Grape crop grows in 2010

The California Table Grape Commission reported Thursday that in 2010 the industry shipped 98.3 million boxes (about 20-pound boxes) of fresh grapes from California.

Proposed rule to improve railroad safety

The Federal Railroad Administration proposed a rule Thursday that would make it easier for the public to report unsafe conditions at highway-rail grade crossings.

Foster Farms seeks perfect chicken recipe

Foster Farms seeks perfect chicken recipe

EAGLE COURT OF HONOR

An Eagle Court of Honor was held for Patrick Thomas O'Connor, son of Tom and Agnes O'Connor of Turlock, on Nov. 29, 2010. Patrick is a 16-year-old junior at Turlock High School. He joined the Cub Scouts in 2000 and received the Arrow of Light, the highest award in Cub Scouts, in 2005. In 2007, he was chosen by the troop to become eligible for membership in the Order of the Arrow.

Irrigation season pushed back due to rain

Due to changing weather conditions the start of irrigation season for Turlock Irrigation District customers has been pushed back seven days, from Thursday to March 17, the district announced at its annual pre-season growers meeting Wednesday night.

More county residents out of work

The unemployment rate in Stanislaus County continued its steady climb upward as the latest figures from the Economic Development Department indicate nearly 1 in 5 people in the county is among the ranks of the unemployed.

Flu cases on the rise

With the death of two women in Stanislaus County attributed to influenza and the ranks of the sickened increasing, the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency is actively encouraging people to get vaccinated.

Turlock Chamber CEO named 26th Assembly District Woman of the Year

Many in Turlock have benefitted from the work Sharon Silva has done promoting the businesses and organizations that help Turlock prosper. As the chief executive officer of the Turlock Chamber of Commerce, Silva has long been a proponent of everything Turlock.

Rabbits and cavies take over fairgrounds at annual show

More than 1,200 rabbits and several hundred cavies were on display at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds last weekend during the California State Rabbit & Cavy Breeders Association Show.

48-inch allotment, no cap for 2011 irrigation season

A wet winter will mean a wet summer for local farmers.

Group raises concerns over Central Valley ground water contamination

Food and Water Watch, a non-profit safe water and food advocacy group with offices in San Francisco, issued a 25-page report last week that raised safety concerns about the Central Valley's ground water supply and a possible lack of oversight from the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (CVRWQCB).

Teen birth rates down statewide, up in Valley

A new report from the California Department of Public Health shows teen birth rates have reached a record low for the state, while remaining higher than average in the San Joaquin Valley.

Water Board to fund ag quality improvement projects

Valley farmers will soon have access to more than $8 million in grant money for agricultural water quality improvement projects. The grant funding comes from the State Water Resources Control Board through Proposition 84, a bond approved by voters in 2006.

COMMUNITY: DENTAL HEALTH MONTH

First Step Dental held their 12th Annual Field Trip Day on Friday. The Turlock dental office hosted the field trip as part of Children Dental Health Month. First Step hosted six local elementary schools and taught the importance of brushing and flossing, nutrition and a fun introduction of the dentist chair.

Hutton House: Providing a safe haven for runaway teens

Hutton House has been a safe haven for runaway and homeless teens in Stanislaus County since 1976. Youth ages 13 to 17 who need a temporary place to stay during a crisis situation can live at the Modesto shelter for up to two weeks. Hutton House also offers day and drop-in services, and between the residential and non-residential programs they serve around 800 clients per year.

Castle Air Museum to host POW/MIA Day ceremony

Castle Air Museum and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, 13th District, will jointly host a Nation POW/MIA Day Ceremony at 1 p.m. on Friday at Castle Air Museum grounds, 5050 Santa Fe Dr., Atwater. The community is invited and encouraged to attend this traditional ceremony to honor the ex-POW's who were once held prisoner by United States' enemies, and the large number of those who are still missing. This timely ceremony is ...

Carnegie reopens with fanfare

Turlockers who were looking to celebrate the fulfillment of a six-year long dream gathered with visitors from around the region on Saturday for the grand reopening of the Carnegie Arts Center.

Ceres council approves Wal-Mart Supercenter

The Wal-Mart Supercenter and accompanying 26-acre Mitchell Ranch Shopping Center was given a green light by the Ceres City Council Monday evening after months of public hearings. Council members Ken Lane, Bret Durossette and Guillermo Ochoa voted unanimously to reject an appeal of a Planning Commission approval of the center. A group calling themselves Citizens for Ceres asked the council to overturn the commission's approval of the shopping center for the northwest corner ...

