Month: May 2024

By Larry Judkins

Glenn County Observer

William “B.C.” Cameron, a south county firefighter of almost legendary reputation, died recently, his granddaughter, Carol Chrestensen, reported on Tuesday, May 28.

Along these lines involving Mr. Cameron’s semi-legendary status, this writer recalls a humorous incident from 2008. In October of that year, the Orland Ace Hardware store on Fifth Street caught fire in the early morning hours.

Orland firefighters arrived on the scene almost immediately (the Orland fire station is physically adjacent to the hardware store), but other county fire departments had to be called to provide mutual aid.

One of the south county firefighters who showed up was none other than B.C. Cameron. When he appeared, five or six north county firefighters pretended to bow and scrape before him.

In her statement on Tuesday, Carol Chrestensen said, “My grandpa was a man who was very involved with the community. In his time since coming to Willows, he was a firefighter, EMT, and search and rescue member.”

She continued, “He saved lives, he listened, he gave advice.” Some of this advice, Chrestensen added, you may not have wanted to hear, but needed to.

Ray Mudd commented, “Lots of good memories and stories over the years with B.C. at Thunderhill Raceway. He was an amazing man.”

Likewise, Eric Diamond stated, “B.C. was a great friend and always an asset at Thunderhill.”

Brigitta McGarr said, “B.C. was a special friend who gave it all to whoever needed him. And what can I say, the best Santa ever! He left our family with great Christmas memories, with planned surprise visits to our house, accompanied by his wife, Carol (alias Mrs. Claus), in the mid-1990s.”

Dennis Asbury posted, “I will miss and remember B.C., friends for more than 30 years. It was always a fun time working fires or floods with him. He always made a tough job go better.”

Asbury added, “A new friend was someone he hadn’t met yet. He was a Real Person.”

Germaine Burrows remarked, “He was like family and even came to our native dance in Grindstone. RIP, B.C. I’ll always remember you!”

Carol Chrestensen invited anyone who would like to celebrate her grandpa to “join us on Saturday, June 1, at the Willows Fire Department. We will be departing at 9 a.m. and following the fire engines through town for his one last ride.

“We will end up at the Kanawha Fire Department, where there will be food and laughs and stories. Please bring your own drinks.

“And we hope to see you there!”

With her daughter, Cecilia, by her side, Kimberly Ann Sanchez-Peltier of Orland died peacefully in Chico on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, after a long battle with an illness.

She was born in Richmond, Calif., to Marvin Wullenwaber and Della Trujillo on July 11, 1963.

She was an accountant, a loving mother, Nana, and friend.

She is survived by her daughter, Cecilia; son, Emilio; sisters Kelly, Nichole, and Erica; and grandbabies Steven, Mason, Logan and Celestia.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, John; oldest son, Steven; grandparents; and countless aunts and uncles.

A memorial service is planned for 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 8, at the Real Life Church, 1044 Trinity Street, Orland.

A Celebration of Life is to follow at the Wildflower Ranch, 23640 Malton Switch Road, north of Orland, starting at 7 p.m.

Dickalyn Joy Porter died suddenly at her home in Willows on Sunday, April 21, 2024. She was born at Enloe Hospital in Chico to Hugh and Winifred Wells on Nov. 18, 1947.

She was a proud resident of Durham for many years and was a 1965 graduate of Durham High School.

As a young girl, she loved music and choir. She could play the flute, piccolo, clarinet, and the alto sax.

She played in multiple bands, from Durham Junior High School on up to the Chico Community Band and the Paradise Elks Band. Most recently, she became a member of her church’s choir.

She was the first woman to join the Chico Toastmasters. She enjoyed playing pool and collected many trophies from tournaments over the years. She is a three-time top shooter for the Chico Women’s Pool Series.

She was married twice. Her first husband, Melvin Boyce, was enlisted in the Army. They were able to experience married life throughout the 1970s and 1980s in Germany. She loved living in Germany.

Her second marriage was to her high school sweetheart, David Porter. Unfortunately, this lasted only a year and a half, when her husband died.

She is survived by her older brother, Ron Darby, and many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life is planned for 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, at the Durham Adobe Methodist Church. All are welcome.

In case you missed them, here are some of the entries in Saturday morning’s Glenn County Fair Parade. It was a very enjoyable event, although some watchers noticed that some of the participants from parades past were absent this year, including the Shriners go-karts and the Glenn County Sheriff’s Posse. All Glenn County Observer photos by Larry Judkins.

Glendel “Gerrie” Weatherford of Willows died in Chico on Sunday, May 12, 2024. She was born in Kennett, Mo., to Glen and Dollie Phillips on June 1, 1936.

She moved to Corcoran, Calif., in 1959 and taught elementary school there for many years. She started teaching at Murdock Elementary School in Willows in 1984 and retired in 1999.

She was married to Wayne Weatherford for 59 years. He was the Willows Intermediate Principal and later the Willows Unified Superintendent before retiring in 2001.

Her passion was teaching reading. Her message to students was “You will learn to read” ‑ and they did!

