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WEEKEND JULY 30-31, 2011 Breaking news at: Clip Coupons Easy Money USA Weekend www.redbluffdailynews.com See Inside RED BLUFF State Champs SPORTS 1B Sunny 102/70 Weather forecast 10B 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 Pot plucked By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer A marijuana grow near Paskenta in the Mendoci- no National Forest in Tehama County was raid- ed Wednesday by federal agents with about 10,000 plants found. The US Forest Service was the lead agency in the raid, a part of the opera- tion known as Full Court Press that started July 18 and ends in the first full week of August, said John Heil, USFS Public Affairs regional media officer. The operation was launched within a six- county area in the Mendo- cino National Forest and has brought about the eradication of 373,000 marijuana plants and 88 arrests so far, Heil said. Wednesday, 19 mem- bers of the media were allowed to visit the site in Paskenta, using a steep trail agents said was prob- ably made by the growers. The site was visited shortly after it was secured by special agents from several agencies to give the public a look at what typical camp and grow sites look like, Heil said. Seven agents were working the Paskenta site Wednesday, Heil said. Agents work 24 hours in 12-hour shifts. The USFS, Department of Justice and National Guard worked the Pasken- ta site, at 2,000-foot eleva- tion. The sites were untouched except for being photographed and looking for evidence that would lead to the growers, Heil said. The site in Paskenta had three plots connected to it around a campsite in a very remote area, a USFS special agent said. Teams of agents are usually launched between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. so the Paskenta site was proba- bly secured sometime Wednesday morning, said National Guard Bureau Counterdrug Public Affairs Officer Sgt. Lalita Laksbergs. “Most sites, especially Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb A helicopter pulls a 500-pound load of marijuana from a site raided Wednesday in the Paskenta area of Mendocino National Forest. reclamation land, have miles and miles of drip line, which means they have to bring it in and it’s usually very rugged ter- rain,” Laksbergs said. “It’s not something the average farmer does. They are very determined people.” Supplies are brought in at night, which often leads to tips from locals who report a suspicious vehicle in a remote area, she said. The Paskenta site, along with the others on which more than 200 agents are working, were spotted by helicopter in June, a USFS Special Lt. gov. releases plan to revive Calif. economy SACRAMENTO (AP) — Lt. Gov. Gavin New- som is releasing a plan to jumpstart economic devel- opment and job growth in California, stepping to the forefront of a vital issue as his first major policy move since he was elected to statewide office. Newsom worked with players from the Republi- can and Democratic par- ties, business groups, econ- omists and think tanks to develop an agenda for growth and global eco- nomic competitiveness as the nation’s most populous state struggles to shake off the effects of the Great Recession. He plans to pre- sent it to hundreds of busi- ness executives Friday in San Jose. Legislative action on one proposal — combining the state’s economic devel- opment efforts into a sin- gle, cabinet-level office reporting to the governor — could come within weeks. Other initiatives should move forward in the next three to six months, according to a draft of the report provided to The Associated Press. ‘‘For more than 10 years, the state of Califor- nia has lacked a strategic, statewide economic plan,’’ Newsom, the former San Francisco mayor, wrote in the proposal’s introduc- tion. ‘‘And in the last decade, we have reaped the bitter consequences.’’ The report cites the state’s double-digit unem- ployment rate, which is second-highest in the nation, its persistent repu- tation for high taxes and burdensome business regu- lations, and the economic 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 See PLAN, page 9A Agent said. What gives them away is usually that they are very green compared to the rest of the area, he said. “Everything they’re putting in destroys the environment,” Laksbergs said. “A lot of pesticides they use are brought from other countries and are things we banned years ago or haven’t known about that immediately diminishes the environ- ment.” Often those pesticides are left in bags, which are either chewed