Woman Attacked In Downtown Redding. Suspect on the Loose
Redding Police are looking for a man they say tried to rob a 52 year old woman in Downtown Redding this morning.
Virginia Rocco, of Cottonwood, says she was standing on Pine Street just north of Placer just before 11:30 AM when she was hit in the face two times by the suspect, who demanded money.
Rocco says she was thrown to the ground and kicked. When Rocco didn't have any cash to give the man reportedly ran off.
Rocco's co-workers and police looked for the man but could not find him.
The suspect is described as an African American wearing a blue hoodie sweatshirt and jeans. He is about 5' 8" or 5' 9" with an average build. If you may have seen someone fitting this description around the time this happened call Redding Police at 225-4214.
Hospitals Partner Up Against H1N1
The threat of the H1N1 virus is real. It’s so real in Redding that it is brought together strange bedfellows…strange hospital bedfellows.
It has maybe never happened before. Mercy and Shasta Regional Medical Centers are working together on a swine flu awareness campaign. Billboards have already gone up, and you will soon start seeing television, radio, and newspaper announcements. They are co-sponsored by SRMC, Mercy Medical, and Shasta County Public Health.
Officials say this is the first time the competing hospitals have come together for a coordinated media campaign, at least to their knowledge.
The hospitals are still competitors, but the effort might make them less of rivals.
One of the thrusts of the campaign is to keep people away from the emergency rooms and the doctor's office, unless it is really necessary. You should seek medical treatment if you cannot stop vomiting, you have difficulty breathing, you are dehydrated, or you have an underlying medical condition.
If you just have a cough and a fever, stay home and keep it to yourself. This is the season for sharing, but not sharing germs.
Plane Crashes near Susanville
A plane crashed in Lassen County Friday afternoon, just minutes before a memorial for three chopper crash victims.
Officials say a small plane took off from the Susanville Airport shortly before 1 PM. 10 minutes later, the plane crashed about 2 miles from the airport.
A memorial for the three victims of last weekend's Life Flight helicopter crash started at 1 PM.
The weather at the time was windy and snowy, which could have been a factor in the crash. The name of the victim has not been released.
The FAA and NTSB are investigating the crash.
Chain Restrictions on Northstate Highways
Snow in the mountains at different locations in the Northstate are forcing chain restrictions.
Here are the restrictions currently in place:
- Highway 299 near Burney are requiring chains or snow tires
- Highway 3 between Weaverville and Hayfork
- Highway 44 east of Shingletown
- Highway 36 near Mineral
For the most up to date information, go to the CalTrans website here.
UPDATED: Shelby Allen Case Dismissed
The case has been dismissed against a 17-year-old Redding girl accused in the drinking death of Shelby Lyn Allen. Late Thursday afternoon, the judge dismissed the charges including one count of felony manslaughter and two misdemeanors involving providing alcohol to a minor.
Shelby Lyn Allen was found dead in a Palo Cedro home last December after a night of drinking with friends in the accused girl's home. Prosecutors argued her friend didn't do enough to save Shelby's life but the judge ruled the girl did not do anything to make the situation worse and, therefore, the charges could not stand.
In an interview with KRCR News Channel 7, Steve Allen, Shelby's father said ,"We'll never have closure about losing our daughter but my family's life is the same yesterday before concluding the trial as it was today and as it will be tomorrow after the trial's concluded. This has absolutely no effect on my family's life other than it was distracting us from our educational message."
Driver Crashes into Building
A Butte County man was arrested for DUI after driving his car into a building in Chico on Thursday. William Speer of Oroville reportedly drove his Jaguar through a breezeway and into a medical building on Rio Lindo Avenue just after 11am.
The crash did break some glass doors in the medical building but it did not cause much structural damage. Witnesses say they watched Speer turn like he was going to park right inside of the building. No one was seriously hurt in the crash.
Police are still looking for an unidentified female passenger who fled the scene after the accident.
Murdered Red Bluff Police Officer Remembered on Anniversary of Death
In Red Bluff on Thursday, the men and women of the Red Bluff Police Department took time to remember a dark day in the force's history. Seven years ago, one of their fellow officers was murdered; it was a case of the officer being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Officer Dave Mobilio was gunned down while gassing up his patrol car on Main Street. His admitted and convicted killer says he did it to protest police brutality.
Chief Paul Nanfito says his officers are making sure not to relive that horrible day, but are careful to never forget. They wore black bands on their badges in remembrance, while they went about their business.
They use that day as a training tool for new officers. It serves as a reminder that their job is a dangerous one.
Nanfito also says his department stays in contact with Dave Mobilio's widow and child and always will.
Dave Mobilio's killer, Andrew Mickel, is in San Quentin on death row.
Butte County First Swine Flu Death
Butte County has its first swine flu death. Public Health officials announced that a man over the age of 65 died two weeks ago at an area hospital.
The victim had previous health problems, which most likely contributed to the death. Butte County now joins Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity Counties. All of them have had one person die from the illness.
California as a whole has had at least 298 people die from the swine flu.
Dinner Train Announces End of Service
The Shasta Sunset Dinner Train will be shutting down at the end of the year. The owners announced the closure mid-November. The last rides will be offered in December.
The train has been in service for 13 years, and runs from McCloud to Mount Shasta City. They are selling the business, so someone could possibly continue the train.
AS SEEN ON KRCR-TV
Vicks Recall
For information on the Vicks Sinex Vapospray 12-hour Decongestant recall, click here
Local Headlines
Weather Leads to Crash off I-5
The wet weather on Friday showed us how just a little tap of the brakes can take you a long way if you are not careful. A Jeep found itself on the side of a hill after attempting to come to a stop in the emergency area just off of I-5 in Red Bluff.
Highway Patrol officers told our crews that the Jeep owner said he had tried pulling over after having car problems. But with a fresh layer of water on the roads, his brakes just did not do much, and he found himself staring down the side of an embankment.
Luckily, no injuries were reported.
Returning Salmon Numbers Low
Preliminary data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows that the fall run of Chinook salmon returning to the Coleman Fish Hatchery, outside Anderson, is only about 60 percent of what it was last year.
Scott Hamelberg, the project leader, says about 8,000 returned this year.
Of those, about 5,000 were used during the spawning season.
Last year, about 14,000 returned to Battle Creek, with nearly 10,000 entering the hatchery.
Immigrants Sworn In as American Citizens in Redding
It was a reminder Thursday afternoon that what most of us take for granted most of the time is very special to a group of people.
For what is believed to be the first time ever, the Oath of Allegiance was taken in the Federal Courthouse in Redding by 16 new U.S. citizens from all over the globe. They are from Mexico, the Philippines, India, Canada, Kenya, the Czech Republic, and Saudi Arabia.
To become an American citizen, they have to show knowledge of U.S. history and government. They came from all over the Northstate: Redding, Chico, Corning and elsewhere.
If you are interested in becoming an American citizen, there is a workshop Thursday night at the First Presbyterian Church on Placer Street in Redding. It starts at 6:30pm.
Air Show Proceeds Handed Out
Just about six weeks ago, temperatures soared, along with the planes, at the Redding Air Show. On Thursday, profits from the event landed in the hands of groups in need.
The Redding Exchange club donated $60,000 dollars from the Air Show to local charities and non-profits during a luncheon at Win River. Nearly 50 groups were given checks for helping with this year's Air Show.
With this year's donations, the amount the Air Show has given back to the community tops more than $900,000.
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