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THURSDAY Dance Top Dawgs Performance DECEMBER 5, 2013 Pastimes Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 4A SPORTS 1B DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF Sunny 47/27 Weather forecast 8B 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 City takes step toward water chlorination By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer The Red Bluff City Council authorized the Public Works Department to solicit bids for water treatment equipment Tuesday, but retained the right to determine when and whether chlorination of the city's water supply could be used in the future. It was the second time since July Public Works Director Bruce Henz had asked the council to allow the department to purchase the equipment following a series of water test samples in the spring showed the city had exceeded the state standards for total coliform bacterial. This time Henz wasn't the only department head pleading 'I live in Red Bluff. I like the taste of the water. I have no desire to do that other than for the safety of the citizens' — Public Works Director Bruce Henz the case for having a safeguard in place. needed to consider the possibility of someone intentionally contaminating a city well when making its decision. Planning Director Scot Timboe backed up that point, saying the countywide emergency drill this past year was done under the premise of such a scenario. An ounce of prevention is Police Chief Paul Nanfito suggested the City Council Site selected See CITY, page 7A Couple nabbed in deposit scam A Red Bluff man and woman were arrested Tuesday for fraudulently collecting a security deposit for a residence they didn't own. The Tehama County Sheriff's Department arrested Connie Diann Armsdon, aka Connie Baker, 33, and Michael Joseph Armsdon, 47, according to a department press release. A 28-year-old Redding resident reported Nov. 26 See COUPLE, page 7A Lassen man pleads guilty to child pornography Daily News photo by Rich Greene This property at 778 Antelope Blvd. is being considered as a possible location for a temporary Tehama County Probation Department Day Reporting Center. Antelope picked for probation site By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer Tehama County officials have begun examining a prospective site for a temporary Probation Department Day Reporting Center at 778 Antelope Blvd. The location was narrowed down from a series of sites proposed at a Nov. 5 Board of Supervisors meeting. At that meeting law enforcement officials and the board stated a preference for a site that would be away from schools and residential areas and preferably have TRAX access. The Day Reporting Center, at Wetter Hall on Walnut Street in Red Bluff, could be forced to move as early as the summer of 2014 depending on when the California Administrative Office of the Courts Tentative agreement signed in Klamath water wars GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) — Gov. John Kitzhaber and representatives of the Obama administration have signed an agreement for sharing scarce water in the Upper Klamath Basin, where irrigation was shut off to ranchers last summer after the Klamath Tribes exercised newly awarded water rights to protect fish. The governor and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Michael L. Connor signed the agreement in principal Wednesday in Klamath Falls. They joined ranchers and the Klamath Tribes in endorsing key elements of future legislation to reduce the likelihood of shutting off irrigation to protect fish. The deal was put together by a task force named last June by Sen. Ron Wyden and others. Wyden praised task 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 force members for giving up their individual interests in the name of a greater good, adding the deal would serve as the foundation for legislation to come before his Energy and Natural Resources Committee early next year. ''We now we have a game plan for economic development, agricultural prosperity, and environmental restoration throughout the basin,'' Wyden said in a statement. Under the tentative deal, ranchers on the Wood, Williamson and Sprague rivers would agree to significantly cut water use to help provide irrigation for farmers on the Klamath Restoration Project downstream, and support fish habitat restoration projects and tribal economic projects. The tribes would agree not to cut off irrigation if ranchers significantly reduce irrigation withdrawals. The deal supSee WATER, page 7A begins its work to construct the new county courthouse. The state purchased the Wetter Hall location and surrounding area for its new facility. Meanwhile county officials are waiting on word whether Tehama County will receive a $20 million grant to expand the County Jail and build a permanent Day Reporting Center at the site of the Tehama County Library's Red Bluff branch. SACRAMENTO — Bruce Austin Watkins, 43, of Westwood, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to receipt of child pornography, United States Attorney Benjamin Wagner announced. According to court documents, law enforcement executed a search at Watkins's residence on May 6. Two laptops and an external hard drive seized from Watkins contained 500 videos and 220 images of child pornography that had been collected by Watkins between Jan. 21, 2007, and April 29. Among the files collected by Watkins were images showing the violent sexual molestation of children as young as toddlers. At the time of the search, Watkins told law enforcement that he had been looking at child pornography online for 15 to 20 years. See SITE, page 7A This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Northern Nevada Child Exploitation Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Reardon is prosecuting the case. Watkins is incarcerated at the Sacramento County Jail. Watkins is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Lawrence Karlton on Feb. 25, 2014. Watkins faces a maximum statutory penalty of not less than five years and up to 20 years in prison, a lifetime period of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal SenSee LASSEN, page 7A Harmony through the Holidays concert By ANDRE BYIK DN Staff Writer Red Bluff High School's choir class is ready for its big holiday show. The class will put on Harmony through the Holidays at 7 p.m. today at Red Bluff High's Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $3 and can be purchased today at the box office. It is running for one night only. The concert is under the direction of Diane Hassay, who has been a director at the school for 12 years. Concert-goers can expect to take in a night of holiday classics such as "Sleigh Bells," "I'll be Home for Christmas," and "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year." The numbers will enjoy added harmonies courtesy of the three choirs performing: a mixed chorus, show choir and concert choir. Hassay said the show will feature new accompanist Denise Peters, and will also honor the Daily News photo by Andre Byik Members of the Red Bluff High School choir class rehearse for their Harmony through the Holidays concert, scheduled for 7 p.m. today at the school's Performing Arts Center. school's past accompanist. "We're dedicating this concert to Faith Bennett, who was our accompanist here for many years at Red Bluff High who passed away recently," Hassay said.