Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/332510
BySusanMontoya Bryan TheAssociatedPress ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. As summer approaches, re- lief is in sight for drought- stricken New Mexico and many other parts of the West as Mother Nature ap- pears ready to ease up on her back-to-back blows of stifling heat and gusty winds. A break in the unfavor- able weather can't come soon enough for the hun- dreds of firefighters bat- tling a blaze on the Navajo Nation that has consumed more than 20 square miles of pinon and juniper forest along with grazing lands that tribal livestock own- ers have used for centuries. The Assayii Lake Fire has destroyed at least four structures. Another 50 homes near the rural communities of Naschitti and Sheep Springs were threatened, with some in Naschitti evacuated. Forecasters with the National Weather Service said storms moving across the Southwest have helped raise humidity levels, and the winds are expected to die down by Thursday, giv- ing firefighters the window needed to directly attack the flames. "What we saw over the past three or four days will basically end tomorrow. No more wind," meteorol- ogist Chuck Maxwell said Wednesday. Despite the variability in the weather and drought, the fire season has been rel- atively slow across the U.S., according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Idaho. The number of acres burned so far this year is half of the 10-year average, and there have been fewer large fires. In the South- west, the acreage burned is only 46 percent of average. "The reason the South- west is below average is be- cause it had a late start to its fire season," said Robyn Broyles with the interagency fire center. "There was a lot of moisture throughout the spring for both New Mexico and Arizona. They're actu- ally having a less severe fire season." The Navajo Nation blaze is one of nine large fires burning across the country. New Mexico, including a large swath of the reserva- tion, is in its fourth year of severe drought, and the risk of fire has been high. The blaze is only making mat- ters worse for families who are watching from afar as flames char their summer and winter grazing pas- tures. Tribal agriculture offi- cials said that depending on the intensity of the Assayii Lake Fire, it could be many months before sheepherd- ers and cattle ranchers get to return to the hills out- side Naschitti and Sheep Springs. Officials said they will search for other areas on the sprawling reserva- tion where livestock can graze. Authorities repeatedly have urged Navajo fami- lies to refrain from head- ing into the mountains to search for their livestock. "They really do value the life of their livestock more than they value their own," fire spokeswoman Shari Malone said. "It's been dif- ficult." On Wednesday, planes dropped fire retardant on the southern part of the blaze, while crews be- gan building a line along the western and northern flanks. They were also try- ing to protect a communi- cation tower to the north. Elsewhere, diminishing winds have helped firefight- ers nearly contain a blaze burning near Lake Isabella in California's southern Si- erra Nevada. The blaze was 90 percent contained Wednesday morning, with no flames jumping the pe- rimeter. In northern Arizona, crews contained a 7-acre wildfire that broke out in Oak Creek Canyon and forced about 40 people to evacuate. The fire was just north of a blaze that charred 31 square miles last month in the scenic canyon between Sedona and Flag- staff. In southern New Mex- ico, dry thunderstorms pep- pered the Gila National For- est on Wednesday with as many as 2,000 lightning strikes. Forest officials said dispatchers and fire person- nel were busy with numer- ous reports of small fires. WILDFIRES Navajoblazeconsumes at least 20 square miles DONOVANQUINTERO—NAVAJOTIMES The Asaayii Lake Fire raging out of control at the ridge of the Chuska Mountains, west of Naschitti, N.M., on Tuesday. Tribal agriculture officials say depending on the fire's intensity, it could be a while before sheepherders and cattle ranchers get to return to the hills outside of Naschitti and Sheep Springs. