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Staffreports RED BLUFF Tehama County Sheriff's deputies on Thursday arrested a Gerber man on suspicion of selling marijuana, fol- lowing a traffic stop on Interstate 5 near the Red Bluff rest area, and seized about 240 pounds of mar- ijuana. About 4:20 p.m. dep- uties conducted a traffic stop on the man, identified as 62-year-old Juan Salas Vargas, and found about 30 large cardboard boxes taped shut in the bed of his pickup truck, according to a press release. During a search, dep- uties found "copious amounts of unprocessed marijuana" in the boxes, according to the release. Vargas was arrested and booked into Tehama County Jail, according to the release. Bail was set at $15,000. RED BLUFF Gerbermanarrestedon suspicion of selling pot Staff reports CORNING The motor- ist killed Thursday after striking a walnut tree on South Avenue east of Corn- ing has been identified as 38-year-old Kristine Stout- Imergoot. According to her Face- book page, Stout-Imer- goot attended Corning High School and was from Corning. About 12:30 p.m. Thurs- day, Stout-Imergoot was traveling east on South Av- enue and, for an unknown reason, crossed into the westbound lane, went off the road and slammed head-on into a tree near Stephens Road, according to the California Highway Patrol. Her vehicle, a 1991 Ford Explorer, went up in flames after the crash. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Stout-Imergoot was traveling alone at the time, and no other vehicles were involved in the wreck. CORNING Motorist killed in South Avenue crash identified 240 pounds of marijuana seized, authorities say The California Depart- ment of Forestry and Fire Protection is appealing the state judge's decision. U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner in Sacramento said Friday that his office is reviewing the court papers filed by Si- erra Pacific. Wagner said he has the "utmost confidence" in the two federal prosecutors Si- erra Pacific claims acted in- appropriately, and the pair recently received the Attor- ney General's award, which Wagner said is the U.S. De- partment of Justice's high- est honor for prosecutors. The fire began on Labor Day 2007 in remote North- ern California just south of Susanville, which is 220 miles north of Sacramento. State and federal fire in- vestigators concluded that a bulldozer hired by Sierra Pacific was to blame when its front blade nicked a rock and sparked. On Aug. 4, 2009, Cal- Fire sent the company a letter demanding $8.1 mil- lion to compensate it for re- sponding to the fire, includ- ing a $400,000 payment to a special CalFire training program. Before the com- pany responded, Califor- nia Attorney General Ka- mala Harris filed a lawsuit in Plumas County. Three weeks later, the U.S. Attor- ney's office in Sacramento filed a similar lawsuit in federal court. Federal and state au- thorities agreed to work together on both lawsuits, which Sierra Pacific fought until an adverse ruling in federal court barring the company from blaming others for the fire prompted it to settle that lawsuit in 2012. The next year, a state audit found that the Cal- Fire training program ref- erenced in 2009 was im- properly operating inde- pendently of centralized control. The audit also showed Sierra Pacific at- torneys that CalFire law- yers had withheld key doc- uments related to the pro- gram that were required to be turned over in state and federal courts. A Plumas County judge also found that the lead CalFire investigator's testi- mony about where and how the fire was started was not credible, among several other deficiencies with the government's prosecution of the lawsuit. "Cal Fire's actions ini- tiating, maintaining and prosecuting this action, to the present time, is corrupt and tainted," Judge Leslie C. Nichols concluded. Nichols said CalFire with- held documents for months, destroyed evidence and en- gaged in a campaign of mis- direction with the purpose of recovering money from Sierra Pacific. Sierra Pacific is present- ing the same evidence in federal court. "We strongly disagree with the conclusions of the judge," CalFire spokes- woman Janet Upton said. Probe FROM PAGE 1 gent, of Redding, who is a professional speaker, writer and host of the public televi- sion show "The Forum," ac- cording to the Job Training Center. The workshop costs $20 per person to attend, and those interested in register- ing should call 530-529-7000 or email to mclement@job- trainingcenter.org. "This year the theme is The Royal Treatment: Cre- ating a Culture of Customer Service and Excellence," said Kathy Garcia of the Job Training Center in a release. "Each person comes to work with a unique set of talents, strengths and weaknesses, attitudes and expectations. Christy Largent will cover the expectations and hidden needs of your customers the five keys to exceptional ser- vice for superior hospital- ity and help you implement problem solving skills to pro- vide outstanding service." Largenthasabachelor'sde- gree in communications and political science from Lib- erty University, and has been a small business owner and professionalinteriordesigner. The Job Training Center 11 years ago decided to use the national Customer Service Week, which is recognized during the first week of Oc- tober, to "champion great ser- vice locally," according to the release. Secret shoppers, the center said, have been look- ing for great service through- outthecountyinallindustries. For more information about the workshop, visit jobtrainingcenter.org or call 529-7000. Job FROM PAGE 1 Matthews said there is a base of 22 percent of potential jurors that be- lieve any suspect is guilty once they have reached the trial stage. Matthews also said he believed the defense's survey was skewed be- cause around 60 percent of the respondents were women and more than half were over the age of 55. Northam spent a good portion of his cross exam- ination of Matthews pick- ing apart his background as an expert witness, cit- ing the lack of high-pro- file murder cases he has worked on. Northam also argued through his question- ing that cases with rec- ognition rates lower than Bealer's have been granted change of venue motions in the past. Besides the two trail consultants the only other witness to take the stand was Sean Ditty, an investigator who was hired by the defense. Northam began to ask