Amador County – The U.S. Supreme Court decided to order the release of as many as 46,000 prisoners back into society recently, while in a sharp dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia said “terrible things are sure to happen.”

Congressman Dan Lungren agreed Monday, in a speech before Congress. Lungren (R-Gold River), who represents Amador County, the former California attorney general and author of “The Prison Litigation Reform Act,” released a transcript of the speech to TSPN.

Lungren said, in part: “Today the United States Supreme Court delivered a body blow to the safety of the people of my home state of California. Today in an unprecedented action of judicial intemperance, the United States Supreme Court basically ordered that between 38,000 and 46,000 prisoners currently in the California prison system be released.”

He said: “Many times Supreme Court decisions are of mere academic interest. This one specifically deals with the safety of the people of my home state.”

“As one who led a team of attorneys generals of the states of the nation in the 1990s to have prison litigation reform which was incorporated into a law that was passed by the Congress and signed by the president, this flies in the face of every piece of that bill.”

Lungren said: “You rarely say this, but I fear that there will be murders, there will be rapes, there will be assaults, there will be unnamed and unnumbered crimes in my home state as a direct result of today’s decision.”

“Since when did they take over all of the three branches of government, becoming the executive branch, the legislative branch and the judicial branch?”

Lungen said the Prison Litigation Reform Act states that “prospective relief in any civil action with respect to prison conditions shall extend no further than necessary to correct the violation of the Federal right of a particular plaintiff or plaintiffs.” It also said that such relief must be “narrowly drawn,” and extend “no further than necessary to correct the violation of the Federal right.” Also, it must be “the least intrusive means necessary to correct the violation of the Federal right.”

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Amador County – The Jackson Rancheria last week distributed the proceeds from the 2011 Mother Lode Hot Jazz Party to this year’s recipients, giving $10,000 to three organizations.

Jackson Rancheria Vice President of Marketing Ron Olivero gave large ceremonial checks to two of the three recipients of the funds last week. The Arc of Amador and Calaveras Counties received $5,000 from the Jazz Party, and Mother Lode Friends of Music got $3,000, while the Jackson Revitalization Committee received $2,000.

During the ceremonial presentation, Olivero gave a check to Vice Mayor Wayne Garibaldi and City Manager Mike Daly of the city of Jackson, for the donation to the Jackson Revitalization Committee. Olivero also gave a check to Mike Sweeney from The Arc.

Carol Cook, content developer for the Jackson Rancheria Marketing Department announced the donations for this year’s recipients of funding from the Mother Lode Hot Jazz Party. This was the first year for the Jackson Rancheria Casino & Hotel to host the Jazz Party. Cook said “over the 33 years of this event, proceeds have contributed more than $300,000 to local non-profit organizations.”

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Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 earlier this month to send a letter of support for draft federal legislation introduced in April that would regulate “reservation shopping” by Indian tribes trying to build casinos.

U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-California) and Senator Jon Kyl (R-Arizona) on April 8 introduced “The Tribal Gaming Eligibility Act,” which would clarify “the standards that must be met before new casinos can be opened on newly or recently acquired Indian lands.”

Former Plymouth Councilwoman Elida Malick, also a co-founder of the group “No Casino in Plymouth,” urged supervisors to put the issue on their agenda and “support Senator Feinstein’s proposed legislation.” Malick, in an April 25 letter, said that the “rules as (Feinstein) is attempting to get into place could have saved the city of Plymouth and the county many thousands of dollars and if implemented will save the city and county may thousands of dollars in the future.”

Feinstein’s release said “in the last decade, the Department of the Interior has received dozens of applications from tribes seeking to build casinos on lands that are hundreds, or even thousands of miles away from where they live today.”

“The Feinstein/Kyl legislation ends this practice of reservation shopping by requiring that tribes only open casinos on trust land acquired after the passage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 if the tribe meets certain conditions,” or if it can “demonstrate a substantial modern connection to the land,” and can “Demonstrate a substantial aboriginal or ancestral connection to the land.”

She said in the release that “some tribes have abused their unique right to operate casinos and have ignored the intent of Congress by taking land into trust miles away from their historical lands,” doing it “simply to produce the most profitable casino and the greatest number of potential gamblers, often with little regard to the local communities.”

