Briefly

Ramsey may (or may not) investigate alleged supervisorial dirty work
District Attorney Mike Ramsey hemmed and hawed this week when asked if his office will open an investigation into Brown Act violations allegedly committed by several members of the Board of Supervisors.

He did confirm, though, that he received a letter from state Attorney General Bill Lockyer referring to his office a complaint on the alleged violations from Supervisor Jane Dolan. She asked Lockyer to look into charges that Supervisors Kim Yamaguchi, Bob Beeler and Curt Josiassen had a series of illegal, closed-door meetings this year during which they synchronized their votes on redistricting, the firing of Planning Director Tom Parilo, and new hauling rules for trash companies.

When asked if he plans to investigate the allegations, Ramsey admitted that he was trying to avoid the question.

“I’m purposely not answering that question,” he said. “If I said there was an investigation, then that would cause people to jump one way or the other. … In cases like this, it’s better that no one know what we’re doing.”

He did say, though, that he is “looking to see if there’s evidence here,” but he cautioned that “some people around this might want to substitute politics for evidence, and we won’t do that.”

A referendum mole?
Seems there’s already some undercover maneuvering in the Plan 5 referendum campaign.

Mary Jenkins, an aide to Supervisor Bob Beeler, signed up to get e-mail notices of referendum organizers at a supervisors’ meeting last month. Jenkins wrote, “Want to keep up with what’s happening in Butte County,” in the “notes” section of the sign-up sheet, never hinting that she works for an opponent of the effort. Beeler, you’ll remember, voted for redistricting Plan 5.

Reached at her Oroville home this week, Jenkins confirmed that she had indeed signed up for the notices but denied plans for covert activity.

“I’m a citizen of this county, too,” she said. “I have a right to know what [the referendum organizers] are doing.” She also said that, while she supports Plan 5, she is “glad that is going to the voters.”

Chico woman dies after consuming GHB, alcohol
Chico police arrested two Chico college students on charges of involuntary manslaughter Sept. 8 after witnesses reported that the young men gave the drug GHB to a 22-year-old friend who died the following day.

A roommate found Soraya Ali-Omar dead in her bed on Saturday afternoon, reported police Sgt. Dave Barrow. She’d been out the night before and had consumed several alcoholic beverages, along with two doses of GHB, which is often referred to as the “date rape drug.” Barrow said that it appears she took the drug voluntarily, as did three friends with whom she was partying that night.

Police arrested Christopher James Law, 21, and Adam Eugene Orr, 24, on charges related to Ali-Omar’s death. Law is a Chico State student and a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. Orr is enrolled at Butte College. He was additionally charged with possession of drugs on Sunday, according to police.

Ali-Omar, who was from Davis, was a member of Kappa Sigma Delta sorority and a waitress at Riley’s Bar.