on by wildlife or leach into the ground when it rains, she said. “They’re not here for green grow,” Laksbergs said. “They’re here to make money. They’re poi- soning our land, owned by the people, and they don’t care. It’s a circle that’s not good for anyone except the cartels who make money on it.” Heil said the operation has been very successful and had good results. The 10,000 plants found at the Paskenta site See POT, page 9A Suspicious man reported to have exchanged bills A man posing at as a volunteer from The Salvation Army went to two local banks attempting to exchange damaged $100 bills for some in better condition, according to Red Bluff Police. Around 1:10 p.m., Wednesday, an unidentified man described as 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 11 inches, wearing a gray or light blue colored shirt and jeans went to Pre- mierWest Bank with three damaged $100 bills. He reportedly told bank staff he had been advised by The Salvation Army to bring the bills in to exchange them for good ones, according to police logs. Each of the bills was torn in the right corner. PremierWest staff called The Salvation Army and was told The Salvation Army had not and would not ask a volunteer to do that type of errand, according to logs. Later, around 2:21 p.m., the man was reportedly at Bank of America where he, again, claimed to be with The Salvation Army and asked for six damaged $100 bills to be exchanged. See BILLS, page 9A Trucker busted with cocaine A man from British Columbia passing through the area was arrested on charges of possession and trans- portation of narcotics Thursday morning at the and is pend- ing asset for- feiture. Gill was Gill California Highway Patrol Cottonwood Inspection Facility. Agents found 26.3 pounds of cocaine inside the cab of a semitrailer belonging to Baljinder Singh Gill. The cocaine was packaged in 10 indi- vidual bags and placed inside a black duffel bag that was sitting in the cab, said Special Agent Supervisor Eric Maher of the Tehama Intera- gency Drug Enforce- ment task force. Gill, 29, of Delta, British Columbia was headed toward that area, and may have been com- ing from Southern Cali- fornia, Maher said. The semitrailer was seized booked into T ehama County Jail on felony charges of possession of a narcotic or controlled substance for sale and felony transportation or sell of a narcotic or con- trolled substance. A CHP K-9 detected the cocaine during a ran- dom search of vehicles passing through the inspection facility, at which point TIDE was called to assist, CHP spokesman Philip Mack- intosh said. While commercial trucks routinely stop for inspection, not all vehi- cles passing through the facility are subjected to a K-9 search. There was no particular reason as to why Gill’s truck was chosen, Mackintosh said. Gill remains in jail in lieu of a $4 million bail. Five arrested at Mill Creek pot grow Mata-Chavez Mongel Five men were arrest- ed in the Mill Creek area of Tehama County Thursday after their mar- ijuana grow site was raided by officials work- ing in conjunction with Operation Full Court Press. Officials from the Department of Fish and Game found 3,636 plants when they raided the site about 7 a.m., Thursday. The plants were about 6- feet tall, which are pretty big-sized plants that have been growing for awhile, said Michelle Ruiz-Rodriguez Gregory, spokeswoman for the state Department of Justice, which orga- nized the operation. During the raid one individual was bitten by a K-9 and another rolled his ankle while trying to get away. Both were medically cleared before being booked into Tehama County Jail, she said. Those arrested were Miguel Angel Ruiz- Rodriguez, 20, of Fowler, Gullermo Solorio Pineda also known as Solorio Pineda Gullermo Pineda, 31, of Fresno, Jubenal Mata- Chavez, 20, of Fowler, Austin Mercado-Val- dovinos, 23, of Auburn, Wash. and 19-year-old Marcelo Rangel Mongel. No hometown was avail- able for Mongel. With the exception of Mata-Chavez, all were booked on felony charges of planting mar- ijuana, possession of marijuana for sale and conspiracy to commit a crime. Charges for Mata- Chavez did not include Mercado- Valdavinios conspiracy to commit a crime. His bail was set at $100,000. Bail for the others is $150,000. Best Roofing Company. As a token of our apprecia- tion, use this ad to receive Thank you for voting us Tehama County’s $200 OFF House Roofing Job Exp. October 1, 2011 Any complete And a special thank you to our past & present employees for keeping us #1! (530) 385-1153 9490 SAN BENITO AVE. • GERBER, CA CA LIC# 778199