Kyl said the “Indian Gaming Regulator Act was originally intended to promote tribal economic development and self-sufficiency – not to enable tribes to become gambling enterprises that constantly expand to new casino locations.”

Supervisor Louis Boitano said he thought it was “a no-brainer to offer support,” and suggested sending a thank-you letter to support the proposed legislation. Supervisor Ted Novelli said “it’s good to see Senators on both sides of the aisle looking at this tribal gaming eligibility.”

Boitano said “Feinstein has been helpful all along.” Supervisor Richard Forster said they should also send a copy of the letter to Senator Barbara Boxer’s son, “who is a lobbyist in this area.” They also indicated sending it to Congressman Dan Lungren.

Plymouth City Council on Thursday will consider a similar request by a citizen to support that legislation.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – A 17-year-old Amador High School senior was arrested after stabbing a 16-year-old sophomore during a fight on their Sutter Creek campus Monday, hospitalizing the sophomore, while the senior was arrested for felony assault with a deadly weapon.

Sutter Creek Police Chief Brian Klier said since both boys are minors, their names cannot be released. He said the senior was arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a weapon on school grounds, both felonies. He was also charged with misdemeanor battery on a person on school grounds, and there may be other charges, after getting a statement from the victim. Those could include “inflicting corporal injury on a child,” because of the victim’s age.

“At this time we don’t think that it is gang-related, but that is still being investigated,” Klier said. The two boys had a history of verbal confrontations, at the school and elsewhere. They “had lot of verbal taunting” between them, and “they just basically don’t like each other.”

Klier said the physical altercation was only between these two, and he was not aware of any verbal altercations between other students at the time of the fight.

The fight happened at about 10 a.m., between the office and the “S” building on the east side of campus, closest to the lower student parking lot.

Klier said the incident began as a verbal confrontation, and it was not the first verbal altercation between the two. The boys “then started to physically hit each other. Both subjects were hitting each other. During the fight, the senior bought out a small knife and stabbed the sophomore in the abdomen.” He was not sure of the depth of the wound, but from what he could tell, the sophomore stabbing victim was awake, conscious, and alert when medics were treating him.

Paramedics were immediately brought in, and the sophomore was flown to U.C. Davis Medical Center. Amador County School Superintendent Dick Glock said “according to the medical personnel the injured student’s vital signs are stable and very good,” as he was in transport to U.C. Davis. “The student using the knife and several others who may have been involved have been detained. All other students are safe and will continue through their regular day.”

The senior was “interviewed by me,” Klier said. Once completed, Klier took the senior to Sutter Amador Hospital in Jackson for medical clearance, then to the Amador County Probation Department for processing. The senior would then be taken to a juvenile detention facility out of the county.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 5-24-11 - TSPN's Tom Slivick sits down with Al Lennox of American Legion Ambulance to discuss local veterans’ plans to observe Memorial Day on Monday.

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 5-24-11

·       An Amador High School senior was charged with assault with a deadly weapon after stabbing a sophomore during a fight Monday on the school’s campus in Sutter Creek.

·       Supervisors voted to send a letter supporting legislation to stop “reservation shopping”.

·       Congressman Dan Lungren said a U.S. Supreme Court ruling means a release of up to 46,000 prisoners in California.

·       Caltrans was allocated $58M for transportation projects, including $1M for two Sacramento projects .

·       Jackson Rancheria donated $10,000 raised from the 2011 Mother Lode Hot Jazz Party.

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 5-24-11

·       An Amador High School senior was charged with assault with a deadly weapon after stabbing a sophomore during a fight Monday on the school’s campus in Sutter Creek.

·       Supervisors voted to send a letter supporting legislation to stop “reservation shopping”.

·       Congressman Dan Lungren said a U.S. Supreme Court ruling means a release of up to 46,000 prisoners in California.

·       Caltrans was allocated $58M for transportation projects, including $1M for two Sacramento projects .

·       Jackson Rancheria donated $10,000 raised from the 2011 Mother Lode Hot Jazz Party.

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 5-24-11 - TSPN's Tom Slivick sits down with Al Lennox of American Legion Ambulance to discuss local veterans’ plans to observe Memorial Day on Monday.

