Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/6735
SACRAMENTO (AP) — The federal govern- ment said Tuesday it will reduce pumping in the delta this week because a threatened fish could be killed by the equipment, a decision that follows two years of limited deliveries that left fallowed fields across the Central Valley. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation intends to shut off one of its five pumps beginning Thurs- day because adult delta smelt swam into the area, said bureau spokesman Pete Lucero. The restrictions to pro- tect the smelt, a finger- sized fish, primarily affect Central Valley farmers and could last until June 30. The federal govern- ment had been pumping at full capacity since Satur- day. That was the day after a federal court judge lifted separate federal pumping restrictions that had been in place to protect salmon. The Sacramento-San Red Bluff Outdoor Power Weather forecast 8B Partly cloudy 59/42 N EWS D AILY DAILY 50¢ WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 10, 2010 Chamber Installation Tri-Counties Showdown 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 Below SPORTS 1B Los Molinos 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 PHYSICIAN REFERRAL A FREE SERVICE PROVIDED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE 1-800-990-9971 CHW North State Region Re-elect Sheriff/Coroner Clay Parker Tri-Tip & Chicken Dinner • Auction FEBRUARY 20, 2010 • 6:00PM $ 20 00 Donation • No Host Bar • Door Prizes Tehama District Fairgrounds Cafeteria FOR TICKETS CALL 527-9129 or www.sheriffparker.com Paid Political Advertisement Paid for by Sheriff/Coroner Clay Parker Re-Election Committee Shirley Wheeler, Treasurer 595-4418 Intermediate EXCEL Class Tues., Feb. 16 TH 8:30 am to 12:30 pm Job Training Center 718 Main St., Red Bluff Call 529-7000 Cost: $65.00 per person Business Connections Has added another service! LIVE SCAN FINGERPRINTING With results electronically sent to DOJ & FBI Appointments and/or walk-ins. 332 Pine St., Red Bluff 527-6229 Since 1979 Sheriff: Much ado about memo By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer A Tehama County Sheriff's memo asking officers to refer requests from Don Bird to place Assemblyman Jim Nielsen under citizen's arrest to Sheriff Clay Parker has become an issue recently. In regards to the memo, Parker said, "basically, some people just like to make a big stink out of nothing." Bird is trying to put Nielsen under citizen's arrest to get him removed from office. "I will be attempting a citi- zen's arrest for Assemblyman Jim Nielsen," Bird wrote in a December 2009 letter-to-the editor. "I have met all the crite- ria of the California Penal Code, and I alone will choose the time and place. The proba- ble cause required is the proof we have that Nielsen committed perjury and fraud when he filed to seek elected office in the Sec- ond Assembly District on June 3, 2008." Bird is a Rancho Tehama resident who has launched sev- eral failed attempts to put the recall of various local officials, including the district attorney and county judges on ballots. He claims Nielsen committed voter fraud when he declared his candidacy for the District 2 seat because he doesn't live in the district. Nielsen owns a home and claims residency in Gerber. No evidence has been presented that he resides in the home. Nielsen owns and resides a home in Woodland, which is outside the district. In previous attempts to 'I don't want my guys to be dragged into this. I don't want them to end up getting sued for arresting (Nielsen) over something the Attorney General already said there is no probable cause for' Sheriff Clay Parker Road relief Daily News photo by Geoff Johnson A car drives along Lake California Drive, a county road residents say is too narrow and bumpy and prone to flooding. They have pledged to help the county find funding to repair it. By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer COTTONWOOD — The road to Lake California is too narrow to accommodate two school buses. Just 105 inches wide, neither lane can accommodate a school bus, which, counting rear-view mirrors, stretches out to 112 inches, according to Steve Fitch, who serves on Lake California's Property Owners Gov- ernment Liason committee. The 2.6 miles of curvy road connecting Interstate 5 to the private community of Lake California are worn with Man breaks into school By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer A paroled Red Bluff man broke into a Bidwell Ele- mentary School classroom early Tuesday and slept until he was discovered by staff, just 15 minutes before school was supposed to begin. Officers had initially responded to the school around 2:40 a.m. when a burglar alarm sounded, according to Los Molinos Chamber leaders take helm By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer LOS MOLINOS – The Los Molinos Chamber of Commerce Installed its 2010 officers and pre- sented both business and volunteer of the year awards Monday night at the Los Molinos Veterans Memori- al Hall. Jeannie Shakeshaft represents Umpqua Bank, which won Busi- ness of the Year, and Chamber Pres- ident Betty Morales, installed for her fourth term, was honored as Volunteer of the Year. Certificates were presented by Ralph Keeley, representing Rep. Wally Herger and State Sen. Sam Aanestad, and Mark Spannagel, representing Assemblyman Jim Nielsen. Morales made a special mention of a group of several chamber mem- Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb Officers of the 2010 Los Molinos Chamber of Commerce are sworn in Monday by retired Judge Noel Watkins. Feds reduce pumping water to protect fish See MEMO, page 7A See SCHOOL, page 7A See ROAD, page 7A Gap for retiree health care grows to $52B SACRAMENTO (AP) — The state controller's office on Tuesday found that California taxpayers are on the hook for more state government retiree health benefits than previ- ously thought. Controller John Chi- ang's office issued a report showing the growing divide between what the state owes retirees for health and dental benefits and what it has saved so far. The gap has grown to nearly $52 billion, about $3.6 billion over last year's estimate. Chiang, a Democrat, suggested the state can reduce its obligation by switching from a pay-as- you-go formula to a full- funding approach, which involves setting aside more money now so the state can use investment income to pay for future benefits. The report comes as the state is struggling to pay for core services such as public schools and universities. ''Even as we try to claw our way out of the recession and provide needed cash to the state's coffers, we cannot ignore the promise that we made to pay health and dental benefits for cur- rent state employees,'' Chiang said in a state- ment. ''I urge lawmakers to reduce the impact on future generations by putting additional dollars into the annual payments so that we can invest those funds.'' See CHAMBER, page 7A See WATER, page 7A