Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/428378
TheAssociatedPress SACRAMENTO The state Sen- ate faces a budget shortfall of be- tween $3 million and $4 million this fiscal year, helping explain why it laid off 39 of its roughly 1,000 staff members last month. Senate officers had previously said that fiscal problems were to blame for the cutbacks. The problem comes from slow budget growth during the reces- sion, higher health care costs and having too many employees, Dan Reeves, chief of staff in the Sen- ate president pro tem's office, told The Sacramento Bee. The con- stitutional formula that sets the Legislature's budget provided a smaller than expected increase this year, he said. This month's cutbacks mostly affect a research office, a bill analysis unit and a secretarial SACRAMENTO Senatelayoffs resulted from $4 million budget gap By Andre Byik abyik@redbluffdailynews.com @andrebyik on Twitter RED BLUFF The Red Bluff City Council on Tuesday moved for- ward with its approved plan for a permanent boat launch at River Park, entering an agreement with an engineering firm to design and manage the project. The City Council unanimously approved a roughly $456,000 agreement with Redding-based Stoll Engineering, which will handle engineering design, per- mitting and management services for the boat launch project. The city of Red Bluff has been awarded about $2.7 million in grant funding from the state Wildlife Conservation Board and the state Division of Boating and Waterways for the boat launch fa- cility. The project would provide access to the Sacramento River RED BLUFF City Council hires firm to design boat launch StollEngineeringtapped for River Park boat launch By Rich Greene rgreene@redbluffdailynews.com @richgreenenews on Twitter ANAHEIM Tehama County Coun- sel Arthur Wylene received his second statewide honor of the year recently at the California State Association of Counties' An- nual Meeting. Wylene was presented with the Circle of Service Award. Earlier this year Wylene re- ceived the inaugural President's Award from the Rural County Representatives of California. The Circle of Service Award is a way for the organization to rec- ognize county officials whose ser- vice to the public and the county has been substantially above and beyond the normal. "That description certainly fits Mr. Wylene," CSAC Executive Di- rector Matt Cate said in an email to the Daily News. "(Wylene) has offered his technical assistance and expertise on issues rang- ing from groundwater to medi- cal marijuana. His insights have been invaluable to CSAC staff as we work with other counties and the California Legislature to craft workable policies on these and other complex issues." Wylene said the real honor for him was being able to work with the two groups that represent the interest of county governments at the state level. "They're really out there repre- senting local interests," he said. Tehama County Supervisor Bob Williams said he could think of no one else more deserving of the awards than Wylene. "He gives selflessly of his time and energy to help not only Te- hama County, but all California counties in areas of statewide im- portance. Tehama County is lucky to have him as our County Coun- sel," Williams said. Wylene has served as Tehama County Counsel since 2012. He's worked for the county since 2003. "In the past 10 years this has become my home," said Wylene, whose wife and children have grown up in Tehama County. Wylene said people often forget AWARDS StategroupshonorCountyCounsel Wylene receives recognition for work on medicinal marijuana, groundwater issues By Andre Byik abyik@redbluffdailynews.com @andrebyik on Twitter RED BLUFF Ken Gilbert, a res- ident on Hogsback Road just east of Red Bluff off State Route 99E, said he was in his up- stairs bedroom as a slow-mov- ing storm Wednesday passed through the area. "To be honest with you, I didn't hear a damn thing," Gil- bert said with a laugh. It wasn't until about 7 a.m. Thursday when Gilbert walked downstairs to his den to gather his wallet and phone "and I went sploosh, sploosh," he said. Gilbert, 51, said his garage and den were flooded with about six to seven inches of wa- ter and he spent the morning and afternoon mopping up mud and debris. "Definitely a two cup coffee day," he said. Gilbert said, however, that the damage could have been a lot worse. His home, which is raised about two feet, was unscathed. The storm, which brought down about two inches of rain at the Red Bluff airport Wednesday, left behind a trail of flooded homes and debris along State Route 99E from Los Molinos to Red Bluff. The highway was closed well into Wednesday night as firefight- ers, highway patrol officers and sheriff's deputies responded to call after call of trapped resi- dents, washed away vehicles and impassable roads. Officials and residents said a levee failure on Dye Creek could have been a contributing rea- son for Wednesday's flooding along the highway. Thursday afternoon, Cal- trans workers were seen work- ing on the Salt Creek Bridge and overflow at the junction of state routes 36 and 99E, east of Red Bluff, where traffic was down to one lane. A spokesman for Pacific Gas & Electric Company said Thursday that crews were working to restore gas service to about 70 Red Bluff homes and businesses whose gas me- ters were put underwater. All repairs were expected to be completed by 10 p.m. Thurs- day, but customers who need gas service restored after a me- ter is replaced should call 800- 743-5000. The Tehama County Public Works Department said sand- bags are available outside the department at 9380 San Benito Ave. in Gerber, at its Los Mo- linos yard at 8715 Fox St., the Tehama County Library in Red Bluff on Madison Street and the Corning Fire Department on 814 Fifth St. Back on Hogsback Road, Bud Potter, 31, of Red Bluff was mopping up his parents' flooded garage Thursday after- noon that was packed with mud and debris. "Just debris everywhere," Potter said. "Tree branches, and leaves and mud." Potter said his mom, Jill, couldn't reach her home Wednesday night because of the road closures, leaving her Amer- ican Bulldog, Dozer, home alone. "Mama couldn't come home so Doze had to hold down the fort," said Jill Potter, who has lived on Hogsback Road for about 30 years. Bud Potter said in that time, he hasn't seen flooding so bad and his family was heading into town to bring back some sandbags. TEHAMA COUNTY 99E RESIDENTS CLEAN UP AFTER FLOOD ANDREBYIK—DAILYNEWS Ken Gilbert, a resident on Hogsback Road just east of Red Bluff, mopped up his garage and den Thursday a er a storm Wednesday evening caused flooding along State Route 99E from Red Bluff to Los Molinos. Opinion............A6 Lifestyle..........A5 Sports.............. B1 Community.....A3 Weather ..........A8 Education........A4 Index............... ## INDEX The Red Bank Creek Bridge on Rawson Road will be renamed in memory of George Russell at 1:30p.m. Tuesday. MEMORIAL Publicinvitedto renaming ceremony Red Bluff Spartans Justin Nunez and Lane Pritchard earned All-League football recognition. PAGEB1 SPORTS Nunez, Pritchard earn All-EAL football honors Proposed constitutional amendments seek to empower Legislature with authority over items like tuition hikes. PAGE A7 EDUCATION Lawmakers seek to strip UC of its autonomy Bill declaring executive action curbing deportations "null and void" passes, but likely to have no effect. PAGE B3 WASHINGTON House rebukes Obama on immigration order Levee failure said to be cause of highway flooding COUNSEL PAGE 7 BOAT PAGE 7 GAP PAGE 7 » redbluffdailynews.com Friday, December 5, 2014 50CENTS AN EDITION OF THE CHICO ENTERPRISE-RECORD 7 58551 69001 9 Volume130,issue11 Good morning, thanks for subscribing Billie Maskel TOYS FOR TOTS Toy drive collects donations Community A3 SALISBURY Students help out at museum Education A4 FORECAST High: 60 Low: 53 A8 Grow?Ranchorride? Readaboutlocalandnational Ag, rural, ranch and rodeo news and commentary. VISIT REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM/ RODEO DOYOU RODEO?