County residents speak out against transmission project

A room full of angry citizens greeted the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors Tuesday morning, as dozens gathered to speak out against the planned Transmission Agency of Northern California Transmission Project.

Local animal rescue and shelter will soon be mobile

The general consensus in the Turlock Journal office on Monday was "awwww, he's so cute!" The coos and baby talk were in response to a blind kitten that was brought in by LeeAnne Pinkerton from the Friends of Turlock Animals shelter. The kitten, who is looking for a home, sauntered around the conference room table, exploring with his paws and nose, oblivious to the bright flash of the camera that would usually scare a cat his age.

Governor’s plan ‘dangerous to public safety,’ say local district attorneys

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to commute the sentences of illegal aliens and reduce several felony crimes to misdemeanors was universally rejected by California prosecutors on Monday.

102 years young

Evelyn Gawthrop turns 102 on Sunday. She celebrated with cake and ice cream at Paramount Park senior living center on Friday with friends and family. Evelyn was born in 1907 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She moved to California when she was 12 years old. Evelyn attended UCLA and started teaching elementary school in 1928. Her niece, Suzie Corbin, said that Evelyn was Marilyn Monroe's third grade teacher.

MR. TURLOCK COMES TO TOWN

Stefan Turlock came all the way from Sweden last week to visit his namesake town. Stefan and his girlfriend, who were vacationing in California, spent an entire day getting to know Turlock. They strolled down Main Street, bought a few souvenirs at the Visitor's Center and made friends with local firefighters. As far as he knows, Stefan and his family are the only Turlocks in the country of Sweden. His grandfather Elmer, who grew up ...

Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, we are all together

Hundreds of local Iranians and Americans of Iranian descent showed their support for friends and family still in Iran on Thursday and Friday with peaceful rallies. Groups of Assyrians born in both Iran and the United States gathered on the corner of Countryside Drive and Monte Vista Avenue with signs, banners, face-paint, and flags.

Law enforcement cracks down on illegal fireworks

Local fire departments and law enforcement agencies are going to be taking a hard-line stance this year when it comes to illegal fireworks.

The jewel of the downtown

When two burglars lit a match and set the Carnegie Arts Center ablaze on a cold November night in 2005, they likely had no idea of the political firestorm they were launching.

Merced supervisors speak out for local dairy farmers

The Merced County Board of Supervisors hope a resolution passed last week will get Washington, D.C., moo-ving forward to provide relief for troubled California dairy producers.

Community rallies to support local boy battling cancer

Family, friends, and perfect strangers turned out in droves Monday at a community blood and bone marrow drive for Turlock's Dylan Givargiznia.

Long time Turlock grocer dies at 72

The doors of National Market closed early on Friday and remained shut today in observance of the passing of Jing Ow, the store's longtime owner. Ow, 72, died June 10.

County records slight dip in unemployment

For the second straight month the unemployment numbers in Stanislaus County made a small decline.

Sheriff’s budget crunch brings an end to special assignments

In a move meant to trim expenses and avoid deputy layoffs, the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department has ended several special assignments.

Father’s Day card more than a sentiment to local man

In July of 1950, Amos Moss scribbled a letter to his father from a fox hole in Korea. The note was on a Father's Day card that his sergeant had given him. Until he was handed the card, he didn't even realize what day it was. Moss wrote to his father that he missed him and was proud to be his son. He sent the letter back to his father, Amos Moss Sr., in the states and didn't think much about it after that.

Three local dads share love of barbecuing

The Journal put the call out several weeks leading up to Father's Day asking for families to nominate their dad as the King of the Grill. Three dads were nominated, and it was too hard to pick just one. So all three of these men now proudly hold the title of "King of the Grill."

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 – and countless other varieties – 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 – 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 ...

Cowboys coming to town

Turlock may be stealing - or at least borrowing - Oakdale's title as Cowboy Capital of the World this week as thousands of ropers are set to compete in the American Cowboy Team Roping Association's State Finals held at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds. Turlock was picked to host the four-day event because of its central location, said ACTRA vice president and local businessman Duane Green. "This event will bring in about 2,000 ...

Weather conditions lead to Air Alert

The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District initiated an Air Alert Tuesday that will continue through Thursday, and may be extended to Friday. During these times residents are asked to curtail practices that increase smog-forming emissions. The alert is for the entire Central Valley. The district said the Air Alert was issued because conditions such as high temperatures, a high-pressure system and stagnant wind patterns are contributing to a build-up in ozone ...

Train hits tomato hauler

A tractor-trailer loaded with thousands of tomatoes was struck by an Amtrak passenger train Monday afternoon just outside of Turlock, when the driver stopped his rig on the tracks, the California Highway Patrol reported. The collision crushed the back end of the big rig, damaged a second vehicle and splattered tomatoes all over the roadway and the railroad tracks. There were no injuries reported at the scene, though when the train reached ...

County sees decrease in unemployment

There was a marked improvement in Stanislaus County's unemployment rate during the month of August, as the rate fell below the year-ago estimate and the total from the month prior, according to the latest numbers from the Economic Development Department. The unadjusted seasonal unemployment rate for Stanislaus County in August was 16 percent which is down from the adjusted rate of 17.3 percent in July and below the year-ago estimate of 16.4 percent. ...

State launches ‘Totally Unprepared’ campaign for emergencies

The California Emergency Management Agency is hoping to shake up the message about preparing for a disaster with a campaign that puts the spotlight on an unprepared star former football player. Cal EMA, along with the California Seismic Safety Commission and California Earthquake Authority to launch "Totally Unprepared" - a multimedia campaign geared to help Californians better understand their risk of earthquakes and how to prepare for them by giving a view of ...

Chemicals applied to fruit subject of USDA survey

Beginning Oct. 1, fruit growers will be contacted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service to participate in the 2011 Fruit Chemical Use Survey. NASS will contact growers in 12 states, including California, to collect information on pesticides used, acres treated and rates applied to more than 20 fruit crops. "Because of the issues facing today's fruit growers, participation in this survey is vital," said Vic Tolomeo, director of the ...