OAKDALE, CA – Yeeeehaw everybody, the 20th Annual Oakdale Chocolate Festival 2012 is set to begin on Saturday, May 19, from 9am to 6pm and ends the next day, Sunday, May 20, from 9am to 5pm. It will be held at the Wood Park at Highways 108 and 120.

Adult admissions are only $5 with children 12 and under are FREE. You can get $1 off of admissions by bringing a can food.

Oakdale, CA is known as the “Cowboy Capital of the World” so it is appropriate for this year’s theme to be COWBOYS AND CHOCOLATE.

For the weekend’s weather, it is expected to be in the high-70s to mid-80s. It is going to be a picture perfect weather weekend for the 2012 Oakdale Chocolate festival.

The festival is expected to have over 80,000 people attending the 2-day event. The event is quite popular in the Central Valle region considering the city of Oakdale only has a population of about 20,000.

In addition, festival goers will have quality and a great variety of over 200 vendors: unique Arts & Crafts, CHOCOLATE EXPLOSION in Chocolate Avenue (fudges, truffles, chocolate ice cream, chocolate cheese cake, etc.), a variety of Food to satisfy every pallet (giant onion rings, Lockeford Sausage, funnel cakes, smoothies, Chinese and the all American favorite hot dogs), and Specialty Merchandise & Services.

The event is dog friendly!

This event provides revenue for many Oakdale businesses and non-profit groups. Groups to date that have benefited are: Oakdale High School Track Teams, Oakdale Lions Club, S Club, Rainbow Girls, 4-H, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Oakdale C.A.P.S., Fire Department Explorers, Red Cross, Shadow Chase Run Club, Kiwanis Club, Beta Sigma Phi, Police Department Explorers, Oakdale Cowboy Museum, United Way, Oakdale High School Grad Night, River Oak Grace Youth Group.

Over 3,500 pounds of cans were collected for the Oakdale Food banks last year. The numbers are expected to increase for this year.

Again the following attractions to not miss:

Arts & Craft Booths

Chocolate Avenue – CHOCOLATE EXPLOSIONS over here with (fudges, truffles, chocolate ice cream, chocolate cheese cake, etc.),

Chocolate Challenge Stage – chocolate activities for the kids and community performances by Dance studios, karate, zumba, etc.

Main Stage – local and cover bands with a variety of music (mostly country music, I bet, yeeeeeeeehaw!)

Classic Car Show – On Both days

Cowboy Cookin’ Stage

Food Booths

Kid’s Land Games for All Ages

Mascots

One Mile Run & the 5K Fun Run on May 19, 2012

Western Area

For questions contact the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce at events@oakdalechamber.com or call 209-847-2244.

Ranked as the 3rd best running back (Scout) in the class of 2013, Justin Davis, a local high school football star product from Stockton’s Lincoln High school, decided to give a verbal commitment to the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans.

Davis had gotten scholarship offers from every major college football program in America. However, the Lincoln Trojan star decided that USC was the best school for him. He said, “The synergy of the academics and athletics is like no other.” He feels that if he doesn’t get a chance to play in the NFL, he will at least have his education to rely on.

Davis is the 7th athlete to give a verbal commitment to the Trojans for the 2013 class. This is critical because the football program is serving the 1st of 3 seasons of scholarship limitations from the Reggie Bush scandal.

USC will only have 15 scholarship offers to give for prospects in the class of 2013. And Davis is a great addition to a storied college football program.

Modesto, CA- The Modesto Police Department will be dedicating their Fallen Officer Memorial monument on Saturday, May 19th, 2012. The dedication ceremony will begin at 11 A.M, in front of the downtown police station located at 600 10th Street Modesto, CA.

Every year in the United States, over 100 police officers die in the line of duty serving their communities. The loss of these officers not only devastates local communities but also the lives of their friends, families and co-workers. Our own community has felt this devastation.

On May 21, 1973, Modesto Police Officer Leo “Bobby” Volk was in pursuit of a fugitive vehicle when a car pulled out in front of him. He swerved to avoid a collision, losing control of the vehicle. He died later at the hospital.

On July 29, 2002, Modesto Police Sergeant Steve May was assisting other officers in searching for a stolen vehicle. The stolen vehicle suddenly rammed Sergeant May’s vehicle. Sergeant may was catastrophically injured and died seven years later, never having regained consciousness.

This monument will honor both Officer Leo Volk and Sergeant Steve May.

