SERVING EASTERN SHASTA, NORTHERN LASSEN, WESTERN MODOC & EASTERN SISKIYOU COUNTIES 70 Cents Per Copy Vol. 45 No. 42 Burney, California Telephone (530) 335-4533 FAX (530) 335-5335 Internet: im-news.com E-mail: [email protected] DECEMBER 31, 2003 What’s Happening Bear hug for F.R. grad, bowl win Highway 299 Here In Days Ahead closed Tuesday New Years party after storm The Day Club is hosting a New Years Eve party tonight from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. at the Day dumps snow Community Center, located A winter storm Monday dumped at the end of Day Road. Club nearly 15 inches of snow in parts of members are providing food the Intermountain area and more at and music for those attending. higher elevations, resulting in the Those who need transportation closing of Highway 299 from Bella are urged to contact a club Vista to Burney Tuesday. member, or telephone Sandi Three more inches fell late Shafer, president, at 336- Monday night and early Tuesday 7380. morning, breaking trees and tree limbs along and over the highway. The California Highway Patrol Ski conditions opened the road at 11:25 a.m. Conditions at the Mt. Shasta Tuesday only to Intermountain Board & Ski Park are show- area residents traveling to and from ing temperatures in the upper Redding. 20s at 6 a.m., cloudy and No big rigs, however, were calm winds. Visibility is mist- allowed to travel on the roadway. ing. Snowpack is 5 feet at the Delivery truck travel Monday had 5,500-foot level and 6.5 feet at some drivers making the 54-mile the 6,600-foot level. All 32 trails trip from Redding to Burney in fi ve and one-half hours. are open and 27 are groomed. The highway was briefl y closed All lifts are operating. The Monday afternoon near the drinking cross-country center is open fountain west of Round Mountain with all 30 kilometers open. after a tractor-trailer rig and cars Hours of operation are 9 a.m. lost control in the snow. to 10 p.m. Road conditions are The 150-mile stretch of Interstate plowed and sanded. Chains 5 from Mountain Gate to Medford, are required on all vehicles Ore., was closed most of Monday except 4-wheel drive on High- due to the heavy snows there. way 89. The park will be open A winter storm watch was issued past midnight on New Years by the National Weather Service for the Intermountain area beginning Eve. Telephone 926-8610 for today and through New Years Day more information. on Thursday. More snow is predicted and winds gusting to 50 miles per hour WEATHER are expected over exposed ridges. FORECAST Today, winter storm watch Burney mom through New Years Day. Peri- ods of light snow with snow NEWS PHOTO / Ron Harrington proud of son, accumulation up to 2 inches. California Golden Bears left tackle Mark Wilson, right, celebrates with his offensive line Highs 32 to 38. Tonight, windy coach Jim Michalczik, following Friday’s wild 52-49 Insight Bowl win over Virginia Tech in his 2 uniforms with snow, possibly heavy at Phoenix, Ariz. It was the fi nal collegiate game for Wilson, a 1999 graduate of Fall River High times. Lows 24 to 32. South- BY MEG FOX west winds gusting to 50 mph School. For more photos, please see the back page. A Burney mother is proud of her son and the two uniforms he wears. over exposed ridges. New They not only symbolize Dustin Years Day, windy with snow, Ferguson’s ideals and the paths possibly heavy at times. Highs Mayers looking at cutting costs he’s pursued in life, but also that 30 to 36. Southwest winds gust- he’s a very dedicated and deter- ing to 50 mph over exposed BY MEG FOX rates are expected to go up 15 per- Under this law, chief executives mined man. ridges. Thursday night and A computer glitch and a late cent. and chief fi nancial offi cers are This summer, Ferguson, 34, Friday, breezy with snow likely. Medi-Cal reimbursement put Mefford also predicted a fi ve responsible for the internal controls completed Marine Combat Training Highs in the 30s and lows in Mayers Memorial Hospital deeper percent increase in utilities and a of their companies and they must at Camp Pendleton while employed the 20s. Friday night through in the red than predicted for the three percent increase in lab supply certify that the fi nancial statements as a California Highway Patrol offi - Saturday night, mostly cloudy, month of November. costs. are accurate. cer in Red Bluff. chance of snow. Highs in Administrators had hoped to Trustee Jim Hamlin asked if the It