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FRIDAY OCTOBER 28, 2011 Breaking news at: TV Treats For Halloween Select TV www.redbluffdailynews.com See Inside RED BLUFF Top Seed Peewees SPORTS 1B Weather forecast 10A Sunny 75/45 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 Security threat Employees reject third union offer By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer The Red Bluff City Council held a special meeting Wednesday anticipating a third offer for concessions from the miscellaneous bargaining unit, but the offer never made it to the council. offer. A majority of the union members voted down the The employees had some ideas about what they wanted to do, but when the whole membership talked about the ideas, it was unable to arrive at one proposal, said Art Frolli, a business representative for the Oper- ating Engineers Local Union No. 3, who represents the miscellaneous union employees. He declined to state what the offer was, saying it would not be fair to the employees for him to disclose See UNION, page 9A Meningitis alert Special to the DN This is meningitis sea- son, and Tehama County residents need to learn how to protect their fami- lies from this disease, according to a press release issued Thursday by Tehama County Public Health. Daily News photo by Tang Lor Protesters outside the Red Bluff Social Security Contact Station rally against proposed federal budget cuts that threaten to close Social Security Administration offices and services. By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer Locals gathered to save the Red Bluff Social Security Contact Station Thursday as a number of Social Security Administration offices and contact stations face being shut down by the federal government to balance the bud- get. In the past two months the Red Bluff station has been closed twice because of budgetary reasons. The office, which is only open on Wednesday, serves about 60 to 100 people a week, said Dana Duggins, a national officer with the American Federation of Government Employees. The group was one of several organizations that spon- sored the 150 nationwide rallies that took place Thursday. So far this year, 19 Social Security offices and 300 contact stations have closed. Even as protesters across the nation rally to save their offices, the budget "super committee" is making deci- sions, Duggins said. With the final budget decisions being made in November, this could be one of the last chances for people to speak out against the proposed cuts. What is most troubling is that these offices and ser- vices should not even be on the chopping block. All costs associated with running the Social Security program is Feds approve cuts to Medi-Cal LOS ANGELES (AP) — The federal govern- ment on Thursday approved a state proposal to reduce Medi-Cal provider reimbursements by 10 percent and make other cuts to the federal health insurance program for the poor and disabled. Proposed by the Schwarzenegger and Brown administrations, the cuts will save the state's ever-floundering general fund $623 million — but health providers worry the real cost will be paid by the state's poorest patients. The cuts approved Thursday by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services include a 10 percent reduction to payments for outpatient services for doctors, clinics, optometrists, dental ser- vices, medical equipment and pharmacy. ''We value our provider partners and look forward to continuing our service to our most vul- nerable populations,'' said Department of Health Care Services Director Toby Douglas. Federal officials issued a statement saying access to care won't be jeopar- dized for Californians as a result of the cuts. Less than two hours after the decision, the Cal- ifornia Medical Associa- tion representing 35,000 doctors said it intends to file a lawsuit to stop the cuts from being imple- mented. Dr. Ted Mazer, a CMA spokesman, said he saw four new Medi-Cal patients Thursday. If the new rate cuts are imple- mented, he doesn't think he'll be able to see any more. ''Right now, we're not making money on this program,'' said Mazer, a San Diego ear, nose and throat specialist. ''Now they want 10 percent cuts on top of an already low- paying state — one of the lowest in nation — in a 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 See CUTS, page 9A allocated through the Social Security Trust Fund not the federal government's General Fund, Duggins said. "There's no reason to subject us to those budget cuts," Duggins said. "We have been self-sufficient." Contact stations are full-service locations that allow people to have face-to-face contact with an employee without having to travel an office, which is often times out of the area. Without the Red Bluff contact station, all Tehama County residents who want face-to-face contact would have to travel outside the county, as the closest Social Security Administration offices are in Redding and Chico. The Corning contact station has already been closed. Traveling that far is not possible for some Social Secu- rity recipients, especially those who are elderly or dis- abled, said Los Molinos resident Sue Gallagher. She participated in the rally because she does not want to see the office close. "When you lose an office, it's really hard to get it back," Gallagher said. Duggins encourages the public to contact Congress- man Wally Herger asking him to find a solution to fully fund Social Security and get it off the General Fund bud- get as it should be. Neisseria meningitidis (N. meningitidis) causes both meningitis (inflam- mation in the brain) and meningococcemia (infec- tion in the blood). As a result of the control of Hemophilus Influenzae type b (HIB) infections from immunizations with HIB vaccine, N. meningi- tidis has become the lead- ing cause of bacterial meningitis in children and young adults in the United States, with an estimated 2,600 cases each year. Bacterial meningitis can be transmitted from one person to another, can affect previously healthy people with little or no warning and can result in serious illness and death. Tehama County has recently had a confirmed case of bacterial meningi- tis called Streptococcus Pneumoniae Meningitis in a school-aged child. Because of this, Health Officer Dr. Richard Wick- enheiser wants all Tehama County residents to be on the alert for meningitis symptoms and to remem- ber that "the only way to prevent the spread of this type of meningitis is through careful and fre- quent hand-washing and not sharing food, drink, glasses, water bottles, lip balm, cigarettes etc." He urges Tehama County parents to watch for any signs of meningi- tis in their children and to seek immediate medical attention if they suspect the disease. In addition Tehama County Public Health encourages all par- ents to ensure that their child's immunizations are up to date. What are the symp- toms? Most people who have meningitis complain of stiff neck, fever and headache. These symp- toms can develop over the course of several hours or take as long as one to two days. There can also be a rash that does not go away with pressure. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, discom- fort in looking at bright See ALERT, page 9A Farm Tour highlights county agriculture By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer Tehama County showed off some of what its produces in the north- ern end of the county Thursday for the Tehama County Farm Bureau's Sixth Annual Farm-City Agriculture Bus Tour. "This is the kick-off for our upcoming Farm-City, which is information and educational," said incom- ing Farm Bureau Presi- dent Sam Mudd. The event was meant to show off Tehama Coun- ty's Agriculture, said Farm Bureau Manager Kari Dodd. "It's part of the two- week community out- reach that starts with Farm Day (at the Tehama District Fairground) and goes through Farm-City Night," Dodd said. "It's really just about bringing the farm and city togeth- er." Every year, the tour rotates visiting a different section of what Tehama County has to offer, she said. The day kicked off with breakfast during which Tehama Colusa Canal Authority General Manager Jeff Sutton talked about his organiza- Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb Bengard Ranch Manager Greg Long talks about walnuts Thursday with participants of the Sixth Annual Farm-City Bus Tour. tion and the Fish Passage Improvement Project at the Red Bluff Diversion Dam. TCCA is a Joint Pow- ers Authority made up of 17 water districts served by the Corning and Colusa canals, he said. "Our economic engine, especially in the Sacra- mento Valley, is agricul- See FARM, page 9A 8:30am-12:30pm Cost: $ 65 Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2011 Job Training Center 718 Main St. Red Bluff Per person Call 529-7000 Learn Basic WORD! TEHAMA COUNTY GLASS MOULE'S We Service Garage Doors & Garage Door Openers 515 Sycamore St. 529-0260