Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/456595
ByDonThompson TheAssociatedPress SACRAMENTO » Inmate populations are falling in once-overcrowded Califor- nia county jails since voters decided in November that certain drug and property crimes should be treated as misdemeanors instead of felonies. While some are avoid- ing jail, many of those who are sent to county lock-ups for crimes not covered by the ballot initiative dubbed Proposition 47 are spending more time there because jail officials no longer must re- lease them early due to over- crowding. Fresno, Kern, Los Ange- les, Riverside and San Di- ego counties are among those with fewer early re- leases, according to an As- sociated Press survey of the 10 counties that together ac- count for about 70 percent of California's total jail pop- ulation. The early figures show the initiative is working as vot- ers intended, said Garrick Byers, president of the Cali- fornia Public Defenders As- sociation. "It reduced the punish- ment for many crimes from an excessive punishment to a punishment that's more in line with what the crime is," he said. "They're still getting a criminal punishment, no- body's getting off free. But it is more commonly pro- bation, more commonly a lower lock-up time, more commonly a punishment that is going to result in re- habilitation." The resulting decline in early releases also tracks voters' wishes, Byers said. "The ones who are spend- ing more time in jail are the ones where their offenses are more serious and vio- lent," he said. The ballot measure changed shoplifting, forgery, fraud, petty theft and pos- session of small amounts of drugs — including cocaine, heroin and methamphet- amines — from felonies to misdemeanors. With thou- sands fewer inmates being sent to county jails for those crimes, other inmates are staying longer. "A lot of counties are say- ing, 'Now we don't have to release folks after they've served 10 percent or 30 per- cent of their time, we can keep them now,' " said Cory Salzillo, legislative director for the California State Sher- iffs' Association. Los Angeles, with the na- tion's largest jail system, saw its jail population drop by about 17 percent, or 3,200 in- mates, after Proposition 47 took effect. FEWER INMATES Countyjailpopulationsdipa ermeasure DAILYNEWSPHOTOBYCHIPTHOMPSON Saturday's Bull Sale at the Tehama District Fairground totaled more than $1.5million in sales. By Rich Greene rgreene@redbluffdailynews. com @richgreenenews on Twitter RED BLUFF » The num- ber of bulls was substan- tially down, but the money wasn't at the 74th Red Bluff Bull Sale Saturday. The average bull sale price doubled from last year's sale, going to $6,594.07 Saturday. Even with only 236 bulls being sold, 82 fewer than a year ago, the Bull Sale generated $1.556 million in sales. Last year's sale barely climbed over the $1 million mark. The reserve champion halter Angus and the champion Polled Halter each sold for $10,000. The champion Polled Halter Bull was Macfar- lane Livestock's ML MIL- SAP A24. It was pur- chased by Mitchell Lee Morell. Lax Cattle Company's LCC Time Changer 310 was the champion halter Angus. It sold for $8,750 to Pe- ter Busmann with 1/3 se- men rights retained. Scott LeQuieu's K Bar D Joe Black 302 reserve champion Halter sold for $10,000 to Keith Pearce. Simmental had the highest average for breed, going for around $7,650. At the gelding sale 67 head were sold for an av- erage of $9,531 and a total sale of $638,600. The top selling gelding was Trisha Auman's 2008 Palomino No Tricks This Time, which sold to Ter- rill Ostrum for $23,750. There were three mules sold for a total of $14,350. Sixteen dogs were sold at an average of $5,218.75, totalling $83,500. The top dog was Jaime Gonzalez' PR Canelo, which sold for $13,000 to Dave Dillabo. BULL SALE LOW NUMBERS, BUT HIGH PRICES By Rich Greene rgreene@redbluffdailynews.com @richgreenenews on Twitter CORNING » The Contractors State License Board held an undercover sting operation Thursday in Corning, which led to the arrest of eight people. The sting was centered around unlicensed con- tractors advertising services through craigslist. org. The Tehama County District Attorney's Office assisted in the sting, which was set up at a home near the Corning Canal. Investigators posed as homeowners and called suspects to the home to bid on home improve- ment projects that included installation of new kitchen floor tile, granite countertop, a stone fire pit, landscaping, tree removal, interior and exte- rior painting, and concrete work, according to a press release. Bids totaled as much as $16,000 for a new driveway, far above the legal limit. Any home improvement job that cost $500 or more in combined labor and material requires that a person have a state-issued contractors li- cense. As a result, eight suspects were cited for a misdemeanor charge of contracting without a license. STATE LICENSE BOARD Sting nets eight RED BLUFF » Christine Thompson was appointed to the Unit Chief position of the Tehama Glenn Unit effective Monday. Thompson began her fire service career as a Firefighter in the Mendocino National Forest in 1989, where she worked for two summers on a hand crew and fire engine while also attending Butte College. In 1991 she was appointed to a Firefighter I po- sition in the Tehama Glenn Unit. In 1995, she pro- moted to Fire Apparatus Engineer in the River- side Unit, where she was assigned to Battalion 8 relief before transferring back to Tehama Glenn. In 1998, Thompson promoted to Fire Captain, working at Red Bluff Headquarters, Baker and Bowman Stations and Valley View Camp. She later transferred into the Emergency Command Center. As the captain, she was responsible for transitioning the center from CALCAD to the Al- taris CAD that it has today. Thompson promoted to Battalion Chief in Te- hama Glenn in 2006 and to Assistant Chief in 2010, where she served as the Unit Administra- tive Chief for the unit. In 2014, she promoted to Deputy Chief of Operations. "Christine has excelled at whatever task she was given," said retired Unit Chief Bill Hoehman. "She does an exceptional job and has a strong positive attitude." CAL FIRE New Tehama-Glenn unit chief appointed Community.....A3 Daily Break......B3 Health..............A4 Lifestyles........A5 Opinion............A6 Sports.............. B1 Index............... ## INDEX The Corning Patriots will discuss CARB regulations at their meeting Thursday at the Corning Senior Center. PAGEA3 COMMUNITY CorningPatriotstohold meeting on CARB The Corning Cardinals placed second at their own Corning Invitational wrestling tournament Saturday. PAGE B1 SPORTS Corning wrestling takes 2nd at invitational The marriage license of serial killer Charles Manson and a devotee, 26, is set to expire without a wedding. PAGE B6 SERIAL KILLER Manson's marriage license set to expire Promising to help America's middle class, President Barack Obama sends Congress a $4trillion budget. PAGE A8 $4 TRILLION BUDGET Obama proposes taxing rich, aiding middle class Suspectscitedformisdemeanor of contracting without a license STING » PAGE 7 Bull sale tops $1.5 million as average price doubles from last year JAILS » PAGE 7 » redbluffdailynews.com Tuesday, February 3, 2015 50CENTS AN EDITION OF THE CHICO ENTERPRISE-RECORD 7 58551 69001 9 Volume130,issue53 Good morning, thanks for subscribing » Dick Watson VETERANS Companion dog donated to vet in need Community » A3 PINK OUT Red Bluff to slam dunk cancer Lifestyles » A5 FORECAST High: 69 Low: 44 » B8 LiketheDailyNews on Facebook and stay in the loop on local news, sports and more. VISITFACEBOOK.COM/ RBDAILYNEWS LIKEUSON FACEBOOK