Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/497293
ByRichGreene rgreene@redbluffdailynews.com @richgreenenews on Twitter CORNING TheUniversityofCali- fornia Cooperative Extension will host a meeting discussing local efforts to sustain water supplies April 30 at the Rolling Hills Ca- sino Event Center. The 2015 Northern Sacramento Valley Water Dialogue is being sponsored along with the Butte County Department of Water Re- source Conservation. The UC Cooperative Extension said in a recent newsletter that the meeting will cover the numerous events that have occurred on the water front since September 2014. That included the passing of the Groundwater Sustainability Act, a state water bond passed by vot- ers and the disappointing rainfall and snowpack numbers from 2015. DROUGHT Regional water supply me et in g scheduled By Andre Byik abyik@redbluffdailynews.com @andrebyik on Twitter CORNING Amid the state's his- toric drought, city officials have explored implementing stage two of the city's water-saving program that would impose a mandatory 25 percent reduction in water use on customers here. During an informational pre- sentation Tuesday, City Manager John Brewer said the city averages about 20.6 inches of rainfall per year, but in each of the last four years rainfall totals have failed to reach that bar. Because the city re- lies on groundwater wells to pump water, and because the aquifer from which the city draws water is recharged by rainfall, Brewer said it just makes sense to con- serve during drought years. CORNING Leaders explore mandatory water rules Lessrainfallprompts need for conservation By Rich Greene rgreene@redbluffdailynews.com @richgreenenews on Twitter CORCORAN Cameron Hooker was denied a chance at parole at an ini- tial suitability hearing Thursday. Hooker, the Red Bluff man con- victed of kidnapping and hold- ing a woman as a sex slave for seven years, had his parole hear- ing come up seven years early because of a change in state law dealing with the elderly and med- ically frail prison population. Tehama County District Attor- ney Gregg Cohen, who spoke at the hearing, said it appeared early in the hearing the two-person board would deny Hooker parole. The board found Hooker contin- ues to pose an unreasonable dan- ger to society and remains a threat to public safety, Cohen said. Hooker's victim, Colleen Stan, presented to the board as well. Thehearing took placein Corco- ran at the Substance Abuse Treat- ment Facility and State Prison, where Hooker is being housed. Hooker had originally been set to have a parole hearing in 2022. But that date was moved up with a change in state law allow- ing parole hearings for prisoners who are not sentenced to death or a sentence banning parole, have served at least 25 years and are over the age of 60. Hooker is 61 years old. Hooker was convicted of kid- napping hitchhiker Stan, then 20, in 1977 and raping her repeat- edly, keeping her much of the time in a box under Hooker's and his wife's bed. His wife ultimately helped Stan escape, and eventu- ally turned in her husband. Hooker was sentenced to 104 years in state prison. COURTS CameronHookerdeniedparole New law: Elderly, medically frail can be granted early release Board findings: 61-year-old still poses a danger to society By Andre Byik abyik@redbluffdailynews.com @andrebyik on Twitter RED BLUFF Calm, cool, col- lected with a penchant for liv- ing on the edge. That's the short story of Dusty Tuckness, a 28-year-old bullfighter from Meeteetse, Wy- oming. Tuckness, along with Eric Layton and Justin Rum- ford, is tasked with protect- ing bull riders during the Red Bluff Round-Up rodeo that runs through Sunday. Tuckness, who took photos and signed autographs for the public at the Tehama District Fairground on Thursday, said he grew up in the rodeo world and probably started fighting bulls too early — at age 12. He's been a professional bull- fighter since 2006, and this weekend will be his third go- round at the Round-Up. "Being able to come to this ro- deo — Red Bluff — it's a pres- tigious rodeo," Tuckness said. "Not only do they have a lot of champions that win this rodeo and go on to win world titles ... It's a rodeo that only the top cowboys are going to be at." Tuckness said he was drawn to the concept of bullfighting and its purpose of cowboy pro- tection, which he described as a sort of insurance policy in the arena. He's remained in the sport, he said, for the thrills. "Some people's excitement comes from motorcycles or being a cop or jumping off a bridge," Tuckness said. "Ours is fighting bulls and living the ro- deo life." The best case scenario in Tuckness's line of work, he said, would be that a cowboy nods his head, rides a bull for eight sec- onds, lands on his feet, and the bull is guided out of the arena. The worst case scenario? "The sky is the limit, really. Anything can happen," Tuck- ness said. "It's a game of inches. If we're one step too early or one step too late ... that bull can have the advantage on us." Tuckness said fans of bull rid- ing are aware of the dangers and the inherent drama of the sport. "A lot of stuff that they don't see or realize is the stuff that we prevent before it has a chance to accumulate," he said. Of course, not everything goes according to plan. "When we get run over, or the bull hooks somebody, or a guy gets under a bull or a bull chases one of us — yeah the crowd draws into it," Tuckness said. "It's kind of like a NAS- CAR race. They don't want to see anybody wreck or get hurt, but if they do, they don't want to miss it." RED BLUFF ROUND-UP BULLFIGHTERS PUT BODIES ON THE LINE Professionals head to local rodeo that 'only the top cowboys are going to be at' ANDREBYIK—DAILYNEWS Red Bluff Round-Up rodeo bullfighters Dusty Tuckness, back le , Eric Layton, second from le , and rodeo clown Justin Rumford, third from le , met with the public Thursday at the Tehama District Fairground. Pictured in front, from le , are Allan Anderson, Brady Smith and Weston Owens. The BeastUp energy drink crew hosted the event. Community.....A3 Education........ A7 Lifestyles........A4 Opinion............A6 Sports.............. B1 Classified.......B11 Index............... ## INDEX The Red Bluff Volunteer Fire Department will hold its boot drive today at Antelope and Main. PAGEA3 COMMUNITY Firefighterstoholdboot drive 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lassen National Forest is getting ready to open campgrounds as early as April 24. PAGE A4 LIFESTYLES Lassen campgrounds to open for season Homeland chief says postal carrier who flew his cra onto Capitol lawn raises alarms about security risks. PAGE A8 CAPITOL AIRCRAFT Official: Gyrocopter entered 'under the radar' U.S. troops train Iraqi forces at base west of Ramadi as IS group gains ground in Anbar province. PAGE B10 IRAQ Thousands flee as IS advances on Ramadi WATER RULES PAGE 11 MEETING PAGE 11 "When we get run over, or the bull hooks somebody, or a guy gets under a bull or a bull chases one of us — yeah the crowd draws into it. It's kind of like a NASCAR race. They don't want to see anybody wreck or get hurt, but if they do, they don't want to miss it." — Dusty Tuckness, a bullfighter from Meeteetse, Wyoming » redbluffdailynews.com Friday, April 17, 2015 50CENTS AN EDITION OF THE CHICO ENTERPRISE-RECORD 7 58551 69001 9 Volume130,issue106 Good morning, thanks for subscribing Joe Chaves ROUND-UP Kiwanis pancake breakfast Lifestyles A4 LINCOLN STREET Students saddle up for Round-Up Education A7 FORECAST High: 86 Low: 54 A12 Grow?Ranchorride? Readaboutlocalandnational Ag, rural, ranch and rodeo news and commentary. VISIT REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM/ RODEO DOYOU RODEO?