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WEDNESDAY Dental Clinic Junior Olympics Ribbon Cutting JULY 24, 2013 Commerce Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 4A SPORTS 1B DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF Partly cloudy 98/72 Weather forecast 8B 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 County moves toward tougher pot penalties By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer The Tehama County Board of Supervisors moved toward putting some bite into the county's Marijuana Cultivation Ordinance Tuesday directing staff to prepare amendments that would allow for monetary and criminal penalties against grows found to be out of compliance. The proposed amendments come after several months of increasing complaints regarding noncompliant marijuana grow sites, particularly in the Rancho Tehama Reserve area. The county has had trouble enforcing the ordinance due to limited resources and a lack of an adequate deterrent, but has been emboldened since winning a District Court of Appeals case upholding the 2010 ordinance. The court found medical marijuana users don't have an unfettered right to marijuana cultivation. The Board of Supervisors directed staff to finalize a list of proposed amendments to the ordinance for discussion and possible action when it meets July 30. The amendments came from the recommendation of an Ad Hoc Committee comprised of Supervisors Steve Chamblin and Bob Williams. The existing ordinance contains no monetary or criminal penalties, limiting enforcement to a nuisance abatement process of removal of offending plants. The Ad Hoc Committee found that non-compliant growers, even after being cited, frequently attempted to delay the abatement process to allow them to harvest their crop — repeating the process the folSee POT, page 7A Crops have banner year Family files claim over jail suicide By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer Daily News photo by Rich Greene An orchard in Dairyville. By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer Tehama County's agriculture production continued to set records in 2012, producing a total gross value of $294,999,100, a 20.1 percent increase from the prior year. The county saw its first $100 million crop, as the 37,415 tons of walnuts produced eclipsed the milestone The information was made public in the 2012 Tehama County Crop Report. It will be available in the coming days on the Department of Agriculture's website. Walnuts, table olives, prunes and almonds accounted for about two-thirds of the county's total agricultural production value. Table olives rebounded after weather wiped out most of the 2011 crop, posting a 926 percent increase from the prior year. Almonds increased 19.8 percent due to production and prices, and walnuts increased 10.3 percent due to acreage and price increase. Prune values slightly decreased due to a decrease in acreage and production reductions. Strong prices drove cattle values to a 7.9 percent increase. Field crops increased 8.8 per- Court rejects bid to stop gay marriages SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California's highest court refused Tuesday to block the state from sanctioning same-sex marriages while it considers a petition arguing that a voter-approved gay marriage ban remains valid in all but two counties. Without comment, the California Supreme Court rejected a request from the elected government official in charge of issuing marriage licenses in San Diego County for an order halting gay marriages, which resumed in the state last month for the first time since the ban passed in November 2008. County clerk Ernest Dronenburg Jr. sought the stay on Friday. He also asked the seven-member court to consider his legal 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 argument that same-sex marriages still are illegal in most of California, despite a U.S. Supreme Court decision widely regarded as having authorized them and the state attorney general's assertion that clerks throughout the state must issue licenses to gay couples. The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for same-sex marriages to return to the nation's most populous state last month when it ruled that the sponsors of Proposition 8 lacked authority to appeal a federal trial judge's decision that the ban violated the constitutional rights of gay and lesbian Californians. Dronenburg claims that the trial court's companion directive ordering the governor, attorney general and state public health director to cease enforcing Proposition 8 applies only to the two couples See COURT, page 7A cent in value with wheat contributing 67.9 percent to the increase. Corn and alfalfa also posted major gains. Milk values decreased 15.7 percent due to slight production and significant price decreases. Tehama County's gross production was $158,542,500 in 2008, but the subsequent years have seen rapid increases. Agricultural products were shipped from Tehama County to 59 other counties. Rich Greene can be reached at 527-2151, ext. 109 or rgreene@redbluffdailynews.com. The father of a man who committed suicide inside the Tehama County Jail in February has filed a wrongful death claim against the county. The suit alleges that county employees were indifferent to his son's serious medical needs, including severe and untreated drug withdrawal, suicidality, mental illness and emotional disturbance. Robert Michael Rupe was found dead Feb. 11 inside a single cell, having hung himself from a sheet tied to a bunk bed, which had been tipped on end. He was 27. The Tehama County Sheriff's Department said at the time that Rupe had been cleared for incarceration, denied having suicidal thoughts and had made no statements or shown any indication of his suicidal thoughts prior to his death. On Tuesday the Board of Supervisors rejected the claim made by Randall Rupe on behalf of himself and his son's estate. In closed session the board authorized the retention of Carrie Frederickson of Angelo, Kilday and Kilduff to defend the county in further litigation. The Rupe Estate is being represented by Haddad and Sherwin of Oakland. The claim is for a non-limited civil case. Robert Rupe was arrested on Feb. 10 after his father, Randall, called to report his son had stolen a small safe from inside his residence. The safe contained Randall's prescription medication and a loaded pistol. Robert was taken into custody that night for felony second degree burglary and grand theft, but was not found in possession of the safe. After he was booked in Tehama County Jail, Rupe called his parents and threatened them. That resulted in additional felony charges being added and an Emergency Protective Order obtained. Around 1:15 a.m. Feb. 11 a corrections officer convinced Rupe to disclose the location of the safe, so his father could take his medication. Rupe led Red Bluff police officers to the location of the safe and was returned to jail. He was found dead at 6:12 p.m. that day. The Sheriff's Department said correctional officers See CLAIM, page 7A Garden, Grapes & Grooves event Kathy and James Brandt, along with their daughters Julia, Jayne and Jordan, invite community members to join them at Julia's Fruit Stand in Dairyville 2-6 p.m. Saturday, July 27, to experience the flavors of summer at the business' first Garden, Grapes & Grooves event. As a member of the Tehama Trail – a partnership between Tehama County farmers that brings awareness to the abundance of good local food – the Brandt family will share samples of their vine-ripened tomatoes and quality wines produced at wineries along the Tehama Trail. Event goers can kick back and enjoy the sounds of live music by Java Jazz — all just beyond the farm gate at Julia's Fruit Stand, Tehama Trail's July featured farmer. Julia's, named after the Brandts' oldest daughter, opened for business in the spring of 2001. Kathy and James, who both have a family history in farming, started the roadside market to help fund Julia's college education. Since then business has steadily increased allowing the Brandts to fund all three daughters' educations. The fruit stand is a true family venture with Julia working the fruit stand, Jayne tending the garden and Jordan caring for the peaches. "And everybody works at the Wednesday farmers market," says Kathy Brandt. "Working with the public is an invaluable skill our girls learn while they're at the market." Not only do they sell their products at Julia's Fruit Stand and many Smog Inspection $ 2595 +$825 certificate (MOST CARS & PICK-UPS) • Members Welcome 530 See EVENT, page 7A 527-9841 195 S. Main St., Red Bluff