Home Town Radio News July 17, 2007 The human remains found last week in Amador County are the bones of murder victim Mary Starkey. News of the identification came yesterday, the same day the Stockton man accused of killing Starkey plead guilty. As part of the plea agreement, Smith faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. An 83 year old Burson man has become Calaveras Counties 7th traffic fatality of the year. Authorities say Frank Taylor Sr. died at U.C. Medical Center from injuries received in an auto accident last Thursday. Taylor was extricated with the “Jaws of Life” and flown to U.C. Davis where he died of his injuries. The Calaveras County special operation unit made another trip to Amador County over the weekend. According to Ione Police Chief Bob Olson, around 10:05 Saturday evening, an Ione Police Officer and a citizen, while on a unrelated call, discovered a suspicious object alongside highway 104 north of the Mule Creek bridge. Traffic on highway 104 was shut down as the object was inspected. No explosive materials were found and highway 104 was reopened after about 2 ½ hours. There’s been a lot of speculation recently about the new construction taking place at the corner of highway 49 and Clinton Road. Daly said so far Starbucks has sign on with the possibility of a sandwich shop as another tenant. Its expected the retail center will be open by the first of the year weather permitting. November may seem a ways off, but not if you plan to run for one of the many, 30 to be exact, seats on various special service districts in Amador County. Amador County Registrar of Voters Sheldon D. Johnson tells HomeTown Radio, nomination petitions for eligible candidates for positions with over 13 conservation, water, memorial and fire protection districts, may be obtained from the individual district starting today, and must be filed no later than 5 pm on August 10th. For more info call 223-6465. Calaveras County fire crews were called out early this morning to a reported barn fire on Centennial Mine Road in the West Point area. When crews arrived around 1:30 this morning, they discovered it was a garage not a barn. The fire did move to nearby grassland, but was quickly extinguished. July 16, 2007 It was another relative quite weekend for Amador County fire fighters. Crews were called out to a number of smoke checks and a small vegetation fire. Around 1:30 Saturday afternoon, units from Ione, Jackson Valley, Mule Creek, Jackson and the Sutter Hill Cal Fire Station were called to a grass fire in the Sunnybrook area along highway 88. In Calaveras County, crews were called out just after 6 last night to a reported wildland fire in the Dogtown Road area, just outside Angels Camp. The fire burned about 10 acres before it was brought under containment about 45 minutes later. A bird flying into power lines was the cause of yesterdays fire. The CHP released more information over the week end on a vehicle accident that closed the highway 49 bypass into Sutter Creek Thursday night. According to reports, Elk Grove resident Mildred Jeffery was traveling about 50 mph northbound on highway 49 just north of Tonzi Road, pulling a travel trailer. The trailer began to sway back and forth, and as Jeffery applied the brakes, it caused the vehicle and trailer to spin 180 degrees, crossing over into the southbound lane and overturning onto it’s side. After several weeks of slowly declining prices at the pump, gas prices on average, rose about six cents across the country and throughout the gold country in the last three weeks. That’s according to a national survey released yesterday. Throughout Amador County regular unleaded has jumped as much as 10 cents from a low of $2.99 a gallon earlier last week, to an average of $3.09 today. West Nile Virus has claimed the life of an elderly Kern County woman. The death is the first from the disease in California this year. The state department of public health reports seven other people have become ill with the virus, one is from San Joaquin County, the others from Kern County. The disease is transmitted from the bite of an infected mosquito, which contracts the virus from infected birds and tree squirrels. The identity of the human remains found in the Fiddletown area last week still remain a mystery, but a surprise court date today, for the man accused of murdering a Ripon woman is fueling speculation that authorities might have discovered her remains. Longtime Calaveras County businessman, Richard Wilmshurst appeared in Calaveras County superior court last week on nine misdemeanor charges of disobeying and assaulting a police officer. The charges stemmed from a May 17th incident during the Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee. A pretrial conference has been set for August 13th. A crowd of customers, chamber members and well wishers gathered Friday outside of the new Golden State Cellular store, for the grand opening of the new location in the Amador Ridge Plaza…. July 13, 2007 Traffic came to a crawl through Jackson yesterday afternoon around 2:30, after what appeared to be a pipe bomb was delivered to the Jackson Police Department. According to Jackson Police Chief Scott Morrison an elderly man from the Ione area delivered the package, after a neighbor discovered it in his yard. Chief Morrison said they were preparing for a potential blast radius of at least 300 feet, but significant damage was averted when bomb personnel built what was described as a “sandbag igloo” around the explosive, muffling the eventual blast and sending smoke and sand straight up into the sky rather than outward. It appears human remains found Wednesday in Amador County are likely connected to the case of missing San Joaquin woman Mary Starkey. On Wednesday, the Amador County Sheriff’s Office announced the remains had been found in the Fiddletown area by a CYA work crew. Judge Bernard Garber is overseeing the capital case of Roy Smith, who is charged with luring Starkey from her home and killing her. Sutter Creek and Jackson fire units were called to a reported commercial structure fire at the Amador Ridge Plaza yesterday. The call came in just before 3, from “Great Clips,” located next door to Safeway in the Plaza. No damage was reported to the building, and their were no injuries. July 12, 2007 The skeletal remains of a body found in Amador County may be the from the victim of a San Joaquin Homicide. San Joaquin County detectives were called to Amador County yesterday when a California youth authority fire crew came upon the skeletal remains. Late yesterday afternoon, members of the California Department of Justice Crime Scene Investigation Unit arrived to assist with the investigation. The report of a vegetation fire in Jackson had nearly a dozen units responding to a call. As reported on HomeTown Radio’s Fire Watch, the incident was reported just before 2 pm in a field on China Graveyard Road near New York Ranch Road. Lightning strikes in both Amador and Calaveras Counties touched off a number of fires in the Mother Lode. Cal Fire crews in both counties responded to reports of vegetation fires after thunder and lightning hit the region Tuesday night and early yesterday morning. Fortunately, there was enough moisture on the ground from the storms that when crews could gain access, the fire had only spread to no more than a small spot. Information from Tuesday’s vehicle crash on Ridge Road has become available. The CHP reported that a 17 year-old Vacaville girl was driving west on Ridge Road just after 1 pm, at about 50 mph. The girl was wearing her seatbelt properly and suffered only minor injuries. Amador ‘STARS’ will be holding their annual “Great Amador Head Shave” next week. Anyone interested in having their head shaved, or donate your long hair (at least 10 inches) to ‘Locks of Love,’ can show up at Jose’s Restaurant in Jackson on Wednesday. For more information on the Great Head Shave or Camp out for Cancer events, call the Amador STARS at 223-1246. An important deadline for the Amador County Fair is approaching… each year the fair showcases the talents of anyone on the community who would like to share their best needlework, beautiful blooms, tasty jams or jellies, outstanding garden produce, paintings, sculptures or photographs. The info is also posted on the internet at www.amadorcountyfair.com, for assistance, call 245-6921. July 11, 2007 Lightening strikes in both Amador and Calaveras Counties touched off a number of fires in the Mother Lode. CAL FIRE crews in both counties responded to reports of vegetation fires after thunder and lightening hit the region last night and early this morning, fortunately dropping enough rain to slow the fire’s spread. Slow moving fires in West Point and Murphys Grade areas of Calaveras County were quickly extinguished, as was a small fire off of Hale Road in Amador County. Information from Tuesday’s vehicle crash on Ridge Road has become available. According to the CHP, a 17 year-old Vacaville girl was driving west on Ridge Road just after 1:00 PM, at about 50 MPH. After her car drifted into the eastbound lane, she overcorrected causing her to lose control of the vehicle. It went back across the westbound lane, down a twenty-five foot embankment and overturned. The girl suffered only minor injuries. Residents in the Jackson, Martell, and Sutter Creek areas continued with having to deal with power outages yesterday. P.G. & E. officials said crews had to re-route power to several hundred customers during the afternoon hours as they replaced temporary equipment with new equipment after Monday’s equipment failure that affected 4500 customers. The Ridge Road – New York Ranch Road area was active for first responders yesterday afternoon. As we reported the vehicle accident down the embankment off of Ridge Road, crews at that scene were sent down the street to a reported structure fire. The fire was contained to only an electrical panel at a home on Ridge Court. There were no injuries and no damage to the home. A string of unfortunate events for a milk truck driver prompted a road closure in Amador County. The CHP reported that just before 2:00 Monday afternoon, the driver of the tanker truck pulled over from Highway 88 near Meadow Drive after discovering a blown tire and hot brakes. Amador Fire Protection District firefighters assisted the driver with the brake issue, and after the driver left the cab to check if the brakes were working, he didn’t set them correctly. The truck rolled forward into some trees and punctured a small hole in the tank causing some milk to spill onto the road. One lane of the highway was closed for about two hours. CAL FIRE officials from the Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit report that two of their three firefighters burned last weekend in the Inyo Complex fire have been released from the Fresno Burn Center. Six other firefighters involved in the incident have since been admitted to the Burn Center after feeling the effects of the exposure to smoke and heat during Saturday’s battle. They are expected to remain at the center pending evaluation and treatment of their injuries. Amador “STARS” will be holding their annual “Great Amador Head Shave” next week. On Wednesday morning from 7:30 to 10:00, Jose’s Restaurant in Jackson will be hosting the event where the public can shave their head or donate at least 10 inches of long hair to ‘Locks of Love’, all to support the Amador STARS service and the “Campout for Cancer” event in September. For more information on the Great Head Shave or Campout for Cancer events, call 223-1246. July 10, 2007 Jackson City Council members have given a green light to move forward on the Jackson Hills Golf Resort project. According to Jackson City Manager Mike Daly, the council heard several presentations at Monday nights meeting focusing mainly on wastewater and traffic considerations. After the presentations, the council agreed to continue discussion for the project at the August 13th meeting, where a public hearing will be held to consider the first phase of the project. Daly mentioned that last night’s meeting was the first review of the project at the city level. An Angels Camp motorcyclist became the 6th fatality this year in Calaveras County. The CHP said 68 year-old Larry Caprio was pronounced dead at the scene after losing control of his 2006 Harley-Davidson motorcycle on Highway 4 near Arnold Monday afternoon. Officer Jaime Castillo said that of the six fatal accidents in the county this year, four involved motorcycles. The CHP in Amador County said 31 year-old Cha Kue of Sacramento was the driver involved in a single vehicle accident early Monday morning on Highway 16 near Latrobe Road. Kue had swerved to miss a rabbit-sized animal in the road and lost control of his car causing it to hit several trees and overturn onto its roof. He was trapped for a time inside his car and suffered only minor injuries. He was taken by ground ambulance to Sutter Amador Hospital for treatment. West Nile Virus has been discovered in Tuolumne County. A Sonora bird has tested positive for the virus, the first case to be reported in Tuolumne County since 2005. Tuolumne is the State’s 25th county to show the virus this year. WNV has not turned up in Amador or Calaveras Counties so far this year. Only three human cases have been reported, all in Kern County. 4500 P.G. & E. customers were without power yesterday in the Jackson, Martell, and Sutter Creek areas. According to P.G. & E. authorities, an equipment failure incident at the Martell substation at about 4:30 PM caused the outage. Most customers in the Jackson area were restored a few hours later. Nearly all customers had power back on by early this morning. PG&E said they will be de-energizing selected power grid areas this afternoon to test their repairs. A Murphys woman responsible for a head-on collision escaped injury and the three occupants in the victim’s vehicle are recovering. The CHP said 21 year-old Amanda Nenezes was driving northbound in the southbound lane and couldn’t get back into the northbound lane quick enough before being hit head-on by an oncoming vehicle. The three injured parties suffered only minor injuries and were taken to Mark Twain St. Joseph’s Hospital for treatment. The Plymouth City Council will be meeting for public hearings Thursday. Beginning at 6:30 PM in the Council Chambers on Main Street, the Council will hear public comment on a variety of topics including discussion as to whether or not the city can make the findings required to bring eminent domain actions for the Matulich easements. A second public hearing involves discussion on a Community Development Block Grant application. For a full listing of agenda items, contact the Plymouth City Hall at 245-6941. The American Red Cross has a variety of classes offered this summer. One upcoming class scheduled for this Thursday is on “Fulfilling our mission and volunteer orientation.” The class will be held at their Sonora office. Next week, a two-day class on Standard First Aid and CPR is set for Tuesday and Wednesday, and a Basic Water Rescue class will be offered on Thursday, July 19th. For more details on these and any American Red Cross class, call the Sonora office at 533-1513 or give us a call here at HomeTown Radio. July 9, 2007 It was a relatively calm weekend for local firefighters in the Mother Lode. According to reports, crews responded to a smoke check in the Antelope Drive area of Amador County, but were not able to locate the source. Later that evening, the report of an illegal campfire sent firefighters to the Indian Grinding Rock Park. No damage was reported. On Sunday, San Andreas crews responded to a call of illegal fireworks being discharged. Jackson Fire Department volunteer firefighters had a little break in calls for service in June. Statistics released by the department show volunteers went to 64 calls during the 30-day time period. In May, that number was 78. In June of 2006, there were 88 calls. So far this year, firefighters have gone to a total of 469 compared to 417 as of June 30, 