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• Web site, education help local teachers squash plagiarism

• Delta locks up site for Galt campus

• Tree auction in Lodi

• Woodbridge family's wrongful death trial against Toyota gets under way

• New hotel planned for Kettleman Lane

• Regional Roundup

• City ponders taking first crack at fed grant money

• In the nick of swine ...

• City hires attorney to fight Tracy Press suit

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 (154)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (67)
• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise (58)
• 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)
• Public health care is a Christian option (25)
• Nightmares about America's future (23)

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In the nick of swine ...

250 pound pot-bellied pig pulled from pool

Life is back to normal this week for Brocoli, the 250-pound pot-bellied pig on Ponte Mira Way.

But Saturday afternoon, the pig was in over its head in its family's backyard swimming pool — and the Tracy Fire Department had to be called in for the rescue.

Patricia Brown said she opened up the gate to a pen where Broccoli lives while she swept her backyard. The large animal bolted across the yard, in spite of her efforts to control him, and headed straight to the pool.

"Once he makes up his mind to walk somewhere, he can't be stopped," she said.

The swine fell in and quickly sank in 6 feet of cold water. Brown jumped in after him, clothes and all, and pulled him to the surface. But, after 45 minutes of struggling, she couldn't get him out of the pool.

"I got his hooves on the top of the pool, but the harder I pulled, the more he pushed back," she said.

She got out of the water, dashed inside the house and called 9-1-1.

Tracy police got the call at 1:25 p.m., and the Tracy Fire Department crew from the Grant Line Road and Parker Avenue station, including Firefighter Tony Perez, Engineer Laura Hernandez and Capt. Pat Vargas, responded two minutes later. Tracy Fire Department Division Chief Andy Kellogg said the crew found the woman and Brocoli in the water and provided help lifting Brocoli off the top step.

Brown said that once firefighter Perez got in the water with her, it took only half a minute to get Brocoli out — "but it took a lot of muscle," she said.

What happened next to the pot-bellied pig? Brown said he appeared to suffer from hypothermia after such a long time in the cold water, so she gave him a nice hog shower.

Contact reporter Bob Brownne at brownne@tracypress.com.