Regional Roundup

Lodi teen arrested after drive-by shooting

An 18-year-old Lodi man was arrested Monday after a gang-related drive-by shooting that hit a house but missed bystanders, police said.

Mario Sanchez was arrested shortly after the 7:47 p.m. shooting in the 700 block of South Garfield Street, Officer Sierra Brucia said. Police are searching for a second suspect, he said.

Sanchez, a suspected gang member, was allegedly driving a gray Cadillac when someone inside the vehicle fired one round from a shotgun, Brucia said. Witnesses gave police a description of the vehicle, and Sgt. Bill Alexander stopped the car on his way to the scene.

Officers found a shotgun and ammunition inside the car, Brucia said.

The shot hit the exterior of the house, which Brucia said is a known rival gang member's home. People were standing outside at the time of the shooting, not far from where the home was hit, Brucia said.

Gang violence between the Norteños and Sureños occasionally surfaces in Lodi, and several homicides in recent years have been related to rivalries between the two gangs.

More lights on way for Highway 12 intersection

The state transportation agency is adding temporary lighting to improve conditions at an intersection that has been the site of two recent fatal accidents.

Lisa Balcom, a public information officer for the California Department of Transportation, said Tuesday that Caltrans expects to have solar-powered, flashing beacons installed at DeVries Road and Highway 12 by August.

The news follows an earlier announcement this week that Caltrans will install a signal light at the crossing by the end of fiscal year 2009-10.

Two men have died in traffic accidents at the intersection since March, the most recent crash happening on Saturday.

Balcom said the beacons should improve the visibility of stop signs and other vehicles at the intersection.

Nakanishi to host open house next week

Assemblyman Alan Nakanishi is holding an open house at his Lodi office on Monday.

"I wanted to take this opportunity to invite members of our community to come down to my Lodi district office for a cup of coffee and a chance to discuss some of the many issues facing California right now," Nakanishi said in a statement.

Nakanishi (R-Lodi) represents the 10th district, which includes Amador, El Dorado, Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties.

The meeting will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at 218 W. Pine St. across from City Hall. For more information, call 333-5330.

County sheriff endorses Sieglock

San Joaquin County Sheriff Steve Moore has announced his endorsement of Republican Jack Sieglock for the 10th Assembly seat being vacated next year by Alan Nakanishi, R-Lodi, due to term limits.

Sieglock, a former Lodi mayor, served eight years on the Lodi City Council and eight years with the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors.

Alex and Michael Spanos are chairing Sieglock's campaign.

House approves funding for Port of Stockton

The House approved nearly $3.4 million for projects to aid the Port of Stockton, based on requests made by Reps. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, and Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced.

Funding for these projects is subject to approval by the Senate and then President Bush. Both projects were included in the 2008 Energy and Water Appropriations bill. The appropriations process is expected to be completed by the start of the next fiscal year on Oct. 1.

The project calls for $3.094 million to conduct maintenance dredging and riverbank protection along the 35-foot-deep Stockton Ship Channel on the San Joaquin River, which extends from Suisun Bay to the turning basin at the Port of Stockton.

Annual maintenance dredging is necessary for the safe passage of deep-draft commercial vessels to the Port of Stockton, the second-largest inland port in the United States, according to McNerney spokesman Andy Stone.

Another $300,000 has been allocated to study how widening and deepening the navigation channels at the Port of Stockton would affect the environment.

Couple kept animals in home, endangered child

MODESTO — A couple who kept a horse and seven dogs inside their home was arrested for endangering a 12-year-old child after officers found the floor covered in animal feces and rotting produce, authorities said.

An animal control officer investigating a neighbor's complaint discovered the inside of Joe Silva and Nichole Surkala's house infested with flies so thick that Surkala's child had to sleep in a tent to escape them, said Modesto Police Animal Control Officer Jennifer Sol.

The couple rented out the miniature horse for children's parties, and the produce that littered the dwelling was used to feed the animal, said Modesto Police Sgt. Ed. Steele.

"There was produce strewn all over the house, and the animals were defecating all over the house," Steele said. "They were living in it. You couldn't walk anywhere without stepping on the stuff."