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THE MOTHER LODE'SLEADING INFORMATION SOURCE SINCE 1854 • SO NORA, CALIFORNIA
WEDNESD AY AUGUST 26, 2015
Roderts murder
TODAY'S RiADiR BOA RD
Accused,
SONORA j
BRIEFING
a
DAhave heated
From the Past — Fact or fiction: A Tuolumne County river where gold flows like water.A2
exchange
Umpqua update
Lucero takes stand, testifies for six hours
— The second suspect in a July Twain Harte bank robbery is in custody.A3
Ashley Madison leak — Registered
By TORI THOMAS
site users file suit over security breach.A3
The Union Democrat
The murder trial of Cheryl Lucero lost its somber tone Tuesday when the accused murderer took th e s tand and had a heated exchange
OPlhlOh —Hypocrites line up on Sesame Street; Pot harm ignored in legalization push.A4
with Tuolumne
County District Attorney Laura K rieg ab o u t w hat Krie g called Lucero's obsession with Lu c ero the victim. Lucero, 46, testified in her own defense for almost six hours, first under questioning from Dana Gross, one of
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Fire uPdate -Mower cause of Fraguero Road fire.Back Page c1
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her attorneys, and then from
Magg>e Beck/ Umon Democrat
Purchasephotos online at w ww.uniondemocrat.corn
Traffic flows Tuesday down Washington Street in Sonora, which was recently included on a list of "Richest Small Towns in America."
• GROVELAND GROWTH:Businesses hard hit by 2013's Rim Fire and government shut down are making great gains.B1 • WALL STREET: Experts: Stay calm in crazy market.B1 • FAMILY FINANCE: Money-smart kids: Stem the tide of college debt. B1 • STATE SECURITY: Agencies vulnerable to IT security breach.BS • LANDTRANSFERS: Property transactions in Tuolumne County.BS
City ranked No. 36 on Bloomberg list of 'micropolitan areas' By GUY McCARTHY
SeeTRIAL/Back Page
The Union Democrat
Sonora is on a list of the "Richest Small Towns in America" put together by Bloomberg Business and bloomberg.corn. The list, published Aug. 19, lists Sonora as No. 86 in the nation, based on statistics including median household income and median home values. That puts Sonora in company with famous small towns like Jackson,Wyoming, Vineyard Haven on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, and Key West, Florida. It's a pleasant surprise to find Sonora listed with communities that appeal to the well-heeled, some Sonora-areabusiness and real estate professionals said Monday. But the Bloomberg list does not account for some widely acknowledged realities here, especially the challenging local economy.
NEWS ELSEWHERE • TERROR INVESTIGATION: Train suspect watched jihadi video.AS • APOLOGY:Wine train issues apology to book club members.A5 • TRUMP:Republican presidential candidate has an argument with a news anchor from a Hispanictelevision network.AS • BALKAN BORDER: Surge of migrants arrive in Hungary.AS
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By JASON COWAN
File photo /Union Democrat
A view of downtown Sonora from the top of Dragoon GulchTrail.
The Union Democrat
dian home and median income," Sonora native who has worked in said Clark Segerstrom, of Coldwell Tuolumne County real estate more Banker Segerstrom in Sonora. uI'm than 80 years, said he's been in surprised we would rank that high many of the other towns on the list.
Steve Kovacs, fire chief of the Copperopolis Fire Protection District, was placed on administrative leave at a Copperopolis Fire Protection District Board of Directorsmeeting earlier this
on a national basis."
Segerstrom, a fi f th-generation
See SONORA / Back Page
month. " He was pu t
TuolumneIltilities District
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Cost projections for improving Tuolumne Utilities District water and sewer infrastructure include unfunded annualaverages of $8.6 million a year over5.5 years from 2016 to 2021, districtstafftold the TUD board ofdirectors Tuesday evening. The board took no action Tuesday on the draft capital improvement plan.
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They were asked to listen and provide feedback. The draft plan includes worksheets for each member to rank priorities among the proposed projects. The unfunded total for improvements over 5.5 years listed is $19,885,926. As a draft plan, it is subject to change. The final plan total of unfunded improvements for water and sewer will likely be a key figure in an upcoming study the district is planning to justify raising ratesforitscustomers.
Tuolumne Utilities District serves about 44,000 residents in Tuolumne County. About 18,500 households have water connections with TUD. District stafF plan to seek approval &om the five-member board of directors at a future meeting. No date was set in a timetable presented Tuesday. A public hearing for adoption of the final capital improvement plan and a rate ordinance
Kovacs remains fire chief
with the Murphys Fire Pro-
See TUD/Back Page
See KOVACS/Back Page
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on paid administrative leave. I don't think he will remain on it for very long," said district board member John Maness. "We' re hopefulfor more info regarding the leave by the next board meeting." Maness would not say what prompted the decision. Kovacs could not be reached for comment.
Board weighs improvement plan By GUY McCARTHY
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Fire chief Kovacs on paid leave
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'Those numbers seem pretty ac-
The Union Democrat
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Cosserosolis
curateI expect, as far as the me-
NEWS TIPS?
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Krieg. Lucero, of Twain Harte, is on trial for the Feb. 16, 2014, murder of Sonora Police Department volunteer Rick Roberts, with whom she had an affair. Krieg instructed Lucero to
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DR. CHRYSTAL BRADLEY is now accepting patients
Medical Center
Call 209-536-3750 to schedule an appointment.
~A.dventist Health
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