Regional Roundup

Nevada accident victims in critical condition

A Lodi couple who suffered third-degree burns after a fiery vehicle crash in rural Nevada were in critical condition on Wednesday afternoon, according to a spokeswoman from the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City.

Rodney Tate Sr. and his wife, Vickie, both 44, were burned in a crash on Monday on Interstate 80, about 23 miles west of Battle Mountain, Nev. Rodney Tate Sr.'s parents, Kenneth Tate, 73, and Loretta Tate, 71, were killed in the same crash.

The Tate family has set up a living trust fund at the Bank of Stockton's Lodi branch to support the family. Anyone who wants to make a donation may contact any Bank of Stockton branch. The Lodi branch is located at 120 W. Walnut St. For more information, call 340-2300.

Locals line up to buy library's Life magazines

Several people lined up in front of the Lodi Library on Tuesday morning to snap up the remaining stacks of old Life magazines that were on sale for 50 cents a piece.

Library Services Director Nancy Martinez said earlier this week that the library had run out of room and could no longer store the magazines, which dated back to the '40s.

She said people even showed up with handtrucks looking to purchase large stacks of the vintage magazines.

Staff had been selling the magazines for a month, but when the News-Sentinel published an article in Tuesday's paper about the sale, it seemed to capture local residents' interest.

"The people were interested and a lot of them got lots of (the magazines)," Martinez said.

EBMUD looks to buy water from Woodbridge

Because of the dry winter this year, the East Bay Municipal Utility District wants to purchase 6,000 acre-feet of Mokelumne River water from the Woodbridge Irrigation District for $1.2 million.

The Woodbridge board of directors will consider the one-time deal at today's meeting, which will begin at 9 a.m. at the district office, 18777 N. Lower Sacramento Road. The deal could involve EBMUD buying up to 9,000 acre-feet.

In other action, the Woodbridge Irrigation District board will hear a report about improvements planned to a gauge to better measure flows released at Woodbridge Dam.

Are toll lanes on freeway in San Joaquin County's future?

Regional planners will explore the idea of allowing people to drive in diamond lanes for a fee, even if they are only person in the car.

In most areas that have diamond lanes on freeways, only vehicles with at least two people in them can legally drive in that lane.

The San Joaquin Council of Governments was awarded $150,000 in state and federal funds for a feasibility study that could result in extra lanes being constructed on local freeways such as Interstates 5 and 205. If the program went into effect, motorists could purchase a card reader that would allow them to use the extra lane, even if they are driving alone, said Dana Cowell, the council of governments' deputy director.

The study should take a year to 18 months to complete, Cowell said.

County teachers donate over 630 pounds of food

San Joaquin County Office of Education employees and teachers throughout the county donated 634 pounds of food last week in exchange for surplus computers. More than 247 pounds of food was donated last Thursday and another 387 pounds came in Friday, which will help serve 400 individuals at the Emergency Food Bank, according to Jacqueline Montelongo of the county office of education.

Additionally, Foster Youth Services exceeded its expectations by overfilling its storage room full of bags and boxes filled with donated clothes, Montelongo said.

Educators were invited last week to bring food and clothing donations into the county's Stockton location in exchange for 200 I-Mac G3 computers to be used at home, in their own classroom or in their child's classroom. The county office no longer uses the software needed to support the computers.