Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/17393
WEDNESDAY October 6, 2010 Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 8A RED BLUFF Reader Photos Athletes of the Week SPORTS 1B Partly cloudy 80/55 Weather forecast 8B By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer Sheriff’s investigators harbor doubt about the account of a Williams man who said he was DAILYNEWS TEHAMACOUNTY DAILY 50¢ T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Man: I was kidnapped, robbed, shot kidnapped Sunday. “His story is not really adding up,” Sheriff Clay Parker said. Juan Ortega-Perez, 44, was reportedly picked up by three strangers at about 1 a.m. Sunday at the Chevron gas station outside Rolling Hills Casino. As of Tuesday authorities were aware of no witnesses to the kid- napping and had no security footage showing his kidnapping, Rescued Red Bluff woman pulled from surf by Coast Guard Parker said. The men reportedly drove Ortega-Perez around Corning until they stopped in a rural area west of the city where the three men demanded Ortega-Perez’s wallet. He told authorities he sur- rendered it and $1,000 cash, according to a press release. Ortega-Perez was reportedly shot in the upper leg as he fled on See MAN, page 7A Jail guard sentenced for welfare fraud By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer A Correctional Officer convicted of helping his girl- friend with welfare fraud is still in the employ of the Sheriff’s Department but is on his way out, Sheriff Clay Parker said Tuesday. James Clinton Branson, 23, was sentenced Monday to 36 months probation, 60 days in jail and fined $130 plus possible restitution fees for a welfare fraud scheme he conducted with 31-year-old Patricia Ryann Nun- neley. Altogether Nunneley and Branson collected about $11,300 in benefits. See GUARD, page 7A Corning candidates face off over issues By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer The Corning Veterans U.S. Coast Guard photo Andrea Borg, a resident of Red Bluff, smiles after being rescued by a Coast Guard crew from Coast Guard Station Humboldt Bay, Sunday.She was rowing in an 18-foot boat with Bob Bragg, an Anderson resident, when their row boat was capsized and they were thrown into the water. MediaNews Group SAMOA — Coast Guard Station Humboldt Bay crew members res- cued two people, from Red Bluff and Anderson, from the surf Sun- day afternoon after their rowboat capsized in the breaking waves next to the station. The rowers, Andrea Borg, of Red Bluff, and Bob Bragg, of Anderson, were taken to Station Humboldt Bay, where they declined medical treatment. Both were wear- ing life jackets. Through the station's security camera, Petty Officers Jeremiah Wolf and Jacob Hamburg watched as the two rowers fought against the tide and were pulled toward the breaking waves, known locally as "the mystery breaks," at approximately 12:45 p.m Wolf and Hamburg saw the row- Interior denies protection for Calif. fish species WASHINGTON — The Sacramento splittail fish does not warrant pro- tection under the Endan- gered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Tuesday. The decision puts the Obama administration on the same side as a former Bush administration offi- cial who was accused of improper political inter- ference in dozens of endangered species cases, including a 2003 decision to remove the Sacramento splittail from the threatened species list. Julie MacDonald resigned as deputy assis- tant Interior secretary in 2007 after the depart- ment’s inspector general found that she bullied government scientists to alter their findings about endangered species and improperly leaked infor- mation about species pro- tection decisions to pri- vate groups and industry officials. The Bush administra- tion later reversed seven rulings that denied endangered species increased protection, say- ing MacDonald’s actions had tainted the decisions. MacDonald, who oversaw the Fish and Wildlife Service, was heavily involved in delisting the Sacramento splittail while owning an 80-acre farm in the crea- ture’s California habitat. Biologists in the Sacramento field office had concluded the fish, which is found only in California’s Central Val- ley, should remain on the threatened list, but were overruled by higher rank- ing officials, including MacDonald. Protections for the small fish could have required flooding the area near MacDon- See FISH, page 7A 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 Red Bluff Outdoor Power boat rolled by a 6- to 8-foot wave, pitching its two occupants in the water. The station crew immediately launched its 47-foot motor lifeboat and recovered the rowers unharmed at around 12:58 p.m. Shortly afterward, their 18-foot rowboat was recovered by Califor- See SURF, page 7A Hall was packed for Mon- day’s candidates night hosted by the Corning Chamber of Commerce and VFW, with Linda Watkins-Bennett as moder- ator. Participants, divided into mayoral and council candidates for responses, were given one minute to answer questions on topics ranging from why they were running to future growth, feral cats and who should pay employees’ shares of pension plans. Mayoral candidates included incumbent Gary Strack and Dean Cofer. Gena Bowen, Darlene Dickison, Jesse Lopez, Melodie Poison, Ken Prather and John Richards are running for two open council seats. The council candidates were asked if they thought city employees should pay their own share of the CalPERS retirement. Bowen said, as a retired person who worked for the school district and paid her own share, employees should pay and in tough economic times it was one way the city could save money. Poison and Prather agreed that employees should pay their own shares. See ISSUES, page 7A Students gather for prayer at school Special to the DN More than 50 Christian students and staff from Red Bluff Union High School gathered for prayer at 7 a.m. Sept, 22 to participate in See You At The Pole. This was more than dou- ble the attendance of 2009 and many more churches were represented. This year marks the 20th anniversary for See You at the Pole, a student-initiated and student-led movement that started in the Ft. Worth suburb of Burleson, Texas, in 1990. The event brings students to their school’s flag pole to intercede for their leaders, schools and families, asking God to bring moral and spiritual awakening to their campus- es and country. The event was support- ed by Red Bluff's Youth Pastor Association and ini- tiated and led by students from Bethel Assembly of God, Community Baptist Church, First Christian Church, First Church of God, North Valley Baptist Church, Sunrise Bible Fel- lowship, Vineyard Christ- ian Fellowship and Zion Christian Ministries and others. The event was the sec- ond association event of the See SCHOOL, page 7A Courtesy photo Students gather near the flag pole at Red Bluff Union High School before class for prayer Sept. 22 as part of the national See You At The Pole event. Daily News Saturday print delivery will be late due to football coverage …but now you can read the Saturday paper online after 8:00 am Saturday mornings www.redbluffdailynews.com Click on Digital Edition PHYSICIAN REFERRAL A FREE SERVICE PROVIDED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE 1-800-990-9971 CHW North State Region