Regional Roundup

Lodi

Driver under arrest, still hospitalized after crash

Three days after an alleged drunken driver triggered a fatal high-speed crash on Interstate 5 near Lodi, the man remains hospitalized.

Matthew Duglas White, 24, was driving between 100 and 130 mph, swerving around northbound traffic when he veered onto the shoulder to pass a vehicle shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday, according to the California Highway Patrol.

White's 2002 BMW crashed into a Volkswagen that had stalled and had pulled over to the shoulder, spinning the car into the side of a big rig, the CHP said. The sedan's driver, 65-year-old David Henry Nicholls, of Victoria, B.C., died of multiple extreme blunt force injuries, according to the San Joaquin County Coroner's Office.

The BMW came to rest partially down an embankment, and White and his passengers all received major injuries. He was arrested, then hospitalized with a broken leg and hip, the CHP said.

It was not known if he or Nicholls were wearing seat belts.

Lodi resident Sirena Munoz, 21, who was sitting in the right front passenger seat of White's car, had head, back and neck pain and was taken to UC Davis Medical Center, the CHP reported. She was wearing a seat belt.

Theresa Abdallah, 18, of Stockton, had leg and wrist fractures and was taken to St. Joseph's Medical Center in Stockton. The CHP did not know if she was wearing a seat belt.

The 2001 big rig's driver, Los Banos resident Robert Jerry Jones, 55, was not injured. The driver of another involved big rig, 39-year-old Rodney Dale Taylor, of Paso Robles, was also uninjured. Both drivers were wearing seat belts.

White was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, the CHP said, and could also face charges related to Nicholls' death.

Council to hear plan to cut pension costs

Lodi City Council members at Tuesday's shirtsleeve session will hear a strategy to convert pensions for part-time employees to a defined contribution plan; an option that could shave roughly $70,000 a year off of the city's mounting pension costs.

The city currently enrolls part-time employees into Social Security, which cost $1.1 million for the 330 part-timers employed in the current fiscal year.

By switching to a defined contribution plan, which has a required contribution and no specific payout at retirement, the city could save, and net pay for part-time workers would increase because of the tax benefits of a pre-tax pension contribution, according to Deputy City Manager Jim Krueger. Social Security is a post-tax payment.

The council learned last week that pension costs are estimated to reach $7.2 million in the current fiscal year, up from $2.4 million in fiscal year 2002-03.

In a communication to council members, Krueger said city staff wants to pursue such a switch to cut costs. Part-time employees are not covered under any bargaining agreements and the city would not have to confer with them to change pension compensation, which by law must be provided via Social Security or other pension coverage.

The shirtsleeve session is at 7 a.m. in Carnegie Forum, 305 W. Pine St.

Changing Faces Theater auditions to be held

Changing Faces Theater is hosting auditions for the "A Midsummer Night's Dream" on Friday, May 12 at 4:30 p.m. at Bear Creek Community Church, 11171 Lower Sacramento Road. Auditions for the show, to be held July 20-22 and July 27-29, will be open to most ages but specifically for those who are ages 7 to 18. For more information, call 747-8043 or visit www.changingfacestheater.org.

Dean names Ken Mullen as Lodi campaign chairman

Richard Dean, candidate for the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors district 4 seat, has named Lodi physician Ken Mullen as his Lodi campaign manager.

Mullen is a past school board president and a physician at Lodi Primary Care.

First published: Saturday, May 6, 2006