Story Tools

Email this story | Print this story

Indexes

Today's Stories

Last 7 Days

Top Blogs

• Lodi woman dies in crash

• Pit bulls under fire

• Lodi doesn't have pit bull laws — just laws against vicious dogs

• Voters may finance expanded county jail

• How do referendums work? City officials shed light on process

• Regional Roundup

• Casanega gives recommendations to Lodi school board

• Mokelumne River High graduates first class

November 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

November 7th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

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

• Jason Behrmann is unanimously named Galt's city manager

• Regional Roundup

• 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

• Lodi City Council weighs raising fares to restore some bus service

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

• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home

• Regional Roundup

• Group investigates reports of haunting

• 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

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 (73)
• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (70)
• The Treaty of Tripoli hoax (60)
• Universal health care solves big problems (54)
• Here's what my father knew about the assassination of JFK (35)
• Stuck in neutral? Hardly! (35)
• Words from our forefathers (27)
• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks (24)
• Majority cannot deprive the minority (23)

ADVERTISEMENT

Regional Roundup

Bank robbery suspect fights two more charges

Police believe a Lodi bank robbery suspect may be responsible for two Stockton robberies, but a defense attorney wants to conduct a jail house photo line-up before legal proceedings continue.

John Lawrence Wilson, 43, of Stockton, has been jailed since April 30, when Lodi police tracked him from Bank of America, 700 W. Kettleman Lane, to Stockton. He was charged with one count of robbery in that case but then, on May 12, Wilson was charged with two more counts of robbery at Stockton banks.

Those charges related to a Sept. 27 robbery at a Bank of America and a March 21 robbery at a Guaranty Bank, San Joaquin County Deputy District Attorney Patricia Rieta-Garcia said.

Wilson appeared in court Thursday, where attorneys were likely going to confirm a date for a preliminary hearing, where a judge decides if there is enough evidence to warrant a trial.

Instead, Deputy Public Defender Matthew Kowalski asked for a line-up at the jail, to see if witnesses could even identify Wilson as the suspect. That matter will be discussed July 3.

Wilson remains at the county jail in French Camp, where he is being held on $150,000 bail.

Man admits to stealing lighting, audio equipment

A Lodi man who was arrested after police said they found $125,000 worth of stolen light and sound equipment in his storage units has pleaded no contest to misdemeanor possession of lost property.

Martin Peel, 44, was ordered to pay restitution, according to San Joaquin County court records. He was also sentenced to 60 days in jail, fined $230 and placed on three years of probation.

Lodi police detectives arrested Peel on Feb. 1 after an a tip led them to storage units Peel had rented in south Lodi.

Inside, detectives found professional lights mounted on rafters, large custom-made rolling storage boxes and other equipment. At least some of it had been stolen from an area lighting and audio business.

Misdemeanor possession of lost property, is a theft charge defined under California law as: “One who finds lost property under circumstances which give him knowledge of or means of inquiry as to the true owner, and who appropriates such property to his own use, or to the use of another person not entitled thereto, without first making reasonable and just efforts to find the owner and to restore the property to him, is guilty of theft.”

This item was updated at 10:45 a.m. June 24, 2008, to correct the charge to which Peel pleaded no contest.

Look who's in the dog house fund-raiser today

People assisting Lodi Shelter will be holding a "Look Who's In The Dog House!" fund-raiser from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today.

Pairs of volunteers will be calling friends and family to come adopt them out. The money raised will be used to finish the dog exercise area, and provide awnings for the cat and dog areas.

Last year, the fund-raiser was able to earn $10,000. Nancy Alumbaugh, treasurer of PALS hopes to raise just as much this year.

A few participants in this year's event include Jeanie Biskup, special services manager of the Lodi Police Department, Nick Caravetes of Oak Ridge Winery, and Tony Segale of Segale Signs.

Alumbaugh just hopes to raise enough money to support the animals.

"All these funds are used for animal care," Alumbaugh said. "It gives animals an opportunity who otherwise wouldn't have one.

Relay for Life planned for this weekend

The American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Lodi will be held at the Lodi Grape festival grounds at 10 a.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday. The event is designed to bring together people who have experienced cancer and celebrate cancer survivors. It is held overnight to represent that cancer never sleeps.

Participants in groups of eight to 15 normally stay in tents and try to keep one member of the team walking the whole 24 hours.

Candles lit in memory of loved ones lost to cancer line the track reminding people of why they participate and how much of a difference their contributions make.

So far, 507 participants and 50 teams have signed up to participate in the Lodi event and $24,429.00 has been raised.

Teams and individuals can still sign up and donations are still being accepted for participants. For more information, call 209-327-3741 or visit http://events.cancer.org/rfllodica.

Lodi frees $440,000 for energy rebates

The city of Lodi made $440,000 available this week through its seven state-mandated energy rebate programs.

Residents and businesses who purchase energy efficient appliances or make energy saving improvements to their homes or offices are eligible for the rebates.

They must also be customers of the Lodi Electric Utility District.

Money for the rebates is collected from city ratepayers, said city spokesman Jeff Hood.

Buying an EnergyStar refrigerator at a Lodi retailer, for example, could net local residents a $50 rebate.

Replacing your air duct, on the other hand, could result in $750 in cash back, according to a city report on the rebate programs.

For more information on the rebates, contact the Lodi Electric Utility District at (209) 333-6762 or visit www.lodielectric.com and click on 'Rebates' at the top right hand side of the page.

Driver expected to be charged in fatal wreck

Investigators will ask prosecutors to file misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charges against a big rig driver who rear-ended cars stopped at a Highway 12 bridge, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said Thursday.

Edwin S. Soper, 58, of Diamond Springs, was driving his truck west on the two-lane highway Saturday afternoon when he reached a Delta bridge near Terminous Road. He crashed into four cars that had stopped while the bridge opened for boating traffic, Quintero said at the time of the collision.

The driver of the first vehicle struck, identified by San Joaquin County Coroner's officials as Alfred Carretta III, 47, was pronounced dead at the scene. Carretta was originally from Collinsville, Ill., and apparently recently moved to Benicia in the Bay Area.

Several other drivers and passengers were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, and the roadway was closed for several hours.

Investigators do not believe drugs or alcohol were factors.

Congressional candidates to debate

Republican congressional candidate Dean Andal has asked Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, to participate in a series of debates throughout the sprawling 11th Congressional District.

Andal sent a letter dated Wednesday to his Democratic opponent, saying he would rather allow voters to see and hear them as they really are rather than through sound bites and "carefully controlled appearances." Andal suggested starting the debates during the congressional recess in August.

McNerney spokesman Andy Stone said that McNerney has agreed to participate in debates, but scheduling hasn't been determined. McNerney's first priority is his duties as a congressman, Stone said.

The not-so-wonderful wedding memories

Carrie Bradshaw was a victim of it on "Sex and the City," and Julia Roberts made the story famous with "Runaway Bride." The left-at-the-altar scene is popular in film, but does it happen in real life? Do you have a story of an engagement that ended with cold feet on the day of the wedding? If so, we may want to include your story in an upcoming Lodi Living article. Not all submissions need to be about Lodi residents, and any names or specific can be kept anonymous. To share a wedding story, contact Lauren Nelson at 369-7035 or send a detailed e-mail to laurenn@lodinews.com. All submissions must be in by Sunday, June 8.