Nursing home residents displaced after sparks fly

Thirty nursing home residents were evacuated and more than 50 emergency personnel responded to the Bel-Air Lodge Friday afternoon because of sparking electrical lines.

TID stops TANC in tracks

The Turlock Irrigation District - and the Modesto Irrigation District - announced plans Tuesday to cease their participation in the Transmission Agency of Northern California's $1.5 billion plan to install 600 miles of high-voltage electricity transmission lines stretching from Lassen County to Turlock.

Bike Park moving forward; additional funding needed

Dominick Rufo came up with the idea of constructing a BMX bike park in Turlock when he was 14 years old. Rufo, now almost 17, saw his plan approved by Turlock City Council in February. The park, however, will not be built until $10,000 of private funding has been secured for the project.

Gas prices fall in wake of economic woes

Lately, drivers pulling up to a gas station to fill their tank don't know what prices they will find at the pump. Gas prices that were nearing the $3 mark just last month, are now closer to $2.50.

HOPE OF AMERICA

The Kiwanis Club of Turlock recently presented Hope of America awards to students in grades 5-9 at eight local schools.

First Presbyterian celebrates 100 years

The past 100 years have seen Turlock grow from a small agricultural community to a city with almost 70,000 residents. Those same 100 years have seen Turlock churches evolve from small outposts that farmers traveled to from miles away by horse and buggy, to large campuses with modern video and audio equipment. One thing that hasn't changed, however, is the dedication that Turlock residents show to their places of worship and spiritual development.

COMMUNITY: OUTREACH IN TROUBLE

"What do you want to do with all of that yogurt? We're using it right?" Lydio Banana asked. "So long as we can keep it somewhere," JoLynn DiGrazia answered.

AGRICULTURE: TRIPLE THE JOY

Jim Vieira said that in nearly 50 years of dairy farming, he has never seen three calves of the same gender born to one cow at the same time. But that's what happened on Tuesday when a 6-year-old dairy cow on Vieira's dairy gave birth to three healthy heifers.

County confirms first H1N1 death

The first death in Stanislaus County from the H1N1 virus was confirmed on Monday. According to the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency, a 21-year-old county woman with pre-existing medical conditions died on July 1 while hospitalized with severe pneumonia. "Tests later revealed that this was a complication of infection with the H1N1 virus," said Stanislaus County Public Health Officer Dr. John Walker. The public health department also reported an increase in the number of confirmed ...

Patriotism on parade

Mother Nature showed her American spirit Saturday, allowing a cool breeze to blow through Turlock making the Downtown Fourth of July Parade a pleasant experience for participants and spectators alike.

TID solar incentive program updated

The Turlock Irrigation District Board of Directors adopted a revised solar energy incentive policy on Tuesday, which makes the cash for kilowatts program a bit more difficult to qualify for while rewarding those whose systems produce more energy.

4th of July Road Closures

The following downtown streets will be closed today from 6 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. as part of the scheduled 4th of July parade route:

Planning approves private dorms

The Turlock City Planning Commission unanimously passed two resolutions on Thursday that will allow Campus Crest LCC to move forward with their plan to construct a 10-building private dorm facility across from California State University, Stanislaus.

The unlikely officers

Right at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa, Maureen Lowliss found herself living an extraordinary life as she neared age 50, even if she likes to downplay it.

SMUD tanks TANC

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District, once the largest supporter of the Transmission Agency of Northern California's $1.5 billion plan to install 600 miles of high-voltage electricity transmission lines stretching from Lassen County to Turlock, announced Wednesday they intend to withdraw from the TANC Transmission Project.

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 – and the relative concentration of that water in poor, rural areas – 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 ...

BUSINESS: GREEN AGENCY

Green isn't just in this insurance agency's name – it's a way of life. Winton-Ireland, Strom & Green Insurance Agency representatives announced this week they have installed an electric vehicle charging station at their 687 E. Canal Dr. offices. The charging station includes a 220 volt attachment for Chevrolet Volts, and a 110 volt adaptor for other electric vehicles. Winton-Ireland, Strom & Green Insurance Agency is believed to be the second business ...

Valley air historically clean in August; Air Alert issued for September

One day after announcing for the first time the San Joaquin Valley has seen August pass without recording a single violation of federal air standards, the Air Pollution Control District issued an Air Alert for the first week of September. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District said Thursday that this was the first time in recorded history that the air basin did not incur an exceedance for the standard in August. ...

City comes together to welcome visitors — and their economic impact

While communities across the state continue to struggle with the economic recession, there have been small gains in a few industries, among them tourism. In Turlock, businesses and organizations are coming together to compete for those tourism dollars. "We're working really hard at pushing the Turlock stay," said Turlock Convention and Visitors Bureau director Desa Cammack. The Turlock CVB works hand in hand with promoters, local facilities, the City of Turlock and ...

Long road to economic recovery, finds report

A new report of labor data shows California making progress on unemployment rates but predicts that the road to a full recovery is going to be long and slow moving. The Economic Development Department looked at labor data through July and found that unemployment in most areas of the state has begun to trend downward and that job growth was returning to the private sector, albeit slowly. The San Joaquin Valley, which ...

Local woman makes fitness dreams reality

Lori Hooper might be the successful owner of two fitness studios now, but just a few years ago she was Lori Avila, a student at Turlock High School and a member of the cross country team. Hard work paid off for Hooper, who opened her second studio in Turlock in January. "I was studying at Stan State when I had my daughter and had to quit going. But I told myself I would ...