2013 Top Story Archive Stories

Full-time fishing guide Kevin Brock spends eight hours a day, 300 days a year on the water. "Wherever the fish are biting, that's where I go," Brock said. He arrived in Colusa about two weeks ago and will be leading striper trips on the Sacramento and Feather rivers for another month. "If the water gets too warm here, or

Full-time fishing guide Kevin Brock spends eight hours a day, 300 days a year on the water. "Wherever the fish are biting, that's where I go," Brock said. He arrived in Colusa about two weeks ago and will be leading striper trips on the Sacramento and Feather rivers for another month. "If the water gets too warm here, or

A hunt for the oldest items at the Williams Antique Show & Sale revealed rich stories of English courtship rituals and home goods made of re-purposed pirate booty. Bill Shelton, owner of Stagecoach Antiques in Durham, said his 15th great-grandparents traveled to America on the Mayflower, giving birth to a son while aboard. Sh

Large shading elm trees lining the broad streets in front of grand old homes give Colusa a special character. But five of those elms will be removed this month for hazard and liability reasons. Caltrans is scheduled to remove the trees on 10th Street near Oak Street on Feb. 19-21. Drivers can expect delays and possible ro

Dane Nissen was critical of all the solar company representatives in Priuses approaching Strain Ranch in Arbuckle where he is the warehouse manager. "I've seen 25 of these guys in a month. Almost all of these guys are selling contracts to larger companies," said Nissen. His boss, Rick Strain, had been equally frustrated.

Sgt. Mike Bradwell stood on the shore of East Park Reservoir with the family and friends of drowning victim Joey Saephan in 2009 as they waited four hours for the Yuba County Dive Team to retrieve the body. That incident emphasized the need for Colusa County Sheriff's Department to re-establish its own team. That same year, the d

Samuel Reese has been coming to the Colusa gun show for years. "I think I have been here more years than they have actually had one," quipped the Roseville man, who took time out from his hunting to visit the show on Saturday. The former Yuba City resident was not alone. By 10 a.m. on the opening day, there was a line out

Tom Indrieri, owner of Tommy's Market Street Grill in downtown Colusa, is outraged that a state bill might require restaurants to conduct public health risk-assessments of products. "Even if just a portion of this were to go through, restaurants would go under because they can't pay the fees," Indrieri said. Sen. Mark DeSaulnier,

Gov. Jerry Brown promised to protect the North State’s water, but made it equally clear there were critical needs across the state. Brown’s comments came at the annual Ag Leadership Breakfast in Colusa Wednesday morning. “I promise we will protect the water on that land, and our water from anyone else in this st

About 9,430 feet below Colusa County's valley floor lies a hidden range of buttes. "Drilling in the valley has discovered some 'poor relatives' of the Buttes that never emerged from the thick valley sediments," said Walt Anderson in his 2004 book, "Inland Island: The Sutter Buttes." The range is thought to be about 4 miles west o

The Colusa City Council adopted a development plan on Tuesday for a river-centric downtown. "This is the most comprehensive study we've had. It fits the character of Colusa and it fits what our downtown is now," said Councilman Greg Ponciano. The outreach section of the plan suggests the city focus on riverfront development and l

The Colusa City Council is considering whether to annex the state park — and possibly the larger surrounding area — as part of its general effort to turn the riverfront into a centerpiece attraction. The idea has been discussed in the past, but not with the current council. Councilman Greg Ponciano, who joined the cou

A group of Colusa High School aerospace students took to the tarmac Saturday to paint a compass rose next to the airstrip at the Colusa County Airport as part of a community service project. The students were joined by the director and members of The Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women pilots, of which Amelia Earhart was

Economic development, financial stability and transparency were the main goals discussed at the special meeting of the Colusa City Council held at Rocco's Bar and Grill on Tuesday afternoon. In a special retreat, the council held a brainstorming session to identify general goals for the council over the next three years, strengths and we

Before the days that four-wheelers and helicopters could aid in search and rescue, the Colusa County Mounted Sheriff's Posse did the job on horseback. The organization has a rich history, and Manuel Barrett Jr. has been a member since the group's inception in 1958. Barrett, 85, of Princeton, recalled a search for three missing ch

A board that stood together during the spring campaign was seated together on Tuesday. Supervisors Gary Evans, Tom Indrieri and Mark Marshall took their oaths of office after being re-elected in the June primary. Denise Carter was handed the gavel as the new chairwoman, replacing Evans, and Indrieri was selected as vice chairman.

Their names were read off one by one: Angel Amador ... Erin Anderson ... Alfonso Barboza ... All 75 members of the Colusa High School Class of 2013 walked across the stage, received their diplomas and then glowingly received the cheers, hoots and hollers from those who came to celebrate their achievements. One graduate danced as

From needlepoint classes to watercolor displays, a group of committed volunteers is working to enhance the role of the arts in Colusa County. The Colusa County Arts Council, with an infusion of energy and a new partnership with the California Arts Council, is creating programs to better support local artists and to make art more accessib

The Colusa City Council voted 3-2 to appoint Acting City Manager Randy Dunn to a one-year term as interim city manager on Tuesday. He will continue in his role as fire chief, as well. Dunn's appointment was a break from the ongoing recruitment process for the position, which included a list of criteria and qualifications for pote

The new Education Village in east Williams is taking shape, but when it will be completed will depend largely on Mother Nature — and more rain is expect today. "It is scheduled to be done on May 15, but we won't know until we get closer. It depends on the weather," said Stan Lentz, the field supervisor of the $11.5 million Colusa C

Dan O'Connell is convinced that there are not many people who live in Colusa County who haven't been to the summer fair and left with a smile. He believes the tradition trails back generations. Now, the Colusa County Fair Board director and the other board members are hoping to tap into those fond memories and pride to generate f

All new development in the Sacramento River basin of Colusa County could be halted and flood insurance rates could soar. That is the extreme and highly unlikely result of a Federal Emergency Management Agency flood map that shows levee protection to be wholly inadequate. The reality is much more likely that the FEMA flood map wil

A circle of chairs created a center stage in the grass for performances of Samoan fire knife dancing, California Native American dancers representing the Grindstone Rancheria, and perhaps the first-ever performance by Cachil DeHe Band of Wintum Indians within the Colusa city limits. The crowd, about 200 people throughout the day, was lar

Colusa fire Capt. David Harbison lead a young boy and his mother into a smoke-filled room. "You're in the bedroom. It's the middle of the night. All of the sudden the smoke alarm goes off. What do you do?" he asked. The room was in the back of a mobile trailer borrowed from the Glenn County fire departments and is used for basic

The Colusa Mosquito Abatement District will decrease its spraying program this summer due to a lack of funding. Officials said the steadily increasing chemical costs coupled with no additional revenue is at the root of the difficulty. "We've been keeping this program alive with reserves and we're out. Now we're on survival mode,"