Tom
Tuesday, 15 June 2010 06:06
Amador County News TSPN TV with Alex Lane 6-15-10
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News Broadcast Videos
Monday, 14 June 2010 18:00
Doug Barber - Amador Resource Advisory Committee 6-15-10
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Local
Tuesday, 15 June 2010 05:59
Sutter Creek Measure N Could Have 120 More Ballots To Count
Amador County – Amador County Registrar of Voters Sheldon Johnson said Monday that as many as 120 ballots remain to be counted in Sutter Creek’s Measure N election, and the election office must still prepare to count those ballots. Work remains to prepare to do the final counting. Johnson led a group of 4 staff members and election officials in a hand-count of Sutter Creek’s “Measure N” Monday, which verified that the electronic ballot counters did their job perfectly. The votes counted so far were verified, and there were 2 corrections. One “over vote” was ruled to be a “yes” vote, and one “under vote” was deemed a “no” vote. The vote count still stood with the No votes ahead by 8 points in the Measure N race, which will decide whether Sutter Creek City Council’s actions to approve the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort will be left standing or dismissed. The election department’s Debbie Smith said Sutter Creek still had a total of 38 provisional ballots and 82 vote-by-mail ballots left to count, and they planned to start the verification on the mail ballots at 10 a.m. today (June 15th). Smith said the election department must first “log in” the 82 vote-by-mail ballots, then they can process the provisional ballots. The vote-by-mail ballots are logged in by verifying each signature. She said: “I’m not sure people realize we have to verify each and every signature.” That means comparing them to signatures on file at the office. She said “it if does not look right, then I discuss it with Sheldon.” Johnson said for people to get a provisional ballot at the polls, “one thing they swear to is that they have not voted.” Smith said “nothing can be done until they get the absentee ballots keyed in.” After all those are processed, then they will update the vote count. She said 25 provisional ballots were used at one Sutter Creek precinct and 13 were used at the other. The election office will try to finish verifying ballots today and count them. The office fielded a lot of calls last Thursday about Measure N, which hindered work. They also had a furlough day off Friday. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Local
Tuesday, 15 June 2010 05:58
Child Care Needs Assessment Shows Lack of Licensed Services
Amador County – Fifty-eight percent of the children of working parents in Amador County cannot find the licensed child care services that they need, according to the 2009 Child Care Needs Assessment recently released by the Amador Child Care Council. There are an estimated 1,723 children aged birth to 13 years with all parents in the workforce who need child care, yet there are only 718 licensed child care spaces in the County. That means that 1,005 children must go without child care their parents need in order to be able to work. The demand for child care was determined by taking 2000 census figures, applying growth percentages, and then calculating demand for each age group of children, based on industry standards. Community profiles were created for each area in the County by looking at the numbers of children needing care, and the supply in the area. The gaps in services range from a low of 38 percent in Jackson, to a high of 71 percent in the Sutter Creek area. The need for infant and toddler care remains the highest, with only about 1 percent of spaces specifically designated for that age group. The Needs Assessment looks at the needs of low income families, as well as families of all incomes. Not only is there a gap in services overall, but there is a shortage of funding to assist low income families in paying for their child care. At the end of 2009 there were 187 children waiting to receive subsidies for which their families were eligible. The cost of care in Amador County averages $22 to $27 per day per child, with the cost of care for an infant topping $1000 per month. Other information for the report was gathered from surveys of parents, child care providers and local employers. The surveys showed that about 25 percent of the families responding had to go without needed child care at some point, and often were forced to stay home without pay if they could not find needed care. In addition, about 40 percent of the local employers surveyed had experienced attendance problems due to the child care needs of their employees. The Amador Child Care Council (ACCC) is working to increase the number of child care facilities in Amador County through ABCD Constructing Connections, a project of the Low Income Investment Fund, with major funding from First 5 California. In addition, the Council is working to increase the early care and education workforce, and to increase funding for early education services through education and outreach. The ACCC is one of fifty-eight local child care planning councils in the state of California, which are mandated by legislation to assess the need for child care in their counties every five years. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Local
Tuesday, 15 June 2010 05:55
AWA, State Differ On Title 22’s Applicability
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors discussed capacity constraints for its Amador Water System, and directed staff to discuss “Title 22” law with the California Department of Public Health. Staff will monitor applications for service, and bring the issue back if applications exceed 2 a month. An engineering report asked for a release of 24 new hook-ups in the Ione water system, and another 186 connections to the Tanner water system “until the interim capacity study is completed and a plan can be presented to the board for increased capacity from these 2 water treatment plants.” The study is expected no sooner than the 4th quarter of 2010. Engineer John Griffin in the report said staff is working with Public Health “to determine if recent conservation efforts by Mule Creek State Prison can be used to reduce existing peak 24-hour demand for the AWS-Ione service area.” It was unclear if Public Health would reduce existing peak 24-hour demands, which are calculated by the state using “Title 22” methodology. The board directed AWA attorney Steve Kronick to look into the issue. Kronick said he hoped it would only take one meeting with state Public Health officials to settle the question. District 5 Director Terence Moore raised the issue, saying Title 22 “doesn’t really apply,” because the law “does not refer to water treatment plants,” and only “applies to source capacity.” Moore said: “Staff is going to have to convince me big-time that it applies to water treatment plants.” Kronick said staff raised this question, but it was the first time he heard if from the board. Kronick said AWA staff feels that because of conservation at the prison, they “in essence have freed up capacity in the AWS system,” and “that’s why drilling down on the issue that Terry raised is so important.” Engineering Manager Erik Christesen said Title 22’s applicability was the “exact issue we raised,” and Public Health said a water source is “everything,” including water treatment capacity. Moore said he didn’t “see how the state can arbitrarily decide that it applies to water treatment plants.” President Bill Condrashoff said the systems have committed more that they have to offer. Moore said they did not surpass the systems’ “theoretical peak.” Christesen said they are “working on changes to get us to our permitted peak, and possibly beyond.” Christesen agreed with Moore that they should bring the issue back to the board when they have more definitive answers form Public Health.. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Water
Tuesday, 15 June 2010 05:53
BLM Warns of Colder, More Dangerous Water Flows
Amador County - Due to area rivers experiencing unseasonably colder, swifter, and more dangerous flows, the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Mother Lode Office is asking river users to exercise caution when enjoying local river recreation. These conditions contributed to three near drownings on the Merced Wild and Scenic River in recent weeks. Rivers that would normally be receding in velocity and cubic feet per second are now high and rising, according to Mother Lode Recreation Planner Jeff Horn. “The combination of an unseasonably cool spring, significant snow packs in the Sierra Nevada, and the warming temperatures have created June conditions that haven’t been seen in 20 years,” he said. “People should be careful around all of the rivers in the foothills and never boat alone.”
