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Thursday, November 29, 2012 – Daily News Death Notices Death notices must be provided by mortuaries to the news department, are published at no charge, and feature only specific basic information about the deceased. Paid obituaries are placed through the Classified advertising department. Paid obituaries may be placed by mortuaries or by families of the deceased and include online publication linked to the newspaper's website. Paid obituaries may be of any length, may run multiple days and offer wide latitude of content, including photos. Viola B. Skinner Viola B. Skinner died Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012, at Brentwood Skilled Nursing in Red Bluff. She was 94. Hoyt-Cole Chapel of the Flowers is handling the arrangements. Published Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, in the Daily News, Red Bluff, Calif. Calia Jessa Smith Calia Jessa Smith, an infant, died Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012, at St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff. Hoyt-Cole Chapel of the Flowers is handling the arrangements. Published Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, in the Daily News, Red Bluff, Calif. Arlen C. Thomas Arlen C. Thomas died Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012, at Red Bluff Healthcare in Red Bluff. He was 76. Red Bluff Simple Cremations and Burial Service is handling the arrangements. Published Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, in the Daily News, Red Bluff, Calif. Ryan R. White Ryan R. White of Corning died Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012, at St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff. He was 43. Hall Brothers Corning Mortuary is handling the arrangements. Published Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, in the Daily News, Red Bluff, Calif. Ex-treasurer to Dems gets 8-years SACRAMENTO (AP) — A former Democratic campaign treasurer was sentenced Wednesday to more than eight years in federal prison for defrauding high-profile clients such as U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein in a case that a judge said tampered with the electoral process. Kinde Durkee, who has been described by prosecutors as the Bernie Madoff of campaign treasurers, was sentenced to 97 months and ordered to pay $10.5 million in restitution after pleading guilty to five counts of mail fraud in March. It's unlikely, however, that most of the money will ever be repaid, since Durkee has few assets. During sentencing, U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller emphasized the egregious nature of Durkee's crimes. ''What she did had an impact on the political and electoral processes on which our democracy is based,'' Mueller said. Dressed in black pants and a black sweater, the 59-yearold Durkee apologized in court to ''those who trusted me and I betrayed.'' ''I take full and complete responsibility for what I've done,'' Durkee told the judge, her voice cracking. Durkee acknowledged in her plea deal to defrauding clients of more than $7 million, though prosecutors believe the figure is closer to $10.5 million. Feinstein said she lost about $4.5 million in the scam that also targeted dozens of state lawmakers and nonprofit political groups. The restitution order names 77 different victims. Prosecutors and Durkee's attorney, Daniel Nixon, said she ran the equivalent of a shell game from her Burbank office, shifting millions of dollars among bank accounts for politicians, community groups, personal accounts and those of her business, Durkee & Associates. ''Ms. Durkee was involved in a business that could not support itself and as a result, she availed herself of her clients' funds to operate the business,'' Nixon said outside court. ''She's an intrinsically good person who did some really bad things here, and today was the day for her to accept responsibility.'' Authorities said she used the money to pay mortgages for her home and business, to pay her employees, care for her parents in a home for seniors and for some pleasure items such as season tickets to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The judge said nothing suggested Durkee lived a luxurious lifestyle, and she asked that Durkee be ordered to serve in a prison that has mental health services so she could receive counseling. Durkee is scheduled to surrender to U.S. marshals in Los Angeles on Jan. 2. She remains free on $200,000 bond. Nixon said in the court filing that Durkee was incapable of managing the business she acquired from its founder in 2000, partly because of her fear of conflict, which led her to avoid pursuing clients' debts and refuse to fire incompetent staff. The report also said Durkee has always been known as a kind and generous woman. Durkee's husband of nearly 30 years, John Forgy, has been unemployed for more than 15 years, ''which increased the financial pressure on Ms. Durkee to support them,'' the report said. Durkee's fees also were cheaper than a lot of her competitors, so she stole funds to make up the costs, U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner said outside court. She was a poor business manager