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• Council discusses problems with lunch trucks, other code issues

• County historical museum highlights disasters with exhibit

• Top Model contender visits Lodi for photo shoot

• Wide World of Lodi: Grape Festival starts Thursday

• Thornton firefighter guilty of arson

• Regional Roundup

• Woodbridge Wilderness Area to remain closed indefinitely

• Lodi group 'adopts' Louisiana town

• Mokelumne firefighters, board headed to mediation

• Valley residents tell state they'd like more Delta-area parks

• Logbook

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 (170)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Public health care is a Christian option (80)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (73)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (52)
• The haves should help the have-nots (31)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Government-run health care is a bad idea (25)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (18)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (17)

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Thornton firefighter guilty of arson

After pleading guilty to arson, a part-time Thornton firefighter was sentenced to four years in state prison and could be ordered to pay as much as $36,000 in restitution.

Brian Patrick Schneider, 28, entered his plea Monday in San Joaquin County court, said Deputy District Attorney Mark Ott.

Schneider had been free on $130,000 bail since March 4, when he was arrested and charged in connection with three suspicious fires during a two-week period.

He pleaded guilty to one count of arson of a structure, in connection with a March 3 fire that badly damaged a two-story home in the 11000 block of Walnut Grove Road. Nobody was home when the 1:14 a.m. blaze began, and fire crews from several fire departments were called to help extinguish it.

Schneider had also been charged with two more counts of arson, related to a recreational vehicle fire at Thornton and Kile roads, and the burning of a shed just behind the Thornton fire station.

In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors dropped the two other arson charges. If convicted of all charges, Schneider had faced a possible sentence of more than seven years in prison, Ott said.

Though Schneider was sentenced to four years, he'll be eligible for release after two years, according to both Ott and defense attorney Joel Perisho.

"He's a very good kid, he comes from a good family," Perisho said of Schneider. "He had some emotional problems, some bipolar issues that put him in this path."

Schneider, who is no longer employed with the Thornton Fire Department, "wanted to get this over with," Perisho said.

The conviction counts as a strike under California's three-strikes law, meaning that if Schneider is ever convicted of another serious felony, that sentence will be lengthened.

Additionally, he must register annually as an arsonist for life, and pay restitution.

An insurance company submitted a claim seeking $36,000, Ott said, though the defense disputes the amount because insurers provided no specific break down of the cost. The total will ultimately be determined through the California Department of Corrections.

Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.