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THURSDAY DECEMBER 30, 2010 Breaking news at: Dance Recital A Big Success Pastimes www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 4A RED BLUFF Warriors Hawks SPORTS 1B Few showers 46/32 Weather forecast 8B 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 Storm downs trees, lines New rules of the road for 2011 A required motorcycle safety course for under-21 motorcycle permit appli- cants, new oversight of online traffic violator schools, and extensions of HOV lane stickers are among several new laws of interest to California motorists that will take effect Jan. 2, 2011, the Department of Motor Vehicles announced recently. Following are capsule summaries of the new laws: Motorcycle Instruction Permit (AB 1952/Niello) This new law requires a person under 21 years of age to complete an approved motorcycle safety course before being issued an instruction per- mit with which to practice operating a motorcycle, and requires the permit to Daily News photo by Tang Lor Yellow hazard tape surrounds a billboard that fell during Tuesday night’s storm at Monroe and Cedar streets. By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer Tuesday’s wet and windy storm cleared for sunny skies Wednesday leaving a mess for crews from the city’s Public Works department and PG&E to clean up. The 17 mph wind with gusts up to 29 mph continued Wednesday but did most of its damage the night before and in the morning. Tuesday night was rather busy for the crew, Red Bluff Public Works Director Mark Barthel said. Workers were called to clear the road of a downed tree at Willow and Washington streets, then had to deal with another tree at Cemetery Lane and Walnut Street. According to police logs, between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Tues- day, there were at least five weath- er-related calls, mostly for trees in the roadway. Statewide storm coverage Page 7A Someone reported seeing a flash of light possibly caused by an elec- tric transformer blowing or a tree falling on a power line. Police searched the area on Diamond Avenue between Main Street and the Pactiv Plant but nothing was found, according to the logs. A power outage caused sewage lift stations in the Monroe Street area to shutdown, Barthel said. Crews had to set up a temporary power source using diesel-fueled bypass pumps. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Top UC execs seek big pension boost OAKLAND (AP) — Top executives at the Uni- versity of California are threatening to sue if employees earning more than $245,000 annually do not receive a major pension hike. The demand appears in a Dec. 9 letter and posi- tion paper to the UC Board of Regents obtained by the San Fran- cisco Chronicle. The university esti- mates that agreeing to the hike would add $5.5 mil- lion yearly to its already $21.6 billion unfunded pension liability. It also would have to pay a one- time $51 million fee to make the increases retroactive to 2007. Currently pensions are calculated as a percentage of the first $245,000 earned by an employee. The three dozen execu- tives who signed the letter say the regents agreed in 1999 to hike pensions once the Internal Revenue Service allowed them to lift the $245,000 cap. The IRS rescinded the limit in 2007. ‘‘Employees made career decisions in good faith, based on the expec- tation that the regents’ policy would be imple- mented,’’ they wrote. University president Mark Yudof has opposed the pension increases as UC has wrestled with its already exorbitant unfunded liability to existing employees. In an effort to close the gap, the university is reducing benefits for future employees, raising the retirement age and requiring higher employ- ee contributions. The regents also recently approved an 8 percent hike on student fees for next year on top of a 32 percent increase this year. Fee hikes in the wake of California’s bud- get crisis have led to large student protests, including the occupation of several buildings. Executives who signed the letter include the chief executive of the UCSF Medical Center, the dean of UC Berkeley’s law school and the UC sys- See UC, page 7A 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 POWER PRODUCTS DOLMAR Red Bluff Outdoor Power sewage lift stations were still oper- ating on the backup system as PG&E worked to restore the power. A tree fell on a power pole on Derby Road, breaking the pole and causing the outage about 11:15 a.m. Wednesday, PG&E spokesman Paul Moreno said. About 62 customers on Monroe and Jackson streets and Derby Road were effected. Power was expected to be restored by either 3 p.m. or 9 p.m. Wednesday. Elsewhere, PG&E customers in Mineral and Mill Creek were with- out power Wednesday morning. Power was restored in the after- noon, Moreno said. About 18 customers on Beegum Road lost power around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday because of a downed wire on Highway 36 near Platina. Power was expected to be restored See STORM, page 7A be held for six months before being issued a class M motorcycle driver license. There are current- ly more than 6,000 drivers 19 years and younger who are licensed to ride a motorcycle in California. Traffic Violator School Program (AB 2499/Por- tantino) Prior to this new law which starts January 1, the DMV only licensed and regulated "brick and mortar" classroom traffic violator schools. This new law will bring court- approved courses, such as online and home study traffic schools into the DMV Traffic Violator School licensing program and implements a number of recommendations included in a DMV study of traffic violator school See RULES, page 7A Police investigate RB infant death By ANDREA WAGNER DN Staff Writer A 6-month-old boy was pronounced dead at St. Eliz- abeth Community Hospital just after 7 a.m. Wednes- day. Red Bluff Police officers assisted on the call report- ing an unresponsive child in the 1100 block of Franzel Road. The child was transported to the hospital after emergency personnel attempted to revive the child by performing CPR. The case is under investigation, but it appears the child was not a victim of foul play, a police press release said. “It was not that anything was suspected or out of place,” said Sgt. Jason Beeman of the Red Bluff Police Department. Police automatically investigate any death of a per- son younger than 18, Beeman said. It is standard prac- tice. Names have been withheld until the child’s family can be notified. ——— Andrea Wagner can be reached at 527-2153, extension 114 or awagner@redbluffdailynews.com. Scholarship dinner set for Jan. 8 Tickets on sale now By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer The Tehama County Cattlemen and Cattle- Women associations’ annual Winter Dinner Scholarship Fundraiser is set for Saturday, Jan. 8. “The public is invited to come,” said Cathy Tobin, event chair- woman. The event will be held at 6 p.m. at the Tehama District Fair- ground in the cafeteria. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. Tickets may be purchased at the Bull & Gelding Sale office, The Loft, Reynolds, Hawes Ranch and Farm Supply in Red Bluff, Rabobank and PremierWest banks in Red Bluff and Corn- ing and Shasta Farm and Equipment in Cotton- wood. The event includes a live auction with items such as a four-day retreat at the McCarthy Ranch, which includes gun safety lessons. Another big item up for grabs at the live auc- tion is $1,000 for truck See DINNER, page 7A Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb Pictured from left are Tehama County Cattlemen President Chris Marenco, Cattlemen Director Andy Cox, California Cattlemen’s Association Director Arlo Stroing, UC Farm Advisor Josh Davy, Event Chairwoman Cathy Tobin and Tehama County CattleWomen President Danielle Zane. The Daily News office will close at noon Thursday, Dec. 30 & WE WILL BE CLOSED New Years Eve, Friday, Dec. 31 Retail advertising deadline for these edi- tions is Tuesday, 10AM Classified deadline Thursday, 10AM D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY 527-2151 • FAX 527-3719 545 DIAMOND AVE., RED BLUFF NEW YEARS EVE DINNER Mill Creek Restaurant Los Molinos Prime Rib, Scampi or Steak & Scampi with rice, potatoes or pasta Wonderful Desserts included Complimentary glass of Champagne Reservations: 384-1031 Dinner for 2 / 4599 Single 2599