Local News
11/02/2009
Malerbi Praises New Fair Board Member
Angels Camp, CA -- Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee General Manager Ray Malerbi is elated with the selection of Darrin Mills to serve on the Board of Directors.
The 35 year old Mills is vice president of Distinctive Metals. He formerly was the secretary of Angels Sheet Metal and is a current member of the Bret Harte High School F.F.A. Booster Club.
Malerbi is thrilled because Mills has shown his animals at the Fair. "He understands the history of the Fair and what it is all about. He truly understands its importance and what the Fair means to our community. He's really a welcomed addition to the Board."
Governor Schwarzenegger made the appointment. In addition the Governor also reappointed 59 year old Gay Callan and 57 year old Ronald Aschwanden to the Board.
Next year's Fair is set for May 13-16.
Written by bill.johnson@mlode.com
T.N.T. Pulls Off Groveland Area Drug Bust
Sonora, CA -- With the assist of a number of law enforcement agencies the Tuolumne Narcotics Team scored a major drug bust Thursday and Friday in the Groveland area.
Detective Neil Lilly tipped T.N.T. that there was blatant drug activity at the 2008 Dance of the Dead Festival at the Evergreen Lodge and the surrounding area. T.N.T. subsequently joined forces with the Tuolumne County Sheriff's patrol unit, the K-9 patrols from the Santa Cruz and Stanislaus Sheriffs Departments, state parole officers and the C.H.P to check traffic coming into the area for the Festival.
In the two day operation 104 traffic enforcement stops were conducted. Many of those stops evolved into searches revealing significant quantities of marijuana, psilocybin, LSD and ecstacy.
Eleven felony arrests were made ranging from possession to possession for sales and transportation of controlled substances. Additionally seven misdemeanor citations were issued for violations involving traffic and non traffic offenses. One DUI was arrested along with two parolees at large. Not a single drug offender was from Tuolumne County.
According to T.N.T. Sgt. Craig Davis, "This operation was a huge success for our unit and for the community. A lot of drugs were taken off of the streets and out of the hands of people profiting from other addictions. We were able to make many of these arrests prior to the suspects arriving at the festival and I'm sure it had a positive effect on the festival and its attendees by keeping narcotic related offenses to a minimum. Multi agency cooperation and participation was the real key to success. Without the manpower and utilization of the K-9 teams I think our success would have been limited."
Written by bill.johnson@mlode.com
City Of Sonora Set For Annual Retreat
Sonora, CA -- The City of Sonora is set for its day long annual retreat tomorrow at the Sonora Fire Department conference room on Shepherd St.
City Administrator Greg Applegate labels it, "A great opportunity for the City Council, department heads and the public, which is always invited, to get together so we can discuss state legislation from our League of California Cities Representative.
Larry Cope will be giving a presentation on the progress of the Economic Development Authority. There will also be a open meeting on the Brown Act conflict of interest update from our city attorney Richard Matranga.
We'll also have a discussion on the five year redevelopment plan along with goals that have been set by department heads to be reviewed by the City Council members.
It's just a great opportunity to meet all day long without interruption to reconnect for this next year."
Written by bill.johnson@mlode.com
Sonora Street Closure Set For Wednesday
Sonora, CA -- The Tuolumne Utilities District will be closing a portion of Stewart St. Wednesday to repair a main sewer line.
Elkin to Dodge will be closed from 8am until 3pm for the repair work on November 4.
Should you need additional information you can contact Customer Service Supervisor Lisa Westbrook at (209) 532-5536 (ext. 501).
Written by bill.johnson@mlode.com
San Francisco, CA - Caltrans has announced the reopening of the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge.
At 9:01 this morning five CHP units escorted the first wave of vehicles over the Bridge which was closed this past Tuesday evening when several tons of steel framework plunged to the upper deck of the east span.
Overnight crews were able to "get the geometry" in place with respect to key part on the bridge and conduct stress tests on the cracked beams.
The Bay Bridge services approximately 280,000 vehicles a day.
Bay Bridge May Reopen This Evening
San Francisco, CA -- The Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge may reopen as early as this evening.
The Bridge closed last Tuesday during the evening commute when approximately five tons of steel work and cable fell to the pavement of the east span's upper deck.
According to Caltrans Spokesman Bart Ney the bridge may open this evening if all structural tests have been completed.
The Bay Bridge services approximately 280,000 vehicles daily.
