Calaveras County – Authorities announced more reported shootings in the Valley Springs area of Calaveras County over the weekend, with 16 reports coming in, related to incidents occurring Saturday. Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office in a release Monday said a reward for information in the case has risen to $10,000, and the incidents are being considered as related to a series of drive-by and automobile shootings in the Valley Springs area, first reported by TSPN online on December 24th, and including shootings that started December 16th. Calaveras Sheriff’s Sergeant Dave Seawell said in a release Monday that the Calaveras Sheriff’s Office had received “16 reports of shots fired in the Valley Springs area,” with “no reported damage or injuries.” The shootings all occurred Saturday (January 9th) between 5:44 and 9:06 p.m. Seawell said: “Investigators believe the reports of shots fired Saturday night are linked to the current shooting investigation.” He said investigators are asking citizens who live in the area of where the shots were reported to inspect their homes and vehicles for damage, and if they find damage, they should call the Calaveras sheriff’s office. Roads and highways where gunshots were reported included Highway 26, Vista Del Lago, Vista Del Lago West, Silver Rapids Road, Heineman Road, Barbour Road, Dunn Road, Baldwin Street, Gabor Street and Jenny Lind Road. There have been a total of 15 reported shootings aimed at both vehicles and homes in the Valley Springs and Burson areas in western Calaveras County. Calaveras investigators reported last Friday that they believed the shootings to be random as there was no link between the victims or clear motive. The office was not going to discuss or answer questions regarding the type of weapon used, the caliber of bullet recovered or any other questions related to evidence. An incident last Thursday led to a reported description of a “vehicle of interest” in the case. Seawell said in a release that a victim was driving on Watertown Road near Campo Seco Road when a vehicle approached him with its high beams activated, driving in and out of his lane. The victim drove into a ditch to avoid the oncoming vehicle, and later discovered a bullet hole in his rear driver’s side fender. The vehicle of interest was described as a full size pick-up truck painted white with silver and beige, with the doors painted differently than the body of the truck. The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives has announced it has increased the reward to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction for the person or people responsible for the rash of shootings. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - The Amador County Sheriff’s Office on Monday announced it is reviewing physical evidence and possible leads in a burglary investigation in the unincorporated area of Jackson. According to a release from Undersheriff Jim Wegner, an unknown person or persons burglarized a residence on Chase Road on the evening of December 17, 2009. Items reported stolen during the burglary included five “Toshiba” laptop computers, one “Hewlett Packard” laptop computer, miscellaneous electronic gaming devices, digital cameras, jewelry and a large “Cannon” safe with an electronic key pad. Wegner said the safe “reportedly contained a substantial amount of U.S. currency as well as a coin collection.” The Sheriff’s Department is reviewing physical evidence and following possible leads. Anyone with information regarding this residential burglary or any other crime is asked to contact the Amador County Sheriff’s Office at 209-223-6500 or the Amador County Secret Witness Program at 209-223-4900. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Amador Water Agency hosted a workshop last week and discussed the future of the “Gravity Supply Line” project, and the agency’s next steps in addressing an upside-down operating budget in the Central Amador Water Project. District 3 Director Don Cooper said he knows they “don’t have the total answer,” but if “water rights are increased, the pump station load would double and require adding a new pump to be able to meet Buckhorn’s capacity.” AWA Interim General Manager Gene Mancebo said Friday that the agency needs to get confirmation of a USDA grant for the Gravity Supply Line (GSL), and complete the environmental process. Agency staff says that a rate update is needed for CAWP. Mancebo said the board will not be seriously considering an Upcountry rate adjustment until after environmental work is done on the GSL, and the board also needs to see “how much money they want to spend investigating alternatives.” He said “with the assumption that we get grant funding,” the GSL “tends to look like a better option financially.” An AWA “white paper” said benefits of the 6.6-mile Gravity Supply Line include that it would not be affected by power outages. The pump station has been affected by 52 outages, including 4 lasting longer than 24 hours. Former AWA president and District 3 Supervisor Ted Novelli said a 1997 storm caused an outage that lasted 13 days, though Mancebo said generators made sure the system did not run out of water. Novelli asked if the agency did not pursue the Gravity Supply Line, could pumps handle sufficient flow to meet Buckhorn’s treatment capacity. Mancebo said they could push the pumps a little more but they wouldn’t match the GSL’s capacity. He said the pump station eventually would need expansion to meet that flow. District 4 Director Debbie Dunn said the $5 million cost of replacing the existing line should not be part of the discussion, because the agency probably would not need to replace it for 20 years. Mancebo said they assume the current, 30-year-old pipeline has a 50-year life, so the pipeline has an assumed 20 year life remaining. Without further study, the remaining life may be more or less 20 years. He said when comparing the options, they “probably should at least account for” replacing the existing line. Mancebo said there will be financial plan workshops in the future, to look at impacts on rates, with the GSL or improving the pump station system. