Obama Declares End To US Combat Mission In Iraq

     WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama is declaring Operation Iraqi Freedom to be over with the end of the U.S. combat mission, and says it’s now time “to turn the page” to give the Iraqi people full responsibility for their own security.
     In his prime-time address to the nation, Obama said that the U.S. has paid what he calls “a huge price” for the war that he once strongly opposed and that began with President George W. Bush’s March 2003 invasion.
     In the speech, Obama said, “Tonight I am announcing that the American combat mission in Iraq has ended.”
     Earlier, he told troops at Fort Bliss, Texas, that the end of that mission is not a time for a victory lap. He said there is still much work to be done before Iraq can be an effective partner for the U.S.

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Gibbs: Combat Troop Pullout Should be Permanent

WASHINGTON (AP) – Presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs says he cannot foresee a circumstance in which the United States would have to send combat troops back to Iraq. Interviewed on the day of the troop withdrawal, Gibbs said President Barack Obama has been assured by military leaders that such a return scenario is not likely. Gibbs declined to say whether Obama was wrong in opposing the troop surge that former President George W. Bush ordered. The spokesman said that while adding 30,000 troops improved security, a stronger factor was the move toward political accommodation among the Sunni, Shia and Kurdish factions. Gibbs appeared on NBC’s “Today” show, CBS’s “The Early Show,” ABC’s “Good Morning America,” and on CNN, Fox News Channel, National Public Radio and MSNBC.

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Ashley Furniture in Chico to Close in September

The Ashley Furniture store in Chico is reportedly closing. The Chico Enterprise-Record is reporting the store will shut down in about a month and be replaced by Evans Furniture. The new business could be open in October. The Ashley stores in Redding and Yuba City reportedly closed over the weekend. Ashley Furniture has been the focus of an investigation in Butte and Shasta County after customers complained of buying furniture, but not receiving their merchandise or refunds.

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Victim in Fatal Church Shooting was Gridley Native

The Mormon Church official shot and killed in a Visalia church Sunday was reportedly a native of Gridley. Police say 42 year old Clay Sannar was shot by 47 year old Kenneth Ward of Modesto. Ward later died in a shootout with officers after telling police where they could find him. Ward’s brother told the Visalia Times-Delta newspaper Monday that Kenneth had been a church member in the 1980s and was upset by a bishop then who had “shunned him to hell.”

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Driver in Fatal Crash Identified as Cottonwood Man

Authorities have identified the Cottonwood man killed in a Tehama County accident. The CHP says 48 year old Robert Rather was driving on Saunders Road Friday when his vehicle slid sideways, overturned, and ejected the driver. Rather was discovered the next day by his son.

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Flu Vaccine Available Early

WASHINGTON (AP) – This year’s version of the flu vaccine is an all-in-one inoculation that’s supposed to protect against swine flu and two other types of influenza — and it’s already available. Last year’s swine flu pandemic peaked well before enough vaccine could be produced, leading to long lines. This time around, shipments began so early that drugstores have been offering vaccinations amid back-to-school sales. Authorities are urging just about everyone to get one, except babies less than 6 months old and people with severe allergies to the eggs uses to brew the vaccine. There’s a special high-dose version for people 65 or older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it plans to track whether the higher dose leads to less illness, but it’s fine to choose either version. Most people will need just one shot. A record supply of the flu vaccine is expected to be available.

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Red Bluff Woman Injured in Sunday Crash

A Red Bluff woman suffered major injuries in a weekend collision. The CHP says 71 year old Sandra Linehan was driving on Highway 36 Sunday. Officers say she reportedly fell asleep and hit a metal road marker, trees, and a dirt embankment.

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Survey Finds Support for Fed but Split on Spending

NEW YORK (AP) – A new survey finds divisions among economists over how the government should stimulate the economy and how the Federal Reserve should proceed over the next 12 months. The latest semiannual survey by the National Association for Business Economics, set to be released today, also shows economists are satisfied with the Fed’s current interest rate policy. On the economy, most oppose another stimulus package but rank economic growth as a higher priority than deficit reduction. NABE President Lynn Reaser says the survey underscores the uncertainty about where the economy is really heading. Reaser says a majority of economists don’t believe that the Bush administration individual income tax cuts, dividends tax cuts and capital gains tax cuts should be allowed to expire. Reaser says economists are looking for clear tax and regulatory policies.

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Proposed Treatment Center Meeting Planned for Tuesday

A community meeting is scheduled for this week to learn more about a proposed 32 bed Youth Regional Treatment Center in southeast Oroville. The Center has been in the planning stages for almost 20 years and would serve American Indian and Alaska Native Youth with chemical dependency problems. Steve Zerebecki with the Indian Health Service says the facility is not a detention center. He says the facility is one of only 12 nationwide and the only one in Northern California. Some community members have voiced opposition to the plan. Tuesday night’s meeting will start at 6 PM at Gold Country Casino.

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