Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/383782
ByRichGreene rgreeene@redbluffdailynews.com @richgreenenews on Twitter RED BLUFF County landfill offi- cials are considering the possi- bility of combining the two joint powers authorities that oversee the landfill into a single entity. Agency manager Kristina Miller said a consolidation effort could save money due to the du- plication of paper work and staff time from working with two sep- arate entities. The Tehama County Sanitary Landfill Agency is a joint powers authority comprised of Tehama County and the cities of Red Bluff, Corning and Tehama. Its primary functions are to fund the closure and post closure of the Phase 1 landfill, meet state recycling regulations and oversee grant programs. LANDFILL Consolidation of joint powers authorities deliberated RED BLUFF Pacific Gas and Elec- tric Co. has scheduled a public meeting in Red Bluff to gather comments on a draft license amendment application for its Battle Creek hydroelectric system. The public meeting is sched- uled for 4-6 p.m. Thursday at the Hampton Inn, 520 Adobe Road. Battle Creek, a tributary to the Sacramento River, is being re- stored through the Battle Creek Salmon and Steelhead Resto- ration Project. The project is a multi-agency effort to increase threatened and endangered Chi- nook salmon and Central Valley steelhead trout populations by re- storing around 42 miles of habitat in Battle Creek and an additional six miles of habitat in its tribu- taries, while maintaining renew- able energy production at the Bat- tle Creek hydroelectric facilities. The public meeting will focus on PG&E's draft license amend- ment application for Phase 2 of the restoration project. This pub- lic meeting is required by the pro- cedures approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for amending the hydro- electric license. The draft Phase 2 license amendment application was dis- tributed to more than 700 inter- ested parties in late August. Cop- ies of the draft will be available at the Sept. 25 public meeting. The 60-day comment period on the draft amendment application closes on Oct. 28. Restoration is being accom- plished in phases, primarily through the removal of five diver- sion dams, placement of new fish screens and fish ladders on three other existing dams, and decreas- ing the volume of water diverted for hydropower production. These changes require PG&E to amend its FERC license issued for the Battle Creek hydroelectric facility. FERC has already amended the Battle Creek hydroelectric fa- cility license to address the first two phases of restoration project work. The application will seek to RESTORATION PROJECT PG&Etoholdpublicmeeting BattleCreeksalmon and steelhead among discussion topics By Rich Greene rgreene@redbluffdailynews.com @richgreenenews on Twitter RED BLUFF Just in time for the holiday season the State Theatre is expected to receive quite the gift — a beautifully crafted Ma- hogany candy counter has been worked on for months. It was designed by 1963 Red Bluff High School graduate Don Eggelson and his classmate Vickii Goni Bettman supplied a substantial donation to cover the cost of the materials. "It'll be a showpiece to say the least," State Theatre for the Arts President Joe Vine said. Part of what makes the coun- ter so special is the intricate de- tailed work that went into its de- sign. The hours of craftsmanship likely doubled what the candy counter would sell for at retail. All of those hours were put in by criminal offenders on su- pervised release. People with plenty of time — time the Te- hama County Probation Depart- ment is trying to find new ways to utilize. Since January Shaffer Cabi- nets on Minch Road has served as a woodworking training pro- gram for the Probation Depart- ment. It's one of several initiatives Tehama County has imple- mented as a result of the fall- out of AB-109, which sent some state prisoners to county jails, prompting many lower level of- fenders to be released on proba- tion due to overcrowding. The Sheriff's Department opened an auto shop in July 2012, where alternative cus- tody inmates service county ve- hicles. The shop has received praise across the state, winning an award from the California State Association of Counties last year. The idea of the woodworking program was to continue that type of out-of-the-box thinking. Chief Probation Officer Rich- ard Muench said despite a law no one is fond of, Tehama County has been making the best of it through the teamwork his own department has with the sher- iff's department and Health Ser- vices. He said that type of