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Yahye Abdi, 15, is loaded into an ambulance at Kahului Airport in Kahului, Maui, Hawaii, a er he stowed away in the wheel well of a flight from San Jose to Maui in April. By Martha Mendoza The Associated Press SAN JOSE A Somali im- migrant who survived an arduous flight to Ha- waii stowed away in a jet's wheel well says he was trying to reach his mom, a refugee in Ethiopia who says her teenage son broke down in tears this week during their first call since his ordeal. Mother Ubah Moham- med Abdule, who is seek- ing U.S. asylum, told The Associated Press Wednes- day her son, who she hasn't seen in eight years, cried on the phone Tuesday and told her he thought she was dead. "He says, 'Mom you are not dead for sure? I thought you died in a boat trip. This is incredible news.' Then he became si- lent for a moment. Then he cried," she said. Yahya Abdi, 15, said Tuesday that he ran away from his Santa Clara home, hopped a fence at Mineta San Jose Interna- tional Airport in April and climbed aboard the Hawai- ian Airlines plane because it was the first flight he could find heading west, and he wanted to go see his mother. Yahya, who described crouching in the wheel well and covering his ears at take-off, made his first public comments during a Google Chat on Tuesday to KPIX-5. "It was above the clouds, I could see through the lit- tle holes," Yahya said, who gave short, stilted answers. When asked if he can believe he survived the trip, Yahya paused several seconds: "Uh, no." But he also said he wasn't scared. Yahya survived the flight at 35,000 feet despite low oxygen and freezing temperatures. Video foot- age from the Maui airport shows him dropping to the tarmac about an hour after the jet landed. The teen said he made the decision to get on board the plane because he didn't want to live with his step- momandwantedtofindhis mother, who he hasn't seen since he was 7 years old. Yahya is staying at a temporary foster home. He will be a junior in high school this fall and plans to live with his aunt in the Minneapolis area. Yahya has been spend- ing his days doing normal teenage things. "I've been going to the movie theater and playing video games," he told KPIX-5. Earlier this year, po- lice said they were inves- tigating possible criminal charges against the boy for climbing the airport fence, and that the teen was be- ing cared for by child pro- tective services. Stowaway shocked he survived flight TRAVEL By Susan Montoya Bryan The Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. An environmental group called on federal wildlife managers Wednesday to update a decades-old re- covery plan for grizzly bears to ensure the ani- mal's return to the Grand Canyon and other areas of the West. The Center for Biologi- cal Diversity, in a petition filed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, accused the agency of using a frag- mented approach as it tries to recover the threatened species. Efforts are cur- rently focused on a fraction of the bear's historic range, but the petition identi- fies 110,000 square miles around the West that could provide suitable habitat. Those areas include a forested region straddling the Arizona-New Mexico border, the Grand Canyon, the Sierra Nevada in Cali- fornia, and parts of Utah and Colorado. The recovery plan for grizzlies dates back to 1993. The Center for Bio- logical Diversity says the plan needs to consider re- cent research that ques- tions the long-term viabil- ity of the current grizzly population. "The science is clear that, if we're serious about recovering grizzly bears, we need more populations around the West and more connections between them so they don't fall prey to in- breeding and so they have a chance of adapting to a warming world," said Noah Greenwald, director of the center's endangered species program. A spokesman with the Fish and Wildlife Ser- vice said Wednesday the agency had not yet re- ceived the petition. He did not comment on whether the agency had any exist- ing plans to update the grizzly's recovery plan. The agency did state as part of a review of the bear's status done in 2011 that the recovery plan was outdated and it needed to consider other areas as po- tential habitat. According to the agency, an estimated 50,000 griz- zlies roamed between the Pacific Ocean and Great Plains during the early 1800s. Their numbers were drastically reduced as more pioneers headed west. By 1975, when the bears were listed, only six of the 37 separate popula- tions that were present just 50 years earlier remained. There are five areas where grizzlies are found today, including the Yel- lowstone region and along the northern Continental Divide. WILDLIFE Petition seeks return of grizzly bears to the West By Paul Elias The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO Califor- nia Supreme Court Justice Marvin Baxter announced Wednesday that he will retire after serving more than 24 years, possibly giving Gov. Jerry Brown a significant hand in reshap- ing a high court that has leaned right politically for decades. Baxter said that that he would not stand for re-elec- tion in November and will step down when his term expires in January. State Su- preme Court justices face a "retention" election every 12 years. The 74-year-old Fresno County native is consid- ered one of the most polit- ically conservative mem- bers of the court. He was a reliable vote in upholding death penalties and signed on to the 4-3 dissent of then-Chief Justice Ronald George's opinion striking down California's gay mar- riage ban in 2008. If Brown is re-elected in November, the Democratic