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• National groups prepared to head to court on council's prayer policy

• A reminder: Fireworks illegal in Lodi, San Joaquin County

• Biggest Loser: Lodi

• Changing Faces: Chatting with the Cheshire Cat

• Officials: Number of county inmates with H1N1 virus now at 20

• Regional Roundup

• Forecast: Recession should 'bottom out' this year

November 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

November 6th, 2009

• Short sales make up nearly half of Lodi market

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi man accused of smuggling drugs, weapons for inmates at state prison

• 'I-5 Strangler' sentenced to 6 terms of life

• Jury convicts Acampo man of torture, assault of his girlfriend

• Young girl is 200,000th person to assemble AIDS, HIV care kit

• Woman in wheelchair struck by car

November 5th, 2009

• San Joaquin County considers moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts

• Speakers address Lodi Unified School District budget shortfalls, plea to keep programs

• Armed robbers still targeting Lodi shops

• Regional Roundup

• California voters have final say over $11 billion water bond

• Paul Tebbel shines spotlight on sandhill cranes

• Your complete guide to Sandhill Crane Festival

• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy

• Man wanted in Acampo homicide gives up to San Joaquin County Sheriff's detectives

• Weekend bus service to continue until Lodi City Council makes decision

• A lower Lodi Lake

• Streetside scarecrows

November 4th, 2009

• San Joaquin County sues state over prison hospital planned for Stockton

• California sends Democratic loyalist John Garamendi to Congress

• Candle fire

• Rep. Jerry McNerney sets telephone town hall for Thursday

• Jason Behrmann is unanimously named Galt's city manager

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi City Council weighs raising fares to restore some bus service

• Bicycling father raising awareness of teen suicide

• Galt City Council argues over ordinance hiring residents

• Big win for Allen Baroni in reclamation election

November 3rd, 2009

• Clarification

• Correction

• Galt considers ordinance that would require city contractors to hire locally

• Regional Roundup

• Have you seen a missing guide dog puppy in Lodi?

• Jason Behrmann is top candidate for Galt city manager

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

• 500 attend service for Kyle Coumas

• Galt man dies after weekend Highway 12 crash

November 2nd, 2009

• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home

• Public Meetings

• Correction

• Kyle Coumas funeral today

• Regional Roundup

• Group investigates reports of haunting

• Sandhill Cranes Festival comes to Lodi next weekend

• Lamborghini lovers gather for show, fine wine, luncheon in Woodbridge

• Lodi's 'Biggest Loser' Christy Richesin runs 5K Halloween race

• Downtown Lodi trick or treat

October 31st, 2009

• Izzy Laviola and Seth Siddle-Mitchell crowned Tokay homecoming queen and king

• Tokay High evacuation

• Finishing touches on Hill House replica

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi-area Halloween events

• Lodi a reflection of Halloween's retail emergence

• Area schools have no plans of closing due to H1N1 virus

• In remembrance of Kyle Coumas

• Gated communities in Lodi

• City of Lodi settles case of mistaken identity

October 30th, 2009

• Officials hope new Highway 12 stoplight will make road safer

• Red Ribbon Week

• Logbook

• Roundup of Lodi-area Halloween events

• Lockeford soldier Kyle Coumas' funeral set for Monday

• Lodi sales tax revenue less than expected

• Regional Roundup

• Local reaction to economic growth

• Get an early start trick-or-treating in Downtown Lodi

• When there's something strange ...

• Stockton breaks ground on Delta Water Supply Project

• Possible extention of first-time homebuyer tax credit?

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

• Bible is entwined with American civic life (135)
• Gated communities in Lodi (112)
• I predict: A conservative tide will rise in 2010 (92)
• The Treaty of Tripoli hoax (76)
• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (58)
• Here's what my father knew about the assassination of JFK (55)
• Universal health care solves big problems (30)
• Words from our forefathers (26)
• With resolve and imagination, Downtown Lodi can surge once again (24)
• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home (18)

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A reminder: Fireworks illegal in Lodi, San Joaquin County

If you're going to set off your own fireworks today, do it at your own risk — they're illegal in Lodi and in unincorporated San Joaquin County.

Extra firefighters will be patrolling to look for illegal fireworks, and they are bracing for more calls. In Lodi alone, where firefighters typically handle 15-20 calls a day, they usually receive 100 additional calls on July 4, said Battalion Chief Jeff Larsen.

The county's fire chiefs issued a reminder earlier this week that people can be criminally prosecuted for possessing fireworks. Those caught using exploding, flying fireworks could be charged with using an explosive device.

And if those fireworks start a blaze, the fun could end on a note that not only includes damaged property, but having to pay for both the repairs and the efforts to extinguish the fire.

Of course, glittery fireworks are a temptation for many, especially since they're legal in Galt and can thus be purchased easily. So fire crews are going to have a few extra employees on duty just to be ready for any flames and mishaps.

Woodbridge Rural Fire Protection District will have an extra grass rig patrolling during peak fireworks hours, said Acting Capt. Ricardo Ramirez.

The fire district is also responsible for area waterways, and its boat will patrol for several hours in the Delta, especially during a large fireworks show on Venice Island. The show is private and sponsored by hotel magnate Barron Hilton, but thousands of boats gather to watch the show.

Woodbridge Fire will be assisted by boating teams from the Coast Guard and the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office.

In Lodi city limits, an extra fire vehicle will be at Lodi Lake because of the crowds and the fireworks display there, Larsen said. Additionally, fire engines from each of the city's four stations will patrol in their areas, looking for fireworks.

While all fireworks involve intense heat and can injure people, the ones like bottle rockets, which aren't legal in California, cause the most worry.

"Those are the ones that are really dangerous, because they wind up on people's roofs," Larsen said.

Lodi hasn't had many problems with blazes caused by fireworks, but he noted that last year, Sacramento had several fires resulting in destroyed buildings.

Those caught using illegal fireworks are usually just warned, if nothing has been damaged.

Rural fire departments sometimes confiscate fireworks, and those are turned over to Sheriff's deputies, Ramirez said. Lodi firefighters also confiscate them, and the state fire marshal picks them up for disposal.

Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.