coordina- tion is a unique find in the state. "The nice part about Tehama County — there's not a lot of ego involved," Muench said. Muench said credit also needs to be given to the Board of Su- pervisors for supporting the projects that are considered by the Community Corrections Partnership. One of the biggest misconcep- tions about AB-109 is the belief that inmates are being released early. What California's 2011 Pub- lic Safety Realignment does do is reassign non-serious, non-vi- olent and non-high risk sex of- fenders to county jails instead of state prison. It also changes many from being on state-con- trolled parole to being under the county's watch through a Post Release Community Supervision program. It provides flexibility in how those sentences can be carried out, including through GPS monitors and day-work assign- ments, both of which Tehama County is utilizing. Local officials say, when fully implemented, Tehama County will have to supervise around 350 more people in one capac- ity or another than it previously did. "The community needs to know these people aren't just walking around — they're do- ing something," said Mike Shaf- fer, who has been contracted by the county to oversee the wood shop program. Shaffer has seven active peo- ple under his daily watch in the program. The wood shop program, like the auto shop, is almost a last stop for those working through their sentences. Not every criminal can be re- habilitated, but those who can work through a variety of classes and group sessions. For a major- ity that includes drug and alco- hol rehabilitation. Those that make it through can earn the privilege of work- ing under Shaffer. Shaffer said while the wood shop teaches a skill that can be used to find employment, the main thing it does is teach peo- ple how to hold down a job. "(We) create an environment where the guys can be clean and sober," Shaffer said. Shaffer said one of the first things he has to teach some who report to him is the concept of reporting to work on time. AB-109 WOODSHOP PROGRAM GIVING BACK THROUGH TIME DAILYNEWS-RICHGREENE State Theatre for the Arts President Joe Vine, Tehama County Chief Probation Officer Richard Muench and Mike Shaffer talk about the new candy counter being constructed for the State Theatre. Community.....A3 Opinion............A4 Lifestyles........A5 Education........A6 Weather ........ A10 Sports.............. B1 Index............... ## INDEX Corning travels to Red Bluff at 7:30tonight for the 50th all-time meeting of the Tehama County Shootout. PREP FOOTBALL RedBluff,Corningset to meet for 50th time With the school year under way the Education page is back with news from Tehama County schools. PAGEA6 DAILY NEWS Education page returns to Friday editions Experimental use of cameras on agents' bodies comes amid increasing use-of-force com- plaints. PAGE A7 NATION Border Patrol to test wearing cameras Strong, bipartisan vote of con- fidence seen in Obama's plan to fight against Islamic State militants. PAGE A8 WAR ON TERROR Senate OKs bill to train, arm Syria rebels WEED (AP) Officials released the final results of their damage as- sessment from a blaze that tore through the community Monday. City administrator Ron Stock said 143 homes and nine other buildings, including churches, were destroyed. Officials previously said 110 homes were destroyed and 90 oth- ers were damaged. Stock said he hopes the state will declare the burned debris hazardous waste to speed its re- moval and defray costs. The state would cover 75 percent of the cost and the city 25 percent if the de- bris receives that designation. Residents were expected to be allowed to return to the burned areas once utility crews finished restoring power, water and tele- phone service. The cause of the blaze was un- der investigation. The fire burned 375 acres, and more of half of it was contained. Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency late Wednes- day, freeing up funds for the Weed fire and another in Placerville. He WILDFIRE Final damage assessment for Weed fire offered Latest project to benefit State Theatre MEETING PAGE 9 WOODWORK PAGE 9 LANDFILL PAGE 9 FIRE PAGE 9 » redbluffdailynews.com Friday, September 19, 2014 50CENTS AN EDITION OF THE CHICO ENTERPRISE-RECORD 7 58551 69001 9 Volume129,issue216 Today's web bonus Wildfire photos. redbluffdailynews.com HALL OF FAME Dreier to be inducted by RB boosters Sports B1 4-H Lassen Colony Club is back Lifestyles A5 FORECAST High: 98 Low: 61 A10 LiketheDailyNews on Facebook and stay in the loop on local news, sports and more. VISITFACEBOOK.COM/ RBDAILYNEWS LIKEUSON FACEBOOK