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FRIDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2011 Breaking news at: Rocking the AMAs Select TV www.redbluffdailynews.com See Inside RED BLUFF NL Cy Young SPORTS 1B likely Weather forecast 8A Rain 53/31 By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer Charges have been filed against a Corning Union High School bus driver who reported- ly was drunk as she drove to 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 School bus driver charged in DUI pick up students for school. Laura Lynn East, 50, of Corning, has been charged with 17 felony counts of child endan- germent, one misdemeanor count of driving under the influ- ence and one misdemeanor count of hit and run, the Tehama County District Attor- ney's Office said Thursday. The charges stem from an Aug. 29 incident. District Attorney Gregg Cohen said, according to a Cal- ifornia Highway Patrol investi- gation, East reportedly backed into a sign, swerved the bus nearly into a culvert and contin- ued to swerve while stopping at locations to pick up students for school. Students told investiga- The 'loud guy' By ANDREA WAGNER DN Staff Writer Credited with saving lives, being the "loud guy" and helping beyond his required duties in Tehama County, Greg Gormley was recognized Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors. Gormley, due to health reasons, is retiring from his posts as Camp Tehama caretaker, volunteer fire- fighter and search and res- cue volunteer after nearly three decades of service. Some 30 supporters crowded into the board chambers to honor Gorm- ley, including a stretch of orange-clad men and women from the search and rescue team, former Sheriff Clay Parker and officers of the Sheriff's Department. Sheriff Dave Hencratt introduced Gormley before Supervisor Ron Warner presented him with a Certificate of Recognition. Having known Gorm- ley professionally and personally for 25 years, Hencratt thanked him for his friendship and profes- sionalism. Acknowledging Gorm- ley's contributions as a search and rescue volun- teer, Hencratt said the team is an unappreciated group of people like Gormley who freely dedi- cate hours and hours to finding people. Camp Tehama com- mittee members Steve Kimbrough, Julie Buer and Jack Vine stood up to Courtesy photo submitted by Jamie Raglin Tehama County supervisors, friends, family and others honored the career and retirement of Greg Gormley, in hat,Tuesday as the board issued him a certificate of recognition. Also pictured is Supervisor Ron Warner. praise Gormley and his wife as dedicated and cherished caretakers of the camp. The two have made an incredible difference in the operation of the camp, Kimbrough said. The committee has Budget cuts could shorten school year SACRAMENTO (AP) — Millions of California parents and schoolchildren face a direct hit from the state's latest financial woes — the prospect of fewer school days that would make California's school year among the shortest in the nation and could worsen its already troubled school system. The state's schools face up to $1.4 billion in auto- matic spending cuts after analysts determined that California's revenues have come in dramatically lower than Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers had hoped. Among the options for school districts is slicing another seven days off the state's minimum 175-day school year, which already is five days shorter than before the recession began. Thirteen of the state's 30 largest school districts already have reduced their school year below the previ- ous minimum 180 days, which is the national aver- age. This week, the state Leg- islative Analyst's Office released a bleak outlook that said 2011-12 revenue will run $3.7 billion below the $88.4 billion the governor and state lawmakers had assumed when they approved the state budget last summer. That shortfall would translate into $2 bil- lion in automatic cuts that were part of the budget deal, most of which would fall on public schools. But cutting the school year quickly could prove challenging unless lawmak- ers agree to revisit a law also passed last year that was intended to protect teachers' jobs, as some school admin- istrators would like them to. 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 See CUTS, page 7A started to solicit applica- tions for the caretaker position but has trouble thinking about someone else in that position. Being someone who is both good with people and can fix anything is hard to find, Buer said. With the Gormleys, it has been a "perfect match." CalFire Assistant Chief Will Darnall discussed Gormley's relationship with the fire department since 1984. See LOUD, page 7A tors East nearly drove the bus off the shoulder of the road. She later drove the bus into a thick tree branch, which lodged itself into a mirror. See BUS, page 7A Event to raise bucks for bucks By ANDREA WAGNER DN Staff Writer Celebrating a "Champion of Our Own," supporters are hosting a fundraiser for Tyler Troberg, a 17-year- old bull rider who hopes to make a career of it. After years of talking to his father about rodeos, Troberg finally got his chance to see one, and he was hooked. "I saw bull riding and I was pretty much amazed with it," Troberg said. At the next rodeo he went to, he got to work behind the bull chutes and his love for the sport grew from there. Troberg, now a high school student, is home schooled so he can travel the state with a partner to See CHUTES, page 7A Supes mull tax to fund fairground By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer Tehama County Super- visor Dennis Garton had a proposal for the Tehama District Fairboard Tuesday for a way to raise money to make up for the loss of state funds imposing a tax on unincorporated areas of the county. Gov. Jerry Brown has eliminated all state funding to California fairgrounds. For Tehama County, that represents a 25 percent cut, or $200,000. "This is in regards to your funding source being in dire straits," Garton said. "County Counsel, myself, Mark Eidman, Bill Good- win and I met (Monday) to brainstorm some ideas for a funding source for the fair- ground." County Counsel Arthur Wylene has been directed to do research on what was needed to potentially put the tax on the November 2012 ballot, Garton said. "This is just a proposal," Garton said. "There's noth- ing set in stone and we are working to get input from the community on whether or not the idea will work." The idea being proposed is a $1-2 per month tax on unincorporated parcels within the county, exclud- ing cities and federal parcels, Garton said. Some concern was raised over whether the funding would go to the fairground. "There are 33,000 parcels in the county out- side the cities," Garton said. See TAX, page 7A Scouts clean up Red Bluff slough By ANDREA WAGNER DN Staff Writer Working to complete an Eagle project for the Boy Scouts, 15-year-old high school student Greg Espinosa added cleaning up the slough area to his agenda. The work continued after a flag retirement cere- mony on Veterans Day in which Espinosa enlisted the help of scout troops from both Shasta and Tehama counties to proper- ly dispose of more than 370 U.S. flags. The boys, who had spent the night around six fire pits burning the worn out stars and stripes at the Red Bluff Recreation area campground, headed out the next morning to the nearby slough. More than 50 boys traipsed through the muddy slough and its banks for two hours Satur- day, gathering a full dumpster of trash, includ- ing shopping carts and other garbage, Espinosa said. The job not only helped out the community and earned him service hours on his Eagle project, but was a way for the boys to Photo courtesy of Bobie Hughes Greg Espinosa, 15, of Red Bluff, right, headed a group of some 50 Boy Scouts in a clean-up of the slough area in Red Bluff, Nov. 12.The service was part of Espinosa's Eagle project. pay for use of the cabins at the campground, he said. Many who do Eagle projects build picnic tables or bird houses, Espinosa said. "I think they were happy to see someone do something different," he said. Now, he only has to earn two more merit badges and apply to finish his project, he said. Saturday, 11/19 10 – 4 pm Collectibles, Antiques, Novelties 320 South Main Street Red Bluff • 528.9430 John Humphries Antique Appraiser TEHAMA COUNTY GLASS for MOULE'S Fireplace Glass 515 Sycamore St. 529-0260