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ByDonThompson TheAssociatedPress SACRAMENTO California's high-tech solution to rid prisons of illegal cellphones may be unable to keep up with advances in technol- ogy quickly enough, so state officials have stopped plans to expand it to more prisons, officials told The Associated Press. Inmates are not allowed to have cellphones because authorities say they can be used to coordinate attacks, and harass victims and wit- nesses. California began in- stalling devices four years ago to prevent unauthor- ized cellphone signals from reaching their destination, effectively turning contra- band phones into paper- weights. The problem is the switch by cellular service providers to what is com- monly known as 4G or LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology, which uses new frequency bands. Carriers also are transmitting voice calls over what amounts to a Wi-Fi network. The pris- ons' system doesn't cap- ture Wi-Fi, Skype or sat- ellite transmissions, un- less Skype and other social media applications are at- tempted through a cellular connection, the Depart- ment of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in re- sponse to The AP's inqui- ries. "It's been difficult to make sure the technol- ogy can handle those up- grades," said department spokeswoman Dana Si- mas. "Whether we're going to scrap it or whether we can find solutions to these issues, that will be deter- mined later." The state had planned to install the system at 33 of the state's 34 prisons, but now it won't be ex- panded beyond the 18 pris- ons where it currently is in place. Global Tel-Link, the na- tion's largest prison phone company, provides the ser- vice at no cost to taxpay- ers because the company recoups its cost from the fees inmates pay to make telephone calls using land lines. The Reston, Virginia- based company can't com- ment because it is nego- tiating with corrections officials, spokeswoman Me- gan Humphreys said in an email. De spit e f requent searches and the use of cell- phone-sniffing dogs, cell- phones are so common be- hind bars that 81-year-old cult killer Charles Manson was twice caught using smuggled phones to call people across North Amer- ica from one of the state's most secure facilities. Au- thorities say a visitor pleaded no contest in Au- gust to attempting to bring Manson a third phone con- cealed in a hidden compart- ment in a boot heel. Concerns over whether the system would be able to keep up with technological advances were first raised five years ago in the state Senate, and a year later by the California Council on Science and Technology. "They were foreseeable and they were in fact fore- seen by a Senate report on the feasibility of this tech- nology," said Steven Mein- rath, who at the time was counsel to the Senate Pub- lic Safety Committee. Global Tel-Link so far has been able to upgrade its system as cellular service providers make changes, the department said. "What remains to be de- termined is if the constant upgrades performed by the vendor will be sustainable in the future," Simas said. The number of phones seized at prisons has been dropping since California began installing the new system, from 15,000 phones in 2011 to fewer than 8,000 this year. The system prevents 150,000 phone calls a week from going through at the 18 prisons where it is in- stalled. INEFFECTIVE SOLUTION Californiarethinkshigh-tech drive to bar prison cellphones RICHPEDRONCELLI—THEASSOCIATEDPRESSFILE Prisoners from Sacramento County await processing a er arriving at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Deuel Vocational Institution in Tracy. other option. The Tehama County Board of Supervisors has given the commission a letter of support for the facility to be built in Red Bluff. After considering all public comments the item was moved to approval with the potential of a shared trash bin option and the reduction of park- ing requirement by Com- missioner Dustin Maria. The commission voted three to one, with Com- missioner Dave Dhugge absent. Andrew Christ voted against the resolu- tion. Facility FROM PAGE 1 The state's unemploy- ment rate for November is 5.7 percent, same as Octo- ber. In the state there are 18,988,100 people in the labor work force. Of those, 17,913,300 people are em- ployed and 1,074,800 peo- ple are unemployed. The nation's unem- ployment rate for Novem- ber also stayed the same month over month at 4.8 percent unemployed. Jobless FROM PAGE 1 cials told the AP to file a re- quest under the Legislative Open Records Act for that and other details about the increases. The Assembly is not giv- ing across-the-board raises this year and hasn't since 2007, said spokesman John Casey. However, Assembly members can give their em- ployees merit raises if they have money in their indi- vidual office budgets and if the employee has not re- ceived a raise in at least two years. