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BCSO looking for armed assault suspect

newsdirector — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:09:02 +0000

The Butte County Sheriff’s Department is looking for a Corning man accused of assault and holding a woman against her will. 55-year-old Albert Emerson Jr. allegedly assaulted the victim Thursday night at a residence in the 1200 block of Stewart Avenue. She suffered minor injuries and was able to drive to the hospital. Emerson was last seen driving a silver 2000 Acura with a black hood. It’s believed he’s armed with a switchblade and a pellet gun. Anyone with information is asked to call the Butte County Sheriff’s Office at 538-7434.

Thousands of federal workers owe back taxes

newsdirector — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:56:15 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has preached that all Americans should pay their fair share in taxes, but a government report finds that tens of thousands of federal employees — from staffers in Congress to federal agencies and even Obama’s executive office — collectively owe the government billions in back taxes. Data from the Internal Revenue Service found that more than 279,000 federal employees and retirees owed $3.4 billion in back income taxes as of Sept. 30, 2010. The data showed that 467 employees of the House of Representatives, or about 4.2 percent of the workforce, owed more than $8.5 million. In the Senate, 217 employees, or about 3 percent of the workforce, owed $2.13 million. Obama’s staff was not immune, either, with 36 people in Obama’s executive office of nearly 1,800 workers — about 2 percent — owing the government $833,970 in back taxes. Obama used part of his State of the Union address Tuesday night to promote economic fairness, arguing for changes in the tax code that would create a minimum tax rate of at least 30 percent on anyone making more than $1 million. The finances of one of his chief Republican rivals, Mitt Romney, has been scrutinized because he, like many millionaires, pays a lower rate because most of his income came from investments, which are taxed at a lower rate. read more

911 call reveals frantic efforts to help Moore

newsdirector — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:39:28 +0000

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 911 recording revealed frantic efforts by friends of Demi Moore to get help for the actress who was convulsing as they gathered around her and tried to comfort her. Moore was “semi-conscious, barely,” according to a female caller on the recording released Friday by Los Angeles fire officials. The woman tells emergency operators that Moore, 49, had smoked something before she was rushed to the hospital on Monday night and that she had been “having issues lately.” “Is she breathing normal?” the operator asks. “No, not so normal. More kind of shaking, convulsing, burning up,” the friend says as she hurries to Moore’s side, on the edge of panic. Another woman is next to Moore as the dispatcher asks if she’s responsive. “Demi, can you hear me?” she asks. “Yes, she’s squeezing hands. … She can’t speak.” When the operator asks what Moore ingested or smoked, the friend replies, but the answer was redacted. Asked if Moore took the substance intentionally or not, the woman says Moore ingested it on purpose but the reaction was accidental. “Whatever she took, make sure you have it out for the paramedics,” the operator says. The operator asks the friend if this has happened before. “I don’t know,” she says. “There’s been some stuff recently that we’re all just finding out.” Moore’s publicist, Carrie Gordon, said previously that the actress sought professional help to treat her exhaustion and improve her health. She would not comment further on the emergency call or provide details about the nature or location of Moore’s treatment. read more

College presidents wary of Obama cost-control plan

newsdirector — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:35:44 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) — Public university presidents facing ever-increasing state budget cuts are raising concerns about President Barack Obama’s plan to force colleges and universities to contain tuition prices or face losing federal dollars. Illinois State University President Al Bowman says the reality is that deficits in many public schools can’t be easily overcome with simple modifications. Bowman says he’s happy to hear Obama call for state-level support of public universities but adds that, given the decreases in state aid, tying federal support to tuition is a product of “fuzzy math.” Obama spelled out his proposal Friday at the University of Michigan.

Obama: Republicans will Struggle to Defend Record

kpayeditor — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:14:21 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama is signaling he’ll base part of his re-election campaign on an argument that Republicans are pushing discredited economic ideas. In an interview with ABC News, Obama says the best strategy for economic revival is avoiding the Bush administration and financial community policies that led to the near-collapse of the economy in the fall of 2008. Obama said the country has “an economy that was built on debt and flimsy financial deals.” He added in the interview broadcast Friday that this is a strategy the Republican Party will have to defend this fall, “whether it’s Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum, or somebody else,” The president said, “Why we would want to adopt something that we just tried, and didn’t work, doesn’t make sense.”

Judge Strikes Down Standards for Revoking Paroles in CA

kpayeditor — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:12:37 +0000

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – A Sacramento federal judge has struck down California’s voter-approved standards for revoking paroles. U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton ruled Tuesday that all Proposition 9 provisions for parole revocation are invalid. Proposition 9 was passed by a 54 percent of California voters in November 2008. Among other things, the proposition didn’t guarantee parolees a right to present evidence at hearings when they were accused of violating terms of their release. It also allowed parole agents to testify about incriminating statements by witnesses who were not in court. The San Francisco Chronicle says Karlton ruled the proposition violates parolee rights by tipping the balance toward incarceration. Additionally, the judge says parolee rights were violated by a requirement to consider only public safety when considering parole revocation.

Nevada Man Charged with 7 CA Bank Robberies

kpayeditor — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:11:05 +0000

The so-called “Fedora Bandit” has been charged with robbing 7 banks in California, including banks in Paradise and Gridley. 74 year old David Osborne was charged Tuesday with multiple counts of armed bank robbery. The Department of Justice says the Nevada man is in federal custody on unrelated charges.

Man Accused of Shooting Son in Shasta County

kpayeditor — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:10:03 +0000

A 70 year old man has been arrested on suspicion of shooting his son in Shasta County. The Sheriff’s Office says deputies found William Oller Senior standing near a truck with his hands in the air Thursday in Shingletown. He’s been arrested for attempted murder. He also reportedly had been shot in the leg. The Sheriff’s Office says 50 year old William Oller Junior suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to a local hospital…no word on his condition.

CSUC Student Reports Sexual Assault

kpayeditor — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:06:42 +0000

A second sexual assault reported in Chico this week. Chico Police say a woman was allegedly sexually assaulted at her home on North Cedar Avenue Thursday after meeting a man at a bar. Police say the victim and a friend became intoxicated and the man drove them home. The victim let the suspect sleep on the couch. Police say the victim woke up to the suspect allegedly sexually assaulting her…the victim pushed the man away and fell back asleep. The woman later found her vehicle and personal property missing. Police say there’s no indication the latest incident is related to a sexual assault Wednesday morning.

CA Supreme Court to Rule on New Senate Maps

kpayeditor — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:05:03 +0000

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – A group of Republicans will find out if they have succeeded in blocking newly drawn state Senate maps from being used in this year’s elections. The California Supreme Court says it will issue its decision Friday. Republicans had asked the high court to halt use of the Senate maps that were created by the state’s new independent redistricting commission. They say the maps do not comply with the federal Voting Rights Act and have collected petition signatures for a November ballot initiative to overturn them. The Republicans’ attorney, Charles Bell, argued that the court should halt use of the new maps because the initiative is likely to qualify. The court has several options, from approving the commission’s map to creating temporary districts using the newly drawn lines for Assembly seats.