More details on the attempted robbery of Buckhorn Liquor Store this weekend. On Sunday about 5 pm, the Amador County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 emergency call reporting an attempted armed robbery at Buckhorn Liquor, in Pioneer.  Upon arrival, deputies found Joseph Todisco being detained by citizens. Upon investigating the incident it was determined that Todisco had spent several hours that day at and around the liquor store.

The Amador County Unified School Board is getting sobering news about drugs in local schools. A Healthy Kids Survey administered last spring asked students to anonymously disclose which substances they had used two or more times in the past year. Argonaut, Amador and Independence high schools all saw around or above a 65% use of alcohol by the 11th grade population, a range of 36%, 42% and 68% respectively of marijuana use, and a 2%, 1% and a 21% use of cocaine.  A more recent survey conducted by the school district asked students and parents about drug use. 79% of parents surveyed stated that drug use among students is getting worse.

The Amador Water Agency recently finished a project in the busy Highway 49 corridor using an innovative “trenchless” technology. The project consisted of improving the flow in a 6-inch sewer collection line located in the Martell area south of the Highway 49 near Airport Boulevard. The Agency’s Manager of Engineering and Planning Gene Mancebo explains that the Agency used “trenchless technology” to complete the project -- a construction process that minimizes or eliminates the need for trenching. A 322-foot segment of pitted iron pipe was relined in one day, without the need to dig a trench or replace the pipe. Mancebo said the process, “presents a cost savings by extending the life of the pipe, and avoiding potential problems which could include spills and the fines from those spills.“ What could have been very expensive project, proved to be much less costly with the use of trenchless technology. The work was completed for approximately $20,000.

The FBI has issued a warning to the public concerning potential internet-based scams in connection with the recent Southern California wildfires.  Many of these schemes are representing themselves to be disaster relief charities. Given the recent wildfires in Southern California, consumers should be cautious before contributing to an unknown or unfamiliar charity. 

Before contributing to an unknown or unfamiliar charity, note these tips from the FBI: Do not respond to unsolicited (SPAM) e-mail and be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as officials soliciting via e-mail for donations. Do not click on links or attachments contained within an unsolicited e-mail. Only open attachments from known senders. Check the legitimacy of the organization by directly accessing the recognized charity organization’s website rather than following an alleged link to the site. Use the internet to verify the actual existence of the organization. And do not provide personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions;and those who prey on the public’s goodwill. To report a complaint, please call (800) CALL FBI (225-5324). (end) am providing such information may compromise your identity and open you to identify theft. More information concerning potential scams is available on www.fbi.gov. Keith Slotter, Special Agent in Charge of the San Diego, FBI Office stated, “The FBI is committed to protecting the public from disaster related fraud schemes

A man intent on robbery picked the wrong liquor store. Sunday afternoon a man walked up to the front door of Buckhorn Liquor Store and announced, “I have a 9mm pistol and I want your money.” According to witnesses, he then went inside andapproached the cash register. A bystander took immediate action by putting a choke hold on the man and wrestled him to the ground. The store owner and cashier then pounced on him and the three held him down until Sheriff’s deputies and CHP arrived and put him in handcuffs. No weapon was found, but it still is a serious offense to say you have a gun when in the act of committing a crime.  A Bill Lavallie story.

Law enforcement are looking for a driver who fled the scene of an accident that sent a Pioneer woman to the hospital with Tiger Creek Road south of McKenzie Dr when she came around a turn and encountered a white pick-up over the center line of the narrow roadway. She swerved to avoid a head-on collision and hit an embankment, rolling her 2007 Toyota Tacoma truck. The driver of the white pick-up fled the scene southbound on Tiger Creek Road. A witness described the the driver of the white pickup as a Hispanic male with short black hair, wearing a white shirt. minor injuries. According to the California Highway Patrol, the Pioneer woman was driving on

The City of Jackson finally got some good news about the city’s wastewater treatment plant – the regional water quality control board adopted a permit that will allow the city to continue to operate its current wastewater treatment plant without multi-million dollar upgrades that had been looming over the heads of city decision-makers. The board action clarified that the city would not be required to bring the plant to the highest “Title 22” standards, avoiding extensive new wastewater storage and back-up plant redundancies. According to Jackson City Manager Mike Daly, estimates for the upgrades that are required are “closer to 1 million dollars.”

The City of Plymouth will celebrate its 91st anniversary as a California city this year. This announcement at last week’s Plymouth City Council meeting accompanied discussion of a number of changes for the city. The public is invited to hear about 4 options for improving the intersection of Plymouth Main Street and Highway 49 at an open house on Thursday, November 8 at 5 pm at Plymouth City Hall. Options include a “roundabout,’ signalization, a four-way stop, and doing nothing. The Plymouth Pipeline project is moving forward with about half of the property easements needed for the project secured, according to city administrator Gene Albaugh. 

The exits from the Highway 49 Bypass to Sutter Creek and to Amador City will get a $528,599 make-over this winter. Amador County Transportation Commission has contracted with Donniker Construction to enhance the historical community identification and beautification of the city gateways. ACTC worked with Caltrans, Amador City, Sutter Creek, merchant associations, the Sutter Terrace Mobile Home Park and the public to design and develop gateway projects at the north and south ends of the Hwy 49 bypass. Designs for the project were prepared by Dokken Engineering with landscape design by Kathleen Lynch.