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FRIDAY Golf Tourney Fundraiser SEPTEMBER 6, 2013 Week 1 Preview Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 3A SPORTS 1B DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF Sunny 92/64 Weather forecast 8A 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 US considers training Syria rebels WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is considering a plan to use U.S. military trainers to help increase the capabilities of the Syrian rebels, in a move that would greatly expand the current CIA training being done quietly in Jordan, U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Thursday. Any training would take place outside Syria, and one possible location would be Jordan. The officials said no decision had been made, but that discussions were going on at high levels of the government. It comes as the Obama administration prods Congress to authorize limited military strikes against Syrian President Bashar Assad's government in retaliation for a deadly Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack. The proposal to use the U.S. military to train the rebels — something the administration has resisted through more than two years of civil war — would answer the demands of some lawmakers, including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to do more to train and equip the Syrian opposition. President Barack Obama in June decided to provide lethal aid to the rebels, but so far none of that assistance has gotten to the opposition. Officials said Thursday that talk about a military training mission has increased but that there have been no specific Pentagon recommendations forwarded to the White House on how big it should be or how many troops it Big rig tips in LM should involve. The CIA has been training select groups of rebels in Jordan on the use of communications equipment and some weapons provided by Gulf states. The new discussions center on whether the U.S. military should take over the mission so that hundreds or thouSee SYRIA, page 7A Deer Fire caused by balloons By DN Staff Report The Deer Fire, which burned 11,429 acres about 12 miles east of Los Molinos, was caused by a bouquet of Mylar balloons coming into contact with 500-kilovolt transmission lines in the area, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection announced Thursday. The balloons spanned across transmission lines and caused an "electrical arc, which in turn melted the balSee FIRE, page 7A Settlement reached in boy's Lassen death By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer Daily News photo by Andre Byik A 2013 International big rig overturned at Le Claire and Decker avenues about 10:40 a.m. Thursday in Los Molinos. The truck was carrying packaging materials destined for Crain Walnut Shelling, Inc. No injuries were reported. DN Staff Report A big rig carrying packaging materials overturned into a small embankment Thursday at Decker and Le Claire avenues in Los Molinos. Albert Bunce, 51, of Paradise was driving the 2013 International big rig at a stated speed of about 20- 25 miles per hour on Le Claire Avenue when it overturned at a curve toward Decker Avenue about 10:40 a.m., California Highway Patrol officials said. There were no injuries, and drugs or alcohol are not believed to be a factor. The roadway was blocked for a short time because of an oil spill, but the accident was not blocking traffic about 1:30 p.m. A crew was seen unloading materials from the truck, which was pulling a semitrailer. Officials said the big rig was destined for Crain Walnut Shelling, Inc. on Decker Avenue less than a mile from the accident. The Botell family and the U.S. Government have reached a pending settlement in a lawsuit filed over the death of 9-yearold Tommy Botell in 2009 at Lassen Volcanic National Park. A Notice of Settlement was filed in the United States District Court's Eastern District of California Tuesday. The settlement still awaits final approval by the Associate Attorney General and the court itself. That approval could take several weeks. In late July U.S. District Judge Troy Nunley granted summary judgment to the Botells. The Red Bluff family was hiking a trail at Lassen Park in July 2009 when they sat down to take photographs atop a rock-and-mortar retaining wall. The wall crumbled and a boulder weighing at least 400 pounds crushed Tommy. His sister was seriously injured. See LASSEN, page 7A Local man touts Cattlewomen award scholarships Jury Rights Day By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer With his own date in court to challenge the legal system a f e w weeks a w a y activist Don Bird hit the streets of downtown Red Bluff Thursday morning to raise awareness for Jury Rights Day. The 78-year-old Rancho Tehama resident passed out brochures in front of the Post Office trumpeting the rights citizens have when they are selected as jurors. The Fully Informed Jury Association first promoted Jury Rights Day in 1991, according to the group's Facebook page. Sept. 5 was chosen as it was on that day in 1670 that William Penn, a Quaker, was arrested in London for violating a law that restricted religious assemblies out- 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 side the Church of England. The judge overseeing the case jailed the jury after it refused to convict Penn guilty over disagreement with the law itself. T h e case set the historical precedent for jury nullification, when a jury acquits a defendant in disregard of a judge's instructions and contrary to findings in court. "The jury system is the last line of defense to your freedom," Bird said on why he has spent decades protesting and fighting the courts on jury issues. Bird said Jury Rights Day is important to remind people that if they get selected for a jury they should remember they hold more power than the judge. Case law has differed over the years on whether judges instruct juries about nullification decisions. Nullification historically was often used by jurors that See JURY, page 7A The Tehama County Cattlewomen (TCCW) are pleased to announce that they have awarded a total of $10,000 in scholarships to a group of five accomplished Tehama County students this year. The generosity of the Tehama County community at various TCCW events has made this possible, and the students and the Cattlewomen are all very grateful. Four $2,000 scholarships were awarded to college students majoring in an agricultural field and one $2,000 scholarship was awarded to a student from an agricultural family who is not an ag major. The four ag major scholarships went to Corey Carpenter, Brooke Hencratt, Jadda Miller and Stacey Stroing. The scholarship to the non-ag major went to Margo Dawley. Jadda Miller will attend UC Davis in the fall of 2013 and is majoring in Sustainable Agriculture. She plans to open restaurants that use local agricultural products and will also work in food policy. She graduated from Red Bluff High School and Carpenter is the daughter of Judd and Kim Miller. Brooke Hencratt plans to become a large animal veterinarian. She will attend Chico State in the fall of 2013 as an Animal Science major. She is from Vina, graduated from Los Molinos High School and is the daughter of Dan and Jody Hencratt. Corey Carpenter, from Red Bluff, is the son of David and Mary Carpenter. He graduated from Red Bluff High School and will attend Oklahoma State in the fall of 2013 as an Animal Science major. He is working toward his PhD to become a professor of animal nutrition. Stacey Stroing attends Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and is an Animal Science major Dawley Hencratt Miller Stroing with plans to become a large animal vet. She is the daughter of Tom and Jeannie Stroing and is a graduate of Red Bluff High School. Margo Dawley is the daughter of Frank and Vicky Dawley. She is in the third year of a four year graduate school program at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego and plans to become a licensed acupuncturist. She is originally from Red Bluff and graduated from Red Bluff High School. The students were ranked based on their See AWARD, page 7A