Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/433121
REDBLUFF TheRedBluffPolice Department said about 90 stu- dents at Vista Preparatory Acad- emy participated in Gang Resis- tance Education and Training classes this fall, and more than 100 students at the school will take the classes in the spring. The GREAT classes, which are taught by School Resource Offi- PUBLIC SAFETY Vistastudentscomplete anti-gang classes SACRAMENTO A former Ander- son police officer was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for violating the civil rights of a woman he arrested by sexually as- saulting her while she was in his custody. Bryan Robert Benson, 30, of Shasta Lake, entered a guilty plea to the offense on May 30 in the US District Court for the Eastern Dis- trict of California. The federal indictment charged Benson with deprivation of rights under color of law in connec- tion with the sexual assault of a woman he had placed under ar- rest on May 29, 2010. According to court documents, while Benson was transporting the victim to jail, he stopped in a parking lot and sexually assaulted her. Benson instructed the victim not to report it, and in order to impede any investigation, he re- ported to a police dispatcher that he and the victim had arrived at the Shasta County jail approxi- mately eight minutes before they actually arrived. Benson was fired from his position with the Ander- son Police Department as a result of this conduct. He was charged with state crimes to which he pleaded guilty and has served one year in jail. "This defendant used his posi- tion as a police officer to prey on the vulnerable," said Acting As- US DISTRICT COURT Former police officer sentenced to 5 years in prison By Rich Greene rgreene@redbluffdailynews.com @richgreenenews on Twitter REDBLUFF The Tehama County Board of Supervisors authorized Tuesday the purchase of the for- mer Red Bluff Garden Center at 766 Antelope Blvd. The 3.86-acre property will be used as a work farm for proba- tioners and offenders assigned to work in alternate custody programs. The county has agreed to pay $340,000, plus closing and es- crow costs to George and Carol Winter, trustees of the Winter Family Trust. It is being funded through the county's Criminal Justice Construction funds. "We occupy offenders' time with something that is produc- tive and we can give back to the community," said Chief Proba- tion Officer Richard Muench. Muench said food from the farm will be given to the Te- hama County Jail, juvenile hall, the Senior Nutrition Program, the Poor And The Homeless and other non-profit organizations. "The offenders build self es- teem out of doing this," Muench said. The purchased property con- sists of two small buildings, a number of greenhouses, two wells and septic systems. County staff has been negoti- ating its purchase since March. The property borders the Te- hama District Fairground to the west and wraps around the Sportsman's Lodge motel to join up with the Sheriff's AB- 109 Auto Shop and the Proba- tion Department's temporary Day Reporting Center. County staff cited proximately to other probation-related facili- ties as one of the main reasons they wanted to purchase the property. It was a far different experi- ence for the county than when a work farm was pitched right after Assembly Bill 109 was first passed. The county had then pro- posed leasing a portion of 184 acres of land near Tehama County Landfill to build a farm and house inmates in an alter- native site to the jail. That proposal was met with resistance from the neighbor- ing Westgate Road Association and ultimately was abandoned by the county. TEHAMA COUNTY BUYING THE FARM DAILYNEWSPHOTOBYRICHGREENE Tehama County has purchased the former Red Bluff Garden Center, which includes around four acres of property at 766Antelope Blvd. "We occupy offenders' time with something that is productive and we can give back to the community," —Chief Probation Officer Richard Muench By Andre Byik abyik@redbluffdailynews.com @andrebyik on Twitter RED BLUFF The Red Bluff City Council on Tuesday will again consider appointing a candidate to its vacant council seat. Shannon Hatfield, Greg La- tourell, Suren Patel and Amy Schutter have applied to be con- sidered for the vacant seat, which was previously held by Raymond Eliggi. Eliggi resigned Oct. 28 citing health reasons. The four candidates spoke be- fore City Council members at their Dec. 2 meeting, but no appoint- ment was made. The City Coun- cil opted to push its potential de- cision to Tuesday, giving council members an extra two weeks to learn about the candidates. Hatfield is a speech-language pathologist who was born and raised in Red Bluff. Latourell is an engineering technician at the Tehama County Public Works Department who has lived in Tehama County for the past 26 years. Patel is a hotel manager who's been a member of the city's Parks and Recreation Department Advi- sory Commission. Schutter is a grant consultant and grant writer who has lived in Red Bluff for more than 20 years. Any appointee would serve out the vacant seat's term, which ex- pires in 2016. At the City Council's Dec. 2 meeting, which also featured an attorney for the Red Bluff Peace Officers Association who deliv- ered the union's vote of "no con- fidence" in police Chief Paul Nanfito, Hatfield told council members that she applied to be considered for the seat "to be the voice for my community." Hatfield, who said she comes from a background of ranchers, mill workers, business owners, teachers and coaches, said she sees the City Council as a team. "We are in changing and chal- lenging times, as demonstrated here tonight," she said, adding that the support of a team would be effective. Latourell, who's headed a RED BLUFF Councilconsiderscandidates Fourappliedforvacantcouncilseat Sports.............. B1 Life...................A4 Comics ............B7 Community.....A3 Opinion............A6 Farm ................ A7 Index............... ## INDEX Ronnie Casey shares tips for keeping your furry loved ones safe during the holiday season. PAGEA3 PETS Keep your pets safe during the holidays Jean Barton shares her own and her neighbors' stories from the wintery, wet Thursday weather. PAGE A7 JEAN BARTON Stories from a wild, wet week Health professionals involved in the coercive interrogation of terror detainees encountered ethical dilemma. PAGE B6 DETENTIONS Report: CIA medics aided, criticized tactics Undocumented immigrant advocates spread the news of president's reprieve on depor- tations, work permits. PAGE A5 OUTREACH Immigrants flock to workshops a er order County purchases site for mini work farm VISTA PAGE 11 OFFICER PAGE 11 COUNCIL PAGE 11 SeepageB4 TehamaCounty's Athletes of the Year by the Red Bluff Daily News. N EWS D AILY REDBLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY Fall-Wintereditioncopiesavailableatthe Red Bluff Daily News. ExtracopiesarealsoavailableattheRedBluffChamberofCommerce 24/7 presence online for 6 months. Digital version available at http://www.ifoldsflip.com/t/9634 WATCH FOR THE SPRING EDITION PUBLISHING SATURDAY, MAY 30 FALLCOUPONSPECIAL www.tehamaestatesretirement.com » redbluffdailynews.com Saturday, December 13, 2014 $1.00 AN EDITION OF THE CHICO ENTERPRISE-RECORD 7 98304 20753 8 Volume130,issue16 Good morning, thanks for subscribing John Hutchison MASONS Donation made to PAL Community A3 FFA Red Bluff competes at contest Lifestyles A4 FORECAST High: 54 Low: 38 A12