With rivers such as the Merced Wild and Scenic River flowing at 12,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), river users should be aware of river safety and it is advised that parents be especially watchful of small children around areas of high flow. The BLM offers a number of river safety tips. Always wear a Coast Guard approved adjustable life jacket, helmet, protective footwear and proper clothing suitable for the type of white water you are in. Be sure your white water skills and experience are equal to the river and the conditions you are going to run. Tell someone where you are going, when you expect to return, and where to call if you don't. Know how to self rescue on white water rivers. Know when and how to swim for an eddy. Also, be prepared for extremes in weather, especially cold. Know about the dangers of hypothermia and how to deal with it. When air and water temperature add up to 120 degrees or less, hyperthermia is a high risk. Wear a wet suit and booties in spring to early summer and always in Class V water. Carry a first aid kit and know how to use it. Learn or review medical aid responsibilities and CPR. And avoid rattlesnakes and poison oak, but know how to deal with emergencies if someone is unlucky. For more information, contact David Christy, BLM Central California Public Affairs Officer, at 916-941-3146. A TSPN TV Staff Report This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Region
Monday, 14 June 2010 06:17
Board of Supervisors Pre-Agenda Report with Richard Forster 6-14-10
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News Interview Videos
Monday, 14 June 2010 06:07
United Way Seeks Participants for Toilet Paper Drive
Amador County - When donors research a nonprofit's numbers - tax dollars saved, money raised and lives changed - they rarely look at an organization's toilet paper budget. Yet this necessary staple costs local nonprofits thousands of dollars each year that they could be spending on programs. United Way California Capital Region is asking the community to participate in its second annual Live United Toilet Paper Drive, sponsored by AT&T, on June 18, to help offset this cost. Last year's drive raised 35,000 rolls of toilet paper, and this year's goal is 50,000. “It's amazing the number of expenses nonprofits face that people don't think about," said Steve Heath, president and CEO of United Way California Capital Region. "Nonprofits work magic with their budgets to make a positive difference in countless lives in our region, but there's only so much they can do. Donating toilet paper is a great way to join together and live united, ensuring more money goes toward vital programs that change people's lives.” The drive will take place from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, June 18 at Cal Expo in Sacramento and The Golden 1 Credit Union Operations Center on 8945 Cal Center Drive in Sacramento. The rolls will be distributed the following week to many of United Way's 142 certified partners in Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties. Woodland United Way and United Way of Stanislaus will also hold toilet paper drives on June 18. Toilet paper can be dropped off at Woodland United Way at 1017 Main St. in Woodland, between 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. For information on the Woodland drive, call (530) 662-3633. United Way of Stanislaus will collect toilet paper between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. at 422 McHenry Ave. in Modesto. For information on the Modesto drive, call 523-4562. United Way California Capital Region is the region's leading provider of innovative solutions on the community's most pressing issues, including high school graduation rates, household financial stability and obesity. Working with other nonprofits, businesses, donors and volunteers, United Way provides positive, measurable results on vital health and human services issues. Through new and traditional fund-raising and mobilization programs, community members can give, volunteer and advocate in support of the causes they care most about, benefiting United Way and hundreds of nonprofits in Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties.
For more information, visit www.yourlocalunitedway.org. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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News Archive
Monday, 14 June 2010 06:11
ACCNET Drug Bust Eradicates 17,271 Marijuana Plants
Amador County - On Friday, June 11, 2010, the Amador County Combined Narcotics Enforcement Team (ACCNET) along with members of the Amador County SWAT Team and the California Department of Justice, Air Support Wing, eradicated a Mexican National Drug Trafficking Organization (MDTO) outdoor marijuana grow. The site was located in heavy brush on private property in North West Amador County. A fully stocked field kitchen and camp site with evidence of three persons being at the site was discovered. A total of 17,271 marijuana plants ranging from 6 inches to three feet were eradicated. Evidence seized from the site is being processed for investigative leads. This is the largest marijuana cultivation seizure in Amador County at such an early date in the marijuana grow season, considered to be April through October. By this date last year, ACCNET had seized 523 marijuana plants with a total of 57,518 plants seized for all of 2009. ACCNET is one of the 48 regional narcotic task forces that is operated by the Attorney General’s, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement. The Amador County Combined Narcotic Enforcement Team is a cooperative effort between the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, Amador County Sheriff’s Office, Amador County District Attorney’s Office, Amador County Probation Department, Amador County Child Protective Services, Jackson Police Department, Sutter Creek Police Department, Ione Police Department, Mule Creek State Prison, and the Amador Area Office of the California Highway Patrol. A TSPN TV Report, Press Release This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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