The Amador County Fair will be held this year at the traditional time- the last weekend in July. However, this could be the last time the fair is held on that traditional weekend. Fair officials have decided to move the Amador County Fair to the first weekend in August, making the 2008 Amador County Fair July 31st through August 3rd. The original plan by the Fair Board was to move the 2007 Fair, this year’s…

Calaveras County CHP units were assisted in the pursuit of a hit and run driver Sunday evening by the responding Calfire, or CDF, firefighters arriving on scene to render medical aid to victims of the accident. According to the California Highway patrol report the accident was caused when 38 year old David Dick of West Point was traveling westbound on Highway 26 from West Point while driving under the influence of alcohol. Because of his…

If you’re a Kaiser Permanente member and over the age of 18 you can expect a survey in the mail, a survey asking for personal information including lifestyle, diet, exposure to smoking, physical activities, and medical history. Kaiser has announced that it is starting a large-scale effort to study how genetic and environmental factors put people at risk for disease and disorders such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and Alzheimer's. Kaiser officials…

According to a report released by the California State Legislative Analyst’s Office yesterday Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger may have underestimated the cost of his health care plan by between $150 million to more than $3 billion. The governor has estimated his plan will cost 12 billion dollars a year to bring down insurance costs and extend coverage to the 6.5 million Californians the LAO’s report states that the actual costs may be higher. The Legislative Analyst's…

The 2007 Sacramento-area real estate season opened last month with 2,522 greater Sacramento area home sellers closing escrow successfully. That is the lowest January number since 1998, according to La Jolla-based DataQuick Information Systems. January's total of 2522 compared to 3,113 December closings of new and existing homes in Amador, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties and 2,999 in January 2006, DataQuick reported. The December to January decline reflects a normal…

A Sacramento judge has dismissed a lawsuit that challenged new automobile insurance regulations championed by former insurance commissioner John Garamendi. The new rules require auto insurers to base their rates primarily on motorists' driving records instead of where they live. Superior Court Judge Loren McMaster granted a summary judgment yesterday, ruling that regulations that were adopted last year by the state insurance commissioner were consistent with Proposition 103. Prop 1031 is the rate-regulation initiative adopted…

Is it true that an accounting error has lead to the discovery of nearly 10 million dollars in state transportation funds by the project director of the Tri County’s projects? Yes, but is more complicated than that according to Amador County Transportation Commission Executive Director Charles Field. Field explains that project manager Scott Maas had reported 13.9 million dollars in project deficits, due to cost overruns on both the Sutter Creek project and massive overruns…

Local officials received a mixed reception last week when they made a lobbying trip to the State Capitol to discuss local issues surrounding Mule Creek State Prison. The County’s lobbyist Wes Loujan set up appointments for Supervisors Novelli and Forster, as well as County Counsel Martha Shaver to meet with budget staff for both the assembly and senate, and staff from the governor’s office. County Counsel Martha Shaver explained the reason for the trip. “Our…

The City of Jackson recently discussed the formation of a new ad hoc committee or taskforce for developing an economic development strategy for the City of Jackson. During the review of committee assignments for this year, the concept of a special committee or task force to address local economic development issues was discussed as several factors are impacting the local economy. Many of which according to Daly are resulting form the recent development of the…