by local fire agencies and CDF aircraft quickly stopped the fire in its tracks before it was able to cause any serious damage. The head of the blaze was stopped near Stony Creek Road, leaving small fires burning in tree trunks and in small pockets of brush. The Amador Fire protection District, or AFPD, is responsible for approximately 85 percent of emergency fire, rescue, and medical aid service in the unincorporated areas of Amador County. The latest AFPD statistics for the month of September indicate a total of 111 incident responses. Of these, 62 medical aid and 16 vehicle accidents accounted for 70 percent of the total incidents. Only 5 of the incidents were fire related- 1 structure fires, 1 vehicle fire, 1 outside rubbish fire and 2 wildland fires. 54 percent of the total calls occurred between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm.

Amador County - A fire Tuesday evening behind Campbell’s Quick Stop in Jackson burned shrubbery and part of a fence. Jackson Assistant Fire Chief Dale Fishback confirmed that the fire took place at approximately 6:45 pm near the corner of Folger and Wallace Streets. Area residents watching the Major League Baseball All-Star game were alarmed by the blaze. Shrubbery burned up to the back porch of a house adjacent to the burn. The Jackson Fire Department and CALFIRE responded to the blaze within minutes. No one was injured and the cause of the fire is still under investigation. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – A house fire in Pioneer Thursday evening was subdued quickly thanks to quick action by firefighters already near the scene. The fire started late Thursday on a home off of Susan Lane in Pioneer. The initial response was by Battalion 10 of the Amador Fire Protection District, followed shortly by assistance from CALFIRE. Firefighter’s utilized skills they’ve acquired through frequent training exercises to battle the blaze. Local residents on scene also assisted in the effort. In the end, a major portion of the home was severely damaged. One bright note is that the family dog, feared lost in the blaze, was found hiding under a bed and reunited with the family.The Red Cross was called in to provide housing and assistance to the family. Firefighters are investigating the cause of the blaze. Story by Alex Lane and Bill Lavallie This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – Amador County residents now have fast access to custody information on offenders throughout California. Sheriff Martin Ryan recently announced the launch of Victim Information and Notification everyday or VINE, a free automated service citizens can access, 24-hours-a-day either by telephone or Internet. “Protecting the citizens of Amador County is always my highest priority,” said Sheriff Ryan, adding: “VINE provides an added level of protection because it gives everyone access to timely and accurate information on offenders in our county, and throughout the state. I am delighted to make this important service available to Amador County residents.” Callers are asked to provide an offender’s name or booking number. After the system has provided the relevant custody information, it asks the caller if they would like to register to be automatically notified when the offender is released or transferred. Those choosing to register provide a phone a phone number which they will later use to confirm the notification call. “What makes it special is the automatic notification feature - as long as you’ve got a telephone or computer, you can receive an automated alert anytime of the day or night. That kind of protection is critically important to anyone who is concerned about the whereabouts of an offender,” said Ryan. VINE was made possible through the US DOJ Bureau of Justice Assistance grant for Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification. People calling 1-877-411-5588 can access VINE. Citizens can also go online at www.vinelink.com to locate offenders and register for this free service. Staff Report, Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

El Dorado County - The El Dorado Sheriff’s Office reported Friday that narcotics detectives “located and eradicated” approximately 32,000 marijuana plants in El Dorado Hills on June 20. The large outdoor grow was located in an area off Salmon Falls Road and Dorado Ridge Trail, approximately 12 miles north of the Amador County border. The operation was first noticed when detectives discovered approximately 1 mile of irrigation lines used to supply the plants with water from remote watering sites, such as damned creeks. This eventually led them to the operation, which spanned over a mile across private, State, and Federal properties. The El Dorado Sheriff’s Office estimates that 32,000 plants would have had a street value upwards of $58 million. That’s approximately $1,800 for every pound of marijuana. “Marijuana grows of this type are of always of great concern not only for the safety of the community but the environment. Marijuana growers are very protective individuals and will protect their crops by dangerous means,” said Lieutenant Bryan Gomitz in Friday’s release. Gomitz said there are no suspects in custody at this time but the size and style of the marijuana grow suggests Mexican Nationals are responsible. Upon discovery, many of the plants were airlifted out and destroyed immediately. A number of agencies were involved in the operation, including El Dorado County Fire, California Fish and Game and several private property owners. The El Dorado Sheriff will continue to investigate who was behind the operation. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

