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• Anti-death penalty signs upset mother

• School district earmarks $8 million for mold cleanup

• Bad birds?

• Tour companies enjoying Lodi wine boom; still no regular tours in area

• Motorcyclist found alive two days after accident

• Regional Roundup

• Collaborative effort brings 'Sylvia' to play at Hutchins Street Square

• Deputies recover $1.6 million worth of ag chemical

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

• 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

• Chase ends in crash

• Operation: Christmas

• Logbook

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

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

November 18th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

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

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

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

November 17th, 2009

• Clarification

• 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

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

November 16th, 2009

• Correction

• Public Meetings

• Regional Roundup

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

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

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

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

November 14th, 2009

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Regional Roundup

• A first look at 2009 vintages at Lodi's First Sip wine-tasting event

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

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

• Despite an increase in homeless students, school districts look to bolster enrollment, raise revenue

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

November 13th, 2009

• What to expect with new homebuyer tax credit

• Lodi Muslim: Local mosque not involved

• Regional Roundup

• Mayor Larry Hansen points out Lodi's economic progress

• First phase of Lockeford park by 2011?

• Lodi veteran recounts close calls in Vietnam

• Burglary suspects are under arrest

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

• The country's mess is our fault (151)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (66)
• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise (55)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (48)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Lodi Flames slim playoff chances vanish in setback to Tracy Bulldogs (25)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Nightmares about America's future (23)
• Tokay Tigers blow late 27-point lead in loss to Wolf Pack (22)

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Riding high

Eight-year-old Cobe Lehnertz of Lodi is on the fast track to success

Lodi's Jim and Michele Lehnertz have sacrificed a lot to give their son, Cobe, a chance to follow his dream.

Jim sold the family's three monster trucks, which he, his older brother and father used to ride at exhibitions every Friday night. Now the parents spend their weekends taking their only child to the latest motocross race, where 8-year-old Cobe flies down the dirt track on his bike at some 40 miles per hour, typically blowing away the competition.

In the last two years, there have only been three weekends when Cobe didn't attend a race, be it as close as Turlock or as far away as Texas.

"He started to get so good at it and we couldn't do both," said Jim Lehnertz, who rode motocross bikes as a child, but never at the level of his son. "He's only a kid once."

Of course, Lehnertz says, if Cobe ever wants to start driving monster trucks, he can do that, too.

"We have a new one sitting in the shop," Lehnertz said.

But for now, Cobe has visions of one day competing as a professional motocross rider, following in the footsteps of racing idols Ricky Carmichael and Jeremy McGrath. And the way Cobe's riding, he's likely to accomplish that goal. In April, Cobe took fourth at the World Mini Grand Prix in Las Vegas and he was one of 1,386 out of 20,000 hopefuls to qualify for the Amateur National Motocross Championships at Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Tennessee later this month.

Cobe's won so many trophies at this point, no room at the Lehnertz home is spared.

Lodi's Cobe Lehnertz is interviewed by Miss Supercross after winning the KTM Jr. Supercross Challenge at San Francisco's AT&T Park in January. (Courtesy photo)

"In the bedroom, the family room, the shop, the garage," Michele Lehnertz said. "They're all over the place."

When Cobe wins medals now, he simply leaves them at the race, unless it's a national competition.

Or, added Cobe, "Unless they're good looking."

But Cobe's been accumulating more than trophies, garnering national attention on the racing circuit with appearances in racing magazines such as Racer X and Final Lap, as well as the interest of numerous sponsors who've come to Cobe and his parents to offer their support.

Cobe has come a long way since he got his first bike, a Yamaha PW-50, at the age of 3 and he hasn't stopped riding since. His arsenal of bikes is now up to seven, though he has others he just rides for fun.

He even has a regular bicycle, which his mom says he rides all the time — though it's hard to imagine he has the time, considering his weekends are booked and he practices motocross throughout the week at the track his father built for him off Harney Lane.

Cobe's travels have taken him everywhere from Las Vegas to Arizona to Washington, causing him to miss 61/2 weeks of school last year at Lodi Seven Day Adventist. But the school was understanding, allowing him to bring his homework on the road.

"The school's been really flexible," said Michelle Lehnertz, whose son is about to begin fourth grade. "And he's gotten all A's and a couple B's."

Cobe's commitment to racing may seem a bit extreme for an 8-year-old, but his parents don't push him to compete; he simply loves to do it and they don't mind spending the time to make it happen.

"I don't really wish I did anything else," Cobe said.