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TUESDAY AUGUST 3, 2010 Breaking news at: Lessons For Life American Profile www.redbluffdailynews.com See Inside RED BLUFF 49ers Camp SPORTS 1B Sunny 99/67 Weather forecast 8B By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer Several reports of a moun- tain lion sighting were received at the Red Bluff Police Depart- ment early Sunday morning. The first came in at 1:12 a.m. behind the Villa Columba housing complex at 460 Main DAILYNEWS TEHAMACOUNTY DAILY 50¢ T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Mountain lion spotted in River Park St. The caller said the mountain lion was in the 400 block of Rio Street traveling south toward Red Bluff River Park, a Red Bluff Police release said. A second call came in at 1:17 a.m. and reported the mountain lion was in the 500 block of Rio Street. Officers responded to the park and did a search of the area, finding the mountain lion to be under a picnic table about 50 feet from the Sacramento River. The animal traveled north along the riverbank and officers eventually lost sight of it. The California Department of Fish and Game was contact- ed by Red Bluff Police. It was determined that the mountain lion was in its natural habitat near the river and at the time did not pose a risk to humans. Red Bluff River Park was closed at the time of the inci- dent, however, officers did con- tact a woman sleeping inside the park and she was given Wreck shuts I-5 transport out of the area. Red Bluff Police contacted staff at the Riverside Bar and Grill, which was in close prox- imity to where the mountain lion had been seen. Staff was advised of the sighting since the restaurant’s patio seating overlooks the Sacramento River. Land split divides county agencies By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer A plan to split a private 30-acre parcel into thirds pit- ted the Tehama County Planning Commission and the Red Bluff-Tehama County Chamber of Commerce against Tehama County Public Works Tuesday as the county comes to terms with its road improvement stan- dards. To hear landowner Mark Gunsauls tell it, the deci- sion should have been a simple one. Gunsauls sought to split his land, off of Wilder Road, into three roughly equal parcels for his three sons. Instead, Gunsauls’ found himself defending a Plan- ning Commission decision to allow the split without adding four feet of shoulder lanes to the nearby road. “I’m not quite sure how I got here, or how I got See LAND, page 7A Talks continue on event traffic By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer MediaNews photo by Ty Barbour Traffic on southbound Interstate 5 a mile north of the Glenn/Tehema County line was halted due to a big rig truck fire after one rig rear ended another Monday morning. Several fire agencies as well as Glenn County CHP responded. No injuries reported. MediaNews Group ORLAND — No injuries were reported in the crash of two big rigs on Interstate 5 north of Orland Monday morning, but the southbound lanes were closed for about an hour when one of the trucks caught fire. It was the first of two crashes in nearly the same spot on I-5 Monday, about six hours apart. In the first crash the California Highway Patrol said Dan Watson was driving south on I-5 about 9:52 a.m. when he failed to brake in time for slowing traffic near County Road 7. Watson’s 1998 Frieghtliner slammed into the back Two sustain minor injuries in boat fire By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer An Orland man and his passenger were injured, but declined medical treatment about 4:10 p.m. Sunday in a boat fire on Black Butte Lake. Tehama County Sher- iff’s Deputies were sent to the Eagle Pass boat ramp at Black Butte Lake regarding a boat fire and contacted Michael Lefan- to, 45. Lefanto told deputies that while he was boating the boat’s fuel pump caught fire at which point his passenger said she felt an extreme amount of heat on her back. Turning around upon feeling the heat, the woman said she saw flames about four feet tall coming from the engine compartment of the 1978 19-foot Mag- num jet boat. Lefanto told his pas- senger to jump overboard into the water while he tried to put out the flames, however, he was unsuc- cessful in his attempts and also jumped into the water, a sheriff’s release said. Other boaters came to the rescue of Lefanto and his passenger, who were not wearing life jackets, and were eventually able to extinguish the flames, the release said. Lefanto had superficial burns to his chest and the woman had superficial burns to the back of her leg, but both refused treat- ment, the release said. Lefanto’s boat was towed to safety with assis- tance from other boaters. The interior of the boat was completely destroyed with an estimated loss of 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 more than $2,000. ——— Julie Zeeb can be reached at 527-2153, extension 115 or jzeeb@redbluffdailynews .com. of a 2002 Peterbilt rig driven by Andy Tricas, of Duarte, Los Angeles County. The drivers were pulled to the side of the highway to exchange information when a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy rolled up and told Watson his rig was on fire. Flames grew quickly, fed by paper products Watson was hauling, and the entire rig was soon engulfed. Fire spread to a field beside the highway, but it was quickly extinguished. Tricas was hauling empty containers which held Foschek, a fire retardant dropped from aircraft on See WRECK, page 7A Discussion on traffic control costs may contin- ue at tonight’s Red Bluff City Council meeting. Representatives from the Tehama District Fair- board have asked to be on the council agenda to dis- cuss their views on the sit- uation and offer solutions. However, on Monday, Fairgrounds CEO Mark Eidman said he will ask the council to pull the agenda item and postpone the discussion until a full council is present. Mayor Jeff Moyer and councilman Jim Byrne will not be at the meeting. The council will have to agree in order for the discussion to be tabled. The postponement could offer a chance for everyone to get together, Eidman said. Hoteliers have had their own meet- ing and the fairboard has met with some event pro- moters, including the Red Bluff Round-Up Commit- tee, but the Convention and Visitors Bureau has not called a stakeholders meeting. “Everyone seems to be going their own way right now,” Eidman said. “We all have to get together and come up with sugges- tions.” At the July 20 council meeting, Kristin Behrens, See TALKS, page 7A North and south, slow going on I-5 Traffic was slowed at the north end of Tehama County after a three- vehicle collision, accord- ing to the CHP website. A mini van, a Dodge Ram and a UPS tractor- trailer were involved in the crash that occurred near Sunset Hills off ramp on southbound Interstate 5. The tractor- trailer flipped on its side, but all vehicles were out of the roadway. Traffic was limited to one lane and the Sunset Hills off ramp was closed while officers responded to the scene. The collision, which occurred around 2:45 p.m., caused no injuries, according to the CHP website. Further information on that crash was not available as field officers had to immediately respond to another crash near Gay Creek in Corn- ing, CHP Officer Phil Mackintosh said. The slow lane was and traffic was blocked backed up to Cotton- wood Creek, according to the website around 4:13 p.m. EARN EXTRA MONEY COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR Smog Inspection $ 2995 + cert. (MOST CARS & PICK-UPS) Pass or FREE retest 195 S. Main St. Red Bluff 530 527-9841 work your own hours, quick pay, must be 18 yrs+, have drivers license & insured vehicle. (866) 906-8036 Job Ref#26044 Deliver new telephone directories in the Glenn-Tehama area. FT/PT, ARTHRITIS, AND POST SURGERY. DR. SWAIM’S PAIN CREAM NOW AVAILABLE IN OUR OFFICE AT 2530 SR MARY COLUMBA DR. RED BLUFF, CA 96080 (530) 527-7584 STOP THE PAIN FROM NEUROPATHY, SHINGLES, Daily News photo by Tang Lor Traffic was limited to one lane as CHP officers responded to a three- vehicle collision that occurred near the Sunset Hills off ramp on southboun d Interstate 5 Monday afternoon.