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• Woodbridge board balks at providing added public access to wilderness area

• Mounce an 'activist on the inside'

• Galt man joins race for Cosumnes CSD versus Elk Grove six

• San Joaquin, Sacramento counties expect record voter turnout

• Struggling students get learning center in Lodi

• Regional Roundup

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 (149)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (65)
• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise (55)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (46)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• 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 (22)
• Tokay Tigers blow late 27-point lead in loss to Wolf Pack (22)

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Flag City murder suspect blames drugs

STOCKTON — The day he fatally shot his girlfriend at a Flag City gas station, David Brian Bernel was on drugs and feared for his life, he testified today in his own defense against a murder charge.

"I was too frantic, too scared. My mind was just going," he told a San Joaquin County jury about shooting Jennifer Bushnell, then fleeing and ditching his car less than a mile away.

Leaning forward in his seat and turning to face the jury, Bernel described his drug use dating back to age 14, his drug sales that brought in $40,000 a week and the events leading up to that fatal Feb. 20, 2007, day.

After shooting Bushnell, 29, Bernel ditched his Honda west of Interstate 5, stumbled across Highway 12, lost his gun in the process and kept going.

He knew he'd just shot his girlfriend multiple times, but he also believed angry drug dealers were after him. So, he testified, he hid in some trees nearby and watched police search the gas station where he shot Bushnell. While passing some time, he snorted some methamphetamine to "be more alert and on my toes," he said.

Then he went to the nearby Flying J gas station's bathroom, cleaned some mud off himself and sat in a stall for a couple hours.

And, while law enforcement officers processed the scene, Bernel went to a McDonald's in sight of the gas station. He ordered some food and sat outside near a pay phone, which he used to try to call his cousin.

A year-and-a-half later, Bernel, now 29, is on trial. If 12 jurors don't believe that he acted in self defense or was so high on drugs that he didn't know what was happening, Bernel could spend the rest of his life in prison.

For more of this story, see Saturday's News-Sentinel.