Amador County - An injury accident in Jackson last Thursday evening left a man injured and temporarily stranded at the bottom of a steep embankment. Reports indicate that the accident occurred sometime between 6 and 9pm. A sedan carrying an adult male, adult female and young child lost control and plunged down a deep embankment off of Ridge Road. The vehicle came to rest approximately 200 feet from the roadway. The female occupant left the vehicle and climbed the embankment while carrying the small child. The injured male, who had suffered a serious leg injury during the wreck, was left with the vehicle. The first to respond to the scene were Amador Fire District personnel, who swiftly began procedures to host the male passenger back up the hillside. The hoisting operation was an arduous process considering the man’s condition, weather conditions and the steepness of the slope. The young child was taken by helicopter to an area hospital. California Highway Patrol officers are still investigating the accident. Story by Alex Lane

SPECIAL PSA ANNOUNCEMENT - Amador County, like most Sierra Nevada counties, is at a very high risk of experiencing catastrophic wildfires. Martin Ryan, Sheriff of Amador County and Director of Emergency Services, is spreading the word about evacuation methods should a catastrophic fire occur in your area. “Each year we also hear about people who have died during a wildfire either by refusing to evacuate or who decided to evacuate too late in the game. So, when a wildfire occurs here at home, are you prepared for a quick evacuation?” said Ryan. He said there are two types of evacuation terms used in Amador County that citizens should be familiar with. An Emergency Evacuation means you must leave the area immediately because your life is in danger and there is an immediate threat to your life and property. “Under these circumstances the situation is severe and you may not have time to gather special belongings and paperwork because every minute you delay could increase your danger,” said Ryan. In a Voluntary Evacuation, officials will encourage able-bodied residents to leave an area because they believe there will be a threat. “Remember, by leaving early, you will give your family the best chance of surviving a wildfire,” said Ryan. For more information on preparing for evacuations, please contact his Office of Emergency Services at 223-6384 or visit the Amador County Sheriff’s web page. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Calaveras County – Three Valley Springs men were arrested after they attacked a responding Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office deputy at a Valley Springs residence when. In a release from the Calaveras Sheriff’s Office Monday, Sergeant Dave Seawell said Michael Dittman, a 2-year veteran, responded to a report of a disturbance at a home in the 100 block of Daphne Street in Valley Springs. Upon arrival, Dittman saw 3 men fighting on the front porch. Dittman announced his presence and ordered the men to stop fighting. They ignored Dittman, who pointed his Taser at the subjects and again ordered them to stop. Thomas E. Jones, who at the time was trying to restrain his son, Thomas C. Jones from Michael Koppi, realized Dittman’s Taser was pointed at his son. Thomas E. Jones confronted Dittman and Dittman ordered him out of his way or he would be tased. Thomas C. Jones then broke away from Michael Koppi and charged at Dittman. Dittman shot Thomas C. Jones with the taser, which malfunctioned. Seawell said all 3 men then attacked Dittman. All three suspects were booked into the Calaveras County Jail. Thomas E. Jones, 51, was booked for battery on an officer, assault on an officer with a taser, obstructing and/or resisting a peace officer, removing a weapon from a peace officer other than firearm and public intoxication. Thomas C. Jones, 18, was booked for assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, battery on a peace officer, obstructing and/or resisting a peace officer, removing a weapon from a peace officer other than a firearm and public intoxication, for marijuana. Michael Koppi, 22, was booked for battery on a peace officer, obstructing and/or resisting a peace officer and public intoxication. Dittman was treated and released from Mark Twain Hospital for multiple cuts and bruises to his head and neck. Staff Report This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – Police are seeking the vandal who “tagged” the exterior wall of Volcano Glass Works in Jackson last Friday. Downtown Jackson, which already has more than its fair share in problems, has been the scene for a number of criminal activities in recent months, from assault to rape and alcoholic beverage violations at the National Hotel. Jackson Police were contacted about the graffiti, but claimed no record of an incident report when contacted directly by TSPN. Vicki Roche of Volcano Glass Works said the incident occurred sometime Friday night. She said the owner of the building was in the process of finding paint to cover up the markings. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - A dramatic car wreck on Easter Sunday sent one passenger with serious injuries to the hospital via helicopter. At around 4:15pm Sunday afternoon, drivers travelling west on Highway 88 witnessed the driver of a Jeep SUV lose control, careen off the road and flip over in the creek just past Dalton Road. The unfortunate position of the vehicle left the driver pinned inside and underneath. Amador County firefighters from several jurisdictions immediately responded to reports of the accident and worked diligently to right the vehicle and free the driver underneath using the “jaws of life.” According to a witness at the scene, “Firefighters close to the scene and passers-by worked quickly to right the vehicle so the trapped passenger was out of danger as far as the water was concerned.” Medics on the scene began their work of assessing the injuries, and the driver was determined to be in serious condition. The driver, who is unidentified as of the time of this story, was transported to the Sutter Amador helicopter pad and he was taken to an area hospital. The accident was still under investigation by CHP. