Downstroke

Very superstitious: About 45 members of Redding’s School of Supernatural Ministries, a program run by Redding’s Bethel Ministries, joined more than 100 parishioners from Chico’s Neighborhood Church in praying for Chico police and wandering the streets in search of souls to save this Halloween. According to Bethel’s associate pastor Chris Overstreet, the group came “with the intent to serve Chico … and serve the police department. We were out front welcoming them, blessing them and kind of praying over them.”

A CN&R contributor who witnessed the so-called “gauntlet of appreciation” described it as “some kind of pep rally for fascism,” with police being introduced to the cheering crowd as if they were football players emerging from a locker room.

Overstreet said that some of the prayer groups, who reportedly were walking around town Monday laying hands on willing revelers, had seen miraculous healings occur.

“This lady, she had a hurt foot and some of her students prayed for her and she got healed and all the pain left her foot. Some other folks got healed as well. I wasn’t personally there to see it, but the testimonies came in.”

Overstreet said that while Halloween is not evil per se, its original intent has become corrupted.

“It’s a twisted holiday. Years ago, there was a lot of negative energy, if you will, in Chico on Halloween, and we wanted to bring the Holy Spirit. It was a peaceful night and we credit that to the power of prayer.”

I see your Schweitzer’s as big as mine: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger picked a replacement for Retiring Butte County Superior Court Judge Darrel Stevens this week, choosing family law practitioner Sandra L. Schweitzer.

Schweitzer, 52, a Republican, will earn $149,160 annually. Having practiced as an attorney for 25 years, she specialized in family law in 1993 and also taught at George Washington University.

Arnie pumps up fees: Chico State students will yet again be forced to reach a little deeper into their pocketbooks as the California State University Board of Trustees voted to raise student fees.

The board approved the proposed 2006-07 budget request last week, which will increase fees for undergraduate and credential students by 8 percent and graduate student fees by 10 percent. According to a spokesperson from the CSU Chancellor’s Office, the increase will allow an additional 10,000 students to attend CSU campuses.

The fee increase falls in line with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Compact for Higher Education in which the governor got CSU and University of California leaders to agree to a three-year, tiered fee hike plan.

Poll troll: There’s a statewide election Tuesday, and although most of the measures are proving unpopular in surveys, a low voter turnout could help them pass. If you can’t remember where you voted last year, or if you are registered but never voted before, you can find your polling place by visiting http://clerk-recorder.buttecounty.net, or by calling 538-7761.