Traffic Collisions Around Mother Lode

Chinese Camp, CA – A foot race this weekend will shut down a section of Highway 120 to traffic and create delays. This Saturday, February 4th, is the annual Oriental Express Run, which passes through Chinese Camp. Caltrans reports that the highway will be closed between Sims Road and Highway 49 North from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. for the race. They added that one-way traffic control will be in place to Red Hill Road.

Sonora, CA – Motorists can expect delays Friday in downtown Sonora due to Comcast wire and pole work on two roadways. Comcast is working with SEFNCO Communications out of Livermore to perform what is called “over-lashing,” or adding another communication cable to an existing attachment already on a utility pole. In this case, a 250-foot fiber will be strung to five poles along East Jackson Street before turning right onto North Stewart Street, one block east of North Washington Street/Highway 49. The final pole is almost at the Dodge Street intersection.

There are a few events happening in the Mother Lode this weekend. The Columbia Jazz Artist Series Program will host the 42nd annual Jazz Festival on February 3 and 4 on the school campuses of Summerville High and Sonora High. Students will have a chance to learn from top jazz performers as detailed here.

Pioneer, CA – Repeated calls to an elderly couple’s home in Amador County went unanswered and probably saved an elderly couple’s lives. During severe weather or other emergencies, first responders frequently advise residents to check on their neighbors, particularly senior citizens. That advice was lifesaving for an elderly couple in the Pioneer area of Amador County on Wednesday night. After hearing a car horn sounding and calling their elderly neighbors several times with no answer, a neighbor feared for their safety and called 911.

San Andreas, CA — A man in custody escaped the Calaveras County Jail Thursday evening. 41-year-old Larry Albert McDonald was doing some supervised duties associated with his assignment as an inmate worker. While taking out the trash, he sprinted toward a razor wire fence, climbed over, and ran away into a field. The jail was put on lockdown and other law enforcement agencies were called in to help with the search. They included jail staff, patrol deputies, Angels Camp PD, CHP, and a Stanislaus County helicopter.

Tuolumne, CA – A Tuolumne man attempting to wake an intoxicated guest learned a baseball bat was not the best choice as it landed him in handcuffs. It was actually the resident, 66-year-old Brian Montgomery, who recently called the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office to report an intoxicated man on his couch who would not wake up. He then abruptly tried to hang up, telling dispatchers that the man was starting to wake up and they were no longer needed.

Jamestown, CA – Take a look at the video in the image box of the alleged thieves stealing a generator from Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown earlier this month. Columbia and Railtown State Park Rangers are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspects. One can be seen using a dolly to wheel out the stolen equipment to a car, and the other appears to be playing lookout. The theft occurred in the early morning hours of Friday, January 6th. Here is also a picture of that getaway car. The time stamp on the video shows the time to be just after 5 a.m.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the western slope of the northern Sierra Nevada from Saturday afternoon until Sunday evening. Additionally, a Winter Storm Watch has also been issued for Yosemite National Park (outside of the Yosemite Valley floor) from Saturday evening until Sunday evening.

Sonora, CA – In honor of February being National Children’s Dental Health Month, kids can get free checkups and other care in the Mother Lode, bringing a smile to their parents’ faces. Safari Smiles Dental and Smile Keepers have been providing free dental care for children ages...

Calaveras County, CA — Those impacted by the recent storms in Calaveras County can talk face-to-face with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staff, but only for a limited time. County OES officials have announced the opening today of the Disaster Recovery Center, which will be manned seven days...

Sonora, CA– The Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools Office hosted the fifth annual Tuolumne County Mock Trial Competition at the Tuolumne Courthouse. The Mock Trial program features high school students from three local schools, Sonora High School, Summerville High School and Tioga High School. Each high school had three groups of students, assisted by attorney coaches, arguing this year’s fictional case three times with case details created by the Constitutional Rights Foundation. Each school got a turn representing the prosecution or defense team. Students operate as attorneys, witnesses, a bailiff, jewelry expert, clerk, journalist, and courtroom artist.

David Lee “Cracker” Wainwright, born June 27, 1945 in Oklahoma passed away Monday, January 30, 2023 at Adventist Health Sonora. A Celebration of his life with Military Honors will be held. Terzich & Wilson Cremation-Funeral Home entrusted with Cremation arrangements. Date of Death: 01/30/2023. Age: 77. Residence: Groveland,...

Angels Camp, CA – One of the top female musicians in the nation is inspiring Bret Harte Union High School’s junior class to create lasting memories. Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me” music video features the artist in a homemade t-shirt with the words “Junior Jewels” on it. That has inspired the class leaders to have a Junior Jewels Class T-Shirt Event.