Oroville Mercury-Register Best of 2011

Oroville Fire department fire engineer/fire investigator Marnie Gedney (left) uses her accelerant detection canine Roxy to sniff for any accelerants inside a unit that was destroyed by a fire in the Bunny's Leisure Apartment at 790 Montgomery St. Wednesday, January 19, 2011 in Oroville, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

A merganser bird takes flight along the Feather River Wednesday, January 5, 2011 in Oroville, Calif. 

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Gymnast Megan Seegart (center) practices on the uneven bars as head coach Shaw Carter (right) looks on as part of the Oroville Gymnastics at the Spring Fling that showcased the Feather River Recreation and Park District’s recently acquired 43,000-square-foot Feather River Recreation and Activity Center, with tours, demonstrations by dance, karate and gym instructors, crafts for kids, a bounce house, face painting, barbecued hot dogs and a bake sale Saturday, April 9, 2011 in Oroville, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Two deer leap around the charred ground to escape the area as Cal-Fire Butte County firefighters knock down a small fire that burned an area between Hwy 70 and Table Mt Blvd north of Garden Dr. on Friday, September 2, 2011 in Oroville, Calif. 

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

The North's #33 Cameron Nye (right) rushes against the South's #33 Frank Castro (left) in the third quarter of the Lions All-Star football game at Harrison Stadium Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Oroville, Calif. 

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Dew coats the grass and leaves at Riverbend Park Saturday, December 24, 2011 in Oroville, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Oroville High students toss their caps as they celebrate their graduation ceremony at Harrison Stadium Thursday, June 9, 2011 in Oroville, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Rain pours out from the clouds along Durham-Pentz Rd. during a storm Wednesday, June 1, 2011 in Butte Valley, Calif. 

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Cal Fire - Butte County volunteer firefighter Buzz Landon, hoses down a vehicle fire that broke out after a rollover along Midway near E. Nelson Rd.Thursday, February 3, 2011 in Chico, Calif. CHP reports a solo female driver, Aaron Bowen, 18 of Yuba City, was driving a Ford Bronco southbound on Midway when she veered off the road and overcorrected rolling the vehicle which burst into flames. She escaped with the help of witnesses with minor injuries, mostly cuts and scrapes with complaint of pain. Bowen was transported to Oroville Medical Center. 

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Stars are seen over the Oroville Dam Spillway Thursday, June 9, 2011 in Oroville, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Wild Horse Auction

Thirty wild horses and 10 burros arrived for a viewing prior to an adoption event April 17 at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds Friday, April 15, 2011 in Chico, Calif. Most of the animals the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is bringing to Chico were captured last summer from the Twin Peaks Herd Management area along the California-Nevada border northeast of Susanville. The BLM removed the animals to maintain the wild population at a designated level.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

JR Payne (left) and Leah Janowski (right) take a look at some of the thirty wild horses and 10 burros arrived for a viewing prior to an adoption event April 17 at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds Friday, April 15, 2011 in Chico, Calif. Most of the animals the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is bringing to Chico were captured last summer from the Twin Peaks Herd Management area along the California-Nevada border northeast of Susanville. The BLM removed the animals to maintain the wild population at a designated level.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

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Happy Birthday Jojo

Jojo is a therapy dog who celebrated his birthday with the residence of Roseleaf nursing home and assisted living facility on St. Patrick's Day. Can't say much about the amount of "adorable" with this one. Jojo did enjoy a little sing along, but quickly tired out looking for a treat.

Roseleaf's activity coordinator, Kim Vickers, sings with Jojo, a therapy dog, for the St. Patrick's Day and Jojo's bday celebration at Roseleaf, an assisted living center, on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Jojo is a rescue dog believed to be a cross between a Shih Tzu and Maltese. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)