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• Readying for war

• Corn syrup center OK'd

• Stolen Boy Scout patches discovered by Lodi officer

• Get those shorts, tank tops ready: Lodi set to warm up

• Local astronaut Jose Hernandez to speak at Latino leadership event

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi dentist to lead county dental society

• Galt Elementary to hire new superintendent

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

• Jason Behrmann is unanimously named Galt's city manager

• Regional Roundup

• 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

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

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

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

• Regional Roundup

• Group investigates reports of haunting

• 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

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

• Bible is entwined with American civic life (137)
• I predict: A conservative tide will rise in 2010 (74)
• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (70)
• The Treaty of Tripoli hoax (66)
• Universal health care solves big problems (56)
• Stuck in neutral? Hardly! (38)
• Here's what my father knew about the assassination of JFK (35)
• Words from our forefathers (27)
• Majority cannot deprive the minority (25)
• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks (24)

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Local astronaut Jose Hernandez to speak at Latino leadership event

Tracy Hispanic Business Group's scholarship and award recipients will be greeted by astronaut Jose Hernandez at their reception dinner on Saturday.

Jose Hernandez

Hernandez, born to immigrant workers in French Camp, will speak about how education and hard work made his career in space engineering possible.

As a senior in high school, he heard a news report that Franklin Chang-Diaz had been selected as the first Latino astronaut in the United States.

"That's when I knew I wanted to become an astronaut," he said.

Hernandez, who graduated from University of the Pacific in 1985 with a degree in electrical engineering, works at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

He underwent simulated launches and classroom instruction in a two-year astronaut training program to become an astronaut candidate. He is now equipped for his first launch, which Hernandez said he hopes will be within the next year or so.

He also earned a master's degree in electrical engineering at University of California, Santa Barbara. After graduating, he was hired by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where he helped develop the first full-field digital mammography imaging system, a system that is used to detect the early stages of breast cancer.

He regularly speaks to young people across the nation.

"I want to elevate the awareness of the post high school opportunities right here in our backyard," Hernandez said. "I think the kids need to realize that we need to plan ahead for our future. And a good education is the key to that."

Contact reporter Danielle MacMurchy at danielle@tracypress.com.