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WEDNESDAY APRIL 21, 2010 Breaking news at: CUHS Dance Show Nears Community www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 2A RED BLUFF Schedule Released SPORTS 1B Chance of showers 59/46 Weather forecast 8B By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer Local medical marijuana advocates plan to collect signa- tures beginning at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Comfort Inn at 90 Sale Lane in Red Bluff for a class action lawsuit against the county. 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 Law suit planned over pot restrictions Ken Prather, owner of Tehama Herbal Collective in Corning, said his suit will target the county’s medical marijuana ordinance, which limits the number of plants that can be grown depending on parcel size and requires growers to register with the county. “Plaintiffs should be valid Tehama County patients or caregivers whose right to culti- vate is compromised by the ordinance,” Prather wrote in an e-mail to the Daily News. The suit has the backing of the California branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, a non-profit lobbying group dedi- cated to marijuana legalization, Prather said. Calls to CalNORML Direc- tor Dale Gieringer and E.D. Lerman Law Offices, the latter of whom Prather said would be representing him in the suit, were not returned Tuesday afternoon. County Counsel Arthur Wylene said he could not com- ment on pending litigation, but was confident the county’s pol- icy could withstand legal chal- lenges. The ordinance passed the Board of Supervisors 4-1 on April 6 and has yet to take effect. See SUIT, page 7A Blade runner Spring monster trucks a no go By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer Monster trucks will not roar into Red Bluff in May after all, but whether the show is canceled or postponed is up in the air. “I personally fought to get them here so I probably feel more disappointed than the rest of us,” Tehama District Fair CEO Mark Eidman said at Tuesday’s fair board meeting. Dave Matthews, a Feld Entertainment, Inc. repre- sentative, sent in a Request For Proposal, which is like a bid, along with four other companies when the Fair See TRUCKS, page 7A Pot fee moves a step closer By GEOFF JOHNSON Daily News photo by Tang Lor Wind turbine blades that will become a part of a wind power project in Burney are unloaded from the first of three trains Tuesday in Gerber. Once all the parts arrive and the project gets under way, the parts will be loaded on trucks and taken to the project site, said Project Coordinator Amber Jennings of Siemens, which manufactured the parts. The 45-meter blades, about 148 feet, and other components will most likely stay in Gerber until mid-May when Padoma, a La Jolla-based wind energy development company, starts work on the Burney wind farm. Major crime drops for fourth year By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer Major crimes were down for the fourth year in a row at the Sheriff’s Department, even as its budget shrunk and calls grew. Marijuana arrests more than doubled in 2009, reach- ing 41, compared to 2008’s 16, according to the depart- ment’s annual report. Violence and theft both had lesser showings in 2009. Major crimes include homicide, rape, robbery, assault, burglary and theft. Sheriff Clay Parker attributed the increase in phone calls the department received to coroner and animal control responsibilities it absorbed in 2007. The decrease in major crimes can be attributed to a four-pronged approach relying on prevention, educa- tion and intervention, with incarceration used as a last resort, Parker said. “I have to give credit to the 115 men and women of this office who give it their all,” Parker said. “But about eight years ago, I realized going out and arresting peo- ple wasn’t doing it.” Neighborhood watch programs, the Sheriff's Team of Active and Retired Seniors and alert residents make up the prevention portion, while enrolling children in preschool and after-school programs constitutes the education portion, Parker said. “We all know if we can prevent kids from getting involved in crime in the first place, we can save money in the long run,” he said. See CRIME, page 7A Red Bluff Outdoor Power 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 DN Staff Writer Tehama County moved closer to enforcing a con- troversial medical mari- juana ordinance Tuesday when supervisors voted to hold a public hearing and vote on registration fees for growers on May 4. One of the provisions in an ordinance passed on April 6 requires the own- ers of medical marijuana gardens to register with the county’s Health Ser- vices Agency. A proposal by the HSA to be considered at the May 4 meeting of the supervisors could put that fee at $40, just enough to cover the estimated cost of county expenses, which would include checking doctor’s recom- mendations and confirm- ing the applicant either owns the property or has the permission of the landlord. Applicants would be required to disclose the names of qualified patients and caregivers, though the fee would only be charged once per gar- den. The fee is based on the theory 100 people will be registering their gardens over the next year, HSA Director Valerie Lucero said. If costs turn out to be exceptionally higher or See FEE, page 7A Child Abuse Prevention Month By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer Show support for the children of Tehama Coun- ty by displaying blue rib- bons during April, which is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Child abuse and neglect affect children of all ages, races and incomes, said Lavonne Fawver, Tehama County Child Abuse Prevention Council coordinator at the Red Bluff Family Resource Center. The blue ribbon is the international sign for child abuse pre- vention and serves as a constant reminder that everyone has a responsi- bility to help keep chil- dren safe. The adage, it takes a See ABUSE, page 7A Courtesy photo Decorating the tree in front of the Red Bluff Family Resource center with blue ribbon for Child Abuse Prevention Month are Lavonne Fawver, child abuse prevention coordinator, Michelle Adams and Brenda Jauregui with the Family Visitation Center. PHYSICIAN REFERRAL A FREE SERVICE PROVIDED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE 1-800-990-9971 CHW North State Region EXCLUSIVE! Unpublished photos from the www.redbluffdailynews.com Sign in to Online only at The DAILY NEWS Digital Edition A new photo page follows regular pages from the paper everyday through Saturday!