2013 Local News Archive Stories

The spiraling costs and short supplies of ammunition has created an unusual atmosphere of uncertainty around the 25th annual US Gun Traders Gun Show in Colusa. "The new thing is trying to predict ... the fallout of the Sandy Hook tragedy," said organizer Daryl Schaad, who has put on the event with partner Larry Urrutia since 1987.

The 40-year-old Chico man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting 11 victims in the south campus area of the California State University, Chico, pleaded not guilty to two felony charges of kidnapping, assault with intent to commit a felony, and rape with special allegations in Butte County Superior Court on Wednesday. Police arrest

If you are familiar with the Alstroemeria, a lily-like flower, it is probably because it was in a bouquet from a florist. Since the 1950s, this colorful flower has been used almost exclusively by the international cut-flower industry because of its vase life and the variety of colors. After being cut, the flowers have a vase life

A large crowd gathered outside Williams City Hall on Wednesday night, trying to understand what had just happened at the public hearing about raising water rates. The City Council adopted a 7 percent annual increase over a three-year period. The plan is to partially cover costs of a new well filter, booster pump station and a million-gal

I have always had deep love for butter. As a child, I was often found hiding under the table snacking on a stick of the oily delicacy. When I was 10 years old, the margarine craze hit the media, demonizing my beloved butter as a cause of heart disease. Overnight, the butter that I loved so dearly was swept from our table and replaced wit

Here are some of my favorite sayings about roses. They are by Steve Jones, immediate past president of the American Rose Society, published in the American Rose magazine, September-October 2012. 1. Roses will survive despite us! 2. Every time I enter the rose garden, I learn something new or change my mind about something I did b

An increase of burglaries in Arbuckle was the main focus of an active community meeting with the Colusa County Sheriff's Department on Thursday night. In the last six months, 29 burglaries in Arbuckle have been reported, according to department records. Thirteen of those occurred since Jan. 1. The thefts occurred mostly a

The core work on revamping the sewage facilities at the migrant housing camp south of Williams should be completed by November, the Colusa County agriculture commissioner reported. Joe Damiano said Tuesday that he expects to be able to send the project to the engineering firm by as early as next week. "We are working with (the st

A Big Oak Valley teenage will reign over the Stonyford Rodeo next month and serve as an ambassadress for the small foothill community for the next year. Ciara Fuller, 19, was crowned Stonyford Rodeo Queen Saturday at Western Days in Colusa. Fuller competed with nine other young women from Glenn, Tehama, Colusa, Butte and Lake cou

By Missy Beavers For Tri-County Newspapers Millions of people have a love affair with diet soda. The cold, bubbly, beverage is a scheduled event in many of our days. We have been led to believe that it is better to drink a diet soda over a regular version to avoid the calories and enjoy a guilt free pleasure, but many of

Appeal-Democrat A well-known Gridley man died Tuesday in a single-car wreck outside Gridley, the Butte County Sheriff's Department reported. Eric Donnard, 23, whose family owns Jeff's Freezette, a popular hamburger eatery in Colusa, was pronounced dead around 7 a.m. on West Liberty Road, sheriff's spokeswoman Miranda Bowersox sai

SACRAMENTO — Researchers released 50,000 salmon into a flooded rice field in the Sacramento Valley on Tuesday in an effort to understand whether such fields, flooded between harvests, can stand in for the wetlands that once filled the area and served as a massive nursery for juvenile salmon. The fish were released into a 20-acre ri

VATICAN CITY –Argentine Jorge Bergoglio has been elected pope, the first ever from the Americas and the first from outside Europe in more than a millennium. He chose the name Pope Francis. After announcing ‘’Habemus Papum” — ‘’We have a pope!” — a cardinal standing on the balcony of S

Assemblyman Dan Logue introduced a bill this week to limit how much public information could be released about people with concealed weapons permits. Assembly Bill 134 would prevent addresses, phone numbers and other contact information on permit holders from being released to the public. "The bottom line is we have some safety i

Two lawsuits attempting to stop Enterprise Rancheria from forming and building a casino in Yuba County have been consolidated. It's still not clear, however, if the federal government will take the land for the Yuba County Indian casino project into trust anytime soon. Suits by the tribe behind Colusa Casino Resort, Thunder Valle

As I look around my landscape after two weeks of hard frosts and freezes, I am grateful for my evergreens. They are the real workhorses of the garden, the survivors that become center stage during the winter. They retain their shape and texture and provide interest during a stark season. Evergreen trees, shrubs and plants keep th

Looking for an easy shrub to grow? You must try a spirea — pronounced spye-REE-ah. There are basically two types. One is the bridal wreath, with cascading branches of numerous crisp white flowers that bloom in early spring. The other is a smaller shrubby type, with clusters of pink, white or red flowers that bloom summer through fa

The Juniper is the kind of plant that my husband would refer to as pedestrian. Many others think of it as common or plain, or even uninspiring. I, on the other hand, think of the Juniper as the workhorse of the plant world. It can survive in almost any conditions — not only of weather, but also of soil condition and lack of a regul

Every year, Arbor Day is celebrated throughout the United States as well as in many other countries. In California, Arbor Day is so important that we celebrate for a week, not for a just day. In other states, Arbor Day will be celebrated on April 26, which is the last Friday in April. In California this year, "Arbor Week" is bein

It's spring. The earth is alive with beautiful shades of vibrant green. I love the crisp green tone of the fresh new leaves. What a glorious time of year. The freshness of spring got me thinking about using foliage to add color and interest to our gardens, particularly foliage of the big-leafed plants. Here are a few that will enhance yo

After completion of our new home, almost 12 years ago, we were faced with the daunting task of planning the landscaping. Having researched numerous magazines, books and anything else I could lay my hands on for inspiration, and after much deliberation, a perfect plan — I hoped — was conceived and roughly drawn out on paper.

From Richvale farmer to Washington politician, Rep. Doug LaMalfa is now an official member of the 113th Congress of the United States. LaMalfa, R-Richvale, representing the state's First Congressional District, took the oath of office in the chambers of the United States House of Representatives. House Speaker John Boehner administered t