Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 5-2-12-12 -  Laurie Webb sits down with Tonya Kraft from Amador Lifeline.

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 5-3-12

• The Ione Train Depot was saved by an emergency $45,000 loan from the Jackson Rancheria.

• A Willow Creek man was arrested Monday for shooting his brother in the head and assaulting a deputy.

• Ione Police Chief Michael Johnson was offered the chief of police position in Anderson last week, and that City’s Council approved his contract Tuesday.

• Amador Supervisors encourage use of Coast2Coast Rx discount cards to help local senior programs.

• Ione City Council on Tuesday appointed a 10-member committee to assist in screening city manager applicants.  

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 5-3-12 - TSPN's Tom Slivick talks with Amador Water Agency General Manager Gene Mancebo about issues in Lake Camanche Village water service area.

Amador County – Ione City Council heard Monday an 11th hour loan from the Jackson Rancheria Band of Miwuk Indians will save the Ione Train Depot from demolition.

Ione Interim City Manager Jeff Butzlaff said the “Jackson Rancheria offered us an interest free, one-year loan of $45,000” to be able to get an extension from Union Pacific on a two-year agreement that ends Thursday, May 3. 

Butzlaff said funding that was applied for on our behalf by the Amador County Historical Society, who will help the city undertake abatement of lead and asbestos at the city-owned Ione Train Depot. He said most of the abatement will happen after it has been relocated to the city-owned corporation yard nearby.

After the move, the depot will still be close to the railroad tracks and the city will be better able to create the committee to refurbish the train deport. It will be an ongoing project to renovate and restore the depot and remove contaminants.

Butzlaff said “we’re finally here. It’s the 11th hour,” but the city made it. The city was awaiting the results of an application for funding from the Jackson Rancheria and he said they really appreciate the Historical Society and especially its president, Thornton Consolo and Jackson Rancheria, which “really fast-tracked this funding for us.”

The City Manager will present evidence to Union Pacific and is currently working on the timeline and work plan that will be given to Union Pacific as part of the means of extending the agreement, to avoid Union Pacific undertaking the abatement of the property that it owns by demolishing the Depot and billing Ione for the work.

Butzlaff is putting together a timeline to justify an extension, and the presentation must be made by Thursday. He said: “It’s that close, and it’s agonizing but we kept at it.” Consolo “gave it a shot and it worked.”

The city has been working with Union Pacific’s office in Omaha, Nebraska, and Butzlaff said Wednesday he will be notifying them “as soon as we finalize some things today.”

Last fall, Consolo brought the issue to the city’s attention. He pledged in March, as a part of the “Ione Train Station Salvation Committee,” to help with saving it. Consolo has donated labor and material and other groups have committed to help.

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Amador County – A Willow Creek man was arrested Monday, April 30 for shooting his brother in the head, assaulting a deputy and other charges.

Richard Brian Cotterell, 53 was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, negligent discharge of a firearm into an inhabited dwelling, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and battery on a peace officer.

Amador County Sheriff's Department reported receiving a 9-1-1 call at 5:48 p.m. Monday from a residence in the 15000 block of Muller Road in Willow Creek. The caller said a 43-year-old male had been shot in the head by his brother. The caller reported the suspect may be within the garage of the residence or may have fled the area. 

Deputies responded and stopped two vehicles arriving at the scene, detaining five people associated with the vehicle. While detaining the subjects, three people exited the residence, including the victim.

The victim had a gunshot wound on the left side of his head, to which he was applying pressure with a cloth. The victim said his brother had shot him through the wall while he was on his bed. The victim was moved to a safe location, treated by American Legion Ambulance and Amador Fire Protection District personnel, and transported by helicopter to Sutter Roseville Hospital. He was in stable condition Tuesday.

The owner of the residence believed the suspect, Cotterell was in the garage, and may have committed suicide, based on hearing additional shots fired in the garage. As he was interviewed regarding the residential floor plan, Cotterell exited the garage armed with a rifle. 

Deputies ordered Cotterell to put down the rifle, an order with which he complied. Cotterell complied with some orders and was openly defiant with others. He was detained without further incident.

Amador Sheriff’s Detective’s determined that just prior to the shooting Cotterell had been arguing with his father regarding another relative. Cotterell then entered the garage, wherein he resides, acquired a small caliber rifle and fired multiple times through the wall into his brother’s bedroom. Cotterell did make statements indicating he had fired the rifle. A search of Cotterell revealed additional ammunition for the rifle in his pocket.

Cotterell was subsequently transported to Sutter Amador Hospital for medical clearance prior to booking. While at the hospital, Cotterell was able to twist on the gurney and kick a deputy sheriff on the right side of the face. The deputy was uninjured.

After being medically cleared, Cotterell was booked into the Amador County Jail with bail set at $250,000.

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Amador County – Ione Police Chief Michael L. Johnson has been offered the position of chief of police for the city of Anderson, in Shasta County, though Ione officials have not made an announcement.