2006. Three Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit firefighters were injured while on the fire line of the Inyo Complex fire near Independence. The men were part of two engines working together. The firefighters deployed their fire shelters until the situation calmed down enough for them to escape. Three firefighters sustained minor injuries and were taken to the Fresno Burn Center by helicopter. The remaining six were not injured. The ‘Angora Fire Victim Donation Drive’ in Amador County was a success. According to organizer Jackie Vaughn, one large trailer and one smaller trailer were filled with a variety of items during Saturday’s event. The items were taken to the South Tahoe area for distribution. Cash donations are still being accepted at Mother Lode Market, Raley’s and Sutter Amador Hospital. The Amador County Board of Supervisors Friday announce that the Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians and the County have agreed on a 30-day extension to continue their discussions regarding the proposed gaming and entertainment facility on Coal Mine Road in the Jackson Valley area. The new date to reach a draft agreement is now August 10th. A milestone for one Jackson man was achieved this past Saturday. Bill Heryford completed his 24,911th mile at Amador High School. That number represents how many miles it would take to run around the world. A crowd of more than 75 well wishers gathered around the track to cheer Bill on. A victory party was held in Bill’s honor following his record setting run. For those who choose to take a different path this summer, Kirkwood has a full line-up of summer action in a high adventure remote environment away from the crowds. Check out Kirkwood’s web site to get details on events such as hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, disc golf and the zip line. July 6, 2007 A gas leak in Sutter Creek prompted evacuation of the high school area this morning. Sutter Creek Police officials said the incident stems from a construction site mishap at around 10:00 AM. Sutter Ione Road and Spanish Street were both closed to all traffic while the situation was being remedied. CHP officials said there was a big difference in their 4th of July statistics this year compared to last. The difference, Officer Craig Harmon of the Jackson CHP office said, may be due to the 4th falling on a Wednesday. This year, 13 people were killed on California roadways compared to 38 deaths on State highways in 2006 during the same time period. Locally, Amador and Calaveras County had no fatalities and no DUI arrests. Calaveras County also had no collisions, however, Amador County recorded two. The investigation into an animal cruelty case seems to have come to a halt. Last weekend, Amador County Deputies responded to a residence on Fiddletown Road after someone shot a donkey with an arrow. A local veterinarian treated the animal and said its wounds are not life threatening. Deputies learned that the arrow used to hit the donkey came from a crossbow. No suspects have yet been identified. Amador County can add one more property to the list of historic places. A letter received by the Amador County Board of Supervisors indicated that the William H. Paugh home at 406 Pitt Street in Jackson has been placed on the National Registry of Historic Places. The current owners, Jerry and Jeanette Chaix, have been working on the home for the past four years to reach this milestone. An online tour of the home along with numerous photos of collected artifacts and heirlooms can be viewed on www.parish-paughhouse.com. The downward trend for unemployment continues in the Mother Lode. According to a report released by the California Employment Development Department, the unemployment rate in both Amador and Calaveras County is still falling. Amador County is now at 5.6% unemployment, down 2/10th of a percent from March and April this year. In Calaveras County, unemployment dropped one-tenth of a percent from the last month’s report, and is currently ½ percent below the rate since the beginning of the year. With this heat wave, have come some power outages over the last couple days. According to Nicole Tam of P.G.& E. more than 360 customers were without power for a short time Wednesday night after a fuse blew in the Copperopolis area. Power was restored in about 45 minutes. In the Spanish Street to Amelia Street area of Sutter Creek early Thursday morning, a fuse and conductor was blown affecting 180 customers for nearly two hours. The cause was from a tree branch falling on a line. There is no simple solution to the contaminated water problem in the Mokelumne River according to Calaveras County Water District officials. Bacteria testing in the middle fork area near West Point has indicated contamination that is thought to be coming mainly from faulty septic systems. Authorities are concerned about swimmers ingesting the river water and becoming ill. Complete test results are expected to be available by the end of this year. The Amador County Child Abuse Prevention Council is asking the public to take 25 – that is 25 ways to make kids safer. The goal of the “Take 25” program is to heighten awareness about children’s safety issues. The Council will be holding a meeting to discuss various topics of children’s safety on Monday, July 16th at the GSA building on Airport Road beginning at 10:00 AM. They also hold free workshops. Call ACCAPC at 223-5921 for more information. July 5, 2007 Emergency personnel kept busy this morning as they responded to two crashes within just minutes of one another. The first accident was reported at about 8:30 AM on Highway 49 and Jackson Gate Road in Martell. As crews were tending to the non-injury collision, the second crash came in where two cars blocked a portion of Highway 88 at Center Street in Jackson. Jackson police diverted highway traffic onto Court Street and through downtown as one victim had to be extricated. Two people were taken to Sutter Amador Hospital for treatment. The road was reopened just before 9:30 AM. A judge has upheld the legality of Calaveras County’s Road Impact Mitigation fee program. Judge Duane Martin of Calaveras County Superior Court last week, denied a variety of challenges against the program from a lawsuit filed in 2004 by developers Guy Meyers and Roy Hifai. The pair claimed the fee was improper because the fees they paid on their Valley Springs project could have been used to improve roads as far east as San Andreas. United Cerebral Palsy of Amador, Calaveras and San Joaquin Counties has opened an office in San Andreas to serve Mother Lode residents with Cerebral Palsy or other developmental disabilities. The office is in the Calaveras Senior Center building at 956 Mountain Ranch Road, across from the Calaveras County Government Center. The office is open 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. For more information, call 754-1753. Calaveras and Colusa Counties have been designated “Primary Natural Disaster Areas” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture because of drought conditions. Also eligible in California because they are contiguous counties are Alpine, Amador, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Butte, Glenn, Lake, Sutter and Yolo counties. All qualified farm operators in the designated areas are eligible for low interest emergency loans from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency. Matching pledges are trickling in to help staff the Mt. Zion Tower for this fire season. According to Amador Fire Safe Council’s Executive Director Cathy Koos-Breazeal, they have about $9,000 in donations right now, far short of the $37,000 to $39,000 needed to staff the tower for one season. Last week, Supervisors Ted Novelli and Brian Oneto each donated toward the cause, and the Jackson Rancheria has pledged to match donations up to $38,000. For more information on the Mt. Zion staffing program, contact AFSC at 296-6220. The ‘Active Aging/Foothill Fitness’ programs have become very popular through the Amador Senior Center. Officials at the center say the Ione program is already full, but Plymouth, Sutter Creek, Pine Grove and Rollingwood classes still have openings. Also, a new class in Volcano is gearing up and set to run Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 to 10:30 AM. For more information, call the Senior Center. Don’t forget the BloodSource Blood Drive is taking place today from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM at the Jackson Civic Center. Donors will receive a certificate for a free pint of ice cream from Baskin-Robbins. For more information on this blood drive, call Jody Boetzer at 257-7619 or give us a call here at HomeTown Radio. July 3, 2007 In the aftermath of the Angora fire in South Tahoe, a group of Amador County citizens are organizing a donation drive. Jackie Vaughn of Volcano is spearheading the effort with a donation drive this Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at three locations: Volcano Communications Tech Center behind Pine Grove Park, Calvary Chapel in Pine Grove, and Aime Field at Detert Park in Jackson. All donated items (no clothing please) will be delivered to a drop-off point in Tahoe on Monday. Listen to HomeTown Radio’s Morning Madness program this Thursday when Jackie will have more details on the drive. The identity of the man killed in a solo-vehicle accident on Highway 16 has been determined. The Amador County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office said 28 year-old Long Andy Dao of Elk Grove lost his life Friday afternoon after a high speed crash on the Highway near Forest Home Road. The man lost control of his Lexus at an estimated speed of 80 MPH while trying to pass a car in front of him. His car burst into flames in a nearby field. A milestone, maybe even a world record of sorts is set for this Saturday. Jackson resident and avid jogger Bill Heryford is expected to break through a personal milestone as he will hit the 24,911-mile mark when he runs around the track at Amador High School at 7:00 AM. The mileage happens to be the circumference of the earth, prompting Bill to joke that he’s run around the world. The public is invited to encourage Bill as he crosses over the 24,911th mile. Temperatures are rising, the abundant grass crop is drying out, the summer weather pattern has begun, and the chance of a wildland fire starting from legal or illegal fireworks is extreme. CALFIRE officials say that if you live in incorporated cities that allow fireworks and you plan to discharge safe and sane fireworks, make sure you have a shovel and a bucket of water or garden hose available. It’s your responsibility for any fires that you or your children may start, so please be careful, be responsible, and enjoy your Independence Day! As many motorists are preparing for their vacation this holiday week and for the summer, AAA has some tips for conserving gasoline. In brief, be sure your tires are properly inflated. Every one pound of pressure tires are under-inflated results in a 2 percent loss in fuel efficiency; keep your front suspension and steering in proper alignment; make sure your brakes are functioning properly to minimize rolling resistance, and observe the speed limit. As you drive faster, aerodynamic drag increases. As a result, at speeds about 55 MPH, fuel economy decreases rapidly. For more ideas on how to conserve fuel, visit AAA’s web site. A Jackson Junior High School honor student has an endeavor to look forward to this fall. 12 year-old Mikayla Hirschel was one of 4000 applicants for the National American Miss Pre-Teen Pageant held last weekend in Santa Clara. Mikayla was one of 85 finalists chosen to represent California for the National Title being held late November in Hollywood. The public is invited to attend a special meeting in Plymouth, scheduled for this Thursday at 4:30 PM in the City Hall. The Council will hold a budget-balancing workshop for the 07-08 fiscal year. For more information, call the City of Plymouth at 245-6941. July 2, 2007 The investigation continues in determining the identity of Amador County’s 12th fatality victim of the year. CHP officials said the lone occupant of a 1998 Lexus lost control of his car while trying to pass a car on Highway 16 Friday afternoon. The car was traveling at speeds of about 80 MPH when it went off the road, hit a fence, overturned and hit another fence during its sliding on the dry grass. The car immediately burst into flames. The man is currently listed through the Amador County Coroner’s Office as “John Doe.” A group of teens are recovering from a crash they won’t soon forget, and hopefully won’t want to repeat. The CHP reported that a 17 year-old Valley Springs girl lost control of her car while driving on Ospital Road at 85 MPH just after midnight Saturday. Four other people were in the car at the time when it went off the road, into a ditch, went airborne and rolled at least four times before stopping. Fortunately, all occupants suffered only minor injuries. The Amador County Sheriff’s Department located the body of who they think may be a missing person reported to them Friday. The sister of 55 year-old Darrell Warren of Sacramento called to report the man missing; last seen about two weeks ago. The search for the man was concentrated around the Mokelumne River Day Use area off of Middlebar Road in Jackson. A canine search team recovered a body Saturday. The identity, cause and manner of death is still under investigation. The second truck rollover in just a few hours kept CHP officers busy Thursday. As we reported earlier, the first incident was an empty dump truck trailer the fell off the side of Climax Road near Highway 88. At noon, officers responded to Highway 88 near Omo Ranch Road for the report of an overturned hay truck. The driver had lost control of the load after it veered into a ditch and embankment. The rear trailer spilled its load onto the highway and surrounding area. No one was hurt in the crash. With the current wildfire burning conditions more severe than they’ve been in 30 years, CALFIRE officials are cautioning anyone who chooses to use any fireworks to use extreme caution during this holiday weekend. Unit Chief Mike Noonan suggests the best-case scenario would be to attend one of the area’s professionally produced fireworks shows. In addition to the 4th of July Holiday, there’s plenty of other things going on in Amador County this week, including the Ione Farmer’s Market today from 3:00 to 6:30 PM. The Sutter Creek City Council will meet tonight at 7:00 PM, however, the Amador County Board of Supervisors’ meeting is canceled tomorrow due to the holiday. The next TGIF Summer Music Series concert is set for Friday at 6:00 PM at Castle Oaks Golf Club where the Air Force Band will perform. Call the Arts Council at 267-9038 for more information on upcoming concerts. And, the Sutter Creek Farmer’s Market will be held Saturday, July 7th from 8:00 to 11:00 AM in the Eureka Street parking lot. Just in time for the next heat wave, you can give a pint of blood and get a pint of Baskin-Robbins ice cream to cool you down. BloodSource of Sacramento is holding their next blood drive this Thursday from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM at the Jackson Civic Center. For more information, call us here at HomeTown Radio. June 29, 2007 With Independence Day quickly approaching, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE) would like to remind you that the sale or discharge of all fireworks including “safe and sane” types are prohibited in most areas of Amador County. The cities of Jackson, Sutter Creek, and Ione allow “safe and sane” fireworks in controlled conditions away from any flammable vegetation. In Calaveras County, all fireworks are prohibited except on private property in Angels Camp or in the sporting complex near Bret Harte High School. Anyone caught with illegal fireworks will be cited and prosecuted. An extensive search for an injured motorcyclist paid off, but not without officials scratching their heads a little. The CHP said William Parks of Oregon was riding