Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/10070
WEDNESDAY MAY 5, 2010 Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 2A RED BLUFF Democrats hold picnic Mercy Softball SPORTS 1B Sunny 72/46 Weather forecast 8B By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer Tehama County Supervisors Tuesday approved a $40 regis- tration fee required for medical marijuana gardens. As part of the county’s new medical marijuana policy, which takes effect Thursday, DAILYNEWS TEHAMACOUNTY DAILY 50¢ 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 County approves pot garden fee anyone with a cannabis garden in the unincorporated county is asked to contact the Health Ser- vices Agency to submit evi- dence of a Prop. 215 recom- mendation and to prove that the person either owns the land used to grow or has permission of the owner. Only Supervisor Charles Willard, who has long fought the county’s approach to med- ical marijuana, voted against the fee. At $40, the fee is just less than enough to pay for staff expenses and overhead, accord- ing to county studies conduct- Backing Bend ed, with the assumption 100 people will register within the first year of the program. The fee only applies to gar- den owners, not individual medical marijuana patients who may be using someone else’s garden. Anyone found out of compli- ance could be contacted by the Tehama County Sheriff, who has the authority to address the situation as a violation of coun- ty code, which is not in itself cause for arrest. The registration policy is part of a larger, more controver- See POT, page 7A Three face hate crime charges A trio of Tehama County residents could face hate crime charges after a Sunday morning fight. Winter Fawn Vansickle, 25, Gerber, and Megan Nicole Pasillas, 21, and Joseph Poonka, 21, both of Red Bluff, were all arrested on Main Street near Walnut Street around 1:30 a.m. Sunday on suspicion of com- mitting a hate crime. A 40-year-old black man, whose name police are withholding, was accused of pushing one of the sus- pects outside the bar, Sgt. Michael Graham said. In the ensuing fight, the three chased and attacked the man while yelling racial slurs, Graham said. The man received only minor injuries as a result of the attack. It was not clear if he is a local resident, Gra- ham said. When police arrived, Pasillas allegedly moved to See HATE, page 7A Cops encourage filing on-line crime reports By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer File photo by Steve Schoonover/Media News Group Speedboat cruises the Sacramento River through the Bureau of Reclamation's Sacramento River Bend Area in photograph taken during the summer of 2009. By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer In a board-splitting decision, county supervisors voted 3-2 Tues- day to endorse the creation of a National Recreation Area outside Bend. The endorsement allows Sen. Barbara Boxer to continue a plan to change the designation of some 18,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management controlled land through legislation. Without county support, Boxer would likely have scrapped the bill, Chief Administrator Bill Goodwin said. The vote offers no guarantee of Congressitional legislation. Since 2005, supervisors have endorsed similar legislation three times, but neither Boxer nor Rep. Wally Herg- er, who has alternately written and fought similar measures, has suceeded in changing the status of the Sacramento River Bend Area. Supervisors may tackle this ver- sion of the bill again as it is revised in Congress, Goodwin said. Business in, Bend out Public comment Tuesday weighed against the bill. The majority of speakers opposed the measure and only one person in See BEND, page 7A Residents are being encouraged by the Red Bluff Police Department to use the new method of online reporting for minor crimes. The Online Crime Report Form should be used for property related crimes including theft, vandal- ism, lost property and graffiti. The link can be found in the upper left side of the department’s Web site at www.rbpd.org. All reports made will be reviewed by staff and an e-mail response that includes a case number will be sent within five business days. Cases that warrant further investigation will be assigned to an officer, Sgt. Jason Beeman said. Serious crimes, crimes against persons or proper- ty crimes with suspect information or other signifi- cant leads should still be reported by calling 911. Though people are encouraged to use the online See CRIME, page 7A California boosts Flocking to Sober Grad Night water deliveries to farms, cities SACRAMENTO (AP) — The deepest Sierra Nevada snowpack in four years let California water officials increase deliver- ies to farmers and cities on Tuesday, after three years of drought that have forced restrictions on water use. The state Department of Water Resources, which provides water to 25 million Californians and 750,000 agricultural acres, increased this sum- mer’s water deliveries to 40 percent of the amount requested. That’s up from a projected 30 percent allocation last month. The federal Bureau of Reclamation made the same boost in water allo- cation Tuesday for the 36 agricultural water con- tractors it serves south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Most other federal contractors, which include wildlife refuges and farms, cities and industrial users north of the delta, will receive all or most of the water they requested. Most of California’s massive and complex water-delivery system is a combination of state- and federally operated reser- voirs and canals serving different users. State water director Mark Cowin said the state will announce its final projection for state water users later this month. A Sierra snowpack that is 143 percent of normal for this time of year allowed water managers to See WATER, page 7A 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 Red Bluff Outdoor Power Courtesy photo Pictured are Red Bluff Union High School students Kate Haase, Kyle Young, Nici Haring and Lexi Mitchell flocking a home in Red Bluff for a Sober Grad fundraiser. If the flock of flamingoes lands at your home, you can make a donation to Red Bluff Union High School's Sober Grad Party. If you'd like to be flocked or would like to send the flock to someone, please call 949- 7713. PHYSICIAN REFERRAL A FREE SERVICE PROVIDED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE 1-800-990-9971 CHW North State Region