Tom
Wednesday, 27 January 2010 00:56
Huber Addresses Concerns Related to Prison Reductions
California – Assemblymembers Alyson Huber and Ted Lieu joined law enforcement officials and members of Crime Victims United on Monday to address public safety concerns related to prison population reductions. A new state law took effect on the same day requiring the state’s prison populations to be reduced by as many as 6,500 inmates over the course of a year. The law was approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger last year. The controversial plan is intended to help reduce severe overcrowding by allowing some low-risk offenders to leave prison early by earning credits through education and rehabilitation programs. Critics say the plan will actually spark an increase in crime throughout the state. “As a tidal wave of prisoners are released back into our community, many of them without rehabilitation services or parole supervision, it is imperative that common-sense public safety protections be in place to protect the public and help local law enforcement shoulder the burden of the early release of convicted criminals,” said Lieu. Huber and Lieu announced the introduction of Assembly Bill 1678 to mandate public safety protections. “We are calling on CDCR to work closely with local law enforcement,” said Huber. “They are the ones who must deal with the realties of these choices and the more information that is available the better prepared law enforcement will be to ensure our continued protection.” Provisions of AB 1678 include a requirement for CDCR to notify local law enforcement agencies with critical information about identity, location and criminal history within a reasonable time period prior to their release; enabling local law enforcement agencies to object to the release of a convicted felon into Non-Revocable Parole status; and an increase in transparency by making public a list of crimes committed by prisoners being released without parole supervision. “Public safety must be our number one priority,” said Huber. The discussion panel included Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness, Crime Victims United President Harriet Salerno and Amador County Sheriff Martin Ryan. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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State
Wednesday, 27 January 2010 00:53
Amador Mental Health Continues Work Toward State Funding
Amador County – Amador County Behavioral Health hosted an all-day workshop Tuesday at the county health building in Sutter Creek, with about 40 people attending. Consultant Jennifer Susskind of Resource Development led the workshop for caregivers and clients aimed at securing some of the $5.7 million due to Amador County through the California “Mental Health Services Act.” Rima Spight of Resource Development said attendees would help in “developing county projects to be funded through three components of the Mental Health Services Act.” Those include: Workforce Education and Training; Capitol Facilities & Technological Needs; and Innovation. Spight said Workforce Education and Training looks to develop and maintain “a culturally competent and diverse workforce capable of meeting” local mental health. Susskind discussed some education ideas, including development of a “multi-media learning center” to “be used by staff,” with video teleconference training, and “e-learning” for “continuing education credits for behavioral health” service personnel. She said the purpose of “online classes” was to “reduce the isolation here in Amador County. A woman said it should be pointed out that Independence High School and also the General Services Administration both have multi-media learning centers. Susskind said they “may not focus on mental health, but they do exist.” Other training focus areas include “hard-to-fill positions,” such as psychiatric nurses and technicians,” Susskind said, where money can go to “people who want to see increased knowledge and work in behavioral health.” The program would include a commitment to work for 2 years in Amador County. Other programs included “deep training” for trainers; childcare liaisons and probation officers; and expansion of mental health training to broaden the community. The workshop discussed other areas in which previous community meetings provided input for Amador County needs. It also shared results of an Innovation survey taken from community members. The company and Amador County Mental Health will continue to take public comment as the series of workshops continue. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Health
Wednesday, 27 January 2010 00:50
AWA Looks to Answer Gravity Supply Line Critic
Amador County – Coming off a 12-hour meeting 2 weeks ago, the Amador Water Agency board of directors will hold its second meeting of the year Thursday with 7 regular agenda items, leading off with an audit of last year’s fiscal year. The board will also discuss the agency “Water Conservation Plan;” and a grant from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy for a regional water reuse plan. The board is scheduled to discuss its strategic plan; “workload prioritization”; and agency’s “Conditional Will Serves.” The second item on the agenda will be consideration and discussion of a draft response to a letter received by the agency from Marty Stein of Jackson Pines, who criticizes the agency for its pursuit of the Gravity Supply Line in the Central Amador Water Project. Interim General Manger Gene Mancebo said the letter, received December 27th, was considered a comment on the Gravity Supply Line and its environmental impact. But agency attorney Stephen Kronick advised that the letter was separate from that issue and that “a response to the letter could occur separately from the environmental responses.” Stein wrote that the AWA has “already decided on the approach” to water flow needs, “and will proceed with the more expensive alternative.” Stein criticized the agency for not hiring a third party to analyze the cost of upgrading existing pumps on the Buckhorn pipeline, and said the Gravity Supply Line “would not break even until some time after” 2029. AWA Board President Bill Condrashoff drafted a response letter, which the board will consider Thursday. In part, Condrashoff wrote that “some current AWA board members have studied the proposed Gravity Supply Line project to the point that they believe it is the best project alternative for CAWP customers.” He wrote that “other current AWA board members believe that more investigation of ways to improve the current pump system is needed before a decision can be made.” Both Condrashoff and Vice President Debbie Dunn have criticized AWA staff for not having other alternatives to consider for CAWP. Condrashoff invited Stein to attend future meetings on the subject. The AWA board meets 9 a.m. Thursday at the agency office on Ridge Road. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Water