at an undetermined speed on Highway 4 from Alpine into Calaveras County when he went into a locked-wheel skid through a curve in the road. The motorcycle hit a pine tree causing it to bounce off back onto the highway, nearly blocking both lanes. Parks was said to have hid in the forest until emergency crews left the area. A three-hour search for Parks ensued whereby he was eventually located and taken by air ambulance to an Auburn area hospital for treatment. An overturned dump trailer slowed traffic on Highway 88 for a time Thursday morning. According to the CHP, the rear trailer of an empty truck slid off the edge of Climax Road near the highway yesterday morning. The trailer stopped short of landing on the roadway, however, traffic was delayed for a time as tow trucks removed the trailer from the road’s edge. No other vehicles were involved in the incident and no one was hurt. A Calaveras County man was lucky to have only suffered minor injuries in a rollover crash Wednesday. The CHP reported 20 year-old Dwayne Siegfried of Copperopolis was driving his Ford Explorer east on Reeds Turnpike at about 60 MPH. He lost control of the car causing it to cross both lanes from the shoulder and hit a dirt embankment. The car then rolled onto its roof. Siegfried suffered only minor injuries due to his being properly restrained, however, he may have been driving under the influence of alcohol according to the report, and may face criminal charges. The July 4th Holiday is expected to be the busiest travel week of the summer. AAA officials say they predict over 5.7 million Californians to travel over the upcoming holiday period with many taking extra days off work due to the mid-week celebration. About 80% are expected to travel by car. Once again, AAA will provide its successful “Tipsy Tow” program to motorists this holiday. “Tipsy Tow” will be available from 6:00 PM July 4th until 6:00 AM July 5th in Northern California, Nevada, and Utah. Anyone in need of the service can call 800-222-4357 (AAA-HELP) for a free tow of up to five miles. Tonight, don’t miss the “TGIF Summer Music Series” concert. The Amador Arts Council is presenting the “Black Irish Band” beginning at 6:00 PM at Detert Park in Jackson. Call the Arts Council for more information on this or any of their concerts this summer at 267-9038. June 28, 2007 In a “vehicle vs. power pole”, the pole always wins which holds true in this case. According to the CHP, Patricia Luepke of Pioneer was driving at about 25 MPH on Cedar Heights Drive Tuesday afternoon. She told investigators that it felt like she had run over a rock with her right tire. Her car lost control and veered to the right where it struck a P.G. & E. pole. Fortunately, Luepke was not injured, however her car sustained major damage. P.G. & E.’s Nicole Tam said 35 customers were without power for a couple hours as crews made repairs to some broken insulators. The USDA has awarded a grant of $96,500 to the non-profit organization “Calaveras Healthy Impact Product Solutions” (CHIPS). The funding will be used to buy equipment and develop an ‘on-the-job’ vegetation control chipping crew training program. Congressman Dan Lungren and USDA State Director Ben Higgins will present the USDA check to CHIPS representatives on July 2nd at 1:00 PM at the West Point Community Hall. The identity of the man who was killed in Calaveras County last week after jumping into the back of an El Camino has been released. 38 year-old Christopher Solarz has been identified as the individual killed a week ago Monday following a domestic dispute in Mokelumne Hill. Sheriff’s Department officials say they will not be filing charges against the woman. Calaveras County Supervisors decided Tuesday it was not yet time to reach into the County’s road budget to resolve their money problems. In the meantime, the County will be facing labor negotiations with the Sheriff’s Department. Supervisor Merita Callaway said there is no money for salary increases. Supervisors said they would hold off on deciding to act on any drastic budget moves until the fall when the County adopts its final budget. CHP Commissioner Mike Brown has issued a challenge to the State’s motorists this Independence Day holiday: One entire day with no traffic fatalities throughout the state. Locally, officers will begin a Maximum Enforcement Period beginning 6:00 PM July 3rd through midnight, July 4th. A memorial for veterans is planned for the Government Center in San Andreas. The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved the construction of the memorial as a Boy Scout Eagle Scout project. The goal is to dedicate the facility on Veteran’s Day in November. Add one more event to your list of things to do this weekend. The Jackson Rancheria will hold its second annual Classic Car Show and Barbeque on Saturday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The show is free. The barbeque costs $10 that includes a sandwich, chips and soft drink. For more information, contact the Jackson Rancheria at 223-1677. June 27, 2007 Indications of an early and very busy fire season have become prevalent in the region. In Amador County, four fires broke out in less than 24 hours; fortunately none have been major incidents. The latest incident came in at 9:00 AM today in the Frontier Drive/Quartz Circle area in the south part of Jackson. The fire consumed about three acres prompting nearby residences to be evacuated for a short time by Jackson Police personnel. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Crews responded to a vegetation fire in the Jackson Valley area yesterday afternoon. The fire was reported at 1:00 PM along Jackson Valley Road south of Highway 88. The fire was contained to about four acres. The cause is still under investigation. The CHP has released more information from yesterday’s head-on collision on Highway 88 and lower Ridge Road. 49 year-old Michael Craig of Happy Valley had fallen asleep at the wheel as he was preparing to make a left turn onto Ridge Road. The vehicle went straight, hitting a stopped big rig waiting for the light to turn green. Craig was arrested for driving under the influence of prescription drugs and was booked into the Amador County Jail. A concerned citizen reporting a group of suspicious-looking people ended in a felony arrest and the recovery of stolen property. Officials at the Amador County Sheriff’s Department said a deputy was called to the Safeway parking lot Sunday night after someone called to report a small group of people loitering in the area, thinking they might be ‘staking out’ the business. The deputy’s investigation led to the arrest of 39 year-old Sonny Jones of Sacramento who allegedly had stolen some items earlier in the evening from the Kmart store in Martell. Jones is being held in the Amador County Jail on $10,000 bail. A motorcyclist taking a turn too fast is recovering from his crash. The CHP reported that 35 year-old Winston Wilkerson of Stockton was riding his motorcycle on Camanche Parkway late Monday morning when he came around a curve too fast. The motorcycle went off the road and flipped over, throwing the man to the ground. Before emergency crews arrived, another motorcyclist took Wilkerson to a nearby business. He was eventually located and taken to Lodi Memorial Hospital for treatment of moderate injuries. Just in time for Independence Day, “Goin’ Postal” is offering to replace tattered, torn, or faded American flags to local residents for free during the month of July. Some restrictions apply. Visit the new “Goin’ Postal” store on Prospect Drive in Martell, or call them at 223-3456 for more information. Space is still available for vendors at the Amador Folk Art Center Outdoor Art Show. The event is scheduled for Saturday, July 7th from noon to 5:00 PM near Claypool’s Market in Pine Grove. For more information and vendor reservations, call 296-7772 or 296-6919. June 26, 2007 With the devastating ‘Angora’ fire still looming in the South Tahoe area, it’s a stark reminder for homeowners to keep their property clear of debris. CAL-FIRE officials say the homes that have survived the blaze are those where property owners have diligently cleared brush, grass, leaves, and pine needles well away from their homes. The Defensible Space law went into effect in January 2005 requiring property owners to clear vegetation 100 feet from structures. For more details on defensible space rules, visit CAL-FIRE’s web site at www.fire.ca.gov or contact your nearest fire station. A driving lesson for a new motorist turned ugly for a Calaveras County teen and his dad. The CHP said the 18 year-old Murphys man driving the speed limit on Highway 4 near Allen Lane Monday afternoon, found himself on the wrong side of double yellow lines. He overcorrected causing the car to fishtail off the side of the road and struck a tree, a fence and finally a set of bleachers at Feeney Park’s upper field. Both the teen and his father suffered only minor injuries and chose to seek their own medical aid. A plea has been entered in the case of former Amador County resident Ralph Garbarini. According to media sources in San Diego, the 45 year-old transient who was captured after an extensive manhunt for killing one man and nearly killing a second man in a dessert shop in December, pleaded guilty Monday. Garbarini will be in court on November 27th for his formal sentencing of 82 years to life in prison. He was spared the death penalty after an agreement with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office who dismissed the “lying in wait” special allegation. A Bay Area teen suffered serious injuries after his motorcycle crash Saturday evening. The CHP said the 14 year-old Pacifica boy was riding a dirt bike on Moran Road, a County-maintained road, illegally. While rounding a curve in the road, he allowed his bike to drift off the road’s edge and onto loose gravel. He lost control of the bike, was thrown from it and suffered a broken leg and wrist, along with multiple cuts and scrapes. The CHP issued the boy a citation for driving a motor vehicle on a public street without a driver’s license. A landlord/tenant dispute ended in the arrest of two people. Officials at the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Department said their deputies went to the 600 block of Railroad Flat Road last week for a reported disturbance between the landlord, 78 year-old Dale Buller of Glencoe, and his tenant, 31 year-old Geoffrey Owens. Owens allegedly was hit by a construction worker at the scene who told Owens to stop taking photographs of them working on a fence. 61 year-old David Chitwood of Railroad Flat was eventually arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats and conspiracy. Buller was arrested for conspiracy after a witness heard both him and Chitwood talk of getting firearms and killing the occupants of the property. Owens reportedly was taking the photos to give to County Code Compliance personnel. Celebrate Independence Day in the Shenandoah Valley this weekend. Deaver Vineyards is hosting their event this Saturday from 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM on Steiner Road in Plymouth. There will be complimentary wine tasting all day and a barbeque hamburger lunch from 11:30 to 2:30. Lunch is $14 per person with discounted prices for wine club members. For more information, call 245-4099. Learn how to attract birds, bees and butterflies to your garden at the Amador Master Gardener’s class next month. The class will be held on Saturday, July 21st from 10:00 AM to Noon in the AG/UCCE offices at 12200-B Airport Road in Martell. For more information, contact awkramer@ucdavis.edu. June 25, 2007 A high-speed crash sent a Pioneer man to the hospital with major injuries Friday night. The CHP said 36 year-old Brian Mulally was driving west on Highway 88 near Carson Drive at a high rate of speed. As he approached slower moving traffic, he crossed over the double yellow lines and lost control of his car in a curve. The car hit a tree, severing it in two. Mulally was taken to Sutter Amador Hospital for treatment of serious injuries, and arrested for DUI. Calaveras County fire crews made quick work of a vegetation fire near Toyon Middle School Saturday. CAL-FIRE officials said a vehicle had caught on fire, setting off the 5-acre blaze. No structures were threatened and no one was injured. Crews cleared the scene at around 10:00 PM. Deputies from the Calaveras County Narcotics Enforcement Unit and Federal agents from the Bureau of Land Management recovered more than 3600 marijuana plants in an operation Friday. The plants were located in the Mokelumne River Canyon area with an estimated crop value of over $9 million. A car into a pole and the pole into the trees caused a power outage in the Pioneer area this morning. The CHP said a Honda Accord crashed into the pole on Sugar Pine Drive at about 6:00 AM causing the lines to lean against some tree branches. P.G. & E. crews arrived to make necessary repairs. Power was expected to be restored by around 10:00 AM. About 115 customers were affected by the outage. Three vehicles were involved in a crash after a Stockton man lost control of his car while drinking juice. The CHP reported that 31 year-old Antonia Velasques was driving east on Highway 4 near Telegraph Road at about 65 MPH. He lost control of his car after taking a drink from a juice bottle, and found himself crashing into a trailer being pulled in the opposite lane. Debris from the trailer landed on the car behind. Velasques suffered moderate injuries and was taken to Sonora Community Hospital for treatment. No one else was injured in the crash. The Jackson City Council will meet tonight in the City Hall to discuss various topics. The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM. Prior to the meeting the Council will convene at 6:00 PM to interview applicants for the Planning Commission. The weather is warm which means there are plenty of outdoor events going on in the Mother Lode. On July 14th, the Mountain Ranch Community Club is hosting the “Mountain Ranch Music Festival”. Proceeds from the event benefit the Mountain Ranch Park where organizers anticipate installing lighting for the ball field. For more information on this event, call us here at HomeTown Radio. June 22, 2007 The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Department has been investigation a vehicle accident from earlier this week in Mokelumne Hill that resulted in a death. Deputies were dispatched Monday afternoon to the 9100 block of Highway 26 to investigate a vehicle accident death. Prior to the call, a domestic violence incident occurred between a man and a woman where the woman reported that the suspect had threatened her and also threatened himself. The woman tried to flee in her vehicle, but the man jumped in and tried to break the back window. He fell from the vehicle in a curve and was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Due to the domestic violence incident, the names of the victim and suspect will not be released by the Sheriff’s Department. All the stolen property from a car break-in has been recovered and a vehicle returned to the rightful owner after a keen-eyed officer in Stockton found the culprit. The Amador County Sheriff’s Department said a deputy was dispatched to take an auto-burglary report from an employee at K-Mart in Martell. Later in the day, the deputy was told that a Stockton CHP officer had arrested a Stockton man who had been driving a stolen car and had the K-Mart employee’s stereo, debit card, checks, and her purse inside the car. The car was returned to the owner, as was the personal property of the employee. The man was taken to the San Joaquin County jail. Inmates nearing the end of their prison terms and getting ready to re-enter civilian life in Amador, Calaveras, and San Joaquin counties might find themselves in a single regional rehabilitation prison someday. Calaveras County Sheriff Dennis Downum said Tuesday, he would meet with his peers from the other counties to begin talks on where an how such a re-entry facility might be