McDonald’s to hire 50,000 in single day

Now all those people who say "I'll flip burgers if it comes down to it," can put their money where their mouth is. McDonald's is hiring 50,000 new full and part-time people during a national hiring event on April 19.

Swarm surprises downtown workers

Rosemary Hughes is used to dealing with bees. A large jasmine bush located just outside of her downtown office building is a popular place for bees to congregate come warm weather. On Tuesday, however, the flying visitors were more than just a temporary nuisance.

Turlock girl tests her memory as ‘Brainsurge’ contestant

Denair Middle School student Lauryn Johnson was thrilled to slide down a slime-filled tunnel and land in a pit of foam. While the Turlock teen isn't particularly a fan of getting dirty, she is a fan of the Nickelodeon television show "Brainsurge."

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.

Winter showers bring hungry mosquitoes

A mild, wet winter could translate into a buzzy, bitey, mosquito-filled summer.

TID looks at rate increases for 2012

The Turlock Irrigation District may need to raise rates an effective 9 percent for 2012 primarily to meet debt obligations associated with the Tuolumne Wind Project, district Trustees learned in a financial forecasting workshop on Tuesday.

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.

Beekeepers could get stung by proposed fee

A proposed assessment fee on beekeepers that do business in California is causing a storm of controversy amongst the industry.

BBQ FOR LIFE

Some tasty barbecue ribs were cooked up over open flames during the 4th Annual Century 21 M&M and Associates Rib Cook-Off benefiting the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life on Friday. Over 400 people attended the event, which featured 17 barbecue teams, raffles and even cupcakes. The team with the best barbecue wins bragging rights and a traveling trophy. M&M hopes to raise $6,000 this year.

Turlock Christian junior earns Eagle Scout

Benjamin Steven Paris of Troop 451, Turlock recently attained the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor in Boy Scouts of America. Ben began his Scouting experience with Cub Scout Pack 451 in Turlock where he earned his Arrow of Light, the highest rank in Cub Scouts. He continued on to Boy Scouts earning 28 merit badges, camping 76 nights, hiking and backpacking over 134 miles and held various leadership positions. <p ...

Evacuation notice given for western Stanislaus County

Stanislaus County Officials and the Sheriff's Department are issuing a recommended evacuation notice for specific areas along the San Joaquin River in the Newman area in response to the rising river levels.

Turlocker earns accolades for community service

When a crisis occurs and community members and law enforcement personnel are involved in traumatic situations they often need the emotional support of someone trained in mental health first aid and stress management. That is where Al Opdyke comes in.

University hosts César Chávez Day celebration

Cries of "Si, se puede" rang across California State University, Stanislaus Wednesday night as the college hosted its 16th annual C&eacute;sar E. Ch&aacute;vez Memorial Celebration.

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.

Local businesses take top awards in Entrepreneur Challenge

When the dust settled on the San Joaquin Entrepreneur Challenge, two groups of Denair-based entrepreneurs stood atop the field of 65 entrants from across the Valley.

Road Work Report

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

Rotary tables bocce ball courts

For over a year the Turlock Noon Rotary Club has been trying to build two bocce courts in a city park, but everywhere they turned, Rotary members were met with more opposition than well wishes from Turlock citizens. The Rotary has been working closely with city officials to appease everyone's demands for the donation of the bocce ball courts, but to no avail. The proposed layout was 65 feet long and 29 ...

Joke turned fundraiser benefits kids fighting cancer

The breeze tickling the trees around Henry and Vivian Soares' home Monday afternoon carried with it the scent of a freshly picked harvest with a faint edge of newly turned soil. Wooden crates were stacked high outside their garage with strips of vibrant green fava beans peeking through the slats. Inside the garage were about 60 people busying themselves with shelling mounds of pods piled up on the tables. Moving between them ...

