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theirvehiclesweretowed. Those arrested could face additional jail time, long driver license suspen- sions and financial hits including attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work and the potential loss of job or job pros- pects. Court sting stakeout op- erations, along with reg- ularly scheduled high vis- ibility DUI enforcement, serve as a proven deter- rent with the goal of keep- ing impaired drivers from the road and heightening awareness among the pub- lic of the dangers of driv- ing under the influence of drugs and alcohol, the re- lease said. The release did not in- dicate whether any of the three drivers arrested Monday were impaired when arrested. T his special DUI operation was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Sting FROMPAGE1 Johnson:LauraLouise Johnson, 80, of Red Bluff died Sunday, Aug. 10at Brentwood Skilled Nursing & Rehab. Arrangements are under the direction of Red Bluff Simple Cremations & Burial Service. Published Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014 in the Daily News, Red Bluff, Calif. Deathnoticesmustbe provided by mortuaries to the news department, are published at no charge, and feature only specific basic information about the deceased. Paid obituaries are placed through the Classified advertising department. Paid obituaries may be placed by mortuaries or by families of the deceased and include online publication linked to the newspaper's website. Paid obituaries may be of any length, may run multiple days and offer wide latitude of content, including photos. Death notices By Scott Smith The Associated Press FRESNO A Northern Cal- ifornia man accused of starting one of the state's largest wildfires when he lost control of his camp- fire last year can leave jail while the criminal case plays out in court, a fed- eral judge said Tuesday. U.S. District Magistrate Judge Gary Austin said Keith Matthew Emerald, 32, can post a $60,000 property bond if he wants to go free. The judge also set a list of conditions, including one that prohibits Emerald from lighting any campfires. "He can be in the moun- tains," Austin said in Em- erald's arraignment in a Fresno courtroom. "But he can light no campfires." Last week, a federal grand jury indicted Emerald on four counts accusing him of causing the 2013 wild- fire that burned 400 square miles in Yosemite National Park and the Stanislaus Na- tional Forest. The fire be- came the Sierra Nevada's largest in recorded history. Emerald pleaded not guilty. His federal public defender Janet Bateman objected to his prohibi- tion from campfires, say- ing Emerald is not guilty of starting the fire. Austin said a jury will decide that. Emerald was hunting for deer with a bow on Aug. 17, 2013, when he was rescued by helicopter near the origin of the fire. Early in the inves- tigation,heacknowledgedhe started a fire to cook a meal and burned trash from his backpack, according to a searchwarrantaffidavit.Em- erald said he lost control of the fire that burned for more than two months, destroying 11 homes and costing more than $125 million to fight. Investigators said Emer- ald, a resident of the foot- hill community of Colum- bia, gave inconsistent and changing versions of what happened during multiple interviews that began al- most immediately after he was rescued. Emerald later denied he started the fire, say- ing a rockslide he caused sparked the fire, and then he blamed illegal mari- juana growers.His charges include starting a camp- fire despite restrictions and lying to a federal agent. He could face up to five years in prison if he's convicted. Emerald is due back in court Oct. 14. YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK Manpleadsnotguilty to wildfireaccusation By Tom Verdin The Associated Press SACRAMENTO Health insurance plans offered to state employees in California and elsewhere are relatively generous, with government picking up a large share of deductibles and co-pays, according to a report released Tuesday. The report by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation was a first-of-its kind survey of state government health insurance plans nationwide. It found that state plans paid on average 92 percent of a typical enrollee's health care costs, which is equivalent to the best offerings — "platinum" plans — that the public can purchase on one of the new health insurance exchanges. In California, Pew found that figure was 95 percent and that 68 percent of plan members had no annual deductible. Putting the report into a broader context that can make the data easily understood is difficult. Pew researchers said d irec t compa r isons between states are tricky because myriad factors are in play, including wide differences in the cost of health care delivery