built. The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 at Tuesday’s meeting to give Downum the ‘go-ahead’ to negotiate with State officials to consider a number of options to help Calaveras get a new jail built quickly. A wide variance in children’s well-being from county to county are presented in a new report by “Children Now”, a leading non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all children will thrive. The 2007 California County Data Book was released Wednesday. There are 45 indicators in all for each of the State’s 58 counties. To find out how your county is doing, go to www.childrennow.org/databook. The Preston Castle Foundation is gearing up for their upcoming fund raising event. The “Jazz & Blues Jubilee and Dinner” is set for Saturday, June 30th at the Castle. Tickets are $35 per person and include barbeque sirloin steak, chicken, Italian sausage, salads, and more. For more information on this event, call 286-3823 or give us a call at HomeTown Radio. The University of California Cooperative Extension program is offering a workshop for kids and adults. The Speech and Leadership workshop will be held on Saturday, July 14th from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM in the GSA’s large conference room on Airport Road in Martell. Anyone interested in taking this class should fill out and send a registration form to Larry Fossen by July 11th. Call Larry at 223-6484, email him at lefossen@ucdavis.edu, or stop by the office at 12200 B Airport Road. This weekend, the town of Sutter Creek will celebrate Black Bart Holdup Days. The celebration will take you back 124 years to June 23rd, 1883 when the infamous highwayman, Black Bart held up the Wells Fargo stage on Main Street, netting him $755. More importantly, it was his last successful robbery as his career came to an end following a holdup in Calaveras County. Join HomeTown Radio tomorrow morning, as Jim and the Gang will broadcast live from Main Street beginning at 9:30 AM. The festivities will go on all weekend. June 21, 2007 The Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe announced yesterday that the number of Worker’s Compensation fraud investigations and convictions handled by his office dramatically increased from the previous year. Ninety-five insurance fraud cases have been investigated, compared to 57 in the previous year, and there were 17 criminal convictions this year compared to 6 last year. The fraud unit’s continued success in combating fraud has resulted in additional grant funding for the unit which investigates and prosecutes the crime not just in Amador County, but also in Placer and Calaveras Counties. Court hearings for Richard Tinoco of Sacramento have been advanced to July 5th at 9:00 AM for a Superior Court Review. 29 year-old Tinoco was arrested over the Memorial Day weekend after allegedly committing lewd acts on a child, also from Sacramento, at the Indian Grinding Rock State Park. Tinoco will also appear for his preliminary hearing on July 7th at 8:00 AM. Eight people were injured Wednesday afternoon after a Calaveras Transit bus struck a Lexus on Highway 49 near Angels Camp Tuesday afternoon. No one was seriously injured, but according to the CHP, the bus driver couldn’t stop fast enough before hitting the stopped Lexus. The impact pushed the bus into the opposite lane where it was struck by an approaching vehicle. Calaveras County planning officials will hold public meetings tonight and Saturday on the efforts to revise the Calaveras General Plan. Once completed, the plan will guide land use and housing growth for the county, well into the next decade and beyond. Today’s meeting will be at 6:00 PM in the multipurpose room at Valley Springs Elementary School. Saturday’s meeting will be at 10:00 AM at Jenny Lind Elementary School. A Folsom man is recovering from a serious motorcycle accident Sunday. The CHP reported that 62 year-old James Black was traveling west on Sutter Creek-Volcano Road at around noon when due to his unsafe speed into a turn, the motorcycle left the pavement, overturned and threw Black from the bike. A passing motorist found him laying on the ground unconscious and bleeding. CHP investigators said that he was wearing an approved half-helmet but suffered head trauma below the helmet line. Black was flown by air ambulance to the trauma center at Mercy San Juan Hospital. Fall courses are coming available at Amador’s Cosumnes River College campus. According to Dean of Careers and Technology Patrick Blacklock, the Amador Learning Center will be offering courses including Horticulture and Early Childhood Education. Students can enroll online at www.crc.losrios.edu or in person at the CRC admissions office. For more information, contact Blacklock at his office: 916-691-7390 or by email: blacklp@crc.losrios.edu A special invitation is extended to the community to attend an open house at the Amador Senior Center this Sunday from 2:00 to 5:00 PM. Refreshments will be served. Many of the 36 local groups that regularly meet at the center will be on hand to give information or sign up interested attendees. Call the Amador Senior Center for more information at 223-0442. June 20, 2007 Area hospitals are reporting a higher rate of rattlesnake bite cases earlier this year than the past. The most recent incident involved a 9 year-old Murphys boy who eventually was taken to U.C. Davis Medical Center and placed in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. The boy’s father said he is recovering nicely. Mark Twain St. Joseph’s Hospital, where the boy was originally taken, said they have received four snakebite cases so far in the past few weeks, which is more than usual for this time of year. For information on how to treat snakebites, contact your local Red Cross or go to www.calpoison.org. The Central Calaveras Fire and Rescue Protection District has a new fire engine thanks to the Menlo Park Fire Department. The CCFRPD acquired a 1987 Pierce pumper for $2500 including a fire hose and nozzles. The engine will replace the department’s current rig, a 1971 model that carries only two firefighters. The new engine not only holds four crewmembers, but also carries more equipment. The engine will go into service June 25th. An early morning vegetation fire sent crews out to the Buena Vista area of Ione today. The fire was reported at about 4:30 AM in the area of Buena Vista Road and the landfill. About one to two acres of grassland was burned. The cause of the fire is thought to be from a faulty transformer. The fire was contained just before 5:00 AM. The Amador County Sheriff’s Department reported a pursuit in the Bear River/Dew Drop area where two men from Lodi were arrested for vehicle theft and theft of other property at Bear River Resort. The car was reported stolen last Thursday in Novato. When deputies saw the Toyota Rav 4, the men fled to the Shakeridge Road area. The driver crashed into an embankment, the car landed on the driver’s side and the driver jumped out of the passenger’s open window. A deputy and K-9 pursued the man on foot and was later arrested. Both men are in the Amador County jail on several felony charges. Join ‘Tri-County Wildlife Care’ for a fun-filled evening under the stars in Volcano on Sunday, July 8th. A benefit performance of ‘DelVal Divas’ by the Volcano Theater Company will begin at 8:00 PM. The doors open at 6:00 PM for a silent and live auction. Tickets are $50 including dinner, $40 without dinner. Call 223-1914 for tickets or drop by Sierra Pines Mortgage in Pine Grove or the Feed Barn in Martell. All proceeds go toward the care and rehabilitation of our native wildlife. The regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the Amador Fire Safe Council will have a change of venue. The meeting was originally set to be held in the County’s GSA building at 3:00 PM today. Instead, a road tour of present and past hazard fuel reduction projects in the upcountry area will take place. The group will meet at the AFSC office on Gold Mine Road in Pine Grove at 2:00 PM. Please call 296-6220 if you wish to attend. Carpool space will be limited. Some local teens are getting a head start on promising careers in health care. Sutter Amador Hospital awarded scholarships to Amador High School seniors Jessica Ketel and Noelle Erosa, and Megan Doyle from Calaveras High School. Megan and Jessica were both student interns at S.A.H. through the “Regional Occupation Program” this year. “Faces of Amador” presents “Ed Sullivan’s 1950’s Star Search”. The variety show will be held on Saturday, August 4th at the Kennedy Mine Amphitheater in Jackson. This original musical features a cast of over 30 local Amador County performers and a seven piece ‘Doo-Wop’ band. Show tickets are $40, including dinner and a glass of wine, and are available online at www.operationcare.org/faces, or at their office on New York Ranch Road. For more information, tickets or sponsorship opportunities, call 223-2897. ****************************************************************** Tuesday, June 19, 2007 The City of Ione’s Police Department won top honors in a recent competition. According to Chief Bob Olson of the department, their agency was awarded first place in the 2006 California Law Enforcement Challenge competition for police departments with 10 officers or less. The competition recognizes and rewards the best overall traffic safety programs in the United States. Chief Olson said he was thrilled they won the award, and are now eligible for future grants through the California Office of Traffic Safety. The Bureau of Land Management has issued special fire restrictions in the foothill region. Due to extreme dry conditions, the agency is implementing fire restrictions on all BLM-managed public lands within the Folsom Field Office boundary. This includes Amador and Calaveras Counties. The restrictions became effective Monday and will remain in effect until further notice. With the restrictions, all open fires on public lands are prohibited. There are some special rules. For more information, call the Folsom Field Office at 916-985-4474. The Amador County Board of Supervisors today approved a request for funding on behalf of the District Attorney’s Office. The grant funding will go toward an updated video on fraud within worker’s compensation. The Board approved the request by a 4-1 vote with Supervisor Oneto voting no. The video will be distributed among newly-elected District Attorney’s throughout the U.S. Firefighters quickly put out a vegetation fire reported yesterday at around 12:30 PM. A number of crews responded to the incident on Ridge Road near Independence Road in the Glencoe area. CAL-FIRE dispatchers said the fire was caused by a debris burn. About ¼ acre was burned. CAL-FIRE officials want to remind residents that debris burning is not allowed until the end of fire season which could be as late as mid-November this year. New York Ranch Road was a magnet for collisions Sunday. According to the CHP, at around 6:30 AM, 42 year-old Terry Griffith of Ione was riding his motorcycle east on Ridge Road when a gray Trans Am pulled out in front of him as he approached New York Ranch Road. Griffith suffered only minor injuries. Officials are still looking for the driver of the Pontiac that was last seen fleeing westbound on Ridge Road…. At 8:30 PM Sunday, 53 year-old Bruce Hawkins of Jackson crashed his gravel-loaded F-350 pickup just south of Trent Way on New York Ranch Road. Crews had to temporarily shut down the busy road to clean up the spill. Hawkins was arrested for DUI. There’s plenty to do for local kids, both young and old this summer in Amador County. First 5 Amador is sponsoring a free, summer playgroup for kids 0 to 5 years of age on Tuesday s, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The playgroup will run from July 3rd to August 2nd at Argonaut High School in Jackson. Call 257-1092 for more details…. and ACRA is hosting a ‘movie under the stars’ for the “Rec-ing Crew”, a club created for teens who want something to do during the summer. On Tuesday, July 10th, the movie, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” will begin at 8:30 PM at Howard Park Amphitheater. The cost is $2. Call ACRA at 257-1764 for more details. June 18, 2007 The identification of a drowning victim at Lake Camanche yesterday is being withheld pending family notification. The Amador County Sheriff’s Department said their deputy patrolling the lake was flagged down at around 6:00 PM, that a 27 year-old Stockton man was missing and feared to have drown. Several minutes later, the man’s body was found just off the shore of “Day Use Point”. Medics administered CPR as they took him to Sutter Amador Hospital. He was pronounced dead shortly after their arrival. Over 100 customers in Calaveras County were without power after an airplane clipped some power lines. The Sheriff’s Department reported that a private Vintage WWII plane clipped several power lines near the south shore of Lake Tulloch. Some of the wires landed in the water prompting authorities to keep people out of the lake until P.G. & E. could de-energize the lines. Power to the 127 customers was restored at around 8:30 PM. CAL-FIRE crews were called out to the Valley Springs area late Friday afternoon. As reported on the HomeTown Radio Fire Watch, 25 acres burned in the area of Highway 12 and Lime Creek Road. At one point, the highway was closed for about two hours. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Sunday afternoon, crews went to the Paloma area after a mower touched off a grass fire that burned about 20 acres. The fire was reported at a residence on Nine Oaks and Paloma Roads. It was an “explosive time” in Sutter Creek Saturday, when two military Mortar shells on display for years at the Chatter Box Restaurant were removed and disposed of. Sutter Creek police officer T. Del Rio received information that the mortar shells may have still had live primers attached to them. He contacted the Calaveras County Bomb Disposal Unit who arrived on scene and took control of the mortars. With the assistance of CAL FIRE crews, two holes were dug and a mortar was placed into each hole, wired with charges and safely detonated. After detonation, it was discovered that at least one of them had still been “live”, with an active charge still inside. According to authorities from Calaveras County, the primers on the mortars each carried the explosive capacity of one-quarter of a stick of dynamite. CAL-FIRE will begin public hearings this week to introduce proposed County Fire Hazard Maps. The hearing will be held tomorrow in Alpine, Amador and El Dorado Counties. Next week, the hearings will move to Calaveras, Tuolumne and Stanislaus Counties. The public will have a chance to submit their comments on the new map at the hearings. For more information, go to CAL-FIRE’s web site at www.fire.ca.gov California will become America’s first state next month to initiate a mandatory recycling program. Effective July 1st, Assembly Bill 2449 will become law where businesses that have 10,000 square feet of retail space and $2 million in annual sales are required to provide recycling bins for plastic bags. More information on other requirements are available by contacting the Amador County Waste Management Department at 223-6429 or on the County’s web site at www.co.amador.ca.us The Amador County Board of Supervisors will convene for their regular meeting tomorrow at 9:00 AM. Some items on the agenda include discussion with the District Attorney’s Office for approval of an agreement with the San Diego State University Research Foundation for the production, filming, and editing of an informational video illustrating the most common types of fraud associated with Worker’s Compensation; Funding will be asked for concerning signalization of the Ridge/New York Ranch Road intersection, as well as discussion of the lighted/name sign at the intersection. The meeting will be held in the County Administration Center on Court Street in Jackson. June 15, 2007 An Elk Grove couple’s luck ran out after trying to get away with taking someone else’s