'Critically dry year' for irrigation

California is not technically in a drought, yet; but low snowpack and a dry spring is not looking good for local growers. The state's recent findings have the winter snowpack at 17 percent of normal, according to Chief Surveyor for the Department of Water Resources Frank Gehrke. This is a problem as the state heavily depends on melted snow to replenish reservoirs throughout the summertime. According to the state findings, 2013 has ...

Lakewood ceremony pauses to remember sacrifice of officers

Annual event calls for unity through power of prayer

Prayers are not only a symbol of hope, but an act of faith. This week marks the National Day of Pray, an annual celebration inviting all faiths to pray for the nation. On Thursday morning, the Turlock Mayor's Prayer Breakfast will bring together different organizations within the community to encourage personal repentance, righteousness, and hope for a better future. "This organization's commitment is to come together as a community to pray for ...

Farmers market opens on high note

Hundreds flocked to the Turlock Certified Farmers Market for opening day on Friday, looking for a taste of locally grown products. new location off S. Broadway between A and W. Main streets on Friday morning for to see new and old vendors offering their latest merchandise. Vendors and market attendees alike were impressed with the change in location this year, off S. Broadway between and A and W. Main streets. "We've been ...

Wildfire smoke prompts air alert

Wildfires in Tehama and Sacramento counties are sending smoke to the northern Valley counties of the Air District, especially San Joaquin and Stanislaus, prompting local air officials to issue a health cautionary statement. The health caution is in effect through Saturday although smoke impacts may remain until the fires are extinguished. Smoke from fires produces fine-particulate matter, which can cause serious health problems including lung disease, asthma attacks and increased risk of heart attacks ...

Bassitt resigns from Workforce Alliance

Bill Bassitt has tendered his resignation as president and chief executive officer of the Stanislaus Economic Development and Workforce Alliance effective Aug. 16.

Multiple factors in bee colony decline, finds report

A U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report released Thursday states there are multiple factors playing a role in honey bee colony declines, including parasites and disease, genetics, poor nutrition and pesticide exposure.

Hilmar rallies for cancer society

The second annual Hilmar Relay for Life attracted 709 participants to McSweeney Field on Saturday and raised $158,990 for cancer research through team fundraising and the sale of raffle tickets and food items during the event. Combined with last year's efforts, Hilmar's Relay for Life events have pulled in more than $340,000 in two years. In its inaugural year, the Hilmar event won four awards and received special recognition from the American Cancer ...

Veterans focus of job fair

An upcoming job fair is hoping to put more veterans to work. Of the nearly 2 million California veterans, about 200,000 of them are unemployed, according to the California Employment Development Department. The unemployment rate among younger veterans was particularly high last year. In veterans age 20 to 24, the unemployment rate was 37.1 percent in 2011, more than double the 17.6 percent rate of comparably aged nonveterans. The EDD is hosting ...

TID stretches energy efficiency with rebate programs

Last year, the Turlock Irrigation District had little success attaining greater levels of energy efficiency through its rebate programs. The district fell short of its proposed goal - to attain 12 gigawatt hours in savings - due to a lack of customer participation. This year, TID isn't backing down, and is generating or upgrading new programs that are intended to meet the district's new energy efficiency goals of 9,285 megawatt hours. "We've ...

Frantz: Helping Valley gardens grow

Name of business: Frantz Garden Center Type of business: Nursery Location: 12879 Riverview Rd., Hickman Hours of operation: Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. History of business: A family's love for gardening has evolved into one of the most successful nurseries in Stanislaus County. The Frantz family began their wholesale nursery in 1979 with only 1.5 acres of ...

Denham honors next generation of military leaders

As high school seniors prepare to tackle the next phase in their lives, four area students were honored for making service to their country at the highest level their next challenge. U.S. Representative Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) held a reception for the U.S. Service Academy appointees from the 10th District on Tuesday, including Turlock High School senior Adam Groesbeck. Groesbeck will have short summer, and is expected to begin his boot camp training ...