CALENDAR..............PG 2 CLASSIFIEDS..........PG 10 LEGAL NOTICES.....PG 10
January 16, 2019
OPINIONS................PG 9 OBITUARIES............PG 4 SPORTS...................PG 5
VOLUME: 12:03 ■ ISSUE: 400
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A COMMUNITY MOURNS
Pierce alumna and Davis police officer Natalie Corona killed in the line of duty
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PHOTO ABOVE: Hundreds attended a candlelight vigil for Pierce alumna and Davis Police Officer Natalie Corona held at Pierce High School Sunday evening. PHOTO LEFT: Natalie Corona proudly receives her badge pinned by her father and former Colusa County Sheriff's Sergeant Merced Corona in Aug. 2018.
SUSAN MEEKER susan@colusacountynews.net
undreds of people stood shoulder to shoulder at a candlelight vigil at Pierce High School on Sunday to remember slain Police Officer Natalie Corona, who was shot and killed on Thursday while on duty with the Davis Police Department. More than 1,000 people attended similar memorials in Davis on Saturday and Elk Grove on Monday to remember the promising young officer. “She represented the best of all of our communities,” said Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, during Saturday’s vigil in Davis. Corona, the daughter of Colusa County Supervisor Merced Corona, of Arbuckle, was a 2014 graduate of Pierce High School, who always aspired to become a police officer. The 22-year-old rookie started working for the Davis Police Department in 2016 in community services. She graduated from the police academy this past July, and her proud father, a retired sergeant with the Colusa County Sheriff’s Office, pinned her badge to her uniform on Aug. 2. Officer Corona had just completed her field training a few weeks prior to her death. Davis Police Chief Darren Pyte said Corona was investigating a triple car collision at around 6:45 PM when her killer, 48-year-old Kevin Douglas Limbaugh approached her from the shadows and shot her multiple times, before he reloaded and shot a flurry of bullets at other people, striking a firefighter’s boot and a woman’s backpack, and then fled the scene on foot. Limbaugh was found dead inside a Davis home a few hours later from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Pyte called Corona, who succumbed to her injuries at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, a rising star in his department.
“I’ve heard her described by our officers as our daughter and our friend, and just the sister that we all wanted,” Pyte said. “This is just an absolutely devastating loss.” Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, whose district includes southern Colusa County, said her heart broke upon hearing the news of Corona’s death. “We will, without a doubt, miss her dedication and passion for public safety,” Aguiar-Curry said. “Yet, I know that nothing we are feeling could possibly compare to the grief of her family at this time. I am grieving with the Davis community and with Natalie’s family. Our community is shaken, and we will struggle for a long time to process what happened.” The Colusa County Sheriff’s Office also issued condolences to Supervisor Corona and his family, and Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered flags at the capitol, in Sacramento, lowered to half-staff. In a statement on behalf of him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel, Newsom said he was saddened to hear of Corona’s death. “We join all Californians in mourning the loss of this courageous officer and extend our deepest condolences to Officer Corona’s family, friends, and coworkers,” he said. A police honor guard will stand watch over Corona’s body until her burial on Friday. Services are planned for 11 AM at the ARC conference center at the University of California, Davis. After the memorial service on Friday, a law enforcement procession will take Corona’s body from UC Davis to her final resting place in Arbuckle. Hundreds of mourners in Davis and Arbuckle have created memorials to honor the fallen officer. In addition to the vigils, people posted loving tributes to Corona on Facebook, among them Arbuckle Parks and Recreation officials, who acknowledged Corona as one of their own.
See CORONA | PG 3
Colusa County 4-H members put best feet forward SUSAN MEEKER susan@colusacountynews.net
SUSAN MEEKER / PIONEER REVIEW
Rebecca Felix, left, demonstrates the art of plastic lacing, with some help from Maddie Hansen, at Saturday's 4-H Presentation Day in Princeton.
About 40 members of 4-H from clubs throughout Colusa County participated in the annual Presentation Day, held at Princeton High School on Saturday. The venue was filled with power points, demonstrations, audio-visual presentations, and speeches. “We had some really good presentations this year,” said Aubrey Furukawa, Colusa County 4-H Youth Development Program Coordinator. “You can really tell when the members put a lot of thought and effort into their presentations.” Mackenzie Wills, 11, demonstrated how to hula hoop, and gave a presentation on the health and psychological benefits of the exercise. “It helps you lose weight,” said Wills, who practices with the hoop daily. “It helps with stress. It’s stress reliever.”
See 4-H | PG 3
LLOYD GREEN JR. / PIONEER REVIEW
On Saturday afternoon, Betsy Meyers, Nellie Orozco, Justin Mathews and a group of about 50 community members tied ribbons to trees and street posts in honor of Pierce alumna, and Davis Police Officer, Natalie Corona.
RICHARD LAU / PIONEER REVIEW
Hundreds attended the candlelight vigil for Pierce alumna, and Davis Police Officer, Natalie Corona held in Davis Saturday evening. Speakers from the community of Davis and her hometown spoke on her character, and shared memories.
County to allow pot cultivation at CIP pending annexation SUSAN MEEKER susan@colusacountynews.net
The Colusa County Board of Supervisors last week agreed to allow limited commercial cannabis operations at Colusa Industrial Properties. The board, which had previously banned all commercial marijuana production in Colusa County, introduced an amendment to their regulations on Jan. 8 to allow limited cannabis production at the industrial park because the annexation process of the property into the City of Colusa has started.
The ordinance, once adopted, would be good until the annexation of the property is completed or two years, whichever comes first, said outgoing Chairman Gary Evans. City and county officials have been discussing the possibility of limited marijuana cultivation at Colusa Industrial Properties for several months, and have arranged to divide revenue under a tax share agreement.
See CANNABIS | PG 4