Stockton, San Joaquin County | featured news

STOCKTON — Students in a classroom intently glide paint brushes on paper.At one end of the main room, students are working with clay. Down the hall, another group is learning how to digitally record music. Next door, more students are strumming ukuleles. And, in a quiet room nearby, students are working on projects.It’s a recent Wednesday at the One.Charter Bianchi Academy of Visual and Performing Arts, the day of [...]

STOCKTON — Bill Trezza has retired as chief executive officer with the Bank of Agriculture and Commerce Community Bank.Perhaps the last of Stockton’s true community bankers, the 72-year-old native of Orange, New Jersey, spent 37 years with the Stockton-based institution, the past 34 as CEO. On Dec. 31, Trezza stepped down as the longest-tenured CEO of any community bank in the state. He plans to remain active on several boards, will make time to travel and has resolved [...]

Sheriff’s OfficeThere were 88 bookings at the San Joaquin County Jail in the 24 hours ending at 8 a.m. Saturday. At that time, there were 1,303 people held at the jail, which has a total capacity of 1,550. When the jail is full, some inmates may be released early.Stockton PoliceBattery: Officers arrested Leonor Zamora, 39, on suspicion of resisting arrest in the 300 block of East Ellis Street at [...]

Road rage leads to arrestSTOCKTON — A man and woman were arguing near Airport and Zephyr ways at 8:30 a.m. Saturday.The woman left the location, but the man followed her in his vehicle and attempted to run her off the road, police said.The victim then decided to follow the man, but he put his car in reverse and rammed the front of her vehicle.Officers arrested Troy McMickens, 51, without incident on suspicion of assault with a deadly [...]

STOCKTON — A soccer field, a university, a skating rink and maintaining the current golf course were some of the many suggestions residents had for the future of Van Buskirk Golf Course.The city of Stockton hosted a community meeting at the Van Buskirk Community Center on Saturday to gather ideas from residents about potential uses for the southwest Stockton public golf course.Discussions about the facility’s future have been reignited over the past two years [...]

Deadly Tracy accident claims fourth victim TRACY — The Tracy Police Department on Tuesday reported that a fourth passenger involved in a fatal accident last month has died.The Tracy Police Department on Tuesday said that 19-year-old Cavrin Fiaigoa of Tracy died from his injuries Monday.Fiaigoa was one of six men riding in a car that crashed on Grant Line Road just east of MacArthur Drive at about 7 p.m. on Dec. 29.All six of the men [...]

LODI — The California Department of Motor Vehicles has announced the Lodi field office, located at 1222 Pixley Parkway, is temporarily closed due to unexpected water damage.The DMV will notify the public when the office will reopen.Customers with appointments are being contacted by DMV staff for rescheduling. Behind-the-wheel tests will continue as scheduled.Customers are advised to visit Stockton or south Sacramento field offices at 55 South Lincoln St. in [...]

STOCKTON — The mother of a 16-year-old boy who was shot fatally by law enforcement officers in 2010 has made it clear that a $300,000 settlement will do nothing to deter her from protesting police shootings she considers unjustified.The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors approved the settlement Tuesday with Dionne Smith-Downs, whose son, James Rivera, was killed by officers from the county and from Stockton in 2010. Smith-Downs’ lawsuit against the city of Stockton [...]

Q: Greg, I enjoy your nostalgia columns and went to many midget auto races when I was young on the 1950s. I saw races in New York at Rochester War Memorial (Arena) and remember drivers like Len Duncan and Dutch Hoag winning races. Can you give us a little history of the midget racing as many drivers went on to win the Indy 500 in the 1950s in Indy cars. Thanks much, Kathy M., retired and now living in St. Augustine, FL.A: Kathy, I’m happy to oblige.Let’s start with [...]

Raquel Johnson has a tendency to downplay her talent.That she’s one of only 27 students to have qualified for the San Joaquin County High School Honors Concert all four years of high school is easily explained by the Tracy High School senior.“Nobody really plays viola,” Johnson said. “The most I’ve ever seen were eight violas. There’s a stampede of violins, so it is a bit easier to get accepted into viola.”Had her Williams [...]