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By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer Youth wrestling may not carry the same weight in the public consciousness as Little League baseball games , soccer or youth basketball, but the sport is gaining traction among local students. John Raker has been coaching first- through eighth-graders for the Red Bluff Top Fuelers for the last 11 years. But this year, he has seen his own team turnout increase from the low 60s to a record 85 wrestlers. On Saturday at the Top Fuelers Winter Classic, Raker estimated the team was up against about 315 others ranging from 35 pounds to 265 pounds, from 4 years old to 14. "The sport itself is start- ing to become real popular now," Raker said. Ask Raker about what the sport teaches his play- ers, and he'll tell you disci- pline and self-confidence are life skills you can pick up on the mat — and take home with you. Outside the gym, stacks of T-shirts proclaimed wrestling to be a sport that relies strictly on "God- given tools." It's a theme that seems to resonate with Raker's wrestlers, some of whom chose the sport over foot- ball, basketball or baseball are quick to point out that the sport is about self- reliance — teammates can help you prepare, but once you're on the mat, you determine your own suc- cess. "You rely on your own body, once you're out there," Tyler Cox, 13, said. Part of the sport's appeal is it's one-on-one nature, 11-year-old Tyler Shira said. Weather forecast 6A Mostly Cloudy 53/47 N EWS D AILY DAILY 50¢ MONDAY JANUARY 11, 2010 Christmas Cheer Cards Champs Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com N EWS D AILY RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY 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 See Page 2B SPORTS 1B SERRF Style 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 Learn QuickBooks this year! (Six Wed. Evenings) Jan 13 TH - Feb. 17 TH Time: 5:15 pm to 7:15 pm Cost: $99.00 per person Location: Job Training Center, 718 Main St., Red Bluff Call 529-7000 to Register Suspected meningococcal claims RB boy A student at Bidwell School in Red Bluff became ill this week with suspected meningo- coccal infection and has subse- quently died, according to Tehama County Health Officer, Dr. Richard Wickenheiser. "We would like to convey our deepest sympathy to the family of this boy," Wicken- heiser said. "His death is a trag- ic reminder of the threat posed by this disease." The Tehama County Depart- ment of Education is working closely with state and local health officials to prevent the spread of this disease. "In addition to our thoughts going out to the family, we are doing all that we can to work with our partners in Public Health to ensure that our remaining students and staff are safe," said William McCoy, superintendent for Red Bluff Elementary School District. All persons who had close contact with the 10-year-old victim have been identified and treated with antibiotics by Pub- lic Health and school nurses. Though the risk of contract- ing the disease is low for those who did not have close contact with the patient, Public Health and the Department of Educa- tion are planning meningitis clinics at local schools to mini- mize the likelihood of the dis- ease spreading. Red Bluff schools will contact parents with information about the dates, times and locations of these clinics. Larry Champion, county superintendent of schools states that, "We are dealing with both grieving for the student we lost and making sure that no other student becomes ill," said Larry Champion, county superinten- dent of schools. "The health and safety of our students and staff is always our first priority. 'We are dealing with both grieving for the student we lost and making sure that no other student becomes ill' Superintendent of Schools Larry Champion Pipe bomb shuts park Daily News photo by Geoff Johnson The Shasta County Bomb Squad uses its bomb robot to lift up a pipe bomb Saturday afternoon on Willow Street. By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer Members of the Shasta County Bomb Squad destroyed a pipe bomb early Saturday afternoon on Willow Street. Police received reports of a pipe bomb lying in the street between Hal's Eat 'Em Up and Tom's Glass and Muffler Center around 8 a.m. and quickly moved to seal off the block. At one point, traffic on main street was halted as the Shasta County Bomb Squad's robot was used to move the pipe to Red Bluff River Park at the end of Willow Street. Hal's was closed temporarily as a precaution. The bomb itself was a black plastic pipe about six inches in length, sealed on both ends, and with an unlit fuse sticking out. It was destroyed shortly after noon when officers, using the robot, moved it to the edge of Red Bluff River Park and shot it with a clay, 12-gauge bullet, Shasta County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Marc St. Clair said. The bomb did not ignite when shot, but had been concealing a black powder, St. Clair said. Police did not have any suspects or leads as of Sat- urday afternoon, Sgt. Kevin Busekist said. ——— Geoff Johnson can be reached at 527-2153, extension 114 or gjohnson@redbluffdailynews.com. Police seeking armed robber CORNING — Police are looking for an armed rob- ber who took an undisclosed amount of money Friday night from The 99 Cent Store on Solano Street. A white man, about six feet in height with a thin or medium build of 160 to 180 pounds, reportedly entered the store around 8:50 p.m. brandishing a handgun and demanding money from store employees. He was given an undisclosed amount of money from the cash register, according to a Corning Police Depart- ment press release. The man, wearing loose fitting black pants and cov- ering his face with the hood of his grey sweatshirt and a green, black and red bandanna, was last seen running south on Toomes Avenue. Multiple witnesses have confirmed the man's description, including a witness at Java Lanes, accord- ing to the release. Anyone with additional information is asked to call the Corning Police Department at 824-7000. —Staff Report North State quake rattles the county Tremors from a 6.5 Richter earthquake in Ferndale may have hit Red Bluff Saturday evening. Scanner reports and accounts from Red Bluff residents put a brief tremor around 5 p.m. Saturday. No damage was reported in Red Bluff city limits, in the unin- corporated county, or in Corning, though reports of tremors were made to law enforcement agen- cies in all three areas. About 30 minutes before, a 6.5 Richter scale earthquake struck about 22 miles West- Northwest outside of Ferndale, according to the U.S. Geologic Sur- vey's Earthquake Haz- ards program Web site. A pair of smaller quakes, reaching 3.8 and 3.5 on the Richter scale, were recorded in about the same place by the USGS between 4:30 and 5 p.m., and a 3.8 quake was recorded about 40 miles west of Petrolia in that time frame. More youth take to wrestling Daily News photo by Geoff Johnson Kollen Maxwell, 11, takes it to the mat Saturday at the Top Fuelers Winter Classic. Cattlemen honor two Courtesy photo The Tehama County C a t t l e m e n ' s Association named as Man of the Year Saturday night Richard P. Buchner, and Sue Knox, of Vina, the CowBelle of the Year. See Page 3A. See YOUTH, page 3A See BOY, page 3A