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SACRAMENTO (AP) — California's first snow survey of the winter showed the Sierra snowpack below normal Wednesday despite a series of storms that has drenched much of the state and pleased ski resort oper- ators. The state Department of Water Resources reported the findings from monitors located along the 400-mile- long Sierra Nevada. The snowpack, which is the source for much of the water used by California cities and farms, contains about 85 percent of its usual water content for this time of year. Sue Sims, the water department's chief deputy director, said the results sug- gest California may be fac- ing a fourth year of drought. ''Despite some recent storms, today's snow survey shows that we're still play- ing catch-up when it comes Red Bluff Outdoor Power POWER PRODUCTS DOLMAR Local outlook HIGH/LOW Weather forecast 8B Cloudy Rain 50/43 N EWS D AILY DAILY 50¢ THURSDAY DECEMBER 31, 2009 Teen makes his dream come true Davis wants record Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com N EWS D AILY RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Page 4A SPORTS 1B Pastimes 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 2010 CELEBRATION BULLRIDING & DANCE THURSDAY DECEMBER 31, 2009 Pauline Davis Pavilion Tehama District Fairground Red Bluff, Califorina Doors open 6:00 pm Pre-Rodeo 7:00 pm Opening Cememonies 7:30pm For info, reserve seats, or charge by phone 181 E. 2nd St. Chico 530-891-1650 Diamond W Western Wear N EWS D AILY RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 527-2151 • FAX 527-3719 545 DIAMOND AVE., RED BLUFF The Daily News office will be closing early New Year's Eve, Dec. 31 & closed New Year's Day, Jan. 1 Classified deadlines for 1/1, 1/2, & 1/4 will be 9:50am. CALL TODAY (530) 529-1222 237 South Main Street As Local As.... Are you tired of being Nickel and Dimed by your current bank? It's time to move around the corner to Cornerstone Community Bank. • With our Better Than Free Checking • No Fees • No Monthly Service Charges • No ATM fees • No Minimum balances required Court finds collective owners guilty By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer A court has found the own- ers of a short-lived Red Bluff cannabis collective to be in violation of city codes for unlawful occupancy and unlawful land use. Lana Louise Aguiar, 53, and Ashley Aleene Arnold, 25, both of Red Bluff, contin- ued to operate the collective despite being advised by Red Bluff Police and city staff that their business was in vio- lation of city ordinances. Citations were issued on Oct. 22, 26 and 28 and Nov. 3, according to a department press release. The pair was found guilty on all charges from the Octo- ber citations during a Dec. 2 trial and both are expected to appear in court on Jan. 6 for sentencing. Charges from the Nov. 3 citation are still pending. Aguiar and Arnold appeared in court Monday and pleaded not guilty to the charges. A trial date has been set for Feb. 3 for that last citation. Calls to Aguiar and Arnold were not returned. The Blue Toad, which operated out of a building on Hickory Street, opened on Oct. 13, the same day the city held its first public hearing on the medical marijuana ban ordinance during a Planning Commission meeting. The collective closed in November after the city enacted a temporary ban on medical marijuana collec- tives, cooperatives and dis- pensaries. Owners have said they vol- untarily closed after the city threatened to issue citations to their landlord as well. Planning Director Scot Timboe has said the city and law enforcement have never intended to cite landlords for the violations nor do they plan to do so. ——— Tang Lor can be reached at 527-2153, Ext. 110 or by e-mail at tlor@redbluffdailynews.com. Local feats a slam dunk Daily News photo by Geoff Johnson Reba Barnwell details a 2007 Pontiac as part of the 2nd Annual Spartan Scavenger Hunt Wednesday afternoon. By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer The girls of the Spartan Varsity Basketball Team closed out 2009 with an "amazing race" of their own on Wednesday. Divided into three teams — with ocean, desert and rain forest themes — the girls worked against the clock to complete tasks at local businesses, including eating escargot and raw calamari at the Riverside Bar and Grill, outfitting a car with snow tires at Les Schwab and detailing a 2007 Pontiac at Helser Chevrolet. After each task, players were rewarded with clues to the next loca- tion and challenge, Head Coach Katie Mackey Harris said. Players who made it to the finish line first were rewarded with movie passes — but the best-costumed players were also given a 10-minute bonus, prompting Lily Brose to put on a snorkel and scuba equipment, Brandi Anthony to dress up like a pirate and Alana Hinkston to dress as Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants. Man enters plea in Nov murder A Corning man who turned himself in after alleged- ly murdering his girlfriend pleaded not guilty Tuesday. Steven Arcangelo Piazza, 49, called police on the morning of Nov. 23 and told them he believed he had killed his girlfriend sometime between 3:30 and 4 a.m. Police had to break into the home and found Linda Pot shop faces 140 citations By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer The owners of Red Bluff Patient Collective pleaded not guilty to a combined 140 citations Tuesday. Red Bluff Patient Col- lective was the sole mari- juana collective to operate in a retail building in the unincorporated county. Although Mike and Dawn Jenkins have since agreed to cease operations unless the Tehama County code is changed to allow for large-scale medical mari- juana groups, they still face citations from the county for violating a ban that covers any large-scale exchange of marijuana. District Attorney Gregg Cohen has previ- ously said the Jenkinses could face up to a year in prison and $1,000 in fines for each citation for which they are convicted. Tehama County allows the cultivation of medical marijuana for people with doctor's rec- ommendations and for growers to share with a select group. But the Board of Supervisors banned any profit or non- profit operation that exchanges cannabis for money in large groups, including collectives, dis- pensaries and anything in between. Calls to the Jenkinses' attorney, Keith Cope, were not returned Tues- day afternoon. The phone Youth, CHP team up for impairment awareness By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer The Tehama County Young Marines and the California Highway Patrol teamed up Wednes- day at Raley's in Red Bluff to reach out to their community. "We're here promoting drug awareness in the community, focusing on New Year's Eve, and also working on the Fulcrum Shield Award," said Young Marines Gunnery Sgt. Carlin Bowles. Bowles, Sgt. Maj. Annie Bennett and Sgt. Debbie Ortiz headed up the drug demand reduc- tion efforts that won the group the Fulcrum Shield, which is a national award given to a military-based youth group that works on reducing drug prob- Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb California Highway Patrol Officer Pat Hurton gives Harvey Mills of Red Bluff a sobriety test Wednesday at Raleys while he wears a pair of fatal vision goggles that simulate being under the influence. Sierra snowpack is below average, despite storms See MURDER, page 7A See POT, page 7A See SIERRA, page 7A See YOUTH, page 7A