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• Lodi Memorial Hospital faces $2.1 million in losses

• Dead goats tied to sticks, left on church lawn in Lodi

• Galt keeps budget goals in line with prior plans

• Lodi Unified School District study session tonight to focus on balancing budget

• Regional Roundup

• Public Meetings

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

• Regional Roundup

• Delta College trustees again collide over stipend committee

• 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

• Bad bugs, weeds are hot topics at Grape Day

February 2nd, 2010

• Big rig plows 7 cars

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

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

• Jumpers across California

• Correction

• Regional Roundup

• No snow leopards, otters for Micke Grove

• McNerney leads in campaign cash

• Police: Train victim was a Lodi teen

February 1st, 2010

• Find cuddly alpacas not too far from Lodi

• Public Meetings

• Patients can expect faster, better service when Lodi Memorial Hospital's new emergency room opens

• Man killed by Amtrak train in Lodi

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

• Will terrorists be given Miranda warnings? (75)
• President Obama's first year (67)
• Lodi Unified School District president issues warning to speakers over cuts (64)
• Local business leaders say tourism, Costco, Home Depot may play roles in city's future (60)
• Islamic symbol in mosaic — what is all the fuss? (49)
• Many reject the politics of 'no' (45)
• Writer comments on Neely column (42)
• The Home Depot hopes to join Costco at Reynolds Ranch (41)
• Police: Train victim was a Lodi teen (31)
• Time to shed the convenient sham of 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy (31)

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484 Lodi High School graduates are ready for the world

While Lodi High School graduated close to 500 seniors at its ceremony Saturday, alumni were also recognized in more ways than one during the festivities.

It was the 112th graduating class of a school with a long tradition of alumni returning to their alma mater to teach. One of those, Tammy Boschee, the "Apple Academy mom," was surprised to be named the 2009 Teacher of the Year.

Before the ceremony, the Grape Bowl stands filled up quickly and a handful of people had to sit on the bleachers behind the graduates.

It was the first Saturday graduation for a Lodi high school, a new tradition that will rotate among the district's four main high schools.

Student body president Millia Hinchman opened the event by thanking teachers and administrators for giving her peers the confidence to do what they want in the future, and senior class president Corinne Dickey remarked that it didn't seem like they were living in bad economic times.

The school year started with new, red, shiny lockers, a crisp public announcement system and three-ring binders provided to every student.

That was something that the alumni, recognized in the audience, were never forced to use. Later, alumni joined the Class of 2009 with proud "L's" held in the air as they sang the school's Alma Mater.

Earlier in the ceremony, 2008 Teacher of the Year Mishell Wolff announced Boschee's award. In choosing her, students said that Boschee is always there for them, whether they need to vent or cry.

"She takes a crazy amount of time to make sure her students do their best," Wolff said of the Apple Academy leader. Boschee teaches at the academy for students with plans to go into careers with a focus on children.

Three of the school's four retiring teachers were recognized by Principal Bill Atterberry, including Gary Knackstedt, who began his career at Lodi High in 1972 teaching business students how to type on typewriters. Students have since upgraded to iMacs.

Atterberry also recognized a record 26 students who earned a 4.0 or higher grade-point average, and the quarter of a million dollars in scholarships earned by students in the AVID program alone.

"I have absolutely no doubt you will accomplish whatever you set out to do," he said.

In her speech, valedictorian Shannon McElligot, who earned a 4.5 GPA, continued the ceremony's thankful tone.

"Many people have motivated us to grow into the people we are," she said.

One of those may have been Lexie Reynolds, a 2006 Lodi High graduate, at the Grape Bowl on Saturday to cheer on her little sister and graduate, Tessa.

"I'm so proud of her, and I love her," said Reynolds, a member of the self-proclaimed loudest family in the stands. "She worked really hard on her Senior Project."

Contact reporter Jennifer Bonnett at jenniferb@lodinews.com.