More dogs, cats left at shelter due to foreclosures

All members of a family are impacted by the loss or foreclosure of a home, and that includes pets. The City of Turlock Police Department released its 2010 annual report, and Animal Services has seen an increase in dog euthanasia, likely related to the increase of foreclosed homes in the area.

Extremely rainy March sees end of drought

Turlockers are welcoming the warm and sunny spring weather after more than a week of rainy days in the Valley. Spring got off to a rainy start, but sunshine is in the forecast for the upcoming week.

Hundreds turn out for job fair

With unemployment rates hovering around 18 percent in Stanislaus County, many residents are looking for any type of job they can find. Hundreds of those would-be workers lined up outside Modesto's HIREvent and waited up to an hour for the opportunity to hand their resumes over to companies looking to hire.

Cancer patients gear up for Relay for Life with Monkey Business

Local cancer survivors and their supporters are gearing up for Relay for Life. Emanuel Cancer Center kicked off Turlock's Relay for Life 2011 with "Take Two," a survivor reception and a special concert by their Monkey Business children's group.

HEALTH: CPR SATURDAY

The American Red Cross held their 28th annual CPR Saturday this weekend, and the Stanislaus County office offered two-year certification classes for only $10. One certification location was California State University, Stanislaus, where Red Cross volunteers, including Turlock City Council member Amy Bublak, taught three-hour classes on CPR and Automated External Defibrillator (AED.) More than 150 people attended the Turlock classes, where they received two-year certifications in CPR ...

Pedretti Field draws tourism dollars

Turlock will host a major softball tournament in August 2012, and the economic benefits for the town could be significant.

Spring Juried Art Show now on display in City Hall

City Hall was unusually active this weekend, with artists from all over the Central Valley dropping off their entries for the 29th annual Spring Juried Art Show. Judging took place on Sunday and the show is now on display at the Turlock City Gallery inside of City Hall.

Hutton House: Providing a safe haven for runaway teens

Hutton House has been a safe haven for runaway and homeless teens in Stanislaus County since 1976. Youth ages 13 to 17 who need a temporary place to stay during a crisis situation can live at the Modesto shelter for up to two weeks. Hutton House also offers day and drop-in services, and between the residential and non-residential programs they serve around 800 clients per year.

UNIVERSITY: WARRIORS HOMECOMING

California State University, Stanislaus students kicked it old school during the final day of homecoming celebration activities. Due to rain, the homecoming parade went from an outdoor float decorating competition, to an indoor shopping cart decorating contest.

Community discusses return of Hughson Chamber of Commerce, Fruit and Nut Festival

In 2008 the Hughson Chamber of Commerce held their last Fruit and Nut Festival, and shortly after they shut their doors. The chamber has been completely inactive since that time.

A new face for Henry

The day after his eighth birthday, Henry Johnson was in surgery. This was not just the latest of a lifetime of reconstructive facial surgery, but a surgery that would give him a whole new face.

Turlock Junior High extends learning day with after-school program

After-school programming at Turlock Junior High has taken a leap into the technology era with Wii game systems, flat screen televisions and the latest in video gaming technology.

COMMUNITY: ART AND BAGPIPES

Downtown Turlock was serenaded by the sweet sound of bagpipers on Thursday evening. The musicians were part of the entertainment at a wine and chocolate event hosted inside of the Community Art Gallery on Center Street. The kilt-clad men and women played out on the sidewalk and confused more than a few passers-by.

Local speed dating service gives singles second chance at love

Valentine's Day is often despised by singles who have not been struck by cupid's arrow by the big day. But local singles will have a new opportunity for meeting their dream date thanks to Turlock entrepreneur Amber Scabia and her business partner Enrique Mendoza. The two used their own experiences with dating in the area as inspiration for their new speed dating business, Two Minute Match. <span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; ...

Rush of the roses: Local florists prepare for busiest day of the year

Valentine's Day is one of the busiest times of the year for florists nationwide. The same holds true for local flower shops as they gear up for the mad rush of flower deliveries and drop-in customers on Monday.

Fun to dream, while it lasted

If you are reading this column, then I did not win the lottery. I wrote this on Friday afternoon, when lotto fever was still high and we all had hopes of winning $640 million dollars. I have to admit that I was not immune to that fever myself. I bought several tickets for myself, and I'm part of an office pool of 12 people. I prepared this letter in the unlikely, but unfortunate ...

Local kids get hands-on with dental health

Students from TLC day care and preschool classes learned a lesson about dental care from First Step Dental employees on Friday morning. The class was just one of 12 groups that took a tour of the dental office and learned dental hygiene from the professionals. February is children's dental health month, and in honor of that First Step Dental invites community preschool, daycare and kindergarten groups to tour their office every year. Kids learn ...

