Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/135584
WEEKEND JUNE 8-9 2013 Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com Dance Red Bluff Final Performance Set For Tonight See Below DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF Sunny 111/74 Weather forecast 10A TEHAMA COUNTY $1.00 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 PG&E fined millions over pair of wildfires By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer PG&E and two contractors have agreed to pay a total of $5.5 million to settle a lawsuit over the 2008 Whiskey Fire that burned 5,025 acres of National Forest System lands in Tehama County about five miles north of Paskenta. The settlement was one of two announced Thursday by the U.S. Attorney's Eastern District of California office. PG&E and a different contractor agreed to a $45 million settlement in a case involving the Power Fire, which took place in October 2004 in the Eldorado National Forest in Amador County. In both settlements PG&E denied liability for the fires, but agreed to the payments. "Like many forest fires, both 'The United States will continue to aggressively pursue compensation from those whose carelessness damages our treasured natural resources' — Attorney Benjamin Wagner the Power Fire and the Whiskey avoided," U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner said in a press release. "We hope that in addition to helping repair the longterm damage caused by the fires, these settlements will reinforce the need to be safe when conducting risky operations in and around our national forests. The United States will continue to aggressively pursue Fire could have easily been Corning grads take flight See FINES, page 9A City contributes to Branding Project signs By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer It's going to become a lot easier to find your way around Red Bluff in the coming months. The Red Bluff City Council approved a $6,000 expenditure Tuesday to purchase wayfinding signs for a dozen locations around the city. The banners, which will give directions to public parks and facilities for motorists around the city, are part of the Tehama County Branding Project. The city's purchase coincides with plans from the Branding Project and Downtown Red Bluff Business Association to install wayfinding signs for pedestrians and WIFI hot spots in the downtown area. The Branding group and DRBBA each are contributing $15,000 to the purchase. Kathy Sarmiento said wayfinding is the Branding Project's top priority. Branding Consultant Roger Brooks suggested a massive wayfinding effort in the neighborhood of See SIGNS, page 9A County approves bridge bid queries Daily News photo by Andre Byik Members of Corning Union High School's class of 2013 walk toward the school's stadium Friday. By ANDRE BYIK DN Sports Editor In a day to remember, Corning Union High School valedictorian Kent Barron pointed toward memories that won't be forgotten. Barron, who will graduate from high school with a 4.18 grade point average and study nuclear power, joined the school's class of 2013 in a graduation ceremony Friday. "We will never forget underclassmen," Barron said in a prepared speech. "We used to be them. We always looked up to the seniors, but then we had a chance to be the role models." He added: "We will never forget that this is the easy part, walking across this stage, but now it's time for the challenging part. To make decisions for the rest of our lives." Yesenia Torres, a track and cross country athlete who also took part in the school's science club, decided she wants to be nurse. "It's going to be a good ride from now on," she said. And for William Inman, who was first in line to grab a diploma because he was the tallest member of his class at 6 feet, 4 inches, game design has been his passion and will be his pursuit. Virtual explosions, he said, are what interests him. But not just the fiery spectacle. It's the numbers behind it. For the 182 seniors that walked across the stage Friday, there's one number that won't be forgotten: 2013. By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer The Tehama County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved bid packages to be sent out for design plans to replace two aging bridges in the Corning area. The designs will be for bridges at Kirkwood Road and Columbia Avenue on Jewett Creek. The existing bridges were built by Tehama County Public Works in 1925 and 1948 respectively. Preliminary engineering surveys and studies to define the channel flow and floodplain elevations have already been completed. Proposals are due to the county July 5. Agenda Items See QUERIES, page 9A Dance studio to give Bulldogs shed tears, share laughs final performance By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer On Saturday, Dance Red Bluff will say goodbye and the audience will have one more chance to see Joe Howarth perform in his hometown before he heads to New York. The talented 16-yearold was one of 50 internationally to be selected by the Joffrey School of Ballet and Dance Red Bluff will be closing its doors. The studio was open for six years during which there hasn't been a single month that it has broken even, said Artistic Direc- tor Noel Julian-Anker. Anker first came to the studio shortly after moving to Red Bluff in 2007, starting as a teacher in the first year, she said. In her second year, the studio was sold to Eric Rudnick and Debbie Sutcliffe following a scandal involving the arrest of the former owner and JulianAnker was asked to take over as artistic director, she said. "We dropped to 25 students, which is about a quarter of what we had and we had a really bad reputation," Julian-Anker said. "We had to rebuild and hire all new teachers." There was talk of closing the studio off and on for the past few years, but See DANCE, page 9A Salutatorian Johanna Gonzalez-Virgen joked she knew it was a big day because teacher Chas Konopka was wearing pants. Los Molinos High School graduated 24 seniors in its Class of 2013 Friday night in a ceremony made up of laughs and tears for a tight-nit bunch that in some cases have been together since preschool. Principal Clifford Curry said commencement ceremonies can bring an odd combination out. "This beginning may be bitter-sweet," he said of starting new lives, but leaving an old one behind. Kristiana Smith also spoke of mixed blessings in her valedictorian address. Smith said while it was an honor to be recognized See LosMo, page 9A Daily News photo by Rich Greene Salutatorian Johanna Gonzalez-Virgen address her classmates during the Los Molinos High School Class of 2013 graduation Friday night.