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.

Investigation continues into largest case of animal cruelty county has ever seen

The investigation is still ongoing into what Stanislaus County Animal Services Executive Director Annette Patton called the worst case of animal cruelty the county has ever seen. A citizen complaint call on Tuesday led to the discovery of an estimated 50,000 hens starving to death at an egg farm off South Carpenter Road. Patton said a third of the hens were found dead, and most of the rest have been "properly and ...

Lost camper found after four days of desperation

Chris Dellis went into the Stanislaus National Forest on Feb. 18 for a night of camping and a day of target shooting. What followed was an epic struggle for survival as the 32-year-old man wandered lost, dehydrated hungry, injured and burdened with a deep despair that he would never look once more upon the faces of his wife and three children. Sustained by his higher power and digging into a reserve of strength ...

Missing teen may now be with Turlock boyfriend

The search for a missing 14-year-old Livingston girl continues, though authorities now believe she left her family's ranch voluntarily with her 17-year-old boyfriend. The Merced County Sheriff's Department is continuing to actively search for 14-year-old Sarah Wade because she is considered "at risk" based on statements she has made about committing suicide. Wade was last seen at her home at 11933 W. Rose Ave. in Livingston around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. She went ...

Stanislaus Library launches mobile app

Smartphone users can play Scrabble, update Facebook, and tweet to their hearts' content, thanks to the myriad apps available in their respective app stores.

Fun center project still on hold

Last week's announcement that retailers Old Navy and ULTA Beauty are soon headed to Turlock's Monte Vista Crossings had Turlockers abuzz.

Diamond Foods, Pringles part ways

An acquisitions deal between Diamond Foods, Inc. and Proctor and Gamble that has been dogged by an internal accounting probe and lawsuits, came to an official end Wednesday when The Kellogg Company stepped in and purchased the sought after Pringles snack brand.

Pump prices dig deeper into consumers’ pockets

The recovering economy may be good news to investors, but it's bad news for drivers.

State closures leave TID looking at options to keep Turlock Lake open

Since moving to Turlock in 2002 the Turlock Lake State Recreation Area has become Nancy Jewett's home away from home, offering swimming in the summer, hiking in the winter, and a verdant natural landscape year-round. But Jewett's days of visiting Turlock Lake may be near an end, as the State of California is set to cease operations at the state park on July 1 in a cost-saving maneuver. "The entire recreation area ...

Turlockers open county’s first mobile cupcakery

Dry winter sparks increase in Valley burn bans

When the San Joaquin Valley's Check Before You Burn Program comes to a close in two weeks it will cap off a season that has seen a record number of banned burning days and some of the worst wintertime air quality. The dry and relatively wind-free weather that has been routine for most of this winter has had an adverse affect on the region's air quality and sparked an increase in the number ...

Turlock Chamber wins big at Western conference

The Turlock Chamber of Commerce made quite an impression last weekend at the Western Association of Chamber Executives' annual management conference in Las Vegas. Turlock Chamber President/ Chief Executive Officer Sharon Silva was named the Chamber of Commerce Executive of the Year and the Business News was awarded first place in the Magazine competition for chambers with under 1,000 members. "It's a very big honor for the Turlock Chamber," said Paul Porter, chamber ...

TID looks at possible dry-season irrigation allotments

With the Turlock Irrigation District's 2012 irrigation season just a few months away, an ongoing dearth of rain has forecasters projecting below-average allotments. As of Sunday, just .08 inches of precipitation had fallen in February. As much as 1.2 inches could fall in the TID watershed this coming week, per TID forecasts, but no rain is projected in the following week. New California Department of Water Resources projections suggest 1.03 million acre-feet ...

Gas prices climb

The pump prices have jumped in every single metro area across Northern California, according to the latest report from AAA Insurance, which tracks gas prices as a service to consumers. According to AAA, all of the Northern California metro areas tracked by the organization had double-digit increases over the past month. The Golden State's average for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $3.85, up 15 cents since last month's AAA report ...

Grape crush down 3 percent from 2010; price of all varieties reach record high

California's 2011 crush totaled 3,869,894 tons, down 3 percent from the 2010 crush of 3,986,314 tons. All wine varieties crushed totaled 3,342,689 tons, down 7 percent from 2010. Red wine varieties accounted for the largest share of all grapes crushed, at 1,917,132 tons, down 7 percent from 2010. The 2011 white wine variety crush totaled 1,425,557 tons, down 7 percent from 2010. Tons crushed of raisin type varieties totaled 372,551, up 36 percent ...

Farm exports hit record levels

U.S. farm exports reached a record $136.3 billion in calendar year 2011, reported the United States Department of Agriculture. "The data released today by USDA represents a record-breaking calendar year for farm exports, demonstrating-once again-that American agriculture remains a bright spot in our nation's economy. We saw a rise in both the value and volume of U.S. agricultural exports worldwide in 2011, as international sales rose $20.5 billion over the previous record set ...