Briefs: Fire-fee repeal bill stalls in Assembly

SACRAMENTO

Efforts to repeal a new fee on certain rural residents for fire protection stalled Wednesday in Sacramento, though a new bill could emerge by the end of the week.

After the Senate sent a bill on the issue to the Department of Finance for more work Tuesday night, the Assembly Budget Committee rejected a bill to repeal the fee Wednesday on a party-line vote.

"It's so egregious both in its original form and the new form," Assemblyman Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber, the committee's vice chairman, said in an email. Nielsen said he would continue to oppose the fee if it emerges from the Senate.

In language introduced late last week, the fee would be $175 annually for any type of building and $25 for additional buildings, as well as $1 an acre up to 100 contiguous acres.

State officials introduced the fee during budget talks earlier this year as a way to reduce Cal Fire's drain on the state General Fund.

Yuba County

Shoei Foods wins state award

A year after a fire devastated its south Yuba County processing plant, Shoei Foods has gotten a salute from the business-to-business advocacy group Grow-California.

Shoei Foods was one of 14 winners statewide, in the category of innovation in technology commercialization. The award came in the form of a resolution from the state's secretary of food and agriculture.

The award was the only one presented to an agricultural company in the Yuba-Sutter area, and was to honor companies pushing boundaries forward in their fields.

Sacramento

Colusa County tops in California

Colusa County experienced the largest percentage increase in assessed valuation in the state in 2011-12, the state Board of Equalization reported this week.

The county's 19.5 percent gain from the previous year was attributed to utility assessments, which comprise more than one-third of the county's assessment roll, and was driven by the construction of a new power plant in the county.

In all, 20 counties posted year-to-year increases in assessed value, although most of the increases were modest.

Yuba City

Rummage sale Sept. 16-17

St. Isidore School Parent Club is holding a rummage sale fundraiser from 4 p.m. to dusk Sept. 16 and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 17 at the school at 200 Clark Ave.

All proceeds benefit the school, to be used for improvements, classroom supplies and student activities.

Offerings include furniture, clothing, household items, sporting equipment toys, baby items and more. Donations of items to sell are being accepted. Call the school for more information at 673-2217.

Sutter

Donations at quilt event

"A Quilt in the Park," with many quilts and quilted items on display, is set 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Sutter Youth Organization building and park in Sutter.

The event, sponsored by the Sutter Buttes Quilt Guild, also includes a country store, vendors, antiques and food.

Admission is free, with donations accepted. The building and park are at the corner of Acacia Avenue and Butte House Road in Sutter.

Yuba City

GOP presidential hopeful to speak

Tickets are available for the 24th annual Fall Benefit Banquet sponsored by A Woman's Friend Pregnancy Resource Clinic in Marysville.

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, a Republican candidate for president, is the featured speaker at the fundraiser set 6:30-9 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Yuba City Toyota Hall on the Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds, 442 Franklin Ave., Yuba City.

Tickets are $30 per person. All funds raised benefit the resource center which offers a variety of free services for women with unplanned pregnancies.

For more information, call 741-9136.

Yuba County

Food distribution set for Sept. 15

The monthly food distribution program in the Yuba County foothills coordinated by the Yuba-Sutter Gleaners Food Bank is scheduled Sept. 15 at three locations.

Distribution is at:

Brownsville — 8-10:30 a.m. at Friday Night Live, 8408 La Porte Road.

Loma Rica — 8:30-10 a.m. at Loma Rica Lions Clubhouse, 5697 Fruitland Road.

Dobbins — 8:30-10:30 a.m. at Lake Francis Grange, 10775 Texas Hill Road.

Call 673-3834 for more information.

Yuba City

Luncheon meeting on Sept. 13

"Shimmer and Shine" is the theme of the upcoming luncheon meeting sponsored by the Yuba City/Marysville Christian Women's Connection.

Set from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Sept. 13 at the Bonanza Inn, 1001 Clark Ave., Yuba City, the program features Danny Keesling and his handcrafted jewelry and polished rocks.

The program also includes music by Wendy Cooper and speaker Betty Childs.

Cost of the luncheon is $14. For luncheon and free child care reservations, call 671-1443 or 671-6867.