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FRIDAY JANUARY 6, 2012 Breaking news at: Feature Teacher Education www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 6A RED BLUFF Tough Test SPORTS 1B Weather forecast 10A Sunny 62/37 By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer City Manager Martin Nichols will be leaving Red Bluff to become the chief administrative officer in Lassen County. Nichols will be leaving as 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 City manager stepping down to take Lassen job soon as Lassen County finishes performing a background check, Deputy City Clerk Cheryl Smith said. Nichols was not immediately available for comment. He has served as city manager since 2006 and lives in Paradise. Mayor Forrest Flynn said Nichols' expertise will be missed. "I'd hate to see him go, but I understand that it's something that he feels he needs to," Flynn said. "It's a good opportunity for him." The Red Bluff City Council will hold a closed session meet- ing Saturday to discuss recruiting for a new city manager. Several options are available for the council in filling the position, Flynn said. It can appoint a department head staff or someone Car dealer coming Nichols from the community to the position, open a recruitment process or hire a consulting firm to do the recruiting. The city does not have any money to See JOB, page 9A Inmate charged in murder plot Staff report Additional felony charges have been filed against a Red Bluff man who is already in custody on charges of attempted robbery. Lucas Eugene Simpson, 31, was arraigned in Shasta County Superior Court Wednesday on a charge of solicitation for murder, according to court documents. Simpson, who is in custody at Shasta County Jail, asked a cell mate to broker an arrangement with an outside person to kill Shasta Lake resident Michael Wayne High, Shasta County Sheriff's Detective William Gardner said. Simpson See PLOT, page 9A Brown warns of school cuts if taxes rejected Daily News photo by Tang Lor Jake Smith puts a fresh coat of paint on the former Helser Chevrolet-Cadillac building at 215 S. Main St. Workers were busy Thursday preparing for an auto dealership that plans to open on Main Street in Febru- ary. The business will be called American Auto Sales and is owned by the same management as Super Shop- per Auto Sales, which already has used car lots in Corning, Orland and Chico, said Jake Smith, a mainte- nance worker for the company. The Red Bluff business will offer a used car lot and other automotive and mechanic services, he said. The South Main Street building is the site of the original Helser Chevrolet before it moved to Adobe Road. Helser went out of business in 2010. Benny Brown of Corning Ford has purchased the Adobe Road property but remains mute on any plans for the site. SACRAMENTO (AP) — California faces a small- er budget deficit in the coming fiscal year but will require nearly $5 billion in cuts to public education if voters reject Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to raise taxes in the fall, the governor said Thursday in releasing its budget proposal for the 2012-13 fiscal year. The governor's office projected the state's budget shortfall for the fiscal year starting July 1 at $9.2 bil- lion, much more manage- able than the $26.6 billion deficit the Legislature closed for the current year. Brown said the budget cuts he enacted this year, com- bined with additional cuts and his call for temporary tax increases in the coming fiscal year will all but end the massive deficits that have defined California's fiscal planning for years. He also noted that the state is being helped by an improving economy, which has led to a slight increase in tax revenue. ''We've cut the structur- al deficit substantially, and we now have the possibility of eliminating over the next couple of years the deficits that have plagued Califor- nia,'' he told reporters dur- ing an afternoon news con- ference. Brown was forced to call the gathering suddenly because his Department of Finance mistakenly posted the budget plan online, four See CUTS, page 9A Donation paves the way for orthodontic care By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer Rolling Hills Clinic will be offering an ortho- dontic program thanks to the generosity of a Red Bluff couple. "It's a tremendous opportunity," said RHC Dental Director Dr. Melvin Sage. "We have a well-qualified orthodon- tist who comes once a month and 22 kids who couldn't afford it other- wise and it's all funded through the generosity of Jim Horton and his wife, Veronica." Horton, a long-time Red Bluff resident who worked for Diamond, proposed the idea during the summer, Sage said. "One of the front desk ladies said there's a man News tip? Call 527-2151, Ext. 112 who wants to give money to provide orthodontic care for kids who can't afford it," Sage said. "Anytime we can provide care to those who can't afford it, it's great." Sage said Horton told him he was 25 by the time he had finally saved up enough money to have orthodontic work. A dentist told Horton he was a year too late because by 25 a person's teeth won't move and it wasn't until he was in his 40s, while mentioning it to a dentist friend, that he learned otherwise, Sage said. "It's all funded by the Hortons and it's set up so that it's well-funded," Sage said. "It'll be well over $1 million to supply orthodontics for disad- TEHAMA COUNTY GLASS MOULE'S WE SERVICE Garage Doors Springs Cables Sectional Remotes Rollers 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 515 Sycamore St. 529-0260 QuickBooks 2012 Class Six Wednesday Nights (1-11-12 to 2-15-12) 5:15 pm - 7:15 pm Cost: $99.00 per person Location: Job Training Center, 718 Main St., Red Bluff Call 529-7000 Courtesy photo Rolling Hills Clinic Dental Director Dr. Melvin Sage, left, accepts a check from Jim Horton, right, and Horton's wife Veronica, who donated money to fund an orthodontic program for needy children ages 12-17. registration for the 2012 season! New and returning High School Boys players and parents will meet at Round Table Pizza 6pm on Sunday 1/8/2012. New and returning youth players of all ages and parents will meet at Round Table Pizza 6pm on Wednesday 1/11/2012. For more information contact Corey LeVier at 530-736-2992 or visit us at http://www.redblufflacrosse.com Red Bluff Youth Lacrosse is continuing vantaged children." The program, which serves needy children ages 12 to 17 living in the Red Bluff and Corn- ing areas, will stay at 22, Sage said. "We have a waiting list of 10 and it grows daily with people from all over asking about it," Sage said. Those interested in ——— Julie Zeeb can be reached at 527-2153, extension 115 or jzeeb@redbluffdailynew s.com. Effective January 9, 2012 D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY will no longer publish editions on Mondays. See ad inside for details finding out more about the program can call 690-2827 for the Corn- ing Clinic, 740 Solano St., or 690-2778 for the Red Bluff Clinic, 2540 Sister Mary Columba Drive.