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FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2011 Breaking news at: Perry’s Career in Full Bloom Select TV www.redbluffdailynews.com See Inside RED BLUFF Warriors SPORTS 1B Weather forecast 10A Sunny 69/38 By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer Even though a great deal of Tuesday’s school board meeting was spent on the topic of the failed tentative agreement, the Red Bluff Union Elementary School Board had other budget decisions to make that affected teachers as well. On the agenda were three 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 Board votes for teacher, staff cuts proposals to cut employees and services. The budget is driving the dif- ficult decisions that have to be made and the difficult discus- sions being had, Superintendent William McCoy said. McCoy was able to move $600,000 from an unrestricted lottery to a one-time artificial reserve that will help pay for two weeks worth of payroll, he ‘Every cut to staff is a cut to our students’ Barbara Ramsey, California State Employees Association said. But drastic cuts still have to be made despite his efforts. “I’m really sorry,” McCoy Repast said. “I worked these numbers backwards and forward, but I couldn’t get there.” Recommended cuts for the upcoming school year at the dis- trict office were the full-time position of the technology and information systems coordina- tor and hours from the personnel coordinator. Certified positions recom- mended for elimination were one administrator, four multiple subject teachers and three Eng- See CUTS, page 9A Teen arrested in rape, robbery By ANDREA WAGNER DN Staff Writer After escaping a foot chase by law enforcement officers nearly a month ago, a 19-year-old Red Bluff man was arrested Tuesday in connection with a rape, rob- bery and vehicle theft that occurred Jan. 12. Brandon Bear Allen, 19, was arrested in the 700 block of Cen- ter Street in a house trailer in the back yard of the same residence at which the alleged crime occurred. Warrants for his arrest were Allen issued after a Jan. 12 incident in which sheriff’s See RAPE, page 9A Former city worker pleads innocent Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb Dales Station, a Country Pub and Grub was opened by Tom Eckmann in November. Dales Station serves up history By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer Those traveling between Manton and Red Bluff have a new place to stop for food with the opening of Dales Station, a Country Pub and Grub, at the corner of Highway 36E and Manton Road. “I was looking for an investment and originally saw this as a poten- tial place to stay while hunting,” said owner and operator Tom Eck- mann. Eckmann, who moved to Tehama County from San Jose, first came upon the building about eight or nine years ago while heading up to Lake Almanor with friends for an archery buck hunt. The first three years of owner- ship were spent remodeling it into a residence but with the bad economy and it being so hard to find work Eckmann decided to turn it into a restaurant, he said. “The last thing I wanted origi- Police hold off arrest in Calif. schoolgirl death CERES (AP) — Because of conflicting wit- ness accounts, police are holding off charges against the driver of a pickup truck who ran a stop sign and plowed into a group of Cal- ifornia junior high school girls, killing one and injur- ing four others. Ceres Police Chief Art de Werk said that the driver, Larry Dale Duke of Ceres, has not been arrested and most likely won’t face any possible charges until next week, once the investigation completes. De Werk said police are interviewing 35 witnesses, but continue to look for more reliable on- the-scene witnesses. “There are a lot of rumors, disinformation, misinformation, innuendos and false assumptions that are being treated as fact,” de Werk said at a news confer- ence Thursday. “This com- plicates and delays our ongoing investigation.” The driver struck the stu- dents as they walked to Mae Hensley Junior High around 9 a.m. Wednesday. The vic- tims were all 13- and 14- year-old girls. Witnesses told investiga- tors that Duke ran a stop sign in his raised Chevrolet pickup and dragged one girl under the vehicle before stopping. Other witnesses said Duke, 45, was either on 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 See DEATH, page 9A nally was a restaurant since I’ve built a lot of restaurants, managed some and my dad was a chef, so I know the work that goes into them,” Eckmann said. Eckmann, who has spent most of his life in construction, is a licensed general contractor and a certified electrician, which made the remod- el cheaper since he could do it him- self, he said. Granite countertops and lime- stone left over from previous pro- jects were used in remodeling Dales See DALES, page 9A A former Red Bluff city employee pleaded not guilty to charges of embezzlement Monday in Tehama Coun- ty Superior Court. Eileen Jean Lampron is charged with one felony count of Lampron embezzling public funds and could face up to 3 years in prison if convict- ed, according to the Tehama County District Attorney’s Office. A three-day trial has been set starting May 11 with Judge Jonathan Skillman presiding, according to court records. Lampron allegedly took about $18,000 in cash over a 3-year period, between July 2006 and July 2009 while working for the city as an account tech- nician. The city became aware of the situation while perform- ing a routine annual audit in July 2009. Lampron was let go in Sept. 2009 after 14 years of employment with the city. In 2000, she was a sus- pect in an embezzling case also involving city money. Criminal charges were dismissed against her and other employees involved in that case, according to court records. — Staff report Corning unveils new street signage By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer CORNING — The City Council approved a resolution Tuesday to adopt a standard plan for street signs that will help ensure uniformity and consistency for new developments and replacement facilities. The new signs, which will be white with green lettering, will have block numbering to indicate specific addressing position and an olive branch logo from the city seal, Public Works Director John Brewer said. “This will give a community identity and has enumeration for emergency ser- vices that will help them find places easi- er,” Brewer said. Costs will be about $54 each, which is a bit more expensive than previous versions. There are about 1,000 signs but they will not be replaced all at once. Instead, the city, which replaces about 10 signs a year, will replace them a few at a time, Brewer said. Councilwoman Toni Parkins, who said the signs were beautiful, asked if residents could pay to have their signs replaced sooner rather than later. Brewer said yes. ——— Julie Zeeb can be reached at 527-2153, extension 115 or jzeeb@redbluffdailynews.com. Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb Public Works Director John Brewer shows off an example of the new street signs Corning City Council adopted Tuesday as the new city standard.