Amador County – Five firefighters escaped injury when a roof collapsed on them during a house fire Monday in the Castle Oaks Subdivision. The City of Ione Fire Department and 6 other fire brigades responded to the fire at 1116 Fairway Drive after a call 5:01 a.m. Monday when a passerby noticed flames. Residents of the home, Boyd, Bonnie and Bryan Selves, were unaware of the fire, which burned above the smoke detectors. The Ione Fire Department in a report said upon arrival, fire crews found heavy smoke coming from the attic area of the 2,450-square foot home. The occupants had been alerted and evacuated by Ione Police, before the fire department arrived. The report said “fire crews engaged in an aggressive interior attack … to find the deep-seated fire, which was in the walls and attic area.” About 10 minutes after engagement, a section of roof collapsed, briefly trapping one firefighter and piling debris on four others. The first firefighter was able to break through an exterior wall and escape and there were no injuries. Ione City Manager Kim Kerr said a fire camera was lost in the fire, when, after the collapse, all personnel were evacuated, due to possibility of another collapse. The fire was controlled in about 30 minutes and caused an estimated $375,000 in damage. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - The Amador County Sheriff’s Office has arrested three suspects for a series of vandalisms in the Sutter Creek, Martell, Jackson and Lake Camanche areas. Cody Allen Gribble, 20, and Jaimeson Russell Kelly, 18, of Sutter Creek were arrested and charged with Vandalism and Conspiracy to Commit a Crime. Both Gribble and Kelly are currently in custody at the Amador County Jail. A 17 year old male juvenile was also arrested in connection with the crimes. The juvenile is currently in the custody of the Amador County Probation Department. During the last two days, over 40 vehicles have been reported as vandalized by the suspects. The majority of the reports were damaged vehicle windows. The crime spree began early Wednesday morning when three vehicles in the Martell area had their windows shot out with BB guns. Jackson and Sutter Creek Police Departments received similar reports around the same time. More reports of broken windows came the following morning from the Jackson and Lake Camanche areas. James “J.D.” Harding, a resident of the Lake Camanche area, woke up at 4:30 Thursday morning to find the back window of his Ford Explorer shattered and the rear paneling halfway removed. He estimates the cost of repairs at around 6000 dollars. He flagged down a passing Sheriff who was investigating similar reports from the neighbors. When Harding awoke again at 7 am, he found an apparent hand-written confession on his windshield. “It was in a girl’s handwriting and basically said ‘This is Jamieson Kelly and I am the person responsible for your damage, along with an address and phone number’.” Harding said he contacted the sheriff, who arrived with a pocketful of confession notes. There is speculation as to whether the note was a frame job or the suspects were given up by someone who knew of their activity. A Jackson Police officer arrested the three individuals during a routine traffic stop Thursday morning. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

By Alex Lane -

The Amador Superior Court will host a mock trial for Ione Elementary’s seventh graders as part of a participatory program that helps to educate youngsters about law procedure. On October 21st, Judge Susan Harlan will preside over lawyers, a bailiff, stenographers, and court staff proceeding as if it were a real case. The trial will last approximately two hours, with the seventh grade students broken into three ‘juries’. The students will deliberate at the conclusion of the trial, and each jury will announce their verdict. This mock trial follows the success of another performed last May for fifth grade students at Sutter Creek Elementary School. The positive feedback was overwhelming. “I learned a lot about how the judicial system works and I felt like I was in a real trial…The experience was extremely cool,” wrote one student. The story revolves around an incident between a high school boy and his girlfriend, whose face is accidently cut when he pushes her into his car. The young jurors must decide if he is guilty or innocent. Judge Harlan, who is a member of the Domestic Violence Council, has presided over mock trials before and believes they are a great way for students to “experience this very real dilemma.” According to District Attorney todd Reibe, “This event shows our students in a very real way the inner workings of the criminal justice system, informs them on the dynamics of domestic violence at a level they can understand, and presents to them examples of career opportunities available within the criminal justice field.” For more information on the mock trial, contact Alexandra M. Asterlin, Senior Attorney, Amador Superior Court at 257-2653 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Amador County – Hand crews and aircraft helped subdue a wildland grass fire Thursday afternoon on the Saint Sava Mission property. Initial reports of the fire came before 2 p.m. and responders came from Jackson, Sutter Creek Fire departments, Amador Fire Protection District, the U.S. Forest Service, and the California Department of Fire Protection. A fire official said “you could see the flags of Saint Sava through the smoke.” The fire burned along the eastern edge of Saint Sava Mission’s entry road, off Broadway Street in Jackson, and hand crews by 2 p.m. had gotten a partial perimeter. One spot flared up again and a tender truck and crew from Jackson Fire Department came to the spot and sprayed the area. A sign along the roadway burned in the fire, which near the road seemed to have been destroyed only dry grass and weeds. On hand to combat the fast-moving blaze were CALFIRE tractors and various air support, including one helicopter and one water tanker. Jackson Fire reported they had three fire engines at the blaze. Approximately 45 personnel including 3 Pine Grove Youth Authority were on hand. The fire burned approximately 11.3 acres. No lives were threatened and no buildings were damaged. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation. Story by Jim Reece and Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – An elderly woman was injured after a car struck the KFC Restaurant in Jackson Wednesday afternoon at approximately 2:45pm. According to Jackson Police Chief Scott Morrison, a woman driving a red Hyundai Elantra mistook her gas pedal for her brake and bolted over the curb and into the wall by the restaurant’s front doorway. The impact severely damaged the support beam and knocked a pinball style machine into a bench where 92-year-old Catherine Campau of Wilseyville was eating along with her husband. Fire Chief Mark Morton and Morrison were the first to arrive on scene. Campau complained of head trauma and Morton advised her to “go see a doctor.” After paramedics arrived on scene, Campau reluctantly chose to go to the hospital via ambulance. At the time of this report there is no word of her condition. The driver of the Elantra told TSPN she was surprised the impact had not caused her vehicle more damage. After assessing the damage to the restaurant, one fire official advised the manager on duty “not to take anymore customers” due to the structural damage. The manager said she would have to clear that with her superior. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – A fire broke out Friday afternoon on the steep slope adjacent to Highway 88 East of Previtali. A combination of fire teams from Amador Fire Protection District Battalion 10, CALFIRE and the City of Jackson were on scene. Additional units from Sutter Creek were spotted heading to the fire but turned around after reports that the fire had been contained. According to CALFIRE’s captain on-scene, the blaze burned about ¼ acre of dry grass along the slope and into trees before being effectively contained. Earlier reports over the radio indicated that at full blaze the fire “let off quite a bit of smoke and heat.” Reports also stated that the fire damaged all or part of a PG & E utility pole. The geography of the canyon presented a unique challenge to fire crews. Traffic was delayed up to 15 minutes in either direction as fire crews in full gear carefully scaled the slope with shovels and fire hoses. Sheriff’s officers poked prodded still smoldering piles of ash in hopes of finding the source of the blaze. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. One officer on scene suspected a cigarette butt or spark from a passing vehicle as the cause, but that is unconfirmed. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – Fireworks have always been both a 4th of July tradition and a bane for fire departments everywhere. Sunday marked day one of a week long “Safe and Sane” fireworks campaign throughout the region. Only legal fireworks marked safe and sane and are approved by the state fire marshal. “Fireworks are very dangerous and a threat to property and lives in the dry county areas,” said Jim McCart, Chief of the Amador Fire Protection District. He said most fireworks are banned in all unincorporated areas of Amador County and most cities, including Ione and Jackson. While yearly efforts are made to ban fireworks altogether, non-profit charities that depend on fireworks sales have always voiced their protest. With the economy in such bad shape, charities are depending on these profits more than ever. Paul Molinelli, Jr., a member of the Jackson Lions Club, says his organization has been using money for many years to fund college scholarships for local youth. Amador County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Drew Stidger, who is in charge of fireworks funding for the Jackson Lions, said the initial funds go towards the free fireworks show every July 3 at Jackson Junior High School. The remaining funds will go to scholarships. Rural cities often have strict regulations that go along with the sale of fireworks. The City of Jackson requires that any charity selling fireworks is required to have a fireworks show. One Ione fire volunteer said he believes fireworks make jobs like his more difficult, but he can’t deny that the funds generated are vitally important for charities in a strapped economy. Fire departments throughout Amador County are now stepping up there efforts to prepare for the worst of California’s fire season. State fire officials said this year they see an added danger from fireworks, given the number of vacant, foreclosed homes with dry, overgrown yards throughout some communities in the state. “We have many houses that are vacant now. If a bottle rocket, for example, were to land in the dry weeds in the backyard of a home that no one lives in right now, a fire could start and get out of control before anyone would report it,” said Tonya Hoover, Assistant California State Fire Marshal. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner announced Thursday that the Amador County District Attorney’s Office will get $460,000 in grant funding to fight workers compensation and insurance fraud. In total, nearly $30 million in grants will be awarded to local county district attorneys.Neighboring San Joaquin County will receive $580,000. “Because fraud drives up the costs of workers' compensation insurance, we must continue to be vigilant in our battle with those who dishonestly and illegally take advantage of the system,” Poizner said. According to Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe, the funding will be used to oil the mechanics of a complex operation, including stings, public outreach, salaries, documentation and offsetting clerical work. Riebe said there are 1 and ½ investigators assigned to these cases. “We don’t have a problem spending the money,” said Riebe. California counties apply annually for the grants, which result from assements determined by the California Fraud Assessment Commission. Applications are reviewed by the Workers' Compensation Grant Review Panel based on prior year's performance. “We were one of the few counties that didn’t get a huge cut in funding because of the reputation of our program,” said Riebe. Funding from past allocations has been used effectively toward a number of arrests and convictions. The workers' compensation fraud unit of the Amador County District Attorney's Office investigates insurance fraud cases in Amador, Calaveras and Placer counties. