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DENVER (AP) — Col- orado's legal marijuana market is far exceeding tax expectations, according to a budget proposal released Wednesday by Gov. John Hickenlooper that gives the first official estimate of how much the state expects to make from pot taxes. The proposal outlines plans to spend some $99 million next fiscal year on substance abuse prevention, youth marijuana use pre- vention and other priorities. The money would come from a statewide 12.9 per- cent sales tax on recreation- al pot. Colorado's total pot sales next fiscal year were estimated to be about $610 million. Retail sales began Jan. 1 in Colorado. Sales have been strong, though exact figures for January sales won't be made public until early next month. The governor predicted sales and excise taxes next fiscal year would produce some $98 million, well above a $70 million annual estimate given to voters when they approved the pot taxes last year. The gover- nor also includes taxes from medical pot, which are sub- ject only to the statewide 2.9 percent sales tax. Washington state budget forecasters released a pro- jection Wednesday for that state, where retail sales don't begin for a few months. Economic forecasters in Olympia predicted that the state's new legal recreation- al marijuana market will bring nearly $190 million to state coffers over four years starting in mid-2015. Wash- ington state sets budgets biennially. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Feder- al prosecutors widened their inves- tigation triggered by a massive coal ash spill in North Carolina, demanding reams of documents and ordering nearly 20 state environ- mental agency employees to testify before a grand jury. The subpoenas were made public by the N.C. Department of Environ- ment and Natural Resources on Wednesday. They also ordered state officials to hand over any records pertaining to investments, cash or other items of value they might have received from Duke Energy or its employees. Charlotte-based Duke also con- firmed it was served with a new subpoena Wednesday, the second received by the nation's largest electricity provider. Company spokesman Tom Williams declined to discuss what prosecutors wanted. On Feb. 2, a pipe running under a coal ash pond collapsed at Duke's Dan River Steam Station, spilling up to 82,000 tons of coal ash mixed with 27 million gallons of contami- nated water. The spill coated the bottom of the Dan River, near the Virginia border, with toxic ash up to 70 miles downstream. State environmental Sec. John Skvarla refused to answer Wednes- day when asked at a media briefing if he had been served with a sub- poena. His agency also declined to say whether it had received other subpoenas it had not yet made pub- lic. Skvarla was appointed last year by Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican who worked for Duke Energy for more than 28 years. Josh Ellis, McCrory's spokesman, confirmed the governor had not been subpoe- naed. The 20 subpoenas disclosed by the state environmental agency were issued on or since Feb. 11. They follow two Feb. 10 subpoenas, which were issued the day after a story by The Associated Press raised questions about a proposed deal between state officials and Duke that would have fined Duke $99,111 to settle violations over toxic groundwater contamination at two facilities. The new subpoenas seek docu- ments related to that settlement and the agency's regulation of Duke's coal ash dumps before the Feb. 2 spill. Among those ordered to appear before the grand jury next month is Tom Reeder, the Division of Water Quality director who oversees the state's enforcement of environmen- tal violations at Duke's 31 coal ash dumps in North Carolina. When citizen groups tried to use the U.S. Clean Water Act to sue Duke in federal court last year, the state agency intervened three times to use its authority to issue violations over the pollu- tion. The citizens groups opposed the state's deal, saying it shielded the company from far harsher penalties it might have faced in federal court had the state not intervened. After negotiating with the com- pany's lawyers behind closed doors, the state proposed a settlement that would allow Duke to settle viola- tions at facilities near Asheville and Charlotte for $99,111. That deal, which the state put on hold the day after the AP reported on it, included no requirement that Duke clean up its pollution. Skvarla said he briefed McCrory before making the decision to inter- vene, but that he never discussed the terms of the deal with the gov- ernor. Environmental groups have suggested Skvarla shepherded a ''sweetheart deal'' with the gover- nor's former employer to shield Duke from