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• Going green in Lodi

• Dog goes from stray to patrolling county jail

• Lodi teacher accused of possessing drugs arraigned on drug charges; Michael Phillips pleads not guilty

• Lodi residents’ sewer rates could go up by more than 70 percent

• New limits on vehicle searches won’t have big effect

• Regional Roundup

• Galt board to reduce layoffs

February 9th, 2010

• Middle College High School rated one of the best — and a bargain, to boot

• Lodi decathlon boasts top team in county

• Man who sparked counterfeit case pleads guilty

• Local businessman will visit Haiti to look for family

• Man who claimed to be Yosemite Sam pleads guilty to meth charge

• David Harmer seeks Republican congressional nod

• Lack of evidence in case against suspect in 'drug deal' stabbing

• Regional Roundup

February 8th, 2010

• Public Meetings

• Locals pick best, most memorable Super Bowl commercials

• Regional Roundup

February 6th, 2010

• The Home Depot hopes to join Costco at Reynolds Ranch

• Meet Larry, Curly and Moe

• Baboon business

• Regional Roundup

• Several Lodi venues let you watch the Super Bowl in style

• Lodi Library celebrates 100 years of serving the community

• Culinary craft

February 5th, 2010

• Kids, teachers help Haiti by collecting pennies for Learning Link

• Lodi, Galt students reach out to help Haiti earthquake survivors

• Tasered suspect claims he is Yosemite Sam

• Hours of sweat and work go into putting on crab feeds

• Things looking up for state's real estate

• Correction

• Regional Roundup

• Stray bullet strikes Lodi home; police suspect gang activity may be factor

February 4th, 2010

• Managers at Geweke Toyota answer questions about recall

• Lodi City Council votes to replace play structure at Century Park

• Lodi extends ban on pot shops for another year

• Mokelumne River triathlon set for June

• Family, friends to run half-marathon in memory of Galt family

February 3rd, 2010

• Correction

• Delta College trustees again collide over stipend committee

• Bad bugs, weeds are hot topics at Grape Day

• Lodi-area senators Dave Cox, Lois Wolk admit to gifts; Tom Berryhill case pending

• Lodi Unified School District president issues warning to speakers over cuts

• Galt City Council avoids budget cuts — for now

• New Lodi Memorial Hospital emergency room opens to the public without a hitch

• Regional Roundup

February 2nd, 2010

• Local business leaders say tourism, Costco, Home Depot may play roles in city's future

• Correction

• Former Lodian Erica Davis is first paraplegic woman to summit Kilimanjaro

• Regional Roundup

• No snow leopards, otters for Micke Grove

• McNerney leads in campaign cash

• Police: Train victim was a Lodi teen

• Big rig plows 7 cars

• Jumpers across California

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

• Will terrorists be given Miranda warnings? (75)
• Lodi Unified School District president issues warning to speakers over cuts (64)
• President Obama's first year (45)
• Many reject the politics of 'no' (45)
• Islamic symbol in mosaic — what is all the fuss? (44)
• Writer comments on Neely column (42)
• The Home Depot hopes to join Costco at Reynolds Ranch (41)
• Time to shed the convenient sham of 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy (34)
• We need to conduct respectful conversations (30)
• Tasered suspect claims he is Yosemite Sam (25)

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Lodi teacher accused of possessing drugs arraigned on drug charges; Michael Phillips pleads not guilty

A Lodi second-grade teacher accused of having drugs in his car while on lunch break was arraigned Friday on two felony and two misdemeanor charges.

An attorney for Michael Scott Phillips, 37, entered not guilty pleas during the brief Lodi court appearance.

Phillips remains free on the $10,000 bail bond he posted after his April 3 arrest. Lodi police said he was on his lunch break from Beckman Elementary School when an officer saw him talking to a bicyclist on East Vine Street.

The bicyclist took off and the officer stopped Phillips for having a broken windshield. A consensual search of Phillips’ car turned up a syringe containing alleged heroin, as well as a bag of used syringes in the trunk, according to police. That led to a felony drug possession charge, as well as misdemeanor count of possessing a syringe.

In his second-grade classroom, police said they found a morphine pill sitting out on the desk, leading to the second felony drug possession charge, as well as a misdemeanor of cruelty to a child by endangering health.

The pill was prescribed, Phillips’ attorney Russell Humphrey said, adding that he has a copy of the doctor’s prescription. Additionally, he said, Phillips tried to call both school and district officials at the time of his arrest to ask them to secure his prescription drugs.

“At the time this occurred, the kids were out at lunch,” Humphrey said. “No second-grade student had the opportunity to even be around the pill.”

He said Department of Justice test results on the syringe contents have not been returned, so he did not comment on that allegation.

Phillips, who sat in court holding hands with his wife, did not comment after walking out of court, though he waited to hold the door open for a reporter.

Humphrey said Phillips, who attended high school in Lodi and now lives in Sacramento, has had no problems or complaints about his teaching.

“Now this comes up and it’s been really shocking. It’s not in character,” the attorney said.

Lodi Unified School District officials have not commented, as it is a personnel matter. Phillips is on administrative leave.

Humphrey said the allegations have upset Phillips’ family and that he welcomes the chance to fight the case.

“He’s anxious to get back to work. He’s always wanted to be a teacher, and he enjoys the job,” Humphrey said.

Phillips will return to court May 13, and a preliminary hearing has tentatively been set for May 20.

Prosecutors asked that Phillips be searchable for narcotics and paraphernalia, an order that Judge David Warner signed.

Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.