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ByRichGreene rgreene@redbluffdailynews.com @richgreenenews on Twitter SACRAMENTO Two men were indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday in connection to a marijuana grow in the Lassen National Forest in Tehama County. United States Attorney Benjamin Wagner announced the jury returned a two-count indictment against Carlos Cortez, 29, of Fresno and Ismael Rameriz, 24, of Modesto, charging them with conspiracy to distribute marijuana and manufacture of marijuana. According to court documents, in June 2014, during an aerial flight, Tehama County Sheriff's deputies saw a large marijuana cul- tivation site near North Fork Ante- lope Creek. On July 11 a multi-agency task- force searched the marijuana cul- tivation site. Before they entered the site, agents saw Cortez and Rameriz watering marijuana plants. When agents entered, Cortez and Rameriz fled, but were quickly captured. Atotalof6,636marijuanaplants were seized and destroyed at the cultivation site. The case was the product of an investigation by the Tehama County Sheriff's Department, the United States Forest Service, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. AssistantUnitedStates Attorney Olusere Olowoyeye is prosecuting the case. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory pen- alty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. MARIJUANA Pairindicted for pot grow in forest By Andre Byik abyik@redbluffdailynews.com @andrebyik on Twitter RED BLUFF The Tehama County District Attorney's Of- fice on Tuesday filed charges against a Red Bluff High School auto shop teacher accused of sending inappro- priate text messages to a 17-year-old female student at the school. Red Bluff police on Feb. 3 arrested Kenneth Wayne Binder, 42, on Red Bluff High School's campus on suspi- cion of sending harmful matter to a minor. Police said the student involved was not in Binder's classes at the time, but they suspected a relationship between the two started last October. Police said they learned of the relationship af- ter a friend of the 17-year-old student brought concerns to school officials, who in turn con- tacted police. Binder, who was employed at the school for more than two years, was placed on adminis- trative leave following his arrest, and had been out of custody after posting bail. In April, a Tehama County Superior Court judge exonerated Binder's bail after charges had not been filed against the teacher. District Attorney Gregg Cohen at the time said an investigation into the mat- ter was ongoing. Cohen could not be reached before deadline Thursday. Binder faces five charges of annoying or mo- lesting a child under 18 years old, according to online court records. Joe Harrop, who was interim superintendent at Red Bluff Joint Union High School District at the time of the arrest, previously said that the student who brought concerns to school officials was a "true friend" and a "hero." "I was really pleased that the principal and vice principal took immediate action to get law enforce- ment involved," he said. RED BLUFF HIGH Teacherfacesmolestationcharges KennethWayneBinderallegedlysent inappropriate texts to student By Rich Greene rgreene@redbluffdailynews.com @richgreenenews on Twitter RED BLUFF After 132 years Mercy High School is finally spreading its educational roots into agriculture. Principal Paul Weber says the school will begin offering sci- ence courses with an agricul- tural emphasis this fall when it begins the new school year. Additionally, Mercy is start- ing its own FFA program. Weber says there has been growing interest for the school to incorporate agricultural classes into its college-bound curriculum from those students that are looking to move into an- imal and plant science and even veterinarian medicine. The school plans to phase in the agricultural emphasized classes to the point where un- derclassmen will be able to ful- fill University of California re- quirements by the time they graduate. The school has hired Mor- gan Brock, a teacher with agri- culture credentials, to teach the classes. Brock says the first course be- ing offered is agricultural earth science. She said the class will focus on how the earth's formation af- fects agriculture and the ways differences in soil, climate and weather can change what can and can't be grown. One classroom experiment planned this year is to grow to- mato plants in different types of lighted areas. Brock said next year the school will introduce an agri- cultural-based biology class. The class will look at how cell structures affect growing in plants and animals. Brock said the idea behind the classes is to not only give stu- dents their college credit equiva- lent, but show them examples of how such knowledge can be ap- plied in real life situations. A Mercy alumnus with plenty of that is Brendon Flynn, gen- eral manager of Pacific Farms & Orchards and also a Mercy parent. Flynn said while hands-on ex- perience remains the most im- portant aspect of breaking into the agricultural field, the FFA program and classes Mercy plans to offer will provide an op- portunity for students to explore the field and the various jobs. Flynn said the FFA program will also bring a number of other positives for students as well, teaching them business, communication and network- ing skills. While the FFA program will be the hands-on component of the education, Weber said the school is considering a possi- bility of creating its own green- house horticulture in the future to expand that experience. "Creating the opportunity for the kids to have some choices is beneficial," Flynn said. HIGH SCHOOLS TAKING ROOT MercyHighSchoolPrincipalPaulWeberinspectsaprunetreeinaPacificFarms&OrchardsorchardsouthofRedBluff. Lifestyles........A5 Community.....A3 Weather ........ A10 Opinion............A4 Real Estate.....B6 Sports.............. B1 INDEX Recycling carts are being made available free of charge for residents hosting events such as parties. PAGEA5 LIFESTYLES Freerecyclingcarts available for events Corning's Little League Senior Division team won Wednesday to reach the Northern Califor- nia championship. PAGE B1 SPORTS Corning 15-16 boys reach state title game Flight with 116people aboard disappeared from radar during a rainstorm Thursday, accord- ing to French officials. PAGE B5 PLANE Air Algerie flight may have crashed in Mali Death penalty opponents say latest botched execution, in- volving Arizona inmate, makes system cruel, unlawful. PAGE B3 EXECUTIONS Evidence offered against lethal injection Binder Mercy adding agricultural-based curriculum The case was the product of an investigation by the Tehama County Sheriff's Department, the United States Forest Service, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. ยป redbluffdailynews.com Friday, July 25, 2014 50CENTS AN EDITION OF THE CHICO ENTERPRISE-RECORD 7 58551 69001 9 Volume129,issue176 Today's web bonus Weird Al Yankovic redbluffdailynews.com MLB Giants head home a er loss to Phillies Sports B1 DROUGHT California unsure if it's meeting water goal State A6 FORECAST High: 103 Low: 66 A10 Grow?Ranchorride? Readaboutlocalandnational Ag, rural, ranch and rodeo news and commentary. VISIT REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM/ RODEO DOYOU RODEO?