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, announced a year ago that he was cutting 39 out of nearly 1,000 staff po- sitions. Alvarez said then that the layoffs were necessary due to a projected finan- cial shortfall caused be- cause the Senate declined annual budget increases during the recession with- out making any layoffs, and because of smaller budget increases under limits set by a voter-approved ballot measure. The announce- ment came a month after de Leon became the cham- ber's new leader and offi- cials have not disclosed how much was saved through the layoffs. There were no layoffs in the Assembly at that time. Alvarez's staff memo cites several legislative ac- complishments this year and notes that most other branches of state govern- ment have had raises in the last eight years. "We implemented pain- ful but prudent and neces- sary cuts to put our own house in fiscal order and achieve greater efficien- cies in our delivery of ser- vices," his memo says. "As a result, we can responsi- bly consider long-overdue cost-of-living adjustments." The increases will be in- cluded in the paychecks employees receive on Dec. 31. The Senate also has spent $1.17 million on 1,300 new desktop computers and monitors since Octo- ber, according to a separate response to an inquiry by the AP. The old computers "had reached their useful end-of-life and ... repairs were no longer feasible," Alvarez said in the written response. Pay FROM PAGE 1 Anderson: Richard Allen Anderson, 91, of Red- ding died Tuesday, Dec. 22at the Veterans Home of California in Redding. Arrangements are under the direction of Hoyt-Cole Chapel of the Flowers. Published Thursday, Dec. 24, 2015in the Daily News, Red Bluff, California. Risley: Janice Louise Risley, 74, of Corning died Tuesday, Dec. 22at St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff. Arrangements are under the direction of Red Bluff Simple Cremations & Burial Service. Published Thursday, Dec. 24, 2015in the Daily News, Red Bluff, California. Death notices must be provided by mortuaries to the news department, are published at no charge, and feature only specific basic information about the deceased. Paid obituaries are placed through the Classified advertising department. Paid obituaries may be placed by mortuaries or by families of the deceased and include online publication linked to the newspaper's website. Paid obituaries may be of any length, may run multiple days and offer wide latitude of content, including photos. DEATH NOTICES By Humayoon Babur The Associated Press KABUL, AFGHANISTAN The Afghan military has rushed reinforcements to a southern district threat- ened for days with takeover by the Taliban, the coun- try's defense minister said Wednesday as he appealed for stepped-up NATO assis- tance and military support. In a besieged army base in the embattled district of Sangin, an Afghan soldier described a dire situation, saying a handful of Afghan troops inside were fighting to the last, trying to keep the Taliban out. Meanwhile, at an air base outside of Kabul, U.S. troops saluted fallen com- rades during a memorial ceremony Wednesday for sixAmerican soldiers killed in a Taliban attack this week. The six died when a suicide bomber drove his explosives-ladenmotorcycle into a joint NATO-Afghan patrol near the Bagram Air Field on Monday. WORLD Afghan troops rushed to area under Taliban attack The Associated Press ATHENS,GREECE Greek au- thorities say a small plas- tic boat carrying migrants from Turkey to Europe has sunk off an eastern Greek islet drowning at least 13, mostly children. The coast guard says an- other 15 people have been rescued, while a search is underway to locate one missing person. The dead were identified as seven children, four men and two women. The accident occurred before dawn Wednesday off the small Aegean Sea island of Farmakonissi. The cause of the sinking was not im- mediately clear. A day earlier, Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency reported that 11 mi- grants attempting to reach the Greek island of Samos drowned after their boat capsized, including three children. Seven others were rescued. The agency says Turkish coast guards spotted the refugees during a routine patrol. The Geneva-based Inter- national Organization for Migrants says more than 1 million people have entered Europe as of Monday. Al- most all came by sea, while 3,692 drowned in the at- tempt. At least 820,000 refugees and economic migrants have reached Greece's east- ern islands this year. Nearly all have continued north, hoping for a better life in wealthier European coun- tries. 