money at the casino. Officials at the Amador County Sheriff’s Department said 54 year-old Kenneth Svoboda and his wife Rickie were arrested after being ‘caught on tape’ stealing a woman’s purse. The victim, a Pleasant Hill woman, had left her purse hanging on a chair in the casino. When she returned, the purse was gone. Tribal police reviewed surveillance tape that showed Kenneth placing the purse under his shirt, then went into the men’s room. He told deputies he then took $50 cash out of the purse and gave the purse to his wife. Rickie then went to the women’s room, went through the purse again and took out two gold rings worth $1000. All the money and property were recovered. The Svoboda’s were booked into the County Jail on $20,000 bail each. There were some tense moments for an Amador County Deputy as he dealt with a woman wielding a 13-inch kitchen knife. The Sheriff’s Office reports that Deputy Peckinpaugh went to the aid of 45 year-old Kelly Quinn of Pioneer after asking for a deputy to help her get away from her boyfriend. Peckinpaugh found Quinn sitting on a couch holding the knife, while the boyfriend was sitting on another couch. Quinn refused to drop the knife at the deputy’s request and later walked to another room where she left through a back door. The deputy found Quinn walking down Highway 88 still holding the knife, at which time she pointed it forward. Peckinpaugh hit Quinn with a taser and was able to place her under arrest. She is being held on $5,000 bail. The theft of a coin box at a gas station has investigators stumped. According to the Amador County Sheriff’s Department, a deputy was called to the Mirastar gas station at Wal-Mart regarding a theft from the “Air-Serv” air pump. Apparently, someone had pried open the panel and used a drill to break the coin box lock. The suspect took $500 in quarters. The total loss was estimated at nearly $2000 after replacement and installation of the coin box and theft of the coins. What started as a call-out for a residential structure fire fortunately turned out to not be quite so serious. CAL-FIRE and volunteer fire fighters from Sutter Creek and Jackson responded to the report of a fire at a residence on Mountain View Drive. The cause of the fire was determined to be from an overloaded computer surge protector. There was no reported damage to the home and no one was injured. The end of burn season has come as CAL-FIRE announces the suspension of burn permits for the Amador-El Dorado area. Effective at 8:00 AM Monday, no burning will be allowed within CAL-FIRE’s jurisdiction. Calaveras County suspended burning in that area on June 4th. For more information or questions concerning burn suspension guidelines, contact any CAL-FIRE personnel. The Amador Fire Safe Council has announced a special meeting taking place this Monday. The topic will be, “Latest in fire prevention – the Eye in the Sky.” The meeting will begin at 1:30 PM in the General Services Administration building on Airport Road. For more information, call 296-6220. The next meeting of the Amador County Historical Society is Thursday, June 28th, 7:00 PM at the Kennedy Mine. The guest speaker will be Doug Ketron, a mining engineer and one of the founders of Kennedy Mine Foundation. For more information on this meeting, email info@amadorcountyhistoricalsociety.org. June 14, 2007 A teenager showing up at the hospital set off an investigation that led to an arrest early Wednesday morning. According to the Amador County Sheriff’s Department, their deputies responded to Sutter Amador Hospital when a 17 year-old boy came in with multiple stab wounds. The deputies’ investigation eventually led to the arrest of 39 year-old Casey Decker of Pioneer who was found in his home behind a locked bedroom door. Decker is being held in the County Jail on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, inflicting injury on a child and other related felonies. His bail has been set at $105,000. More than 200 customers were without power in Jackson Tuesday afternoon. According to P.G.& E.’s Nicole Tam, 213 customers in the Clinton Road area were affected by the outage that was caused by an older-style fuse that had failed. To remedy the problem, crews replaced the old fuse with a new one. Power was restored in about 45 minutes. A trucker who didn’t complete a simple procedure on his rig caused quite a mess on Jackson Valley Road Tuesday morning. A good portion of 23 tons of rock were spilled after the driver hit his brakes to slow for a stop sign at Highway 88. The man failed to properly engage the locking mechanism on the second trailer of his dump truck, causing the entire trailer to fall to the ground. Jackson Valley Road was reduced to one-way controlled traffic for four hours. CAL-FIRE will host a public hearing to introduce proposed County fire hazard maps. The hearings will be held in Calaveras County on Monday, June 25th from 3:00 to 5:00 PM in the Cal-Works building in San Andreas. The new, updated maps will be on display, with CAL-FIRE taking public comment on the maps. Other information about the map update process is available on the CAL-FIRE web site at www.fire.ca.gov. CAL-FIRE crews will be conducting a prescribed burn tomorrow in the Gopher Ridge area of Calaveras County. The “Buys” burn is set to begin at 6:00 PM and last until 6:00 AM Saturday in the southwest area near New Hogan Reservoir. A group of seniors traveling down Highway 49 from El Dorado into Amador County had a ride they won’t soon forget. According to CHP officials, 70 year-old John Tingley of Encino was driving with his wife and another couple from Sacramento Monday afternoon. Tingley had fallen asleep behind the wheel causing his 2007 Lincoln to go straight through a curve, then down the side of a ravine. The car flipped over onto its roof and eventually stopped when it hit some bushes. Tingley was not injured, however his three passengers suffered only minor injuries. They were taken to Sutter Amador Hospital for treatment. Still don’t know what to do for Father’s Day weekend? The Native Sons of the Golden West are hosting their annual Kid’s Fishing Derby at Lake Tabeau Saturday morning. The event is free. Registration begins at 7:00 AM with fishing until 10:00. Kids 15 and under can participate and all will receive a prize. They must bring their own fishing gear. Hot dogs and drinks will be available. For more information, give us a call here at HomeTown Radio. June 13, 2007 Finding a victim of a single vehicle accident in the Jackson Valley area yesterday afternoon was quite a task for emergency crews. The CHP said 71 year-old Norman Delarm of Ione had “blacked out” while driving along Highway 88 just past Highway 104. His car went off the side of the road and down an embankment into a cluster of trees. When he awoke, he called 911 on his cell phone but he wasn’t sure of his location. Dispatchers had him honk his horn until emergency crews could locate him. Delarm suffered minor injuries and was taken to Sutter Amador Hospital for treatment. Actor Robert Conrad has been released early from the five-year probation term he received after a drunken driving conviction in 2004. A Calaveras County Judge made the ruling Monday, however the District Attorney’s Office opposed ending Conrad’s probation since he had served less than half of the term. As part of his original sentence, Conrad was also ordered to pay more than $3,600 in fines and restitution, and was banned from visiting bars. There finally seems to be a little good news for motorists. Gasoline prices have actually gone down during the past month due to an increase in supplies, relatively stable material costs, resolution of problems at California refineries, and a boost in supplies from outside the state. AAA of Northern California says that consumers still play an important role in the dynamics of the market. By continuing to make an effort to conserve fuel, it will help keep prices as low as possible. A Mountain Ranch man is recovering from a motorcycle accident after hitting a deer. 54 year-old John Rod tried to stop as a deer crossed his path on Highway 49 near Corral Flat Road yesterday morning, but was unsuccessful. He hit the deer and was thrown from his bike. He suffered only minor injuries and was taken to Sutter Amador Hospital for treatment. A three-vehicle accident in Martell tied up traffic in a busy intersection. The CHP reported that Ellen White of Folsom was lost, looking for Copperopolis as she was driving south on Highway 49. She didn’t see the flashing red lights or stop sign at the intersection at Jackson Gate Road, continued through and struck a car already crossing the road. The impact sent that car into a third car stopped on Martell Road waiting to enter the intersection. The crash closed the southbound lanes of the highway and both lanes of Martell Road. A new support group has formed for Calaveras County residents suffering from Parkinson’s disease, and for their families and caregivers. The Calaveras area group will meet next Tuesday at 10:00 AM in the San Andreas Senior Center. Those who attend will decide on a name and what type of presentations they want. A group in Amador County has been meeting in Pine Grove for the past two years. For more information on either group, call Sarah Johnson at 296-2575. Don’t forget to sign up your dad for ACRA’s Father’s Day Disc Golf Classic coming up this Saturday. The event will be held at the Kennedy Mine property from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Registration will be at 7:00 AM with a players meeting at 8:30. For information on how to play Flying Disc Golf, see the Professional Disc Golf Association web site at www.pdga.com. Proceeds from this event go toward a permanent disc golf course in Amador County. June 12, 2007 A 9 year-old Stockton girl drowned while swimming with her family at New Hogan Reservoir Sunday evening. Officials from the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Department said the child, whose name is not yet being released, had been swimming about 15 yards from shore when she was overcome by the wake from a passing boat. A bystander and Hogan Park Ranger tried to find the girl but their efforts were unsuccessful. The Sheriff’s Department Dive Team recovered the child’s body about an hour after she was last seen. Divers estimated the girl drowned in 10 feet of water. A wild land fire in El Dorado County had some Amador County residents nervous. The fire actually was in El Dorado County just south of the city of El Dorado and grew to over 100 acres by last night. Crews are expected to be at the scene for most of today doing mop-up work. There is no word yet as to the cause of the fire. An Ione man found himself behind bars after making threats to kill his family. Amador County Sheriff’s officials said 55 year-old Carlos Munoz was arrested after more than an hour standoff and evacuation of three family members from the Village Drive home. Munoz refused to put down his weapons but was later disarmed by deputies. Five firearms were recovered. He was arrested and charged with criminal threats and is being held in the Amador County Jail on $150,000 bail. The search for a missing hiker has come to a happy ending. According to the Amador County Sheriff’s Office, 65 year-old William Magee was found yesterday about 1.5 miles east of the Amador County line in Alpine County near Beebe Lake. He was located by a California National Guard helicopter search team after he placed pine needles on his campfire to create a smoke plume. Undersheriff Jim Wegner said about 40 searchers were in the field at any given time looking for Magee since Saturday. A couple managing the Kennedy Mine Inn found themselves behind bars last week after a criminal investigation. Amador County District Attorney’s Office authorities said 52 year-old Steven Asman and 43 year-old Dolores Goodman were arrested last Thursday for embezzlement, grand theft and receiving stolen property after investigators determined the couple had allegedly taken money and various household furniture and tools from the property owned by Floyd Christeson, then sold the items. A special allegation has been attached to Asman’s case for a second strike against him. Asman reportedly was convicted of armed robbery in Indiana in 1979. If you’re still looking for something for your kids to do this summer, it’s not too late to register for the ACRA Summer Day Camps. Kids from 6 to 12 years of age are invited to spend a week or two enjoying many activities lined up during the camps. This week and next, Camp will be running at the Amador County Fairgrounds. Call Julie at the ACRA office (257-1764) for a complete list of dates, times and locations of all the camps. Main Street Theater Works is having some trouble lining up a few odd props for their upcoming production. They are in need of the following: A rifle or shotgun that would be of no use so that it can be dropped every night; a croquet mallet; a baseball bat; a bullhorn; a couple of old, larger sized walkie-talkies; a megaphone; and a bull whip. They need these items by next weekend, the 17th. Call Susan McCandless at 295-4499 or email her at susanmccandless@hotmail.com. June 11, 2007 A San Joaquin County woman has been indicted for crimes committed in the valley and the Mother Lode. 30 year-old Angelique Michelle Hall was indicted by the Federal Grand Jury Thursday on charges of stealing the identity of others and cashing a multitude of checks worth thousands of dollars. When she was arrested, she had over $30,000 worth of checks in other people’s names. She allegedly would steal checks from mailboxes or have others steal them for her, then buy merchandise. Hall faces a number of years in prison if convicted on all charges. The search for a missing hiker resumes today in Amador County. According to the Sheriff’s Office, a hiker, identified as a 65 year-old San Francisco man with wilderness experience, left the Allen Camp trailhead Thursday with two companions. The friends told authorities that the man intended to hike back to his vehicle and drive to Bear Valley to meet them, but they became concerned the man was not waiting for them when they arrived Saturday. The man’s car has been found, however several agencies continue looking for him during daylight hours today. The CHP is looking for a man who fled the scene of a single vehicle accident in Calaveras County Friday. At about 2:00 PM, officers went to the scene of an overturned vehicle with its engine still running, on Highway 26 near Silver Rapids Drive. The driver, a Hispanic man with a head injury, reportedly had fled the scene by jumping into a silver Lincoln Towncar last seen headed toward the Linden area. San Andreas CHP officials said Stockton area officers had taken the case from that point, trying to track down the Lincoln, but no further information was available. The “Citizens for San Andreas”, an advocacy group for planning and growth issues in the unincorporated town of San Andreas, will host a Town Meeting this Thursday at 7:00 PM in the Town Hall on Church Hill Road. For more information on Thursday’s meeting, go to www.citizensforsanandreas.org Amador and Calaveras County high school students had firsthand work experience during the school year at Sutter Amador Hospital. Twelve ‘Regional Occupational Program’ (ROP) students were honored at a breakfast in the new Outpatient Services Conference Center with a number of Health and Education dignitaries from both counties on hand. Nine Amador County seniors and three Calaveras County seniors participated in the program that entailed 8 to 10 hours per week of working in select hospital departments throughout the year. Main Street Theater Works crews are preparing for the opening of their 4th summer season at Kennedy Mine. On Friday, June 22nd, the premiere of “The Foreigner” is scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM. Gates open at 6:30 for picnicking. “On Golden Pond” is slated to begin on August 17th and run until September 15th. For more information about the outdoor summer season, visit their web site at www.mstw.org