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - Situated right on the Cosumnes River and Amador's border with El Dorado County, the small community of River Pines is “primed and ready to burn,” according to the Amador Fire Safe Council (AFSC). The Council was recently funded by the US Forest Service for two upcoming hazard fuel reduction projects in the River Pines area. The first project is a shaded fuel break surrounding the town and protecting both the homes in town and the water treatment facility. This project will create arcs of protection on large private parcels adjacent to River Pines. When completed, a shaded fuel break has a park-like appearance. Excess brush will be removed and trees limbed in order to remove ladder fuels that allow a ground fire to move into the tree canopy. The other project involves the town itself. At the request of the River Pines Revitalization Committee, AFSC will bring a California Conservation Corps crew into town to remove trash and other debris. After 6 years of boil-water orders, this project will help prevent pollutants from entering the local water supply. Once the trash is cleared, the Corps crew will cut brush and create defensible space around the homes of cooperating residents. Fire safety has always been an issue in River Pines because of small lots and close proximity of the homes, according to the Fire Safe council. By assisting the homeowners in creating defensible space around their homes, not only will they reduce fire hazards, but may also lower their homeowners insurance and improve property values. The California Conservation Corps recruits young men and women aged 18 to 23 to help restore California's environment and respond to disasters such as wildland fires. In exchange for one year of service, they earn an educational scholarship. Watch for more information on these two projects on TSPN. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - Jackson Creek Dental Group will once again open their office to treat children, at no cost, who “fall between the cracks” in healthcare on Saturday, January 30th from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The doctors and their staff have provided this “Smiles For Kids” service to the community on a volunteer basis for the past 25 years. Patients who meet the criteria will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis. This is an opportunity to educate both the child and parent about how the effects of poor oral health extend far beyond problems in the mouth, often generating other related health problems. To qualify for treatment, children must be 2-18 years of age, qualify for free or reduced fee school lunches, WIC or CHDP, be a resident of Amador or Calaveras County, and they must not be covered by private dental insurance. A parent or legal guardian must accompany the child throughout the appointment. “Children who meet these requirements may receive, at no cost, a complete dental exam and x-rays as needed,” stated Craig Kinzer, DDS at Jackson Creek Dental Group. “Smiles for Kids serves as much more than simply a means for providing dental treatment - it draws awareness to the issues of poor oral health and access to care, and fosters outreach, education and partnership within our community,” said Ron Ask, DDS and founder of Jackson Creek Dental Group, adding: “Together we can make a difference and give the children in our community smiles for life.” Crucial follow-up treatment may be provided through the Sacramento District Dental Society’s Adopt-a-Child Orthodontic and Specialty Referral Care Programs. Several Amador County dentists will also be providing these services as part of the Adopt-a-Child Program. “Every year our dental staff and volunteers offer professional services and education to over 50 local children and their parents as part of this program, helping to increase and improve access to dental services for our community’s underserved kids and give them a smile to last a lifetime,” said Leon Roda III, DDS at Jackson Creek Dental Group. Jackson Creek Dental Group offers a full range of advanced, comprehensive dental specialties, from general care, periodontal care, and orthodontics to cosmetic dentistry, smile design and full mouth reconstruction. For more information contact us at 209-223-2712 or visit our website at www.JacksonCreekDental.com. Jackson Creek Dental Group is open Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. and Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – An Amador Water Agency special workshop Thursday discussed the “Gravity Supply Line” project, which would replace the existing pipeline that