Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/7067
SACRAMENTO (AP) — A state lawmaker sought Friday to exempt county jails from a new law designed to ease prison crowding, hours after a county judge ruled the law requires sheriffs to free inmates before they serve their full sentences. More than 1,500 inmates have been released from county jails statewide since the new law took effect Jan. 25. It lets inmates reduce their sentences by up to half through good- behavior credits. Assemblyman Alber- to Torrico, D-Fremont, filed amendments to apply the law only to state prison inmates. ''There's some chaos out there,'' Torrico said. ''I can't imagine anyone is going to oppose this. We're talking about pub- lic safety.'' Torrico, who is run- ning for attorney gener- al, helped write the law. He said in a sworn state- ment last week that it was never intended to affect local jails. He joined a lawsuit filed by the Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs' Association after a coun- ty inmate was arrested on suspicion of attempt- ed rape shortly after his release. Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Loren McMaster said ''it is a formula for dis- aster'' to release jail inmates early at the same time the county lays off deputies to save money. However, his four-page ruling Friday said the law applies to inmates no matter if they are in jails or pris- ons. McMaster said he erred when he temporar- ily blocked the releases 10 days ago. An Orange County judge on Thurs- day declined to block releases there under a similar lawsuit. Det. Bill Miller, vice president of the Sacra- mento deputies' union, said there is little hope McMaster will change his mind during a further hearing set for March 3. ''I'm afraid there's not a next step, except we're waiting for the legislation to get it changed,'' Miller said. Crime Victims United of California filed suit in Placer County this week, arguing the early release law endangers the public and violates a victims' bill of rights ballot mea- sure approved by voters in 2008. Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb Elaine Benwell-Abeyta of Elder Services with Northern Valley Catholic Social Services calls a client Friday for the TeleCare program, which was recently able to expand due to a grant from St. Elizabeth Community Hospital. Weather forecast 8A Partly to mostly cloudy 59/44 N EWS D AILY DAILY 50¢ WEEKEND FEBRUARY 20-21, 2010 Glenn Beck: Inside Story Senior Night 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 See Inside SPORTS 1B USA Weekend 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 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 Dave Hencratt for Sheriff/Coroner ★ Tri Tip Dinner $ 15 00 Paid for by the committee to elect Dave Hencratt for Sheriff/Coroner February 26th, 2010, 6pm Red Bluff Community Center Auction & Silent Auction • Door Prizes Music by: Chad Bushnell Ticket available at: Crossroads Feed 595 Antelope Blvd. or call 526-5675 Paid Political Advertisement County in state's bottom 10 for health By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer Tehama County has the 10th worst health of California coun- ties, according to a new study. In research billed as the first of its kind to cover counties in all 50 states, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin exam- ined data from across the nation to determine which counties are the healthiest and which have the greatest known factors con- tributing to poor health. Two California counties, Alpine and Sierra, were exempted due to insufficient data, while the remaining 56 counties were weighed by data collected from the census, the Center for Disease Control and numerous government and uni- versity surveys conducted since 2000. Factors in Tehama County's low ranking include a prema- ture death rate almost 25 per- cent higher than the state aver- age and greater reported instances of poor health, poor health days and poor mental health days. Deaths from car crashes are more than twice the state aver- age, violent crime is 30 percent higher than the state average and healthy food is half as accessible as it is elsewhere in the state, according to the report. Teen births is about 25 percent higher. Almost no statistic is favor- able compared to California's average, save for fewer low birthweights, less binge drink- ing and less chlamydia, The study may be useful in Checking in Volunteers call seniors for safety, companionship By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer The TeleCare program, a reas- surance phone system provided by Northern Valley Catholic Social Services, is in need of volunteers. "We're working on expanding our program and getting the word out about it," said Elaine Benwell- Abeyta, with Elder Services, who is heading up efforts to find volun- teers. The program started with a grant in June 2009 from the Corning Health Care District, which serves Corning, Los Molinos, Vina and Rancho Tehama, and was limited to that area, she said. With the addition of a grant from St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, the free program now has the means to serve customers throughout Tehama County. "I know there's a need for this program in Tehama County," Ben- well-Abeyta said. "With cuts to In Home Services, I think it's going to get worse and increase the need for programs like TeleCare." TeleCare started with a call from an elderly woman who lives on a ranch in a remote area asking for help. The woman told Benwell- Abeyta that she was worried about her animals. Suspicious subscriptions By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer A group of youth appears to be selling magazines locally at two to three times market price and claiming the excess will go to charitable causes. Red Bluff resident Mary Bill said the girl who came to her door Thursday evening made a convincing case. "She seemed really suspicious to my husband and I, so I'm really surprised we fell for her line," she said. By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer CORNING — Coun- cilwoman Becky Hill and Councilman John Leach will not be present at Tuesday's City Council meeting, but that will not prevent the meeting from taking place, said Mayor Gary Strack. The two council mem- bers will be absent for very different reasons — one is leaving the area, the other undergoing a med- ical procedure. Hill, whose term is up in December, resigned late Friday afternoon because she and her hus- band will be moving to Rockaway Beach, Ore., near Portland, she said. "We both work on commission sales," Hill said. "He works in real estate and I do loans for PremierWest. Because of the economic downturn we can't afford to stay here. We've spent our sav- ings and done everything we can, but it doesn't look like the economy will be turning around anytime soon." While the possibility of the move from Corning, Hill's home off and on since she was 9, has been in the air for a few weeks, the decision was not final- ized until a week ago, Hill said. Hill has been on the council since March of 2002, when she was elect- ed to fill a position left by the death of her mother, Betty Pryatel. Hill was re- elected in 2002. "It was the hardest thing when I took over for my mom," Hill said. While it was hard, Hill said it was In serving on the coun- Council member resigns, moving Dredging, habitat planned after lake By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer Discussion about post Lake Red Bluff continued Thurs- day at the Sacramento River Discovery Center with presen- tations about mitigation projects from the construction of the pumping plant and the city's plan for River Park. Environmental Specialist Andrea Schmid gave an update on the Fish Passage Improvement Project and the mitigation project planned for the area that will be affected by the construction of the pumping plant. Schmid is with Newfields, an environmental firm work- ing with the Tehama Colusa Canal Authority on the project. Two major building contracts have already been award- ed, and construction of the bridge and siphon should start sometime in March. The pumping plant and fish screen will be built at a later date. Completion is slated for May 2012. About 25 acres of habitat in the East Sand Slough, will be moved or affected in constructing the pumping plant, will have to be restored. Conceptual designs have been completed and technical studies should begin in March. See HEALTH, page 7A See CHECKING, page 7A See SUSPICIOUS, page 7A See COUNCIL, page 7A Judge: County inmates can be freed early 'I'm afraid there's not a next step, except we're waiting for the legislation to get it changed' Det. Bill Miller, vice president , Sacramento deputies' union See LAKE, page 7A