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FRIDAY DECEMBER 31, 2010 Breaking news at: Live To Dance Select TV www.redbluffdailynews.com See Inside RED BLUFF Sharks ‘Hawks SPORTS 1B showers Weather forecast 10A Few 48/35 By ANDREA WAGNER DN Staff Writer It would seem Red Bluff was a backdrop to a gunslingin’ and bar brawlin’ Western Wednes- day evening as officers responded to two bar fights and two reports of gunfire in the 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 Wednesday marked by gun shots, fights area. The action started at 5 p.m. when residents reported hearing a gunshot at the Brickyard Creek Apartments in the 1200 block of Walnut Street. A resi- dent found an empty casing near the shot-out window of an unoccupied silver 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser, according to Red Bluff Police Department logs. Officers discovered what appeared to be a bullet exit hole coming from an upstairs apart- ment, said a police press release. Gaining entry into the apartment to perform a welfare Bull Bash check, officers found no one inside. However, a back bed- room was filled with gun smoke and several firearms were found. It appeared that a rifle was fired inside the apartment and the bullet passed through the outside wall and across the parking lot where it struck the PT Cruiser, the release said. A witness reported looking out into the parking lot after hearing the shot and seeing a young, white man, described as tall and thin, standing near a See SHOTS, page 9A Hearing set on North-to-South water transfers The Bureau of Reclamation and the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority have scheduled public meetings on topics to address in a joint Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) on the effects of proposed water transfers from willing sellers in Northern California to buyers south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and in the San Francisco Bay Area. A meeting is scheduled 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11, at the Chico Masonic Family Center, 1110 W. East Ave. in Chico. See WATER, page 9A Storm’s aftermath wreaks havoc across California Photo Courtesy of Gary Beem Cody Ibrahimi of La Grand score rides a bull to victory at the 2009 New Year’s Eve Bull Ride. Doors open tonight at 6:30, with bullriding under way at 8 at the Tehama District Fairground. By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer Three local bullriders will par- ticipate tonight at the annual New Year’s Eve National Bull- riding Championship produced by Diamond W Productions at the Tehama District Fairground. Danny Growney of Red Bluff and Chuck Ferrell and Keith Roquemore, both of Cottonwood, will be competing against a field of 24 bullriders at the event, which is in the Pauline Davis Pavilion. The bullride begins at 8 p.m. but attendees should be there early as lines traditionally form well in advance of the doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and seats fill up fast. Last year saw several top qual- ity bulls with only four riders scoring in the first round, includ- ing the winner, Cody Ibrahimi of La Grand, who found that Bad Company could be good compa- Sheriff: Missing Tahoe snowboarder found dead TRUCKEE (AP) — Rescue crews Thursday morning discovered the body of a woman who went missing while snowboarding at a Lake Tahoe-area resort. Searchers spotted the body of Shawnte Marie Willis, 25, of Tahoma from a helicopter, Placer County Sheriff’s Capt. Jeff Ausnow said. They were lowered down to Willis’ body, which was in a tree well. Willis appears to have crashed while snowboarding although what caused her to die will not be known until an autopsy can be per- formed next week, Aus- now said. ‘‘It’s very unfortu- nate that we have a very sad ending here,’’ he said at a morning news conference. Willis became sepa- rated from her friends Tuesday afternoon at Alpine Meadows Ski Resort. Searchers used crews on the ground and a mil- itary helicopter with infrared technology to look for her. Ausnow said inclement weather, including 80 to 100 mile-per-hour winds, prevented crews from searching the part of the mountain where Willis was found until Thurs- day. 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 Ground crews were called off a day earlier because of the threat of avalanches although Ausnow said there were no signs one had occurred in that area. Willis’ family in Humboldt County has described her as a strong athlete who worked as a ski instructor. But they worried about Willis’ epilepsy and said it could be trig- gered by the extreme stress of being lost in the snow. ny. Ibrahimi scored a 79.5-point ride on A Little Bit of Bull to advance to the finals, where he nailed a 91-point ride on Bad Company. Attendees will get the chance to see a number of pre-rodeo events, including mutton bustin’, calf chase and calf dressing com- petitions for children, specialty acts, opening ceremonies and Ranch Bronc Riding. See BULL, page 9A LOS ANGELES (AP) — A strong, cold wind trailing a powerful storm toppled trees and downed power lines in Southern California on Thursday as overflow- ing rain runoff forced evacuations in the San Joaquin Valley. Trees precariously rooted in soil saturated by repeated storms this month became danger- ous as wind gusts blew them down on vehicles and power lines. At one point, more than 35,000 Southern California Edison and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers were without electricity. Branches from one falling tree hit Greg Mora’s car as he drove through the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles. ‘‘The next thing I knew, I opened my eyes, and there was a tree right in my face,’’ Mora, who suffered a gashed forehead, told KTLA- TV. No reports of injuries were reported from the toppling trees. A woman was killed Tuesday when wind and rain snapped a tree at a wildlife preserve in Northern California’s Sonoma County. The wind, which gusted to 94 mph in northwestern Los Ange- les County, was pro- duced by a strong north- to-south pressure differ- ence, the National See STORM, page 9A Chief ends long, distinguished career By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer After 40 years with CalFire, half of which have been with the Tehama-Glenn Unit, Cal- Fire Chief Gary Durden is retiring Friday. “This was a very good place to work and I’ve always enjoyed it,” Dur- den said. Durden started his career as a seasonal fire- fighter in 1969 and mid- fire season in 1970 was promoted to a seasonal engineer with CalFire in Monterey. He became permanent later that year, staying for another 19 years. The Monterey unit combined with the San Benito unit sometime in promoted from engineer to division chief, he said. In July 1989, Durden moved to the Tehama- Glenn Unit and was pro- moted to chief in 2004. Durden didn’t always Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb CalFire Chief Gary Durden, who has worked for CalFire 40 years, will retire today. 1969 or1970, becoming the San Benito-Monterey 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 unit and through the years at that unit Durden was TEHAMA COUNTY GLASS for MOULE’S Fireplace Glass 515 Sycamore St. 529-0260 want to be a firefighter. “I didn’t know I want- ed to be a firefighter until my first year as a season- al,” Durden said. “I guess you can say the bug bit me and I like it well enough to make it a career.” Working in a variety of positions within the department, Durden said overall it has been a great career. “I’ve met lots and lots of people,” Durden said. “It’s always been a chal- See CHIEF, page 9A 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