Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/14446
WEEKEND AUGUST 7-8, 2010 Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com Baseball’s next inning See Inside USAWeekend RED BLUFF Fishing champ Sports 1B Sunny 94/63 Weather forecast 8A 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 I-5 Gridlock By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer Northbound Interstate 5 traf- fic backed up for miles Friday afternoon following a collision near the Cottonwood Scales involving a big rig and pickup. The collision, which occurred at 1:41 p.m. closed part of I-5 until 5:40 p.m. when both lanes were re-opened. According to witness accounts, the driver of the pick- up truck said she had blown a tire, which caused her vehicle to swerve into the big rig. The truck then rolled and was pinned against a hill by the big rig, which also overturned. A CHP officer said the driver and her granddaughter were flown to Mercy Medical Center in Redding. The big rig driver was also taken to Mercy. “It was really intense,” said Jerad Shields of Red Bluff who was about eight cars behind the big rig at the time of the acci- dent. “There was liquid and glass everywhere. Parts were still fly- ing in the area when we got there. Everyone braked immedi- ately and was swerving trying to avoid the semi.” As someone who is trained in CPR and first aid, Shields stopped to see if he could help. “I wanted to make sure every- one was ok,” Shields said. “It wasn’t until I was checking the driver that I noticed the other vehicle, which had a grandma and her granddaughter. I ran up to it and was handed the girl.” Shields said he was told the girl, who was five, was visiting See I-5, page 7A Daily News photos by Tang Lor (Top) A Caltrans worker cleans up the scene of an accident that caused a big rig to flip on its side as crews from a tow truck company work to upright the truck. (Bottom) Traffic is backed up on northbound Interstate 5 at the Auction Yard Road exit, four miles south of the collision near the Cottonwood Scales.Three hours after the crash, the back up had extended all the way to Jellys Ferry Road. Mountain lion seen at school By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer The third mountain lion sighting within a week took place early Friday at Bidwell School on Walnut Street. At 12:57 a.m. a man was walking along Walnut Street when he saw the mountain lion at Bidwell School lying on the ground next to the amphitheater. The man told police he froze and then saw the mountain lion get up and walk along the inner fence line of the school, a Red Bluff Police Department press release said. There have been no other reports of Friday’s sighting and officers responding to the area were unable to locate the mountain lion, the release said. “Obviously there have been no signs of aggression, but there is always the potential,” Sgt. Kevin Busekist said. “We encourage everyone to be alert, report any sightings as soon as possible and let the police department handle it.” Red Bluff Police have been working closely with Cali- fornia Department of Fish and Game and examinations of See LION, page 7A Lake California imposes growing regulations, fines By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer Residents of a gated community in northern Tehama County may face stricter penalties if they fall out of com- pliance with county marijuana rules. On July 20, the Board of Directors in Lake California unanimously voted to prohibit all marijuana growth done outside of state laws and county ordinances and to add their own fines on top of the county’s. The county requires a six-foot fence for outdoor growths and ties the number of plants anyone can grow to the parcel size, a move roundly criticized by local cannabis patients for making no allowances for the number of patients served by a given garden. Patients have since banded together to sue the county on the argument its policy violates California’s medical marijuana laws. The county’s policy contains some important caveats. The policy contains an exemption for “hardship” and is “complaint-driven,” meaning it is only enforced if some- one complains. Sheriff Clay Parker has said he will inter- vene and promised to work out individual solutions when complaints are received. Whether these caveats apply under Lake California’s policy is unclear. E-mails and calls to directors were not returned this week. Nor was a phone call to Lake Califor- nia management. Resident Louise Wilkinson commended the decision. “We have our rules and regulations, and we adhere to a higher standard,” she said. Everyone at the meeting seemed to support the deci- sion, Wilkinson said. “The applause, when it passed overwhelmingly, was huge,” she said. Wilkinson said she expects property owners acting out- side the property size and fence requirements to incur the same fines that apply to other community violations. With fences higher than three feet prohibited in Lake California, any outdoor garden owner could face an initial fine of at $250 — progressively doubling with each addi- See LAKE, page 7A Schwarzenegger calls for same-sex weddings SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Legal calls to immediately resume gay marriages in California began Friday when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown filed motions telling a federal judge it was the right thing to do. The motions came two days after U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker struck down California’s voter-approved gay mar- riage ban as unconstitution- al. In his 136-page decision, Walker said gay marriages should begin immediately. But later Wednesday, he agreed to suspend weddings until he could consider legal arguments he ordered to be filed by Friday. Opponents of same-sex marriage said they want Proposition 8 to stay in effect until their appeal of Walker’s ruling is decided by higher courts. They argued in court papers filed earlier this week that resuming gay marriage now would cause legal chaos if the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals or U.S. Supreme Court even- tually reverse Walker. The 9th Circuit received the case on Wednesday, hours after Walker issued his decision. On Friday, Schwarzenegger and Brown were the first to weigh in on the issue and both urged an immediate resumption of gay marriage. Lawyers for two same- sex couples who filed the lawsuit that led to the land- mark ruling were expected to file their arguments later Friday. It was unclear when the judge would issue a ruling on the possible resumption of same-sex marriages. The governor and attor- 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 ney general almost always defend state laws when they are challenged. But in this case, both refused to partic- ipate in fighting the lawsuit that led Walker to overturn the ban. Brown is the Democratic nominee for governor on the November ballot and he previously called the ban unconstitutional. Schwarzenegger has been more circumspect on his Proposition 8 position and his motion to immedi- ately resume gay marriage was his boldest pronounce- ment on the issue. ‘‘The administration believes the public interest is best served by permitting the court’s judgment to go into effect, thereby restoring the right of same-sex cou- EARN EXTRA MONEY 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, As Local As.... CALL TODAY (530) 529-1222 237 South Main Street ples to marry in California,’’ lawyers for Schwarzeneg- ger said in the legal filing. ‘‘Doing so is consistent with California’s long history of treating all people and their relationships with equal dignity and respect.’’ Brown also said it’s time for gays to begin marrying again. ‘‘While there is still the potential for limited admin- istrative burdens should future marriages of same- sex couples be later declared invalid, these potential burdens are out- weighed by this court’s con- clusion, based on the over- whelming evidence, that Proposition 8 is unconstitu- tional,’’ Brown said in his legal filing. The outcome in the appeals court could force the U.S. Supreme Court to confront the question of whether gays have a consti- tutional right to wed. Currently, same-sex cou- ples can legally wed only in Massachusetts, Iowa, Con- necticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Washing- ton, D.C. California voters passed Proposition 8 five months after the state Supreme Court legalized same-sex unions and an estimated 18,000 same-sex couples already had tied the knot. Walker presided over a 13-day trial earlier this year that was the first in federal court to examine if states can prohibit gays from get- ting married without violat- ing the constitutional guar- antee of equality. Supporters argued the ban was necessary to safe- guard the traditional under- standing of marriage and to encourage responsible childbearing. Opponents said that tra- dition or fears of harm to heterosexual unions were legally insufficient grounds to discriminate against gay couples. • “Main Street or Wall Street” banking, which do you want • Still offering better than free checking • Now offering Health Savings Accounts • Local decision making • Community Support