questions about a state- ment Red Bluff Police Chief Paul Nanfito gave at a press conference during the initial search for a suspect. The state- ment was regarding a video tape that showed the suspect and allegedly later showed Nichols fol- lowing the same path a short time later. Tehama County As- sistant District Attorney Randy Alvey objected to the line of questioning, saying it was irrelevant to the change of venue motion. N o r t h a m , w h o throughout the hear- ing questioned the le- gitimacy of that sur- veillance tape, argued that if the police chief had purposely misled the media, he may have contaminated the me- dia poll. Garaventa sustained the objection. Throughout the two- day hearing Bealer showed more emotion than he has at previous court dates. He frequently turned around to smile and at one time on the first day turned around to make a swirling downward mo- tion with his finger as the prosecution cross exam- ined Edelman. Bealer only showed signs of agitation when a video clip played on the first day showing his two friends telling a local tele- vision station about how they convinced Bealer to turn himself in. Garaventa said he would include the next scheduled court appear- ance in his written rul- ing. Garaventa did rule on sanctions for Northam, after Bealer's attorney failed to file a change of venue motion by a sched- uled deadline in late Au- gust. Garaventa said such violations typically re- sulted in monetary fines ranging from $150 to $300, but "given the circumstances" he or- dered Northam to pay the court $500 in the next 60 days. Venue FROM PAGE 1 By Fenit Nirappil The Associated Press SACRAMENTO Plastic bag manufacturers on Friday passed their first hurdle in their effort to delay and eventually repeal Califor- nia's new ban on single-use plastic shopping bags be- fore it takes effect. The office of Attorney General Kamala Harris cleared the way for the groups to begin collect- ing signatures for a ref- erendum vote on the ban on the November 2016 ballot. Last week, Gov. Jerry Brown signed the first statewide ban on plastic bags, citing a "torrent" of plastic pollution in parks and waterways. It followed one of the fiercest legisla- tive battles of the year, pit- ting bag makers against environmentalists. If opponents of the law submit more than 500,000 signatures by January, the ban would not take effect until voters weigh in. A national coalition of plastic bag manufacturers says voters will be on their side when they learn the law, SB270, authorizes a 10-cent fee for paper bags that are now often pro- vided for free. "If this law were al- lowed to go into effect it would jeopardize thou- sands of California man- ufacturing jobs, hurt the environment, and fleece consumers for billions so grocery store sharehold- ers and their union part- ners can line their pock- ets," Lee Califf, executive director of the American Plastic Bag Alliance, said in a news release. RETAIL Bag makers launch push to overturn California ban By Linda Deutsch The Associated Press TORRANCE A woman who spent 17 years in prison af- ter being convicted of mur- der in the death of a home- less man was exonerated Friday by a Los Angeles County judge who said she should not spend another minute behind bars. The courtroom burst into applause after Supe- rior Court Judge Mark Ar- nold overturned the convic- tion of Susan Mellen, who was to be processed for re- lease from the suburban Torrance courthouse. Mellen had entered the courtroom in tears, and her children also wept. The judge said Mellen had inadequate representa- tion by her attorney at trial. "I believe that not only is Ms. Mellen not guilty, based on what I have read I be- lieve she is innocent," he said. "For that reason I be- lieve in this case the justice system failed." Mellen's case was investi- gated by Deidre O'Connor, head of a project known as Innocence Matters that seeks to free people who are wrongly convicted. O'Connor said in an earlier interview that she found that Mellen was con- victed of the 1997 killing based solely on the testi- mony of a notorious liar. Mellen, a mother of three, was sentenced to life in prison without possibil- ity of parole. The witness who claimed she heard Mellen confess was June Patti, who had a long history of giving false tips to law enforcement, ac- cording to documents in the case. She died in 2006. Three gang members subsequently were linked to the crime, and one was convicted of the killing. Another took a polygraph test and said he was pres- ent at the bludgeon killing of Richard Daly, and Mellen was not there. In a habeas corpus peti- tion, O'Connor said the po- lice detective who arrested Mellen was also responsible for a case in 1994 that re- sulted in the convictions of two men ultimately exoner- ated by innocence projects. It said the primary evi- dence against Reggie Cole and Obie Anthony was the false testimony of an infor- mant who avoided prosecu- tion for other charges in ex- change for his help. Mellen's youngest chil- dren were 7 and 9 when she was arrested. "Although each mem- ber of this family suffered tremendously, they re- main a close family unit," O'Connor said. CRIME Wo ma n ex one ra te d in murder case a er 17 years BRADGRAVERSON—DAILYBREEZE Susan Mellen enters the courtroom in tears for her exoneration proceedings on Friday in Torrance Superior Court. GARYCHARLESTUDOR 9/18/1941 ~ 9/2 7 /2014 Gary was preceded in death by his father, mother and two brothers. He is survived by his loving wife Arlene, his children; Tammera (Jeff) Wooten, Troy Tudor, his step children; Stacey (Erin) Christensen, Kelly Ravenfeather (John Larsen), Kevin (Cherie) Gooler, Kieron Gooler, Kenneth Gooler (Carolyn Adams), His brother Charlie (Sharon), sisters Bunny, Pat (Wayne) and Kim (Gary). Thirteen grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. Services to be held Thursday, October 16th at 12:30 at the California Veterans Cemetery in Igo, CA. Obituaries WalbergInc iscurrentlyacceptingapplicationsfora Office Assistant. Must have experience with QuickBooks, Payroll including prevailing wage and Microsoft office. Must be able to multi-task and be willing to learn. Please email your resume to jaimie@walberginc.com fax your resume to (530) 824-5887 or come into our office located at 2791 Highway 99W, Corning to fill out a application. 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