The Mokelumne River Rafting Adventure, presented by O.A.R.S. will be held Sunday, June 24th. Reservations must be made in advance as seating is limited. Proceeds from the event go to the Calaveras Youth Mentoring program. The cost is $49 and participants’ ages can range from 7 to 87. The ability to swim is not required. Call 736-6080 to register. ****************************************************************** June 8, 2007 Toddler Kai Edmunds is making good progress at U.C. Davis Medical Center. HomeTown Radio spoke with Kai’s mother, Gabrielle Richardson, who said her 19 month-old son is improving with each day during his rehabilitation and expected to be released from the Center within a month. A special account has been set up with Guaranty Bank in Richardson’s name to help the family pay medical expenses. The incident has led Richardson to focus on educating the public on child abuse awareness. For more information on this topic, contact the Child Abuse Prevention Council in Amador County at 223-5921, or in Calaveras County at 754-6110. To report child abuse incidents, call the 24-hour hotline at 223-2600, Child Protective Services at 223-6550, or 911. Details are still sketchy concerning a vehicle accident on Highway 88 this morning. At about 9:00 AM, emergency crews went to the Buena Vista Road area and found a P.G. & E. pickup and a small SUV had collided. One person was sent by helicopter to a Sacramento trauma center for treatment. More details should be available later today. It’s probably not a good idea to put your car in reverse, especially when there’s a police car behind you. The CHP reported that 20 year-old Shawn Compton of Volcano had stopped in a parking stall in Jackson as he was being pulled over by a Jackson Police Officer for an unknown violation. Compton’s car began to roll backwards and struck the patrol car despite the officer’s efforts to get Compton’s attention that he was behind him. No one was injured in the low-impact crash. A small vegetation fire in Amador County was quickly extinguished by firefighters yesterday. At about 10:30 AM, CAL-FIRE and local volunteer fire crews responded to the report of a roadside fire along Highway 88 near lower Ridge Road. Witnesses calling 911 said the fire was caused by sparks coming from a chain being dragged behind a car. The fire grew to less than 100 feet in size and was contained within minutes after crews arrived. The Jackson Fire Department has released their statistics for the month of May. Volunteer firefighters responded to a total of 78 calls during the month. The majority of calls, 65%, went to those with medical needs. So far, the department has responded to 405 calls this year, nearly 80 calls more than this time last year. With warmer weather headed our way, P.G. & E. is reminding income qualifying customers to sign up for a 20% discount on their energy bill. New income guidelines were implemented on June 1st, which increased the amount of customers that are eligible. The income qualifications are available on P.G. & E.’s web site at www.pge.com In an effort to help consumers deal with skyrocketing gas prices despite the fact that they have dropped somewhat in the past week, AAA of Northern California is offering advice to drivers to increase fuel efficiency and cut down on refueling costs. Five easy steps are outlined on their web site at www.aaa.com June 7, 2007 The plot thickens in a case we reported to you earlier where a Modesto woman tried to cash a $5,000 check at the Jackson Rancheria. The Amador County District Attorney’s Office has filed eighteen charges against 30 year-old Christina Yeadon-Torres after she allegedly used another person’s check to purchase $2,000 of goods at Wal-Mart Monday evening and later went to the casino where she found herself arrested by Amador County Sheriff’s Deputies. Yeadon-Torres is due in court tomorrow at 1:00 PM for a “bail consideration” hearing. She has since posted bail. Highway 26 was a mess for a time Wednesday morning after a three-vehicle accident. The CHP said a San Andreas woman didn’t see two cars stopped at a stop sign in front of her as she traveled at about 50 MPH down the road. She couldn’t slow or stop in time and hit the car in front of her. The impact sent that car into the front car. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, but the road was blocked as emergency crews tended to the situation. Jackson City Fire crews were called into action last night at around 7:30 after a grass fire was reported off of Placer Drive near the city’s corporation yard. The fire was contained to just a small area and no structures were threatened. While the cause of last night’s fire is still under investigation, officials were looking for a group of juveniles seen in the area prior to the fire. A slump in Real Estate is making for a grim Calaveras County budget for the coming year. Calaveras County Supervisors Wednesday, concluded three days of hearings by hashing out the details for a proposed preliminary budget of more than $95 million for the 2007-08 fiscal year that begins July 1st. The proposed budget is about 2.9% more than that proposed last year. The Board of Supervisors is expected to formally adopt the budget at their June 26th meeting. The Sutter Creek Planning Commission has a meeting set for this Monday at 7:00 PM in the Community Building on Church Street. On the agenda, the Commission will review and is expected to approve a conditional use permit for the Amador Farmers Market. They will also be directing staff regarding revisions to the city’s sign ordinance. Also, a public hearing is scheduled to talk about annexation of 56 acres east of Sutter Hill Road. Amador STARS will be holding their annual “Great Amador Head Shave” next month. Anyone interested in having their head shaved, or to donate at least ten inches of long hair to ‘Locks of Love’, is encouraged to show up at Jose’s Restaurant on Wednesday, July 18th between 7:30 and 10:00 AM. For more information on the Great Head Shave, or September’s Camp Out For Cancer events, call the Amador STARS office at 223-1246. The Calaveras Healthy Impact Products Solutions, or C.H.I.P.S. group will be hosting a discussion on Biomass Utilization and Economic Development this Friday from 3:00 to 5:00 PM in the West Point Community Hall. Also, C.H.I.P.S. is holding a woodcraft design contest where the top prize is $250 for the winning design. For more information on contest rules or to get entry forms, call 293-2333 or visit their web site at www.mycalaveras.com/chips June 6, 2007 The investigation continues in a case of a bomb scare in Ione. HomeTown Radio spoke with Ione police authorities who said a man, whose name is not yet being released, came to the City Hall last night with a device he said he found along Highway 104. Fire Chief Ken Mackey instructed the man to place the device in the middle of the parking lot, prompting closure of the lot and a call to the Calaveras Sheriff’s Bomb Squad. The unit “rendered the device safe”. Ione Police said the man who brought the device is a “person of interest”. Two Amador County men are recovering after their involvement in a crash yesterday afternoon. The CHP said 19 year-old Douwe Mason of Plymouth was driving his pickup when he lost control on Sutter Creek Road near Meadowlark Lane. The truck went into the opposite lane and struck an approaching car driven by 83 year-old Ernest Vermette of Ione. Vermette suffered minor injuries and was taken to Sutter Amador Hospital for treatment. Mason’s injuries were more serious; he was taken by air ambulance to Sutter Roseville Hospital for treatment of his injuries. A simple traffic stop nabbed an Acampo woman allegedly driving a stolen car. Ione Police officials said that Officer John Stewart pulled over 28 year-old Karissa Peterson for a traffic violation near Main Street Friday night. During his investigation, he determined Peterson to be driving under the influence. Peterson began making statements to the officer that led him to believe she was driving a car that didn’t belong to her. The owner of the car was notified, prompting an additional charge of Peterson driving a stolen vehicle. Her bail is set at $20,000. Two Amador County residents escaped injury in what could have been a very serious accident. The CHP reported that 26 year-old Anthony Herrera of Pioneer was driving on Silver Drive near Highway 88 just before 11 PM last night, when he made an unsafe turn while adjusting his radio. When he looked up, there was also a deer that ran in front of him. The pickup went off the road and into a tree. Neither Herrera nor his passenger were injured. Five deputies from the Amador County Sheriff’s Department’s SWAT team were sent to El Dorado County yesterday to assist with the manhunt of a person who shot three EDCO deputies and a K9. Lt. Kevin House of the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department said all members of their department involved in the shootout in Shingle Springs suffered non-life threatening injuries. The shooter was found dead on the property after allegedly shooting his father at their home. Sacramento resident Richard Tinoco was arraigned yesterday in Amador County on two counts of a lewd act on a child. The D.A’s office also charged Tinoco with a special allegation of two prior felonies. The alleged molestation incident happened in Amador County on Memorial Day weekend. Tinoco remains in the Amador County Jail on $500,000 bail. His next court dates are scheduled for July 19th and 20th in Amador County. New York Fitness is now accepting pre-registration for several classes being held this month. For a full list of classes, their dates and times, call New York Fitness at 223-3236 or visit their web site at www.nyftyfitness.com June 5, 2007 What began as a simple conversation in Jackson turned ugly between two men. According to Jackson Police authorities, two brothers whose names are not yet being released, walked to a home on Arroyo Street to talk with the resident about an incident they were involved in from a day earlier. The resident, identified as 20 year-old Alek Schmidt, eventually pulled out a handgun and pointed it at one of the brothers’ face. Schmidt was later found in his car on Hoffman Street where he was arrested for brandishing a firearm and possession of a concealed weapon. The gun was not loaded but Schmidt told police he had the hammer cocked back as he pointed it at the victim. Schmidt is being held in the Amador County Jail on $6,000 bail. A vehicle rollover accident tied up traffic in the Plymouth area during Monday evenings commute time. The CHP said a Wilton woman lost control of her car on Highway 16 near Old Sacramento Road just before 5 PM. Her car veered into the opposite lane where it hit an oncoming car driven by a Citrus Heights man. The woman’s car then overturned. Neither driver was injured. Graduation is this week for most of the Junior High and High Schools in the Mother Lode. In Amador County: Wednesday- North Star Independent Study, 11:00 AM Independence High School, 7:00 PM. Thursday- Ione Junior High, 6:00 PM Jackson Junior High, 7:00 PM Friday- Amador High School, 7:30 PM Argonaut High School, 8:15 PM, followed by “Sober Grad” party for all high school graduates at the Italian Picnic grounds. Calaveras County: (Bret Harte High School seniors graduated last Friday) Wednesday- Calaveras High School, 6:00 PM Thursday- Avery Middle School, 6:30 PM Despite some unseasonably cool weather, the Amador Farmers Market has begun yet another season selling fresh produce from local farms. Organizers say that on Mondays from 3:00 to 6:30 PM, goods will be available on Main Street in Ione. Beginning June 27th, the Pine Grove market will be open from 3:00 to 6:00 PM, and starting this Saturday, the Sutter Creek market on Eureka Street will be open from 8 to 11 AM. Another food recall is in the news. SuperValu announced yesterday it’s recalling some ground beef sold in its Albertsons and Save-A-Lot stores because it is believed to be contaminated with e.coli. Most of the products were sold under the Moran’s label at Albertsons stores in California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, and Save-A-Lot stores in Arizona, California and Nevada. The recalled products have sell-by dates from April 20th through May 7th. Customers with questions about the recall can call United Food Group’s hotline at 1-800-325-4164. (UPC #’s 34779 60501, 34779 60000, 34779 96000, 34779 91000, 34779 60010, 34779 96194, 34779 21117) The last call for auditions for the newest production through the Volcano Theater Company is today at 5:00 PM. Organizers are looking for six women ages 16 to 80 and six men, ages 16 to 60. Scripts are available at First American Title Company in Pine Grove. The production dates for this show are August 10th to September 8th. Here’s a reminder of some Amador County area meetings and events this week: Wednesday- ACTAC, County Administration Center, 1:30 PM. 223-6380 Thursday- Immaculate Conception Men’s Club, Bingo Fund raiser for Anne Conrardy Cancer Fund. 5:00 PM, Sutter Creek. Friday- Sutter Creek Promotions Committee, Days Inn, 8:30 AM. Bill Hepworth, 267-9101. Saturday- Ione-Buena Vista Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. June 4, 2007 A Bay Area man trying to pass a car on Highway 88 misjudged on-coming traffic Sunday afternoon. In his attempt to pass a number of cars near the San Joaquin County line, the CHP said 35 year-old Todd Novello of San Jose crashed his motorcycle after speeding around cars on the left and had to dart back into traffic to avoid an approaching car. He couldn’t slow down in time and hit the back of a van in front of him. The impact caused Novello to be thrown from his bike whereby he suffered a broken ankle. The woman in the van was not injured. It was a relatively quiet weekend for firefighters in Amador and Calaveras Counties. Saturday afternoon at around 5:00 PM, a fire in the Jenny Lind area grew to 14 acres in size. No structures were threatened. Then late Sunday afternoon, about ¼ acre of grass alongside Shenandoah School Road burned. And as a reminder, CAL-FIRE has suspended all burning permits in the Tuolumne-Calaveras County area effective this morning. The Amador-El Dorado Unit is expected to suspend burn permits sometime later this week. A Sacramento man was arrested over the weekend and booked into the Amador County Jail on allegations of lewd acts with a child. 