Acts of kindness restore memorial to fallen soldiers after vandalism

February is a tough month for the Gonsalves family. It was on Feb. 13, 2006, that their beloved son Chad Gonsalves, an Army Green Beret, was killed in action while fighting in Afghanistan.

Gas prices on the rise

The average price of gasoline in California surged six cents from January to February, mainly due to political concerns, according to AAA Northern California.

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.

Tough road ahead for local businesses in 2011

All four speakers at Wednesday's Turlock Chamber of Commerce Membership Breakfast offered a common message: 2010 was a rough year and much work remains for 2011. But all speakers also noted unexpected bright spots, which could point toward an earlier than expected recovery.

Cigarette, oxygen tank blamed for fire

Two people were injured from a fire that officials say was sparked by a person smoking while using an oxygen tank.

New programs help keep families in their homes

The California Housing Finance Agency announced on Thursday the implementation of four programs intended to fight California's foreclosure crisis, and to keep families in their homes.The federally funded programs, made possible by the U.S. Treasury Department's Hardest Hit fund, will be operated under the umbrella title of "Keep Your Home California." "Our goal is to get the very most out of these federal dollars to assist California families," said ...

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.

Business development remains focus of downtown in 2011

The efforts to make downtown Turlock into a booming business district once again will continue through the new year as the Turlock Downtown Property Owners Association unveils a series of programs, events, and advocacy sessions to keep the seed of revitalization growing.

COMMUNITY: EAGLE SCOUT

Skyler Sexton will become an Eagle Scout at a ceremony scheduled for Feb. 26 at the First United Methodist Church. Skyler was a Cub Scout for five years, during which time he earned the Arrow of Light, the highest honor in the Cub Scouts. He has been a Boy Scout for six years with Troop #451 and has earned 29 merit badges, attended ...

Grant allows small business development center to expand services

A new federal grant to the Small Business Administration's University of California, Merced Small Business Development Center Regional Network will provide additional resources to grow or start businesses &ndash; and create jobs in the process.

Funding to promote prevention and early intervention of mental health issues

In the past, California public mental health services were limited to treatment, usually medication, for people with serious mental illness. The California Mental Health Commission is hoping to change that by promoting "help first" rather than "fail first" mental health treatment.

Turlock manager lovin’ her job reaps rewards

When Betsy Lazar moved to Turlock from Iran in 2001 she took an hourly job at McDonald's. She had no idea that she would someday be in the top 1 percent of McDonald's management.

Llama hobo classic show brings the fuzzy to town

Llamas from all over the state &ndash; and their owners - converged on the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds this past weekend for the Llama Association of North America's (LANA) third annual hobo classic llama show. This winter event is an opportunity for owners to show their llamas as nature intended them, fuzzy, dirty and happy.

State budget cuts could deflate county fairs

Governor Jerry Brown's current budget proposal includes a 100 percent reduction in California county fair funding, slashing $32 million from fair budgets across the state. If the budget is approved, nearly 30 county fairs could permanently or temporarily close.

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 ...