DeHart, White lead council race

At 10:01 p.m. Tuesday night, with 66 percent of Turlock voting precincts reporting, the race to fill two vacant Turlock City Council seats remained too close to call.

Hughson council remains the same after election

Some major changes have hit the small town of Hughson in the past year including the hiring of a new city manager and the removal of three council members through a recall election, but with the preliminary results of Tuesday's election it looks like Hughson residents are happy with their present leadership.

Turlock city council candidate profile: William “Bill” W. DeHart, Jr.

Name: William "Bill" W. DeHart, Jr.Age: 62Occupation: Director of Marketing, Covenant Village of Turlock, a Continuing Care Retirement CommunityBackground: Retired Commissioned Officer - U.S. Marine CorpsHelicopter Pilot, Airborne, Leader of Marines 30 years Small Business Administration & Management/Ownership/SalesDirector of Marketing/Sales Team developmentQ. Why do you think you would make a good council member?A. Life experiences which have equipped me with a "common-sense" approach to collaborative leadership enabling all to work together as a team. My ...

Turlock city council candidate profile: David Fransen

Name: David Fransen Age: 34 Occupation: Business Owner Background: My family roots run deep in Turlock. My grandparents, John and Katherine Martinez (Martinez Plywood), were active in Turlock's development and Everett and Carmen (Soderquist) Fransen settled in Turlock in the 1900s. This "early Turlock" background and my participation in "modern Turlock" provide me with a unique perspective that helps de­fine my long-term vision for our town. I have a long ...

Turlock city council candidate profile: Forrest White

Name: Name: Forrest White Age: 63 Occupation: Retired C.E.O. Background: I have been a resident of the City of Turlock for over 25 years and my wife, Colleen, was born and raised in the community. I retired in 2008 after spending 35 years in public service. Five of those years as a Recreation Supervisor for the City of Turlock; I then changed careers and went into fair management. The last 20 years ...

Turlock city council candidate profile: Patrick “Pat” Noda

Name: Patrick "Pat" Noda Age: 90 Occupation: Businessman Background: I was born in Merced County. I have been a Turlock resident for over 40 years. I received a BA degree in Business Administration with a teaching credential from Central College in Iowa. I have taught for a total of five years. I also have a Bachelor of Divinity degree from McCormick seminary. I sold produce for 25 years, household goods for ...

Turlock city council candidate profile: Jeremy Rocha

Name: Jeremy Rocha

Turlock city council candidate profile: Timm LaVelle

Name: Timm LaVelle Age: 51 Occupation: Business Owner Background: Education - Masters Public Administration, CSU Stansilaus; B.A. International Relations, CSU Chico. Family - Married, two children, resident of Turlock for 24 years. Q. Why do you think you would make a good council member? A. I feel the qualities that will make me a good council member once elected are my ...

Calendar released for 2013 District Elections

With the inauguration of President Barack Obama, election season is finally over. Or is it? For those thinking about running for a local office, the Stanislaus County Clerk Recorder and Registrar of Voters just released a calendar of important dates for the Nov. 5 Consolidated District Election.

Turlock, county records big turnout for election

The ballots have been counted, the results certified, and it's official. The Nov. 6 Presidential Election saw one of the biggest turnouts in the history of Stanislaus County. Stanislaus County voter turnout reached 67.39 percent for the Nov. 6 election. That's just below the 2004 Presidential Election's turnout – 67.72 percent – and the record 71 percent turnout for the 2008 Presidential Election. This year's turnout surpassed that in 2000 and 1996, ...

Berryhills in trouble with FPPC

This week was not a good one for Bill Berryhill. Not only did the Ceres native see his opponent for the State Senate gain on him in the Nov. 6 vote count, but the state Fair Political Practices Commission came down on him for 2008 violations of state campaign finance laws. Berryhill, a Ceres grape grower who rose from a trustee on the Ceres Unified School District Board of Trustees to state Assembly, ...

