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WEEKEND OCTOBER 8-9, 2011 Breaking news at: Save 10% on Everything USA Weekend www.redbluffdailynews.com See Inside RED BLUFF Cards to face Brewers SPORTS 1B Sunny 80/50 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 Graffiti wars Dispute leads to gun threats By ANDREA WAGNER DN Staff Writer A household squabble with a visiting woman turned ugly Thursday when a man pulled out a shotgun threat- ening two people inside a Red Bluff duplex. A woman called deputies at about 2 p.m. Thursday saying a man pulled out a shotgun inside a residence in the 200 block of Chestnut Avenue, logs said. The woman, Sarah Ramirez, 28, reportedly had been fighting with Daylan Eugene Brown, 19, while visiting inside a friend's home, a sheriff's press release said. Ramirez left the room to get Michael Snapp, 23, to help her, the release said. Snapp, who lives at the address, and Ramirez walked into the kitchen and saw Brown come out of his room carrying a loaded shotgun. Brown reportedly pointed the shotgun at Snapp, See GUN, page 7A County recognizes local 4-H week By ANDREA WAGNER DN Staff Writer Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb The Antelope Holiday Market sign, lotto sign and Big Foot Recycling containers were one of several places graffiti showed up during the Sept. 30-Oct. 2 weekend. Three arrested, but cops need community help By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer Several Red Bluff businesses hit over the Sept. 30- Oct. 2 weekend were just the latest in a steady rise in graffiti popping up around town, and three suspects have been cited or arrested so far. "Your police department needs assistance," said Sgt. Josiah Ferrin. "Most of you are aware of the recent growing problem of vandals defacing our city with graffiti." Red Bluff Police logs had at least five separate inci- dents reported just between 4:41 a.m. Saturday and 6:26 p.m. Sunday in the areas of Walbridge Street, Palm Street, the city pool, Chamber of Commerce and multiple locations on Antelope Boulevard. "This is the first time in three years we've been hit," Feds announce Calif. pot dispensary crackdown SACRAMENTO (AP) — Federal prosecutors announced an aggressive crackdown on California pot dispensaries Friday, vowing to shut down dozens of growing and sales opera- tions and saying that the worst offenders are using the cover of medical mari- juana to act as storefront drug dealers. Officials described it as the first coordinated statewide offensive against marijuana dealers and sup- pliers who use California's 15-year-old medical mari- juana law as legal cover for running sophisticated drug trafficking ventures in plain sight. ''California's marijuana industry supplies the nation,'' said U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner, citing a 2009 federal study that 72 percent of marijuana plants eradicated nationwide were grown in California. ''Huge amounts of marijuana grown here in this state is flowing east to other states, and huge amounts of money are flowing back in the opposite direction.'' The actions were geared toward stopping a prolifera- tion that has led to thou- sands of pot shops opening their doors across the state. The spread was fueled part- ly by the Obama adminis- tration's assurance two years ago that it did not plan to devote federal resources to countering marijuana outlets operating in compli- ance with state laws. One example cited by the prosecutors Friday: In one Orange County strip mall, eight of the 11 second- floor suites are occupied by dispensaries and doctors' offices for doctors where healthy individuals obtain ''sham'' recommendations to use medical marijuana. It is ''a Costco, Walmart- type model that we see across California,'' said Andre Birotte Jr., U.S. attor- ney in the Los Angeles- area. Some people making money from medical mari- juana openly revel in what some have called ''the new California gold rush,'' he said. Landlords leasing prop- erty to dozens of warehous- es and agricultural parcels where marijuana is being grown and retail spaces where pot is sold over the counter are receiving writ- ten warnings to evict their tenants or face criminal charges or seizure of their assets, the state's four U.S. attorneys said. ''The intention regarding medical marijuana under California state law was to allow marijuana to be sup- plied to seriously ill people on a nonprofit basis,'' said U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, the top federal law 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 See POT, page 7A said Guy Rents manager Jim Moody. "They painted a spot five or six feet