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ByJulieZeeb jzeeb@redbluffdailynews.com @DN_Zeeb on Twitter REDBLUFF Asombercrowdgath- ered Thursday at the Caltrans sta- tion in Red Bluff to remember the lives of 14 people from Dis- trict Two, which includes Tehama County, at a memorial ceremony honoring those who have fallen in the line of duty in service to the people of California. Caltrans District Two Deputy District Director of Maintenance and Operations Don Anderson welcomed the crowd as two Cal- trans employees brought in the American flag and the California state flag. Mercy High School stu- dentEmiliaGrayperformedthena- tional anthem. CHP Officer Briar Segal played Taps on the trumpet during the calling of the names. MEMORIAL CEREMONY Caltrans remembers District Two employees By Michael R. Blood The Associated Press LOSANGELES California's Repub- lican Party convention will be an early test for Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and John Kasich in a state whose June election could hold the decisive delegates in the fight for the party's presidential nom- ination. Trump, who has seized front- runner status as a political out- sider, will be speaking Friday out- side San Francisco to hundreds of longtime GOP insiders — the ac- tivists, grassroots organizers and elected officials who make up the core of the state party. Kasich also speaks Friday, while Cruz and his choice for running mate, Carly Fiorina, speak Saturday. The reception Trump in par- ticular receives will be notewor- thy: the billionaire businessman known for his boisterous public rallies rarely speaks to Republi- can establishment groups, and ELECTION Trump, Cruz face early test By Margaret Baum Daily News correspondent SACRAMENTO The mother of the 14-year-old Red Bluff girl mur- dered in 2013 was one of several witnesses to testify in a Sacra- mento courtroom Thursday. Dianne Whitmire was the first witness called in the Quentin Ray Bealer trial. Bealer, 42, is charged with homicide in the strangling death of Marysa Nichols, who was found half a mile behind Red Bluff High School Feb. 28, 2013. "Marysa was always home around 2:30 p.m., if she was going to be late she was supposed to call my husband or I and she always did this," Whitmire told the jury during her emotional testimony. According to Whitmire, when she arrived home around 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 26, 2013, Marysa's sis- ter, Sarah told her Marysa hadn't come home yet. "At that point, I went to the high school looking for her before try- ing a few of her friends' houses," Whitmire said. "She had to meet with her teacher for the educa- tional outreach program she was a part of and then was going to meet her friends for lunch like she nor- mally did before band practice." Whitmire explained she had dropped Marysa off that morning with the intention that she would walk her normal path home from school. Whitmire said the path took about 12 minutes for her to walk and she knew the timing because she had walked it with Marysa before agreeing to let her walk that way home on her own. Whitmire and her husband Curtis were questioned about the events of the week Marysa went missing by both the prosecution and the defense. Cigarette butts were found in Marysa's room, but Dianne and Curtis both stated they belonged to Curtis. Bealer's attorney, Shon Northam, called into question where the butts came from stat- ing that Dianne previously said she didn't know where they came from, but testified Thursday that they belonged to Curtis. "Marysa hated smoking, she was always drilling us (him and his wife) about the cons and health risks," Curtis told the jury. "Those are mine," Curtis said af- ter seeing a photo of the ciga- rette butts on the desk in Mary- sa's room." BEALER TRIAL Firstwitnessestakethestand Staff Report CORNING The cause of a late night fire reported about 10:45 a.m. Wednesday at the Eco Shell manufacturer in the Corning area of Highway 99W cross of Orangewood Road is under investigation and crews are still on scene as of noon, according to Cal Fire. Engines arrived on scene about 11 p.m. with the first re- sponders on scene reporting heavy smoke showing from a 10,000 square foot building housing Eco Shell, 5230 Grange Road, said Cal Fire Public In- formation Officer Kevin Col- burn. The company, which makes items such as wood pel- lets and kitty liter from walnut shells, had workers on-scene, but all were able to get out without injury, he said. The crews were in the pro- cess of continuing mop-up ef- forts with occasional flare-ups from the fire still taking place around noon and work was ex- pected to continue for at least a few hours more with five addi- tional engines ordered for the day shift, Colburn said. Due to the highly combusti- ble material used at the busi- ness, which is finely ground and whole walnut shell pieces, firefighters continued to keep items near the flames wet to avoid more damages. Damage estimates were not available yet, but the heat was intense enough to bend metal in some spots. The wall to the structure began to peel off from the top at around 9:30 a.m. as black smoke and flames poured out of the building. Al- though the fire is contained to the one building the first struc- ture to go was a trailer next to the building used as an of- fice space. All the firefighters where called out of the building as the black smoke engulfed the building and became unsafe. The Corning Fire Department continued efforts from the lad- der truck to attempt to put the fire on the roof out. The building contained the business' paper products, plas- tic products and empty pack- aging, among other things. Responding units included Corning Fire, Red Bluff Fire, Cal Fire and Tehama County Fire with a total of 11 engines, seven water tenders and two ladder trucks. Butte County Fire engines and Shasta County Fire engines came to assist in the efforts to contain the fire as well. Orland Fire De- partment arrived on scene at 10:50 a.m. Nothing further was avail- able at this time. CORNING LATE NIGHT FIRE DAMAGES ECO SHELL MANUFACTURER Community.....A2 Education........A4 Opinion............A6 Weather..........A8 Sports..............B1 Lifestyles........B3 Index...............## INDEX Have a great day, Mark Sipes! GOOD MORNING D DowJonesIndustrial 17,830.76 (-210.79) D Standard & Poor's 2075.81 (-19.34) D Nasdaq 4805.29 (-57.85) BUSINESS Three closely tied to couple responsible for terrorist attack arrested in alleged marriage fraud scheme. PAGE A5 SAN BERNARDINO Brother,othersrelated to shooters arrested Initiative to tighten restric- tions on ammo and gun pur- chases pending for this year's California ballot. PAGE A7 CALIFORNIA BALLOT Signatures readied to qualify gun measure Web bonus For more news and opinion. redbluffdailynews.com CORNING CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT — CONTRIBUTED Flames and smoke emerge from a 10,000square foot building housing Eco Shell. HEATHER HOELSCHER — DAILY NEWS A fire broke out Wednesday at about 11p.m. at the Eco Shell manufacturer at 5230Grange Road, Corning. As of noon Thursday the fire was not contained. CALTRANS PAGE 7 GOP PAGE 7 TRIAL PAGE 7 » redbluffdailynews.com Friday, April 29, 2016 50CENTS AN EDITION OF THE CHICO ENTERPRISE-RECORD Baseball Red Bluff Spartans shut out Enterprise Sports B1 Fishing Red Bluff Bass Anglers hold tournament Community A3 Grow?Ranchorride? Readaboutlocalandnational Ag, rural, ranch and rodeo news and commentary. VISIT REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM/ RODEO DOYOU RODEO? Volume131,issue116 7 58551 69001 9 P/sunny High: Low: 81 55 PAGE A8 Check out what's going on in your neighborhood and the community. PAGE A2 LOCAL CALENDAR