governor will be faced with the third vacancy on the seven-member court. Baxter said he wanted to spend more time with his wife of 51 years and the rest of his family. "I will miss his sage ad- vice and counsel," Chief Jus- tice Tani Cantil-Sakauye said. Baxter's announcement follows the retirement ear- lier this year of Justice Joyce Kennard, who Gov. Jerry Brown has yet to re- place. Brown earlier appointed Justice Goodwin Liu, a for- mer law professor, to fill the vacancy left by Justice Car- los Moreno. Republican Gov. George Deukmejian nominated Baxter to the Supreme Court in 1990. Voters con- firmed him to a second 12- year term in 2002. Baxter attended Fresno State University and Hast- ings College of the Law in San Francisco. COURTS State Supreme Court justice to retire The Associated Press ANTIOCH A Mexican citi- zen suspected in the killing of a man who tried to pay a debt with Star Wars action figures has been deported. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement offi- cials say 34-year-old Pablo Christian Larumbe Rojas was turned over Tuesday to authorities in Mexico at a San Diego-area border crossing. Rojas was arrested ear- lier this year in the San Francisco Bay Area in con- nection with the slaying of Carlos Palomares Maldo- nado. Federal officials say Mal- donado owed criminal as- sociates of Rojas about $3,000 and offered to set- tle the debt by trading his collection of Star Wars fig- ures that were apparently worth more than the debt. Authorities say Maldo- nado disappeared after go- ing to Rojas' home in Mex- ico with the figures in Sep- tember. Federal officials say his body was later found in the possession of several people who implicated Ro- jas. BAY AREA Man deported a er death linked to Star Wars toys The Associated Press POMONA A Southern Cal- ifornia man has been con- victed of killing his wife, whose body was left at a casino. Jurorsdeliberatedjusttwo hoursWednesdaybeforecon- victing Tomas Rodriguez In- fante of first-degree murder. Infante, who's 62, faces a possible sentence of 25 years to life. Prosecutors say Infante stabbed and beat his wife, Charita Tolentino, at their West Covina home in Janu- ary of last year, then left her body in the trunk of her car in the Hawaiian Gardens Casino parking lot. COURTS Man convicted of killing wife Reserveour BANQUET ROOM LosMarachis 529-5154 FOR RENT Car Guys Dream Totallyremodeled6car garage with a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house included on acreage. River access, dead end county road and driveway. Antelope area. $1,200 per month 530-528-0680 1375MontgomeryRd. Red Bluff, CA 529-0797 Our team is ready to earn your trust PLEASE BE ADVISED That the present owners of Gibbs Auto Body are in NO WAY related to Rex Gibbs, the original owner C & C PROPERTIES An Independently owned and operated Member of Coldwell Banker Residential Affiliates. 741 Main Street, Suite #2 Red Bluff, CA 96080 1-800-287-2187 (530) 527-2187 FOR 24/7 PROPERTY INFO CALL 1-888-902-7253 TEHAMA COUNTY REAL ESTATE TEAM • OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK www.redbluffcoldwellbanker.com See All Tehama County Listings at 2BD 1BA 960SqFt 0.1AC $86,500 PropCode 4369 2 BD 1 BA 768 Sq Ft 0 AC $89,500 Prop Code 4379 3 BD 2 BA 1,299 Sq Ft 1.84 AC $129,900 Prop Code 4339 3 BD 1 BA 960 Sq Ft 0.26 AC $139,500 Prop Code 4519 2 BD 2 BA 1,120 Sq Ft 0 AC $148,000 Prop Code 4299 2 BD 1 BA 1,024 Sq Ft 0.31 AC $150,000 Prop Code 4439 2 BD 2 BA 1,388 Sq Ft 0.21 AC $152,500 Prop Code 4819 3 BD 2 BA 1,441 Sq Ft 0.41 AC $159,000 Prop Code 4559 3 BD 2 BA 1,392 Sq Ft 0 AC $164,000 Prop Code 4379 3 BD 2 BA 1,488 Sq Ft 0 AC $167,500 Prop Code 4109 3 BD 2 BA 1,490 Sq Ft 0.95 AC $169,900 Prop Code 4629 3 BD 2 BA 1,258 Sq Ft 1.74 AC $169,900 Prop Code 4609 3 BD 2 BA 1,680 Sq Ft 2.15 AC $195,000 Prop Code 4349 3 BD 3 BA 1,606 Sq Ft 0.163 AC $199,000 Prop Code 4039 3 BD 2 BA 1,589 Sq Ft 0.88 AC $199,000 Prop Code 4139 3 BD 2 BA 1,518 Sq Ft 1.29 AC $199,950 Prop Code 4419 3 BD 2 BA 1,800 Sq Ft 0.6 AC $210,000 Prop Code 4569 3 BD 2 BA 1,718 Sq Ft 0.31 AC $229,000 Prop Code 4149 3 BD 2 BA 1,783 Sq Ft 1.08 AC $245,000 Prop Code 4179 6 BD 4 BA 3,264 Sq Ft 0.332 AC $268,500 Prop Code 4069 3 BD 2 BA 1,788 Sq Ft 2.87 AC $289,500 Prop Code 4929 4 BD 4 BA 2,918 Sq Ft 0.33 AC $299,900 Prop Code 4399 3 BD 2 BA 1,773 Sq Ft 7.04 AC $339,900 Prop Code 4769 3 BD 2 BA 1,944 Sq Ft 0 AC $348,000 Prop Code 4749 3 BD 2 BA 3,300 Sq Ft 40 AC $352,000 Prop Code 4409 3 BD 3 BA 1,790 Sq Ft 1.14 AC $394,500 Prop Code 4259 3 BD 3 BA 2,345 Sq Ft 0.71 AC $399,000 Prop Code 4309 3 BD 2 BA 1,968 Sq Ft 8.72 AC $399,000 Prop Code 24449 6 BD 4 BA 2,347 Sq Ft 14.31 AC $425,000 Prop Code 4479 3 BD 3 BA 2,295 Sq Ft 17.84 AC $435,000 Prop Code 4489 4 BD 2 BA 3,700 Sq Ft 8.85 AC $585,000 Prop Code 4249 4 BD 3 BA 4,464 Sq Ft 0.76 AC $639,000 Prop Code 4199 | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2014 8 A