Senator Dave Cox’s efforts to protect communities from the adverse effects of prisons moved one step closer to reality yesterday.  SB 878 by Senator Dave Cox passed its first hurdle by receiving a unanimous vote by members of the Senate Public Safety Committee. “Members of the Senate Public Safety Committee should be applauded for helping small communities,” said Senator Dave Cox.  “I am encouraged by today’s action to put the needs of local communities first. …

A seat has opened on the Amador County Chamber of Commerce of after the resignation of former Supervisor and rancher Tom Bamert. Bamert’s letter of resignation is dated April 16th and addressed to the President of the Chamber Jack Mitchell. According to Bamert his decision to resign is based on the fact that the Chamber has reserved a place on a committee for the Buena Vista Band of Me-Wuk Indians. The committee in question is…

The discussion over a cell tower located at 1001 South Highway 49 generated quite a bit of discussion at Monday night’s Jackson Planning Commission meeting. Commissioners and the public were happy at the opportunity to get better cell coverage but were put off by the unsightly appearance of the cell tower that is proposed to be located in the City’s Visual Corridor.

Before Monday morning’s fatal accident on Camanche Rd another serious accident occurred on the same Roadway near Curran Rd. At around 7:20 am  on Monday Jennifer Roberts, 19 of Ione was southbound on Curran Rd when as she was negotiating a wide sweeping  righthand curve she allowed her vehicle to run of the roadway. In attempt to remain on the roadway she subsequently overcorrected to her left causing the vehicle to cross run completely off…

According to a recently conducted survey, 400 people in Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne are homeless and of those 400 people, 93 are children. The results of the homeless survey, conducted at the end of March, were released last week. The survey organized by the Central Sierra Continuum of Care, a coalition of mental health and social service organizations, identified 42 adults and nine children without homes in Amador County, 128 adults and 53 children in…

The Amador County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office has received the final forensic pathologist report, toxicology report and microscopic examination report relative to the January 29, 2007 death of Joshua Hampton Hoehn, 17, of Pioneer. Hoehn was involved in a physical altercation in Sutter Creek, before being transported by friends to a residence in Pine Grove, where he subsequently lost consciousness.  Hoehn was transported to Sutter Amador Hospital by American Legion Ambulance where death was pronounced. The reports…

The Jackson Planning Commission held their two year review of the New York Ranch Center, Inc. parking. When originally approved on April 18th 2005 the Planning Commission granted a request by the applicants, New York Ranch Center, Inc., to postpone the reconfiguration of their parking lot in accordance with their Planned Development for a period of two years. The purpose for the delay was to allow completion and occupancy of the remaining building to better…

The county has now recorded our 10th fatal victim of a traffic collision Monday morning. The accident occurred at Camanche Rd and Camanche Parkway North in the Ione area around 8:07 am when a black Chevy Cavalier and a white pick up truck hit head on. According to the report written by investigating Officer Cheryl Wilburn, 54 year old Daniel Hugh Cunningham of Ione was traveling on Camanche Road at approximately 45 mph when he…

A vegetation fire was reported Monday afternoon around 3pm behind an apartment complex located at 300 New York Ranch road. Upon arrival on scene by Jackson fire Chief Mark Morton he discovered that a burn pile that had been unattended had burned out from its parameters igniting an approximately a 50 by 20 swath of vegetation. Jackson Fire Crews and Calfire crews quickly extinguished the blaze. Today’s fire was a reminder that even though we…

The CHP responded to several accidents over the weekend with the majority of the accidents occurring on Sunday.  The sudden storm that moved in on Saturday and brought snow to farther upcountry caught one San Jose driver off guard. According to the CHP report written by investigating Officer Brandon Hallam, Thong Nguyen, 40 and of San Jose was traveling west bound on Hwy. 88 east of Iron Mountain road at approximately 50 mph in his…