El Dorado County - El Dorado County Sheriff Jeff Neves announced Friday his decision not to run for re-election to a third term. As the 2010 race heats up, with five other candidates in the running, Neves, 55, said he will step down after this term to spend more time with his family. Narcotics official and 15 year Amador County law enforcement veteran John D’Agostini formally announced on June 13th his run for the position. “I’ll bring a different culture and personality to the position that I personally feel will be more effective,” said D’Agostini. He’ll be up against four other strong candidates: Stan Perez, a former chief of the CHP’s valley division; Bob Luca, an El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office Investigator; Larry Hennick, a retired 32-year veteran of the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department; and Capt. Craig Therkildsen a veteran of more than 25 years with the department. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – During Monday’s meeting of the Jackson City Council, Jackson Police Chief Scott Morrison announced a new addition to his team: a K-9 drug sniffing dog. The German Sheppard’s acquisition was made possible through a grant from an anonymous donor from the bay area. The total cost of shipping the dog from Germany, vaccines and papers cost around $10,000. Reserve Officer Al Lewis, who is currently retired but previously spent 18 years in charge of the canine program at the Newark Police Department, will have full responsibility over the animal. Lewis will make a reserve wage and be authorized to act in a law enforcement capacity over 3 shifts per week. Morrison said the dog was needed in response to a growing drug problem in Jackson and the county as a whole. “We’ve been touching the top of the iceberg as far as narcotics in our city,” he said. The majority of funding for the upkeep and continuation of the program will come from the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund. This covers the costs of a specially equipped car, training and supplies. The dog is expected to be ready for narcotics detection on the streets in 3 to 4 weeks. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - The Board of Supervisors discussed a vital step in the development of a new county jail during Tuesday’s meeting: securing a viable piece of property held by Sierra Pacific Industries. The property is located near the Health and Human Services building off Conductor Boulevard and has long been discussed as the most sensible location for a much-needed and expanded county jail. Amador County General Services Director Jon Hopkins presented the board with details of a Purchase and Sale Agreement and Joint Escrow Instructions, and a Grant of Option and Right of First Offer with Sierra Pacific Industries. The discussion quickly focused on water rights and availability outlined in the contract. Supervisor John Plasse stated his long-term concern of “owning this property and down the road Sutter Creek can’t accommodate,” he said in reference to water capacity. Hopkins said capacity is related to infrastructure, not relative to whether water is available. Chairman Ted Novelli said he felt that if they began paying fees right now they would be locked into the current water rate and not subject to any potential future changes. Sheriff Martin Ryan urged the Board to consider reapplying for eligibility through the Assembly Bill 900 process. The Board had previously rejected some AB 900 money because of the large local matching grants required. Ryan said it was a good idea to reapply considering that many “other counties dropped out because they were intimidated by the matching process.” He said new guidelines could make it easier and more accessible for Amador to take advantage of that funding in the future, but details are still vague. The Board unanimously approved the continuation of the process with SPI. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - Sheriff Martin Ryan was present at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting to address a proposal for raising LiveScan fees and funding made available through the Secure Rural Schools Act. In reference to improved efficiency, Sheriff Ryan thanked the board for “the rare occasion when I come in front of a body such as yours and thank you for cutting our budget.” Ryan added that the “foremost priority of government is to make law enforcement and public safety a priority.” Supervisor Ted Novelli said that as Chairman, he “will try to help keep every deputy we need on the streets.” Ryan said that since 1999, the Sheriff’s office has been providing a successful LiveScan fingerprint service to residents and non-residents alike. During this time the office has only charged $5.00 per scan – the lowest in the state. Of 1,135 LiveScan’s in the 2007/2008 fiscal year, 879 were Amador residents and 256 were not. Ryan believes the high non-resident ratio is due to the low fee charged. He proposed raising the fees to a statewide average of $20.00 per resident and $27.00 for non-residents. The motion was approved unanimously. Ryan also asked to modify his original request for funds from the Secure Rural Schools Act from $20,000 to $18,000. These would go solely towards the Sheriff’ Search and Rescue Team. He said he had a recent discussion with Cathy Koos Breazeal, Director of the Amador Fire Safe Council, and decided he could function on fewer funds while her program needed more. The Fire Safe Council recently had to move its office into Koos Breazeal’s living room due to funding cutbacks. The Supervisors approved of both motions unanimously. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.