An ACES Waste Services truck driver was injured Friday morning when he was struck by a small garbage truck. According to the CHP report, the driver had left the truck to pick up a garbage can on Ridge Road when he realized his truck was rolling backwards. The driver attempted to re-enter the truck to put on the brakes and stop the truck, but he was struck by the open door of the truck and knocked to the ground. The ACES driver was transported to Sutter Amador Hospital with minor injuries. The truck continued down the hill until it struck a tree. Fortunately, no one else was hurt and no other cars were involved in the accident.

The state of California is 4 months behind in funding reimbursements for Amador County Mental Health and Drug & Alcohol Services – and we are not alone. In a joint effort by several rural counties to acquire earmarked but delinquent funds from the State, Trinity County Board of Supervisors is spearheading an initiative to apply pressure on the State of California to reimburse funds. In a letter to the California Department of Metal Health, Trinity County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff Morris stated that “Trinity County cannot afford to continue to finance the State’s obligation.

The Amador County Probation Department and the Amador County Unified School District are working together to develop a truancy reduction program. Mark Giannini, the county’s Chief Probation Officer, says the pilot program will run for ninety school days from January 9, 2008 through May 30, 2008. During this period there will be one deputy probation officer assigned to monitor truancy and attendance issues at Jackson Elementary and Ione Elementary Schools. The truancy specialist will work closely with the 2 schools to identify students who are missing school – the deputy will contact parents and in some cases, pick students up and take them to school. Giannini said if at least 5 children can be brought back to attending school regularly during this 90-day period, then the program would be continued. The school district will reimburse the county for the salary of the assigned probation officer, while the county will provide a Probation Department vehicle. At this week’s Board of Supervisors’ Administrative Committee meeting, supervisors Forster and Novelli expressed support for the pilot program and cost sharing proposal.

Sutter Creek held its 1st Christmas "Parade of Lights", on Saturday. Main Street Sutter Creek was a spectacle of illumination – people decorated themselves -- their dogs, antique cars and trucks, bicycles built for two, and more. Our local public servants enthusiastically took on the challenge of lighting up buses, fire engines and heavy equipment. Of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus would not miss such a festive parade-- they rode in a horse drawn carriage with local children in tow. Parade entrants were very creative,  putting together an hour-long, holiday themed parade. All the while, bubbles filled the air and amplified the twinkly lights up and down Main Street. The Parade of Lights is sure to become a much anticipated annual event.

If you’re trying to avoid toys that might include lead or toxic chemicals, a movie on DVD might be just the ticket for a child’s holiday gift, right? Amador County public health director Angel LeSage says to take a close look before you buy -- local parents and health officials are sounding the alarm on 104 recent kid-rated movies on DVD  that include smoking — 98% with no warning label. Experts estimate that exposure to on-screen smoking could recruit up to 390,000 new teen smokers yearly, about 1/3rd of whom will eventually die from tobacco-caused diseases.

The American Institute of Philanthropy says that “Americans gave millions of dollars in the past year to veterans charities designed to help troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan,  but several of the groups spent relatively little money on the wounded, according to a leading watchdog organization and federal tax filings.” Due to concern over potential abuse by charitable organizations claiming to assist veterans, the US House Committee on Government Oversight held a hearing on veterans’ charities last week.

Tonight’s scheduled Sutter Creek City Council and Jackson Planning Commission meetings have been cancelled, but Ione City Council will be working on a full agenda Tuesday night. Michael L. Johnson has been selected to fill the position of chief of police for Ione. The City conducted a nationwide search for police chief and received 23 applications. Seven applicants were offered interviews and six applicants attended the interview. After being selected by the interview committee, Johnson passed the necessary background investigation, psychological and medical evaluations. Johnson currently is a K-9 officer and is a certified narcotic detective. City Council is expected to approve the appointment of Johnson and the terms for his employment agreement Tuesday night.

The draft 2008 – 2009 Amador County Unified School District calendar is available for review. An earlier draft of next year’s school calendar was roundly criticized by teachers and parents at a recent school board meeting – for starting too early in August, for a 24-day-long winter break and too many multiple day weekend holidays that critics said would disrupt classroom teaching and learning.

Amador County District Attorney Todd D. Riebe announced today that the Workers’ Compensation Fraud Unit obtained the convictions of two Raley’s Bel Air supermarket managers for workers’ compensation insurance fraud in Placer County Superior Court. The Workers’ Compensation Fraud Unit investigates insurance fraud cases in Amador, Placer and Calaveras County. Marie Leddy of Orangevale and Amy Theresa Looper of Roseville each entered a plea of no contest to one count of misdemeanor insurance fraud. Leddy, a Bel Air store director, was sentenced to 45 days in jail with three years formal probation.

Governor Schwarzenegger announced that he’ll call a fiscal emergency in January to deal with the state’s budget shortfall which Schwarzenegger is now somewhere between 10 and 14 billion dollars. The governor said Thursday, “What we have to do is fix the budget system. The system itself needs to be fixed and I think that this is a good year, this coming year to fix it. We are going to call this January for a fiscal emergency.” Schwarzenegger called the state’s budget system a “roller coaster” ride.