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Amador County – The Amador County Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday released details on a developing sexual abuse case in Pioneer. Pioneer resident Thomas Devaney, 49, was arrested April 1st and booked into the Amador County Jail on a Local Warrant Bail of $1.2 million. He is charged with two counts of violation of California Penal Code related to the continuous sexual abuse of a child. On March 16, Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the report of a sexual assault that had occurred in Pioneer. Deputies interviewed two female victims, now young adults, who reported years of molestation since they were children. “The two victims relayed events which started when they were approximately eight years old and continued for several years,” reports Amador County Undersheriff Jim Wegner. “The victims reported similar instances of being directed to perform lewd acts upon Keith Thomas Devaney, now a 49 year old resident of Pioneer.” Devaney was interviewed and a subsequent investigation was conducted. “During the interview, and upon being confronted with the evidence, Devaney confessed to the unlawful acts,” said Wegner. On April 1st, the Sheriff’s Office obtained a warrant and Devaney was arrested without incidence at Cost Less Foods in Jackson. Since then, detectives have identified two additional juvenile victims. Wegner said “Sheriff’s Detectives are working with prosecutors from the Amador County District Attorney’s Office on additional charges to be filed against Devaney.” Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in Law Enforcement

Wednesday, 14 April 2010 06:10

Flynn Urges East-Coast Volunteer Fire Program in Plymouth

Amador County – The Plymouth City Council on Thursday discussed its contract with the Amador Fire Protection District, with the availability of Measure M sales taxes that may not meet a draft plan proposed by the city last week. AFPD Chief Jim McCart addressed the board, which looked at a plan brought by City Attorney Steven Rudolph, that included an ambitions 24/7 station with 3 personnel. The city has a new potable water pipeline and is in the process of revitalizing its wastewater treatment system, in an effort to lift a 3-decade building moratorium. It has multiple developments planning hundreds of homes in the city. But City Manager Dixon Flynn said the city right now cannot pay for the full staffing. Flynn recommended an east-coast styled volunteer system. He said volunteers on the east coast are asked to commit to 4 years of service, and in exchange get “good training,” a stipend and money for college, much like military service. When terms end, volunteers can move on with their lives, either to further firefighting or another career. Vice Mayor Greg Baldwin said the city of Wilton already has a similar program, and asks for 2-year commitments to its volunteer fire department. The city is negotiating a contract with AFPD that expires June 1st. McCart said since 1998, Plymouth has contributed $222,000 to its fire Battalion 20, and in that time, AFPD has spent $450,000 on it. Councilman Mike O’Meara disagreed with the budget listing volunteers as having “no financial impact.” He said volunteers have been serving on the department in the more than 20 years he has lived in Plymouth. McCart said “our volunteers are currently getting snapped up,” and they lose many to fire season surges in Cal Fire manpower. Battalion 20 Chief Antonio Moreno said in 1999, before the AFPD agreement, they spent about $35,000-40,000 a year at Plymouth Fire. Plymouth spent about $28,000 on the battalion last year. Moreno said it is difficult to keep volunteers. He gets applications for volunteers all the time, but when they see the training requirements involved, they change their minds. Moreno said “right now I have no volunteers living in Plymouth who work in Plymouth – no daytime coverage.” Baldwin said training is costly, and often paid for by volunteers themselves. After training, they often move on to paying jobs elsewhere, Moreno said, “not unlike myself.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in Fire

Wednesday, 14 April 2010 06:08

CA Farm Bureau Reps Take Ag Issues to Washington, D.C.

