Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/18339
MONDAY OCTOBER 25, 2010 Breaking news at: Nibbling his way to health Vitality www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 4A RED BLUFF Winning Moves SPORTS 1B Few showers 62/46 Weather forecast 8B By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer A Tehama County Correc- tional Officer convicted of wel- fare fraud is expected to stay on county payroll at least through Nov. 2. Held at a jail in an undis- 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 Jailed guard still on payroll, awaits hearing closed neighboring county, James Clinton Branson, 23, remains on administrative leave. He cannot be terminated until he is granted a Skelly hearing — a hearing required before law enforcement officers can be fired, Sheriff Clay Park- er said Friday. Branson was first arrested in July by the District Attorney’s office and placed on adminis- trative leave. A DA investiga- tion revealed Branson had signed paperwork claiming to be the landlord for his live-in girlfriend. Because the two had a romantic relationship, their joint finances made her ineligi- ble for the welfare funding she received for her adolescent chil- dren. Branson said he would take the matter to trial and told authorities he was innocent, Parker said. Ribs, Rods, Rain Parker later took Branson off administrative leave and placed him back at work in a position where he handled paperwork. Branson was restricted from access to his firearm at the time. “I wasn’t going to pay him to See GUARD, page 7A Candidates second guess Corning council The following is week three of responses by Corning Council candidates, both the six running for two empty council seats and the two running for mayor, listed alphabetically by the two groups. Candidates were respond- ing to the prompt: Are there any decisions the City Coun- cil has made in the last year that you disagree with and why? Gena Bowen The City was notified that the part-time City Attorney, Mike Fitzpatrick, had an ille- gal P.E.R.S. account and refunded $46,970.18 of the City’s contribution back to the City. The City Manager, Steve Kimbrough, requested that the City Council gift the illegal funds to the City Attorney, even though he had no legal right to such funds. The Council voted 2 to 2 on this matter. Incumbent, Mayor Strack broke the tie by voting to give the funds to the part-time attorney. At that same meeting a representative for the Senior Center requested an annual increase of $1,000. The Council voted not to give the $1,000 to the Senior Cen- ter. I disagree with both of these actions. Darlene Dickison November 2 ELECTION Daily News photo by Geoff Johnson Corning Fire Department Volunteer Carl Crain cracks open a 55-gallon barrel he uses to cook ribs Saturday at the Ribs, Rods and Rides Festival at Rolling Hills Casino. By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer CORNING — No hot air at this festival. Early morning rain drowned out the hot air balloons launch at the second annual Ribs, Rods and Rides Festival held at Rolling Hills Casino Saturday and Sun- day. The porous balloons do not cope well with water or wind said Daily News Publisher Greg Stevens, who was instrumental in getting the first non-profit festival off the ground in 2009. “We’re all very disappointed,” he said. “(But) we knew there was a possibility of this.” Last year’s rides went off with- out a hitch, at least on the first day. But some festivals have gone without a launch for four years in a row, Stevens said. Lowered balloons did not seem to lower enjoyment on the other side of the casino, where the same Drug czar: Calif. pot law could spark court action SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Federal officials haven’t ruled out taking legal action if California voters approve a ballot ini- tiative that would legalize recreational marijuana use in the state, President Barack Obama’s drug czar said Wednesday. In a phone interview with The Associated Press, Director of National Drug Control Policy Gil Ker- likowske said Justice Department officials are ‘‘looking at all their options’’ for responding to the measure, which would conflict with federal laws classifying marijuana as an illegal drug. Among them, he said, is following the recommenda- tion nine of the nation’s for- mer Drug Enforcement Agency chiefs made last month in a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder: having Obama sue to overturn Proposition 19 as an affront to federal authority. ‘‘The letter from the for- mer DEA administrators, a number of whom are not only practicing attorneys but former state attorney generals, made it very clear that they felt that pre-emp- tion was certainly applica- ble in this case,’’ Ker- likowske said. Holder told the former DEA heads last week that that the U.S. government plans to ‘‘vigorously enforce’’ federal laws out- lawing marijuana posses- sion and distribution even if the activities are allowed under state law. But the attorney general did not respond directly to their suggestion that the adminis- tration should go to court if California passes the first- of-its-kind measure aimed 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 See POT, page 7A Daily News photo by Geoff Johnson From left: Rod Anderson of Spokane,Wash., joins Tom Spence of Redding, fiddle judges Bobby Taylor, Christine Hogan, Donna Reuter, Vi Wickam and Gayle Clarrity and picking judge Jim French Saturday at the 28th Annual Western Open Fiddle Championships at the Tehama District Fairground. The competition ran through the weekend. Results will be published when received. COMPUTER CLASS Thurs., Oct. 28TH 9:30am-Noon Cost $ 49.00 per person Job Training Center 718 Main St., • 529-7000 to reserve your spot! BASIC 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 wind whipped spicy scents from the grill to the noses of a growing lunch crowd. The heat was on Saturday for the ribs portion of the festival, a 15-team cookoff pitting charcoal against wood, tinfoil against grill and firefighter against firefighter in a lip-smacking, bone-stripping snackdown to see whose sauce was boss. In the people’s choice category, the Corning Fire Department See RIBS, page 7A I disagree with the decision to not fill the vacancy on the Council made when Becky Hill resigned due to moving to Oregon. The Council vote was two to two to wait until the November election. The appointment would only have been to complete the term until the November election. The two elected Council Members did not want to appoint, they wanted to wait until the residents could elect a member, even though one of the Council Members had been appointed to the Council a number of years ago and had resigned. The two Coun- cil Members went along with the Concerned Citizens group and would not appoint anyone and they had three applicants for the position to choose from. Therefore, any item on the Agenda that they did not agree with could not be passed, which tied the City up on getting a lot of things done. Jesse Lopez Two things come to mind. Not appointing a new member to council after Becky Hill moved and not See COUNCIL, page 7A Fiddlers’ fun frequencies fill fairgrounds