tall and 15 feet long. They hit sev- eral of the businesses including Paint Mart, the veteri- nary clinic and several of the signs and businesses on both sides of the street from here to Bud's Jolly Kone." An employee at a business hit on Antelope said he was shocked to see the street hit. "It's pretty bold," he said. "It's odd. With Antelope being a main street, you'd think that someone would've reported it." Unlike city property that get hit, businesses are responsible for cleaning up graffiti on their property. "It can get pretty expensive," Moody said. "It was $150 for the paint not including labor, which could have been put toward the business." Big Foot Recycling just down the street from Guy Rents was hit with graffiti including a face painted over the business' name on the sign. An employee who had been at the site since June said it was the first time it had been hit with graffiti See WARS, page 7A Tehama County 4-H members and staff for- mally kicked off the local leg of National 4-H Week Tuesday with a proclamation from the Board of Supervisors. County 4-H director Richard Buchner and 4- H program representative Rita Boyes began the presentation Tuesday. All Star Advisor Cindy Dixon introduced members of the Tehama County 4-H All Stars and Becoming Leaders All Stars Trainees, or BLAST, program to the board. Dixon began with a bit of nostalgia as she had been in the same position 11 years ago introducing National 4-H Week as a member of the All Stars, the highest level in 4-H, she said. BLAST members Shannel Delaloza, Katie Conner and Travis Brunelle were introduced first. Dixon then introduced All Stars Maryn Span- gler, Elora Brunelle, Rebah Heino and Karl Parks who spoke about the types of animals and other projects they've worked on. Manton 4-H president Rebah Heino read the proclamation for 2011. More than 427 youth and 165 adult volunteers participated in county 4- H group programs in 2011, the proclamation stated. The National 4-H Week will culminate in an open house, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., today at the beef barn at the Tehama Dis- trict Fairground. Family and friends are See 4-H, page 7A College unveils mile-long nature trail By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer One of the first steps of what trails advocate hope will lead to a community wide connection was cele- brated Friday as Shasta College officials formally recognized the comple- tion of the Shasta College Tehama Campus River Trail. The ribbon cutting honored the 50 or so members of the California Conservation Corps who built the trail. Supervisor Keith Welch immediately signed on when the CCC was asked to participate in the project, he said. The project allowed the Chico-based group to extend its services to Red Bluff and was an opportu- nity to do something dif- ferent. Building a trail requires a different set of skills than clearing brush, he said. "This project was real- ly a win-win-win," Welch said. The CCC members were among those who attended the ceremony, with crew supervisors Clayton Forbes, Laramie Griffith and Ken McDon- ald sharing the honor of cutting the ribbon with Shasta College trustee Harold Lucas and Presi- dent Joe Wyse. The trail is not long, being only a mile, but it goes through different Daily News photo by Tang Lor Ken McDonald, Clayton Forbes, Harold Lucas, Laramie Griffith and Joe Wyse cut the ribbon celebrating the completion of the Shasta College Tehama Campus River Trail. ecosystems and offers users an opportunity to view all sorts of wildlife, Lucas said. It passes by a vernal pool and through the for- est. At certain points along the trail users can get a glimpse of Mt. Shas- ta, Mt. Lassen and the bluffs, from which the city got its name. "It's a beautiful walk," Lucas said. "You'll enjoy it." Shasta College Foun- dation President Steve Ahrens said the college is a part of the larger com- munity, and the trail is an addition to the communi- ty. "Think of this as your campus, your trail, your community," Ahrens said. The crushed gravel trail is open to the public when the campus is open and can be accessed from the parking lot. It is acces- sible to disabled users in compliance with the Americans with Disabili- ties Act. Tom Orr, dean of Extended Education, commemorated the occa- sion by thanking a num- ber of people who helped get the trail built. Among those men- tioned were Terry Hansen, the trails expert who designed the trail, city Planning Director Scot Timboe for working alongside the college in helping lay the visionary foundation when the Tehama Campus was just being built and Venita Philbrick, president of the See TRAIL, page 7A