Written by bill.johnson@mlode.com
President Obama Claims Economy Is Improving
President Obama was Monday's KVML "Newsmaker of the Day". Here are his words:
"Each week, I've spoken with you about the challenges we face as a nation and the path we must take to meet them. And the truth is, over the past ten months, I've often had to report distressing news during what has been a difficult time for our country. But today, I am pleased to offer some better news that - while not cause for celebration - is certainly reason to believe that we are moving in the right direction.
On Thursday, we received a report on our Gross Domestic Product, or GDP. This is an important measure of our economy as a whole, one that tells us how much we are producing and how much businesses and families are earning. We learned that the economy grew for the first time in more than a year and faster than at any point in the previous two years. So while we have a long way to go before we return to prosperity, and there will undoubtedly be ups and downs along the road, it's also true that we've come a long way. It is easy to forget that it was only several months ago that the economy was shrinking rapidly and many economists feared another Great Depression.
Now, economic growth is no substitute for job growth. And we will likely see further job losses in the coming days, a fact that is both troubling for our economy and heartbreaking for the men and women who suddenly find themselves out of work. But we will not create the jobs we need unless the economy is growing; that's why this GDP report is a good sign. And we can see clearly now that the steps my administration is taking are making a difference, blunting the worst of this recession and helping to bring about its conclusion.
We've acted aggressively to jumpstart credit for families and businesses, including small businesses, which have seen an increase in lending of 73 percent. We've taken steps to stem the tide of foreclosures, modifying mortgages to help hundreds of thousands of responsible homeowners keep their homes and help millions more sustain the value in their homes. And the Recovery Act is spurring demand through a tax cut for 95 percent of working families, and through assistance for seniors and those who have lost jobs - which not only helps folks hardest hit by the downturn, but also encourages the consumer spending that will help turn the economy around.
Finally, the Recovery Act is saving and creating jobs all across the country. Just this week, we reached an important milestone. Based on reports coming in from across America - as shovels break ground, as needed public servants are rehired, and as factories whir to life - it is clear that the Recovery Act has now created and saved more than one million jobs. That's more than a million people who might otherwise be out of work today - folks who can wake up each day knowing that they'll be able to provide for themselves and their families.
We've saved jobs by closing state budget shortfalls to prevent the layoffs of hundreds of thousands of police officers, firefighters, and teachers who are today on the beat, on call, and in the classroom because of the Recovery Act. And we've also created hundreds of thousands of jobs through the largest investment in our roads since the building of the interstate highways, and through the largest investments in education, medical research, and clean energy in history.
These investments aren't just helping us recover in the short term, they're helping to lay a new foundation for lasting prosperity in the long term - and they're giving hardworking, middle-class Americans the chance to succeed and raise a family. Because of the investments we've made and the steps we've taken, it's easier for middle-class families to send their kids to college and get the training and skills they need to compete in a global economy. We're making it easier for these families to save for retirement. And in areas like clean energy, we're creating the jobs of the future - jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced.
In fact, just this week, I traveled to Arcadia, Florida to announce the largest set of clean energy projects through the Recovery Act so far: one hundred grants for businesses, utilities, manufacturers, cities and other partners across the country to put thousands of people to work modernizing our electric grid - the system that provides power to our homes and businesses - so that it wastes less energy, helps integrate renewables like wind and solar, and saves consumers money. And that's just one example.
So, we have made progress. At the same time, I want to emphasize that there's still plenty of progress to be made. For we know that positive news for the economy as a whole means little if you've lost your job and can't find another, if you can't afford health care or the mortgage, if you do not see in your own life the improvement we are seeing in these economic statistics. And positive news today does not mean there won't be difficult days ahead. As I've said many times, it took years to dig our way into the crisis we've faced. It will take more than a few months to dig our way out. But make no mistake: that's exactly what we will do.
For the economy we seek is one where folks who need a job can find one and incomes are rising again. The economy we seek is one where small businesses can flourish and entrepreneurs can get the capital they need to plant new seeds of growth. The economy we seek is one that's no longer based on maxed out credits cards, wild speculation, and the old cycles of boom or bust - but rather one that's built on a solid foundation, supporting growth that is strong, sustained, and broadly shared by middle class families across America. That is what we are working toward every single day. And we will not stop until we get there.
Thank you."
The "Newsmaker of the Day" is heard each weekday morning on AM 1450 KVML at 6:46, 7:46 and 8:46am.
Written by mark@mlode.com