Wednesday, 27 January 2010 00:40
Amador County News TSPN TV with Alan Sprenkel 1-27-10
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Video
Monday, 25 January 2010 17:00
AWA to “Brainstorm” on Gravity Supply Line Alternatives
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency will host a workshop February 1st to “brainstorm” with the public on possible alternatives to the Gravity Supply Line, and improving the Central Amador Water Project supply system, while trying to decrease costs. AWA Board Chairman Bill Condrashoff said Friday the “brainstorming” session was scheduled because “some board members and some members of the public don’t feel there’s been a fair comparison for an alternative project for the Gravity Supply Line.” Condrashoff said there “may be more, possibly viable” solutions to those rising costs, or there may not be better solutions. He said the meeting gives the public the “opportunity to offer suggestions to ways to serve the Buckhorn plant more economically.” He said AWA has “applied for grants for funding for the GSL,” but has not applied for grants to upgrade pumps on the pipeline that now carries raw water to Buckhorn. He said that to do a rate increase for the project, the agency must have environmental work completed on the GSL, and the project must be approved by the board. Condrashoff said in his opinion, an upgrade of the existing pipeline and pumps would also require a new Environmental Impact Report. AWA Attorney Stephen Kronick has said such a project would not require a new EIR. AWA staff has said a rate increase is needed in the Central Amador Water Project, regardless of how improvements are made. 2 weeks ago, Kronick told the AWA board that “Capital Improvement Projects can include expansion projects,” but “this is about raising rates.” Kronick said those projects, such as building a “big storage tank,” should be looked at in terms of purpose. He said if it is being built to assure adequate service in the area, it is exempt from needing a new EIR. The “brainstorming” workshop is 6 p.m. Monday, February 1st at the AWA office. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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News Archive
Monday, 25 January 2010 17:00
Schwarzenegger, Legislature Job Ratings Remain Low
California – A “Field Poll” released Sunday said California state legislators and the governor continue to maintain very low job ratings, with 59 percent of voters agreeing Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will be “leaving the state in worse shape that when he took office.” The Field Poll, an “independent and non-partisan survey of public opinion said the “job ratings of the governor and state legislature remain very low.” Mark DiCamillo and Mervin Field wrote in a Field Research Corporation release Sunday that “California voters continue to give both the governor and the state legislature very low job approval marks.” 27 percent of the “electorate now approves” of the job Schwarzenegger “is doing, equaling the lowest ratings he has received in office.” The governor earned the same approval low mark last October. The poll asked voters about Schwarzenegger’s legacy and 59 percent said “it is likely that Schwarzenegger will leave California state government in worse shape than he found it when he took office in 2003.” 7 percent of “voters think he will leave state government in better shape, while 30 percent see no change.” The Field Poll, based in San Francisco, said very few voters approve of the state Legislature’s performance, with 16 percent (or about 1 in 6 voters) approving of work done by the Legislature. 72 percent indicated disapproval. The Field Poll said “very low approval ratings that Sacramento lawmakers are now receiving are comparable to those found in each Field Poll conducted since September 2008.” Sunday’s poll numbers mark the 5th successive time Legislators’ approval was below 20 percent and disapproval was above 70 percent since September 2008. DeCamillo and Field wrote that “views of both the governor and the legislature are very negative across all demographic subgroups of the registered voter population.” State Legislators actually gained ground in approval, even with its 16 percent approval rating. The rating was up from a 13 percent approval last October, when Legislators’ disapproval rate was 78 percent. The Field Poll release said disapproval of the Legislature also spans “all demographic subgroups.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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News Archive
Monday, 25 January 2010 17:00
State Begins Prison Reduction Plan