also holds offi cers criminally “He’s a mega-achiever,” said his report slightly improved fi nancials increases meant that hospital rates mother, Susan Hogue, and stepfa- the 30s and lows in the 20s. liable for untrue, missing or mis- before the holiday. would go up, too. leading fi nancial reports. ther David Sunday through Monday, “The defi cit was worse than last Fikes said if costs go up he “It holds boards personally liable Hogue of mostly cloudy, chance of snow. month,” said CEO Jerry Fikes at the would expect a similar increase in for fi nancial misdeeds if something Burney. Highs in the upper 20s and hospital’s board meeting. charges. happens on their watch,” Fikes told His father 30s and lows in the lower to A $1,000 increase in patient rev- In a related discussion, Fikes the directors. is Jack mid 20s. A current forecast is enues was hardly worth mention- said that the Burney Annex was full He said he wants to provide the Ferguson updated about 4 a.m. and 4 ing with the hospital’s net revenue and, as of Dec.17, Mayers had only hospital’s board, as well as the of Paynes p.m. daily on The News web down by nearly $300,000 more two beds open in a shared room. boards serving the Mountain Val- Creek, near site at im-news.com. Click on than was budgeted and operating Even though there is a demand leys and Pit River health centers, Red Bluff, the weather link on the left- expenses at more than $276,000 for the beds from Redding hospi- with information on the new regula- where Dustin hand side of the home page. than budgeted. tals, Fikes said he wanted to leave tions. Ferguson The fi gures left the hospital with a the beds vacant for Mayers’ exist- was born Web cams of current road con- In other matters, the board $292,000 defi cit for the month. ing patients who might need to be • Heard a report from Anna and raised. ditions are also available. In his initial planning for next moved from acute care during the Engman, acute director of nursing, Even as year’s budget, J. R. Mefford, the holidays. and Terry Sampson, infection con- a young TEMPERATURES DUSTIN hospital’s interim fi nance offi cer, Hamlin asked if they should con- trol nurse, on the hospital’s Respi- boy, Fergu- FERGUSON Hi Low Rain told the board that he is looking at sider opening the 12-bed wing, but ratory Hygiene Program and pro- son had his Dec. 23 NA NA ways to cut controllable costs in Fikes said it would not “pencil out” posed SARS Task Force. Engman sights set on joining the Marine Dec. 24 45 29 .85 every department. fi nancially. said SARS and West Nile Virus are Corps and becoming a CHP offi cer, Dec. 25 40 30 .83 He credited radiology, dietary, With the hospital’s “nursing “expected to hit this year. We are but his goals were not so easily Dec. 26 37 19 housekeeping, and the OR depart- crunch,” Mayers would have to hire planning our approach and being obtained. Dec. 27 38 12 ments with keeping their costs from the more costly nursing regis- prepared in case it does hit.” After his graduation from Red Dec. 28 33 18 1.43 down. try, he said. • Elected to retain existing Bluff High School, family commit- Dec. 29 34 27 .26 “They were all below budget and In other business, the hospital’s board offi cers with Les Cufaude ments kept him from going into the are doing a fi ne job,” Mefford said. 14.5” snow fell Dec. 28, 3” snow fell Dec. 29 board of directors received informa- as president, Karen Scholes as Marines Corps. Courtesy of Darryl Jones in Burney The accounts payable depart- tion on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of VP, Hamlin as secretary, and Ruth He applied to the CHP Academy ment “is up to date and hanging in 2002. Knoch as treasurer. Committee in Sacramento, but was frustrated The Intermountain News there” and turnaround in accounts The law was signed in the wake heads are Knoch and Cufaude for by a hiring freeze, his mother said. P.O. Box 1030 receivables is at 67 days. of Enron and similar corporate fi nance, Hamlin and Scholes for Instead, Ferguson worked as a 36965 Main Street “It’s a good number, but I’d like to scandals and is designed to reform human resources, Scholes and Gail paramedic for the Tehama County Burney, California 96013 see it lower.” fi nancial disclosure and corporate McClung for policy and procedure Ambulance Service until the CHP Open: Monday-Friday 9am-4pm In his budget assumptions for responsibility. and also credentialing. hiring freeze was lifted.