Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/803454
ByHeatherHoelscher hhoelscher@redbluffdailynews.com @DN_Heather on Twitter RED BLUFF Tehama County's unemployment rate decreased slightly by 0.3 percent in Febru- ary to 7.2 percent, according to data released Friday by the state Employment Development De- partment. January's unemployment rate was revised to 7.5 percent from 7.6 percent. In February there were 25,370 people in the labor work force in the county. Of those, 23,550 were employed and 1,820 were unem- ployed. That's 150 fewer people in the labor work force, 40 fewer people employed and 110 fewer people unemployed. The data are not seasonally adjusted. Tehama County is ranked 34th out of the 58 counties in the state, down two spots in a month. The Northern Rural Training and Employment Consortium re- UNEMPLOYMENT Joblessrate decreases in February By Heather Hoelscher hhoelscher@redbluffdailynews.com @DN_Heather on Twitter RED BLUFF The Rape Crisis In- tervention and Prevention non- profit organization has expanded its office. The office, at 725 Pine St., al- lows for more space for a waiting room, a reception area and offices for counselors who work with sur- vivors of sexual assault. A ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday at the new entrance to the Rape Cri- sis office, known as the former So- cial Security office at the back of the Department of Motor Vehicles parking lot. Rape Crisis, or RCIP, has been serving the community since 1974, covering Tehama, Butte and Glenn counties, said Rach- elle Gould, Sexual Assault Re- sponse Team, or SART, coordina- tor and advocate for Rape Crisis Intervention and Prevention. The organization offers free services to survivors of sexual assault and their significant others, including RIBBON CUTTING Rape Crisis Intervention & Prevention expands office By Julie Zeeb jzeeb@redbluffdailynews.com @DN_Zeeb on Twitter GERBER Attendance was down significantly at Gerber Elemen- tary School on Thursday, the day after the presence of U.S. Immi- gration and Customs Enforce- ment officials was first reported to the school, Gerber Superinten- dent Jenny Marr said Friday. Gerber School has 416 students enrolled. On Thursday, the day af- ter the two-day operation appar- ently ended, 57 did not show up for school, Marr said. "This has definitely had a neg- ative impact on both the commu- nity and the school," Marr said. "On Wednesday morning I got to work and basically was told we had kids crying and families in crisis because ICE was going door to door in the community and taking parents." The Tehama County Sheriff's Department said it was notified that ICE would be in the county this week, but the Sheriff's Office was not directly involved with the operation, Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston said. Contacted by this newspaper, the ICE field office in San Fran- cisco said it does not confirm de- tails on current or future oper- ations. It instead issued a state- ment. "U.S. Immigration and Cus- toms Enforcement deportation officers conduct enforcement ac- tions every day around the coun- try and here in Northern Califor- nia as part of the agency's ongo- ing efforts to uphold public safety and border security," ICE Public Affairs Officer James Schwab said in an email. "Our operations are targeted and lead driven, priori- tizing individuals who pose a risk to our communities. Examples would include known street gang members, child sex offenders, and deportable foreign nationals with significant drug trafficking con- victions. To that end, ICE's rou- tine immigration enforcement ac- tions are ongoing and we make arrests every day." Future operations are not dis- cussed publicly for security rea- sons, he said. "Our officers prioritize cases based on a variety of factors, in- cluding the person's criminal and immigration history, as well as the viability of the leads we have on the individual's possible whereabouts," Schwab said. "De- terminations about where and how ICE enforcement personnel affect both administrative and criminal arrests are made on a ICE Schoolattendancedropsafterraid By Julie Zeeb jzeeb@redbluffdailynews.com @DN_Zeeb on Twitter RED BLUFF The Berrendos Middle School gym was packed Friday for the 10th annual High Hoops Integrated Basketball Tournament that pairs special education students with their peers to form a team. The event, which hosted about 80 players from 13 schools throughout the county, has con- tinued to grow and evolve, said founder Jody Johnson, who is an adapted physical education specialist with the Tehama County Department of Educa- tion. "We did change the age level to third through sixth grade to keep it for the students who can't play basketball in tradi- tional school activities," John- son said. "We hope the future includes more inclusive sports at schools and that they have as many activities for the disabled students as their peers. "The goal is to see an inclusive sports program at all the schools and we in Tehama County are leading the way with an inte- grated basketball tournament, the Tehama County Special Olympics, a ski program for vi- sually and orthopedic impaired students and countywide atten- dance of the Chico sports day." Tehama County Department of Education Special Educa- tion Local Plan Area Director Veronica Coates said she hopes this event will be inspiration for the schools to take back to their campuses and start inclusive sports programs for all students. "We hope this continues to evolve and provide inspiration for the school sites to create and inspire their own programs or special days at their schools — an integrated sports program where disabled students are on teams with their peers," Coates said. "I'm very proud of our team that puts this event on and how they are always thinking on how to expand this. There is a trend in the state where there is an increase in the number of stu- dents with significant disabili- ties so our goal is to see more in- tegrated sports and other extra- curricular activities available." Tehama County Superinten- dent of Schools Rich DuVarney said he loves that the tourna- ment is an opportunity to inte- grate the students with special needs as well as something that benefits all of the county's stu- dents as well as the fact that it is extremely well supported by dis- tricts and their teachers. "We really appreciate that they see the value in it," DuVar- ney said. One cool aspect of the event is that even those who are no lon- ger eligible to play come back to attend and support the current group of students by cheering them on or serving as a volun- teer, Johnson said. One former student at Friday's event volun- teered to be the group's photog- rapher while another helped with student registration at the beginning of the event. "It's a great opportunity for our kids and it's something unique to Tehama County," Johnson said. "The parents get to watch their child in a com- petitive event and the children get to practice the skills they've learned for the game in a tour- nament with all the elements you would see at any other school tournament from music to the sound of the buzzer." TOURNAMENT BERRENDOS HOSTS TOURNAMENT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS PHOTOSBYJULIEZEEB—DAILYNEWS A Jackson Heights Elementary School student shoots a basket Friday at the annual High Hoops Integrated Basketball Tournament held at Berrendos Middle School. A Los Molinos Elementary School student takes the ball up the court Friday in a game against Evergreen School at the annual High Hoops Integrated Basketball Tournament held at Berrendos Middle School. Calendar..........A2 Community.....A4 Opinion............A5 Lifestyles........A8 Farm ................B4 Faith ................B5 Index............... ## INDEX Trump calls decision a great day for jobs amid continuing complaints from environmen- tal groups. PAGEA10 POTUS PresidentOKsKeystone Pipeline White House had hoped leg- islation would move to a vote, but divisions kept AHCA from succeeding. PAGE A10 POLITICS Health care bill pulled in surprise move TOURNEY PAGE 9 OFFICE PAGE 9 ICE PAGE 9 JOBLESS PAGE 9 Have a great day, Jenny Carruth. GOOD MORNING! Check out what's going on in your neighborhood and the community. PAGE A2 LOCAL CALENDAR 530-366-3166 www.redbluffdodge.com 545 Adobe Rd., Red Bluff » redbluffdailynews.com Saturday, March 25, 2017 $1.00 AN EDITION OF THE CHICO ENTERPRISE-RECORD Online Find more news on our website. redbluffdailynews.com Nature Lassen Park buried in plush blanket of snow Community A4 On stage Antsy McClain, Mark Twain headed to town Lifestyles A8 Volume132,issue89 7 98304 20753 8 WARMER High: Low: 64 47 PAGE A10 D Dow Jones 20,596.72 (-59.86) D S&P 500 2343.98 (-1.98) U Nasdaq 5828.74 (+11.05) BUSINESS