Also, the Ione City Council received an update on the Castle Oaks Mello Roos Districts. In June of 2005 the voters of the Castle Oaks area overwhelmingly approved two new bond districts with only 5 no votes being cast to facilitate a refinancing of existing Mello Roos Bonds. The original Mello Roos bonds had been in default since 1998 and were holding up any further development of the area. This vote created two new Community…
Pacific Gas and Electric Company has announced it has made its 2006 franchise fee and franchise fee surcharge payments totaling more than $39 million to 48 counties in which it operates. The 2006 franchise fee and franchise fee surcharge payments total $16 million for gas and about $23 million for electric service. The 2006 franchise fee and surcharge payments represent an increase of about $2.1 million over the 2005 payments primarily due to increased natural…
Are you a fan of the Discovery Channel’s number one show-a crab fishing series, The Deadliest Catch?- Well if you are hooked like the rest of America and think you recognize the Capt. Of the Wizard- new to the show this season- you are not mistaken. The Capt and first mate are Amador County natives that attended Plymouth Elementary School. Keith Colburn of Redmond, Wash., has served at the helm of the Wizard for the…
The combination of a dry winter, early weed and brush development and plenty of broken tree limbs on the ground have state and local fire officials urging people to clean up their property and establish their 100 feet of defensible space in advance of what they suspect will be a busy and early fire season. Defensible space is required by a state law mandating a 100-foot clearance around homes or clearance to the property line…
An employee of the Rite of Passage school and group home in Fricot City outside of Angel’s Camp was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge last week after a co-worker discovered that he had been secretly videotaping female staffers as they took showers, according to the Calaveras County Sheriff's Department. Ross Estabrooks, 32, of Jenny Lind was taken into custody at the San Andreas Fire Department, where he is a volunteer, the Sheriff's Department reported…
According to the Sacramento Bee Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata announced today that he is introducing legislation to place a measure on next year's presidential primary ballot calling for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Perata is unveiling the measure at a 10 a.m. news conference in Berkeley - a place he calls the "birthplace of the peace movement." Calling it the "vote us out of Iraq" measure, Perata's office says the…
Dog biscuits made by an Alabama company are the latest addition to the pet food recall. The Food and Drug Administration says Sunshine Mills of Red Bay, Alabama, is calling back dog biscuits made with imported Chinese wheat gluten.The dog biscuits were sold under Sunshine brands as well as private labels sold by grocery, mass merchant, and dollar stores. They were marketed at Wal-Mart under the Ol'Roy brand. Testing shows the wheat gluten in the…
Amador County Superior Court Judge David Richmond upheld a stay Tuesday that allows three abused horses owned by an Amador County man to remain in the care of El Dorado County's Grace Foundation. According to District Attorney Todd Riebe, “Richmond ordered that both the order signed by Judge Wagner in El Dorado County preventing return of the 3 horses in possession of the Grace Foundation to defendants and the order signed by Judge Cadle preventing…
Tuesday the Board of Supervisors reviewed the request for a front setback of a home proposed to be located north of Shenandoah Road on the east side of River Trail and Emigrant Trail in River Pines. The applicant Lou Garcia requested a variance to allow for the construction of a single family residence located on a 3,000 square foot lot. In order to build the 792 square foot home he said the home would have…
