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• Battle for the board

• Blaze burns alfalfa at Thornton dairy; spontaneous combustion suspected

• Lodi High's 'spunky' class graduates

• Doing what makes her happy earns Megan Spencer valedictorian spot

• Lodi High top graduates

• 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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Blaze burns alfalfa at Thornton dairy; spontaneous combustion suspected

Tons of alfalfa burned Friday afternoon at a Thornton dairy, which suffered a similar fire last year.

The blaze sent smoke billowing into the sky and east over Interstate 5, just north of Peltier Road. Passing motorists slowed to gawk, but for those closer to the blaze, it was a scorching hot mass that was consuming the food meant for more than 1,000 cows.

Much of the alfalfa had been purchased only about a week earlier, said Paula De Snayer, who owns the dairy with her husband. It was sitting in tall stacks, with make-shift alleys between them.

Because it was outside and spaced out, she said, the fire likely didn't burn as much hay as a July blaze that ultimately caused $500,000 in damage at De Snayer Dairy on North Rond Road.

"I think we're in better shape this time, because all of our friends came to help move the hay," she said, expressing thanks to three different Galt-based hay hauling companies that soon arrived to rescue unburnt hay.

It was not immediately known how much hay had burned, but it was likely in the tens of thousands of pounds.

For firefighters, the main concern was in preventing the fire from moving to another large unburnt stack, Thornton Fire Chief Vince Tafuri said. Firefighters from several agencies poured water on the burning hay, using water from trucks as well as pumping it from a nearby irrigation ditch.

The cause of the fire had not been determined because it was still burning, but it was likely a matter of spontaneous combustion.

As in last summer's fire that consumed a barn and 1,100 tons of hay and alfalfa, such fires often happen when hay is baled while wet. The moisture gradually heats and then combusts. Such fires also occasionally happen in grass clippings.

Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.