Prop 30 ekes out victory

As early election results came back Tuesday evening, the fate of Proposition 30 – a measure to raise taxes, benefitting schools and the state's General Fund – seemed in question. But once all the ballots were counted, Proposition 30 eked out a narrow victory, securing billions in funding for the state's schools and colleges and avoiding a potentially disastrous round of trigger cuts. "Last night, Californians made the courageous decision to protect ...

Election Day 2012: Bublak, Nascimento lead City Council race; Obama wins second term

Late on Tuesday, with the dust still settling from the hectic day of voting, Turlockers appear to have relected Amy Bublak to the Turlock City Council alongside newcomer Steven Nascimento, a Parks, Recreation, and Community commissioner and district director for State Sen. Anthony Cannella (R). "It's still early, so we're cautiously optimistic," Nascimento said. "… It's hard to really gauge where we are. If this keeps up, we're looking good." Bublak, too, ...

County expects high turnout for Tuesday's election

Election Day is now just days away. On Tuesday, voters across the country will elect a U.S. President. Locally, voters will also decide a Turlock City Council election, numerous ballot initiatives, and state and federal representatives. Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. A polling site locator can be found at www.stanvote.com. Results will be made available at www.stanvote.com as they are tabulated; the first figures will likely ...

Ready to vote?

With Election Day less than three weeks away, the deadline to register to vote is nearing. Monday marks the last day to register for the Nov. 6 General Election, which includes a Presidential campaign, a Turlock City Council race, numerous state and federal legislative slots, and 11 state ballot propositions. Registration has been brisk so far, according to the Stanislaus County Registrar of Voters & Clerk Recorder's office. From Sept. 18 to ...

‘Follow the money,’ says League of Women Voters

From new taxes to eliminating the death penalty, and labeling genetically modified foods, California voters face a potentially confusing gauntlet of 11 propositions on this Nov. 6 ballot. Helping voters sift through the legalese – and make sense of the disparate measures – was the League of Women Voters on Tuesday night, hosting a forum to discuss the pros and cons of each ballot measure at California State University, Stanislaus. "My job ...

Election 2012: Turlock City Council

The four candidates for two Turlock City Council seats faced off for the second – and possibly final – time on Wednesday. But another debate was evidently more popular – that of President Barack Obama (D) and challenger Mitt Romney (R) – as the crowd was sparse at Turlock City Hall. "I appreciate the people who are here," said incumbent councilwoman Mary Jackson. "You all know how to record on your VCRs." ...

Sparks fly between congressional candidates at Turlock forum

When Congressional candidates Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) and Jose Hernandez (D) squared off in their first – and only – debate Monday night, it didn't take long for the gloves to come off. The race for the California 10th Congressional District seat has been heated from the start, with both campaigns frequently trading blows in press releases and public appearances. But Hernandez – a former NASA astronaut and engineer who grew up in ...

Candidate forums set for Turlock

With the November election fast approaching, local organizations are hoping to get information about the issues and candidates to the public through upcoming forums. The Turlock Chamber of Commerce will host a forum with local legislators from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. today at Latif's restaurant, 111 N. Golden State Blvd. Attending will be U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock), State Sen. Anthony Cannella (R-Ceres), and Assemblywoman Kristen Olsen (R-Modesto). Stanislaus County Supervisor ...

Deputy Tom Letras to run for sheriff

Stanislaus County Sheriff's Deputy Tom Letras announced last week that he is taking on his boss, Sheriff Adam Christianson, in the 2014 election. Letras, 39, made the announcement on Facebook and began his first week as an announced candidate by blasting Christianson as a bully who intimidates his employees. He said while his move may seem like "career suicide" to take on the boss, he feels he needs to step up to offer ...

Economy, smart growth top priorities for council candidates

Election season heats up with debate

The four candidates competing for two Turlock City Council seats will square off for the first time today.

City Council ballot set

The filing deadline for the Nov. 6 Turlock City Council Election passed quietly Friday, with only the four previously announced candidates completing the process to be listed on the ballot.