COLUMBIA, Ala. (AP) — Standing in the vault her brothers robbed 55 years ago, Marie Anglin Widner gasped.

With a gun pointed at his chest, Juan Ayala quickly stuffed the bag with cash and cellphones. As he grabbed the phones one by one from the storage room shelves in the back of a Galt AT&T store, the gunman became increasingly anxious.

This is a slightly condensed version of a keynote speech delivered by Annette Murdaca to graduates of St. Anne’s School in Lodi a few years ago.

While sipping bellinis and enjoying hors d’oeuvres, guests viewed uniquely decorated table tops at the sixth annual Festa della Donna on a recent Wednesday morning.

Micke Grove Zoo is filled with unique animals and attractions for children and adults alike.

Favorite place to eat: If I am going out to dinner with my wife Shelby, we like The Dancing Fox. It has great food, a great environment and great pies for dessert.

Favorite place to eat: Fiori’s Butcher Shoppe and Deli (400 W. Lodi Ave.). The food is great and you always see people you know.

Favorite place to eat: Wine & Roses (2505 W. Turner Road) because it has great food and atmosphere. It is locally owned.

Lodi’s nooks and crannies are filled with unique places of interest. From lakes and parks to fruit stands, tasting rooms and community events, there are places to check out around town.

Mother’s Day — and HOT. This day should be gently spring-like: warm in the sun, cool in the shade, with a very soft breeze.

John and Rosalie Atwood of Lodi celebrated 50 years of marriage in September 2012. They were married on Sept. 23, 1962.

Every spring during the 1950s, my Sicilian grandmother Nonna would host the entire California branch of the Guzzardi family to a home cooked Italian feast. More than a week in preparation, the meal included all the Italian favorites including pasta dishes, sausages, peppers and artichokes.

(NewsUSA) - With over 80 million moms to shop for, Mother's Day is second only to Christmas when it comes to gift giving. So, besides giving a bouquet of flowers and box of chocolates this year, try getting mom the trending gifts and tech gadgets she'll love.

A planning meeting for the revival of the annual Christmas Ball will be held on Tuesday.

As the train rolls down the tracks, you would never guess that there would be people aboard enjoying a wonderful meal, or a riveting murder mystery. But the Sacramento RiverTrain offers riders a murder mystery, dinner, brunch or lunch aboard the train.

Downtown business owner Ken Pratt says he's upset that he paid his annual dues to the Downtown Lodi Business Partnership in January, yet he won't be getting a full year's service from the organization.

"I paid my dues to an organization that stopped existing three months after," said Pratt, owner of Stooges, a bar on West Pine Street. "Not that they did that much."

The partnership is in the process of disbanding after serving Downtown Lodi businesses for more than 13 years. The first step toward disbanding will be tonight, when the Lodi City Council considers issuing a resolution of intent to discontinue the DLBP.

Don’t know what to do with old baby socks? Why not make cat toys or cute Christmas ornaments. To make cat toys, insert catnip and then sew the opening closed. You can then add ribbon or yarn to drag a toy. To make some baby sock snowmen ornaments, you’ll need batting, string, fabric, white and colored baby socks, glue, buttons, permanent markers, orange and another color or pipe cleaner and two mini pompons. For directions, visit http://spoonful.com/crafts/baby-sock-snowmen. For other baby sock uses, visit http://www.frugalvillage.com/2013/02/22/new-uses-for-baby-socks/.

(BPT) - As the weather gets warmer, everything outside becomes fresh and new – so why not make your home as nice inside as the weather is outside? In just a weekend, you can complete a few quick, easy projects that will make a big difference in your space. Get inspired to give your home a spring spruce-up with these handy tips.

Did you know that health insurance premiums for individuals under 40 years of age will increase by an estimated 75 percent next year?

Four months after constructing a new clubhouse on rural Sargent Road west of Lodi, the hardworking women expected to pay off the last of the building debt with a dinner and dance in the winter of 1926.

The Christmas decorations have hit the clearance bins and been replaced by red and pink hearts, cheesy candy and lovey-dovey décor.

What's the attraction: One of the most unique Chinese food experiences you'll ever have in the United States. The glowing red hole-in-the-wall on Mission Street in San Francisco started as a pop-up restaurant, serving salt cod fried rice and smoked beef brisket noodle soup out of what operated as Lung Shan during the day. Now owners Danny Bowien and Anthony Myint, who have their own cult following, operate their eatery — simply known as Mission Chinese — full-time.

Dear Straight Talk: I’m 16. My cousins, adopted from Kenya, ages 14 and 15, are visiting. I never figured my friends were prejudiced, but my best friend says she isn’t “comfortable” staying the night “right now” (they are staying in my room). We often have sleepovers with several girls in this room, so this makes no sense. Some other friends say it’s because my cousins are black. I am in shock! How do I deal with this? — Anaheim

Orlene Dentone spotted an empty house in the older part of Woodbridge a few years ago and found it uninhabited.