Oakdale city employees under fire for opening Turlock business

A Turlock consulting business came under fire at a special Oakdale City Council meeting on Monday. The Limited Liability Company is registered in the name of three top City of Oakdale employees and one former Oakdale city manager. Oakdale City Council members held an open forum, followed by a closed session, to discuss the business. Following closed session, the unanimous decision was made to hire the legal firm of Meyers Nave at a ...

Shelter in the storm

Verda's House looks like a cross between a daycare center and the home of a very devoted grandma. The kids have decorated the dining area with seasonal artwork, there are toys in every room, and even the bathrooms have tiny toddler-sized toilets. The hope is that when kids visit Verda's House they feel like they are in a safe family environment where they can work through any crisis they might have at home. <p ...

Fire, police host memorial event

The Turlock Fire and Police departments are holding a memorial Sunday to honor the fallen on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The ceremony will begin at 8:46 a.m., the exact time the first plane struck the World Trade Center North Tower. The service is being held at the Turlock Fire Station at 540 E. Marshall St. The scheduled keynote speaker is John McPartland, vice president of BART ...

Turlock man recalls his time as Ground Zero chaplain

On a June day of this year Turlock resident Tim Guerino was once again walking on Ground Zero. Ten years prior he had stepped on that same hallowed ground, among the rubble and ruins praying for the fallen and the living alike, doling out words of solace, hope and faith. On Sept. 11, 2001, Guerino, who spent much of his youth in New York, was living in Alabama serving as a pastor. On ...

Health department fines Emanuel Medical Center for safety violation

For the second time Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock has been issued an administrative penalty after the California Department of Public Health concluded the hospital had not fully complied with health and safety standards. The hospital was fined $75,000 for failing "to ensure the health and safety of a patient when it did not follow its surgical policies and procedures," the CDPH stated in their news release. The fine stems from an ...

New bus hub underway; Construction causes traffic problems

The effort to construct a new bus transit hub in Turlock is well underway on the triangle of land bordered by Del's Lane, Golden State Boulevard and Hawkeye Avenue, and traffic jams from related road work are expected to conclude soon. "It's moving well," said Turlock City Manager Roy Wasden. "But it's generating a lot of questions and it's a little inconvenient right now." The new transit hub, funded entirely by federal ...

Turlock woman dies in crash

A Turlock woman was killed in a solo crash Sunday night in Hilmar. The deceased was identified as 25-year-old Cassy Mancebo. The California Highway Patrol suspects Mancebo was under the influence of alcohol when she crashed her 2003 Ford Focus. Mancebo was driving the Ford eastbound on American Avenue, west of Columbus Avenue in Hilmar around 8 p.m. Sunday. The CHP said Mancebo drove her vehicle off the road and ...

Balloon festival raises money for children’s hospital

RIPON - Holding the palms of his hands over his ears to soften the roar of the flame shooting into his hot air balloon, 7-year-old poster boy Adham Hamza had the thrill of his life during the opening day of the Color the Skies balloon festival Saturday. The official ambassador for the event, Adham had developed brain cancer when he was only eight months old and is a regular ...

Wildlife center opens doors to public for annual event

THE FIRE LANE

The Turlock Fire Department responded to a total of 426 incidents during the month of August. These included a total of 259 emergency medical service calls. Turlock Fire responded to 19 motor vehicle accidents, and 26 commercial/ residential fire alarms. There were a total of 26 fire type calls: five building fires, three vehicle fires, two unauthorized burns, three cooking fires, eight vegetation and/or rubbish fires, two fires in structure "other," and three additional ...

United Nations takes issue with water quality in Central Valley

Poor water quality in the Central Valley &ndash; and the relative concentration of that water in poor, rural areas &ndash; has drawn the attention of the United Nations. Catarina de Albuquerque, United Nations Independent Expert on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, issued a report to the UN Human Rights Council on the state of water and sanitation access in America earlier this month. Playing a large role in that ...

Local church offers free after-school tutoring

First Presbyterian Church is giving back to some of Turlock's youngest residents with The Learning Zone, a free after school tutoring program for kids in first through sixth grade. The Learning Zone offers one-on-one tutoring to students for an hour and a half per week. Sheri Cripe, a director at The Learning Zone, said the program mainly targets students from Julien, Crowell, Denair and Dennis Earl elementary schools because these schools are closest ...