'MOSTLY CHILDREN' At least 13 migrants dead as boat sinks off Greek island By Daniella Cheslow The Associated Press JERUSALEM Two Pales- tinian assailants were shot and killed on Wednesday after stabbing Jewish pe- destrians outside Jerusa- lem's Old City, Israeli po- lice said, the latest in an unrelenting wave of vio- lence that has gripped the region. One Israeli later died from his wounds and an- other man, who was appar- ently wounded by the po- lice as they shot at the Pal- estinian assailants, also died later. Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the at- tack happened outside the city's Jaffa Gate, a popular spot for tourists visiting Je- rusalem's walled Old City. She said police shot both assailants who were later identified as Palestinians in their early 20s from the West Bank. One died at the scene and the second later, in hospital. Three people were seri- ously wounded in the at- tack, two of whom later died. A 45-year-old Is- rael man died from mul- tiple stab wounds, while a 40-year-old man died from gunshot wounds, hospital officials said. Samri had said earlier that one of the wounded may have been shot by police officers who were firing at the Palestin- ian assailants. Since mid-Septem- ber, near-daily Palestin- ian stabbing, shooting and car ramming attacks have killed 20 Israelis and an American student. At least 120 Palestinians have died by Israeli fire in the same period, including 82 said by Israel to be attackers. The rest have been killed in clashes with Israeli se- curity forces. Israel says the violence is a result of a Palestinian campaign of lies and incite- ment. Palestinians say it stems from frustration at nearly five decades of Israeli mil- itary rule. Also Wednesday, the Is- raeli Shin Bet intelligence agency said it had uncov- ered "a wide terrorist in- frastructure" of the mili- tant Islamic group Hamas in the West Bank and Is- rael, directed from Gaza. The agency said it ar- rested 25 suspected Hamas members who operated in the area of Abu Dis east of Jerusalem and in Beth- lehem, in the West Bank. Shin Bet said the militants operated an explosives lab- oratory in Abu Dis, and planned to carry out sui- cide bombings in Israel. Shin Bet said the arrests were made in recent weeks. There was no immediate comment from Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip. MIDDLE EAST 2 Palestinian attackers killed, 2 Israelis die in Jerusalem ELVIRALORRAINEGOSSETT December 27, 1919 ~ December 17, 2015 Elvira was born December 27, 1919 in Minnesota. Elvira Lorraine went to be with the Lord on December 17, 2015. She is preceded in death by her parents, Eric and Anna Moline, brother, Alvin, sisters Ethel, Eleanor, Evelyn and Gertrude, husband Allan O Gossett and grandson Ruben Gossett. She is survived by her daughters, Sharon, Arlene and Son-in-Law Peter Narvaez, sons Allan and David, Daughter-in-Law Anita Gossett, three granddaughters, two grandsons, five great-granddaughters, and one great- grandson plus many family and friends, nephews and nie- ces. Elvira was a proud World War II Veteran and served with the Women's Army Corps in Europe for 29 months during the war. Her military career took her to Africa, Ita- ly and finally Paris, France. Her time in uniform was a major highlight in her life, she made many lifelong friends. After WW2 ended Elvira came to California were she worked for the California Division of Forestry in San Luis Obispo, California. In 1949 she met and married Al- lan O Gossett, head Ranger for the San Luis Obispo Divi- sion of Forestry Unit. Upon Allan's retirement in 1957 El- vira and family moved to Red Bluff, the birthplace of her husband where she obtained employment from the De- partment of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in Red Bluff. Elvira, or Lorraine as she preferred to be called, en- joyed the warm weather Red Bluff offered after growing up in snowy Minnesota as a child. Upon her husband Al- lan passing in 1972 Elvira continued to work until she re- tired in 1985. She remained an active bowler 3 times a week with the senior bowlers league, enjoyed taking ear- ly morning walks and attending Sunday church at the Red Bluff Presbyterian Church where she remained a member until she was no longer able to attend due to health con- cerns. A Memorial Service is scheduled at the Presbyterian Church on Monday, December 28th at 2pm. Instead of flowers the family asks that contributions be made to the Presbyterian church for their special children's program, The family wishes to send a special thank you to St Eliz- abeth Hospital and Brentwood Skilled Nursing Facility doctors, nurses and staff for their caring support of Lor- raine while she was in their care. Obituaries Combining Quality and Low Cost is what we do. www.affordablemortuary.net•529-3655 FD1538 LocatedinChico,CA R ed Bluff Simple Cremations and Burial Service FD1931 527-1732 Burials - Monuments - Preneed 722 Oak Street, Red Bluff THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM |NEWS | 7 A