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• 'We believe that he was lying in wait'

• Larson, River Oaks, Julia Morgan elementary schools are honored with top public education award

• Three-story hotel planned in Lockeford

• Veteran LUSD bus driver earns honor for squeaky clean record

• San Joaquin County officials return home from One Voice trip

• 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 (165)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (70)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (48)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Public health care is a Christian option (29)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Government-run health care is a bad idea (17)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (17)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)

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Larson, River Oaks, Julia Morgan elementary schools are honored with top public education award

Principals from two Lodi Unified schools and one Galt Elementary school received a phone call from State Superintendent Jack O'Connell early this week congratulating them on receiving the state's top honor in public education — the California Distinguished Schools award.

Larson, River Oaks and Julia Morgan elementary schools are a few of the 343 elementary schools statewide that received the coveted distinction.

To get the award, schools must first be invited to apply. Invitations are based at least in part on the schools' standardized test scores.

Then they must go through a lengthy application process. Finally, a team of judges visits the campus.

Each of the schools' principals credited the entire campus community for contributing to their schools' success.

"It takes everybody from the teachers to the secretaries to the instructional assistant staff," said Lois Yount, principal at River Oaks Elementary. "It's all 75 people on campus."

While River Oaks has been around for 15 years, both Julia Morgan and Larson elementaries are fairly new schools. Julia Morgan is in its sixth school year, and Larson's doors have been open for only three years.

Cheryl Nilmeyer, principal at Larson Elementary, said her school almost didn't apply because, even though her school was invited to apply, she thought its youth would hold it back from actually winning the award.

"We're a new school what's the chances of this happening?," she asked a San Joaquin Office of Education employee.

Larson Elementary School Principal Cheryl Nilmeyer stands in front of a Star that is painted on the floor at the school. Larson Elementary recently won a California Distinguished Schools award. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

Not only did the employee said she should apply, she said new schools often win because their staffs share a certain excitement and focus that comes with opening a new school.

Nilmeyer estimated that she and her staff spent more that 200 hours filling out the application.

"The time we spent obviously paid off," Nilmeyer said.

Linda Kapic, principal at Julia Morgan Elementary, said her school is a place where people look out for each other.

For instance, she said, there was a young girl who was having problems with her peers and her school work. Instead of punishing the child, two staff members took her under their wings, told her how much they cared about her and set her up with a tutor.

"If you show children you care, you can help them achieve their goals," Kapic said.

Contact reporter Amanda Dyer at amandad@lodinews.com.