29 year-old Richard Tinoco was arrested in Sacramento Saturday afternoon, and returned to Amador County where the alleged offense occurred. According to reports, the boy was allegedly molested by Tinoco, a family acquaintance, while camping over the Memorial Day weekend at the Indian Grinding Rock State Park. Knight Foundry officials have launched a renewed campaign to save the historic facility. In a press conference and tour held by Knight Foundry Committee members, the Chairman of the committee, Troy Claveran said they are committed to reach their goal of raising more than $2 million for the purchase and environmental cleanup efforts of the Foundry. For more information on the Knight Foundry operation and fund-raising efforts, contact Claveran at 267-1441. Today kicks off preliminary budget hearings in Calaveras County and officials are saying there is no good news. The hearings began at 9:00 AM at the CAL-Works Human Services building in San Andreas, continuing through Wednesday this week. Final budget hearings are tentatively set for September. The Angels Camp Bypass will take another step closer to actual construction. The Calaveras County Council of Governments says the bidding process for the project begins today where notices will go to contractors. Submitted bid documents will be opened on August 21st with the contract awarded shortly after. Once started, the Bypass will take an estimated 600 days to complete – that’s equivalent to three construction seasons, McSorley commented. The Sierra Century bike ride went off without a hitch Saturday. Officer Mike Maddox of the San Andreas CHP office said there were no problems at all with the county’s first-ever Century event. Organizers are already talking about next year’s event in the county. June 1, 2007 A multi-agency undercover investigation resulted in seventeen cases of unlicensed contractor activity in Amador County. District Attorney Todd Riebe said the operation, which took place Wednesday, was a combined effort by investigators from the Contractors State License Board, the California Department of Insurance Fraud Division, and Detectives from both the Jackson Police Department and the D.A.’s office. Consumers can check a contractor’s license number or verify Worker’s Compensation Insurance coverage on the Contractors State License Board web site at www.cslb.ca.gov or call 1-800-321-2752. To report unlicensed contracting activity or contractor fraud, call the CSLB “SWIFT” unit in Sacramento at 1-916-255-2924, or call the Amador County District Attorney’s Office at 223-6444. A Pioneer woman and teenage boy escaped what could have been a serious crash Monday. The CHP said 49 year-old Joyce Deruchia was driving at a high rate of speed on Highway 88 near Cedar Heights when she lost control of her car. The car began to fishtail, and as she overcorrected, it overturned onto its roof. Deruchia and the 15 year-old boy suffered only minor injuries. Deruchia was treated at Sutter Amador Hospital and arrested for driving under the influence. A Modesto woman is recovering from her run-in with a squirrel on the road. According to the CHP, the woman was driving on Highway 4 near Pool Station Road when she swerved to avoid hitting the animal. She lost control of her car it hit a small dirt berm and cattle fence, causing the vehicle to roll over onto its roof. She was taken to Mark Twain St. Joseph’s Hospital for treatment of moderate injuries. Due to lack of agenda action items, the City of Sutter Creek has announced that the June 4th City Council meeting has been canceled. The next regular meeting will be held June 18th at the Community Building on Church Street beginning at 7:00 PM. It’s only a few short weeks to go before the newest of County buildings is open for business. The Amador County Board of Supervisors announced the new site for the Amador Court Services is scheduled to move in and open for operation on Monday, June 25th. The new courthouse is located at the former site of the County Administration Center at 500 Argonaut Lane in Jackson. A community workshop to discuss the Upper Mokelumne River Watershed has been scheduled for Thursday, June 21st at 6:00 PM in the Hotel Leger in Mokelumne Hill. Two meetings prior to this, beginning at 3:00 PM in the same location will commence. The public is invited to attend all three meetings. Sutter Creek Business & Professional Association members are still working on the Highway 49 Bypass signage issue after CAL-TRANS had removed several of the banners that they put up. The Association has since replaced the banners that now stand on private property. They are looking for volunteers to be a part of a signage task force. Their next business meeting is scheduled for June 14th at the Sutter Creek Palace. May 31, 2007 CHP investigators are still looking for the driver of a hit and run incident that occurred Sunday afternoon. The victim, 26 year-old Justin Bowen of Pioneer was making a left turn on his motorcycle, using an arm signal. The driver of a pickup behind Bowen crossed over the double yellow lines and sideswiped Bowen’s vehicle as the truck tried to pass. The driver fled the scene in the truck. Bowen suffered minor injuries and refused medical treatment. Two Calaveras County women are lucky to have only suffered moderate injuries in a head-on collision yesterday. The CHP said 54 year-old Linda Edlund of West Point was driving on Highway 4 near Stallion Way at high rate of speed. She lost control of her car, locked the wheels as she braked, and hit Valerie Williams’ car head-on. Both women suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries. They were taken to Mark Twain St. Joseph’s Hospital for treatment. The survey results from Cosumnes River College have been made available, but according to survey officials, didn’t show them exactly what they expected. Of the 2000 respondents, a higher portion of them were over the age of 40 and a higher proportion had advanced educational degrees as compared with the overall population of the county. With this in mind, college officials determined it inappropriate to utilize the survey data to draw conclusions about Amador County residents. The next step is for is to review the current enrollment patterns of Amador County residents at the Los Rios College system and incorporate that information with identifying courses that should be offered at the Amador Learning Center. Officials will also make efforts to solicit input from local high school students. There’s not much change in the labor market for the Motherlode. According to the California Employment Development Department, the unemployment rate for Amador County during April has remained at the 5.8% mark since the beginning of March. In Calaveras County, the rate has actually decreased for the third month in a row to 6.3%. The public is invited to come and enjoy the fun and support a worthy cause. The Immaculate Conception Men’s Club will donate the proceeds from their monthly Bingo on Thursday, June 7th, to the Anne Conrardy Cancer Fund. Funds will be used to help pay for uncovered medical expenses for Anne’s cancer treatments. For more information on this fund raising event, give us a call here at HomeTown Radio (223-0241 or 754-3745). Don’t forget, the annual ACRA/Kennedy Mine barbeque dinner is tonight. Tickets are $25 per person, available at the door. This includes a steak dinner, music and mine tours. Gates open at 4:30 PM. Mark Twain St. Joseph’s Hospital has appointed Feliciano Jiron as its new president. Jiron comes from an Arizona medical center where he was the Assistant Chief Executive Director. Jiron takes the place of former President Mike Lawson who left in 2006. Larry Phillip has been serving as interim president since that time. May 30, 2007 The end of burn season is fast approaching as weather conditions remain warm and dry in the region. Officials at CAL-FIRE say they are suspending all burn permits as of 8:00 AM Monday, June 4th in the Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit. Authorities at the Amador-El Dorado Unit have not yet set their official date of suspension, however they do speculate that it will be on or around June 4th. The Amador-El Dorado Unit of CAL-FIRE will be conducting live fire training today and tomorrow. The burn will take place along Highway 104 near the Sacramento/Amador County line. Smoke from the burn will be visible throughout the western part of Amador County both days. A missing person report turned tragic in Amador County. According to Sheriff’s officials, 54 year-old Magdolna Muller of Plymouth was reported missing early last week, after she told her mother she was going to hang herself. Muller’s body was found five days later after authorities searched the largely remote area west of Plymouth. She apparently committed suicide by hanging herself from a tree. Two Jackson men managed to get arrested for breaking into their own residence. Jackson Police authorities said 28 year-old David Doty and 25 year-old James Larsen were arrested after allegedly breaking into the locked bedroom of their female housemate. Doty held an 8½-inch knife up to the victim telling her they didn’t like her and wanted her to leave. The woman was not injured in the incident. A couple of serious motorcycle accidents were reported over the past few days. The CHP said a 16 year-old Sutter Creek boy riding on Sutter-Volcano Road came into a curve too fast. When he hit the brakes to slow, the wheel locked, sending the bike straight instead of into the curve. He was ejected as the motorcycle went off the road, and suffered major injuries including an open fracture to his arm. He was taken to Sutter Amador Hospital for treatment. On Sunday morning, an un-licensed, un-helmeted motorcycle rider is recovering from a crash. The CHP said 35 year-old John Smith of Ione was riding a Suzuki motorcycle on Coyote Road in the Camanche area at a high rate of speed. He lost control in a curve, was ejected from the bike and suffered major internal injuries and broken bones. He was taken to U.C. Davis Medical Center where he is listed in fair condition. Local law enforcement agencies in Calaveras County are urging motorists and cyclists to exercise courtesy and caution this Saturday. The Sierra Century Ride is set for June 2nd, bringing an estimated 1,800 cyclists to the area. Organizers are working closely with law enforcement agencies, emphasizing safety and compliance with all rules of the road. This is the first year the event will be held in Calaveras County. For more information on the Sierra Century Ride, go to www.sacwheelmen.org. May 29, 2007 19 month-old Kai Edmunds, seriously injured in a child abuse case from earlier this month, has been making some progress. According to family members, Kai is still at U.C. Davis being treated for head injuries suffered while his mother’s boyfriend was watching the child. Kai was moved from the intensive care unit to the pediatrics unit Monday. His family has set up an account with Guaranty Bank to help pay for medical costs. Anyone wishing to contribute to the fund can send a check to “Gabrielle Richardson Donation”, in care of Guaranty Bank, 11992 State Highway 88, Suite 2048, Jackson, CA. 95642. Jackson Fire and Police Investigators are still looking into the cause of last Friday’s structure fire. After several hours of battling the blaze and mop-up work, the investigation had begun to determine how it started. So far, officials at both agencies are listing the incident as “suspicious in nature.” CHP officers in both Amador and Calaveras counties had a very busy time during the Maximum Enforcement Period over the holiday. In Amador County, there were ten traffic collisions, three of which were from DUI incidents. There were a total of nine DUI arrests. In Calaveras County, officers arrested five people for DUI and issued 84 citations for seat belt violations. Since the “Click It or Ticket” campaign last Monday, 117 citations have been given in Calaveras County for the offense. There were four crashes on Calaveras County roads over the Memorial Day weekend. No fatalities were reported in either county. There’s good news in the health industry regarding smoking. According to the California Department of Health Services, the states’ smoking rate has dropped nearly 33% since the implementation of an anti-tobacco program that began in 1988. Although smoking has declined among all age groups, 18 to 24 year-olds continue to have the highest smoking rate of any age group in the state. CAL-FIRE crews were busy Friday afternoon and well into the evening, battling a vegetation fire at Murray Dale Lane near West Murray Creek in Calaveras County. According to CAL-FIRE, the blaze started at about 2:30 PM when a debris fire became unmanageable and before it was contained, burned about 111 acres. There were no injuries or damage to any structures. A court date has been set for the San Andreas doctor accused of hitting his son. Dr. Gary Johnson pled not guilty last week in Calaveras County. Johnson was arrested in March for hitting the 13 year-old at his San Andreas home. Johnson is charged with child endangerment and battery. A trial date was set for 8:30 AM, September 13th in Calaveras County Superior Court. There is a correction to the listed phone number to the Amador County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office was notified by a citizen who told them their phone number was incorrectly listed in many local phone directories as 257-1305, and that number was not being answered. The CORRECT phone number to reach the Sheriff’s Office is 223-6500. The appropriate phone companies have been contacted regarding this error and they have agreed to make the correction in their next editions. The Calaveras County Water District is once again asking its water customers to voluntarily conserve water this summer by limiting both the days and times of outdoor watering. Customers with odd-numbered addresses are asked to water only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Those with even-numbered addresses, water only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The District also asks that outdoor watering be done only between 6:00 PM and 10:00 AM. For more information on conserving water, go to the District’s water conservation page at www.ccwd.org. The public is cordially invited to help “Main Street Theatre Works” continue their sensational season by being a part of the “Building Bash” planned for the Kennedy Mine Outdoor Amphitheatre. Help is needed by providing your time and skills by either working on the new bathroom building or set construction. The “bash” is set to begin today, right on through to opening night of “The Foreigner” on June 22nd. For more information, call Mike Phelan at 267-2210 or Ken Stefferud at 293-7500. May 25, 2007 A pre-dawn structure fire had local fire fighters scrambling to the scene on Vogan Toll Road in Jackson. According to preliminary reports by both the Jackson Fire and Jackson Police Departments, an attorney’s office had suffered extensive damage to the structure after a fire broke out at around 4:30 this morning. Crews remained on the property for a good part of the day doing mop up and investigating the scene. More information should become available early next week. Equipment failure caused a widespread blackout in a section of Calaveras County yesterday evening. P.G. & E. officials said 1,821 customers in the Copperopolis area were without power from about 6 to 8 PM after a cross-arm broke at Little John Road and Quiver Drive. Power was restored to all but 15 customers. Memorial Day Weekend signals the beginning of the recreation season in the El Dorado National Forest and the threat to the forest from unsafe campfires. Forest officials say that every year, unsafe campfires are the number one source of person-caused fires in the El Dorado National Forest. During the past 10 years 305 fires were started by unsafe campfires in that forest. Everyone who builds a campfire outside the developed sites must have a 2007 campfire permit. They are free. With the warm weather expected over the holiday weekend, holiday-goers are reminded that area rivers and lakes remain cold. Officials at the National Weather Service say it’s important to remember that although the air temperatures will be warming into the 70’s and 70’s or warmer, the water temperature of Northern California rivers and lakes will remain cold- in the 40’s and 50’s - causing some people to suffer hypothermia, a potentially deadly condition. The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors will begin preliminary budget hearings the first week in June. Beginning Monday, June 4th, the hearings begin at 9:00 AM in the CAL-WORKS Sequoia Room in San Andreas. The hearings will conclude Wednesday, June 6th at 1:00 PM. Budget documents are available through the County Administrative Office. The ‘Mountain Lion Foundation’ is looking for 4H and FFA clubs throughout the Central Sierra to help with a loss-prevention program concerning livestock killed by the wild cats. Contact Emily Cunnison, the Northern California Field Representative for the Foundation, at 800-319-7621, ext 106, or email Emily@mountainlion.org The Amador County Women’s Network is presenting their annual mixer next Saturday, June 2nd at the Jackson Senior Center. The festivities begin at 6:00 PM. Tickets are $25 for single or $40 per couple prior to the event; $30 and $50 respectively, at the door. Proceeds benefit the Amador County Women’s Network Scholarship Fund. For more information, call 245-6519. Mark Twain is making an appearance in Amador City next month. The Imperial Hotel will host the event with Wendell Martin portraying the iconic writer and storyteller in “An