Amador County – A 17-year-old Amador High School senior was arrested after stabbing a 16-year-old sophomore during a fight on their Sutter Creek campus Monday, hospitalizing the sophomore, while the senior was arrested for felony assault with a deadly weapon.

Sutter Creek Police Chief Brian Klier said since both boys are minors, their names cannot be released. He said the senior was arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a weapon on school grounds, both felonies. He was also charged with misdemeanor battery on a person on school grounds, and there may be other charges, after getting a statement from the victim. Those could include “inflicting corporal injury on a child,” because of the victim’s age.

“At this time we don’t think that it is gang-related, but that is still being investigated,” Klier said. The two boys had a history of verbal confrontations, at the school and elsewhere. They “had lot of verbal taunting” between them, and “they just basically don’t like each other.”

Klier said the physical altercation was only between these two, and he was not aware of any verbal altercations between other students at the time of the fight.

The fight happened at about 10 a.m., between the office and the “S” building on the east side of campus, closest to the lower student parking lot.

Klier said the incident began as a verbal confrontation, and it was not the first verbal altercation between the two. The boys “then started to physically hit each other. Both subjects were hitting each other. During the fight, the senior bought out a small knife and stabbed the sophomore in the abdomen.” He was not sure of the depth of the wound, but from what he could tell, the sophomore stabbing victim was awake, conscious, and alert when medics were treating him.

Paramedics were immediately brought in, and the sophomore was flown to U.C. Davis Medical Center. Amador County School Superintendent Dick Glock said “according to the medical personnel the injured student’s vital signs are stable and very good,” as he was in transport to U.C. Davis. “The student using the knife and several others who may have been involved have been detained. All other students are safe and will continue through their regular day.”

The senior was “interviewed by me,” Klier said. Once completed, Klier took the senior to Sutter Amador Hospital in Jackson for medical clearance, then to the Amador County Probation Department for processing. The senior would then be taken to a juvenile detention facility out of the county.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 earlier this month to send a letter of support for draft federal legislation introduced in April that would regulate “reservation shopping” by Indian tribes trying to build casinos.

U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-California) and Senator Jon Kyl (R-Arizona) on April 8 introduced “The Tribal Gaming Eligibility Act,” which would clarify “the standards that must be met before new casinos can be opened on newly or recently acquired Indian lands.”

Former Plymouth Councilwoman Elida Malick, also a co-founder of the group “No Casino in Plymouth,” urged supervisors to put the issue on their agenda and “support Senator Feinstein’s proposed legislation.” Malick, in an April 25 letter, said that the “rules as (Feinstein) is attempting to get into place could have saved the city of Plymouth and the county many thousands of dollars and if implemented will save the city and county may thousands of dollars in the future.”

Feinstein’s release said “in the last decade, the Department of the Interior has received dozens of applications from tribes seeking to build casinos on lands that are hundreds, or even thousands of miles away from where they live today.”

“The Feinstein/Kyl legislation ends this practice of reservation shopping by requiring that tribes only open casinos on trust land acquired after the passage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 if the tribe meets certain conditions,” or if it can “demonstrate a substantial modern connection to the land,” and can “Demonstrate a substantial aboriginal or ancestral connection to the land.”

She said in the release that “some tribes have abused their unique right to operate casinos and have ignored the intent of Congress by taking land into trust miles away from their historical lands,” doing it “simply to produce the most profitable casino and the greatest number of potential gamblers, often with little regard to the local communities.”

Kyl said the “Indian Gaming Regulator Act was originally intended to promote tribal economic development and self-sufficiency – not to enable tribes to become gambling enterprises that constantly expand to new casino locations.”

Supervisor Louis Boitano said he thought it was “a no-brainer to offer support,” and suggested sending a thank-you letter to support the proposed legislation. Supervisor Ted Novelli said “it’s good to see Senators on both sides of the aisle looking at this tribal gaming eligibility.”

Boitano said “Feinstein has been helpful all along.” Supervisor Richard Forster said they should also send a copy of the letter to Senator Barbara Boxer’s son, “who is a lobbyist in this area.” They also indicated sending it to Congressman Dan Lungren.

Plymouth City Council on Thursday will consider a similar request by a citizen to support that legislation.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.