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• Police car torched in Lodi; fire ruled arson

• Lodi's Southwest Gateway project clears a hurdle

• Galt charter school backers facing uphill battle to open

• Local students enjoying spring break at home or away

• Sacramento railroad blaze concerns local firefighters

• Regional Roundup

November 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

November 7th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

November 6th, 2009

• Short sales make up nearly half of Lodi market

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi man accused of smuggling drugs, weapons for inmates at state prison

• 'I-5 Strangler' sentenced to 6 terms of life

• Jury convicts Acampo man of torture, assault of his girlfriend

• Young girl is 200,000th person to assemble AIDS, HIV care kit

• Woman in wheelchair struck by car

November 5th, 2009

• A lower Lodi Lake

• Streetside scarecrows

• San Joaquin County considers moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts

• Speakers address Lodi Unified School District budget shortfalls, plea to keep programs

• Armed robbers still targeting Lodi shops

• Regional Roundup

• California voters have final say over $11 billion water bond

• Weekend bus service to continue until Lodi City Council makes decision

• Paul Tebbel shines spotlight on sandhill cranes

• Your complete guide to Sandhill Crane Festival

• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy

• Man wanted in Acampo homicide gives up to San Joaquin County Sheriff's detectives

November 4th, 2009

• Candle fire

• Rep. Jerry McNerney sets telephone town hall for Thursday

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi City Council weighs raising fares to restore some bus service

• Galt City Council argues over ordinance hiring residents

• San Joaquin County sues state over prison hospital planned for Stockton

• Big win for Allen Baroni in reclamation election

• California sends Democratic loyalist John Garamendi to Congress

• Bicycling father raising awareness of teen suicide

• Jason Behrmann is unanimously named Galt's city manager

November 3rd, 2009

• 500 attend service for Kyle Coumas

• Correction

• Galt considers ordinance that would require city contractors to hire locally

• Regional Roundup

• Have you seen a missing guide dog puppy in Lodi?

• Galt man dies after weekend Highway 12 crash

• Jason Behrmann is top candidate for Galt city manager

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

• Clarification

November 2nd, 2009

• Downtown Lodi trick or treat

• Public Meetings

• Correction

• Kyle Coumas funeral today

• Regional Roundup

• Sandhill Cranes Festival comes to Lodi next weekend

• Lamborghini lovers gather for show, fine wine, luncheon in Woodbridge

• Lodi's 'Biggest Loser' Christy Richesin runs 5K Halloween race

• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home

• Group investigates reports of haunting

October 31st, 2009

• Area schools have no plans of closing due to H1N1 virus

• Tokay High evacuation

• Gated communities in Lodi

• Finishing touches on Hill House replica

• Regional Roundup

• In remembrance of Kyle Coumas

• Lodi-area Halloween events

• City of Lodi settles case of mistaken identity

• Lodi a reflection of Halloween's retail emergence

• Izzy Laviola and Seth Siddle-Mitchell crowned Tokay homecoming queen and king

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

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Lodi's Southwest Gateway project clears a hurdle

Leaders from Lodi and throughout San Joaquin County agree: The Southwest Gateway project planned along Lower Sacramento Road at Kettleman Lane should move forward.

By a 5-0 vote, the San Joaquin County Local Area Formation Commission Friday approved Lodi's annexation of 318 acres to be used for the project, which will add up to 1,350 new homes, and sites for parks, a new fire station and school.

LAFCO, made up of city and county leaders, has the final say on whether a city or local district can expand its boundaries.

Its vote is one of the final clearances developer FCB Homes needs before construction begins, planned for spring 2008.

The Lodi City Council approved Southwest Gateway and its environmental impact report last year.

"The I's have been dotted and the T's crossed," said FCB Homes President Tom Doucette. "There's no more controversy left."

FCB's other large development — the proposed 745-home Westside project — is up for a vote by the Lodi council Wednesday night. Its environmental report will be considered for approval.

Before voting to approve the Southwest Gateway land annexation, County Supervisor Ken Vogel, who represents Lodi and is an alternate on LAFCO, questioned whether Lodi has enough water to supply the large new development.

Lodi Community Development Director Randy Hatch assured Vogel and the remaining commissioners that future Lodians won't go thirsty.

"We have a healthy gap between supply and demand," Hatch told the commission, noting the city has access to 24,500 acre feet of water per year. Its demand, counting future projects like Southwest Gateway and several others, is expected to be 19,777 acre feet per year.

One acre-foot of water equals about 326,000 gallons, roughly the amount a family of four uses each year.

Doucette said his company will spend the remainder of 2007 preparing road, water and sewer plans for the project. Those elements will be built first, followed by homes sometime next year.

"There's no precise plan yet on construction," he said.

After Friday's vote, William Chiat, executive director for the California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions presented the San Joaquin commission with a "LAFCO 101" presentation.

He noted the commissions will be ever more important as California continues its rapid growth. He noted the state's 58 LAFCOs — there's one in each county — are charged with encouraging orderly growth and conserving agriculture and open space.

Rather than approving annexations with few questions, some LAFCO commissioners have begun to scrutinize proposals, he said.

"You're starting to see more activist commissioners," Chiat added. "More and more LAFCOs are exercising their independence ... because they want to do the right thing and be proactive (about planning)."

Contact reporter Chris Nichols at chrisn@lodinews.com.