Friends are invited to a graveside service at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 21, at the Willows Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of F.D. Sweet and Son Funeral Home.

By Larry Judkins

Glenn County Observer

A month to the very day – indeed, almost to the very hour – after someone tried to commit suicide in the Glenn County Jail in April, someone made a similar attempt in May.

At about 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16, an unidentified inmate at the jail reportedly tried to kill himself (or, conceivably, herself). The time of the Thursday, May 16, incident was censored from the Glenn County Sheriff’s logs, but the call immediately before the event in question happened at 5:33 p.m. and the one immediately after occurred at 6:22 p.m.

Besides occurring almost exactly a month apart, the method used for the suicide tries was the same: hanging. Given the almost total lack of information provided by the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office regarding these two events, it is impossible to know whether the close correspondence between their dates, times, and method is merely coincidental or somehow related.

Regarding the April 16 incident, according to police scanner broadcasts, at about 6 p.m., emergency medical responders were dispatched to the jail for a suicide attempt. A moment later, the Glenn County Sheriff’s dispatcher specified that it was an attempted suicide by hanging.

At about 6:20 p.m., the person was transported to Glenn Medical Center.

As for the May 16 event, according to the sheriff’s log, Glenn County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ramirez responded to the Glenn County Jail for a report of an inmate who had attempted to hang himself. Sgt. Ramirez transported the inmate to Glenn Medical Center for medical clearance.

The inmate was ultimately cleared to return to the jail, and he was transported back to custody.

As with the case of the April suicide attempt, there are many questions concerning the May incident. For instance:

What is the name of the person?

Had the person previously attempted suicide?

Was the person on suicide watch of some kind?

What did the person use to hang himself?

Where did the person hang himself?

How was the person discovered?

Who discovered the person?

By Larry Judkins

Glenn County Observer

Almost exactly two months after Caitlyn Corona was stabbed to death in Willows, another woman was stabbed in Willows early Thursday morning, May 16.

According to a press release from the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office, the unnamed victim was 20 years old. The location of the incident was not given in the release, but traffic on the police scanner suggests that the crime occurred at a home on Vine Street.

The GCSO press release and scanner broadcasts agree that the call came in at 2:49 a.m. About six minutes later, according to scanner traffic, it was reported that the victim had suffered a stab wound to the chest.

Medical responders treated the victim at the scene for major injuries. According to the scanner, initially the Enloe FlightCare helicopter was to land at the Willows Airport, then transport the woman to the hospital.

At about 3:04 a.m., medical personnel said the victim was going to be transported to Enloe Code 3 (lights and siren) by ground ambulance. Then, almost immediately, dispatch was told to “cancel that and keep FlightCare coming.”

Ultimately, the woman was transported by helicopter.

According to the GCSO’s release, “The initial investigation resulted in two alleged suspects. Deputies made contact with both alleged suspects Thursday morning.

“Following questioning, one suspect, 20-year-old Ramiro Robles Gomez, was taken into custody and is currently being held in the Glenn County Jail.”

Well. This is all true, but it leaves out some important details.

According to the scanner, it was quite some time before deputies knew who they were looking for. The age (about 20) and physical description of one of the suspects, but not his name, was broadcast several times, each time with a little more information.

He was described as having numerous tattoos, including some on his face; long hair; and a Fu Manchu mustache of sorts. He was shirtless but wearing tan or brownish shorts and white socks.

When the call was first received, deputies checked several of the roads going out of Willows, including Highway 99 heading south, all the way to the Colusa County line.

At about 3:04 a.m., Sgt. Lemmon reported he was heading to the Cedar Hills apartments. Having received information about the make and model of vehicle the suspects may be driving, Lemmon said he was out with a Ford Explorer in the south parking lot at Cedar Hills.

A moment later, he said the engine was still warm and there “is blood on the door handle on the passenger side.”

At 3:14 a.m., Sgt. Lemmon reported he was out with the suspect. The Glenn County Sheriff’s dispatcher asked about the “status” of Sgt. Lemmon, and the sergeant replied, “Code 4”, and added, “We’re trying to figure it out [that is, what happened].”

At 3:22 a.m., an out-of-breath Sgt. Lemmon reported that the suspect got away, jumped a fence separating the Cedar Hills and JFK/Eskaton complexes, and disappeared in Eskaton. Law enforcement officers (Glenn County Sheriff’s deputies, Orland police officers, California Highway Patrol officers, and lastly Colusa County Sheriff’s deputies) began setting up a perimeter.

At least two K-9s and a drone were also brought in.

The Glenn County dispatcher said she talked to Colusa County S.O. and “they might know who it is. They will get back to me.”

Soon, it was known who the suspect was. It was learned that he was recently released from the Colusa County Jail, and that he is on post-release community supervision (PRCS) for felony resisting.

It was also pointed out that he is a Norteño.

Colusa County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene because they were familiar with the suspect. At 3:42 a.m., it was announced that Colusa County S.O. had two sergeants responding in the same vehicle.