harsher penalties it might have faced had the citizens been allowed to sue in federal court. Since his first unsuccessful cam- paign for governor in 2008, cam- paign finance reports show Duke Energy, its political action commit- tee, executives and their immediate families have donated at least $1.1 million to McCrory's campaign and affiliated groups that spent on TV ads, mailings and events to support him. After his successful 2012 cam- paign and subsequent inauguration, McCrory disclosed on state ethics forms that his investment portfolio includes holdings of Duke stock valued in excess of $10,000. He is not legally obligated to reveal the specific amount and has refused to do so voluntarily. The governor said last week he sees no conflict of interests between his role as elected official and remaining a shareholder in the com- pany regulated by his appointees. 3B Thursday, February 20, 2014 – Daily News Saigon Bistro NEW BUFFET Lunch Express American & International Food Lunch Buffet Wed-Sat 11 - 2:30 DINNER BUFFET Fri-Sat 5pm-8pm Biscuits & Gravy, Meatloaf, Salad Bar, Sushi, Gumbo, Cajun Shrimp, Sandwiches, Fruit Salad and more Wine & Beer - Catering available 723 Walnut St. Red Bluff • 528-9670 100 Jackson Street, Red Bluff (530) 529-1220 First 50 new members $ 25 .00 month Call or Come In for details ALWAYS THE RIGHT TIRE ALWAYS THE RIGHT PRICE 1375 Montgomery Rd. Red Bluff, CA T: 530 529-0797 Brief thaw lifts sprits and raises flooding risks CHICAGO (AP) — As dozens of moms and nannies pushing strollers descended on Chicago's Lincoln Park to enjoy a rare sunny, mild day, shrinking mounds of snow and growing pud- dles signaled that one of the cruelest winters in memory is about to get miserable in a whole dif- ferent way. ''Now we are going to start the flood season,'' said Don Gutzmer, a con- tractor who was at the park's zoo for a meeting. ''If all the snow melts at once, the ground can't absorb it.'' Weeks of subfreezing weather are giving way, at least briefly, to temper- atures in the 40s and 50s, putting many Midwest- ern and Northeastern cities on guard for flood- ing, roof collapses and clogged storm drains. Some areas expected a double whammy: warm, springlike air combined with heavy rains that could compound the problem and turn the big melt into a muddy, dam- aging mess. In Chicago, the National Weather Service issued an advisory Wednesday warning that ice and deep snow could clog the city's drainage system. Street crews raced to clear catch basins of debris. Officials in suburban Will County prepared to siphon warm water from a nuclear power plant's cooling pond into the Kankakee River in hopes of melting ice that can jam the channel and push floodwaters over the banks. At the same time, emergency management authorities warned peo- ple in low-lying areas to be ready to move to high- er ground, even going door-to-door to ensure families were aware of the danger. And land- scaping companies' phones rang off the hook with calls from home- owners seeking crews to scoop snow piles onto dump trucks and haul them away before base- ments or streets flooded. ''They're calling me to say, 'With this rain com- ing, where is that water and the snow going to go when it melts?''' said Jodey Schmiedekamp of Countryside Industries in suburban Chicago. In Indiana, the weath- er service cautioned that melting snow piled as high as 18 inches will not be able to flow normally into rivers and streams because those channels are frozen. Between the snowmelt and the rain, some flooding would be unavoidable. ''A lot of bad things could happen tomorrow,'' said Marc Dahmer, a weather service meteo- rologist in Indianapolis. Parts of Michigan have gotten so much snow that authorities fret about more roof collaps- es like the one that injured two women Wednesday in the Grand Rapids area, which has received 101 inches this season. Other collapses have been reported around the state since January. If rain adds weight to the snowpack, it ''can exacerbate the situation that's there,'' said John Maples, a weather ser- vice meteorologist in Grand Rapids. The respite won't last long. Temperatures were expected to drop below freezing again within days, threatening to turn all that water back into ice and creating treacher- ous driving conditions. While it lasts, the thaw may also reveal a strug- gle for survival that has played out all winter close to the frozen ground. As the ice and snow recedes around rivers, lakes and ponds, it could reveal dead fish, turtles, frogs, toads and crayfish that didn't make it. ''Winterkill begins with distressed fish gasp- ing for air at holes in the ice and often ends with large numbers of dead fish that bloat as the water warms in early spring,'' said