Thanks to the generosity of the community, we have been able to raise enough money for phase one of the project. This is the portion that will be unveiled on May 19th. Money is still being raised for phase 2, a bronze kneeling officer that will complete the project. Donations can be sent to the Modesto Police Department, 600 10th Street, Modesto, CA 95354 with checks being made out to the Stanislaus Community Foundation, Fund 242.

“This memorial will honor these fallen officers for all time. Thanks to our community, future generations will know the sacrifice made by these men and their families.” said Chief Michael Harden.

MODESTO, CA – Officers from the Modesto Police Department will be conducting “zero tolerance” DUI enforcement operations within the City of Modesto this Saturday, May 19, from 10:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. These operations are part of the Department’s continuing effort to keep motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians safe on our city streets by removing dangerous, impaired drivers. Officers will focus their efforts on locating and arresting as many drivers as possible who fail to designate a sober driver, making the poor choice to get behind the wheel and drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Drivers are encouraged to remember these few, simple steps which will ensure everyone gets home safely:

Plan a safe way home before festivities begin;

Before drinking, designate a sober driver and give that person your keys;

If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.

The Modesto Police Department encourages everyone to Report Drunk Drivers, Call 911! Funding for this operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Sonora to Clovis Stage 4 race was the longest and possible the most difficult stage for many riders in the 2012 Amgen Tour of California. The hot weather, which reached an over 90* F, had the riders wishing that the finish line was closer. At the end, the race had a familiar finish.

For the past 3 days, Peter Sagan, 22, who is a Slovak rider for team Liquigas-Cannondale, has finished first. Today, he accomplished the same feat by finishing first again, just a day before the big time-trial in Bakersfield, CA.

This marks the first time in any professional Tour event, where the same person held onto 1st and 2nd places for 4 straight stage finishes. Peter Sagan and Heinrich Haussler of Team Garmin-Barracuda are the first pair to accomplish this.

The city of Sonora hosted a stage of the biggest competitive cycling race in America for the first time. And they did not disappoint. Over 10,000 people were present in downtown Sonora, with a few looking groggy from last night’s block party events. We hope that the Amgen Tour of California consider this small city of Tuolumne County to host another stage of the race next year.

Sagan now commands an impressive 40 seconds lead over race favorites such as American Chris Horner of Team RadioShack-Nissan-Trek and Levi Leipheimer of Team Omega Pharma-Quick Step. Stage 5 of race, which is a time trial in Bakersfield, will likely determine the top favorites to win the 2012 Amgen Tour of California race.

Modesto, CA- Come see some of the best law enforcement canine teams from across Northern California, as they compete for the title of “Top Dog”. This will be the 30th Annual Police Canine Trial, which is sponsored by the Modesto Police Canine Association and sanctioned by the Western States Police Canine Association.

The Western States Police Canine Association is a non-profit organization, whose mission is to promote professionalism and safety for all working police canine teams. One of the ways the WSPCA achieves this mission is by sanctioning police canine competitions across California and Nevada. These competitions are intense, real-life, street scenarios which include Obedience, Agility, Search, Protection, and Narcotic Detection. The police service dogs and their handlers are evaluated on how well they are able to compete in each phase of the competition. At the end of the competition season, the scores of the canine teams are tallied up and ranked based on their overall rating.

This year the trial will be held at the Stanislaus Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy and admission into the event is free. The Modesto Police Canine Association will be selling drinks, ice cream and food (hotdogs and hamburgers) for those interested. Spectators are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets and umbrellas, as the event will be held in the open grass field of the training center.

When:

Saturday May 19th

Time:

The trial will begin at 9 A.M. starting with the Obedience, Agility, and Search Phases. The popular Protection Phase will begin sometime in the afternoon.

Location:

Stanislaus Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy

3805 Cornucopia Way Modesto, CA (Off of Crows Landing Road, south of Hatch Road)

The Modesto Police Department takes pride in training and maintaining highly skilled canine teams. In 2010, Modesto Police Canine Officer Mark Ulrich and his partner “Stryker” and Modesto Police Canine Officer Daniel Phillips and his partner “Chuck” were awarded the prestigious “Top Team” Award for 2010 and last year Modesto Police Canine Officer Glenn Graves and his partner “Kai” were awarded “Top Dog” overall in Narcotic Detection for the 2011 season.

Modesto, CA- Modesto Police investigators have identified the suspect responsible for shooting at the driver of a vehicle, which caused a chain reaction of events.