across the country, and in the age and health of people in the insurance plans. Direct cost comparisons to plans offered to employees in the private sector also not available, said Maria Schiff, the project director. For example, Pew said the average monthly premium for a state government health care plan in 2013 was $963, with states picking up 84 percent of the cost and workers picking up 16 percent. In California, the average monthly premium that year was $1,092, with the state paying 77 percent and employees paying 23 percent. Pew used the actuarial firm Milliman Inc., which did not have similar premium data for the private sector, Schiff said. Private companies have been shifting more of the cost to employees as health insurance costs rise, offering higher-deductible plans and requiring greater co-pays for visits to primary care providers and specialists. The Pew report said state governments have been slower to offer high-deductible health plans. The Pew report sought to quantify for the first time state employee health care costs nationwide, which it said is second to Medicaid in the amount of money state governments spend on health care. Its study found that 45 percent of state employees across the country were enrolled in plans with no deductible. That includes some plans offered in California, including a Kaiser HMO plan that enrolls 40 percent of state workers. According to Pew, that plan had no annual deductible, $15 co- pays for office visits and an annual out-of-pocket maximum of $1,500. The state offers nine different health care plans, including six HMOs, that provide various levels of premiums, deductibles and co-pays, said Bill Madison, a spokesman for the California Public Employees Retirement System, which administers the state's health program. "It gives our members more of a variety to choose from so they can find something that will fit within their cost range and still provide them the adequate health care they are looking for and deserve," he said. The total cost of health care premiums for employ- ees of California state gov- ernment, municipalities and school districts for 2014 is projected to be $7.7 billion, up from $7 billion two years ago, according to CalPERS. NATIONWIDE SURVEY State offers workers generous health plans The Associated Press The top spending cat- egories in the proposed bond are: — $2.5 billion for wa- ter storage projects, with criteria that are designed to encourage building the Sites Reservoir north of Sacramento and Temper- ance Flat dam northeast of Fresno. This has been among the most conten- tious items, with Republi- cans demanding at least $3 billion. Environmentalists object to the lack of com- petitiveness for Southern California and groundwa- ter storage projects. — $1.5 billion for eco- system and watershed projects, to restore envi- ronments to natural con- ditions, improve river parkways and protect wildlife. Roughly a third of the money would sup- port projects that have been contentious. That in- cludes the removal of ob- solete power dams on the Klamath River, the restora- tion of the Salton Sea and an environmental protec- tion plan at Lake Tahoe. — $850 million for proj- ects that clean up ground- water contamination, pri- oritizing communities that would have a more reliable local water supply as a re- sult. This has been a top priority for Los Angeles lawmakers. — $780 million for what is described as "integrated regional water manage- ment plans" that would help regions meet their own wa- ter needs. It includes $100 million for water conser- vation and efficiency and $200 million for storm wa- ter management. —$700 million for wa- ter recycling and advanced water treatment technol- ogy, such as desalination. — $500 million for proj- ects that improve water quality or promote clean drinking water. Half the money would be set aside for wastewater treatment, prioritizing low-income communities. The other half is for projects im- proving safe drinking wa- ter standards, prioritizing small communities with polluted water sources. —$395 million for state- wide flood management projects and activities, with the majority available to the delta region. SPENDING California water bond spending at a glance Report finds that state governments pay 92 percent of employee health care costs MIKE MCMILLAN — AP FILE PHOTO A firefighter stand watch near a controlled burn as they fight the Rim Fire near Yosemite National Park. The Northern California man charged with starting the largest wildfire in recorded history to sweep through the Sierra Nevada mountains pleaded not guilty. WALTERF.IREY 1931 ~ 2014 Walter F. Irey, Anderson, CA died on August 1, 2014 at Copper Ridge Care Center Redding, CA after a lengthy ill- ness. Born September 6, 1931 in French Camp, CA to James Washington and Nellie Marie