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THURSDAY Little League JULY 4, 2013 Breaking news at: SPORTS 1B www.redbluffdailynews.com DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF Mostly Sunny 110/73 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 Council votes to appoint new councilmember By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer The Red Bluff City Council decided Tuesday not to hold a special election to fill the opening created by the of resignation of Councilman Robert Sheppard Jr., preferring instead to appoint the position itself. Sheppard, citing personal reasons, resigned from the council June 17 a little more than six months after he was elected. A special election to replace his remaining 3-plus years on the council would have cost the city between $15,000 and $20,000. Councilmember Clay Parker said it was unfortunate the city's general fund budget was going to dictate the council's decision. He said he believed elected positions should never be appointed, but he couldn't find it in himself to approve the cost of the special election either. City Manager Richard Crabtree said several interested people have already inquired about the opening. The city was to begin soliciting applicants immediately with a deadline scheduled for July 26. The council is scheduled to vote on the appointment at its Aug. 6 meeting. Agenda items • The council authorized the Tap into Tehama micro brew festival to use Red Bluff River Park Aug. 17. It also waived the park's rental fee for the group's organizers, who will use the proceeds for restoration efforts of the historic Odd Fellows Building on the corner of Oak and Washington streets. No holiday for pets Police Chief Paul Nanfito said, while it can be difficult to estimate a crowd in its inaugural year, he was assuming between 200 and 500 people would be in attendance. The event will have its own license and bonded security. Wristbands and special cups will be used to prevent underage drinking. See COUNCIL, page 5A Woman catches burglar in act Staff report A woman returned to her home in the 1300 block of Southpointe Drive in Red Bluff Wednesday to find a man in her bedroom, according to a press release from the Red Bluff Police Department. The man didn't notice the woman had returned home and she was able to safely leave the house and call 911. Several officers from the Red Bluff Police Department, along with Investigators from the Tehama County District Attorney's Office and Cal-Fire Law Enforcement arrived at the home and established a perimeter around the residence. Officers found 25-year-old John Castro in the resident's master bedroom, the release said. Castro was handling some of the resident's property and was then taken into custody without incident. Shortly after officers cleared the scene, they were See ACT, page 5A Trinity man indicted for growing pot Daily News file photo By ANDRE BYIK Schedule of celebrations DN Staff Writer As many enjoy a dazzling display of fireworks exploding in the sky tonight, there's also a high chance of running into more of man's best friends on the streets. The Fourth of July and its related revelry is notorious for causing an increase in pet escapes as animals, especially dogs, become frightened and stressed by pops and flashes in the sky. The day after Independence Day "tends to be our busiest day of the year," said Christine McClintock, Tehama County Animal Care Center manager. "Some will become agitated, some more stressed and more needy, and some will hide under the bed," McClintock said. McClintock added that the center • 10 a.m., Fourth of July Parade, Highway 99E in Los Molinos, hosted by the Los Molinos Commerce in conjunction with the TVW Post 3909 • Following the parade, Play Day in the Park, Mill Creek, sack races, watermelon eating contests and other games, Master of Ceremonies Mayor Kenny Brewer • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Red Bluff River Park, alcohol allowed with the exception of glass containers. • Noon, Fourth of July Celebration, Red Bluff Elks Lodge, allday barbecue, kids games, public welcome • 9:15-9:45 p.m., Fireworks show, paid for by the Tehama County Fireworks Committee, launch site at Red Bluff Elks Lodge, recommended viewing site at Red Bluff River Park locks its dogs in during the holiday to mitigate the sound of booming fireworks, and she recommends the same for pet owners. See PETS, page 5A SACRAMENTO — Salvador Alcazar-Varelas, 25, of Mexico, was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury on a two count indictment charging him with conspiracy to manufacture marijuana and manufacturing marijuana, United States Attorney Benjamin Wagner announced. Court documents show AlcazarVarelas manufactured more than 28,000 marijuana plants on United States Forest Service land. The statutory penalty for a violation of the conspiracy charge is a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum possible penalty up to life in prison, and a $10,000,000 fine. The statutory penalty for manufacturing at least 1,000 marijuana plants is a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum possible penalty up to life in prison, and a maximum possible penalty of $10,000,000. The charges are only allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is the product of a joint investigation by the United States Forest Service, the Trinity County Sheriff's Department, and the California Department of Justice. Assistant United States Attorney Christiaan Highsmith is prosecuting the case. 2.5 million Senate approves public records amendment The nonpartisan Legislative groups objected, SACRAMENTO (AP) — The Californians exposed state Senate approved a constitu- governmentprovision meant some Analyst's Office estimates that it saying the tional amendment Wednesday local governments could decide could cost the state general fund in data breaches that would guarantee the public's not to provide documents if tens of millions of dollars annuSACRAMENTO (AP) — A state report reveals 2.5 million Californians have had Social Security numbers, credit card and bank accounts and other sensitive information exposed in 131 data breaches dating back to 2010. The San Jose Mercury News says the disclosure was made Monday by Attorney General Kamala Harris, in the first report of its kind in the state. The breaches occurred at companies ranging from Barnes & Noble to American Express, at banks and universities, and within government agencies. Harris issued the report under a state law that went into effect last year that requires institutions that collect data to report any breaches involving more than 500 people. The report says at least 1.4 million of those whose information was exposed could have been easily protected if the data had been encrypted. Have a news tip? Call 527-2151, Ext. 112 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 right to inspect local government public records while shifting the cost away from the state budget. The proposed amendment would end a requirement that the state reimburse local governments for their costs of complying with the California Public Records Act. The amendment, SCA3, passed on a 37-0 vote and goes to the Assembly. If it receives the required twothirds majority support in that house, as expected, the amendment would go before voters in June 2014. A budget proposal by Gov. Jerry Brown sought to end the mandate and instead make compliance with the Public Records Act optional. He said it would save the state money, but his administration could not say exactly how much. Lawmakers reversed their approval after media and good doing so were merely optional. SCA3 would clarify that governments must provide the documents — and pay the cost of complying. ''The public's access to its government and operations is a fundamental component of our democracy,'' said Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, the measure's author. He urged his colleagues to ''allow the voters of California to clarify in the Constitution that public records are available to the public and public meetings are open to the public.'' While there is no formal opposition to the bill, local officials testified during a Senate committee hearing that they are worried about the potential costs of complying with state public records requirements, especially if those requirements expand in the future. Costs typically include staff time and copying. ally to reimburse local governments and agencies for complying with document requests. The costs stem from a May 2011 decision by the Commission on State Mandates, which ruled that local agencies could seek state reimbursement for complying with parts of the Public Records Act. However, the commission has not finished calculating the reimbursement rates, so the state has not yet had to make payments to the local governments. The Legislature's lawyers determined that enshrining the records mandate in the California Constitution would not prevent lawmakers from later changing the law to remove exemptions. Leno said that only that broad guarantee would be added to the Constitution, leaving the Public Records Act and Brown Act as statutes and making future changes easier.