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• Hitchcock blasts council's vote

• Monterey County family reunited with their dog in Lodi, which they thought had been euthanized

• China's consul general visits Lodi, discusses trade opportunities

• Man admits to shooting friend in face

• North San Joaquin water board incumbents challenged in election

• 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 (168)
• 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 (50)
• Public health care is a Christian option (33)
• 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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Regional Roundup

Police chase suspect fit to stand trial

A man accused of leading Lodi police on a pursuit into Stockton, then stealing a patrol car and leading them on another pursuit, was found mentally competent to stand trial Tuesday.

Erving Martinez, 23, of Antioch, has been jailed on $270,000 bail since the June 17 incident, which began with the theft of several hundred dollars worth of alcohol from the Lodi Safeway.

By the time the caper ended, police had chased the vehicle into Stockton, reaching speeds of 90 mph. At one point, Martinez allegedly sideswiped a vehicle at Eight Mile Road, and his car finally got stuck in a Hammer Lane parking lot.

When an officer leapt out of his car to take Martinez into custody, the 401-pound suspect knocked the significantly smaller officer to the ground and took off in the patrol car, lights flashing and siren blaring, police said at the time. The officer tried to grab onto the car door but was knocked loose and not seriously injured.

The stolen patrol car fled down Hammer Lane, going over curbs along the way, went the wrong direction on Interstate 5 and came to a stop after a tire came off. Martinez was arrested inside a nearby home, where he had knocked on a door and said people were chasing him.

Before long, attorneys were questioning Martinez's mental capacity, and on June 25 criminal proceedings were halted so a doctor could evaluate him.

The criminal case resumed Tuesday, after a doctor determined that Martinez was competent to stand trial and could cooperate with his public defender.

Martinez will return to court next Tuesday, where attorneys are scheduled to set a preliminary hearing date.

Vehicle stop leads to gun charges

A Lodi man on probation was jailed after an officer stopped him Tuesday night for a minor vehicle infraction and then allegedly found a loaded gun in his pocket, according to a police report.

The gun was registered to a Fair Oaks man who had 12 guns stolen from him earlier this year.

Michael Tellardin, 30, was driving along on Lodi Avenue near Hutchins Street at 9:49 p.m. when Officer Eric Versteeg noticed that a license plate light on Tellardin's 1974 pick-up truck wasn't working. Versteeg pulled the truck over and asked Tellardin if he was on probation or parole; Tellardin said he was on probation and agreed to get out of the truck, according to the police report.

When asked if he had any weapons, Tellardin said he had a gun in his back pocket, which Versteeg soon confiscated. Another officer found two rounds in the gun, according to Versteeg's report.

Tellardin allegedly told police he bought the gun for protection, spending $50 on it at the Stockton Flea Market.

Officers soon learned that the gun belonged to a burglary victim who told Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies that 12 rifles and handguns were stolen from his home. That man was evicted from his home two weeks ago and police could not immediately contact him to determine if the gun found Tuesday was one of those reported stolen.

Tellardin was arraigned Wednesday on misdemeanor charges of carrying a concealed weapon and carrying a loaded firearm.

A female passenger in his truck was not arrested.

9th person pulls papers in Galt council race

Yet another person intends to run for the Galt City Council.

Kelly Keagy pulled papers this week for a council run, said Sue Cory, Galt's deputy city clerk. Keagy ran unsuccessfully in 2004 for a seat on the council.

Only three of the nine people who have pulled papers have filed them so far, Cory noted. Those include council incumbents Tim Raboy and Barbara Payne, and Tom Santillan, an engineer who works in Sacramento.

The deadline to file is 5 p.m. Friday, and the election will be held Nov. 4.

Fundraiser planned to honor military heroes

A new foundation based in Manteca plans to honor servicemen and women who served in Iraq or Afghanistan with a celebration on Nov. 8, the Saturday before Veterans Day.

The Welcome Home Heroes Foundation will have a military aircraft display, NASCAR automobiles, a traveling memorial of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a parachute ceremony and dinner at Sacramento Metropolitan Airport.

In addition to authorization to use the airport, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors waived permitting fees for this year at its meeting Tuesday.

Foundation board members are Michael Anderson Sr., Pastor Mike Dillman, John Larue, Steve Trapp and Vincent Nastro.