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• Ahead of nationwide trend

• Local program reaches out to students, parents

• Delta board gets serious about accreditation

• Two San Ramon Valley residents battling for 15th Assembly seat

• Galt students kept home to protest teacher union against Proposition 8

• 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 (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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Regional Roundup

Community forum on gang issues to be held

A group of community members hoping to increase awareness of and fight back against gangs will hold a public forum Thursday.

The 2:30 p.m. meeting will feature talks by several former gang members, as well as brainstorming for a citizens' group that Lodi resident Doug Chaney is forming.

"It's an open forum; we're going to let the community know what kind of short and long term goals we have," Chaney said. "We need the citizenry to help stop it, especially the parents."

Ultimately, Chaney dreams of a program that would involve former gang members counseling children and keeping them from getting into gangs.

The public is welcome to attend the meeting in the community room at the Lodi Police Department, 215 W. Elm St.

Machete-wielding man robs Lodi gas station

A man wielding a machete or possibly a type of sword, robbed a Lodi gas station Tuesday morning.

Around 6:45 a.m. the man entered Econo Gas, 800 Victor Road just east of Highway 99, and demanded cash, Lodi Police Cpl. David Griffin said.

Nobody was injured, and the man fled east on foot with cash.

He was described as white, wearing all black clothing, 5-feet, 9-inches tall and about 160 pounds.

Hospital, police will stage drill today

If you see police officers and vehicles at Lodi Memorial Hospital today, don't worry — it's a drill.

The exercise is designed to help improve emergency response and communication in the event of a disaster or suspect at the hospital, according to the San Joaquin County Emergency Medical Services Agency. Such exercises are being held at all seven acute care hospitals in the county.

Coordinators said patients and visitors will not be affected and should not be alarmed at the sight of extra police presence between 2 and 6 p.m.

Federal funds for Lodi programs reallocated

The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors signed off on a $132,000 allocation of federal funds to help pay for the LOEL Center's kitchen renovation project.

At the Lodi City Council's request, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors transferred $132,173 to the LOEL Center as part of a $500,000 renovation to take over the preparation of senior nutrition meals in the county. The $132,173 allocation was transferred from a city fund for community-based organizations because several organizations' proposal were not ready to proceed, according to a city of Lodi report.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday also transferred $100,000 from a project to build a new community center at Blakely Park. The city shelved the Blakely Park project in order to maintain a timely expenduture of the federal funds, according to the city report. Instead,, $85,000 will be spent for the first phase of improvements for the Lodi Public Library, and another $11,000 will be used to pair tutors with adults for literacy training at the library.

Supervisors also increased allocation from $15,000 to $19,000 for the Lodi Animal Shelter's newly funded spay/neuter program.

Editor's Note: This brief was updated at 10:38 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22 to clarify the action taken by the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Oct. 21.

Hearing date set for LUSD discrimination suit

Attorneys met briefly in Stockton on Tuesday to continue the lawsuit filed earlier this year by three Christa McAuliffe Middle School teachers against the school's former principal. A new hearing date was set for Feb. 18, 2009.

The suit was filed earlier this year in San Joaquin County courts and is currently in the discovery phase, which means attorneys are taking depositions and gathering records, according to the plaintiffs' attorney Stephen Jaffe.

Jaffe is representing Tracey Singh, Sharon Verle and Kevin Duncan, who sued Lodi Unified and Russom Mesfun, Christa McAuliffe's former principal. All three are white and older than 40, and accuse Mesfun, who is black, of "creating an atmosphere in which older employees, white employees, female employees and disabled employees" were discriminated and retaliated against and received unequal treatment, according to the suit filed Feb. 27.

The teachers are seeking more than $25,000 each for damages and attorney's fees.

Mesfun, who resigned from his post as principal in August 2007 after less than a year in the position, took a principal job in an Oakland school district.

McNerney endorsed by area firefighter unions

The Lodi Professional Firefighters' Association, Stockton Police Officers' Association, the Stockton Professional Firefighters' Association and the San Joaquin County Deputy Sheriffs Association announced their endorsement of Congressman Jerry McNerney's, D-Pleasanton, re-election campaign.

"Congressman McNerney works hard to make sure we have the tools we need to respond to emergencies and save lives. His ability to bring home federal funds for police training equipment is critically important," said Lon Hudson of the Stockton Police Officers' Association in a statement released by the McNerney campaign. "Jerry McNerney listens to us and is a strong voice for us in Washington."

These police officers and firefighters join other law enforcement officials in endorsing McNerney's campaign, including former two former Stockton police chiefs, Ed Chavez and Lucian Neely.