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TUESDAY Drinking Risky for Young Girls SEPTEMBER 3, 2013 Gridiron Wrap-Up Vitality Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 6A SPORTS 1B DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF Sunny 90/61 Weather forecast 6B 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 Obama tries persuading the skeptical on Syria WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama worked on Monday to persuade skeptical lawmakers to endorse a U.S. military intervention in civil war-wracked Syria, winning conditional support from two leading Senate foreign policy hawks even as he encountered resistance from members of his own party after two days of a determined push to sell the plan. Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said Obama still needs to make a strong case for attacking the regime of President Bashar Assad, but they toned down past criticism that the president's plan was too weak to change the course of the fighting in Syria in favor of the opposition. ''We have to make it clear that a vote against this would be catastrophic in its consequences,'' now and in future international crises, McCain told reporters outside the White House following an hour-long private meeting that he and Graham had with Obama and White House national security adviser Susan Rice. But the outcome of any vote remained in doubt amid continued skepticism in a war-weary Congress. Several Democrats in a conference call with adminis- Nashville callin' tration officials pushed back against military action, questioning both the intelligence about a chemical attack last month outside Damascus and the value of an intervention to United States interests, according to aides on the call. Others See SYRIA, page 5A After a year, activist lands a citation By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer Courtesy photo Red Bluff resident and country artist Chad Bushnell performs with Michelle Lambert at the American Country Star competition Aug. 19 in Nashville. Bushnell is among 30 finalists in the third season of the contest. He's scheduled to perform 6-7 p.m. at the Red Bluff's 4th annual Beef 'N Brew Sept. 21. By ANDRE BYIK DN Staff Writer Nashville's calling again for country artist Chad Bushnell. The Red Bluff resident is among 30 finalists at the American Country Star competition, a live country music contest in its third season that's held at the Silver Dollar Saloon in Nashville. Bushnell, who next performs Sept. 23, said he applied for the summer-long contest online, submitting two songs for consideration. Out of about 4,000 applicants, he was selected as a Top 200 finalist, traveled to Music City, USA and first performed in front of such industry veterans as competition founder Woody Woodard, Johnny Frizzell and Lorrie Carter Bennett on Aug. 19. Bushnell, ready to perform two songs that day, learned about 15 minutes before taking the stage that judges expected to hear four. "The judge asked if that would be a problem," said Bushnell, who has teamed up with Northern California native Michelle Lambert, a fiddler, for the competition. He said no, and the two shuffled outside to learn two more songs. "We went outside in a corner right in the middle of everything," Bushnell said. "(Lambert) caught on really quick." So far, so good for the Red Bluff Union High School and Chico State graduate. The competition continues Sept. 9 as groups of contestants are scheduled to play in weekly intervals. The competition will wind down in the fall, when the final eight contestants will be broadcast on renegaderadionashville.com, Renegade TV and nashvillecountrynetwork.com. Bushnell said he plans to write more original music for the contest, and suspects keeping it traditional will better his chances with the tight-lipped judges. He added that the experience has been great, and he was happy just to make the Top 200. "But I do want to win it," Bushnell said. More than $100,000 in prizes are at stake, with the grand prize being a $30,000 recording contract with Wide Open Music. Previous winners include Richie Law, who went on to become a Top 13 finalist on American Idol last year, and Johnny Orr. Bushnell has released one album, Stormy Day in June, and plans another release in the comSee CALLING, page 5A Most people would prefer not getting a ticket and a day in court, but then again most people aren't Don Bird. The Rancho Tehama activist has been trying for a year to get ticketed for fishing without a license. In August he finally succeeded. Bird plans to challenge the ticket in Tehama County Superior Court Sept. 23. He says fishing licenses are unconstitutional, citing Article I, Section 25 of the California Constitution. "The people shall have the right to fish upon and from the public lands of the State and in the waters thereof, excepting upon lands set aside for fish hatcheries, and no land owned by the State shall ever be sold or transferred without reserving in the people the absolute right to fish thereupon; and no law shall ever be passed making it a crime for the people to enter upon the public lands within this State for the purpose of fishing in any water containing fish that have been planted therein by the State; provided, that the Legislature may by statue provide for the season when and the conditions under which the different species of fish may be taken." Fish and Wildlife officials read the Constitution a bit differently than Bird sees it. "While the California Constitution provides the right to fish, it also gives the state authority to regulate fishing in order to ensure sportsmen and women have access to healthy fisheries now and in the future," spokeswoman Janice Mackey told the Daily News in 2012 when Bird announced his attention to challenge the licensing requirement. Bird says the U.S. Constitution's 13th Amendment banning slavery, also applies in his case because a license is a contract and a form of involuntary servitude. But it's not only the fishing license requirement or application of the 13th Amendment Bird is hoping to challenge. Bird wants to request a trial by jury. That's what he did eight years ago after receiving a speeding ticket. He wasn't granted one then. Since then Bird's hullabaloo-raising exploits have included attempting to recall a Superior Court judge and battling State Senator Jim Nielsen over Nielsen's residency. In January 2012 Bird was declared a vexatious litigant by the Tehama County Superior Court and can no longer file lawsuits without posting a bond. Bird now hopes his citation for fishing without a license is his ticket back into the court system to further his Constitutional advocacy. Rich Greene can be reached at 527-2151, ext. 109 or rgreene@redbluffdailynews.com. Crews make RBUHS to host curriculum night overnight gains on Yosemite wildfire YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK (AP) — Crews working to corral the massive wildfire searing the edge of Yosemite National Park made major gains on the blaze overnight and were anticipating additional advances on Monday with the help of cooler temperatures and higher humidity, officials said. The fire was 60 percent contained as of Monday morning, up from 45 percent Sunday night, according to California fire offi- 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 cials. The blaze also grew about 9 square miles and now covers more than 357 square miles. Full containment is not expected until Sept. 20. Mandatory evacuations remain in effect for some south of Highway 120 and Tioga Road west of Yosemite Creek Picnic Area is closed. Crews will continue building fire lines and burning away the fire's potential fuel sources on Monday. ''We do have a nice window here of more cooperative weather,'' state fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said. A Back to School Curriculum Night is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 4, at Red Bluff Union High School. Students and parents will have an opportunity to visit classrooms and meet their student's teachers. The evening will begin at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center with a brief welcome by Principal Ron Fisher. The school also will be offering four specialized programs that evening prior to curriculum night. There will be a meeting 6-6:45 p.m. for Senior Class parents in the PAC; a meeting and social will be hosted at 5 p.m. for Freshman Ag students and parents in the Ag Department; a meeting for Padres Latinos will be presented at 6 p.m. in room 105; and a Frosh Parent Workshop for parents who missed the Frosh Orientation will be held in the Library at 6 p.m. All parents and guardians are encour- aged to attend. This is a great opportunity to meet teachers and gain a greater understanding of the school year.