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THURSDAY OCTOBER 14, 2010 Breaking news at: Jo Dee Messina In Redding www.redbluffdailynews.com See Pastimes RED BLUFF Spartan Swimming SPORTS 1B Weather forecast 10A Sunny 90/54 By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer Despite Rep. Wally Herger canceling a debate against opponent Jim Reed scheduled to air live on KIXE later this month, Herger did show up Wednesday to take some shots at Reed and Democrats before a smaller audience. Although the two candidates 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 Herger, Reed trade jabs in Red Bluff avoided a real debate, their opposing views were as appar- ent as the distance between them, as they sat on opposite sides of the Palomino Room during the Red Bluff Kiwanis weekly meeting. Reed immediately acknowl- edged the controversy and spent a good deal of his time address- ing the issue. He did not spread rumors ‘This is the lowest lowball politics I’ve ever had from any opponent’ Rep. Wally Herger about Herger’s mental condi- tion, Reed said. When he was asked about it during an inter- view on Progressive News Radio last week, he answered as accurately and fully as he could. He has no regrets about what he said. Couched complaints Though Reed said he would not apologize to Herger, as he had nothing to apologize for, Reed did apologize to those who may have been offended by his use of the word Alzheimer. The word itself could be offensive to some sen- sitive people, he said. Posting the radio clip on his See JABS, page 9A Customers left with receipts, but no furniture By TANG LOR Schools to install security cameras The district will now DN Staff Writer Vandals looking to smash things up at school will have to think twice if they don’t want to get caught. The Red Bluff Union Elementary School Dis- trict Board approved a policy at its meeting Tues- day that will install a cam- era surveillance system on campuses as a preventive measure against vandal- ism. move forward with imple- menting the policy by looking at various busi- nesses that can provide the service, Superinten- dent William McCoy said Wednesday. At this time, a cost estimate has not been established for the security system, which will include cameras and lighting. The system would be set up at all four of the See SCHOOLS, page 9A Suspect in cold case claims innocence By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer A homeless man suspected of beating a man into a Daily News photo by Geoff Johnson R & R Furniture on Sept. 30. Notes left on the business door have since been taken down. By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer A Red Bluff furniture family with ties to a Prop. 215 marijuana case closed shop doors in September, leaving customers waiting for thousands of dollars in furniture they paid for in advance. A sign at R & R Furniture, 585 Antelope Blvd., claimed the business would return Sept. 9. It was untouched up through the first days of October and was flanked by half- a-dozen notes from would-be customers who spent money on furniture that never arrived. By Monday the sign was gone and only three notes, each dated Oct. 6 or later, remained. Business doors are locked. The lights are off. Furniture gathers dust inside. Now you see it, now you don’t Victims contacted by the Daily News said they have yet Brown calls for delta canal in water plan SACRAMENTO (AP) — Democratic guberna- torial candidate Jerry Brown on Wednesday called for building a peripheral canal to help solve California’s water shortages, a proposal voters defeated when he was governor in 1982. In a plan he released on his website, Brown endorsed building a canal or tunnel around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta as a way to improve the quality of the water now sent to Southern California and Central Valley farmers. ‘‘The goal must be to maintain and enhance water supplies for all Californians and take action to restore the Bay- Delta and meet Califor- nia’s true water needs,’’ Brown’s plan states. Overhauling how Cal- ifornia moves water around the state is a crit- ical issue in a state where most of the water supply is in the north but most of the people live in the south. The delta in Northern California is the hub of the state’s water system, but the pumps that divert water to farmers in the Central Valley and resi- dents of the San Francis- co Bay area and South- ern California have been blamed for a massive decline in fish popula- tions. Scientists also say water conditions in the delta have worsened while rising sea levels and earthquakes threaten its fragile earthen levees. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, along with Southern California water agencies, have See DELTA, page 9A 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 POWER PRODUCTS DOLMAR Red Bluff Outdoor Power to hear from the company. “What I did is I emptied my living room,” 79-year-old accountant Ruth Schwartz said. “I had furniture there that I had for years.” Schwartz walked away with a couch, a TV stand and an ottoman. But a pair of end-tables and cocktail table never materialized. She left a note on Oct. 6 admitting she still owes the company $158 herself – but the company owes her furni- ture. Like several victims interviewed by the Daily News, she praised the company’s customer service up until its closure. So did Red Bluff resident Ron McBride. “We had dealt with these people for quite a few years and they’ve really treated us pretty good,” he said. On July 16, during the store’s “retirement sale,” the See COUCHED, page 9A vegetative state pled innocent Tuesday. Russell Wray Rodgers, 30, Red Bluff, is held with- out bail in the Tehama County Jail on suspicion of mur- der with a special allegation of committing a felony after a previous conviction. If convicted on all counts he could face 28 years to life in prison. Rodgers was previously convicted of burglary, crim- inal threats and committing petty theft with three priors in Lassen County, according to a complaint filed by District Attorney Gregg Cohen. Police believe Rodgers used an empty beer bottle and a rock in October 2006 to beat Eugene Morgan, then 35, Red Bluff, into a vegetative state, according to a statement filed by Red Bluff Police Sgt. Jason Bee- man. Morgan was found unconscious in what was a vacant lot behind Shari’s Diner. His family kept him on life support until May 2007. He died shortly after- wards. Rodgers was not arrested until August this year. Police have at least one witness to the attack and See CASE, page 9A County, Corning to split official By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer CORNING — The City Council Tuesday unanimously approved sharing its planning direc- tor with Tehama County on an interim basis. “The (county) staff has been very supportive and George (Robson) has offered his support,” Corning Planning Direc- tor John Stouffer said. The deal came to Corn- ing’s attention through county staff, said Corning City Manager Steve Kim- brough. “John Stoufer is well- respected and knows the county and county gener- al plan well,” Kimbrough said. Stoufer will be helping to fill the shoes of Tehama County Planning Director George Robson, who is retiring and, in turn, the county will be helping Corning. “On the bright side, he gains experience and the county reimburses us 50 percent of his salary and benefits,” Kimbrough ‘On the bright side, he gains experience and the county reimburses us 50 percent of his salary and benefits’ City Manager Steve Kimbrough said. The interim deal will go before the Tehama County Board of Supervi- sors Oct. 19 and, if approved, Stoufer could start as early as Oct. 20, Kimbrough said. If the Memorandum of Understanding is for the entire period of Oct. 20 to June 30, Corning could save as much as $35,000. Either party may ter- minate the deal upon 30 days written notice and Stoufer will remain a Corning employee. Councilman Ross Turner asked whether it was legal to pay PERS benefits if Stoufer was an independent contractor. “He will remain employed full time with the city,” Kimbrough said. “The county is contract- ing with the city (not with Stoufer).” Stoufer will work 20 hours for the city and 20 hours for the county, Kimbrough said. “I don’t think there is going to be a problem,” Kimbrough said. “He will be able to cover the criti- cal issues just fine and he will still attend council meetings.” Several of the key things Stoufer is working on for the city are issues that the county is already looking at and working on, such as the marijuana ordinance and the housing element, Kimbrough said. Also approved Tues- day: • An Eagle Scout Pro- ject by Cody Loper of Boy Scout Troop 62. “For my project I would like to build a bench in memory of Offi- cer Robert Warren Hart that died in the line of duty,” Loper said. “I would like to put the bench across the street from City Hall.” All the material and labor for the project to honor the former Corning officer, who died of natur- al causes while on duty April 7, 1978, will be donated, Loper said. Loper would like to invite Hart’s family to a ceremony to dedicate the bench, which will have a See SPLIT, page 9A 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