The Amador County School District may be looking into a new drug testing policy for those students who are involved in Extracurricular activities and Athletics. There has been growing public concern about the use of controlled and illegal substances among high school and possibly even junior high school students. There was some research done by staff, legal advice provided, and review of Governmental policy regarding the situation. A steroid policy was adopted in 2005, the next step would be to instate a policy for the search and seizure of those substances.

The newly imposed Schedule for the high schools was called into question at the ACUSD board meeting last Wednesday evening. The schedule which was introduced this year, was made to alleviate some of the issues that arose with those students who opted to utilize classes not offered at their own school. The schedule was created by a committee last spring, as a hybrid schedule, however some students and many staff are still not sure about the effectiveness of the change. There seems to be a growing sense of frustration from both staff and students alike. There is ongoing discussion concerning this issue and it will be looked at again throughout the year.

In a report released last week by the Valley Air District, a remarkably low number of Spare the Air days were declared in the San Joaquin Valley this summer – and that means cleaner air for Amador County as well. Just six Spare the Air days were called District-wide during the 2007 season, ending Sunday. Typically, between 20 and 40 Spare the Air days are declared during the summer, depending on location. Jim Harris of the Amador Air District told TSPN that his agency does not have any local air monitoring equipment and relies on Spare the Air warnings from the adjacent Valley Air District to determine when Amador County air may be unhealthy.

Down the road, getting a California driver's license could get a lot tougher. The state is considering using more extensive tests to evaluate a driver's memory, reflexes and vision to identify people who shouldn't be behind the wheel. "What we can do is try to identify drivers who probably can't drive safely," said David Hennessy, a research program specialist who recently retired from the DMV. "This is something we're especially sensitive to because of the aging of the baby boomers. We're looking to accommodate and acknowledge that fact," Hennessy said.

Prison Re-entry facilities are designed to help prisoners succeed in returning to their communities by offering better rehabilitation programs than they would normally get in a regular prison. These include drug treatment, anger management, job training, housing assistance and remedial education. Once an inmate is released on parole, the parolee could then continue the same programs he began at the re-entry facility. Wednesday in a press conference, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation to make the old Stockton women's prison into the state’s first facility for male prisoners who are serving their final months behind bars.  The Governor contrasted this with the current practice of giving paroled prisoners $200, a bus ticket, and hoping for the best. Governor Schwarzenegger described this action as part of his administration’s prison reform package, one he hopes will reduce recidivism and reduce prison populations through out the state.

A SUTTER CREEK MAN CHARGED IN A DUI FATAL ACCIDENT HAS BEEN ORDERED BY A CALAVERAS COUNTY COURT TO PAY RESTITUTION TO THE VICTIM’S FAMILY.  JARED ALLEN, 24, WILL HAVE TO PAY $1,242 IN RESTITUTIONS TO THE MOTHER OF JEREMY BROWN, A 23 YEAR OLD JACKSON RESIDENT AND FRIEND OF ALLEN’S, WHO WAS KILLED AFTER BEING EJECTED FROM THE CAR ALLEN WAS DRIVING. ALLEN WAS BACK IN COURT FRIDAY MORNING AFTER HAVING BEEN ARRESTED FOR DUI AND VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER AFTER A MAY 1ST ACCIDENT KILLED BROWN.

A proposed development in Sutter Creek that would more than double the population of the town was the topic of this week’s Sutter Creek Planning Commission meeting. The Gold Rush Gold Ranch Development and Golf Course would be situated along Lower Ridge Road and the new Highway 49 bypass, and would include 12 new neighborhoods with a total of 1-thousand three hundred and thirty-four new residences, an eighteen-hole golf course, three hundred vacation homes, and a hotel with sixty hotel rooms. The project would also serve to conserve three-hundred-plus acres of open space and facilitate over five miles of hiking and biking trails throughout the property. The city of Sutter Creek is a partner in the project, and could greatly benefit financially. “Money is the issue for me,” said city council member Pat Crosby, who placed poker chips on the table in order to demonstrate the developer and the city’s potential monetary gain from the project. “Sutter Creek cannot continue as a rundown city with pothole streets,” Crosby stated, and further stressed that the city would not take any less than three-hundred million dollars for entitlements.