Anderson City Manager Jeff Kiser said the Anderson City Council on Tuesday approved a three-year contract with Johnson effective May 29, pending results of a background check, medical exam and related testing. Kiser said Anderson is excited to have Johnson coming to work for them and it has been without a permanent chief for a long time.

Anderson Interim City Manager, John Blacklock announced last week that he offered the position to Johnson.

Blacklock in a report Monday to Anderson Council said he selected Johnson “to become the next chief of police for the city of Anderson.” He said: “I have offered him a conditional offer of employment pending Council approval of an employment contract.”

He said Johnson “will bring valuable experience and strong leadership ability to the city of Anderson Police Department,” and “his capability for this position was recognized by all involved in the interview process.”

Ione Interim City Manager Jeff Butzlaff said it is a personnel issue and as such inherently confidential. He said there was no public announcement as yet. Johnson did not return an email seeking comment.

Butzlaff said a police chief’s selection must run the proper course of city council business, and he anticipated that information will be forthcoming in the near future.

Anderson City Council approved a three-year agreement in which Johnson would take the position effective May 29. Johnson was among 19 applicants. The agreement would pay $110,000 a year.

Johnson was among six finalists who were interviewed by a community panel, then city officials, including Kiser, who was appointed the new Anderson city manager Tuesday. In the same meeting, the council also reportedly ate a cake decorated in the shape of the city’s proposed new $6 million dollar traffic roundabout.

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Amador County – Amador County Supervisors this week urged local groups to encourage enrollment in the Coast2Coast Prescription Card program, which gives a discount on drugs for people or animals, and also sends a portion of the money to the County.

Supervisor John Plasse said Supervisors this year split proceeds from the Rx cards between Common Ground Senior Services and LifeLine notification program for seniors with medical needs. Plasse said the groups should work to get more of the Coast2Coast cards out there, because the more they are used, the more money comes in.

The cards are available at most pharmacies in Amador County. For toll free help in locating pharmacies that carry the cards, call 1(888)886-5822, or member services at 1(800)8931-8872.

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Amador County – Ione City Council on Tuesday appointed a 10-member committee to assist in screening the 106 applications that the city has received from people interested in the City Manager Position.

Interim City Manager Jeff Butzlaff said each Council member brought two names to be added to the committee, which will assist the City Council members, the city manager and the city attorney in screening the applications. The application period closed Friday, April 27.

Butzlaff said each council member brought up to two names which they submitted to be members of the 17-person committee, to help the screening by the City Council itself, Butzlaff and City Attorney James Maynard. Each of the submitted names was placed on the Committee, which meets for the first time Monday, May 7 behind closed doors.

Mayor Ron Smylie submitted City Clerk Janice Traverso and Mike Finch to be on the screening committee. Vice Mayor Daniel Epperson nominated Sue Priest and Josh Hansen. Councilwoman Andrea Bonham appointed Gary Thomas and Laurie Lord. Councilman Lloyd Oneto named Jim Nevin and Esther Bowles. And Councilman David Plank chose Bill Thiry and Skip Schaufel.

The first meeting is 5 p.m. Monday, May 7, and Butzloff said the meetings are confidential because they are personnel decisions and the applicants’ names and other information must be kept confidential. The Council will meet in sessions closed to the public.

The Council members were pretty much in concurrance with the appointees, and the names were respectfully placed on the committee. Butzlaff said there is a diversity in the Ione community and that diversity is represented on the screening committee.

The committee will carry out the initial screening process of 106 applications the city received, Butzlaff said, and get the number down to a more manageable list of candidates. He said given where Ione is at this point, he thought it was important to get the public more involved, so they can consider different points of view and perspectives.

Butzlaff recommended the larger size of the committee because he thought the Council needed to engage the community right at the outset of the selection process.

Also Tuesday, city wastewater engineers Winzler & Kelly reported that sampling of the percolations ponds will be carried out and completed by Friday. Butzlaff said the state approved the company’s sampling plans.

Winzler & Kelly’s Mary Grace Pawson also reported a minor modification of their scope of work to put focus on analysis of alternative and strategies to include a look at having land disposal as a part of the wastewater treatment plant. Butzlaff said the change in scope did not change the cost of work.

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Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 5-2-12 

• Amador County Supervisors began a two-day budget workshop Tuesday to look at an expected $3.8 million budget deficit in the coming fiscal year.

• Supervisors directed the Environmental Health Officer to draft a comment letter on a final draft wastewater treatment system policy.

• AWA last week discussed a list of work to do before a Community Facilities District election could occur for the proposed Gravity Supply Line

• Sutter Amador Hospital plans a free lecture on stroke awareness.

• Supervisors discussed pending legislation in Sacramento

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 5-2-12 - TSPN's Tom Slivick talks with Dixie Camarado of the Amador Community College Foundation about a Distance Education Virtual Campus proposed for the Amador Learning Center.