Steve Mann

Heritage Oak Winery is closing down, according to owner and winemaker Tom Hoffman. In a recent email sent to customers Tom announced the painful decision, saying he and wife Carmela

The regular filing period has ended for prospective city council candidates. However, Councilman for District 1 Alan Nakanishi followed through on his pledge to not seek re-election, which extends the filing period by five days for his district only. The extended deadline is now Wednesday, Aug. 12. Nakanishi will conclude a remarkable 20-year tenure on the Lodi City Council, making him one of the longest-serving members in Lodi history. Only Frank Hale served longer, from 1906 – 1929.

Waseca Hockey Awarded Dick’s Sporting Goods “Grow the Game Award”

When Beverly Stroh moved into her family’s home on Crescent Avenue in 1935, who could have guessed she’d still be living there 91 years later? Born in 1932, the retired

The city's general fund is in a tough spot. According to the latest financial forecast, it's looking at a structural deficit of more than $4 million a year. For now, the plan is to cover the gap by dipping into reserves. Starting next fiscal year, that would mean pulling about $4.5 million to $5 million from reserves annually. By 2031, the pension stabilization fund will have been cut roughly in half, according to the forecast. Meanwhile, salaries are expected to climb 2.5% to 3% a year, with one big exception: last fiscal year, they jumped 9.3% because of citywide raises and the addition of new positions. And the numbers don't yet include the $1.6 million contract with Outreach Ministries International to operate the new access center, so that cost would come on top of the existing deficit, Budget Manager Jennelle Baker-Bechthold says. On the revenue side, property taxes are expected to grow by about 4.6% a year, while the Measure L special sales tax is projected to increase by about 3%. Starting in September, the city also plans to begin charging customers who use credit cards to pay utility bills, a move expected to save about $1.2 million a year. There's also been some talk about asking voters for a new or expanded tax to help fill the hole.

Call it the Blue Zone blues. Remember last year, when Lodi was being considered for a full Blue Zones project designation? The county and city teamed up to bring in

Talk about swimming with the sharks. Local Realtor and President of the Lodi Board of Realtors Kristina Heisler decided she wanted a real challenge, so she swam from Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay to Aquatic Park on the mainland, about 1.5 miles away. She said it was the hardest thing she has ever done. Sharks? She says she was never really worried about them. The one-and-a-half-foot swells, though, were another story. Kristina, 56, did the breaststroke the whole way and finished in an hour and 25 minutes. She made the swim by herself, but 13 of her best friends were waiting on shore, cheering her on. She didn't regret jumping in, but she admitted, “I just wanted to finish.” Kristina trained in her backyard pool, then worked up to practice swims in Folsom Lake, Don Pedro Reservoir and the cove at Aquatic Park before the big day. Now that she can check that one off her bucket list, she says she will never do it again. Still, she is already looking for a new challenge. “Never give up on your goals,” she says.

It looks like the long-awaited Lakehouse Resort project may finally be ready to move from paper to pavement. Architect John Vierra says the project should break ground this fall once

The city council has delegated to the city manager one of its principal duties as the governing body of the city. On Wednesday evening the council appointed City Manager Kara Reddig to oversee the city clerk's office, including the appointment of an interim clerk, while recruitment for a new permanent candidate is found. The council only has direct authority over three positions within the city: the city manager, clerk, and attorney. All others fall under the supervision of the manager. The three council appointees are co-equal in a sense that they all report to the council. They are independent offices, all appointed by the city council, as prescribed by the city code. But as of last Wednesday things will be slightly different with the city manager temporarily holding sway over the clerk's job. Perhaps the first time ever.

Where were you 25 years ago tomorrow, when two passenger jets struck the World Trade Center and nearly 3,000 people were killed?