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AUGUST 11-12 2012 WEEKEND Bad Boy Becomes Canine Hero Pets Page 6A RED BLUFF Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com Sunny 108/67 Weather forecast 10B DAILYNEWS TEHAMACOUNTY $1.00 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 Woman fights off rape attempt A 28-year old woman reported she was sexually assaulted shortly after midnight Friday near the railroad trestle by Willow Street. The woman told police officers she was walking home from the Round-Up bar when a man jumped out at her and pushed her to the ground. The woman said the man climbed on top of her and began to pull her hair and tear at her shirt in an attempt to sexually assault her. The victim said she was able to fight off the man by hitting and kicking him. She fled to Circle K where she told the clerk to call See RAPE, page 9A Priest catches man robbing his home old convicted burglar who was released from jail seven weeks ago because there wasn't enough room for him was caught by a Red Bluff priest robbing his church resi- dence Wednes- day night. A 32-year- police to arrive. Westbrook Rev. Eugenio Lopez came home to find the back door of his residence at Sacred Heart Catholic Church forced open, according to a Red Bluff Police Department press release. About 9:30 p.m. the ransacked residence and heard somebody walking around on the second floor. He called 911 and stepped outside to wait for Lopez went inside the property and ran away. When Lopez described the man to the police, they identified him as Andrew Westbrook. Westbrook, who is on Post Release Community Supervision, had been arrested on June 20 for reportedly stealing from vehicles near the Cone and Kimball Clock Tower. Although the Tehama County Probation Depart- was waiting, a man emerged from the front of the house carrying some of Lopez's property . Lopez con- fronted the man, who dropped the While he Daily News photo by Rich Greene The Red Bluff Auto Center sales staff waits for customers.The dealership opened Monday at the site of the former Helser Chevrolet on Adobe Road near Interstate 5. By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer It's been two full years, but the lot at 545 Adobe Road is full again. See PRIEST, page 9A Red Bluff Auto Center opened its doors Monday at the site of the former Helser Chevrolet dealer- ship, which went out of business in August 2010. The new dealership is an exten- sion of Benny Brown's automobile empire. Brown is separating his Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram division from Corning Ford. Red Bluff Auto Center General Manager Steve Long said Brown wanted a presence in Red Bluff again and wanted to simplify mat- ters for his Corning dealership. Mercy to open under new leadership By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer He may have started out as a broadcast journal- ist, but when school starts on Aug. 20, Paul Weber will be the new principal at Mercy High School in Red Bluff. "I always wanted to be a teacher, but back then it was a time like now where it was hard to get a teaching job," Weber said. Originally from a farming family in the community of Capay, Weber has been a farmer of prunes, almonds an walnuts and he and his wife had a small dairy cat- tle operation. Weber has been mar- ried to his wife, Glenys, for 38 years and the cou- ple has two children, Johnathn and Samantha. Weber, who spent time as a history major, received his degree in broadcast journalism from California State University, Chico in 1976 Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb Mercy High School will start the 2012-2013 school year with a new principal, Paul Weber, pictured here in the court yard of the school. and spent a few years in the field, but ultimately decided to go back and get his teaching creden- tial. "We had a dairy and one morning about 5 a.m. around Christmas time we had this rare snow storm and the cows were com- ing in with a dusting of snow on their back and I decided there had to be something else to do," Weber said. "So I went back to (the dream of) teaching." Weber spent five years teaching before he made a decision to move to the administrative level. "I enjoyed teaching, but administration more matched my skill sets," Weber said. "I got to work with a lot of people, including parents, teach- ers, the community, parishioners. I enjoy the planning. It's a challenge to be a problem solver." Weber has worked at Saint Thomas School in Oroville and Saint Thomas Moore in Par- adise and spent 12 years in public education in the Paradise Unified School District and at Chico Country Day School. "I haven't done high school before, but I have always enjoyed the upper grades," Weber said. "I have missed the family environment of a small school and being able to talk about God and reli- gious beliefs to help the kids grow." Weber says he also forward to being able to learn about the school. See MERCY, page 9A enjoys that at a smaller school there are more opportunities for students to get involved in a vari- ety of activities, from choir to sports and the school play . Weber said he looks The auto center provides not just another dealership, but a clos- er Chrysler full-service shop for Red Bluff residents and a much needed boost for the city's tax streams. The boost comes not just from the dealership, but from the employees themselves. See LOT, page 9A Fires rage on as costs soar grown to more than 20,000 acres and is estimated to have already cost $7.7 million to fight. To the north the Reading Wildfire has grown to 9,063 acres and stretched from Lassen Volcanic Nation- al Park into the Lassen National Forest. It's early cost estimates are $1.5 million. Reading Fire Late Thursday, a spot fire was established at the base The Chips Fire in the Plumas National Forest has of West Prospect Peak as the fire began moving toward the area as well as Raker Peak. The fire crossed into the Lassen National Forest around Badger Mountain. Crews have been successful holding control lines and are mopping up along the fire's edge along High- way 89, which remains closed between Crags Camp- ground to Kings Creek. Numerous trails and some for- est service roads south of Highway 44 and east of High- way 89 are closed. Smoke impacts will continue for the foreseeable future as the fire burns mixed conifer and red fir over- story with pine mat manzanita. The fire was sparked by a lightning strike July 23. Chips Fire Firefighters were fighting two new spot fires Friday from the mammoth 20,040-acre Chips Fire that has reached Highway 70. The two spot fires aren't the only problems facing fire crews as they continue to work in a searing heat wave. The fire is now 16 percent contained and full containment is hoped for Aug. 31. The incident command post is moving from Quincy and will combine with the other camp at Lake Almanor Day Use Area on Highway 89. See FIRES, page 9A Back on the lot