Former Youth Minister Intern John Magsayo was in court Friday, nearly all day, as his new attorney Robert Schell of Jackson and the District Attorney’s lawyer wrangled over the meanings of several different sexual terms. Magsayo was charged with lewd acts with a minor 15 years of age; oral copulation with a minor under the age of 18; oral copulation with a minor under the age of 16; and contributing to the delinquency of a…

The Amador Water Agency Board of Directors once again reviewed their new Administrative Citation Code Enforcement Program at their last meeting. The Board had reviewed the document and waived the reading of the ordinance at their January 11th meeting. The purpose of the Enforcement Ordinance was to allow the Amador Water Agency to impose administrative fines or penalties for any violation of the Agency Ordinance. According to General Manager Jim Abercrombie the subject arose a…

*According to a press release from the Amador County Sheriff’s Department, yesterday, Monday January 29, 2007 the forensic examination of Joshua Hampton Hoehn was conducted at the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office.  The examination revealed no visible evidence of trauma from the altercation prior to his death or any pre-existing medical conditions which could have caused his death.  The cause and manner of death is pending the results of neuropathology and toxicology results which will take…

A state commission will consider this week whether eight California sites, including one located right here in Amador County, a Palo Alto garage where Hewlett-Packard began and a Big Sur whaler's cabin -- should become part of the National Register of Historic Places. Members of the State Historical Resources Commission will discuss the sites at their meeting February 2nd in Placerville and will then make recommendations to the Federal Department of the Interior. The sites…

It what could be a landmark case involving how school district’s hire coaches for their sports teams, a Mother Lode League team has been sued by their teachers association. The Summerville Union High School Federation of Teachers is suing the district, claiming school officials are not following California Education Code for filling their coaching positions. The issue arose after a teacher sought any varsity or freshman-sophomore basketball coaching position at Summerville High school in October.…

Amador County, and the rest of the greater Sacramento area, is on its way to breaking a rainfall record set more than 100 years ago: The record for the driest January since at least 1888-89. “Right now, we stand at .07 (inches). If we don’t see at least eight-hundredths of an inch between now and the 31st, we will break the record for the least amount of precipitation in the month for the month of…

Assemblyman Jim Beall, D-San Jose. Has proposed a new piece of legislation to help the middle class more easily afford college tuition for their children. Beall has proposed legislation to allow people to pay at today's prices for tuition they will use far in the future, when prices are likely to be higher. Contributors could add dollars into specified accounts at any time. The goal of Beall's bill, Assembly Bill 152, is to provide a…

These days we hear a lot about zoning and planning and the new General Plan Updates. Traffic, housing density, oak woodlands protection, light pollution and so much more are being discussed in every corner of the county but perhaps the least known part of the General Plan for the County is the subject of energy. The General Plan Committee recently released their working paper on energy. Why is energy being studied? The answer to that…

Mule Creek State Prison appeared on the Board of Supervisors agenda again on Tuesday and it appears that the wastewater situation hasn’t improved with a reported increase in the prison’s inmate population. Supervisor Forster introduced the item and said he was concerned about information he received that very morning from Ione Mayor Jerry Sherman. “Mayor Sherman indicated to me this morning that the prison inmate count has gone up to about 4500.  We need to…