Verback Irey, the eighth of nine children. Graduated class of 1949 from Red Bluff High School, Red Bluff, CA and entered the US Army during the Kore- an War serving stateside as a heavy vehicle driving in- structor at Ft. Eustis, VA. Returned to Red Bluff entering government service with the United States Postal Service and also served as a volunteer for both the Red Bluff Fire Department and the Red Bluff Police Department. In 1972, he moved to Mt. Shasta, CA after being appointed as Officer in Charge, then Postmaster. As Post Master he also served as the Officer in Charge and trainer at various Post Offices until a new postmaster was selected He served on the Western States Postmaster Selection Board for several years. He retired to Anderson in 1986 after serving 36 years with the USPS. After retiring he worked four years at Anderson's Funeral Chapel. He was a mem- ber of The American Legion and also the Red Bluff Elks Lodge #1250 for 54 years. He continued to enjoy many years traveling and fishing with his wife, Catherine. Preceded in death by his parents, James and Nellie, and siblings Dorothy Mettler, Marguerite Carey, John, Meryl, Carroll, James, Jerry and Donald Irey. He is survived by his loving wife of 29 years, Catherine of Anderson, CA; her children Elizabeth (Paul) Lopitz of Jensen Beach, Florida and Christopher Reynolds (Kimber- ly) of White City, Oregon; and his daughter Jennifer (Da- vid) Murray of Citrus Heights, CA. Also survived by grandchildren Kayla, Brittney, Samuel, Erin, Elizabeth (Lizzie) and great-grandson Nicholas as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Mass will be held at Sacred Heart Parish on August 21, 2014 at 10:00 A.M. followed by a luncheon at the Parish Hall. Inurnment will be held at the Northern California Veterans Cemetery, Igo, CA at 2:00 P.M. following the luncheon. The Reverend Philip J. Wells and Reverend George Snyder officiating. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the National Psoriasis Foundation. Obituaries ThePassingParadeisbroughttoyoubybyMinchPropertyManagement, 760 Main Street specializing in commercial leasing and sales. 530 527 5514 THE PASSING PARADE (FromanISaycolumnbyDaveMinchJuly1959) Inlinewithmypreviouscolumnaboutfathers who desert their families, I read the budget request of the Welfare Department for the coming year. Mrs. Rachel Reed has plainly shown the increase in money needed and why it will be needed. She estimates there will be 278 cases by next January with $400,000 needed annually to take care of them.Among the reasons is the increase in population and the character of some of the people who make up the increase. Legislation over which Tehama County has no control causes the following: If the father of a family is discouraged he can walk away and after 3 months the State will take care of his children; if when he walks away, the mother files for divorce, the children are immediately eligible for relief. If a mother marries another husband, this husband, who is the stepfather, is in no way responsible for the needs of the children. The State continues to take care of them. Seventeen percent of the children in this county on relief are illegitimate. The new law that Governor Pat Brown has signed which increases unemployment insurance to $65.00 a week for 26 weeks and in case he thinks it an emergency may be increased to 39 weeks. Unemployment payments like this could easily make California the target for millions of employees from other states that are not so liberal. Instead of making unemployment a stop gap for emergencies, this is making it an occupation or a way of life. The State or the Government does not actually pay this money. It is collected from you and I who work 12 months out of the year in taxes. Every man who works steadily will soon be figuratively carrying one or two men on his back. I believe unemployment relief is a fine thing if it is not abused; but I do believe that every man who receives it should not object to having his name and his classification printed in the newspaper each time he receives an unemployment check. In this way we could see how many of the men of each occupation are out of work and perhaps do something to alleviate it. * Dave Minch 1900-1964 *My father was considered one of the most generous of employers of his generation. He moved his family consisting of an invalid father, mother. 4 brothers and a sister from New Jersey to California and scraped out a living during the height of the depression. In so doing he developed a philosophy that the Lord helps those who help themselves. I do not know what to make of his radical concepts. Would they gain acceptance today? Robert Minch 1929- WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2014 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM | NEWS | 7 A