Sgt. Lemmon warned that the knife used in the attack is “still outstanding [not recovered].” He then added, “Officer safety.”

Cedar Hills, Eskaton, and surrounding areas were searched more than once. Deputies also checked out numerous instances of dogs barking in the area.

At 4:05 a.m., L&T Towing was contacted to transport the Explorer to the GCSO’s yard for the collection of evidence. About 12 minutes later, Sgt. Lemmon said that the keys to the Explorer were “still outstanding.”

At 4:35 a.m., the perimeter started to be broken down. Colusa County Sheriff’s deputies planned to “sit on the [suspect’s mother’s] house” in Arbuckle.

At 6:17 a.m., a deputy reported he had eyes on the suspect at Colusa and Garden Streets. The suspect was detained, then arrested and transported to the Glenn County Jail.

Glenn County dispatch was advised to contact Colusa County S.O. to let them know they did not need to watch the residence in Arbuckle.

The name of the second alleged suspect mentioned in the GCSO press release remains unknown.

According to the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office, this investigation is on-going. No further information is available at this time.

For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing. – 2 Timothy 4:6-8

Debra Ratliff of Willows died on Sunday, April 28, 2024, while hospitalized in Chico. The middle of three daughters, she was born in Downey, Calif., to William Gordon Reaves and Anna Arleen Reaves on August 14, 1960.

Along with her older sister, Denise Reaves, and younger sister, Diana Reaves, she moved with her mother to Oroville in the early 1970s to live with her grandparents. She entered Oroville High School in 1975 and in her freshman year met the man who would later become her husband.

She graduated from Oroville High in June of 1978, and on August 20, 1978, married John Ratliff. They lived briefly in Biggs, then moved to Willits in 1979.

Deb gave birth to two sons, John III in 1980 and Brian in 1982.

She worked at Chevron and at the medical office of Dr Ted Dawson in Willits and later managed a video store in Ukiah until the family moved back to Oroville in 1994. There, she worked for Robert Rogers, florist, and then for Dr Jeffrey Klink, O.D., until 2004.

In 2003, the family moved to Willows. She went to work at Northern Valley Indian Health, where she was employed until illness forced her to retire in 2023.

She was loved by many who knew her and many who met her through her work and church activities.

She loved singing and music and spending time with friends and family. She was active in her church, particularly with music ministry and vacation Bible school, which were her passions.

She is survived by her husband of 45 years, John; son John III (fiancée, Brandee); son Brian; sister Dina (husband, Michael); granddaughters Menolly, Cordelia and Adira; and numerous nephews and nieces.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Alva and Mamie Smith; mother Arleen Reaves; father William Reaves; and sister Denise Halgren.

A Celebration of Life is planned for 3 p.m. on Friday, May 24, at the Harvest Baptist Church, 1202 Railroad Avenue, Orland.

Madeline Vierra of Willows died at the care facility in Williams on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. She was born in Sacramento to George and May Bernice (Trimble) Vicari on November 25, 1924.

She was the second born of five children, including Sam, Betty, George, and Jeanie. She was the last surviving sibling.

In the early 1940s, she met and married Reuben E. Vierra. They had one daughter, Kay Diane, in 1946.

They moved to Willows in 1973, living in the same house until she went to a rehab facility after breaking a hip in 2019. Covid forced her to stay in the facility until her death.

In her younger years, she worked as a “Rosie the Riveter” welder during World War II, while her husband served.

She never learned to drive but loved to play the organ and enjoyed knitting. She and her husband, who went by Elwood or Woody, were members of the Oddfellows in Willows for many years.

She is survived by three of her four grandchildren, Ronald Wayne Novack (Juli) of Louisiana, Reuben James (Ted) Theodore Novack (Stephanie) of Willows, and Michael Scott Novack (Tonia) of Orland; and great-grandchildren Wayne, James, Scott, Eric, Tory, Jamie, Stephanie, Tyler, Amber, Hunter, Samantha, Nate, Justin, LaCretia, Domynik and Jason.

Her great-great-grandchildren are numerous, but range in age from two to 25. She also had five great-great-great grandchildren who she never got to meet.

She was preceded in death by her husband, who died in 1982; her daughter, Kay Diane, who died in 2021; her grandson, Anthony (Tony) Paul Novack, who died in 2019; and her great-grandson, Nick, who died in 2010.

She was laid to rest next to her husband on May 2, 2024, in the Willows Cemetery.

Allen Louis Lohse of Artois died in Willows on Friday, April 19, 2024. He was born in Chico to Walter and Barbara Lohse in 1952.

An avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed spending time deer hunting in the mountains. A lifelong farmer in Glenn County, he loved working in the pistachio orchard, walking the creek near the house, and spending time with his grandson and family.

He is survived by his brothers Ted, Walter, and Gus; wife Judy; son Kevin and Kevin’s wife, Megan, and their son Peterson; and son Greg and his wife Shannon. He was preceded in death by his father Walter; mother Barbara; and sister Anne.

His service is planned for 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 14, at the Germantown Cemetery near Artois.