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• Protesting the war in Lodi

• Speed limit stays same

• Lodi council votes itself raise

• County to pay $70,000

• Delta teachers file labor complaint

• Regional Roundup

November 19th, 2009

• Logbook

• Water surges in Mokelumne River yield more salmon

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22

• Operation: Christmas

• Corrections

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

• Chase ends in crash

• Lodi Unified School District board votes to cancel summer school for 2010

• Lodi City Council will consider redevelopment next June

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

November 18th, 2009

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

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

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

• Regional Roundup

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

November 17th, 2009

• Lodi Budget and Finance Committee to look into ways to save money on employee benefits

• Redevelopment to be discussed by Lodi City Council again

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

• Regional Roundup

• Court reinstates death penalty for killer of Lodi grad

• Clements gets free water rescue boat

• Clarification

• Decision on summer school expected at tonight's Lodi Unified School District meeting

November 16th, 2009

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

• Regional Roundup

• Correction

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

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

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

• Public Meetings

November 14th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• 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

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

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

November 13th, 2009

• What to expect with new homebuyer tax credit

• Lodi Muslim: Local mosque not involved

• Regional Roundup

• Burglary suspects are under arrest

• Lodi veteran recounts close calls in Vietnam

• Mayor Larry Hansen points out Lodi's economic progress

• First phase of Lockeford park by 2011?

November 12th, 2009

• Logbook

• Correction

• Robotics team at Jim Elliot invited to compete in Israel

• City of Lodi begins annual leaf removal program Monday

• Liberty Ranch construction at standstill as state pulls funds

• Will Lodi adopt a program that will allow volunteers to work at parks?

• With song and speech, veterans are recognized in Lodi

• 20 years later, Acampo man remembers the fall of the Berlin Wall

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

• The country's mess is our fault (130)
• Obama is not a moderate (129)
• Lodi Muslim: Local mosque not involved (94)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (60)
• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise (49)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (45)
• Lodi Flames slim playoff chances vanish in setback to Tracy Bulldogs (25)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• The haves should help the have-nots (25)
• Tokay Tigers blow late 27-point lead in loss to Wolf Pack (22)

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County to pay $70,000

Nurse claiming wrongful termination gets settlement

San Joaquin County has reached a settlement with a former county public health nurse who claims she was wrongfully terminated for whistle blowing.

The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to pay Melinda Lagorio-Sanchez $70,000.

"It was an economic decision," Chief Deputy County Counsel Kristen Hegge said on Wednesday, explaining why the board chose to settle. "We thought we had a good case."

Lagorio-Sanchez claimed that she was terminated in February 2006 after accusing Kathleen Tully, program manager of the county Public Health Services Department, of failing to file reports of patients with Hepatitis A and other diseases in a timely manner, according to the lawsuit filed June 23, 2006.

Tully was tardy in assigning these cases to public health nurses, which caused patients to miss treatment resulting in the threat of further disease, according to the lawsuit. Tully also allegedly falsified documents in what appeared to be an effort to conceal her untimely assignment of reports to public health nurses.

Lagorio-Sanchez and other nurses began to register complaints about Tully in November 2005, according to the lawsuit.

Lagorio-Sanchez, who was eight months pregnant, took time off work on Feb. 15, 2006 to seek medical attention due to stress, according to the suit. Six days later, Tully allegedly caused a termination letter to be mailed to her. The termination took effect Feb. 24, 2006.

"We do not agree that all of those things were correct," said Hegge, the attorney representing the county.

Sacramento attorney Daniel G. O'Donnell, who represented Lagorio-Sanchez, was not available for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.