Local pet store accused of animal cruelty

A long-time pet store in Turlock is being investigated on allegations of animal cruelty. "There is an open investigation on an animal complaint at The Pet Shop," said Turlock Police spokesperson Sgt. Nino Amirfar. "There have been allegations of animal cruelty." Brian Trask, a local dog owner, said he gave a statement to a Turlock Animal Control officer about his experiences with The Pet Shop in May. Trask said he was called by a groomer ...

Six days to digital TV

Turlockers who make use of analog broadcast television were granted a four-month reprieve when the transition to digital TV was postponed from Feb. 17 to June 12, but the new cutoff date for analog broadcast television is now just six days away.

School’s out for summer but kids can find activities at camp

School is out for many elementary school students around Turlock, and parents are looking for something fun and safe for their children to do for the summer. The City of Turlock Recreation Division is offering summer camps for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade.

Passports now needed to return from Mexico, Canada

Americans planning a summer vacation to the Caribbean islands, Bermuda, Canada, or Mexico now might need to make a stop at their local passport office before hitting the road.

Program brings fresh food to seniors

Low-income senior citizens in Stanislaus county can get free produce from local farmers' markets through a program sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Chamber a champ at political advocacy

The Turlock Chamber of Commerce garnered statewide recognition earlier this month, as the California Chamber of Commerce bestowed the President's Circle award on the local chamber.

Canal Drive roadwork kicks off

Canal Drive, long known as Turlock's bumpiest road, is getting a much-needed makeover this year, which should result in a newly paved, easy to drive, east-west thoroughfare.

Lawsuit filed against city, ex-cop for half million

The Turlock teenager who claimed she was sexually assaulted by former Turlock police officer Jorge Cruz has filed a lawsuit against the city and is seeking $500,000 for pain and suffering.

Mosquito districts bitten by court decision, reduced tax dollars

Just as California enters the most dangerous time of the year for mosquito and West Nile virus outbreaks, mosquito abatement districts around the state are finding their ability to fight the pests hampered by new restrictions on mosquito sprays and reduced funding from the state.

Turlock company wins small business award

Jack Wilkey doesn't like to talk about his own achievements. When asked about his community involvement he can rattle off an impressive list - with a little help from the memory of his wife, Pat - of organizations that he has contributed to or been involved in over the years. But when he describes those organizations he talks about the good that they do, and not the good that he has done for them.

Country blaze burns hay, vehicles

A fire sparked by a welding torch burned through several junk cars and hay bales before firefighters were able to contain it.

Local autistic children try their hands at ranching

"Look mom, I'm really holding him!" said Connor Smith as he snuggled a rabbit. The 12-year-old Ceres boy was one of 22 area children with Autism that took part in A Day on the Farm, a one-day camp sponsored by the Society for Handicapped Children and Adults to introduce young people to activities typically seen on a horse ranch.

New beginnings for Turlock Poker Room

An era will come to an end at 7 a.m. Monday when the Turlock Poker Room will forever shutter the doors of its West Main and Locust streets card house, where it has continuously operated since opening on June 1, 2004.

Local poker players ante up with the big gals

As 1,060 of the best female poker players in the world gathered at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Sunday to kick off the Ladies World Championship - event 17 of the World Series of Poker - six patrons of the Turlock Poker Room were counted among their ranks.

Public transportation hub rolls forward

The Turlock Planning Commission kept plans moving to construct a new public transportation hub during their Thursday night meeting, voting 6-1 in favor of the $1.75 million development.

Youth find fun, faith at VBS

The final bell has rung for schools across the county, but that doesn't mean learning is on hold. For many students summer is the perfect time to attend vacation bible school at their local congregations and reconnect with their faith.

United Samaritans teams up with fair to feed the hungry

The Stanislaus County Fair won't just be featuring the area's agricultural bounty, the event will also serve as a collection site for much-needed food items for the hungry. The United Samaritans Foundation and the Stanislaus County Fair are pairing up once again for their annual canned food drive. Adult fair attendees who bring in two cans of food will receive two dollars off their admission ticket. Kathy Hobby, who heads the annual ...

