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• Ramadan comes at uneasy time for local Muslims

• West Nile figures continue to rise

• Judge’s aide charged with 94 counts of fraud

• Tracy says it can build Delta campus next year

• Pombo took $13,000 from Alaskan donors prior to oil drilling vote

• Regional Roundup

• Logbook

November 19th, 2009

• Logbook

• Water surges in Mokelumne River yield more salmon

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

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

• Operation: Christmas

• Corrections

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

• Chase ends in crash

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

• Lodi City Council will consider redevelopment next June

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

November 18th, 2009

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

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

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

• Regional Roundup

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

November 17th, 2009

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

• Redevelopment to be discussed by Lodi City Council again

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

• Regional Roundup

• Court reinstates death penalty for killer of Lodi grad

• Clements gets free water rescue boat

• Clarification

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

November 16th, 2009

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

• Regional Roundup

• Correction

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

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

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

• Public Meetings

November 14th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• 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

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

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

November 13th, 2009

• What to expect with new homebuyer tax credit

• Lodi Muslim: Local mosque not involved

• Regional Roundup

• Burglary suspects are under arrest

• Lodi veteran recounts close calls in Vietnam

• Mayor Larry Hansen points out Lodi's economic progress

• First phase of Lockeford park by 2011?

November 12th, 2009

• Logbook

• Correction

• Robotics team at Jim Elliot invited to compete in Israel

• City of Lodi begins annual leaf removal program Monday

• Liberty Ranch construction at standstill as state pulls funds

• Will Lodi adopt a program that will allow volunteers to work at parks?

• With song and speech, veterans are recognized in Lodi

• 20 years later, Acampo man remembers the fall of the Berlin Wall

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

• The country's mess is our fault (130)
• Obama is not a moderate (129)
• Lodi Muslim: Local mosque not involved (94)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (60)
• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise (49)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (45)
• Lodi Flames slim playoff chances vanish in setback to Tracy Bulldogs (25)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• The haves should help the have-nots (25)
• Tokay Tigers blow late 27-point lead in loss to Wolf Pack (22)

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Judge’s aide charged with 94 counts of fraud

A former personal secretary to a federal judge has been indicted on 94 counts of fraud for allegedly stealing more than $250,000 from her former boss.

U.S. District Judge Frank C. Damrell Jr. has been the primary judge in Lodi’s ongoing contamination litigation.

Heather L. Coleman, 51, was indicted on 13 counts of mail fraud and 81 counts of bank fraud by a federal grand jury Thursday. If convicted on all counts, she could face 30 years in prison.

Coleman is accused of stealing from Damrell by using blank checks from the judge’s brokerage account and the judge’s signature stamp. Coleman used the checks to pay her credit card bills, pay off a car loan and make her mortgage payments, according to the indictment.

She also took checks for the Damrells’ checking account and made them payable to herself, again using the signature stamp, the indictment alleges.

Coleman was Damrell’s secretary from the time he took his seat on the federal bench in December 1997 to her termination after the judge discovered the theft in April 2004.

Coleman was charged with the theft in June. She withdrew her guilty plea to one count of mail fraud a week ago. The terms of that plea had called for her to serve five years on probation and repay $227,274 to Damrell.

But U.S. District Judge Justin L. Quackenbush of Spokane, Wash., who was assigned to the case after all the federal judges in Sacramento recused themselves, said he wanted Coleman to serve some prison time. That led to her withdrawing the plea.

Damrell and his wife also filed a civil lawsuit against Coleman, claiming a loss of more than $450,000. That suit was settled when Coleman agreed to repay the $227,274.