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THURSDAY JANUARY 6, 2011 Breaking news at: Peking Acrobats Pastimes www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 6A RED BLUFF Hot Shots Champs SPORTS 1B Mostly sunny 57/36 Weather forecast 6B By ANDREA WAGNER DN Staff Writer A gunshot reported Dec. 29 at the Brickyard Creek Apart- ments led Red Bluff Police offi- cers to the arrest of a 19-year- old man and an 18-year-old woman, both of Red Bluff, and the recovery of rifles, ammuni- tion, knives and other stolen items. Garr Jessie Midgett, 19, and Amanda Marie Shoffner, 18, 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 Pair arrested after shooting incident were arrested at about 8 a.m. Tues- day at the Brickyard Creek Apartments, 1275 Walnut St. Midgett, who admitted being the gunman who’s acci- dental shot damaged a vehicle in the parking lot Dec. 29, was charged with discharging a firearm in a negli- gent manner, posses- sion of stolen prop- erty, possession of a dangerous weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia, police said. Shoffner was Midgett charged with posses- sion of a controlled substance and pos- session of drug para- phernalia. The incident on Dec. 29 drew police attention when a res- ident found an empty casing near the shot-out window of an unoccupied silver 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser, police logs said. Officers discov- ered a bullet exit hole coming from an upstairs apartment and entered the Rodeo dreams apartment for a wel- fare check. Officers found no one inside. However, a back bedroom was filled with gun smoke and several firearms were found inside, a police press release said. Shoffner The ensuing in v estigation See PAIR, page 5A House fire cause determined By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer A New Year’s Eve fire that destroyed a residence in the 800 block of Lassen Avenue was caused by a malfunction- ing electric clothes dryer in the laundry room at the rear of the garage. The fire was reported at 3:32 p.m. Friday with first units on scene reporting a wood-framed, single-family dwelling with heavy fire in the garage and attic, said Red Bluff Fire Division Chief Jon Bennett. The house was occupied by owners Tim and Jennifer See FIRE, page 5A City withholds support of vehicle fee extension By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer Despite looming nega- tive effects on public safe- ty programs if a vehicle license fee increment is eliminated, the Red Bluff City Council decided Tuesday not to support a bill that aims to keep the funding in place. Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb Chris Greco of Red Bluff buys a 50-50 raffle ticket from Jennifer Marinelli of Red Bluff Friday at the annual Diamond W New Year’s Eve National Bullriding Championship at the Tehama District Fairground. Marinelli, who leaves Monday to run for Miss Rodeo USA, was selling tickets as a fundraiser for travel expenses. Red Bluff woman to compete for national title By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer Since winning the Red Bluff Junior Round-Up Senior Queen title in 2005, Jennifer Marinelli has been taking every opportunity to promote something she’s passion- ate about — rodeo. Marinelli will be leaving Red Bluff about 2 a.m. Monday to be the sole California representative in the Miss Rodeo USA competition to be held in Oklahoma City, Okla. “I’m really excited about the competition,” Marinelli said. “Whether I win or lose it will be a great experience to talk about. It’s a 19 Democrats don’t back Pelosi in speaker vote WASHINGTON (AP) — The House vote that elected Republican John Boehner to succeed Nancy Pelosi as House speaker saw Pelosi lose the support of 19 fellow Democrats. That included two Democ- rats who voted for each other. Under House rules, each party puts up a candi- date to be the next speaker. All 241 in the new Repub- lican majority voted for Boehner on Wednesday, except for Boehner him- self, who did not vote, while 173 Democrats backed Pelosi. Eleven Democrats voted for Heath Shuler, D- N.C., while civil rights leader John Lewis, D-Ga., received two votes and five others received single votes. Two of those single votes came from Califor- nia Democrats Jim Costa and Dennis Cardoza, who voted for each other. One person voted “present.” Still, the support for Pelosi, the face of the Democrats as they suffered one of their worst election defeats in years, was better than on Nov. 17, when 43 Democrats backed Shuler over Pelosi for House minority leader. Pelosi won that contest 150-43. The lone Democrat not voting was Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, who led an unsuccessful effort after the election to post- pone a vote on the party leader until Democrats had a chance to assess the causes of the election loss- es. 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 POWER PRODUCTS DOLMAR Red Bluff Outdoor Power once in a lifetime shot.” Miss Rodeo USA is the repre- sentative of the International Pro- fessional Rodeo Association (IPRA) and while Marinelli, who was the 2010 Miss California Cow- boys Pro Rodeo Association, has not been to an IPRA rodeo since there are none on the West Coast, she likes what the association stands for. See RODEO, page 5A The council will hold out on declaring its sup- port until a better alterna- tive comes along and denied Police Chief Paul Nanfito and City Manager Martin Nichols permis- sion to write letters in support of AB66 at Tues- day’s meeting. The legislation, pro- posed by Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro, D-North Coast, would get rid of the June 30 sunset date for the .15 percent increase in the vehicle license fee that is appropriated for public safety programs through- out the state. Proponents of AB66 say by getting rid of the sunset date the bill simply extends an already exist- ing tax, but others see it as a new tax. If the fee has a sunset date, that means it is sup- posed to end, but if the date is removed, the extension makes it new, Councilman Wayne Brown said. He would not support the bill. “In my mind it’s a new tax,” he said. Councilman Rob Schmid said he was against getting rid of the sunset date but would be in favor of other alterna- tives that support funding for the police department. The other alternatives are not exactly clear. Local officials are looking to Assemblyman Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber, to come up with an alterna- tive or counter proposal to Chesbro’s bill, which Nielsen has decided not to back, Nichols said. In a phone interview Tuesday, Nielsen said there are multiple solu- See CITY, page 5A Bike race Sunday at Forward Park Cyclocross race series returns to Red Bluff The Ride On Race Series will be rolling into town Sunday at Forward Park with cyclocross rac- ing. Racing starts at 10 a.m. for the one hour open class followed by the free one-lap race for those 12 years and younger. The races with age division will start at 11:30 a.m. (45min race) and 12:30 p.m. (30min races). Cyclocross involves completing laps around a course that contains obstacles, requiring rid- ers to dismount to over- come the obstacles. The event is free for spectators and open to the public. DN file photo Cyclocross racers will descend on Forward Park Sunday. Fred Avila, owner of Fast Wheels Bike Shop in Red Bluff, competes here in the 2010 race.