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• Group wants to turn rail into trail -- stretching from Acampo to Sacramento

• Lodi High School neighbors tired of student disturbances

• Lodi Council agrees to environmental reviews of annexations

• Premier Community Credit Union robbed by suspect wearing wig

• As city staff shuffle continues, economic growth remains a top priority

• Regional Roundup

• Programs encourage Lodians to save energy

• Ken Mackey honored as Lodi's 'Firefighter of the Year'

• Kersnar back in Lodi to serve as interim official

• Democrats' ads say Pombo out of touch, link Republican to ethics scandals

• Water district renews $1 fee

November 21st, 2009

• Logbook

• Holiday drive spreads cheer to U.S. troops

• Galt High students want board to approve open-campus policy

• Poisoning victims remain hospitalized

• Expert: Half a mushroom cap can be deadly

• Tokay grad files claim over Lodi's Grape Bowl

• Lodi Middle School holds annual Turkey Trot

• Regional Roundup

• No motive or suspect in shooting

• Sacramento cop arrested for alleged kidnapping

November 20th, 2009

• Acampo woman killed

• Salvation Army Kettle Kickoff

• Advocacy groups sue East Bay Municipal Utility District over Pardee expansion

• Regional Roundup

• Galt plans to help residents with energy-efficient projects

• Stable southeast of Lodi approved

• One year after a heart attack, Lodi's Judy Mims thanks rescuers

• National Guard troops return home in time for the holidays

• Real estate market gets on more solid ground

November 19th, 2009

• Operation: Christmas

• Logbook

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Chase ends in crash

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

• Sales tax hike yields dividends: 5 new officers join Galt Police

• Lodi Unified School District board votes to cancel summer school for 2010

• Water surges in Mokelumne River yield more salmon

• Lodi City Council will consider redevelopment next June

• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22

• Corrections

November 18th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react

• Lodi man finds wife's ashes during police display of stolen property

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

November 17th, 2009

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

• Lodi Budget and Finance Committee to look into ways to save money on employee benefits

• Regional Roundup

• Decision on summer school expected at tonight's Lodi Unified School District meeting

• Clements gets free water rescue boat

• Redevelopment to be discussed by Lodi City Council again

• Court reinstates death penalty for killer of Lodi grad

• Clarification

November 16th, 2009

• Correction

• Public Meetings

• City Council 'triple-dog dared' to ditch cars, use Lodi buses

• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi

• Lodi's First Sip event showcases area wineries' latest vintages

• Three members of Lodi-area family fall ill after eating poisonous mushrooms they reportedly found at Lodi Lake

• Regional Roundup

November 14th, 2009

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Regional Roundup

• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

• Despite an increase in homeless students, school districts look to bolster enrollment, raise revenue

• A first look at 2009 vintages at Lodi's First Sip wine-tasting event

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• The country's mess is our fault (165)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (70)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (48)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Public health care is a Christian option (29)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Government-run health care is a bad idea (17)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (17)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)

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Ken Mackey honored as Lodi's 'Firefighter of the Year'

Ken Mackey was all of 8 years old when he began helping out at the fire department in Ione. At age 20, he was hired full-time with the city of Lodi. Now, 22 years later, Mackey is volunteer fire chief in Ione and a fire captain for the Lodi Fire Department. He was honored as Firefighter of the Year at Wednesday's City Council meeting.

When Chief Michael Pretz told Mackey he would receive the award, Mackey was surprised.

"I honestly thought the chief was playing a game on me. I had to call him back and ask, 'Are you sure you called me?'" Mackey said earlier this week. "I don't do the job for a reward. My reward happens when I bring a crew home safely."

Mackey, 42, has seen some of the city's biggest fires over the years. Two weeks after he was hired in Lodi, he was called in to work when a hotel above Joe Hassan's in downtown Lodi burned.

Since then, he's helped fight fires at other hotels and warehouses in downtown Lodi. More recently, he was part of the first crew that began attacking an inferno that ultimately destroyed Lodi Cold Storage on Lockeford Street in January 2004.

At one point, Mackey recalled, he was caught inside the building when the fire worsened. Nobody was injured.

"There's no glory in it; you're just happy to come home safe," he said. "That's my crew motto that I keep: No matter how big the incident is, you're going to come home safe."

Mackey doesn't brag about his work, or the fact that he balances a family and two fire departments. But fellow firefighters respect him and admire the fact that he'll even volunteer in Lodi, Pretz said.

"Ken has been one of those firefighters that's a steady influence on people. He's always there, he's always helping."

Mackey coordinates wildland fire training every year, and he works with newly hired employees to help them get up to speed more quickly, Division Chief Kevin Donnelly said.

For Mackey, safety is the most important thing: "We can rebuild anything, but you can't rebuild firefighters."

When he's not fighting fires or training employees, Mackey is traveling with his wife, Debbie, and their four children -- who range in age from 5 to 16. He also turns up at Boy Scout events, church functions, food drives and other community benefits.

For him, there's not a lot of difference between those things and fighting fires, because he views it all as community service.

Born to two school teachers and raised in Ione, Mackey still lives there but also loves working in Lodi. The idea of retiring one day hasn't even crossed his mind.

Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.