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TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2013 Yoga Helps The Heart League Titles Vitality Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 4A SPORTS 1B DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF Sunny 65/38 Weather forecast 8B TEHAMA COUNTY DAILY 50¢ T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Food for fire victims PG&E hit two nights in a row A PG&E substation was robbed on consecutive nights. On Friday afternoon the Tehama County Sheriff's Department responded to a commercial burglary call at the substation on the corner of Highway 99W and Altube Road. A PG&E employee reported someone had cut the chain link fence on the northwest corner of the property. While on the property the suspect forced open a toolbox in the bed of a pickup and stole tools See PG&E, page 7A New cars too small, cops opt for SUVs By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer Courtesy photo Volunteers from the California Conservation Corps and area community groups helped distribute nearly 7,000 lbs of food in just three hours Feb. 2. Special to the DN The Tehama County Community Action agency along with Manton and Paynes Creek businesses, schools and churches held a food giveaway Saturday, Feb. 2, in conjunction with the North State Food Bank. Volunteers from the California Conservation Corps and area community groups helped distribute nearly 7,000 lbs of food in just three hours. "So many of the residents of this area lost food during the evacuation from the Ponderosa Fire," said Mike Baldwin, Tehama County Community Action Agency Community Services supervisor. "Even though the fire was months ago, community members are still struggling to recover. We wanted to help by organizing an event to help the residents of the Manton area." While folks were filling out paper work, they were offered free chili samples offered by Tehama County Community Action Nutrition Education staff. They were also given information about other services to support some costs incurred during and after the fire. "We hope by getting the people of Manton and Paynes Creek to come out to this event, they will not only leave with a box of food, but also information about our other programs that may be able to help them," Community Services Aid Heather Johnston said. "Our agency received a grant to help those who lost water, food, jobs, and their homes and we hope to use it to help people before time runs out at the end of this month." The North State Food Bank in Butte County donated items such as onions, potatoes, apples, oranges, peanut butter, tuna, crackers, and more. In Manton, the Community Action Agency staff and volunteers from the California Conservation Corps worked the event at the Manton Volunteer Fire Department Building. Other partners that helped make this event possible were: AmeriCorps, The Diner, Manton Joint Union Elementary School, Plum Valley Elementary School, Manton Corners, Original Paynes Creek Store, Manton Community Church, and the Manton United States Postal Service. "By the end of the day, approximately 50 families and approximately 140 individuals received food," Johnston said. "Families are still struggling to recover from the wildfires last year. This event really showed how much community support there is in the Manton area. We pulled together in support of people affected by the fire." Any leftover food was taken to the Manton Community Church to stock its pantry to be given to those in need at a later time. Additional services are available to eligible families and individuals through Feb. 26. To find out more about additional services and funds available to Ponderosa Fire victims, call Johnston at (530) 528-4127 or hjohnston@tcdss.org. Law enforcement vehicles are getting bigger, because the other option is just too small. Ford retired its iconic Crown Victoria police package in 2011 in favor of a Taurus-based model, but law enforcement agencies across the country simply aren't buying them. The Red Bluff Police and Tehama County Sheriff's departments have combined to purchase seven new vehicles since the start of the year. All seven were Ford's new Explorer-based SUV model. Police Chief Paul Nanfito and Sheriff Dave Hencratt say Ford and other automakers' new sedans are simply too small to fit officers and prisoners. They aren't alone. The California Highway Patrol found the Ford Police Interceptor Utility has the lowest responsive pricing on the market for vehicles that are suitable for law enforcement patrol and pursuit. The department did extensive testing of the available sedan and SUV models after Crown Victoria pro- duction ended. While the CHP will be purchasing some of the sedan models, those will predominantly be used by management. "Essentially, the patrol sedans are too small for even people of an average stature and many of our police officers could not properly fit in these vehicles," Nanfito wrote in a staff report. "Many prisoners would have to be stretched across the back seat to fit properly." The city of Red Bluff will be piggybacking onto the state's bid to purchase a Ford SUV from Folsom Ford. With all the bells and whistles the department needs to outfit the vehicles, the cost will be $42,349.35 each. The purchase is being funded by department developmental impact fees and was approved by the City Council Tuesday. The Tehama County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of six Ford SUVs from Corning Ford Jan. 29 in for a total of $183,604.50. The county cited its local business preference ordinance and ability to do in-house installation at See CARS, page 7A Couple arrested Year round farmers market returns for guns, drugs By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer A Red Bluff couple was arrested Monday morning after law enforcement found guns, ammunition, methamphetamine and heroin in a Lakeside Drive residence. Red Bluff Police had received information Jerry Billingsley, 23, was selling firearms and narcotics at the residence he shares with his wife, Vanessa Billingsley, 19. Based upon the information, officers executed a search warrant about 7:05 a.m. in the 800 block of Lakeside Drive. Officers found firearms and several rounds of ammunition with their two 2-year-old son inside, according to a Red Bluff Police press response. The 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 child was released to a relative. Officers also found 51.6 grams of heroine, nine grams of methamphetamine, prescription pain killers, methadone and $7,000 in cash in the apartment. No one was injured during the incident, but the couple was arrested and booked into Tehama County Jail on the charges of child endangerment, possession and sale of a controlled substance and possession of prescription medication. Vanessa Billingsley was booked on the additional charge of possession of stolen property. Her bail was set at $163,000. Jerry Billingsley was booked on the additional charges of felon in possession of firearm and felon in possession of ammunition with a gang enhancement. Bail had not been determined for Jerry Billinglsey as Monday evening. Special to the DN Frontier Village Farmers Market will begin the year round market on March 2, by having vendors every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. The market is welcoming several new vendors and many returning vendors. The market will offer local agencies, nonprofits, health minded and community groups a free space to promote their organization. Space is limited so contact the market manager to reserve your date and spot now. The market is excited to offer a special EBT promotion made possible from community grants from Walmart Foundation and Dignity Health and St. Elizabeth Community Hospital. Use your Cal Fresh card at the Frontier Village Farmer's Market located at 645 Antelope Blvd, across from the fairgrounds and get Day, Ride Your Bike to the Market Day, Earth Day — Plant a Seed, in conjunction with Community Action Agency's Garden Box Project, Spin the Wheel Nutrition Information to win prizes, Ugliest Tomato Contest and Most Creative Recycled Planter. Log onto the market's Facebook page or come to the market for a calendar of events. To be a vendor at the market, call Sandy Burkett at 526-2843 or Mindy Nickler at 5269943. additional market scrip: use $10 and get an additional $3 promotional scrip, $15 receives $5 promotional scrip and $25 or more receives $10 promotional scrip, which is the daily maximum. One per household. This promotion is good each Saturday until the grant money is gone or the market gets additional donors to help support this project. Other special events include Slow Food Member Appreciation