The Amador County Waste Management Department is hosting a Project Learning Tree Workshop, free of charge, with an emphasis on Municipal Solid Waste for classroom teachers and other educators working with youth. 

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) will join officials from the Tahoe Donner Homeowner’s Association to discuss how a cooperative fuels reduction project played a critical role in stopping the recent “80 Fire.” Near Highway 80  and Donner Lake. Many of these types of breaks have been built in Amador County through the efforts of the Amador Fire Safe Council.

The City of Jackson will be entertaining entries for the design of the new city flag. This contest is open to all residents of the City of Jackson, regardless of age. The City is looking for creativity so designs may be modern or historical in nature, but should be of significance in representing the City of Jackson. Designs can be hand drawn or computer generated but they must be original, created by the contestant.

A plan by the Bush administration to allow Mexican big rig trucks to drive on U.S. highways has the teamsters Union and others hitting the brakes, hard.

Times are changing and that was never more obvious that when AT&T announced the end of POP-CORN - the way to millions have gotten the accurate time for almost a century. Since 1929 callers could dial 7-6-7 or P-O-P on their telephones, followed by any four numbers and hear a woman's voice telling them the time. But AT&T says it will stop the service in California on September 19, 2007 because it can't get parts for equipment. AT&T officials say freeing up the 7-6-7 prefix will allow customers to have access to 300,000 new phone numbers. The announcement will be active for a year and customers will get reminders in their phone bills.

Thousands of crayon and paint sets made in China have been recalled by Toys "R" Us because the packaging of the wooden box contains lead. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says no injuries have been reported from the use of the Imaginarium Wooden Coloring Cases. Toys "R" Us sold the sets nationwide from October 2006 through this month for about $20. Twenty-seven thousand have been recalled. Consumers have been asked to take the products away from children and return them to the nearest "Toys "R" Us store for store credit. The recall follows Mattel's recall last month of 19 million Chinese-made toys, some of which were contaminated with lead paint. The AP contributed to this story

Several local roads will be closed for a 7 day period in the near future for storm related repairs. Public Works Director Larry Peterson asked for permission to close New Chicago Road, 1.5 miles north of the Turner Rd intersection, Quartz Mountain Road, 2.4 miles south of Fiddletown, and Stoney Creek Rd, 4.4 miles south of Jackson through .3 miles north of Buena Vista Rd for a seven day period.

Eldorado National Forest Fire Chief Bob Patton says The fire danger in the Eldorado National Forest is critically high. He is also says  “The fire danger in the Forest is higher than it was when the 16,000 acre Power and 8,000 acre Freds fires started in 2004. It’s higher than 2001 when the 16,000 acre Star Fire started, and it’s higher than 1992 when the 24,500 acre Cleveland fire started.” “To the tens of thousands of visitors we expect to come to the Forest this Labor Day weekend Smokey Bear’s message is dead on: “Only you can prevent forest fires.” Campfires are the number one cause of human started wildfires in the national forest, says Patton.

Teen driving habits may be changing after the initial clearance of a bill that would ban teenagers under the age of 18 from using their cell phones - even with hands-free devices -- while driving. The bill has now cleared the state legislature. The Bill, Senate Bill 33 bars the use of pagers, Blackberries, PDAs - any text-messaging devices - including laptop computers for teen drivers.

With temperatures forecasted to reach the century mark Wednesday and Thursday in much of California, the agency managing the state's electricity supply is urging residents to conserve energy and reduce demand, if possible. The California Independent System Operator (Cal ISO- say eye-so) expects to see the highest electricity usage of the summer this week. It has declared Wednesday and Thursday as Flex Alert Days, asking consumers to curb electricity demand between the peak hours of 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Cal ISO said it does not expect to reach Stage 1 Emergency conditions in which consumers are urged to reduce their use of electricity voluntarily to avoid severe conditions. California's peak demand record for electricity was 50,270 megawatts, set July 24, 2006. One megawatt supplies electricity to approximately 750 homes.