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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 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

• 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

• Chase ends in crash

• Operation: Christmas

• Logbook

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

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

November 18th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

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

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

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

November 17th, 2009

• Clarification

• 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

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

November 16th, 2009

• Correction

• Public Meetings

• Regional Roundup

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

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

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

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

November 14th, 2009

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Regional Roundup

• A first look at 2009 vintages at Lodi's First Sip wine-tasting event

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

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

• Despite an increase in homeless students, school districts look to bolster enrollment, raise revenue

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

November 13th, 2009

• What to expect with new homebuyer tax credit

• Lodi Muslim: Local mosque not involved

• Regional Roundup

• Mayor Larry Hansen points out Lodi's economic progress

• First phase of Lockeford park by 2011?

• Lodi veteran recounts close calls in Vietnam

• Burglary suspects are under arrest

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

• The country's mess is our fault (161)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (70)
• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise (58)
• 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)
• Lodi Flames slim playoff chances vanish in setback to Tracy Bulldogs (25)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Nightmares about America's future (23)

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Racing's backbone

Behind the scenes, Lodi's Luke Cunnington plays a vital role as member of Kurt Busch's crew team

Lodi native Luke Cunnington sat quietly on pit row as the 43-driver field was announced to thunderous applause at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 Sunday afternoon at Infineon Raceway.

Luke Cunnington

His job as a shock specialist doesn't come with the same glitz and glamour that the drivers are afforded.

He gets no personal introduction at the racetrack. His name gets only a single line in driver Kurt Busch's media guide.

But, what the 27-year old accomplishes behind the scenes for Busch's No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger is a key component to its success every week.

"I couldn't imagine doing anything else," Cunnington said following the NASCAR Sprint cup event. "This is like a dream come true."

Busch managed only a 32nd-place finish after qualifying in third, but he ran as high as second behind Jimmie Johnson for 13 laps before Robby Gordon passed him and he fell to 16th on a restart on lap 33.

A tire rub with Scott Pruett and Ron Fellows forced Busch to pit under the green flag on lap 49. The stop went smoothly until Busch stalled upon exiting and he lost valuable time as the crew pushed the car forward until he was able to spin the tires and get moving.

Busch would never make up the lap he lost. He was in the "lucky dog" spot, (the first car on the track one lap behind the leader), but no caution came while he was in that position and when the yellow flag finally flew there were less than 10 laps remaining.

"We had a good car today. We ran fourth through eighth well, but we got shuffled to 15th on a caution," Cunnington said. "We were there for 12-13 laps and then the 41 got into us and it was over from there. NASCAR says you can't get the lucky dog pass with under 10 laps left and it was tough being a lap back."

On race day, Cunnington is responsible for catching the rear tire during pit stops and making any necessary adjustments to the shock and suspension system.

"The track rubbered up today and the drivers complained a lot about the rear grip," Cunnington said. "We changed a couple of things on the car and made a track bar adjustment. I would've liked to have had a little different rear shock package out there today."

After finishing seventh in points, winning two races and making the Chase for the Cup last season, Busch has fallen to 22nd this year, trailing younger brother Kyle, Sunday's race winner and the current points leader by 804 points.

Kyle Busch took home his first career road course victory and his fifth checkered flag of the season at Infineon.

Cunnington doesn't have much time to think about the past, let alone the hoopla that surrounds all NASCAR events following their end.

While the drivers fielded questions from a variety of media outlets, Cunnington and the rest of the crew hurriedly broke down their station on pit row and loaded their equipment and car into a trailer.

With little time to rest, Cunnington will travel cross country to Penske Racing headquarters in Moorseville, N.C. to prep for Sunday's LENOX Industrial Tools 301 in New Hampshire.

It's all in a typical week for Cunnington, who works long hours throughout the nine-month NASCAR season.

"During the week I go to the shake rig and build new shocks," Cunnington said of his job that wakes him as early as 5 a.m. on some days. "We sometimes start with the same package and make adjustments depending on what the driver wants and the course we're on."

His love for racing has carried him across the country after originally working for Penske early in his career.

"I started in California working for Penske and then I moved to Pennsylvania to work for the Pettys for one year," Cunnington said. "Now I've been with Kurt for two years."

Cunnington's stop in Sonoma was his first stay in California since February and the visit brought him full circle to his childhood.

"It feels great to be back here. It was good to see my family," Cunnington said. "I've been coming here with my dad since I was a kid. It's very special to be here."