Jackson’s Fire Chief Mark Morton announced this week that with great cooperation with the Police Department an arsonist has been moved out of town. According to Morton a couple weeks ago crews responded to a fire at 300 New York Ranch Rd.  The fire only grew to a 50 by 20 foot area thanks to the fast response by local fire volunteers. After extinguishing the blaze local authorities began investigating how it may have begun.…

The Amador County Recreation Agency is once again raising funds to continue with the recreation build out in Amador County. Each year the agency relies heavily on local government agencies to finance the bulk of the annual budget. ACRA Executive Director Tracey Towner-Yep said during 2006-2007 member contributions came to $117,660 while the actual ACRA budget grew $220,000 a difference of $102,340 or 87%. Towner-Yep said as ACRA grows and becomes more self-sufficient, it is…

Representatives from the Amador Water Agency, the Board of Supervisors, local city councils and ARSA were all in attendance at the joint water committee meeting held this week. A topic of discussion was the Wicklow Way subdivision project and that projects impact on the Jackson Creek. Concerns included the fact that as much as 3 million cubic yards of dirt will be bulldozed and moved. This, in turn, is causing some concern that the downstream…

This weeks Jackson City Council meeting was well attended by local law enforcement as most of the Jackson Police Department was present as well as Sheriff Martin Ryan and Under Sheriff Jim Wegner from the Sheriff’s Office. The men and women in uniform turned out for a special ceremony honoring two members of the Jackson Police force.  Jackson Police Officer Chris Rice was recognized for receiving the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) California Hero Award…

An extension of the Powder House Estates tentative map appeared before the Sutter Creek Planning Commission Monday night. The developer Stan Gamble, the same developer who is developing Golden Hills, asked for a 24 month extension on the tentative map.  The project previously known as the Oak Knolls was approved as Oak Knolls in 1993 for 94 single family residential lots and 17.3 acres of open space. The map was due to expire in November…

This Wednesday the Amador County Unified School District Board of Trustees will consider facility usage fees to be charged for the use of all District facilities. Currently, the main venue for community athletics and also heavily used by other community groups, the district has been absorbing much of the costs of the community usage and now, facing budget cuts, the district is looking to capitalize on its assets; its facilities. Under law the district must…

Congressman Dan Lungren (R-CA), has introduced legislation, HR 1654, to amend the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). This bill will require the Secretary of the Interior to determine that a gaming establishment will not cause harm to the surrounding community in order for any lands to be designated newly as exempt from the general prohibition on new tribal gaming.

A Pioneer man was injured on Saturday afternoon when another vehicle crossed into his lane and hit his vehicle head on. Thankfully the man observed the impending accident and reacted in such a way that the accident wasn’t as bad as it could have been.  Elizabeth Fry of Pine Grove was traveling east bound on Hwy. 88 west of Rossbridge Rd at a stated speed of 45-50 mph. William Hemenway, 69 and of Pioneer was…

Last night the number escalated substantially to nine- in one night. Duke states that the burglaries began as a crime of opportunity with the burglars hitting unlocked vehicles in the Sutter Crest Estates neighborhood. Last night’s rash of break-ins was also opportunistic in nature with the cars unlocked in the Mt Pleasant and Sutter Oaks neighborhoods. The burglars then hit the Nickerson and Badger Street neighborhoods. Duke also reports that in the earlier burglaries in…