Since You Asked: Builder of highway bridge at Nicolaus was fired

Q: What has happened to construction on the bridge over the Feather River at Nicolaus? Caltrans said they fired the construction company for no work. The rumor mill said they left because of no money from the state of California. All the construction equipment is gone from the river bottoms, and weeds are growing where the road construction was being done. Either way, nothing is being done. Does this mean that the state cannot meet its legal contracts, or is it looking for a new contractor to finish the job?

A: State road officials maintain that Nehemiah Construction Inc. was fired in April after four months of work because the Gold River-based construction company couldn't provide enough workers to finish the job.

Now, Nehemiah's telephone number has been disconnected and Caltrans is still looking for someone to get it done.

"We're working with a bonding company right now to secure a new contractor," said Caltrans spokesman Gilbert Mohtes-Chan.

The (eventual) plan is to build a new two-lane bridge over the Feather River in Sutter County and expand Highway 99 to four lanes between Yuba City and Sacramento.

Caltrans estimates about 16,000 vehicles drive that route every day.

A voter-approved 2006 transportation bond is the primary source of funding for the project.

There's still no timetable for restarting the $53 million project.

Booking search

UPDATE: Why did the Sutter County Sheriff's Department remove the "Booking Search" feature from its website? Will they bring it back?

A: The searchable index of prior arrest information will not be restored.

Sheriff J. Paul Parker removed the index in March after he said the ACLU complained the department was exceeding its authority by providing that level of detailed information.

"We thought we were fine because we were only using our own data, but it would just take more effort than it's worth to maintain the site at this point," Parker said recently.

The jail's website still displays booking information, bail amounts, mug shots and charges for in-custody inmates, but that information is taken down once the inmate is released from custody.

Since You Asked is published on Mondays. Send questions to reporter Rob Parsons at the Appeal-Democrat, 1530 Ellis Lake Drive, Marysville, CA 95901, email him at rparsons@appealdemocrat.com or call 749-4785.