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WEEKEND APRIL 17-18, 2010 Breaking news at: Make a Difference USA Weekend www.redbluffdailynews.com See Inside RED BLUFF Taking the 5th SPORTS 1B Partly cloudy 73/47 Weather forecast 8A By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer The change of season and an uptick in job seekers in Northern California pushed Tehama Coun- ty’s unemployment further upward to 17.7 percent in March, breaking February’s record of 17 percent. The state’s unemployment grew during the same period, DAILYNEWS TEHAMACOUNTY DAILY 50¢ 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 Jobless rate hits record high in March from 12.8 percent to 13 percent. County unemployment, first recorded in 1990, reached new heights in January and has climbed every month since, in part because the pool of residents actively looking for employment keeps growing. The latest preliminary statis- tics from the state’s Employment Development Department show 200 more unemployed residents in March, counted because they are looking for work, and 100 fewer employed people. The total available jobs were 0.1 percent higher than in March 2009, but nearly 1,000 more peo- ple were looking for work this year. EDD spokeswoman Sheila Stock said increased competition is a good sign, as it shows an increased faith in the economy, Cowboy up which could lead to increased consumer spending. Farming jobs by far took the biggest hit, losing 150 jobs from February to March, but still holding onto 110 more positions than were available in March 2009. Non-farm jobs saw an overall increase, growing by 60 jobs, including increases in retail trade, transportation, warehous- ing and financial sectors. The county’s rate ties Shasta County, which historically has a higher level of unemployment than Tehama County. Butte County’s unemployment was 15.1 percent, while Glenn Coun- ty’s was 18.1 percent. ——— Geoff Johnson can be reached at 527-2153, extension 114 or gjohnson@redbluffdailynews.com. Man, 83, accused of raping senior By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer Red Bluff Police have arrest- ed an 83-year-old registered sex offender on suspicion of raping a local, 61-year-old woman. Harold Stuard Cudd was reportedly arrested Thursday night on suspicion of unlawful sexual penetration and sexual battery after a woman testified Cudd grabbed her and sexually assaulted her earlier in the day at Cudd See MAN, page 7A Boy severs finger in wood shop class By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer The family of 16- Daily News photos by Chip Thompson The Red Bluff Round-Up got under way Friday night with a full slate of rodeo events and special entertainment, including the Wild Horse Race and the Budwieser Clydesdales. The rodeo action starts today at 1:30 p.m. and continues Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the Tehama District Fairground. Final results should be published in Monday’s edition. Serious about clowning around When CrAsh Cooper steps into the arena, rodeo fans know they could be in for anything. CrAsh is known for his athleticism and in v olving rodeo cowboys in crowd- pleasing stunts. His style of come- dy has made CrAsh one of the most popu- lar rodeo enter- tainers in North Ameri- ca. CrAsh a four-time winner of Cana- da’s Entertainer of the Year, as well as being selected for numerous finals in the USA. He has acted as host of the award Cooper winning television show Cowboy Country. CrAsh’s creativity is not limited to his work in the entertainment indus- try. He is an accomplished Western artist, working out of his studio near the Saskatchewan and Alberta border. His artw ork includes limit- ed edition graphite draw- ings and watercolor paints. He uses both mediums to create poignant reflections of life in the West. On the lighter side, CrAsh is a popular car- toonist. His cartoons are distributed by Leannin' Tree and he is one of that companies top selling artists. 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 year-old Samuel Hoffer, who was injured in a Red Bluff Union High School wood shop acci- dent about 12:40 p.m. Thursday, are grateful for the para- medics and air ambu- lance that responded. Hoffer “Our main thing is we wanted to say thanks for the incredible job the guys did in getting him from the high school to San Francis- co,” said Robert Hoffer, the boy’s father. “They all just cared so much, and the school nurses as well for all the concern they showed.” Samuel and his two best friends were in the wood shop at the school and Hoffer was working on a picture frame for a mirror as a class project when the acci- dent took place, his father said. “He didn’t even feel it,” Hoffer said. “He was push- ing his wood through (a table saw) when he felt something kick back and realized it was his finger.” Hoffer said his wife, Maile, was able to fly along in the air ambu- lance, which only took See BOY, page 7A Corning running out of places to cut By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer CORNING — Police Chief Tony Cardenas and Fire Chief Martin Span- naus weighed in Tuesday on how proposed cuts to deal with the city’s $1 million shortfall would affect their departments. City Manager Steve Kimbrough said there was a consensus on most of the cuts right up to cutting recreation and either two police officers or the city’s fire dispatchers. “Eighty-seven percent of our budget is person- nel,” Cardenas said. “We’ve cut as much as we can for operating and we’re trying our best to think out of the box and save jobs.” As a part of thinking outside the box, Cardenas has offered to go to a part- time position under con- tract with no benefits, saving the city about $97,500. “What I’ve told the officers is let’s work at trying to make it work,” ‘My main concern is a possible reduction in service to the citizens of Corning’ Fire Chief Martin Spannaus Cardenas said. “Saving jobs is critical.” Community Service Officers have offered to do meter reading under a part-time contract with public works to allow a maintenance worker to return to full-time with public works. Cardenas looked at what impacts losing from one to three officers would be. The department has two officers on working 12-hour shifts to cover. A third officer works an overlapping shift during peak times from late afternoon into evening. With one officer removed, the overlap shift would be gone and with two, Detective Mel Alli- son would be doing more detective work and less patrol, Cardenas said. The detective position is funded by a $100,000 California Citizens Option for Public Safety grant, which requires a certain number of hours be dedicated to detective work. With the elimination of a third officer, more over- time would be needed just to cover minimal staffing levels, which could result in officers getting burned out. DUI arrests may take officers off patrol for up to three hours while tak- See CUT, page 7A • “Main Street or Wall Street” banking, which do you want As Local As.... CALL TODAY (530) 529-1222 237 South Main Street • Still offering better than free checking • Now offering Health Savings Accounts • Local decision making • Community Support