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THURSDAY MAY 6, 2010 Breaking news at: Bold and Beautiful Symphony concert www.redbluffdailynews.com See Pastimes Page 4A RED BLUFF Spartans Softball SPORTS 1B Sunny 74/45 Weather forecast 8B 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 Head-on claims 1 Man pleads guilty to burning woman By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer A Red Bluff man held on suspicion of lighting his live-in girlfriend on fire in July 2009 entered a guilty plea Monday. Joseph Anthony Verni, Jr. at one time faced charges of attempted premeditated murder with a special alle- gation of domestic violence, aggravated mayhem, tor- ture and arson causing great bodily injury, according to court records. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of aggravated See GUILTY, page 7A Five arrested in county sweep By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer Three Gerber men and MediaNews Group photo A fuel tanker that was involved in a fatal head-on collision Wednesday morning with a car is allowed to burn itself out in a field just south of the Tehama County Line on Hwy. 99E. Former Miss Corning hopeful dies in 99E wreck By GREG WELTER MediaNews Group CHICO — A tanker truck loaded with gasoline and diesel fuel burned for several hours north of Chico Wednesday following an 8:45 a.m. head-on crash which claimed the life of a young Corning woman. The victim was identified Wednesday afternoon by the Butte County Coroner’s Office as Ashlee Nicole Holland, 18, of Corning, a 2007 Miss Corning pageant contes- tant. Highway 99E was closed in both directions between Anita Road and South Avenue in Tehama County until 2:45 p.m., when it was opened Holland in 2007 to one-way controlled traffic. The tanker truck driver, identi- fied by the California Highway Patrol as Chico resident Dick Hick- am, 62, was reportedly trapped for a time in the cab, but got out on his Abbassi added to lake committee By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer The Lake Red Bluff Mit- igation Advisory Commit- tee is complete with the final member being picked Tuesday night. Ali Abbassi, former pro- moter of the Nitro Nationals Boat Drag races, will repre- sent the public as the at- large member on the com- mittee. As the race organizer, Abbassi worked with feder- al and state agencies and has developed relationships that will be helpful as the city moves forward with mitiga- tion projects, he said. As a member of the committee he will make sure federal and state governments do not forget about the city when it comes to making decisions involving the river. Though finding a resolu- tion for River Park is a pri- ority, Abbassi has great interest in finding programs that would bring in revenue for the city overall, he said. As someone who spends a lot of time on the river dur- ing the summer, he wants to see some resolution. Abbassi was picked from a pool of four candi- dates including Robert Ramsey, John Baros and Richard Clapp. Ramsey said he wanted to participate in a worthy cause that would improve the “big ugly hole” that is the lake right now. He would work to widen the river and improve naviga- tion and accessibility for the community. Clapp said as a commit- tee member he would focus on projects that involved developing alternative ener- gy sources to create revenue for the city. Despite not having been chosen, both said they will continue to be involved and attend the public meetings to offer input. Other members of the advisory committee are rep- resentatives from local agencies and groups such as the Tehama County Board of Supervisors, Red Bluff- Tehama County Chamber of Commerce and groups that have an interest in miti- See LAKE, page 7A 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 POWER PRODUCTS DOLMAR Red Bluff Outdoor Power own and said he wasn’t injured. Hickam is a veteran driver for Williams Tank Lines, Inc. of Chico. According to witnesses, Holland was driving south on 99E in a blue 2003 Chevrolet Malibu when she attempted to pass a vehicle just north of Broyles Road. There was either insufficient clearance to complete a safe pass, or, as some witnesses said, there was another car in the southbound lane that prevented Holland from moving over. Hickam said he saw the sedan approaching in his lane and tried to take evasive action by turning to the right, but Holland reportedly turned the same way. The sedan struck the tanker truck head-on at an estimat- ed speed of 70 mph, the CHP said. The truck’s speed was estimated at 55 mph. The truck jackknifed and went See HEAD-ON, page 7A two Red Bluff residents were arrested Tuesday in an operation police say yielded guns, methamphetamine, power tools and stolen Bureau of Land Manage- ment signs. Officers, investigating a series of burglaries going back six months, served warrants at Way Out Lane, Lakeside Drive and Kim- ball Road, Red Bluff Police Sgt. Jason Beeman said. At the Way Out Lane residence, officers arrested Ronald William Luck, 41, and Lisa Ann Celano, 49, both of Red Bluff, on suspi- cion of being felons in pos- session of ammunition. Luck was also arrested on suspicion of drug parapher- nalia and Celano on suspi- cion of possessing metham- phetamine and a firearm. Ronald Mauris Ander- son, 41, was arrested on suspicion of violating parole, while Daryl Andrew Bentley, 24, was arrested on an outstanding warrants and Ilario Luis Diaz, 28, on a pair of outstanding war- rants. All three were from Gerber, Beeman said. Officers searched a Lakeside Drive residence where Luck stays and a Kimball Road storage unit rented by Luck. Property seized by offi- cers included a pair of rifles, a pistol, methamphet- amine, drug paraphernalia, a number of power tools and signs belonging to the BLM and the Department of Fish and Game. Police have yet to con- firm the recovered property was stolen, but some of it matches reports going back six months, Beeman said. Most of the recovered goods were construction equipment, Beeman said. Assisting in the arrests were Tehama County Drug Enforcement Agents, Dis- trict Attorney Investigators, Tehama Inter-agency Drug Enforcement agents and the California Highway Patrol. Anyone who has had property stolen in about the past year is encouraged to call the police department at 527-3131 to see if the property matches. ——— Geoff Johnson can be reached at 527-2153, extension 114 or gjohnson@redbluffdailyne ws.com. Day helps homeless make connections By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer After four months of planning, 50 people attending, 25 hair cuts and about 25 birth cer- tificates, organizers are calling Wednesday’s debut of Project Home- less Connect a success. “The people who’ve gotten the services have been excited and the agencies have made some good connections, so it’s been a very posi- tive thing,” said Gail Locke, Tehama County Continuum of Care chairwoman and an organizer of the event. Tehama County Con- tinuum of Care and the Tehama County Com- munity Action Agency partnered to bring the event to the Tehama District Fairground. Locke said plans are already under way to repeat the event next BBQ ON SITE Sunplay Pools & Service! Tri Tip Sandwiches Fri., May 7, 11am & 1pm served with every purchase CALL TODAY Hot Dogs for the kids Chlorine 3” Tables 50# Special $ 13995 10 Damon Ave. • 527-3262 (530) 529-1222 237 South Main Street As Local As.... Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb Cassandra Garrison of Beautiful Hair and Nails gives a haircut Wednesday at Project Homeless Connect’s debut at the Tehama District Fairground. year. “We’re already col- lecting a list of things needed and gathering ideas of ways to make it better,” Locke said. “The goal is to help See DAY, page 7A • “Main Street or Wall Street” banking, which do you want • Still offering better than free checking • Now offering Health Savings Accounts • Local decision making • Community Support