Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/380518
NEWYORK DigitalFirstMedia, the operator of the Daily News and redbluffdailynews.com, an- nounced Friday that it will "evaluate and consider strate- gic alternatives" that could lead to the sale of some or all of the company. CEO John Paton said the com- pany has retained UBS Securi- ties to review a full range of al- ternatives — including selling the entire company, selling regional clusters or doing nothing. "We believe we have many op- tions available to us to maximize the value of our businesses for our stockholders and the board of di- rectors has therefore decided to assess the full range of these op- portunities," Paton said. In a statement the company said there are no assurances that the process will result in a trans- action or transactions or on the timing of any decisions. The com- pany also said that it will not dis- MEDIA DigitalFirst Media will consider sale By Juliet Williams TheAssociatedPress SACRAMENTO A ballot initiative that would have asked voters to split California into six separate states failed to qualify for the bal- lot in 2016, the secretary of state's office reported Friday. Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper submitted 1.37 mil- lion signatures in July in support of the measure, saying the state with 38.3 million people has be- come ungovernable because it has too many diverse interests for pol- iticians to effectively represent their constituents. A random sampling of ballot initiative signatures from all 58 counties found that just 66 per- cent were projected to be valid, and that it would fall more than 500,000 signatures short of the number needed to make the bal- lot. Draper sought to split Cali- fornia into six states called Jef- ferson, North California, Silicon ELECTION Initiative to split state fails for 2016 ballot By Andre Byik abyik@redbluffdailynews.com @andrebyik on Twitter RED BLUFF The city's Public Works Department is poised to move forward with a pair of street paving projects for Givens Road and Crittenden and Lin- coln streets. The City Council on Tuesday will consider authorizing the Pub- lic Works Department to send the projects out to bid. The Lincoln and Crittenden streets project is a part of an overall strategy "that will ad- dress some of the most needed improvements to our neighbor- hood streets," according to a staff report. The scope of the project can include either full pavement removal and replacement or a grind and overlay repair. The project is estimated to cost about $155,000, which has been budgeted by the city, and will come out of the a city trans- portation fund, according to the staff report. The Givens Road paving proj- ect "will complete the paving within the unconnected portion of Givens Road" as well as com- plete trunk drain facilities be- tween Givens and Kimball roads, according to a staff report. The Givens Road project would precede Luther Road improve- ments, which will be "constructed as a part of the soon to be con- structed Walmart project" in the area, according to the staff report. After Givens Road improve- ments are completed, the road will serve as an alternative route during Luther Road improve- ments, according to the report. The Walmart Supercenter planned at Luther Road and Mill Street has a potential com- pletion date of next summer, city officials have said. The Red Bluff City Council is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Tues- day at 555 Washington St. The meeting is open to the public. RED BLUFF Counciltakesonroadrepairs LincolnandCrittendenstreets,Givens Road on agenda for improvements By Andre Byik abyik@redbluffdailynews.com @andrebyik on Twitter COTTONWOOD Nicholas John- son, 9, didn't know a California Highway Patrol helicopter had landed at the agency's weigh sta- tion and inspection facility near Cottonwood on Friday, waiting to impress him. As Nicholas and his family ap- proached the station along In- terstate 5, his father, Mark, told him that he was going to get a talking to from the authorities. What waited was an exclusive tour of the facilities for a curi- ous boy. Last October Nicholas had brain surgery for a cancerous brain tumor, Mark said. In July, Nicholas and his family, of An- derson, visited Disneyland, a trip granted through the Make a Wish Foundation. Nicholas, who loves to fish, catch snakes and lizards and run around in his cowboy gear, wasn't expected to walk after his surgery, Mark said. Four days later, he walked out of the hospital. Nicholas is tough as nails, he said. "He is a walking miracle." CHP officials coordinated a tour of their Cottonwood facil- ities after Mark, a truck driver for Bettendorf Trucking, pulled into the facility for an inspec- tion one night. Nicholas, he said, has been in- terested in his truck driving and what goes on at the facility. And after Mark asked technicians if they gave tours to kids, they said they'd see what they could do. "I didn't expect all this," he said. Steve Grammer, a CHP flight officer, gave Nicholas — who took in the day with his mother, Becky, brother, Brendon, 10, and sister, Madison, 4 — a rundown of the stats of the helicopter he flew in on. Other officials explained the workings of the facility's in- spection area and scale head, a room that monitors the weight of trucks traveling north on I-5. "I've been with the depart- ment for 13 years, and this is the first time I've been involved in a tour like this," said Erin Giglio, a CHP public information officer. "It's close to my heart because I COTTONWOOD CHP GIVES BOY RARE TOUR OF WEIGH STATION Nicholas Johnson, 9, called 'walking miracle' a er surgery for cancerous brain tumor PHOTOSBYANDREBYIK—DAILYNEWS Nicholas Johnson, 9, right, receives a tour of a California Highway Patrol helicopter on Friday near Cottonwood. Nicholas had surgery for a cancerous brain tumor last October. Nicholas Johnson, le , Erin Giglio, California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer, back le and Brendon Johnson, front right walk the CHP's scale head Friday near Cottonwood off Interstate 5. Community.....A3 Opinion............A4 Farm ................A5 Lifestyles........A8 Sports.............. B1 Faith ................B4 Index............... ## INDEX The Lady Cardinals won at Oroville in three games Thursday to push their season record to 7-3. PAGEB1 SPORTS Corningvolleyballearns sweep in Oroville Permits to take part in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest mushroom harvest will be available Sept. 20. PAGE A8 LIFESTYLES Mushroom harvest permits Sept. 20 Gov. Jerry Brown maintains big lead as Neel Kashkari struggles for attention in sell- ing himself to voters. PAGE A6 CALIFORNIA Poll: Few know GOP candidate for governor France's invitation to Iran, Turkey's resistance among trouble spots in international fight against militants. PAGE B8 WORLD Cobbling coalition for Iraq, Syria no easy task DFM PAGE 9 BALLOT PAGE 9 TOUR PAGE 9 » redbluffdailynews.com Saturday, September 13, 2014 $1.00 AN EDITION OF THE CHICO ENTERPRISE-RECORD 7 98304 20753 8 Volume129,issue211 Today's web bonus >> Week 2 football stories. redbluffdailynews.com JEAN BARTON Live music for Beef 'n Brew Farm A5 KELLY-GRIGGS Ice cream social and auction Lifestyles A8 FORECAST High: 100 Low: 62 A10 Grow?Ranchorride? Readaboutlocalandnational Ag, rural, ranch and rodeo news and commentary. VISIT REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM/ RODEO DOYOU RODEO?