A 12-year-old boy charged in the stabbing death of his sister, Leila Fowler, 8, appeared in Calaveras County Superior Court on Wednesday but did not enter a plea.

The District Attorney’s Office is charging him with second-degree murder with a special allegation for use of a dangerous weapon. Second-degree murder indicates the killing was not premeditated. 

Joan Jett performs at Ironstone Vineyards in 2010. Gary Linehan / Union Democrat, Copyright 2013.

“This year has been a challenge for us and a challenge in numerous ways,” Ironstone President Stephen Kautz said in announcing the series Tuesday. “There are a lot of logistics, a lot of challenges and a lot of funds when dealing with musicians.”

The Tuolumne Utilities District will continue to examine whether it makes sense to lower connection and capacity fees for future developers in an attempt to spur growth.

Multiple people criticized the idea during a Tuesday meeting of the TUD Board of Directors, though board members said they are considering lowering the fees and want more information on how it could impact TUD’s water supply and bottom line.

A 911 dispatch tape released Tuesday by the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office shows the chaos surrounding the initial report related to the stabbing of 8-year-old Leila Fowler.

The recording, released at the request of The Union Democrat and other media outlets, documents a conversation between Leila’s mother and a Calaveras County 911 dispatcher on April 27. It indicates the mother, Crystal Walters, was not yet aware of the seriousness of the situation when she called authorities.

A Sonora man on a motorcycle led law enforcement officers on a chase through Sonora, Jamestown and Tuolumne late last night, waving to crowds gathered along the way.

The low speed chase began around 11 p.m. and, at one point, included patrol cars from the Sonora Police Department, Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office and California Highway Patrol, according to CHP Officer Michael McDaniel, who was an arresting officer.

California Carnival, a Rancho Cordova company, is the new carnival concessionaire at this year’s Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee. Sean Janssen / Union Democrat, Copyright 2013.

The down-home theme is representative of the fair’s return in recent years to an emphasis on family friendliness and local volunteer involvement after reductions in state funding, and eventually a complete elimination two years ago.

A Calaveras County Grand Jury report released last week found the Mokelumne Hill Fire Protection District mishandled a situation where a firefighter suspected to have been drinking responded to a call.

The report also concluded the district’s board of directors violated the state’s Ralph M. Brown Act, which governs public meetings, in the aftermath and cited other procedural and building code violations.

Is Groveland Community Services District Board of Directors member Joe Riley staying or going?

It was a question reopened anew this morning, as Riley said he was withdrawing his request to be reinstated to the board. He’d a week ago resigned but days later changed his mind and asked to be reinstated.

A 12-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the April 27 stabbing death of his 8-year-old sister, Leila Fowler, in Valley Springs.

The boy was arrested by Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office detectives at 5:10 p.m. Saturday at the Valley Springs substation, said Sheriff Gary Kuntz.