Gary Whe- lan, of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. After enduring so many snowstorms and painfully cold days, the people who emerged Wednesday in Chicago were delighted by sun- shine and warmth that let them indulge in the sim- ple pleasure of a walk or a jog. ''I should be in my office doing something, but I haven't been out there in three to four months,'' said Ning Du, 40, as she returned from a run along Lake Michigan in Chicago. A block away, Caro- line Vickrey and her friend Michelle Hoppe Villegas couldn't get past the change in people that seemed to reflect the change in the weather. ''Everybody is smiling and saying hello to each other,'' Vickrey said. ''My daughter was cheerful this morning (and) so pleasant,'' added Hoppe Villegas. ''I was wondering what is going on here.'' For many, the break from the cold arrived just in time to ease mounting cabin fever. But the weather service, which usually sticks to unemo- tional descriptions of high pressure systems and dew points, dashed hopes of a longer reprieve with an unchar- acteristically punchy forecast. ''For anyone who may catch a touch of spring fever with the relative warmth of Thursday ... forgetaboutit,'' wrote meteorologist Gino Izzy. He predicted that the pos- sible return of snow next week ''is likely to leave many winter-weary souls ready to curl up into the fetal position and beg for mercy from old man win- ter!'' AP photo Rich Lukasik, of Whiting, N.J., hits practice golf shots in the snow Wednesday in Cream Ridge, N.J. Investigation into NC coal ash spill widens Google aims to provide broadband in 34 more cities SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google wants to offer ultra-fast Internet service in 34 more cities scattered across eight states in the company's boldest challenge to cable and telecommunications providers. The ambitious expansion of ''Google Fiber'' announced Wednesday targets major U.S. cities including Atlanta; Phoenix; Portland, Ore.; San Antonio and parts of the San Francisco Bay Area. The service derives its name from the fiber-optic cables that Google installs to deliver online data instead of clunky copper lines. The sleeker technology allows Google Fiber customers to surf the Internet at a speed of one gigabit per second, up to 100 times faster than exist- ing broadband services. Google Fiber boasts that its ser- vice can download an entire movie in less than two min- utes. The plans to move into so many other cities are the clearest sign yet that Google, already the Internet's most powerful Internet company, intends to become a bigger player in providing access to the Internet, too. Launched as an experimental project in 2010, Google Fiber so far is only available in Kansas City, Kan.; Kansas City, Mo. and Provo, Utah. It is coming to Austin, Texas later this year. As it enters more markets, Google is hoping the com- petition will prod existing Internet service providers such as Comcast, Verizon Communications and AT&T Inc. to upgrade their networks so they can run at faster speeds. Google figures it would still benefit in that scenario if the improvements to rival networks spur more Web surfing. But four of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas — New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia — are not on Google's list. Those are among the many U.S. markets where either Comcast Corp. or Time Warner Cable Inc. has emerged as a leading provider of high-speed Internet service. Comcast last week announced plans to buy Time Warner Cable for $45 billion in a deal already facing resistance from consumer rights groups worried that the combination will drive up prices for broadband and cable TV. Prices for Google Fiber are comparable or below what most households already pay. For example, in the two Kansas City markets, Google Fiber charges about $70 per month for just high-speed Internet service. A package that bundles the Internet service with more than 100 high-def- inition television channels costs about $120 per month. Google's ownership of some the Internet's most lucra- tive advertising networks and heavily trafficked services such its YouTube video site gives the company a power- ful incentive to make it more affordable and enjoyable to spend time online. Google CEO Larry Page is hoping the company can make more money from ads and other ser- vices if faster connections and a proliferation of comput- ing devices can make the Internet even more addictive than it already is for tens of millions of people. ''People do more of what they love on the Web when the speeds are fast and they walk away when things are slow,'' said Kevin Lo, general manager of Google Fiber. Governor: Colorado pot market exceeds tax hopes