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• CHP Officer John Paul Miller, who died in the line of duty, laid to rest in Lodi

• A different form of Thanksgiving — a home makeover in Lodi

• Lodi resident Milo Radulovich remembered as a champion for social justice

• Three-vehicle crash closes street shortly after procession

• Everything you need to know to survive Black Friday

• Regional Roundup

November 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

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.

• Bible is entwined with American civic life (135)
• I predict: A conservative tide will rise in 2010 (63)
• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (60)
• The Treaty of Tripoli hoax (56)
• Universal health care solves big problems (42)
• Here's what my father knew about the assassination of JFK (35)
• Words from our forefathers (26)
• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home (18)
• Falcons trample over Galt's playoff hopes (17)
• Stuck in neutral? Hardly! (17)

ADVERTISEMENT

Everything you need to know to survive Black Friday

Black Friday: The biggest shopping day of the year. Here's a rundown of local store hours and featured items.

Target
Store hours:
• Friday: 6 a.m. - 11 p.m.
• Saturday: 8 a.m. - 11 p.m.
• Sunday: 8 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Hot items:
• 19-inch Trutech widescreen LCD HDTV with built-in DVD player for $199 (regularly $329).
• 37-inch Olevia widescreen LCD HDTV for $549 (regularly $799.99).
• Kodak eight-megapixel, slim digital camera for $89 (regularly 149.99).

Lowe's
Store hours:
• Friday: 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
• Saturday: 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
• Sunday: 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Hot items:
• 20 percent off Whirlpool washer and dryer pair.
• Black and Decker cordless, 18-volt, four-piece combo kit with charger, hand vacuum, flashlight and drill for $39.97 (regularly $119).
• BBQ grillware barbecue grill with 335-square-inch cooking area and side burner for $88.
• Prices valid Friday only.

Longs
Store hours:
• Friday: 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
• Saturday: 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.
• Sunday: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. (Lodi Avenue location), 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. (Kettleman Lane location).
Hot items:
• 1-gigabyte Del Star MP4 player for $19.99 after mail-in rebate.
• Vivitar five-megapixel digital camera for $39.99 after mail-in rebate.
• Spectron IQ portable 7-inch portable DVD player for $79.99 after mail-in rebate.
• Prices valid Friday and Saturday only.

Mervyns
Store hours:
• Friday: 4 a.m. - 11 p.m.
• Saturday: 6 a.m. - 11 p.m.
• Sunday: 9 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Hot items:
• 1-gigabyte Sharper Image video MP3 player for $49.99 (regularly $119.99).
• 9-inch Spectron IQ portable DVD player for $99.99 after mail-in rebate (regularly $249.99).
• Your choice of one of several diamond bracelets or pendants for $59.99 (regularly $350 to $400).
• Prices valid Friday morning only.

Wal-Mart
Store hours:
• Friday: Opens at 5 a.m. and doesn't close again until Christmas Eve.
• Saturday: Open 24 hours
• Sunday: Open 24 hours
Hot items:
• Compaq Presario Desktop Computer Bundle with 120 gigabyte hard drive for $398.
• Polaroid 32-inch LCD HDTV for $448.
• Sony Cybershot camera with 2-inch LCD screen for $79.87.
• Prices only valid Friday from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Big KMart
Store hours:
• Friday: 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
• Saturday: 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.
• Sunday: 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Hot items:
• Sylvania 20-inch LCD television for $197 (regularly $299.99).
• Buy a Nintendo DS Lite or a handheld PSP and get a $25 gift card.
• Nextar navigation system with 3.5-inch touch screen.
• Prices only valid Friday from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m.

J.C. Penney
Store hours:
• Friday: 4 a.m. - 11 p.m.
• Saturday: 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.
• Sunday: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Hot items:
• 7.5-foot, pre-lit, artificial Christmas tree for $108.88 (regularly $339.99).
• Diamond rings, pendants and earrings for $99.99 each.
• Prices only valid Friday from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Staples
Store hours:
• Friday: 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.
• Saturday: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
• Sunday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Hot items:
• Compaq Presario notebook with 80 gigabyte hard drive for $349.98 (regularly $749.98).
• 32-inch flat-panel LCD HDTV for $449.98 (regularly $899.98).
• Acer 17-inch wide-screen LCD monitor for $89.98 (after mail-in rebate).

Weather Guide

Black Friday shoppers should enjoy lots of sunshine, says Bob Klug, a meteorologist for AccuWeather.com, a private forecasting firm.

Deal hunters should expect a high of 63 degrees and a low of 32 degrees Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year.

"It might be a little chilly," Klug said, but shoppers should be able to bear the early morning cold in the parking lots of their favorite stores.

For Saturday, Klug predicted a high of 61 degrees and a low of 34 degrees.

Sunday will most likely follow suit, Klug said, with lots of sunshine and temperatures ranging from the high 30s to the mid 60s.

"Looks pretty good out there," Klug said.

Online Shopping Guide

Too stuffed to spend the night in a big-box parking lot waiting for the best deals? Well, you don't have to.

Several online stores are offering Black Friday deals that you can access without having to suffer through the crowds.

Amazon.com is offering Friday-only deals on everything from cookware to jewelry to tools. The products that are to be sold on the day after Thanksgiving are not yet visible on the company's Web site, but shoppers should check back Friday morning.

Many retail stores are also offering Black Friday deals on their online stores.

Circuit City, for example, is offering Web-only deals and financing on cameras, LCD televisions and laptops on its Web site.

Apple, a company that offers very few sales, is also holding a day-after-Thanksgiving event. The online store advises customers to come back to the Web site on Friday, but said the store will be offering free shipping.

However, not all retail stores are offering Web deals. Finding the stores that do offer sales might take a bit more finger work, but could pay off in hundreds of dollars.

To help shoppers out, several people have compiled the deals in a single Web site, making it easier to get the goods you need faster.

Helpful Web sites include http://www.blackfriday.info, http://www.bfads.net and http://www.blackfriday.gottadeal.com.

Line-waiting tips and tricks

• Dress in warm clothing and bring blankets. If you think you're cold in the morning when you're off to work and school, remember that's when you're moving.

You'll be even colder when you're sitting on the concrete for hours in front of your favorite store.

Plan for it to be colder than you expect and bring extra layers and blankets. Remember, you can always take layers off, but you'll lose your place in line if you leave to get them later.

• Arrive early, really early. In this case not only does the early bird get the worm, he also gets the eight-megapixel digital camera and the half-off LCD television.

In short, those who get there first will get the best deals.

Expect people to start lining up for doorbusters Thursday night.

• Bring a friend. Not only will a friend help keep you safe in the wee hours of the morning, but they will also hold your place in line while you run to the bathroom and make that unexpected snack run.

• Bring mindless entertainment. Conversation can get sparse at 3 a.m., so it's best to bring a trashy novel, your handheld video game system or a deck of cards to pass the time until the stores open their doors.

• Know exactly what you want and where it is in the store. Don't come to the store hoping to randomly pick up a few great deals.

More than likely, somebody else will snag those goods while you're left wondering what to buy.

Also, once you get in, ask a store clerk to point you to exactly where the item you want is in the store. This way you won't be wandering aimlessly among the crowds while somebody else is heading to the register with your deal.