Junior lifeguards learn what the job is all about

Aspiring future life guards have other options than watching episodes of "Bay Watch" to learn the skills needed to prevent an aquatic tragedy. The Turlock Recreation Division's Junior Lifeguard program is an eight-day class that teaches 11 to 15 year olds skills they will need for future lifeguard training and certification. Lifeguards can't take the certification class until they are 15 years old, and Junior Lifeguard was designed to give youths a foundation ...

Chiropractor focuses on health not symptoms

Name of business: "To your Health!" Type of business: Chiropractic Clinic Location: 140 N Center Street Hours of operation: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. 8:30 - 5pm Contact info: (209) 632-3297 History of business: Dr. Kym Lamarre's interest in chiropractic care began on the sly. In her younger days she would have to sneak off to see a chiropractor because her family was apprehensive of ...

Nancy Tries... The Country Life

If someone were to tell me I would spend an entire day working in a ranch, I would never believe them. I'm a born and bred city girl whose only farm experience was when I went on a classroom fieldtrip in the second grade to a local ranch with my classmates. So when Earl Elementary Principal Tami Truax invited me to shoot my next segment of "Nancy Tries…" on her ranch, I ...

THE FIRE LANE

The Turlock Fire Department responded to a total of 491 incidents during the month of May.

The pleasures of front porch birding

Last month I had hip replacement surgery and I'm making remarkable progress in recovery. Thank the Lord! Barring any unforeseen setbacks, I will able to walk on sandy beaches again-to resume my search for the Snowy Plover. This is a small rare shorebird that nests among the dunes of our Central California beaches. Meanwhile, while recovering at home, I decided to watch birds from a chair on my front porch. Then I read ...

Memories of dad

When the Journal asked readers to submit memories of their dad for the Father's Day edition, it didn't take long before stories of inspiration and joy began to filter in. Each of the memories in today's paper gives just a brief glimpse into what makes local fathers special in the eyes of their families. From spending quality time with family despite daily pressures of work and home, to a shared love of rock, ...

Parenting resource receives much-needed grants

Parenting is no walk in the park. When families have to deal with drug or alcohol addictions, behavioral problems or teen pregnancy, parenting can be too much to handle alone. That is where the Turlock Family Network comes in. The private non-profit offers parenting classes and in-home mentoring to local families, free of charge. Although providing a much-need service for the community - the organization served 135 families just from July 2012 to ...

Ann's brings English style fish and chips to Turlock

Name of business: Ann's Fish & Chips Type of business: Restaurant Location: 428 E. Main St., Turlock Hours of operation: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday Contact info: 656-9494 History of business: Owners Teresa and Rick Donnelly did not grown up in the land of the queen and Big Ben but ...

Road Work Report

Caltrans has construction and closures planned for the following areas this week:

Free training helps warehouse job seekers

Walmart Neighborhood Market starts hiring process

Are you a Turlocker looking for work? Walmart might have a spot for you. Last week, Walmart announced the opening of its new temporary hiring center located at 2101 Geer Road, Suite 107. Walmart is looking to fill 95 positions at the new Turlock Walmart Neighborhood Market, which is set to open by mid August. According to Everton Lira, store manager of the new neighborhood market, a few dozen applicants have ...

Turlock is not a bike friendly city, survey finds

If one were to drive down a busy street in Turlock, they would most likely see an assortment of cars, trucks and even on rare occasions, tractors. However, sighting bicycles seems to be a more daunting task. The reason behind the lack of bikes? Turlock is not a bike friendly city. According to a recent survey performed by a group of students at California State University, ...

TID to purchase water from MID

Turlock farmers who are looking to finish out their 2013 crops but are worrying about the necessary water to do so, may be in luck. In a historic 4-1 decision, the Turlock Irrigation District Board of Directors approved a resolution that would authorize the purchase of up to 7,000 acre feet of surface water from neighboring Modesto Irrigation District. The purchased water will be available for interested farmers at $100 per acre ...