Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/621600
ByRichPedroncelli and Scott Smith TheAssociatedPress ECHOSUMMIT Thewatercontent of the Sierra Nevada snowpack in drought-stricken California was 136 percent of normal Wednesday when officials took the winter's first manual survey — an encour- aging result after nearly no snow was found at the site in April. The latest snow level is a good sign, "but that's it — it's a start," said Frank Gehrke, chief of the California Cooperative Snow Sur- veys Program for the Department of Water Resources. Afterfouryearsofdrought,Geh- rke plunged a measuring pole into a thick field of snow in the Central Sierra, which includes Lake Tahoe. His survey followed an electronic measurement last week that put the water content of the snowpack at112percentofnormal.Evenmore snow has fallen since then. SIERRA NEVADA Ca li fo rn ia snowpack at 13 6 pe rc en t of normal By Julie Zeeb jzeeb@redbluffdailynews.com @DN_Zeeb on Twitter RED BLUFF Police were dis- patched about 9:15 p.m. Tuesday to Food Maxx, 476 Belle Mille Road, for reports of an intoxicated woman estimated to be about 50 years old wearing green shorts and a green shirt who reportedly walked out the exit door with al- cohol she hadn't purchased. An officer responded to the theft and contacted the woman af- ter she was pointed out as the sus- pect by store employees, according to a Red Bluff Police press release. As the officer attempted to de- tain the suspect for further inves- tigation, the woman kicked the of- ficer and grabbed onto her duty belt, at which time store employ- ees assisted the officer in securing the woman on the ground. FOOD MAXX Woman attempts the of malt liquor By Heather Hoelscher hhoelscher@redbluffdailynews.com @DN_Heather on Twitter RED BLUFF The 25th Annual Di- amond W National Bullriding Championships event is scheduled for tonight, Dec. 31, at the Tehama District Fairground's Pauline Da- vis Pavilion, 650 Antelope Blvd. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the pre-rodeo events begin at 7:30 p.m. Opening ceremonies are scheduled to start at 8 p.m. There will be a midnight cash drop at the New Year's Eve dance following the bull riding. The dance begins at 10:30 p.m. and is free for all who purchased tickets for the bull riding competition. Tickets are available at The Loft at 501 Madison St. and Crossroads Feed and Ranch Supply at 595 An- telope Blvd., for ringside seats at $35 and grandstand seats at $25 when purchased in advance. Chil- dren 10 years old and younger get in free in the grandstands. Tick- ets are available for purchase at dpshows.com. Beyond the bull riding cham- pionship event people attend- ing can enjoy mutton busting, calf riding, kids calf chase, sad- dle bronc riding, bareback riding, the Portuguese bull grabbers, ven- dors and a full concession stand. Diamond Productions has been producing events in northern Cal- ifornia since 1988, said KT Tenne- son, associate producer. DIAMOND PRODUCTIONS Bullridingchampionshipstonight BoBacigalupi took first place Dec. 31, 2012 at the Diamond W NBC New Year's Eve Bullride with 80points, winning $1,046.80. CONTRIBUTED BY DUSTIN DAVIS OLSON By Julie Zeeb jzeeb@redbluffdailynews.com @DN_Zeeb on Twitter RED BLUFF Red Bluff Fire, Po- lice and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. responded about 11:45 a.m. Wednesday to a report of a gas leak somewhere on Luther Road inthevicinityofthenewWalmart Supercenter construction. Evacuations were placed about noon at the First Church of God at the corner of Luther and South Jackson Street along with the area of the construction. Scanner reports indicated there was a three-inch rupture to the line, meaning a break due to pressure, but the leak was caused by construction, PG&E Spokesman Paul Moreno said. Initial scanner traffic at 11:42 a.m. indicated the leak was at the construction site, however, later reports indicated it was near the driveway of the First Church of God. The area was secured with Red Bluff Police setting up closures at Mill and South Jackson streets. PG&E was requested to shut down the gas line with a team dispatched from Redding about noon and an estimated arrival time of an hour. PG&E employ- ees checked the natural gas lev- els in the sewer to the east and west of the leak, including the line to Brookdale Senior Living. The closure was expanded at 12:19 p.m. to include Lu- ther Road east of the Red Bluff Healthcare Center, 555 Luther Road, and Mill Street at Reeds Avenue. At that time, scanner traffic indicated it was not nec- essary to evacuate Brookdale or Red Bluff Healthcare Center. Red Bluff Public Works was requested to assist with the clo- sures. An all call was issued for Red Bluff Fire personnel to re- spond in and cover city head- quarters. PG&E arrived just before 1 p.m. at which time scanner traffic indicated the commit- ment time of fire personnel was about an hour to an hour and a half. Gas was shut off about 1 p.m. with lines pinched so per- sonnel could dig to find the leak and repair it. "This is a contractor dig-in, not a rupture," Moreno said. "A rupture is when a pipe breaks from internal pressure. This was with the contractor using a di- rectional boring machine and it struck a three-inch gas line. More crews are on the way." No additional evacuations were ordered, but there was a plan in place for if evacuations were necessary to send people to the Red Bluff Community Cen- ter, Fire Chief Ray Barber said. A contractor was digging un- der the road when he hit the gas line and gas levels were be- ing monitored in the sewer as well as lines going into Brook- dale and Red Bluff Health Care Center, Barber said. The drain- age systems in the buildings also were being monitored. EVACUATIONS REPORT OF GAS LINE LEAK ON LUTHER ROAD PHOTOS BY JULIE ZEEB — DAILY NEWS Red Bluff Police and Public Works employees block off Luther Road in front of the entrance to the Raley's and Walmart parking lot across from the PG&E building on Wednesday during a gas leak incident. A PG&E truck arrives on scene and crosses through a check point handled by Red Bluff Police and Public Works employees. Traffic was closed off until about 3:30p.m. during the incident. Community.....A3 Lifestyles........A4 Opinion............A6 Sports.............. B1 A+E ..................B4 Weather ..........B8 Index............... ## INDEX Have a great day, Larry Decker. GOOD MORNING D DowJonesIndustrial 17,603.87 (-117.11) D Standard & Poor's 2063.36 (-15.00) D Nasdaq 5065.85 (-42.09) BUSINESS New California laws involve equal pay, gun restrictions, ride-sharing services, other issues. PAGE B6 CALIFORNIA Newlawstaking effect in the new year Several levees monitored in Missouri; death toll rises to 20 as flooding continues. PAGE A8 FLOODING Winter storms in Missouri continue Check out what's going on in your neighborhood and the community. PAGE A2 CALENDAR RIDING PAGE 7 THEFT PAGE 7 SNOWPACK PAGE 7 LEAK PAGE 7 » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, December 31, 2015 50CENTS AN EDITION OF THE CHICO ENTERPRISE-RECORD State Theatre Pam Tillis to perform concert in Red Bluff A & E B4 Tehama County 4-H members pledge service during holidays Lifestyles A4 Grow?Ranchorride? Readaboutlocalandnational Ag, rural, ranch and rodeo news and commentary. VISIT REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM/ RODEO DOYOU RODEO? Volume131,issue30 7 58551 69001 9 Sunny High: Low: 53 30 PAGE B8 Online Find more news on our website. redbluffdailynews.com