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WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5, 2011 Breaking news at: Los Molinos Homecoming Community www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 2A RED BLUFF Athletes of the Week SPORTS 1B Thunder- storms likely 62/45 Weather forecast 8B 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 AB 109 - Jail fate New center aims to help job seekers Tehama County Department of Social Services opened its new WorkFirst training and resource center Monday at 379 S. Main St. in Red Bluff, just a few doors down from the Red Bluff Department of Social Services office. WorkFirst services will help CalWorks welfare-to- work participants meet their requirements for work skills development and job search with the help of employment and training workers in the new resource room. The center has six computers available for job seek- ers to look for work, update their resumes, apply for jobs, improve their typing skills and take on-line class- es. WorkFirst will offer workshops and classes to help See JOB, page 7A Man hurts leg while removing tree at Vina monastery Daily News photo by Andrea Wagner The Tehama County Jail, 502 Oak St., can hold up to 227 inmates, but realignment numbers may force alternative sentencing when space runs out. By ANDREA WAGNER DN Staff Writer Editor's note: This is the second in a three part series looking at the impacts of state realignment legis- lation, namely Assembly Bill 109, affecting inmate and probation pop- ulations in Tehama County.Califor- nia's realignment has county administrators preparing for a shake up this fall. Tehama County is due to receive 11 would-be parolees into proba- tion supervision this month. It is the first month that Assem- bly Bill 109 and its trailer bills take effect establishing the realignment of low-level prisoners from state prisons to county supervision. For Tehama County, changes will be incremental, but right now, they aren't quite ready. From now on, any local who is convicted of a low-level offense deemed a "non-non-non" or non- violent, non-sexual, non-serious offense will be sentenced to county jail instead of prison. County jails which once housed prisoners for no more than a year at a time will now be looking at an unknown number of longer-term commitments of up to three years or more. The longer stays mean more strain on mental and physical health of inmates and thus more strain on Northern Calif. braces for wet, early season storm SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — An unusual- ly cold early season storm that has put utility compa- nies on alert for downed wires is expected to wallop Northern California with heavy rain, high winds and Sierra snow beginning Tuesday night. Temperatures are expected to drop 15 to 25 degrees when the heart of the storm crosses over the northern half of the state early Wednesday, bringing up to a foot of snow at ele- vations above 7,000 feet and 6 inches as low as the 5,000-foot level. ''It's unusual for fall. This is more typical of a winter storm,'' said Steve Anderson, a National Weather Service meteorol- ogist in Monterey. ''On average, heavy rain does- n't typically start until the end of October in North- ern California. So we're a few weeks early.'' He blamed a high-pres- sure system that's been hanging over the Midwest for making the storm dive further south. Typically, storms at this time of year would be hitting points farther north. The heaviest rain will be north of San Francisco and in the coastal moun- tains from Point Reyes to Santa Rosa. There is no threat of mudslides because the ground will be able to soak up the rain since it's still early in the season, Anderson said. Winds up to 30 mph are expected throughout the San Francisco Bay area and Central Valley, with gusts topping 50 mph at the Sierra crest. Because trees have not yet shed their leaves for the winter, the high winds threaten to snap limbs into power lines. ''The leaves can act as a sail and bring some of those trees down,'' said Joe Molica, a spokesman for Pacific Gas & Electric Co., which serves 9.4 mil- lion electricity and natural gas customers in the north- ern and central parts of the state. An inch of rain is fore- cast in the Sacramento Valley with a chance of thunderstorms Wednesday. See STORM, page 7A 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 Red Bluff Outdoor Power county budgets and staffing when more health care treatments, the potentially costliest part of the bud- get, are needed. The county jail, at 502 Oak St., is designed only for short-term stays and offers no outside yard or other amenities more suited to pris- oners in the long-term. The effect on local budgets and institutions has many concerned but most involved say the county is going to get through it fine. "We're in a lot better shape than other counties," said Sheriff Dave Hencratt. Hencratt is working with county See AB109, page 7A Staff Report VINA — A man was injured while working on tree removal at the Abbey of New Clairvaux. Denny Ellyson, 76, had been working on trees on the property for part of the summer, then splitting the wood and hauling it away. He had completed several over the summer, accord- ing to Father Anthony of the abbey. At about 10:30 a.m. Monday the tree he was working on went in the wrong direction, and hit Ellyson's leg. He was not pinned, thankfully, Father Anthony said. Someone nearby called 9-1-1 and "no sooner had he put the phone town, two fire engines were here." One came from the Vina Volunteer Fire Department, which is a "stone's throw" from the abbey. Then "all of a sudden another one showed up," probably from Tehama County fire. Soon afterward, there was an ambulance from St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Red Bluff. "The next thing I know there's a helicopter cir- cling," Father Anthony said. Ellyson was taken to Enloe Medical Center in Chico for treatment, and was listed in fair condi- tion Tuesday afternoon. Red Bluff PD swears in 2 new officers By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer The Red Bluff Police Department had a swearing- in ceremony Monday for two officers, Scott Curtis of Red Bluff and Alan Gilbert of Chico, both of whom have served as reserve offi- cers since February. Chief Paul Nanfito spoke to the new officers about the honor and privilege bestowed on only 31 people — the personnel who wear the Red Bluff Police badge. "My father said to me 'never shame the family name,'" Nanfito said. "That's how I view the police department and that's what you have to remem- ber." Nanfito said the depart- ment is very fortunate to have Curtis and Gilbert. Curtis brings experience with him, as he was former- ly a Red Bluff Police Offi- cer, serving from 2000- 2004 and he has a bache- lor's degree from Simpson University, Nanfito said. "I missed it," Curtis said of the department. "I left here to do private work in security, but I found this is where I belong and I plan on retiring here." On Monday, his sons Ethan, 8, and Ryan, 19, were among the room full of people gathered in City Council chambers for the ceremony. Ethan had the privilege of pinning on his father's badge. "Alan Gilbert is quite Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb Ethan Curtis, 8, of Red Bluff pins on his father's badge Monday in a ceremony at City Hall where Scott Curtis and Alan Gilbert were sworn in as Red Bluff Police Depart- ment's two newest officers. 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 extraordinary," Nanfito said. "He's spent the last year as a level two reserve and a part- time temporary community services officer. He's a for- mer Marine and a very ded- icated, motivated person." Gilbert chose his wife of six years, Paige, to pin on his badge. "I'm very excited," Gilbert said of his first full- time job as an officer. "I feel very fortunate to have done so with this economy." ——— Julie Zeeb can be reached at 527-2153, extension 115 or jzeeb@redbluffdailynews .com. PHYSICIAN REFERRAL A FREE SERVICE PROVIDED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE 1-800-990-9971 CHW North State Region