Armed robbers target Delhi taco truck

A woman working at a Delhi taco truck was robbed at gunpoint Monday night by three masked men. One of the suspects struck the woman during the robbery, Merced County Sheriff's spokesman Deputy Tom MacKenzie said. The three men rushed into the mobile taco trailer around 11 p.m. and demanded all the money in the register. The three men were all speaking English and the 26-year-old victim speaks Spanish, so when she hesitated, one of ...

Intruders beat man, force school lockdown

A brazen home invasion robbery Tuesday afternoon caused a temporary lockdown at Crowell Elementary School and left one man hospitalized from a brutal beating.

Hughson starts search for new city manager

Perhaps the last task Hughson City Manager Joe Donabed will complete for the city is finding his replacement.

Dismal ranking for THS

Three months ago Turlock High School was celebrating their designation by the Department of Education as the best-ranked school in the Turlock Unified School District. Now, administrators are shaking their head in confusion over a report released Monday from the same department that places the high school on a preliminary list of persistently lowest-achieving schools.

Committee lays out strategy for homeless

Homelessness has long been at issue in the City of Turlock, with the down and out left with few options but illegally camping in public spaces. But a new proposal, drafted by the Turlock Homeless Action Committee, offers the first comprehensive strategy to address homelessness in the city's history.

St. Francis named in lawsuit to claim church, property

A banner hanging outside St. Francis Anglican Church proudly declares "Lives Change Here." Rev. Gerry Grossman is quick to point out the present tense of the declaration and is even quicker to point out that his parish has no plans of letting it slip into the past.

Local man struck and killed by train

For the second time in a two-month span, a Turlock resident has lost their life on a stretch of railroad tracks.

Booming cat population causes trouble for shelters

Animal shelters and rescue groups across the Valley are gearing up for "kitten season," the time of year when female cats produce more litters than shelters can place. Cats reproduce during warm weather months, typically starting in early spring. In Turlock, however, female cats start having litters as early as February.

Mayor cautiously optimistic for 2010

Turlock Mayor John Lazar set out a vision of an economically challenging year for the City of Turlock that remained rife with opportunity in his 2010 State of the City Address, delivered on Wednesday at the Turlock Chamber of Commerce Membership Breakfast.

Man struck and killed by train

A man was struck and killed by a train Wednesday in Turlock. The man's identity has not been released pending notification of next of kin. The man was about 30 years old and was from Turlock. The Turlock Police Department received a call at 9:04 a.m. Wednesday reporting a man had just been hit by a train in the area of Golden State Boulevard and Front Street, south of Fulkerth Road. Turlock Police Sgt. Nino ...

Got pancakes?

Everyone knows there's no such thing as a free lunch, but a free breakfast?

Council approves move to trim police force

The Turlock City Council unanimously approved reducing the total number of funded police officers from 85 to 81 on Tuesday evening in an effort to cut costs in the face of a looming budget deficit.

Mother of two’s murderer gets 19 years to life

For three and a half years the family of murder victim Denise Swanner has been waiting for justice. The sentencing hearing of Matthew Black on Tuesday to 19 years to life in prison left them with mixed feelings.

Hoax ignites bomb scare at Turlock daycare

A Turlock daycare center was evacuated Monday morning after a caller reportedly said he left a bomb outside the facility in the bushes.

Your Ghost Stories

The haunting In 1990, before my husband Chris and I were married, we lived in an 1800s Victorian home in Modesto near downtown. This home was split up into five apartments - two down stairs, two upstairs and one in the rear of the home. My husband and I lived in the upstairs apartment, which encompassed the front half of the upstairs and our bedrooms over looked the street. The common bathroom was located off ...

Toy train show delivers Christmas spirit

After the tree is trimmed, the lights strewn, and the ornaments hung, a Christmas tree just isn't complete. At least, not if you ask Bill McLimands, a member of the non-profit San Joaquin Valley Toy Train Operators. "A train around a Christmas tree, that's what says Christmas," McLimands said. For many SJVTTO members, childhood Christmases were marked by ogling the intricate toy train displays at department stores. That intimate connection ...

Batten down the hatches

A strong Pacific frontal system pushed heavy rains and gusty winds into much of Northern California, prompting flood warnings and wind advisories for much of the area. A reprieve from the wind and rain isn't expected until Monday, with the third and potentially largest storm hitting tonight and continuing into Sunday. The third storm is expected to drop 10 to 14 inches of rain in the north end of the state and ...

State snubs healthcare meeting

A briefing intended to collect testimony and share information on healthcare challenges in rural California was overshadowed by the absence of state representatives. The meeting, helmed by Assemblymember Kristin Olsen (R – Modesto), who chairs the California Legislative Rural Caucus, welcomed speakers from non-profits, health clinics, and hospitals – but not the State of California. "The state decided not to show up," Olsen said. Representatives from the State Department of Health ...

Kaepernick jerseys prove to be an elusive gift

The hottest gift in Turlock this Christmas season could be a San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick jersey, but finding a store that carries them could be the tricky part. Kaepernick, a Turlock native and Pitman High School graduate, has been garnering national attention for his prowess on the field and has earned his third start at quarterback for Sunday's game against the St. Louis Ram's. With the holidays approaching, merchandise with Kaepernick's ...

Woman killed on Golden State Boulevard

A female pedestrian was struck and killed early this morning on Golden State Boulevard, just south of Turlock. The woman has not been identified pending next of kin notification. The incident was reported just before 2:30 a.m. Wednesday on the southbound lanes of Golden State Boulevard, south of Griffith Avenue. The driver of the 2005 Mazda 3 that struck the woman was identified by the California Highway Patrol as Carlos Desousa, ...

Police pursuit ends with shootout

Mother charged in death of special needs child

TUSD faces grim budget decisions

The Turlock Unified School District's Budget Advisory Committee is scheduled to present a list of five budget reduction recommendations to the Board of Trustees at Tuesday's regular meeting.

Local runners find fulfillment in crossing the finish line

Shelley Francesconi has been a runner most of her adult life. The Turlock resident put on a pair of running shoes at the age of 21 as a way to tone her body and build muscle. Thirty-five years later, she's still hitting the pavement three days a week.

A father’s sacrifice

Turlock parents Les and Cindy Crutcher received some of the scariest news a parent could ever hear last May.

Youth football financial theft case continues

The embezzlement case against a former president of the Turlock Youth Football League was issued another continuance after his defense attorney said new information about the case had come to his attention.

Blue Diamond a ‘game changer,’ mayor says

Blue Diamond Growers broke ground on their massive new Turlock almond processing facility Thursday, but are remaining quiet about the development's costs or the number of laborers it will employ.

Gunman kills deputy, locksmith

A grim reminder about the dangers law enforcement face on a daily basis was served to the Stanislaus County community Thursday when a sheriff's deputy and a locksmith were shot to death while serving an eviction notice in Modesto.

New city median to use artificial turf

The City of Turlock's going green - and saving green - by turning away from traditional green grass in a new city median.

Teen birth rate reaches new low in California

The efforts to reduce the teen birth rate in California continue to show success with the state recording a new low for the last year analyzed.