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WEDNESDAY Gifts from DECEMBER 18, 2013 Classic Tips Off the Kitchen County Fare Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 5A SPORTS 1B DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF Mostly sunny 62/39 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 The elephant in the room Truck sought in Main St. arson Courtesy photo The Red Bluff Fire Department is asking for help locating a 2009-2013 GMC or Chevrolet pickup truck with an extended cab and tool box in the bed that was seen near the site of a suspected arson fire on Main Street in Red Bluff on Nov. 19. By ANDRE BYIK DN Staff Writer Daily News photo by Andre Byik Joel Parrott, Oakland Zoo CEO and a part of the group proposing to bring an elephant reserve to Tehama County, presented the plan to the county's board of supervisors Tuesday during an informational meeting. Tehama County supes hear plan for elephant reserve By ANDRE BYIK DN Staff Writer Joel Parrott, the Oakland Zoo CEO who earlier this month proposed a plan to develop an elephant reserve in Tehama County, assured county supervisors Tuesday that the reserve would not cost the county money, and water concerns would not be a prohibitive factor. Representatives with the Oakland Zoo and the Ndovo Foundation on Dec. 5 presented a plan to the Planning Commission for a 4,900-acre facility that would eventually house about 50 African elephants. The proposed site is at Diamond Ranch, which is located north of State Route 36W within the unincorporated area of northern Tehama County. The first elephants, which Parrott said would come from zoos, would arrive after about three years of planning and construction. The project is estimated to take between 50-100 years to complete. "God forbid that I'm here that long," supervisor Dennis Garton said. "How long are we going to be sure that there will be no cost for the county?" Parrott said there will be no cost to the county and that the main source of funding for the project would come from the Ndovo Foundation's founding members, Roger and Ann McNamee. Roger McNamee previously said he has endowed the project with enough money to cover the first two phases of the three-phase project, and plans to have it fully funded. The group proposing the project has been looking for a signal of interest from the county that it would even want an elephant reserve since the early December meeting. The board of supervisors, while not taking any action on the proposal, appeared receptive to the idea. Supervisor Sandy Bruce said she sees an opportunity to bring tourists to the county even though questions remain about the proposal. "At this point in time I'm very excited about the idea," said Bruce, the District 2 supervisor. Garton said he looks forward to reviewing an application from the group going forward. The sentiment was concurred by other supervisors. See PLAN, page 7A The Red Bluff Fire Department said Tuesday that it is searching for a "vehicle of interest" in a suspected arson fire that destroyed a Red Bluff residence at 334 Main St. on Nov. 19. Matthew Shobash, division chief, said authorities are asking for help in locating a light-colored 2009-2013 GMC or Chevrolet pickup truck with an extended cab and a tool box in the bed. The vehicle could be seen parking in an alley behind the residence and near the banner-making business Banner King & Faster Signs by a nearby surveillance See TRUCK, page 7A Clover Fire arson suspect arrested CalFire law enforcement officers arrested Zane Wallace Peterson, 29, of Happy Valley Tuesday morning without incident, on suspicion of intentionally setting numerous fires throughout Shasta County including the Sept. 9 Clover Fire. Peterson was booked into the Shasta County Jail on felony charges of Arson of a Structure or Vegetation, 140 Counts; Arson that causes great bodily injury, 1 Count; Arson to Occupied Structures, 60 Counts; Arson with Aggravating Factors, 2 Counts; Arson using Incendiary Device, 5 Counts. The Clover Fire was reported on Sept. 9 at 12:32 p.m. in the community of Igo, 10 miles southwest of Redding. The fire burned 8,073 acres and threatened more than 500 residences durSee CLOVER, page 7A Parole board to set Hospital lauded for clinical outcomes minimums for life'As a sole community provider we are honored to provide term inmates clinical quality and compasSACRAMENTO (AP) — California has agreed to change its policy for considering when murderers and others serving life sentences should be eligible for parole, though corrections experts differed Tuesday on whether the change could lead to shorter prison terms for thousands of inmates. The state agreed to the shift under a legal settlement approved Monday by state Court of Appeal Justice J. Anthony Kline in San Francisco. The deal calls for the state Board of Parole Hearings to more quickly set the minimum time that should be served before an inmate is released. The minimum time is not binding on parole decisions but in effect sets a guideline for how much time a person who committed a particular crime ought to typically serve. Previously the parole 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 board generally waited to set minimum terms until after the board determined an inmate was suitable for parole. Now the board is agreeing to set the minimum term at the inmate's first parole hearing. Inmates still would have to establish that they no longer are a public danger before a parole date is set, board spokesman Luis Patino said. The change will affect about 35,000 inmates serving life terms with the possibility of parole. They include not only murderers but those convicted of serious crimes like kidnapping, and career criminals convicted of a third strike. Together, they make up about a quarter of California's prison population. The Los Angeles Times on Tuesday cited a Stanford study released in 2011 found that murderers who were eligible for parole after serving 16 years served an average of See LIFE, page 7A St. Elizabeth Community Hospital announced recently that it has been recognized by Healthgrades for clinical excellence in patient safety and outstanding patient experience according to Healthgrades, the leading online resource that helps consumers search, compare and connect with physicians and hospitals. This achievement was released with other new findings in American Hospital Quality Outcomes 2014: Healthgrades Report to the Nation, which evaluates hospital performance at more than 4,500 hospitals nationwide for 31 of the most common inpatient procedures and conditions. The new report highlights the disparity in hospital performance for specific conditions and procedures and the impact that this variation may have on health outcomes. For example, from 20102012, if all hospitals as a group, performed similarly to hospitals receiving 5-stars as a group, on average 234,252 lives could potentially have been saved and 157,418 complications could potentially have been sionate patient care and will continue to constantly strive for improvement regardless of the recognition we receive' — President Todd Smith avoided. A 5-star rating indicates that the St. Elizabeth clinical outcomes are better than expected when treating the condition or conducting the procedure being evaluated. The hospital not only performs at a 5 star level – it outperforms other hos- Smog Inspection $ 2595 +$825 certificate (MOST CARS & PICK-UPS) • Members Welcome 530 527-9841 195 S. Main St., Red Bluff pitals in the nation in this condition, and as a result has been recognized with the 2014 Healthgrades Joint Replacement and Pulmonary Care Excellence Awards. "Patient safety and quality is our utmost concern," said President Todd Smith. "As a sole commu- nity provider we are honored to provide clinical quality and compassionate patient care and will continue to constantly strive for improvement regardless of the recognition we receive." St. Elizabeth has demonstrated its commitment to quality in a number of ways including a dedication to patient family centered care and utilizes valued feedback from patients and their families to continuously improve the patient experience. "As American policymakers focus more intently on ways to lower healthcare costs and improve quality, patients are being asked to assume more responsibility for their healthcare decisions See CLINICAL, page 7A Are you or someone you know out of work due to a layoff or business closure? 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