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• Hands-on learning

• Acampo soldier returns from Afghanistan

• Public meetings for the week

• Regional Roundup

November 21st, 2009

• Logbook

• Holiday drive spreads cheer to U.S. troops

• Galt High students want board to approve open-campus policy

• Poisoning victims remain hospitalized

• Expert: Half a mushroom cap can be deadly

• Tokay grad files claim over Lodi's Grape Bowl

• Lodi Middle School holds annual Turkey Trot

• Regional Roundup

• No motive or suspect in shooting

• Sacramento cop arrested for alleged kidnapping

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

• Operation: Christmas

• Logbook

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Chase ends in crash

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

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

• 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

November 18th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

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

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

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

November 17th, 2009

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

• 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

• Clarification

November 16th, 2009

• Correction

• Public Meetings

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

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

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

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

• Regional Roundup

November 14th, 2009

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Regional Roundup

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

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

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

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

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

• The country's mess is our fault (168)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (72)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (50)
• Public health care is a Christian option (33)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Government-run health care is a bad idea (19)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (17)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)

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Acampo soldier returns from Afghanistan

U.S. Army Sgt. Jesse Brucker will be back home in Acampo in about a month from now after serving 16 months in the eastern mountains of Afghanistan.

His family in Acampo is relieved that Brucker survived his tour of duty unharmed, but he'll forever endure the scars of several friends being killed in Afghanistan.

Brucker is spending his final days of duty with the 10th Mountain Division headquartered at Fort Drum, N.Y., about 100 miles north of Syracuse and 30 miles from the Canadian border. He received a hero's welcome during a brief visit to Acampo in July.

Brucker headed a 39-member rifle team in the steep Afghan mountains, where they relied on donations of basic necessities from back home — such as personal hygiene items, snacks and warm-weather items — according to his mother Candy Brucker. Friends and churches from Lodi, Woodbridge, Acampo and Galt shipped dozens of boxes of items to Brucker and his platoon.

During a recent welcome home celebration, Brucker received a special certificate of congressional recognition from Galt Vice Mayor Andrew Meredith, who is also commander of Galt's Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Ernie Giuseponi of the Galt VFW.

A 1995 Galt High graduate, Brucker also received a personal letter from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and a photograph from Gary Sinise of the "CSI: New York" television series.

Brucker is scheduled to be discharged on Sept. 9, but he will spend about two weeks crossing the United States to visit families of the soldiers he knew who were killed in Afghanistan, Candy Brucker said.

Jesse Brucker plans on a career in law enforcement, his mother said.

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.