Evening With Mark Twain” on Saturday, June 16th. Half of the proceeds from the event will go to Hospice of Amador. For information or tickets, call 267-9172. May 24, 2007 Memorial Day Services in Amador County will have a special feeling to it this year. Amador County Veteran’s Services Director Floyd Martin told HomeTown Radio that this year’s services will be in honor of the County’s most recent hero, Jay-D Ornsby-Adkins of Ione, who was killed in Iraq last month. Martin said there will be two services, both at 11:00 AM Monday. One will be at the Amador Memorial Cemetery in Pioneer. The American Legion Blue Mountain Post will conduct services, followed by a lunch served by the Women’s Auxiliary. The second service will be at the American Legion Park on Sutter Hill, with lunch served afterwards. A three-vehicle accident tied up traffic in the Pine Grove area for a time Tuesday. The CHP said Richard Callow of Pioneer was stopped on Highway 88 near Hilltop Street to make a left turn into a driveway. When he turned, an approaching car driven by Deborah Brodie of Pine Grove, couldn’t stop in time and crashed into Callow’s car. Her car was pushed into a third car stopped in the driveway. Brodie suffered minor injuries and was taken to Sutter Amador Hospital for treatment. The other two drivers escaped injury. Beginning July 1, the Calaveras County Water District will charge higher rates for water and sewer service. The District’s Directors narrowly approved a tiered rate hike for its nearly 12,500 water customers and 4,500 sewer customers this week. The vote for the new rate schedule, to be phased in over the next five years, was 3-2. With the Memorial Day holiday quickly approaching, AAA of Northern California says that nearly 5 million Californians are expected to hit the roads. Despite the higher gas prices which make for a more costly journey in all venues, 4.9 million travelers are anticipated to drive, bus, train, or fly 50 miles or more this weekend. That represents an overall increase of 1.6% from last year. Nationwide, AAA estimates over 38 million of those will travel by car, while 4.4 million plan to fly, and just under 2 million expect to vacation via other modes of transportation. Can’t find anything to do this weekend? Let us give you a few ideas…. Listen to HomeTown Radio newscasts, Entertainment Reports, and Community Calendars for information on local events and activities. There’s a lot to do in the area! Don’t forget, the annual ACRA – Kennedy Mine Barbeque dinner is just a week away. The Amador County Recreation Agency is hosting this dual-purpose fundraiser next Thursday, May 31st at the Kennedy Mine. The cost is $25 per person. Proceeds from the event help support the Kennedy Mine Foundation and ACRA. Tickets are available at the Chamber of Commerce, City Hall offices, and the ACRA office in Jackson. May 23, 2007 Crews were called out first thing this morning for a vegetation fire. At about 7:45, CAL-FIRE and local volunteer units responded to a fire in the area of Martin Lane and Jackson Valley Road. A witness who called in the incident said the flames were beginning to threaten nearby homes. A crew with a water tender arrived within minutes and quickly extinguished the blaze. The cause of the fire is still under investigation and has been classified as only a ‘roadside fire’ at this point. One final note on the Calaveras County Fair… This year’s event drew a record 52,637 fair-goers between Wednesday afternoon and Sunday evening, easily topping last year’s mark of 48,000. In addition to the jump in attendance, the Junior Livestock Auction raised about $500,000. CAL-FIRE officials announced yesterday the arrival of fire fighting planes to the foothills might be delayed. It’s a question of time, money, and where the fires are most dangerous. CAL-FIRE says it’s yearly decision on where to put fire attack planes and crews depend on conditions and how many aircraft are ready to fly. The fire season usually starts first in the south, then moves to central and northern California. This year that means the attack base at Grass Valley and Columbia won’t see planes and pilots before June 15th. The keen eye of a Tribal Police officer resulted in the arrest of two people early Monday morning. The CHP said that after two Tribal Police officers contacted a couple in a Chevy Suburban on Rancheria property, the two fled in a reckless manner. A time later, a CHP Sergeant driving eastbound on Highway 16 saw the vehicle traveling west. He made a quick u-turn and began the chase at speeds of over 110 MPH into Sacramento County. After the car began running out of gas, the driver pulled into the Rancho Murieta Community where the two were arrested without further incident. The Vacaville couple was taken to the Amador County Jail where they were booked on multiple felony charges. The CHP urges motorists to drive safely over Memorial Day weekend. All available officers state wide, will be out in force to crack down on DUI drivers, seatbelt usage, and speeding. Also, the Amador CHP and Jackson Police officers will conduct a DUI checkpoint Friday evening in Jackson. The Amador STARS would like to remind the community they are in need of licensed cosmetologists to assist with a “look good – feel better” program. Co-sponsored by the Amador STARS and the American Cancer Society, the program provides make up techniques, scarf tricks, and wig information to women going through cancer treatment. If you can volunteer to help, call the Amador STARS office at 223-1246. Amador County will be losing two vital employees in the Social Services venue. Ken and Diane Peebles’ last day of work is Friday. Ken has been the Health Education Assistant the past five years for TRAC, (Tobacco Reduction of Amador County). For twelve years, Diane has been the with the Alcohol and Drug Services department. This Friday morning at 8:30, Ken will be one of our guests on “Morning Madness”. May 22, 2007 St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Jackson has been given the “green light” to continue in the application process after last night’s Planning Commission meeting. The Church will move forward for the opportunity to build a “mixed-use project”, according to City Manager Mike Daly. Daly told HomeTown Radio today, the Commission has recommended the Church to apply for 86 lots – about 58 acres of land – to be used as a future subdivision in the area of New York Ranch Road and Highway 88 behind the medical offices on Court Street. The Commission will meet again on Tuesday to review the application. A Jenny Lind man accused last month of videotaping showering female co-workers has been sentenced to six month is jail. Ross Estabroooks pleaded guilty in Calaveras County Superior Court to four misdemeanor charges that fall under a subcategory of disorderly conduct that covers ‘Peeping Tom’ cases. Estabrooks will also be required to undergo mental health and sex offense counseling, and will face probation after his release. At least one copper theft case in a string of numerous such crimes has been solved. According to Amador County Undersheriff Jim Wegner, deputies arrested 21 year-old Garrett Ingram who was discovered at Howard Properties in the Buena Vista area last week with stripped copper wire and wire cutting tools. He was also preparing to hoist a turbine-style motor onto a flatbed truck. Ingram was arrested on charges of burglary, grand theft, possession of burglary tools, vandalism, and trespassing. His bail was set at $10,000. A chain reaction between three cars sent one person to the hospital with multiple fractures. According to the CHP, one of their officers was driving a patrol car, responding to an incident on Highway 88 in the Jackson Valley area with his lights and siren activated. The third of three cars heading toward the car failed to stop and hit the rear of the car in front of him. That car was sent into the rear of the lead car, causing the driver of the middle car to suffer major injuries. The other drivers and passengers involved suffered very minor or no injuries. It was a sell-out crowd for the third year in a row… the “Bunco for Breast Cancer” event was held at St. Sava Mission where over 300 Bunco players dressed in pink were there to support the Amador STARS fund raiser. This year, the event brought in more than $16,000. Organizers are already talking about next year’s event. A memorial fund has been set up for the family of Angels Camp police officer Jared Poortinga. Poortinga died Saturday while driving his 2007 Yamaha motorcycle on Murphys Grade Road. He was off duty at the time. Contributions can be sent to any Pacific State Bank branch, or mailed to P.O. Box 1649, Stockton, CA 95201. Two entities in Calaveras County that have been largely apart for 60 years, hope to create a new era of cooperation. As approved by the Board of Supervisors, the County and the Calaveras County Water District are preparing to form a joint committee to better facilitate communication and to develop a close working relationship. Amador County has had a joint commission for about 15 years now, with positive results. Amador County Airport/Westover Field is having an “Airport Appreciation Day” once again. This year’s event, hosted by the Experimental Aircraft Association, will be held on June 2nd from 9 AM to 3 PM. For more information on the event, call the Amador County Airport at 223-2376, or email Dave Sheppard at dsheppard@co.amador.ca.us. BloodSource of Sacramento will hold another blood drive next month. Join the Amador County Veterans in their effort to meet the needs for blood on June 11th from 11 AM to 6 PM at the American Legion Hall on Sutter Hill. For more information, call 223-4389. **************************************************************** May 21, 2007 A 19 month-old Amador County toddler is in critical condition at U.C. Davis Medical Center and his mother’s boyfriend has been arrested for child abuse. The suspect, 45 year-old Neil Farkas, admitted the abuse to Amador County Sheriff’s Office Detectives after first claiming the injuries resulted from a fall. Farkas told investigators he was watching the child Wednesday evening and the boy wouldn’t stop banging a cup against the wall and screaming. While Farkas initially stuck to his story about the child falling out of bed, medical specialists said the nature of the boy’s injuries contradicted the suspect’s account. Later, he admitted and re-enacted the incident to detectives, showing them how he shook the child and slammed his head into the wall. The toddler was sent to U.C. Davis Medical Center for emergency surgery Thursday morning. Farkas is currently in custody at Amador County Jail and will be arraigned this afternoon at 2:00 PM. His bail has been set at $125,000. After several smoke check calls in Calaveras County, CAL-FIRE crews ended their day Saturday battling a structure fire. Firefighters responded at about 8:00 PM to a home on Miwok Trail in Mokelumne Hill. Officials say there was an estimated $5,000 damage to the structure. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Calaveras County Law Enforcement is mourning the death of an Angels Camp Police Officer killed Saturday in a motorcycle accident. 30 year-old Jared Poortinga died Saturday morning when the off-duty officer lost control of his 2007 Yamaha motorcycle on Murphy’s Grade Road. CHP investigators said Poortinga was leaning into a curve when the edge of his bike caught the pavement. The bike went out of control and hit an oncoming car. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Petaluma woman driving the car was not injured. Three motorcyclists in separate collisions, all in Calaveras County, suffered minor to major injuries over the weekend. The most serious, a 54 year-old Santa Rosa man was traveling east on Highway 4 when, due to his level of intoxication, he was unable to negotiate a curve in a safe manner. The man applied his brakes sharply and skidded into an embankment. He was ejected from the bike, causing fractures to his head as well as his collarbone. An early morning fire forced the evacuation of the Days Inn of Sutter Creek yesterday. Fire crews were called to the scene about 8:30 after smoke was reported coming from one end of the building. It was determined the cause of the smoke was from a small electrical problem in the building’s wiring. Following a complete investigation of the area by fire personnel, the evacuation order was lifted. No one was reported injured, and no damage estimate has yet been released. Sunny skies and the promise of good times brought out thousands of fair goers and thousands of frog wranglers to the Calaveras County Fair. According to Marketing Director Laurie Giannini, about 4,000 contestants entered the annual Jumping Frog Jubilee, twice as many as last year. This year’s winning Frog Jockey was Brent Bloom who has been competing since 1971 and took home his second first place title Sunday. Bloom’s frog, Lisa Can Do, jumped an amazing 21’ 4 ¼”. The current World Record was set by Rosie the Ribeter in 1986 with a 21’ 5 ¾” jump. A special Council Meeting has been called in the City of Plymouth, scheduled for this Thursday beginning at 4:30 PM. The meeting will be a budget workshop that will include a staff report, Council questions of staff, open public comment and discussion. The regular City Council meeting will follow at 6:30 PM. For more information and a complete agenda, contact the Plymouth City Council. May 18, 2007 For the second day in a row it was a busy afternoon for cal-fire Late yesterday afternoon, crews were called out to a group of vegetation fires that started near hwy 26 and Paloma Road in Calaveras County. The fires burned in what cal-fire officials said was grassy pasture land, with no trees or homes in the path of the fire. A total of 15 acres were burned, stretching between Valley Springs and Jackson. The Amador Community Foundation has announced its new board members. Margaret Alexander of Amador City, Kathryn Delvin of Jackson, Wayne Garibaldi, a Jackson native, Gretchen Kingsbury of Sutter Creek, and Martha Shaver of Ione have all joined the board by appointment to the organization. For more information about the Amador Community Foundation, call Shannon Lowery at 223-2148 or visit their website. As a reminder, the Amador County Waste Management Department is offering a special one-weekend household hazardous waste collection event. Tomorrow from 8:00 am to noon, Aces Waste services in Pine Grove, and on Sunday at River Pines town hall, will hold the free collection event where they will accept used batteries, motor oil, paint, paint thiner, auto motive products, pool chemicals and the like. For more info contact the Waste Management Department at 223-6429 or visit the county’s web site. May 17, 2007 The California Highway Patrol has increased enforcement in Calaveras County during ‘Frog Jump Week’, reminding motorists that officers will be out in full force watching for those who are not wearing their seatbelts, speeding, or driving under the influence. Fire crews got a good workout yesterday afternoon. According to CALFIRE, there were five separate vegetation fires in Calaveras County, all in the Paloma and Watertown Road area. Five more fires burned in Amador County off Stoney Creek and Pardee Dam roads. Two other smaller fires were also reported in the Martell area off of Highway 88. No structures were threatened in these fires; the largest burned about 10 acres in Calaveras County and 5 acres in Amador County. Law enforcement agencies in both counties are searching for a suspect believed to be involved in starting of the fires. Authorities say the suspect was driving a white Ford F-150 extended cab truck with black rims. A confrontation turned violent sending a Pioneer woman to jail after the dust settled. Amador County Sheriff’s officials said 41 year-old Roxanne Gonzales went to a neighbor’s trailer, reportedly intoxicated, and became violent in an argument with the neighbor. She began to throw rocks at the man and his wife, and hitting the man in the waist with a chain she threw at him.