Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/620871
vehicles. Installing exterior lights, such as motion lights are helpful, said Sgt. Scott Curtis in the release. He recently upgraded the motion light on his own house and bought an ad- ditional cordless solar powered motion light for around $40 at a local store. "To protect our homes and vehicles the best thing to do is help each other," Curtis said. "Replacing light bulbs and paying at- tention to pedestrian foot traffic and vehicles in a neighborhood are great ways to protect the com- munity." Another way to prevent theft is alerting neighbors if a garage door open or another item that could be subject to theft is left open, the release said. Curtis suggests joining or starting a neighborhood watch program. For more information on how to get started or how to better secure or protect homes, vehicles or businesses, call 527-3131 or write Curtis at scurtis@ rdpd.org. Crime FROMPAGE1 fective. The two City Council meetings in January will include the two public hearings for this item so to meet the city's statutory obligations, Friend said. "The idea of our zon- ing code is to protect the safety and welfare of the citizens of Red Bluff," Crab- tree said. Homicides related to marijuana use and activity have been a problem in the county, Crabtree said. This will simply ban all uses of marijuana. Planning Commission Chairman Doug Dale voted no on the matter because he said this will not help the police department, the courts or the jail. Commissioners Dustin Maria, Andrew Christ and Jean Moran voted yes. Dave Dhugge did not at- tend the meeting. Pot FROM PAGE 1 By Rachel La Corte TheAssociatedPress OLYMPIA, WASH. A Wash- ington state prisoner mis- takenly released early be- cause of a computer error has been charged with kill- ing his girlfriend in a car crash when he should have been behind bars, officials said Monday. The revelation comes a week after Gov. Jay Inslee announced that a software coding error led as many as 3,200 offenders to be wrongly released early since 2002. He has ordered a re- view of prisoner releases ahead of a broad fix to the software problem, which is expected early next month. One of those freed was Robert Jackson, 38, who walked out of prison four months too soon, on Aug. 10. He had been convicted of robbery with a deadly weapon and should have been released Dec. 6. During that time, he fled from a Nov. 11 wreck in Bel- levue that killed girlfriend Lindsay Hill, 35, who was riding in the car he was driving, according to pros- ecutors and Department of Corrections officials. Jackson has been charged with vehicular ho- micide and felony hit-and- run and is being held in jail on $2 million bail, prosecu- tors said. Department Secretary Dan Pacholke said he apol- ogized to Hill's family on Sunday. "Nothing I can say will bring back Ms. Hill. I deeply regret that this happened," Pacholke said in a written statement. Inslee called the news "absolutely gut-wrenching and heart-breaking." "There is nothing that can right this horrible wrong," Inslee said in a written statement. "We must make sure nothing like this happens again." More than two dozen offenders erroneously re- leased since June poten- tially need to be arrested and returned to prison be- cause of an error the agency made on calculating sen- tences, officials said last week. They had said three of those prisoners had com- mitted new crimes, but they downgraded that number to two on Monday, which includes Jackson. They are searching for another offender who committed crimes during the period he should have been incar- cerated, but they did not re- lease his name. Officials also are review- ing records to find any ad- ditional offenders who may have committed new crimes. Five prisoners released in error since June already are back behind bars. An addi- tional 3,000 who are still in- carcerated had inaccurate release dates. Officials have said most of the errors were 100 days or less. In some cases, in- mates were released just a few days early, but at least one person who is still in- carcerated had a release date that was off by about 600 days. The mistake followed a 2002 state Supreme Court ruling requiring the De- partment of Corrections to apply good-behavior cred- its earned in county jail to state prison sentences. But the programming fix ended up giving prisoners with sentencing enhance- ments too much so-called good time credit. Sentencing enhance- ments include additional prison time given for cer- tain crimes, such those us- ing firearms. Under state law, prisoners who get ex- tra time for sentencing en- hancements cannot have it reduced for good behavior. Inslee has told correc- tions officials to stop re- leasing prisoners affected by the glitch until a hand calculation ensures the of- fender is being released on the correct date. A victim's family alerted the Department of Correc- tions to the error in De- cember 2012 after learning of a prisoner's imminent release. The family did its own calculations and found he was being credited with too much time. The agency consulted with attorneys regarding the error that month and scheduled a fix for the pro- gram, but it was repeat- edly delayed and ultimately never done. Pacholke said he didn't learn of the error until earlier this month, at which point the governor's office was notified. Two retired federal pros- ecutors are conducting an independent investigation to determine why the error occurred and went unfixed for more than 13 years. Another state Supreme Court ruling credits time out of prison to the sen- tences of those mistakenly released early, so most of the affected offenders won't have to go back to prison. WASHINGTON STATE Prisoner freed early charged in deadly crash ELAINETHOMPSON—THEASSOCIATEDPRESSFILE Inmates walk past correctional officers at the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton, Wash. The Associated Press VENTURA Ventura County fire authorities have slightly increased the size of the coastal area burned by a wind-driven brush fire over the week- end. The Fire Department said Monday that more accurate mapping shows 1,388 acres were charred on the hilly Solimar Beach coast, up from an earlier estimate of 1,230 acres. Containment lines have been established around 87 percent of the area and full control is expected Tuesday. Fire crews continue to extinguish smoldering spots but the number of firefighters on the line is being reduced. A small contingent will remain to patrol the area, especially when gusty winds return Monday night into Tuesday. Power lines arcing in high winds Friday night ignited the fire, which for a time shut down U.S. 101 and Pacific Coast High- way. BLAZE Firefighters mop up Ventura