who deliberately defrauded her clients for more than a decade, as well as duping the state Fair Political Practices Commission and the Federal Election Commission, Wagner said. ''Ms. Durkee repeatedly lied to clients, lied to the FPPC, lied to a lot of people, lied to the FEC about what was in the accounts, so it was very deliberate over time,'' he said. In a statement read in court, U.S. Rep. Susan Davis said she felt personally betrayed by Durkee, who took nearly $160,000 from her congressional campaign account, and that Durkee owed an apology to thousands of donors whose faith in democracy is now shaken. Davis said Durkee had hurt ''the reputation of our state and its political infrastructure.'' The crimes could have carried a maximum penalty of 100 years, but Durkee's plea deal called for a possible sentence of 11 to 14 years. The judge followed the prosecutors' recommendation of 97 months for each of the five counts, to be served concurrently, although she said she considered imposing a longer term. The roster of victims also included Reps. Loretta Sanchez and Laura Richardson; state Sen. Lou Correa, DAnaheim; Assemblyman Jose Solorio, D-Santa Ana; and political nonprofit groups such as the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. FIGHT returned to the residence and began CPR, assisted by Corning Police Officers Continued from page 1A and medical personnel, however, efforts to revive sponsive, had been in a Alberro were unsuccessfight with another resident ful. of the house, Palmer. After detaining Palmer Palmer told deputies he and placing him into the and his brother had been patrol car, the deputy arguing, which led to a HERGER Continued from page 1A departing members of Congress. Like others leaving the House, Herger closed his district offices, so that the General Services Administration can inventory and store the POT Continued from page 1A is the federal government using resources in this way when people are growing all over the state in a similar fashion?'' Kris contents, and then make them available to LaMalfa, said Dave Meurer, Herger's communications director. The office in Redding closed Monday. The Chico office closed Tuesday. Today the Washington office closed, so it could be made ready for a returning member of Congress, Hermes, a spokesman for the national group Americans For Safe Access, told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. ''Why is there such determination to undermine what Mendocino County was trying to do, and hopefully will continue to do in the FLOOD Continued from page 1A homes are isolated. Homes along Fisher Road on the east side of the river begin to flood. Red Bluff Diversion Dam As of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday the river was measured at 238.56 feet. The flood stage is 253 feet and levels are projected to reach that mark by Friday. On Sunday the water level is projected to be 256.9 feet. At 246 feet the river starts to flow eastward into the Sand Slough on the left bank. At 254 feet there is overflow of the east bank of the river downstream. Housing in the area can be threatened. Typically at 254.3 feet the trailer house at the south end of Idle Wheels Trailer Park starts to take water. Water moves into the parking lot at Red Bluff River Park and the Paynes Creek Slough closes Bell Mill Road at Kaer Avenue. At 255 feet water starts into the houses on Mary Lane, Howell Street and surrounding roads. At 257 feet extensive flooding problems begin to happen in low lying areas of Red Bluff. fight. Palmer hit Alberro in the face and Alberro fell to the floor unconscious, according to a sheriff's release. Palmer dialed 911 when he realized that Alberro was unresponsive, the release said. Palmer also told deputies that he and his brother had been consuming alcohol throughout the day. ——— Julie Zeeb can be reached at 527-2153, extension 115 or jzeeb@redbluffdailynews. com. Follow her on Twitter @DN_Zeeb. Meurer stated in an email he sent to this newspaper. LaMalfa will be assigned another office, Meurer said. Offices are made available to members of Congress on the basis of seniority. Meurer said he understood Herger's last official day in Congress will be Jan. 3. future, once it gets the federal government off its back?'' The sheriff said he is not sure why federal prosecutors want the records. He also said he is frustrated with fruitless attempts at getting legal guidance from the U.S. attorney's Tehama Bridge As of 4 p.m. Wednesday the river was measured at 200.82 feet. The flood stage is 213 feet and levels are projected to reach 217 feet by Friday and 219.4 feet on Sunday. At 210 feet there begins to be water into the RV park on the east side of river causing tires of trailers to get wet. At the 213 feet flood stage the road inside the trailer park and turn around site under the railroad tracks on Tehama-Vina Road become impassible. Water is into the area around structures on the east side of river. The sheriff's department typically makes sure Pelhams Bay, Snug Harbor, River Inn trailer parks know of the advisory. At 214 feet the county park becomes inaccessible and water begins to enter Driftwood RV Fishing Resort on the east bank of the river, just