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FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 2011 Breaking news at: Spirit of Tehama Fair Section www.redbluffdailynews.com See Pages 1B, 3B, 4B RED BLUFF Warrior Volleyball SPORTS 1C Sunny 99/57 Weather forecast 6A By ANDREA WAGNER DN Staff Writer A several-month investigation culmi- nated in a two-county drug bust Wednesday and the arrest of four people in Tehama County. Task force agents 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 4 busted in 2-county pot grow raid of Lariat Loop and the 6800 block of Remun- da Driv e , both in Corn- ing. executed search war- rants in the 24700 block of Kauffman Avenue in Red Bluff and the 16400 block Tayloe They also raided Charron an address in the 1400 block of Mangrove Avenue in Chico. Agents had spent months investigat- ing a commer- cial mari- juana gro w reportedly operated by Sami Behara Char- At Luneau touni, 38, of Red Bluff, said a task force press release. Char- touni's resi- dence on Kauff- man Avenue, agents seized 73 mari- juana plants, Fairly educated By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer Education Day atten- dance was up to about 800 sixth grade students Thursday at the Tehama District Fair, which is about 150 more than the 2010 event. "It was a big success," committee member Shel- ley Mcdonald said. "With all the budget cuts in school this is one event we hope we can keep. It's a fun day, but it's also an educational day." The event, put on by the Tehama County Edu- cation Foundation, had three new schools show up this year and several new exhibits to help keep things fresh, Mcdonald said. "It's a great experience for our kids, especially those who don't get to experience the fair or agricultural things," said Fairboard Director Bev Ross. "There are kids who don't know where their food comes from or much about the agricultural industry." Ross has been helping out as a group leader since the beginning of Educa- tion Day, which is in its seventh year, she said. Students were divided into six groups identified by color, which were each release said. Several medical marijuana recommendations were found, as well. Chartouni was arrested on charges of cultivation of mar- ijuana and posses- sion of marijuana for sale. Chartouni 31 grams of hash, $8,714 in cash, scales and documents, the At a second resi- dence owned by Chartouni on Lariat Loop, agents seized See RAID, page 5A West Nile found near Red Bluff A dead magpie from south of Red Bluff has been confirmed with West Nile virus by the Center for Vec- torborne Diseases. Positive indicators of the virus have already been found in 32 counties statewide including the surround- ing counties of Shasta, Glenn and Butte. There are 52 human cases statewide with one each in Butte and Glenn counties. This is the first confirmed occurrence of the virus in Tehama County since 2010. West Nile virus is transmitted to humans and ani- mals through a mosquito bite. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds. With the virus appearing again in Tehama County the best way See NILE, page 5A Former finance director ordered to pay lawyer fees DN staff report Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb Richfield sixth-graders Austin Reeves and John Raker pet a market steer at an FFA presentation at Education Day at the Tehama District Fair. broken into five smaller groups by number. All of the children were able to ride carnival State pension managers fined for unreported gifts SACRAMENTO (AP) — California's political watchdog agency fined 16 execu- tives and investment managers of the nation's largest public pension fund on Thursday for failing to report gifts that included food, wine and baseball and Rose Bowl tickets. The largest fine was $3,600 against Shaun Greenwood, a portfolio manager for the Califor- nia Public Employees Retirement System. He failed to report $2,700 worth of clothing, alco- hol, meals and event tickets. Gifts came primarily from the fund's invest- ment partners, including Goldman Sachs, UBS, Credit Suisse, the Car- lyle Group and LP Cap- ital Advisors. The fines are the lat- est spinoff from a wider influence-peddling investigation that brought a lawsuit by the attorney general's office last year alleging fraud and kickbacks. The larg- er investigation involved middlemen known as placement agents who were paid more than $180 million by their clients to lobby for investment business from CalPERS. The ethics investiga- tion led to a review of gifts received by pen- sion fund employees and board members dat- ing to 2006. The 16 fines are agreements between the commis- sion's investigators and the employees. The fines include $400 for CalPERS board president Rob Feckner, who failed to report five meals worth a total of $277 in 2007 and 2008. 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 See GIFTS, page 5A rides and about half saw the tigers, while the other half went to a presenta- tion on air pressure by Group assists animal shelter By ANDREA WAGNER DN Staff Writer Started just more than six months ago, Providing Essentials for Tehama Shelter, or PETS, has already contributed five kennel cages and 24 feed- ing buckets to the county animal shelter. The non-profit group has swelled to 64 mem- bers and started collecting donations through weekly See GROUP, page 5A Daily News photo by Andrea Wagner Providing Essentials for Tehama Shelter President Sharon Russell (third from left, back) shares the work of the new organization to help the county shelter with items such as the kennel cages and buckets shown. Others pictured include Marcy Bettinelli, Secretary Nellie Barber, board member Diana Blackketter, Treasurer Cheryl Bush, board member Kerry Lovvorn, Vice President Julia Jennings, Animal Services Director Mark Storrey and Agricultural Commissioner Rick Gurrola. Dogs pictured are available for adoption. TEHAMA COUNTY GLASS MOULE'S QuickBooks Class Six Wednesdays (10-5-11 to 11-7-11) 5:15 pm - 7:15 pm Job Training Center, 718 Main St., Red Bluff $99.00 per person Call 529-7000 WE SERVICE Garage Doors Springs Cables Sectional Remotes Rollers 515 Sycamore St. 529-0260 Celebrate Customer Service Week: October 3-7 CS Bootcamp - Season V: Refresh, Recharge, Reconnect A one hour, fast paced training to revisit key skills with staff. $35 per group – at your site – dates available throughout October. Call the Job Training Center at 529-7000 Jenny Crayne of the Ore- gon Museum of Science See FAIRLY, page 5A Former Red Bluff Finance Director Mar- garet Van Warmerdam was ordered, Monday, to pay the city $10,889 in attorney fees as part of her civil lawsuit against the city. Van Warmerdam filed suit against the city in February, about five months after she was ter- minated. Her lawsuit alleged 10 causes of action. In August, Superior Court Judge Richard Scheuler ruled in favor of the city in the claim Van Warmerdam's privacy had been violated. The other nine causes of action have yet to be ruled on — they range from alleged disability discrimination to inten- tional infliction of emo- tional distress. Van Warmerdam's suit claimed her privacy had been violated when a let- ter she sent the city demanding significant monetary payment was See FEES, page 5A