Moderate retail water rate increases will be considered at the November 15 meeting of the Placer County Water Agency Board of Directors. The meeting will start at 2 p.m. in the PCWA Business Center at 144 Ferguson Road in Auburn.
Agency directors approved 2008 rate hikes last week for wholesale water customers, saying they are necessary to meet the demands of state regulators, replace water delivery facilities and, in general, pay for the cost of doing business.
A dinner hosted by the Colfax VFW Post 2003 will be held on Saturday, Nov. 10 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Colfax Veterans Memorial Hall, 22 Sunset Circle. The dinner will include lasagna, salad, garlic bread, cookies, coffee or hot apple cider and costs $8 per person, plus an item for our troop care packages. Suggested items are beef jerky, granola bars, hard candy, gum, new socks (white or black), a music CD, a movie DVD or a small holiday ornament. Sodas, wine, beer and mixed drinks will also be available for a donation. If you can’t make it to dinner, but still want to help, monetary donations will be accepted to offset postage costs, and care package items can be dropped off at Colfax Area Chamber of Commerce, Dawn’s Hallmark in Auburn, or the Colfax Record in Colfax.
Guess what! Paul Kovacich, the pensioned Placer County sheriff’s sergeant accused of killing his wife a quarter century ago, is getting a new lawyer.
During an appearance before Superior Court Judge Larry Gaddis in Auburn last week, it appeared that John Lyman, a deputy public defender, will be the next attorney to represent Kovacich, who remains free on $1.5 million bail.
The judge was informed that Kovacich’s most recent ex-lawyer, John Spurling, had left the public defender’s staff. Spurling was appointed to represent Kovacich a few months ago after Tom Leupp and Clyde Blackmon, the ex-cop’s private lawyers, said they were leaving the case because their client could no longer afford to pay them.
Saturday’s 12th annual Fall Brewfest, to be held from 5 to 9 p.m. at The Ridge in Auburn, features microbrews, appetizers from local restaurants, a silent auction and live music by Catfish and the Crawdaddies. Tickets are $45 at the door. For more information, call 530-885-9500.
The City of Auburn’s investment portfolio is in fine shape and had a total value of $8.4 million as of September 30, according to City Administrative Services Chief Andy Heath.
Heath said the portfolio’s $2.3 million drop from its mid-year value of $10.7 million was expected because the city spent heavily on capital projects and paid a hefty installment on the CalPERS pension bond debt.
Two young men have been arrested by Placer County sheriff’s officers for shooting and killing domesticated animals in western Placer County.
The suspects were identified as Colin J. Lovejoy, an AWOL Marine, and Timothy R. Schulz. Charges against them include cruelty to animals, negligent discharge of a firearm, shooting from a public roadway and shooting from a vehicle, all felonies.
Officers said the pair used a small caliber rifle to kill a bull, two goats, two dogs and a chicken in the vicinity of Mt. Pleasant, Wise and Godley roads late last week.
The board of supervisors has been asked to help negate this year’s election allowing the Placer County Mosquito and Vector Control District to increase assessments on property owners.
The request came from the Weimar/Applegate/Colfax Municipal Advisory Council (WAC-MAC), a non-elected panel that advises the supervisors on issues affecting that region.
WAC-MAC’s membership is comprised of appointees of Board Chairman Bruce Kranz, who represents that area. WAC-MAC’s request was addressed in writing to Kranz.
Kenneth W. Turney, 45, identified by authorities as a homeless man, was due in court in Auburn Tuesday afternoon to answer to charges that he attacked two men with a pick ax in North Auburn last Thursday night.
Turney was arrested by Placer County sheriff’s officers and booked into the county jail on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon. His bail was set at $65,000.
Investigators said Turney struck two men with the ax in separate attacks. The men were treated at Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital.
Auburn raised the sewer charge from $35 to $52.50 per month to raise money to do what? At the June Auburn City Council meeting it was implied that the funds, along with an extra million out of the existing fund, would be used to renovate the existing plant. The Sentinel reported $11.7 million and was also the amount discussed at the council meeting. Question: Who bid this amount or is it a number picked out of thin air? Now there is a contract for $732,668 with the company that has been operating the sewer plant that can be halted if a decision is made to spend $53 million on a regional plan. My understanding is that California law prohibits fees/taxes/assessments from being arbitrarily increased.
The City of Auburn is proceeding with planning for the state-mandated improvements at its sewage treatment plant, but it’s also leaving the door open for participation in a regional wastewater plan.
On a 5-0 vote Monday night, the city council authorized Public Works Director Jack Warren to issue a contract for the project’s final design to ECO:LOGIC, Inc., a consulting firm the city frequently uses.
