Loving wife, mother, and grandmother Verna Louise Padgett died on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022. She was born on Nov. 6, 1938.
She married John H. Padgett on Feb. 28, 1960. A lifelong resident of Willows, she was a housewife.
She is survived by her family, Joan, Jean, John, and James; and grandchildren Jesten, Angela, and Laura.
Graveside services are planned for 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at the Willows Cemetery.
By Larry Judkins
Glenn County Observer
For the second time in less than a year, transient Heather Matney has been sentenced for starting a fire in the bed of Stony Creek north of Orland.
The first time was in January of this year. On Jan. 7, 2022, she was sentenced to 180 days in jail, 52 weeks of batterers treatment classes, and three years’ probation.
About a month earlier, on Dec. 9, 2021, she pled guilty to starting the Oct. 9, 2021, fire in the bed of Stony Creek. Six fire departments responded to the blaze that began in the early evening and continued throughout the night and into the morning.
In the morning of Jan. 7, she was sentenced to 180 days in jail, 52 weeks of batterers treatment classes, and three years’ probation. At 11:53 p.m. that very same day, Jan. 7, deputies responded to 236 North Humboldt Avenue regarding suspicious activity.
An anonymous caller reported a white male adult who appeared to be transient was taking things from a delivery truck that was parked at KFC. Deputies arrived and contacted Douglas Abbott and Heather Matney.
A records check on the two revealed Matney was a restrained person in a served restraining order and the protected party was Douglas Abbott. Matney was placed under arrest for violation of a court order and transported to the Glenn County jail.
Five minutes after midnight on Jan. 8, Heather Nicole Matney, then-27, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging violation of a court order to prevent domestic violence (a misdemeanor). Her bail was set at $5,000.
Three days later, Matney was charged with alleged felony violation of probation by a Glenn County probation officer. Bail for this charge was set at $85,000.
As reported in The Glenn County Observer on Oct. 11, 2021:
“As firefighters from six departments battled the blaze in the Stony Creek bed a short distance north of Orland Saturday evening and beyond, an Orland transient was arrested for allegedly intentionally setting the fire.
“At about 6 p.m. on Oct. 9, deputies responded to the Stony Creek area east of Highway 99, in Orland, and contacted Douglas Abbott. Deputies initiated an investigation and discovered Abbott and his girlfriend, Heather Matney, had a camp in the creek bed.
“Abbott and Matney reportedly got into an argument. Abbott left the camp and noticed a fire had begun shortly after he left.
“Another witness in the area alleged they saw Matney start the fire and then flee the area on foot. Deputies searched the area extensively and eventually found Matney at the Shady Oaks Trailer Park, space #19.
“She was ultimately placed under arrest [on Saturday, Oct. 9] and booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging giving false identification to a peace officer (a misdemeanor), and arson of an inhabited structure or property (a felony). Her bail was set at $200,000.”
As stated above, in January of this year, she was sentenced to 180 days in jail, 52 weeks of batterers treatment classes, and three years’ probation. She evidently never completed her original sentence.
Then, on Monday, September 12 of this year, she was booked into the Glenn County Jail on a warrant alleging felony violation of probation, with bail set at $85,000. She was taken into custody at the Butte County Jail by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
About a week ago, the Glenn County District Attorney’s Office issued a press release that included these words: “[Matney] was previously convicted of felony arson and was found in violation of probation for the second time. She was sentenced to 48 days in jail and probation was reinstated.”
The Glenn County Observer 