What is romance?

My assignment this week, whether I liked it or not, was to write an article about the inner workings of romance. This article, I was told, had to be a first-person perspective on the issue. I thought this would be an easy assignment, but it turns out that defining romance is harder than I expected. The first person I approached for this article was my wonderful and loving boyfriend. I thought that surely ...

Annual quilt show to display local talent, honor U.S. veterans

The Turlock Quilt Guild will be showing its colors on Feb. 18 and 19 at its annual quilt show. The "Stars Among Us" themed show will feature a special presentation to United States veterans by Quilts of Honor. The presentation of quilts to veterans of foreign wars is a regular thing for Quilts of Honor. The group hopes to honor members of the military by showing them appreciation for sacrifice and service. Their ...

Mosquito conference addresses new requirements

The Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California met on Jan. 30 to discuss issues facing local control districts. Top on their list of priorities was the new Clean Water Act permit requirement that might result in mosquito control agencies being unable to provide the same level of service. Turlock Mosquito Abatement District manager David Heft attended the conference. He said that the new Clean Water Act enforcement might require permits for all ...

Local woman collects teddy bears for firefighters

Jessica Austin is on a mission to help local children affected by fires and other emergencies. Austin was moved to action after the fire at Crowell Elementary School to collect small stuffed animals for the local fire fighters to distribute. "I just thought it was a good idea to replace what they handed out at the fire. (Firefighters) keep small stuffed animals with them to pass out to children who are scared," Austin ...

Emanuel welcomes new chief of staff, board members

Emanuel Medical Center is starting the new year with a change in board members and a new chief of staff.

Turlock says farewell to favorite Sister

After 28 years of memories, the Turlock community is saying farewell and safe travels to Sister Christina Doona as she embarks on the next chapter of her life. Doona will be leaving for her native Ireland on Tuesday, after serving the Sacred Heart Parish since 1983. "She has truly been a 'sister' to us. She has helped to make us truly feel like a family. Our parish family will not be the same ...

Turlock native releases fourth album

Turlock native Andy Padlo recently released his fourth album, "Buffalo Wedding." He describes his style as a mix of singer/songwriter, folk, and alternative country/rock. Padlo lived in Turlock for most of his childhood. His family moved to town when he was in fifth grade and he attended Chatom School. He graduated from Turlock High School in 1979, where he played in school bands. Padlo also had a rock band with his friends. In ...

Locals celebrate Lunar New Year

The Lunar New Year was celebrated around the world on Monday by cultures that follow a lunar calendar. The holiday, popularly known in the U.S. as Chinese New Year, is also celebrated by Vietnamese, Korean, Tibetan and Mongolian communities. Lunar New Year is traditionally celebrated in China as a spring festival. It includes dragon dances, fireworks, and family meals. Older relatives give gifts of red envelopes, normally full of cash, to children. Family ...

Turlocker presents 1966 turbo engine design to UNLV students

David Chovanak made the long trek from Turlock to Las Vegas this week to present a unique invention to a group of engineering students. Chovanak built what might be the first known micro turbine engine out of spare parts and kitchen utensils in 1966 as a student at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (then Nevada Southern University). He presented his invention - which he named The Rebel - to senior design students on ...

Chamber, community honors 'Best of Turlock'

The Turlock community gathered on Friday night to recognized business leaders, humanitarians and other local dignitaries at the Best of Turlock awards. The ceremony is put on every year by the Turlock Chamber of Commerce. This year's ceremony included awards presented to two local football volunteers, Joaquin Rose and Don Hill. Rose also won an award for Best Small Business for his leadership of B & B Manufacturing. The chamber also recognized the ...

Alzheimer’s Association offers advice for families

January is a busy time for the Alzheimer's Association. The organization receives an increased number of calls from concerned family members who noticed a change in a loved one during holiday visits. For some families, the holidays are the only time they see elderly relatives. Those visits can be a challenge for children, grandchildren and other family members who see personality changes in their loved one. The Alzheimer's Association's Northern California and Northern ...

Local Home Depot employees volunteer time, expertise

Local couple shares experiences with Nazi Germany

Hanna and Dieter Renning both survived an episode of world history that most Americans have only read about. Both Hanna and Dieter were born in Germany during WWII, but they had vastly different experiences. Dieter was made to join the Hitler Youth, and Hanna's family fled the Nazi Party for their lives. The Rennings will share their story at the Jan. 25 meeting of the Association of American University Women Turlock Branch. Dieter ...