Disaster assistance available for small businesses

Small, non-farm businesses in San Joaquin County and the neighboring counties of Alameda, Amador, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Sacramento and Stanislaus are now eligible to apply for low-interest disaster loans from the U. S. Small Business Administration. "These loans offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by freezing temperatures that occurred in San Joaquin <span ...

County bus agency to hold public meeting about fare increases

The Stanislaus County Public Works Transit Division, administrators for the county's intercity bus system, Stanislaus Regional Transit or StaRT, will be holding a series of public information meetings to discuss a proposed fare increase to be effective Aug. 1.

Water group looks to build synergy

Local agencies are banding together to form a regional water management group in Stanislaus County &ndash; one of California's only populated areas not to have such a group &ndash; in hopes of obtaining millions in state water funds for local projects.

Egg farmers ask to join JS West in lawsuit

The Association of California Egg Farmers (ACEF), an industry association that represents 70 percent of California's egg farmers, filed an application to join JS West, a Modesto-based egg farming company, in a lawsuit against the State of California and the Humane Society of the United States.

Local business makes community service a priority

Every year Lancaster Painting donates labor and supplies to a family or nonprofit organization in need. They have done multiple projects for both the Stanislaus County Society for Handicapped Children and Adults and Westside Ministries.

Hashimoto takes helm at TID

After a six-month, international search for a new Turlock Irrigation District general manager, the Board of Directors decided the best candidate already had the job.

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 ...

Local juniors win scholarships

The Distinguished Young Women of Turlock competition was held Saturday at the Turlock Community Auditorium and two local teens won top honors. Ashley Gomez was named North Turlock's Distinguished Young Woman of 2011 and Madison Patino won South Turlock's Distinguished Young Woman title.

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.

Japan quake shakes local man

A Central Valley man feels "good to be alive" today after witnessing firsthand the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that rocked Japan at 9:46 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Thursday.

Gas prices on the rise

California gasoline prices have risen by 32 cents per gallon in the last 14 days and 15.5 cents per gallon in the past week alone, averaging $3.87 per gallon &ndash; 82.8 cents higher than a year ago &ndash; according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Turlockers campaign for cancer screenings

Three Turlock community leaders have partnered with Emanuel Medical Center to encourage people to get colorectal screenings.

New fire chief sworn in

Tim Lohman officially became Turlock's newest fire chief during a ceremony at the City Council meeting Tuesday night.

Turlock Fire Department Fire Call Summary

Turlock Fire Department Fire Call Summary

County fair announces changes to livestock rules

The Stanislaus County Fair announced changes to livestock rules for the 2011 fair.

ROPING IN A WIN

Despite the near-century mark temperatures on Thursday and Friday, hundreds of cowboys and cowgirls saddled up for the American Cowboy Team Roping Association's State Finals held at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds this week. The four-day event was expected to bring in 2,000 participants. Team roping requires close cooperation and timing between two highly skilled ropers - a header and a heeler - and their horses. The header ropes first and must make one ...

Stanislaus County Fair sets dates for 2012

Stanislaus County Fair officials confirmed the dates for the upcoming 2012 fair. The fair will resume its 10-day run July 13 &ndash; 22, 2012. This follows the 2009 decision of the Stanislaus County Fair Board of Directors to change the traditional late July fair dates to mid-July. "We have some exciting things in the works for 2012 that will bring a different dynamic to the fair," said Chris Borovansky, chief executive officer for ...

Tobacco sales to minors reach new low in state

As the Stanislaus County Office of Education prepares for its seventh annual "Tobacco Slam" event, the California Department of Health is reporting some good news about youth and smoking. Illegal tobacco sales to minors have fallen to their lowest level on record in the state, Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health, announced Thursday. The 2011 Youth Tobacco Purchase Survey found that tobacco sales to minors at retail outlets ...

Merced County reports first human case of West Nile

Merced County reported its first confirmed human case of West Nile Virus disease for 2011 on Friday. According to the Merced County Department of Public Health, the adult patient's symptoms began on Sept. 1. The patient, a resident of northern Merced County, was hospitalized beginning on Sept. 15. The patient was able to recover sufficiently from illness symptoms and was released from the hospital within a week. The patient is expected to make a full recovery.