On Wednesday May 9th, just a little after 7:00 P.M., Modesto Police officers were called to Robertson Road Park, located at 500 Hammond Street in west Modesto, for a reported shooting. When officers arrived, they located the victim, a 21-year-old male Modesto resident, sitting in the driver’s seat of a black BMW vehicle. The victim suffered from at least one gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

The initial investigation has revealed the victim and his friend, an 18-year-old male Modesto resident, were involved in some type of altercation with a group of males at the park, earlier in the evening. The altercation escalated and when the victim and friend tried to leave the park in a BMW, a suspect from within the group at the park fired several shots at the BMW. The victim, who was driving, was struck at least once as he continued to speed away. The victim hit a parked car, struck a fire hydrant, and hit two pedestrians before hitting a second parked car and coming to a rest. The two pedestrians were treated at local hospitals and sustained minor to moderate injuries as a result from being hit by the BMW. The shooting victim’s friend, who was the passenger in the car, did not suffer any injuries.

Modesto Police detectives have identified shooting suspect as Enrique Tarango, a 17-year-old Modesto resident. Tarango is 5’8” tall and weighs 250 lbs. He is a documented criminal street gang member and is considered armed and dangerous. Tarango is wanted for attempted murder and a gang enhancement. He has an active no bail warrant for his arrest.

Investigators believe the altercation and shooting was gang-related.

If you have any information regarding this incident call Crime Stoppers at (209) 521-4636. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. Tipsters can also text information to Crime Stoppers by sending a text message to 274637. Just type “TIP704” along with your message.

It’s going to be official soon. The new CSU Stanislaus Warrior Day 2012 will go from looking like this:

To this:

Some questions some students may be asking are: Who will attend the 50+ year annual Warrior Day event? How many students are going? Or more importantly, who gives a damn cares because graduation ceremony will be in 5 days?

Bust out your lawn chairs because here’s the 411 on the event:

When: Saturday, May 19, 2012 from 2pm to 6pm

Where: NOT at the Amphitheatre, but at the Pergola area of campus near the student center. Don’t know where? Just follow the signs!

Why: Because it’s an annual event at Stan State. Over 1,000 clueless students signed a petition to bring back the once canceled event.

Who’s performing: A washed up DJ from the Bay area and local bands, including Table for One Two Three Four Five

What’s included?

• A really neat zip-line so you can bring back those memories when you were a kid.
• Volleyball court so you can show off your athletic skills.
• Water slide/balloon fight-zone to get you all wet.
• Fake mechanical bull riding so you can think you are a real cowboy or cowgirl.
• Henna and Airbrush station so you can look pretty for the event

Other important notes:

• No alcohol
• No sex
• No guests
• Current California State University, Stanislaus Students ONLY
• Entrance to event will close at 4pm
• First 300 students to the event will receive a FREE tank top

If you think this is going to be fun, wait until next year when Warrior Day 2013 aims to be more of a community-centered event. Don’t be surprise to see people holding hands around a camp-fire and singing “Kumbaya, My Lord…”

The Central Valley Health Policy Institute at California State University, Fresno, recently published their Healthy People 2010 report. The conclusion of the reports gives a grime future for people of the San Joaquin Valley.

The San Joaquin Valley, which includes Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tulare counties, collectively failed to attain 16 of 22 public health goals set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for healthy living.

In addition, the news is more troubling as over 71% of all Mexicans living in the San Joaquin Valley are either overweight or obese. According to the 2007 California Health Interview Survey, 78% of all Mexican adults living in Tulare county or either overweight or obese. This will further put a strain into the healthcare system, because a majority of them are on Medi-Cal, the state’s public health insurance program which provides needed health care services for low-income individuals.

The Healthy People 2010 report also points out that nearly 1 in 3 adults in the San Joaquin Valley were overweight and obese in 2009. The figures most likely have increased in 2012. The target goal nationally is 15% and the Valley failed miserably, more than doubling the amount.

Las Vegas-based airline, Allegiant Air announced Tuesday that they are going to start offering flights from Stockton, CA to Hawaii, starting in November 18, 2012.

The airline hopes that flights from small cities like Stockton to big destination spots, like Hawaii will become popular. They will also be offering other semi-small cities such as Bellingham, WA, Eugene, OR, and Santa Maria, CA, flights to Hawaii.

Stockton to Hawaii flight rates are going to be available at a discount price of around $400 and the company are scheduled to make annual trips once every week.