carries raw water from Tiger Creek to the Central Amador Water Project. Interim General Manger Gene Mancebo called the Gravity Supply Line a “green project” because using the gravity-driven pipeline would result in “2.2 million kilowatt hours taken off the grid.” It would replace electrical pumps feeding the Buckhorn plant, serving 4,020 parcels in Amador County’s Upcountry. District 1 Director Bill Condrashoff said that it was “not saving” that energy, because AWA would pay PG&E for water released above its generators, and foregone electricity generated. Mancebo said he disagreed, “because we are taking it from their storage,” and “if they were using 100 percent of their stored water, then that would be true.” He said they we’re talking about annually spending $50,000 to fund the GSL, versus $250,000 to $300,000 to operate the lift pumps. Condrashoff said until they get rights to more water, there is no need for the GSL. Mancebo said AWA is in the process of expanding its water rights, and the GSL would increase capacity by more than 50 percent over current demand of 1,120 acre feet. Engineering Manger Erik Christeson said the GSL could serve 2,800 additional parcels, and according to the existing Amador County General Plan, “the GSL doesn’t serve even half of what could exist” in the county, or 13,544 total connections. Condrashoff and District 3 Director Debbie Dunn said the agency had not pursued grants for repairs to the pumps that run the current system. Dunn suggested making the system green by running pumps with solar power, and said replacement of the 12-inch existing pipeline was 20 years in the future and did not belong in the discussion. Christeson said the USDA’s “Dave Hartwell is ready to give us $5 million” and “contractors are hungry and they are willing to take financial hits to get jobs.” Mancebo said “we need to consider putting money into those pump stations” or into the GSL. He said the federal stimulus grant is a strong possibility, and staff believes the “GSL has a lower annual cost as opposed to the lift station.” He said AWA will hear from USDA in 30-60 days on the agency’s negative declaration of environmental impact for the Gravity Supply Line, and will also be able to look closer at construction costs, as they weigh decisions. He said “doing nothing is not an option.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - The Amador County Combined Narcotics Enforcement Team (ACCNET) on Friday announced three separate drug busts involving mail-order drug arrangement, a traffic stop, and a smuggling scheme inside Mule Creek State Prison. On Friday, December 18th, 2009, ACCNET concluded an investigation with United States Postal Inspectors involving the mailing of large amounts of Oxycontin through the US Mail from the Sutter Creek and Jackson Post Offices. The packages were sent by locals Marvin Wells, age 48, and Stacey Wells, age 35, to Marvin Wells’ brother, Roger Wells, age 53, living in New Orleans. Roger Wells then sold the drug and wired the money back to Marvin in $1,500 increments. A search was conducted of the Wells residence where their two children were living and additional evidence was seized. Marvin WELLS and Stacey WELLS were arrested and booked into the Amador County Jail for possession for sale of controlled substances, transportation of controlled substances and child endangerment. On Sunday, January 3, ACCNET concluded a joint investigation with the Jackson Police Department involving the arrest of 46-year-old Antonio Quintero, a resident of Carson City, Nevada, for transportation and possession for sales of 2 ounces of “Ice” methamphetamine. The arrest came after a traffic stop for a vehicle code violation in which police discovered a fake oil can containing the illegal substance. During the booking process into Amador County Jail, a finger print scan was conducted and police discovered that Quintero was using a false identity, although his real identity was not revealed to the public. Quintero was booked on charges of possession for sale of a controlled substance, transportation of a controlled substance and providing a false name to law enforcement. Another joint investigation with the Mule Creek State Prison, Investigative Services Unit (ISU) and Postal Inspectors was concluded on Wednesday, January 6th, concerning the smuggling of heroin into Mule Creek State Prison. Information obtained by ISU personnel eventually led to the arrest of Sharon Walker, a 62-year-old resident of Riverbank, Ca. US Postal Inspectors first intercepted a package meant for one of three Mule Creek inmates and attempted to conduct a controlled delivery of the package to Walker, who refused. A federal search warrant was obtained and the package was opened to reveal a small stuffed animal containing 12.1 grams of heroin. ACCNET agents obtained a search warrant of Walker’s residence and items of evidentiary value were seized. Walker was transported to Amador County Jail on charges of bringing a controlled substance into prison, possession for sale of a controlled substance and conspiracy. The three inmates involved were Oscar Rivera, age 44, Hugo Pino, age 43, and Leland Stanley, age 44. All three were arrested by ISU and placed into a special housing unit. ACCNET is one of the 48 regional narcotic task forces that is operated by the Attorney General’s, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.