Memoirist highlights cancer event

Author, television producer and breast cancer survivor Geralyn Lucas will be the keynote speaker at Emanuel Medical Center's 14th annual Women's Cancer Awareness event. Lucas was 27 years old and a producer with "20/20" when she found a lump in her breast during a self exam. Lucas had no family history of cancer and credits awareness campaigns with her early diligence. She decided to document the journey through her diagnosis and thus the ...

Judge calls Delta salmon protection plan ‘bad science’

The government will be forced to rewrite a plan to protect endangered Delta salmon from water pumps, following a Tuesday court decision which overturned parts of the plan for lacking scientific merit. The National Marine Fisheries Service biological opinion, issued in 2009, had called for strict flow rates for delta water pumps, which ship water to farmers south of the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta. The move was intended to save the lives of ...

Record almond harvest underway

The predicted record breaking 2011 almond harvest is underway in farms throughout the Central Valley. In July the United States Department of Agriculture predicted an all-time record crop of 1.95 billion meat pounds, coming from 750,000 California almond bearing acres. This will account for nearly 80 percent of the world's entire almond supply and 30 percent of that comes from Stanislaus and Merced counties. The average nut set per tree this year is ...

Community Supported Agriculture offers consumers a ‘share’ in farming

Genovese basil. Romanesco zucchini. Spanish musca pole bean. Minowase radishes. Red kuri squash.Crimson carmell tomatoes. Boxes full of those mouthwatering farm-fresh heirloom vegetables &ndash; and countless other varieties &ndash; are going straight from small local farms to households around Turlock each week. It's all part of a burgeoning movement in farming called Community Supported Agriculture which sees customers buy a "share" in a farm, in exchange for a share of the farm's ...

Volunteers prepare to make Turlock shine

Community invited to help celebrate university’s Founders Day

Last year, California State University, Stanislaus drew about 700 members of the community to its first ever StanFest &ndash; a family-friendly free event with carnival games and activities for kids. This year, the college hopes to bring more than 1,000 children and adults on campus to celebrate CSU Stanislaus' 51st Founders Day. "The whole point of StanFest is to celebrate our Founders Day," said Cesar Rumayor, ASI executive director. "We plan on ...

California’s rural roads rank second for fatalities in nation

The vast network of rural roads and bridges that connect California's communities are reaching a point of deterioration that they hinder both public safety and economic growth, according to a new report by a national research group. The report, "Rural Connections: Challenges and Opportunities in America's Heartland" was compiled by The Road Information Program, or T.R.I.P., a non-profit group based in Washington D.C. The TRIP report found that despite a recent decrease ...

Motorcyclist killed in freeway collision

A 29-year-old San Diego man was killed in a traffic collision Friday night on Highway 99. The name of the man has not been released pending family notification. The man was driving his 2009 Honda motorcycle southbound on the freeway, just south of W. Main Street around 8 p.m. Friday. The California Highway Patrol did not know what lane the man was traveling in or how fast he was going. For ...

MedicAlert celebrates 55 years

The MedicAlert Foundation celebrated its 55th anniversary with a Health and Safety Fair on Saturday at the foundation's international headquarters in Turlock. Event attendees were provided with free health screenings, safety information, first responder demonstrations, children's activities and even free food. MedicAlert CEO Andrew Wigglesworth explained the foundation's commitment to Turlock. "While MedicAlert has four million members worldwide we never lose sight of the community where it all started and we ...

1 in 6 Americans in need of food in 2010, report finds

The number of households dealing with a shortage of food remained almost unchanged in 2010 according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA report, "Household Food Security in the United States in 2010," found that one in six Americans, or 49 million people, had trouble putting food on the table at some point in 2010. That number represents 14.5 percent of the population, a percentage statistically unchanged from ...

Mosquito abatement season comes to an end

The mosquito abatement season is coming to a close at the end of this month, and the current count of human West Nile Virus cases is up to seven in Stanislaus County. Two of the infected live in the Denair and East Turlock areas, although one case may have been contracted outside of the area. Mosquito season can last through November, but activity slows down considerably in cooler weather. Jerry Davis, outgoing manager ...