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – Officials from Amador county’s five incorporated cities are seeking ways to retain law enforcement funding now being considered for cuts by the state legislature. Each city currently receives a per capita allocation of $100,000 through the Citizens' Option for Public Safety program, or COPS. This is a program that officials say is vital funding for the small police departments. The COPS program offers cities and counties funding for law enforcement ranging from police officers to district attorney funding to jail construction. The California Legislative Analyst’s Office has recommended funding be cut in half, but the details of that proposal are still vague. Ione City Manager Kim Merr says COPS funding pays for 98 percent of an officer’s costs. “We are estimating that the Police Department’s costs for personnel only next year will be approximately $840,000. We have four police officers positions, one sergeant, records clerk and chief included in the personnel costs,” she said. Ione has not received the full amount of COPS funding for the current year and is concerned that the State will continue to slow pay these payments next year. According to Jeff Gardner, part-time contract Finance Director for the cities of Sutter Creek and Plymouth, these cities are able to fund approximately three-quarters of the cost of one full-time officer position through the program. Gardner said “Plymouth was forced to abandon its law enforcement services approximately 25 years ago and went a long time without its own force.” A police presence hasn’t exactly been necessary as Plymouth’s population has decreased by 10 percent since that time, said Gardner. Sutter Creek, which has approximately 2 and a half times the population of Plymouth, greater growth and greater turnover in population, has kept a strong commitment to retaining its own police force. Gardner said COPS funding accounts for 10 percent of Sutter Creek’s $1 million yearly police budget. The rest of the police budget comes from the city’s general fund, currently in a deficit balance. The City of Jackson has frozen 1 division and hasn’t purchased any new equipment or vehicles. In the face of budget cutbacks and shortages, Jackson City Manager Mike Daly and staff remains proactive. Jackson has applied for federal COPS program assistance made available through stimulus funding. “Part of this application was that if you didn’t get this funding, you’ll have to lay an officer off,” said Daly. He said they should hear whether they qualify by September 30. Jackson has benefited from $81,000 made available through the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Funds, which are received by the state from Indian tribes pursuant to the terms of tribal-state gaming compacts. The League of California Cities, an organization that lobbies for local government, is also working to help save the funds. The league recently brought city officials from across the state to a budget subcommittee hearing to speak and advocate for the program, said Dave Mullinax, a public affairs manager for the league. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

A series of vandalisms across Amador County may have been used as a deliberate distraction from the theft of an ATM machine at a mini-mart in Pine Grove. On July 23, at approximately 4 am, the Amador County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of an alarm at the Pine Grove Stage Stop market in Pine Grove. Upon arrival, deputies found the glass entry door leading into the business had been broken and the ATM had been stolen. Across the County, a series of supposed break-ins were occurring almost simultaneously. Kelly Chisholm, who works the night shift at New York Fitness in Jackson, was cleaning when several large rocks were hurled through the building’s side windows. “I was scared. These were big rocks and I wasn’t going to find out who was throwing them,” said Chisholm. Elsewhere in the County, police officers responded to calls of similar break-ins. Chisholm believes these vandalisms were used as a way to distract police. But this is not the first time the theft of an ATM has occurred.

On July 9, the Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of an alarm sounding at the Red Corral Mini Mart in Pioneer. Sheriff’s Investigators are conducting follow up investigations which have included reviewing the surveillance video obtained from both locations, which show the suspects breaking out the glass doors, securing the ATM machines with chain and then using a truck to pull the ATM out of the business.  The ATM is then loaded into the rear of the vehicle and the vehicle flees the area. The suspect vehicle is an extended cab Dodge truck with tinted rear side windows and a tinted sliding rear window. The suspect captured on the surveillance video at Red Corral Mini Mart appears to be a white male, approximately 5’10” tall, weighing approximately 180 lbs, wearing a ball cap, black mask, black tee shirt, light color pants and black gloves. Two suspects were captured on the surveillance video at the Pine Grove Stage Stop. The first was a white male, approximately 5’10” – 6’ tall, wearing a white/green ball cap, green short sleeve shirt, black pants, black gloves and tan boots.  The second was a white male, approximately 5’10” – 6’ tall, wearing a blue/tan ball cap, blue short sleeve shirt, blue pants, black and white gloves and off-white sneakers. The ATMs were valued at 4500 dollars and 5000 dollars. Anyone with any information regarding the suspects or suspect vehicle is asked to call the Amador County Sheriff’s Office at 223-6500 or Amador County Secret Witness at 223-4900.