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Motherlode - A $13 million microwave communications system is being pursed by law enforcement from two local counties in order to improve information access by patrol cars in the field. Representative from the Alpine and Calaveras police departments flew to Washington, DC last week in hopes of securing federal funds. The new system would effectively cut out the middle man and allow patrol officers in the field to directly check on drivers rather than radio back to a dispatch center. Alpine and Calaveras counties are making a cooperative effort to secure funding for the first stage of the project, but plans will eventually include Amador, Mariposa and Mono counties. Amador County Sheriff Deputies can verify that communicating with a dispatch center can be difficult considering the variable terrain of the foothills. Law enforcement is hoping that expansions in the availability of grant funding through the federal government will help to improve communications challenges as well as other under budgeted areas of local law enforcement. There is now word from Washington as to whether these funds have been approved. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – A man was reportedly arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs early Wednesday after a crash totaled his car and hospitalized his passenger on China Graveyard Road. The passenger was trapped in the vehicle “and had to be removed, they basically had to take the car apart,” a witness said. The passenger was then flown by helicopter ambulance to a regional hospital. The car was reportedly travelling at a high rate of speed when the driver lost control and the vehicle struck a large tree nearly head-on, crumpling the front end of the vehicle on the passenger’s side of the car, at about 2 a.m. Wednesday on China Graveyard Road. The early morning crash put Jackson Fire Department personnel into high gear with all of their hydraulic powered portable Hurst Rescue Tools, which they have been trained to use to rescue trapped car crash victims. A witness said “the rescue played out on a dark corner on China Graveyard Road, where the driver’s red sports car had come to rest with a tree imbedded into the right front of the vehicle, crushing the metal around the passenger’s lower body.” Jackson Fire personnel methodically sheared, pried, spread with the Hurst Tools and dismantled the vehicle until they could get the victim out. At the scene were personnel from Jackson Fire, Jackson Police, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, American Legion Ambulance, the California Highway Patrol, and the Amador County Sheriff’s Office, all assisting at the crash scene. The driver of the vehicle is suspected to have been operating the vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs and was taken to Sutter Amador Hospital. The passenger was flown by helicopter to an area hospital trauma center. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - The Old Well Motel and Grill in Drytown is seeking the culprits behind a hit-and run accident that did heavy damage to the building’s restaurant. Owner/Operator and Chef Edwin Kaffer, who lives adjacent to the restaurant, was awoken around 3:20 Wednesday morning by neighbors who heard the sound of the collision. He exited his home to find an abandoned 2003 Chevy Impala had collided with the front corner of his restaurant. According to reports released by the California Highway Patrol, the vehicle came around the curve heading south into Drytown and lost control. The vehicle jumped a row of concrete abutments designating parking spots and collided head on with the building. The occupants of the vehicle abandoned it at the scene. The impact was so great that it shattered most of the windows and knocked the walls six inches off there foundation. Kaffer said he had an idea of who was involved in the wreck because they left their insurance card, but precluded providing further information until police conclude their investigation. “We’re looking at close to $20,000 in damages, and here’s hoping it will be covered by insurance,” he said. The Old Well has become an institution in Drytown, and Kaffer and his family have operated the stalwart since the early 1960s. The restaurant has been around since the early 1950s or late 40s. He said this happened right as business was beginning to pick up. Kaffer hopes to reopen the restaurant soon. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - A new program designed to better inform the public of sex offenders in their area has been adopted by the Amador County Sheriff. Ryan touted the new site as a “proactive notification form” that regularly updates subscribes with changes in sex offender status in their area. “The value of it, as opposed to Megan’s Law…is that you don’t have to do anything but go in and sign up,” said Ryan. Megan’s Law, enacted in 1994, is an informal name for laws in the United States requiring law enforcement authorities to make information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders. The details of what is provided as part of sex offender registration and how community notification is handled vary from state to state, and in some states the required registration information and community notification protocols have changed many times since Megan's Law was passed. In total there are 100 offenders in Amador County. 15 are within the incorporated city limits of Jackson, Sutter Creek and Ione, 22 are in Mule Creek State Prison, and 63 live in the unincorporated areas of the county monitored by the Sheriff’s department. None of the offenders in Amador County are classified as sexually violent, but 18 in the unincorporated jurisdiction are considered “serious.” Only 39 sex offenders are disclosed to the public through Megan’s Law in Amador County. “Certain violations are not on the disclosable list to the general public,” said Ryan. Offender Watch is a private company specializing in private service to law enforcement like the Amador County Sheriff. Ryan said the subscription cost is approximately $3,500 a year. The service began locally in April of 2008. To access the site or for more information, visit the Amador County Sheriff on the web. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - We have an update on a fatality accident that occurred Sunday near Tabeaud Road. James Hamilton, a 48-year-old Mokelumne Hill man, was killed from injuries sustained when his motorcycle struck a minivan in a head-on collision Sunday morning on Highway 88 east of Tabeaud Road in Amador County. CHP reported that Hamilton was riding a 2004 Harley Davidson alongside Michael Fleming from Railroad Flat, also on a motorcycle, headed west on Highway 88. Both motorcycles crossed the double-yellow lines in the center of the road and into the path of an oncoming Toyota Sienna minivan. The van was unable to avoid the motorcycles, colliding head-on with Hamilton and swiping Fleming. Fleming suffered a broken left ankle and sprained wrist. Hamilton was pronounced dead at the scene. Story by Alex Lane and Jim Reece