north of the park. At 218 feet Pelhams resort's access road floods, the low lying area on the west side of the river south of Tehama floods and water comes into the south end of town on the west bank. At 219 feet water comes on the streets at the south end of Tehama. Trailers at Pelhams Bay begin to 7A office in San Francisco on how to reconcile California's legalization of medical marijuana with the federal blanket ban on the drug. The U.S. attorney's office declined to comment Wednesday. flood and typically Gyle Road at 5th Street and the railroad tracks, Tehama-Vina Road at the park and C Street west of 5th Street are closed. Vina-Woodson Bridge As of 3:45 p.m. Wednesday the river was measured at 166.7 feet. The flood stage is 183 feet and levels are projected to reach 184 by Friday and 187.1 on Sunday. At 184 feet Woodson Bridge Park is typically closed due to flooding. At 185 feet South Avenue starts to flood east of the river. At 187 feet South Avenue is typically flooded and closed and the trailer park on the east bank starts to flood. The NWS suggests those in prone areas monitor forecasts and be alert for possible flood warnings and be prepared to take action should flooding develop. The Tehama County Sheriff's Department are reminding residents to say away from waterways and not to attempt to drive through water. Water may be flowing faster than it appears. The department recommends having a 72-hour emergency preparedness kit containing a light source and batteries and a clean water supply. STATE BRIEFING Animal control officer fatally shot in California GALT (AP) — An animal control officer was fatally shot Wednesday when he went to retrieve pets from a Sacramento County home where the resident had been evicted a day earlier, authorities said. Police surrounded the two-story house where the shooting suspect has barricaded himself inside, sheriff's Sgt. Jason Ramos. No contact had been made with the suspect. Police have evacuated neighboring homes as well as a nearby elementary school in Galt, about 20 miles south of Sacramento. ''We've got the place surrounded and we're evacuating nearby residents who are potentially at risk because they're in the line of fire,'' Ramos told The Associated Press. The suspect is believed to be the man who was evicted Tuesday, Ramos said. The locks had been changed, and it was unclear how the person got into the house. The unarmed animal control officer and a bank employee had gone to the home around noon to pick up several dogs and cats. The evicted resident had complained that he had nowhere to take his animals, Ramos said. When the pair knocked, a person inside fired a shotgun through the door, hitting the officer's torso, Ramos said. The officer's identity has not been released. The bank employee flagged down a police volunteer, who helped pull the officer to safety, but paramedics were unable to revive him, Ramos said. The bank official suffered minor injuries but was not hit by gunfire. and the District Attorney's Office seems intent on getting him into custody before the case begins. Merced dentist charged with abusing 4 patients LOS ANGELES (AP) — Many Anthem Blue Cross customers could see their rates jump an average of 18 percent in February, under a proposal by the state's largest for-profit health insurer. The Los Angeles Times says the proposed increases could affect 630,000 individual policyholders, some of whom may see premiums rise as much as 25 percent. In its rate request, Anthem cited rising medical costs. The rate hikes are among several others proposed by California insurers, including Aetna and Health Net. Insurance regulators will review the proposals, but state officials don't have the authority to reject them for being unreasonable. In 2010, Anthem was forced to back down from a proposed 39 percent rate increase. This year Anthem has raised premiums up to 14 percent on average, for about 700,000 individual policyholders. MERCED (AP) — A Central California dentist is facing charges that he sexually abused four female patients — at least one while she was sedated. The Merced Sun-Star reports that 43-year-old Sang Hyuk Park pleaded not guilty on Wednesday. Park was arrested last month after prosecutors say a woman reported waking up to find her pants down and Park exposing himself during dental treatment. Prosecutors say three other women with similar claims subsequently came forward. Park was arrested again on Tuesday. His attorney, Thomas Johnson, says Park is a highly competent dentist, Anthem Blue Cross proposes rate hike PETA sues restaurant over foie gras burger HERMOSA BEACH (AP) — An animal rights group has filed a lawsuit claiming a Hermosa Beach restaurant is ducking the state's foie gras sales ban by offering the duck liver delicacy as a complimentary side dish. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says Hot's Kitchen changed the name of its foie gras burger, but kept it on the menu and offered the foie gras for free. The suit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court accuses the restaurant of violating both the foie gras ban and California's Unfair Competition Law, which prohibits businesses from engaging in unlawful business practices.