Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/479983
ByJudyLin TheAssociatedPress SACRAMENTO Gov. Jerry Brown's call for state workers to contribute half the cost of their retirement health benefits could end up costing taxpayers more if California raises salaries, accord- ing to an independent budget an- alyst Monday. Legislative Analyst Mac Tay- lor wrote in his report that the state could end up paying more over time if current and future state workers are asked to help pay for their health benefits. He warned that when the state be- gan requiring higher pension contributions from employees in 2013 it ended up offsetting the cost to employees with pay increases. Taylor is urging lawmakers to get engaged and suggests swap- ping out the benefit for alter- native compensation, such as higher pay. "If the state provided a dollar- for-dollar offset to all employees — or even a 75 cents-on-the dol- lar offset — the state's costs for retiree health prefunding and in- creases in pay and salary-driven CALIFORNIA BUDGET Retiree health plan could cost more GERBER A 64-year-old man re- ported his home was burglarized as he was dropping his children off at school Thursday. The resident, who lives on the 22000 block of Bidwell Avenue, reported that sometime between 7:30 a.m. and 8:05 a.m. someone cut a padlock on his front door and entered his home, according to a Tehama County Sheriff's De- partment release. Among the items taken were two Remington 870 12-gauge shotguns, a Coast to Coast 12-gauge shotgun, a laptop com- puter, a Vizio television and a ci- gar box containing around $100 in change. The loss was estimated at around $1,300. BURGLARY Gerber home robbed during brief window By John Minton Members of Marine Corps League, Detachment 1140, Te- hama/Red Bluff sat down Feb. 25 with Roy Ford, an Iwo Jima vet- eran who lives in Red Bluff. Born in 1922, Ford is a re- tired Marine who lives at Las- sen House. He joined the Marine Corps at age 20. In 1942 he was is- sued his rifle and entered World War II as a paratrooper. In 1945 Ford was awarded the Silver Star medal for his service from Feb. 19 to March 24, 1945 for outstanding leadership as a squad leader and acting sergeant and platoon guide on special as- signment to clear the caves on Iwo Jima, where the enemy was attacking from. The Silver Star is the third highest ranking medal in the U. S. Armed Forces. Ford's platoon was held up by a pocket of five caves. Ford and four other Marines traveled a trail alongside the mountain just four to five feet wide. As they ap- proached the first cave — fight- ing fox hole — they encountered one enemy dead and killed the second. Ford says he took his only me- mento from the war at this site — a .32 automatic pistol, which he carried throughout his enlistment and still has to this day. A friend still protects it at home. Ford and his men were forced to remain on the ridge for four days until they came upon an- other well-fortified cave. Three Marines died here. Only the "kid from Tennessee" and Ford were left to take out the aggressive re- maining enemy. "The kid and I fired simultane- ously," says Ford. The enemy was mortally wounded and Ford was shot. The bullet entered the right side of his rib cage and exited his upper left chest grazing his ear. Ford re- members walking back to a clear- ing about 15 feet away and wak- ing up on a ship taking him to a hospital. He remained hospital- ized for a year, ending up at a Co- rona hospital. He was so grateful that upon discharge, his prized pistol memento was given back to him. VETERANS RecallingthebattleforIwoJima By Andre Byik abyik@redbluffdailynews.com @andrebyik on Twitter RED BLUFF More than $4,000 in scholarships were awarded Saturday to area high school students with agricultural as- pirations at the 12th annual George Growney Memorial Scholarship Dinner and Auc- tions held at the Elks Lodge. Organizers expected about 130 people at the event, which benefits the Red Bluff Junior Round-Up rodeo and future area scholarships. The scholarship winners included Abigail Brown, a 17-year-old Red Bluff High School student who plans to at- tend Shasta College or Cuesta College; Cara Hencratt, 17, who plans to attend Montana State University; William Macdon- ald, 17, who plans to attend Cal- ifornia State University, Chico; Danielle Mincer-Mueller, 17, who plans to attend Butte College; Jenna Nichol, 17, who plans to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; and Wyatt Spen- cer, 17, who plans to attend Feather River College and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Nichol, who was awarded a $1,000 scholarship, said she plans on studying agribusi- ness in college and wants to in- crease agriculture education in Tehama County. Hencratt, who was awarded a $500 scholarship, said she plans on majoring in sustain- able food and bioenergy sys- tems, and that she plans to bring sustainable crop or live- RED BLUFF JUNIOR ROUND-UP AG STUDENTS HONORED AT ANNUAL DINNER Morethan$4,000inscholarshipsawardedforstudentswithagriculturalaspirations PHOTOSBYANDREBYIK—DAILYNEWS Danielle Mincer-Mueller, 17, was one of six scholarship winners at the 12th annual George Growney Memorial Scholarship Dinner and Auctions held Saturday at the Elks Lodge in Red Bluff. Wyatt Spencer, 17, a George Growney Memorial Scholarship recipient, plans to attend Feather River College and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Calendar..........A2 Community.....A3 Opinion............A6 Sports.............. B1 Comics ............B3 Classifieds......B7 ## INDEX Dairyville Community Club is making scholarships available for college juniors, seniors and grad students. PAGEA3 COMMUNITY Dairyvilleagriculture scholarships available The Corning Lady Cardinals so ball team went 4-0-1at the Colusa Tournament Friday and Saturday. PAGE B1 SOFTBALL Lady Cardinals so ball unbeaten at tournament In a last day of campaign- ing, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rules out forming a Palestinian state. Page B4 ISRAELI ELECTIONS Netanyahu promises no Palestinian state Hillary Clinton is expected to run a primary campaign focused on the four traditional early-to-vote states. Page A8 2016 PRESIDENTIAL RACE Clinton plans to focus on early primary states VETERANS PAGE 7 DINNER PAGE 7 BUDGET PAGE 7 » redbluffdailynews.com Tuesday, March 17, 2015 50CENTS AN EDITION OF THE CHICO ENTERPRISE-RECORD 7 58551 69001 9 Volume130,issue83 Good morning, thanks for subscribing Penny Welsh BASEBALL Spartans win Oroville Tournament Sports B1 DONATION Round-Up thanks Chamber Community A3 FORECAST High: 74 Low: 49 B8 Grow?Ranchorride? Readaboutlocalandnational Ag, rural, ranch and rodeo news and commentary. VISIT REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM/ RODEO DOYOU RODEO?