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THURSDAY Red Riding NorCal Opener Hood to Open MARCH 7, 2013 Pastimes Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 6A SPORTS 1B DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF Few showers 56/38 Weather forecast 6B 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 Bealer arraigned Community supports Nichols family New forest maps to be enforced By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer The Shasta Trinity National Forest will begin enforcing a new Motor Vehicle Use Map Friday, the same day free copies will become available at forest offices. The maps are a legal document showing designated roads, trails and areas were the public can drive motorized vehicles. District Ranger Mitch Wilkinson told the Tehama County Board of Supervisors Tuesday an educate and inform approach to enforcement will be taken initially after the maps are released. Wilkinson said, while tickets likely won't be given to riders using the wrong roads, it doesn't mean they are free to create mayhem either. He said riders will be told to move to a legal road, See MAPS, page 5A Mid-year tweak to county budget By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb Bidwell Principal Claudia Salvestrin, right, and teacher Patty Lang serve up an order to Red Bluff High School freshman Travis Ferreira at Thursday's McTeacher Night, a fundraiser with proceeds going to the Marysa Nichols Benefit Memorial Fund. By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer Tehama County resident Quentin Bealer, 39, was arraigned on three separate cases Wednesday afternoon at the Tehama County Superior Courthouse by Judge Matthew McGlynn., including a charge of murder in the death of Marysa Nichols. Bealer did not enter a plea. The courtroom had a few extra law enforcement members present, with about half a dozen Red Bluff Police personnel including a sergeant on up to Police Chief Paul Nanfito in attendance. Nanfito said he and his department were there to assist the Tehama County Sheriff's Department with security due to the high level of interest in the case and the fact that it was his department's case. Bealer was arrested Saturday in connection with the death of Nichols, who had gone missing Tuesday, Feb. 26. The body of the 14-year-old Red Bluff High School student was found Thursday, Feb. 28, between the campus and Baker Road. "He was arraigned today on the charge of one count of open murder, which means we can proceed on several different theories," Tehama County District Attorney Gregg Cohen said. "This is a team effort and has been since the beginning. The team is still at work as we speak and it's still too early in the investigation. We need the Department of Justice reports and reports from every law enforcement agency involved before we can finalize the charges." The open count of murder could be charged as felony murder, which carries a sentence of 25 years to life with the option of a special circumstance request for death penalty, Cohen said. It is too early to say whether or not the death penalty will be requested, he said. The other two options are first degree murder, which carries a sentence of 25 to life and second degree murder, which carries a sentence of 15 years to life, he said. Bealer, who is not on parole, pro- bation or post community supervision release, was arraigned for possession of a methamphetamine smoking device, second degree burglary and receiving stolen property; and possession of a controlled substance, Cohen said. The charges for burglary and stolen property carry a sentence of three years each and the possession of a smoking device carries a sixmonth sentence, McGlynn said. Bealer is not a registered sex offender, but even if he was, whether he would show up on the Megan's Law website would depend on the circumstances, McGlynn said. Only a portion of those who have to register as sex offenders under the 290 penal code are on the site and those are the serious offenders and those considered to be high risk, Cohen said. Asked about the length of the case, Cohen said that will be up to Bealer and his attorney. "For murder, it can take up to a year, sometimes longer," Cohen See BEALER, page 5A The Tehama County Board of Supervisors authorized mid-year budget adjustment increases in the amount of $1.4 million in expenditures and $1.9 million in revenue. The county's auditor submitted a number of increases to revenue accounts. Among them were increase of $400,000 in sales and use tax, $127,426 in property tax in lieu of sales tax and $312,553 in penalty and cost of delinquent tax. "This increased revenue is encouraging and will effectively reduce the amount of the current fiscal year's General Fund deficit," a staff report from Chief Administrator Bill Goodwin said. Supervisor Steve Chamblin said the midyear budget report showed department heads were living within their budgets and the increase in expenditures were from situations caused by unforeseen circumstances. Among those unforeseen circumstance: • $54,528 to the elections department to pay for the special state senate elections. • $10,000 to administration travel to pay for training of two newly elected supervisors and Supervisor Bob Williams and Goodwin's appointments to the California State Association of Counties leadership positions. • $250,000 to expand the Tehama County Jail roof project to cover 14 HVAC units. • $35,000 to the sheriff's department to pay fuel costs from rising prices and the addition of extra patrol officers. Goodwin said budget numbers since the 2007 recession suggests the bottoming out of the economy is over. However, overall tax receipts are growing at a much slower pace of about 1 percent. General fund tax receipts peaked at $18.3 million in the 2006-07 fiscal year. In the most recently completed fiscal year of 2011-12 the county bought in $17.1 million. Even with some growth occurring, Goodwin said the primary driver of the county's deficit is employee benefits, which have continued to See BUDGET, page 5A City mulls change Flocking fundraiser gets under way in meeting time By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer Dinner and a council meeting? Or wait to eat until the work is done? It's still too early in his term to determine whether Clay Parker has prompted change on the council, but Tuesday the councilman did suggest changing the meeting time of the Red Bluff City Council. Parker suggested switching the council's regular meeting time from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m. He said he believes it may prompt more public participation from residents who find it too much of a hassle to leave work to go home and eat and then go out again. Closed sessions could be held after the open 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 meeting. Councilwoman Daniele Jackson said she would support an earlier meeting. Although she suggested closed sessions could be moved up even earlier in the evening. Councilmembers Rob Schmid and Robert Sheppard, Jr. indicated they would prefer the 7 p.m. start time. Sheppard said 6 p.m. is a time for dinner for his family, when that's even possible. None of the department heads commented on the issue. Although City Manager Richard Crabtree did point out any change to the meeting time would have to be done through an ordinance. City Code 2.1 states regular council meetings are held at 7 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays of the calendar month at 555 See CITY, page 5A Courtesy photo Sober Grad flocking for Red Bluff Union High School has begun. Seniors Brittany Villa, Courtny Abbassi, Connor Ross, Mickenzie Perdue, and Blake Villa show off the new flamingoes that may show up at your home. Donations for the Sober Grad Party are appreciated and can be sent to PO Box 9311, Red Bluff. If you'd like the flamingoes to visit someone, send an email to rbhsflocking@yahoo.com.