coast brush fire The Associated Press SACRAMENTO Gov. Jerry Brown has promoted a corrections staffer as the next secretary of the Cali- fornia Department of Cor- rections and Rehabilita- tion. Brown's office an- nounced Monday that Un- dersecretary of Opera- tions Scott Kernan would take over leadership of the prison system. Current Secretary Jef- frey Beard said earlier this month that he would de- part the post on Jan. 1. Beard oversaw the state prison system dur- ing a time of transforma- tion, as the population has dramatically shrunk in re- sponse to federal court or- ders and voters' wishes. He served for three years. Brown says the new chief, Kernan, started as a California corrections offi- cer in 1983 and has worked his way up through man- agement. The state Senate must confirm the nomination of the 55-year-old Kernan, who is a Republican. His salary will be $243,360. PRISONS Br ow n na me s Sco tt K er na n to head state corrections The Associated Press LOS ANGELES Southern California Gas Co. offi- cials say they have pin- pointed the specific well that for weeks has spewed noxious odors into an up- scale Los Angeles neigh- borhood, prompting thou- sands of people to leave their homes over the hol- idays. The utility company said Sunday it found the natural gas well, out of 115 in the area, with the use of a magnetic rang- ing tool that allows work- ers on the surface to lo- cate underground targets as small as 7 inches in di- ameter. Workers still aren't sure exactly where the 8,700- foot well was breached but suspect it was some- where within the first sev- eral hundred feet, Gas Co. spokeswoman Anne Silva said. The workers are dig- ging a relief well in the area that they eventually plan to link to the dam- aged well. They will then flood the leaking well with cement and perma- nently plug it. Officials say that work could take un- til March. Since the well began leaking Oct. 23, thou- sands of people in the Porter Ranch area say they have suffered head- aches, nosebleeds, nau- sea and other symptoms from the escaping gas. The smell comes from an additive called mercaptan that is used to warn peo- ple of leaking natural gas, which is ordinarily odor- less. The Gas Co. is paying to relocate those who say they are being sickened. So far, Silva said, the utility has placed 2,258 families in temporary housing, while 111 oth- ers staying with family or friends are being com- pensated. More than 3,000 others are in the process of being relocated. Porter Ranch is a bu- colic community of large, stately homes in the foot- hills of the north San Fer- nando Valley. It is home to about 30,000 people and includes parks and hiking trails. The gas is coming from an underground stor- age area more than 8,000 feet deep that can hold as much as 86 billion cubic feet. NOXIOUS LEAK Ga s co mp a ny p in po in ts well spewing odor over Lo s An ge le s fo r we ek s The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO San Francisco's city attorney is demanding that Justin Bieber's music publisher help determine who is re- sponsible for sidewalk graf- fiti promoting the pop star's latest album. City attorney Dennis Her- rera sent a letter to Univer- sal Music Group on Monday, saying the graffiti appears to have been applied with spray paint that has not come off even after recent rainstorms. That contrasts with other recent sidewalk marketing campaigns that have used chalk, according to Herrera. Herrera said public works crews have removed some of the graffiti at great expense, although he did not provide a figure. The city attorney's office released photographs of eight instances of the graffiti and asked for Uni- versal's help in determining its full scope. Emails seeking com- ment from representatives of Universal Music Group were not immediately re- turned. The graffiti promoting Bieber's new album, "Pur- pose," has been found in Haight-Ashbury and other neighborhoods. City offi- cials have received com- plaints about it, Herrera said. "This prohibited mar- keting practice illegally ex- ploits our city's walkable neighborhoods and robust tourism, intentionally cre- ates visual distractions that pose risks to pedestrians on busy rights of way, and ir- responsibly tells our youth that likeminded lawless- ness and contempt for pub- lic property are condoned and encouraged by its ben- eficiaries," Herrera said in his letter. Herrera's office previ- ously went after a 2010 mar- keting campaign that glued decals of fake $25,000 bills to city sidewalks to promote an online game. An advertising agency agreed to pay the city a $45,000 penalty for the de- cals. CRIME San Francisco wants help in Bieber graffiti probe SAN FRANCISCO CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE Justin Bieber graffiti is seen on a San Francisco street on Saturday that was part of a widespread and illegal "guerrilla marketing" campaign promoting the Nov. 13 release of the pop star's new album, "Purpose." Fernandez: Evelyn Delo- res Fernandez, 90, of Los Molinos died Saturday, Dec. 26at St. Elizabeth Commu- nity Hospital in Red Bluff. Arrangements are under the direction of Red Bluff Simple Cremations & Burial Service. Published Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015in the Daily News, Red Bluff, California. Foster: Jimmy Dale Foster, 63, of Cottonwood Monday, Dec. 28at his residence. Arrangements are under the direction of Blair's Crema- tion & Burial in Redding. Published Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015in the Daily News, Red Bluff, California. Masuen: Robert Masuen, 78, of Cottonwood died Thursday, Dec. 24at Mercy Medical Center in Redding. Arrangements are under the direction of Blair's Crema- tion & Burial in Redding. Published Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015in the Daily News, Red Bluff, California. Mooney: Alfred Mooney, 75, of Corning Friday, Dec. 25at his residence. Ar- rangements are under the direction of Blair's Crema- tion & Burial in Redding. Published Tuesday, Dec. 29, 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 The Associated Press LOSANGELES Wealthy Chi- nese undergraduates aren't the only ones looking to get a college degree in the U.S. So are a growing number of Chinese students from lower middle-class families who are enrolling in com- munitycolleges.Thenumber of Chinese students in U.S. community colleges has in- creased from 2,500 in 2007 tomorethan16,200,TheLos Angeles Times reported. EDUCATION More Chinese students seeking US community college degrees We Don'tThink Cr emation Should Cost So much. 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 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2015 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM |NEWS | 7 A