Amador County – The California Farm Bureau Board of Directors traveled to Washington, D.C., last month to discuss agricultural issues with elected representatives of California. As reported by the Farm Bureau, directors stressed “issues including water supplies, estate tax reform, food safety and maintaining the economic viability of agriculture.” Discussions took place “with both U.S. senators from California, and with 33 members of the House of Representatives or their staff members.” Jim Spinetta, a grapegrower and vintner from Plymouth, was there representing Amador, El Dorado, Placer and Sacramento counties. He stressed the importance of preserving the estate tax exemption. He said “30 percent of the farms in this country go to a second generation, and fewer than 15 percent of farms pass to a third generation. The number one cause of this loss is the death tax. It isn't because we are bad farmers; it is this death tax that pushes people out.” Spinetta also addressed the gift tax and “the stepped-up basis for determining land value for taxation purposes.” “Both of these will revert back to much more severe levels for landowners if Congress doesn't act,” he said. Spinetta said he brought his wife and kids along on the journey because “it benefits the members of Congress to know that there is another generation of farmers coming up, and…it benefits the children who learn by doing that it is important for agriculture to send its message.” Also on hand were board members Mat Conant, a walnut grower from Rio Oso, Norm Groot, a nursery producer from Asuza, and Norm Yenni, a grain farmer from Sonoma. Conant agreed that “reforming the estate tax is one more tool we would have to preserve ag land in California, which is always under extreme development pressure.” He said it is currently difficult for winegrowers to pass their estates to future generations because their real estate prices are extremely high. “If we're going to keep that in agriculture, we need to keep these estates going and not have them divided into such small areas that they're useless,” he said. Groot said he is “amazed that our country continues to function” because “there seems to be only partisan politics now and we witnessed that firsthand as we observed the process that passed the health care reforms the week we were there.” He said representatives, including U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, are “taking a more active interest in the estate tax issues.” He said the conversations also included “open discussions on invasive pests and funding for eradication programs.” Yenni said they focused a lot on immigration and ways to deal with the issue while benefiting agriculture. Reflecting on the visit, Groot said he believes “that each time we are there the importance of California agriculture registers a bit higher in their collective minds.” This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in National

Wednesday, 14 April 2010 06:05

AWA to Consider $3.1M in Internal Loans

Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board Thursday will consider internal loans of $3.1 million for 5 water and wastewater systems around the county, and could also direct staff to prepare to run a line of credit to fix “cash flow” problems. The board will consider loan documents for “external funding,” that would be a “safety net” or contingency plan for the board. The board has looked at rate adjustments for the Central Amador Water Project retail system, and now will consider an internal loan for CAWP, and 4 other systems. The loans under discussion will include $1.5 million to 2 Camanche systems, and $800,000 to CAWP. Interim General Manager Gene Mancebo said the internal loans have been previously discussed by the board, and staff prepared resolutions for board consideration. One would authorize a loan from the Amador Water System’s “replacement reserve account” to CAWP Retail. Mancebo said Tuesday that it would be separate from an “external loan.” Finance Manager Michael Lee recommended the internal loan in a staff report prepared for Thursday’s meeting. The board will also consider the “draft financial plan and rate study” for CAWP, and will consider sending out rate increase notices to CAWP customers, per Proposition 218 requirements. Lee in the report said the CAWP plan has been reviewed several times, and the board will be given a financial plan update for the Amador Water System. Lee’s report said “several systems have not been meeting their cost of operations and have accrued operating deficits.” Resolutions with the item would approve loans and fund transfers from the AWS. The loans would include $800,000 to the CAWP retail system; $700,000 to Lake Camanche Wastewater District Number 11; $600,000 to Wastewater District Number 1; and $200,000 to the La Mel water system. The board will also consider approving a loan of $800,000 from the Martell Wastewater Replacement Reserve Account, to Lake Camanche Water District Number 7. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in Water

Wednesday, 14 April 2010 06:04

USDA Announces Water Enhancement Funds Of $61M

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday that $61.2 million will be available nationally in the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program. Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Dave White announced that the financial assistance will help agricultural producers conserve surface and ground water and improve water quality on farmland. White said that by working with partners, “we will see more water conservation on working lands and more opportunities to improve water quality.” Ag Water Enhancement projects are implemented by Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in partnership with eligible entities, White said. He said NRCS works with the partners to “help landowners plan and implement conservation practices in project areas established through the agreements. The USDA said of the $61.2 million, about $40.4 million will be made available to Ag Water Enhancement Program partners whose projects were approved in the last fiscal year, and approximately $20.7 million will be available for new project proposals. White said partnership entities may include federally recognized Indian Tribes, states, units of local government, agricultural associations, irrigation associations, and ag land trusts. When a water enhancement project area has been approved and announced, individual producers may apply for program benefits through their local NRCS office. USDA intends the program to assist water quality and conservation plan development. It also intends to help projects restore or enhance water conservation, quality or quantity; and to enhance the efficiency and quality of irrigation systems. It would help “activities designed to mitigate the effects of drought,” and “activities determined to help achieve water quality or water conservation benefits on agricultural land.” Deadline for partner organizations to submit a proposal is May 17. For information, see www.nrcs.usda.gov. A TSPN TV Staff Report This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in Water