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• Smoky skies

• Observers say Mounce and Johnson will be hard to beat; Jarrett and Khan consider run

• Galt council incumbents still eyeing run; residents, officials hope for 'respectful' election

• Democrats gain in District 10

• Faulty capacitor bank may be to blame for Friday's power outage

• Regional Roundup

• Some older Micke Grove Zoo animals get special care

• Corrections

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 (166)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (72)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (49)
• Public health care is a Christian option (31)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Government-run health care is a bad idea (18)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (17)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)

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Some older Micke Grove Zoo animals get special care

Only a handful of animals at Micke Grove Zoo are in geriatric care but zoo staff do their best to make accommodations for the aging "seniors."

"All the animals receive great care," said Matt McKim, zoo curator at Micke Grove. "The staff spends a great deal of time with them."

Veterinarian Jackie Gai works two or three times a week with the animals and said the oldest animal in the group is a 41-year-old spider monkey named BoBo.

"He's almost as old as me ... but he's very, very active," Gai said.

Other animals include a 16-year-old snow leopard named Ling Shan, a 36-year-old bald eagle named Modoc, a 21-year-old California sea lion named MacDyver, and a 23-year-old black and white ruffed lemur named Mister.

Other large cats at the zoo, including a mountain lion, are nearing their late teens, the life expectancy for big cats. However, they don't need much special attention yet Gai said.

McKim said older animals tend to have problems with arthritis, joint stiffness, and mobility. This requires zoo keepers to spend more time focused on helping the animals stay comfortable.

"They suffer from arthritis so we look at the enclosure (or) den situation to see if there is anything we can do to help the animal get around," McKim said.

Gai said many of the geriatric animals she works with take supplements of gluecosamine to help with mobility as they age.

In addition, some animals require a small dose of aspirin or kidney, heart, and liver medications.

Zoo staff will also move furniture and keep a watch on the temperature in exhibits if certain animals are having extreme difficulty.

"As some get older, their ability to adjust to change is less," McKim said. "It just gets harder with older animals."

Contact Natalie Flynn at natalief@lodinews.com