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FRIDAY Back To School Apps JUNE 21, 2013 Game Seven Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com See See Below SPORTS 1B DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF Sunny 91/62 Weather forecast 8A 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 Failure to launch Fairboard delays vote on joint powers By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer The new members of the Tehama District Fairboard have delayed final discussion and vote of approval for the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) agreement pending a meeting with the board's attorney. The vote will be put off until the July 16 meeting after board President Ray Bianchi and Fair CEO Mark Eidman have had a chance to discuss the agreement with Deputy Attorney General Jeremiah Blair, Bianchi said. There are five to seven questions Blair has about the agreement that need to be answered first, he said. "It's now in the state's hands and we are bringing him up to speed," Bianchi said. "We will suspend discussion because we can't move forward in dialogue without an understanding of the full picture of the document he received. It should be on the agenda next time. Michele Dias, general counsel for the California Department of Food and Agriculture, has offered to speak with Blair should he need clarification. Dias has been involved in several discussions regarding the JPA with the county and the fairground, Goodwin said. Tehama County Counsel Arthur Wylene said he finds it encouraging that Blair only has a few questions. See VOTE, page 7A Daily News photo by Rich Greene The boat launch at River Park in Red Bluff, high and dry since 2011, is overgrown with weeds. By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer So just when is that new boat launch going to be built at Red Bluff's River Park? "I'm to the point when I'm not even trying to guess anymore," Red Bluff Planning Director Scot Timboe said Thursday, the day he received a letter from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers disputing the estimated Ordinary High Water mark of the area. The letter, addressed to City Manager Richard Crabtree, is in response to paperwork the city submitted in February. It's one of several federal-level holdups that has prevented access to the Sacramento River being restored since the previous boat launch was left high and dry in the summer of 2011. That came about as the result of a federal judge's decision to permanently raise the Red Bluff Diversion Dam gates, restoring the natural flow of the Sacramento River, but 'Hell yes I want it, I've been waiting on it' — Contractor R.K Ricks leaving behind a gravel bar, grass and weeds between the previous launch and the water. In March 2012 the Red Bluff City Council gave Timboe a green light to seek funding for a temporary solution to the problem. Within a month the city secured $162,500 in emergency grant funding from the Department of Boating and Waterways. The department provided another $46,000 in grant funding in February. On the department's website a search of available launch sites in Red Bluff still lists River Park. The listing even comes with a 2013 Google map satellite photo clearly showing the launch leading into an area of overgrown grass and weeds. After securing the grant funding the city hired a contractor, who has experience building boat launches throughout the North State. That contract has had to be extended twice as the city awaits final approval from the Army Corps. "Hell yes I want it, I've been waiting on it," contractor R.K. Ricks said when asked whether he could use the work. Ricks said he has been ready to go since January and is ready to start as soon as he can. Even though the city received an emergency grant the logistical need of the facility at River Park is somewhat in dispute. Councilmembers have commented in the past that the lack of a boat launch raises safety concerns. See LAUNCH, page 7A Detectives make arrest in burned bodies case MediaNews Group OROVILLE — A man has been arrested in connection with the slaying of three people who were found inside a burnt car above Magalia. Donald Clark, 72, was arrested on suspicion of three counts of murder and arson at 5 a.m. Wednesday in the 14000 block of Centerville Road, according to the Butte County Sheriff's Office. An autopsy revealed all three victims had suffered gunshot wounds, according to the BCSO. The three have been tentatively identified and are thought to be from the Sacramento area, but names will not be released until there is positive identification. The three victims were discovered by Cal FireButte County personnel after extinguishing a vehicle fire that was spreading to vegetation just before 12:15 a.m. June 13 just above Powellton Road between DeSabla and Stirling City. During the mop-up process, fire crews found two bodies in a trunk and another one in the back seat of a green 2000 Acura TL. The car had been allegedly stolen June 11 from Sacramento. BCSO detectives were able to gather enough information to serve the search warrant to the Centerville Road residence, See CASE, page 7A Judges: Brown must Decade of helping kids go back to school release 10,000 The Back To School prisoners to comply Project,10th year, celebratwhich is ing its is in the By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer SACRAMENTO (AP) — A panel of federal judges on Thursday rejected Gov. Jerry Brown's attempt to circumvent its long-standing order for reducing California's prison population, the latest step in an ongoing legal drama over how to improve inmates' medical and mental health care inmates. Brown quickly announced that he will ask the courts to stay what he called an ''unprecedented order to release almost 10,000 inmates by the end of this year.'' The governor already filed notice that he intends to appeal the latest order to the U.S. Supreme Court. The judges stopped just short of citing the Democratic governor for contempt of court, but again threatened to do so if he does not immediately comply with their latest order. 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 The plan submitted by the Brown administration in May to further reduce the inmate population failed to meet the judges' mandate because it fell short of the court-ordered population cap by 2,300 inmates, the judges said in their 51-page order. That previous population reduction order has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. The judges reiterated in their sharply worded ruling that the governor must comply with the original order to reduce the population to 110,000 inmates by the end of the year. They ordered Brown to take all the steps he outlined in May, as well as one more step — the expansion of good-time credits leading to early release. Brown had offered that as an option, but it was not one he was willing to embrace. The governor's plan for getting closer to the required level called for sending more inmates to firefighting camps, leasing cells at counSee BROWN, page 7A process of collecting applications from 3-7 p.m. today and Saturday at Lariat Bowl in Red Bluff. The non-profit was started by Kim Berry, who as a single mother was given funds anonymously for new school clothes for her girls, as a way to give back. "I'm overwhelmed by the growth of the program, which had 18 that first year and doubled every year for a while before it went off the charts," Berry said. "It all boils down to sending every child back to school with new clothes, shoes and a backpack, which gives them a sense of pride, dignity and a feeling of self-worth." The program topped out at 600 served in one morning in the biggest year and has helped almost 2,000 children over the 10 years, she said. In 2012, more than 500 applications were received, of which 280 Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb Back To School Project Founder Kim Berry and volunteers Chasity Eaton and Cassandra Garrison help a family fill out an application Thursday at Lariat Bowl on South Main Street in Red Bluff. were able to be funded through fundraisers and with the help of the community. While Berry wants to help everyone on the list, it is based on financial need rather than first come, first served, she said. "There are a lot of See SCHOOL, page 7A NOW HIRING - MULTIPLE GREAT LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES Millwrights, HVAC Technician, Maintenance Tech and Electrician, Quality Control Staff, Experienced Lunch Cook, Bi-Lingual Associates and more. Want to get out of the heat? Apply for several positions at a Mountain Restaurant and Lodge! Visit www.jobtrainingcenter.org or come in Monday-Friday, 9am to 5pm. Come ready for a prescreen interview. 718 Main Street in Red Bluff 529-7000