County will continue to drain savings

Supervisors OK new budget By Dana M. Nichols dana@calaverasenterprise.com / June 16, 2016 Top of Form Bottom of Form Calaveras County will continue draining its savings accounts in the coming year under a preliminary budget that won the informal approval this week from a majority of county supervisors. By tapping about $3 million in fund balances and another $1.8 million from the so-called Teeter Fund that accumulates property tax penalty payments,... Read More

County budget hearings set to begin Tuesday

Butte Fire, pot industry yield revenue By Dana M. Nichols dana@calaverasenterprise.com / June 14, 2016 Top of Form Bottom of Form Calaveras County will likely draw more than $17 million from savings to balance a preliminary budget that county elected leaders will consider this week. The $140.8 million budget proposed by County Administrative Officer Shirley Ryan reflects the dramatic events of the past year in that it includes roughly $10 million... Read More

Pot initiative still in play for November election

By Jason Cowan / The Union Democrat / @jcowan1031 Published Jun 10, 2016 at 11:09PM One marijuana initiative remains in play in Calaveras County, having collected enough signatures to be placed on the November ballot. Robin Glanville, a clerk-recorder-election coordinator with Calaveras County, said proponents for an initiative that would create a regulatory system for the commercial cannabis industry submitted 3,308 signatures on May 31. Glanville... Read More

Dollar General coming to VS

By Nick Baptista, The Valley Springs News, Friday June 10, 2016 Dollar General is building a new store in Valley Springs. Earthwork began several days ago at the site near the intersection of State Route 26 and Jean Street. “We expect the store to have a grand opening in early spring 2017,” said Nolan Miles, Dollar General’s internal/external communications coordinator. “Please note, however, construction progress may alter the final timeline.” Dollar... Read More

Measure A proposes a resource conservation district

Calaveras one of few counties in state without one Calaveras County voters on June 7 will decide whether they want the county to form its own resource conservation district, something that almost all other counties in the state already have. Advocates for the measure say the new district would be able to obtain state and federal funds to address problems such as restoring watersheds and thinning fire-prone forests. Read Article Here  Read More

Butte Fire area not high hazard according to public utilities map

Agency might revise utility line fire risk assessments Calaveras County Supervisor Cliff Edson and a state senator have joined forces to urge the California Public Utilities Commission to revise maps that do not show the Butte Fire area as one that faces a high risk of fires caused by utility lines. Read Article Here  Read More

Forestry deal could bring jobs to region

Mokelumne River watershed to be protected Tens of millions of dollars could flow to grant-funded forest restoration and watershed management in the tri-county area, funds that the authority can spend on local contractors, said Steve Wilensky, founding member of the Amador-Calaveras Consensus Group, a community-based organization that works to build fire-safe communities, healthy forests and watersheds, and strong local economies. The consensus group... Read More

Calaveras board approves urgency ordinance regulating marijuana

The ordinance sets a moratorium on new marijuana farms effective Tuesday, rather than the originally proposed Feb. 16, and requires commercial growers to pay a $5,000 fee to register their operations. That fee, in turn, will fund enforcement efforts including new sheriff deputies who, presumably, will help eradicate growers who don’t comply with the rules. By Terry Grillo terry@calaverasenterprise.com Read Article Here  Read More

Cal Fire confirms PG&E caused Butte Fire

By Guy McCarthy / The Union Democrat / @GuyMcCarthy Published Apr 28, 2016 at 11:41PM Bill and Aileen Charamuga said in September they believed they knew exactly where the Butte Fire started: Under a power line that crosses their property on Charamuga Ranch in Amador County. Cal Fire’s incident investigator Gianni Muschetto went to the same area the day the Butte Fire broke out, Sept. 9, 2015, near Charamuga Ranch and Butte Mountain roads, east... Read More

Cal Fire to seek PG&E payout

BY BRAD BRANAN bbranan@sacbee.com / April 29, 2016 A Cal Fire investigation has found Pacific Gas and Electric Co. responsible for the 2015 Butte Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in state history. The investigation released Thursday determined that the fire was sparked by a PG&E power line that came into contact with a tree, resulting in a wildfire that spread to more than 70,000 acres in Amador and Calaveras counties, killed two people... Read More