Amador County - California’s prison reduction plan began Monday, with the long-term goal of reducing prison populations by as many as 6,500 inmates over the course of the year. The changes were approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger last year. The controversial plan is intended to help reduce severe overcrowding by allowing some low-risk offenders to leave prison early by offering more credit against their sentences through education and rehabilitation programs. Inmates earn credits by working on firefighting crews, completing drug-and-alcohol programs, or getting high school diplomas and trade school certificates. Low-risk offenders will not have regular supervision by parole agents and will no longer be returned to prison for technical violations like substance abuse or address changes. Matthew Cate, Secretary of the State’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said the new rules will eventually lower recidivism and “save, over the course of a full year, a half a billion dollars for California taxpayers.” He said this will eventually cut the traditional workload for a parole agent down from 70 to 48 parolees per year. Instead of the traditional approach, he said the state will address overcrowding by “significantly increasing public safety by focusing our resources on high-risk offenders, serious offenders, violent offenders and sex offenders.” Critics say the plan will actually spark an increase in crime throughout the state. Some also say the one condition imposed on released inmates – that they be searched without a warrant - is fruitless because the offenders’ identities are not reported to law enforcement. Also on Monday, 10th District Assemblymember Alyson Huber and Assemblymember Ted Lieu joined Crime Victims United and law enforcement officials to discuss the impacts of the prison legislation. The panel included Amador County Sheriff Martin Ryan, Harriet Salerno of Crime Victims United, Los Angeles County Legislative Advocate Wayne Bilowit and Floyd Hayhurst, Vice President of the Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs. We’ll have the results of this panel in tomorrow’s broadcast. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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News Archive
Monday, 25 January 2010 17:00
More Power Outages Expected
Amador County-This week’s succession of storms is expected to bring more heavy winds, resulting in unsafe roadway conditions and power outages. As of Sunday, nearly 5,000 customers remained without power in Tuolumne County and another 4,000 were without power between Calaveras and Amador Counties, according to electrical system outage information provided by PG&E. If you are without power for 48 hours or more you can call a special outage hotline to speak with a live PG&E representative. The number is 1-888-743-4743. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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News Archive
Monday, 25 January 2010 17:00
Sutter Creek Sees Woes, Walgreens Sign Permit Request
Amador County – The Sutter Creek City Council discussed its place in current slumping economic times last week, while looking for ways to shorten the city budget deficit. City Treasurer Cathy Castillo said she did not want to keep coming back to the council and “saying we are $100,000 or $200,000 short,” because “at some point, we’re going to run out of money.” She said Transient Occupancy Tax revenue was down $17,000 from a year ago, but they expected to get a sizeable amount of money from the state soon in the form of a “triple flip” refund. Former councilman Ed Swift noted that the San Francisco Chronicle reported that California was among 48 U.S. states with revenue shortfalls, and Finance Director Jeff Gardner said the state took back 95 percent of the city’s “recycling grant.” Councilwoman Linda Rianda said a city audit had identified “possible financial control issues,” and will make some recommendations on how to handle those issues. The city audit committee must answer the audit findings. Among discussion in budget committee, Rianda said the city is looking for a grant coordinator, with a current staff member to take on those duties. The auditor reported seeing some improvements in areas of city expenditure control, but will recommend more monitoring to keep city staff following spending policy. Castillo said the “audit committee has to respond to each comment in the audit report.” In Sutter Creek business news, the Planning Commission on Monday night planned to hold a public hearing on a request by the Sutter Creek Crossroads Shopping Center for a free-standing monument sign permit. The shopping center on Sutter Hill, which will be “anchored” by Walgreens, seeks a conditional use permit for two signs measuring 8 feet by 23 feet, and a third that would be 7 feet by 9 feet. The larger signs would be “muli-tenant free standing monument” signs, and the latter would mark a gateway entry for the shopping center, at the corner of Highway 49 and Ridge Road. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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News Archive
Monday, 25 January 2010 17:00
Missing Kirkwood Skiers Found Friday
Amador County - A mother and son from Half Moon Bay are considered lucky to be alive after getting lost in a blizzard while skiing at Kirkwood Mountain Resort. Sally Coverdell, 55, and her son Robert Coverdell, 24, were reported missing after last being seen near the top of Kirkwood Chairlift 6 at noon last Wednesday. Kirkwood Fire officials said the Coverdells became disoriented in a blizzard but eventually found shelter in a cabin approximately 2 miles southwest near Silver Lake. An initial search conducted by Amador, Alpine and El Dorado County Search and Rescue personnel along with members of the U.S. Forest Service and a search helicopter from the Fallon Naval Air Station Friday morning proved unsuccessful. At approximately 10:30 Friday morning, radio reports said the pair had been found near the Carson Pass with “possible frostbite.” A statement from the Forest Service said the mother and her son walked out to Highway 88 where they came in contact with a Forest Service snowmobile unit that was preparing to conduct another search of the area. They were taken to the command station post at the Kirkwood Fire Station. The pair were subsequently reunited with family members later that morning. “They had become disoriented in the blizzard conditions the night before, and ended up in the Silver Lake area,” according to the Forest Service statement. “They were able to get into a cabin where they spent the night, hiking out this morning.” Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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