The Amador County Teachers Association, or ATCA and the Special Educators of Amador County, SEAC, have announced a tentative settlement in contract negotiations with the Amador County Unified School District and County Office of Ed. The deal was reached yesterday after a mediation session. According to ATCA President Mike Delaney the deal must still be approved by the union’s membership ranks and, in accordance with state law, “sunshined” to the public before School Board approval,…

A man from Oakland pleaded no contest to one count of stalking Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday, and was ordered by an Alameda County Judge to stay away from the governor and his family for ten years. Attorneys say Jeffrey Miller had been in an Alameda County jail since June after repeatedly threatening to kill Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver. According to the Associated Press the deputy district attorney handling the case says Miller suffers…

A small fire damaged an outbuilding yesterday in Plymouth. The fire on Old Sacramento Rd near Latrobe Rd was reported about 7 pm at the Skaggs trucking yard. Amador Fire Protection District Battalion 20 and Calfire Crews all responded to the blaze which was quickly contained.

Yesterday morning at approximately 7:30 am scanners across the County sounded with reports of a vehicle versus pedestrian accident. The accident occurred at a construction site at 19610 Lockwood Lane across from Shakeridge Road. It was reported that a 42 year old male. Later identified as Mike Burchard of Pioneer was doing electrical work on site and was apparently hit by a vehicle pinning him between the house and the vehicle. Burchard suffered a laceration…

BloodSource and Sutter Amador Hospital have announced a MotherLode Community Blood drive to be held on April 5th 11am to 6 pm at the Jackson Civic center. This important event to meet the community’s need for blood and blood products is being sponsored by the ACUSD ROP Medical Arts Program. BloodSource supplies blood and blood products to Sutter Amador Hospital and many other Sacramento area hospitals as well. To give blood you must be in…

The 104th anniversary of California’s State Flower, the California Poppy, will be celebrated April 6, 2007. Because fall and spring are the best times to plant the poppy this anniversary is offering a unique opportunity to celebrate the state flower and increase its presence on local hills and pastures. The California Poppy Project © is offering one free packet of seeds to adults in all 58 counties of California. The California Poppy Project was established…

CAL FIRE moved equipment and personnel to Southern California last week in anticipation of extreme fire danger posed by the combination of high temperatures, strong winds and low humidity. According to Tobie Edmonds Communications Officer with the CAL FIRE Prevention Bureau, the Amador/ El Dorado Unit of CAL FIRE has sent 3 Engines, 2 from Amador County and 1 from El Dorado County, as well as two Hand Crews from Pine Grove Camp,  two hand…

It’s official, today Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger moved California's presidential primary to Feb. 5, in an attempt to give our state, the nation's most populous, a greater say over the nominating process. "Now California is important again in presidential nominating politics ... and we will get the respect that California deserves," Schwarzenegger said during a bill-signing ceremony outside the historic Leland Stanford Mansion, a former governor's residence and orphanage. California has not played a prominent role…

The State Department of Fish and Game is considering changing the kind of bullets that can be used when hunting certain types of animals in certain areas. Current regulations provide for methods to be used in the “taking” of big game. Those methods include the use of the traditional bullet which contains lead. The new regulation proposed would require non–lead bullets, muzzleloader balls, and/or shotgun slugs for the taking of big game mammals in the…

On Friday, March 16, Ranger Pipelines, the Agency’s contractor for the Amador Transmission Pipeline Project, will be holding a special ceremony, a “blessing of the pipeline,” to commemorate the last section of pipeline being installed, as well as in recognition of a successful and safe project being as there were no injuries during construction.  The Contractor still has a couple of loose ends to tie up like around Lake Tabeaud which will remain closed as…