Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/155907
WEDNESDAY Chile Rellenos 4th World Team AUGUST 21, 2013 County Fare Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 5A SPORTS 1B DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF Isolated Thunderstorm 95/69 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 Man awaiting sentence released from Butte jail By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer The sentencing of a former Boy Scout troop leader who pled no contest to a charge of committing a lewd act upon a child has been rescheduled in Tehama County after the man was released early from Butte County Jail while serving time on a related charge. In the Tehama County case Dustin Lee Hedrick, of Shingletown, faces eight years in state prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 1. According to the District Attorney's Office the charges stem from a 2010 party Hedrick, 19 at the time, attended with a group of younger boy scouts to celebrate an Eagle Scout commendation. Hedrick, who was an assistant scoutmaster for Troop 40 out of Redding, committed lewd and lascivious acts with two minor victims ages 13 and 16. The party was not an official- ly sanctioned Boy Scout event. Hedrick had been sentenced to a year in jail after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor child molestation charge in Butte County that involved one of the same victims from the Tehama County case. That incident occurred in May 2012 at the Camp Lassen Agency meeting needs By ANDRE BYIK DN Staff Writer After community concerns that clients weren't receiving adequate services from the Tehama County Department of Child Support Services, the 2012-13 grand jury reviewed a continuity plan put in place after a 2012 fire destroyed the department building. On July 4, 2012, the Child Support Services department on Diamond Avenue in Red Bluff was destroyed by a fire, which temporarily relocated most of the department's 22 employees at the time to the Shasta County Department of Child Support Services in Redding, the grand jury report noted. Three employees were placed at the Tehama County Department of Social Services and one was placed at the administration building. The grand jury noted that it met with an administrative representative of Tehama County's Department of Child Support Services about two months after the fire and found that a continuity plan was put in place to ensure that clients continued to receive service and that confidential information was protected. In addition, calls to Tehama County were routed to the Butte County Department of Child Support Services through a statewide toll free number, the grand jury report said. The grand jury noted that an average of 834 calls to the Tehama County department in July and November 2012 were rerouted to the Butte Regional Call Center. In QUINCY — A Sunday storm with lightning caused about 16 small fires in Plumas National Forest, the largest of which is the 140-acre Johnson Fire. Smoke jumpers, air tankers dropping retardant and hand crews are tackling the fires.. The majority of the fires are in the Keddie Ridge/North Arm areas near Taylorsville, according to a Plumas National Forest press release today. The incident command is at Taylorsville. Smokejumpers have Cops seek witnesses to 2006 murder Eugene Morgan holds his son, Colton. By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer Daily News file photo The Tehama County Department of Child Support Services on Diamond Avenue in Red Bluff was destroyed by fire July 4, 2012. February 2013, 931 of 970 calls received were answered. One call was deflected due to probable technical issues. Thirty-nine calls were abandoned because the caller hung up before an agent answered the call. The grand jury noted that attacked the Keddie Fire, followed by hand crews. It may take several days to contain the Keddie Fire burning near the top of Keddie Ridge because of heavy fuels and steep terrain, the press release indicated. Two small fires are burning near Lake Davis but are contained. The fires will be causing smoky conditions in Plumas and Lassen counties, but no roads are closed. Have a news tip? Call 527-2151, Ext. 112 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 See BUTTE, page 7A Daily News archive photo Lightning-caused fires burning in Plumas NF Staff Reports Scout Camp in Butte Meadows. Tehama County Superior Court Judge John Garaventa had previously delayed Hedrick's Tehama County sentencing to Oct. 16 so that Hedrick could serve out the remainder of his Butte County the 4 percent abandon rate was below the statewide abandon rate of 8 percent in February 2013. The average wait time before reaching an agent, the grand jury noted, was 51 seconds for Tehama County. The average statewide answer time was 2 minutes, 24 seconds in February 2013. "Using an automated system is not the same as direct dialing into a case worker, however, the time within which a call is answered and the answer rate are good for Tehama A $5,000 reward is being offered for information regarding the 2006 murder of Eugene V. Morgan that occurred in the wooded area north of Lake Avenue near the Sacramento River. Around 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, 2006 "Geno" Morgan was found in what was at the time a vacant lot behind Shari's Restaurant with severe injuries to his head and face as a result of a physical attack. He had been beaten with fists and rocks. Morgan was left in a vegetative state until his family took him off life support in May 2007. He died at age 36. The reward being offered by Tehama County Secret Witness is for anyone with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for the homicide. The murder investigation revealed two main suspects responsible for the beating. The investigation also discovered that other people were present or located in the nearby vicinity at the time of the attack, however no evidentiary information could be obtained from those individuals, a Red Bluff Police Department press release said. "Despite all investigative efforts, insufficient evidence has been developed to file criminal charges against either suspect," the press release said. A 30-year-old man was arraigned on a murder charge in Aug. 2010, but the charges were dismissed later that year. Morgan was part of a local transient community, See AGENCY, page 7A See COPS, page 7A Disaster loans available to small businesses Small, nonfarm businesses in 13 California counties, including Tehama, and four neighboring counties in Oregon are now eligible to apply for low-interest federal disaster loans from the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA). These loans offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by the drought that occurred June 18 through Aug. 12 in the following primary counties: Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Shasta, Siskiyou and Trinity, neighboring counties Glenn, Lake, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Sonoma and Tehama and Curry, Jackson, Josephine and Klamath counties in Oregon. "SBA eligibility covers both the economic impacts on businesses dependent on farmers and ranchers that have suffered agricultural production losses caused by the 'SBA eligibility covers both the economic impacts on businesses dependent on farmers and ranchers that have suffered agricultural production losses caused by the disaster and businesses directly impacted by the disaster' — Alfred Judd, SBA Disaster Field Operations nonprofit organizations of any size may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster not occurred. "Eligibility for these loans is based on the financial impact of the disaster only and not on any actual property damage," Judd said. "These loans have an interest rate of 4% for businesses and See LOANS, page 7A Smog Inspection $ disaster and businesses directly impacted by the disaster," said A l f r e d J u d d , director of SBA's Disaster Field Operations Center- West. Small, nonfarm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private, 2595 +$825 certificate (MOST CARS & PICK-UPS) • Members Welcome 530 527-9841 195 S. Main St., Red Bluff