Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/146550
WEEKEND JULY 27-28 2013 Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com California 4-H turns 100 Farm 5A DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF Sunny 102/68 Weather forecast 10A TEHAMA COUNTY $1.00 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 Grand Jury reviews Reeds Creek audit By ANDRE BYIK DN Staff Writer After a harshly critical audit detailing Reeds Creek Elementary School District's use of funds was delivered to the Tehama County Department of Education in August 2012, the 2012-2013 Tehama County Grand Jury reported that the district has improved its financial practices, but should still be monitored. The Grand Jury submitted to Tehama County Superior Court its annual report, which included an investigation into Reeds Creek Elementary School, a kindergarten through eighth grade school in west Red Bluff. The Grand Jury's investigation included a review of the findings of an audit authorized by the Tehama County Department of Education in February 2012. The audit Initiated in April 2012, the state's Fiscal Crisis and Management Team's extraordinary audit of Reeds Creek School District reviewed a sample of transactions from the district's from 2009-2012. It found poor accounting practices by the district's staff, including the use of public funds for "questionable" purchases that could have been construed as gifts, a lack of records and receipts for purchases and loose management of Associated Student Body funds. The audit group found that in its testing of 94 transactions in the 2009-10 fiscal year, documentation for 90 of them couldn't be provided by the district. The FCMAT highlighted three of those transactions, which totaled $3,500 paid to Sacramento Kings Account Executive, Season Ticket Sales. The audit noted that without supported documentation, the FCMAT couldn't find out what the payment was for, and inquiries to staff went unanswered. Jacob Hosler, Reeds Creek School's principal and superintendent from Aug. 1, 2008 to May Grand Jury 31, 2012, said Friday that payments to the Sacramento Kings were part of a sports fundraiser in which he worked with the Kings. He said that payments made to the Kings were for 300 tickets at $19.50 apiece. Hosler said that students from Reeds Creek School, in cooperation with students from Lassen View Elementary School District, sold the tickets at a price of $25 apiece, netting Reeds Creek School more than $1,000 for its sports program. Additionally, he said, as a perk for working with the Kings students from both schools travSee AUDIT, page 9A Mendocino to consider yurt at Lake Red Bluff Closed court Recreation managers on the Mendocino National Forest are seeking comments on a proposal to install a yurt at one campsite at the Sycamore Grove Campground, located within the Lake Red Bluff Recreation Area. The campsite currently has electricity and potable water hookups and fee is $25 per night. The proposed fee increase for the campsite with yurt is $40 per night. Sycamore Grove Campground is a 30-unit campground which provides tent and RV camping adjacent to the Sacramento River. Ten of the campsites within the campground provide electric hook-ups. The forest is proposing installing a yurt within one of the existing campsites with electric and potable water hookups. See YURT, page 9A State tightens smog rules for off-road vehicles Daily News photo by Andre Byik Construction takes place Friday near the Tehama County Department of Education building. By ANDRE BYIK DN Staff Writer With construction crews tearing it up on the basketball courts on Lincoln Street, hoopsters can soon look forward to some new digs. The two basketball and three tennis courts at Lincoln and Union streets are being resurfaced and reconfigured, said Larry Champion, Tehama County Superintendent of Schools. When construction is finished, there will be two tennis and a fully enclosed basketball court. Additionally, new lights will be accompany the improved courts to allow for night games. Champion said paving of the courts is scheduled for next week. A four classroom school, Lincoln Street School, will be constructed at the site of the old basketball courts, Champion said. The school, which is planned to combine independent study, parent, online and seat time learning models, is expected to have the potential of housing 100 students. The school, which will be run by the county department of education, is expected to open in December. Champion said the county has had a great partnership with the city of Red Bluff in making the improvements happen. A parking lot is also being repaved at the construction site. SACRAMENTO (AP) — Dirt bikes and other offroad vehicles sold in California will have to meet tough new anti-smog requirements beginning with 2018 models. The state Air Resources Board on Thursday approved rules that could reduce fumes seeping from gas tanks and fuel lines by 70 percent — but also could add hundreds of dollars to the price of new models, UT San Diego reported. Organic reactive gases such as cancer-causing benzene are emitted from offroad vehicles even when they're in the garage. The new regulations would limit them to 1 gram a day instead of the estimated 10 to 15 grams the 2018 models otherwise would release. By comparison, passenger cars would be limited to no more than about a third of a gram. See SMOG, page 9A Construction to force several road closures STAFF REPORT Three sections of state routes in Tehama County will be fully closed at times this week as construction projects continue through the summer. State Route 99 will be closed for a one-mile stretch about one mile north of Los Molinos nightly 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Wednesday due to unforeseen circumstances during the replacement of the North Fork Mill Creek Bridge. A temporary signal will be installed and will control one-way traffic while the bridge is removed and replaced. The project is expected to completed by November. State Route 36 will be closed at Baker Road west of Interstate 5 beginning Monday and running through Aug. 11. A detour via Baker Road to Walnut Street will be available. The project is scheduled for completion in October. A full closure of State Route 32 about 2.5 miles west of the junction of state routes 32 and 36 near the Elam campground will take place Monday and continue through September. The road will be closed weekly beginning at 6 a.m. and reopen for weekends beginning 6 a.m. Friday. A detour will be available via State Route 36 to State Rout 99, 89 or 70. One-way traffic will control the area on weekends. Motorists should expect up to 15-minute delays. Work on Interstate 5 will also continue. The Sunset Hills Drive northbound on and off ramps will be closed from 7 p.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday. The southbound Sunset Hills Drive on and off ramps will be closed from 1 to 7 a.m. Sunday. Interstate 5 will be reduced to alternating lanes in each direction from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. nightly. GROWNEY MOTORS We Buy Used Cars paid for or not Daily News photo by Chip Thompson State Route 36 will be closed at Baker Road west of Interstate 5 Monday. 1160 Main St. 527-1034