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Interview: Local regulator discusses efforts to eliminate tainted water in Turlock

in People

Families left with tainted Turlock wells will soon have easier access to clean water free from nitrates.

Approximately 103,000 residents in Turlock — as well as in Modesto, Kings, Chowchilla, Tule and Kaweah — have faced the same problem for years. Now, they will benefit from new efforts by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board.

It’s a solution 20 years in the making.

Patrick Pulupa, executive officer of the Board, joined Sonseeahray to explain the situation and what comes next.

Continue Reading on Fox 40

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Council votes 3-1 to keep retail recruitment firm

in People

The Ceres City Council voted 3-1 on Monday to keep its existing contract with The Retail Coach, a firm that was hired in 2020 to help the city attract new retail businesses.

The Retail Coach (TRC) has created a “Developer Opportunity Package” for each targeted retailer of specific restaurant/retailers that has been the focus of marketing efforts. The firm has been actively recruiting retailers, as well as commercial developers, on Ceres’ behalf.  Additionally, TRC is assisting marketing efforts to retailers, developers, and brokers at retail industry conference and trade shows as well as provide ongoing coaching and support.

Vice Mayor Couper Condit pulled the item from the consent agenda saying he could not support the $25,000 contract “when we have a part-time economic development director, Steve Hallam, who makes around $50,000.” He also mentioned the city’s partnership with Opportunity Stanislaus, a local non-profit organization and the Ceres Chamber of Commerce. He suggested using the money for a small business loan or grant.

Continue Reading on Ceres Courier

‘American Idol’ contestant sings about dad’s struggle with addiction in emotional audition

in People

"American Idol" viewers may want to break out the tissues after this emotional audition.

Sunday night's episode saw another round of singers step in front of the judges in the hopes of scoring a golden ticket to Hollywood. Among them was Ash Ruder, a 21-year-old social media manager from Turlock, California, who came to the audition accompanied by her dad.

Though Ruder's dad is the inspiration for her music, their relationship hasn't always great. According to the singer, her father has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction since she was very young.

"By the time that I got older, I was super angry with my dad," she said. "But the few times that my dad would show up, it meant the world to me, and I know that he felt ashamed and felt guilt."

Continue Reading on USA Today

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Young girl saves mom from burning home

in People

TURLOCK, California (KOVR) — A mom is alive thanks to the quick thinking of her 11-year-old daughter.

The Tudor’s Turlock home caught fire last week. Flames quickly tore through the garage and up to the second floor. As smoke filled the air, Paisley Tudor focused on getting her mother to safety.

The Tudor’s home still stands with the windows singed and all their belongings burned to the ground. Paisley Tudor remembers the sounds and smells of everything that night.

“I was really scared. I couldn’t see anything,” Paisley told CBS13. “All I smelled was this horrible smell of plastic burning and rubber. It smelled horrible and I could hear stuff falling.”

But in the panic to get out of their burning house, Paisley only thought of one thing. She wanted to make sure her mother made it out safely.

“I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t have my mom. I thought that family was more important than items. Things can be replaced but people can’t,” said Paisley.

Paisley ran through the dark house straight to her mother’s room. She screamed, waking her up out of a sound sleep.

Continue Reading on ABC 17

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Turlock family enters contest to win 5-year-old son a specially-made bike

in People

TURLOCK, Calif. (KTXL) — A Turlock family is asking the community for support to win a new bike for their son with special needs. 

Five-year-old Easton Geissler loves to go on bike rides with his family. His mother, Alexis Geissler, said it’s one of a few activities Easton can enjoy with his mental and physical disabilities. 

“He loves, loves, loves, loves to be outside and to go fast,” Alexis Geissler told FOX40.

Easton was born blind with optic nerve hypoplasia, along with several other rare medical conditions. 

“So we were told he would never walk or talk,” his mother explained.

But through the years, he’s learned to say a few words, clap along to music and even whistle.

And like many kids, Easton loves the wind in his hair and the feeling of a bike ride. 

Continue Reading on Fox 40

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FFA instills new appreciation of ag for Newman president Rodriguez

in People

NEWMAN - Four years of FFA involvement have cultivated a new appreciation of agriculture for Orestimba High senior Jazmin Rodriguez. 

Rodriguez came into high school with little knowledge of FFA, but her interest had been piqued by a presentation from chapter leaders to Yolo eighth-graders and she decided to give FFA a try.

Four years later, she has accumulated a long list of FFA achievements and leads the Newman chapter as its president.

Beyond that, Rodriguez is serving as president of the Tri-Rivers Section this year - testament to both her involvement in and enthusiasm for FFA.

Her early FFA endeavors left Rodriguez determined to reap the benefits of as many opportunities as possible.

“I kind of eased in my freshman year and competed in contests such as Creed and Best Informed Greenhand,” Rodriguez explained. “When I participated in Best Informed Greenhand, I saw how passionate I was about this organization, and I just wanted to continue.”

Continue Reading on Westside Connect

New bill seeks to fix California’s doctor shortage by expanding student loan forgiveness

in People
FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2020, file photo, medical personnel prepare to prone a COVID-19 patient at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in the Mission Hills section of Los Angeles. California is desperately searching for nurses, doctors and other medical staff, perhaps from overseas, to meet demands as the coronavirus surge pushes hospitals across the state to the breaking point. With many of the state's hospitals running out of capacity to treat the severest cases, the state has brought in and deployed more than 500 extra staff but it needs a total of 3,000 temporary medical staff members. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

(KTXL) – For as long as Andrea Silva could remember, she wanted to save lives. 

The UC Davis graduate dedicated a decade of her life preparing for a career in medicine, and in 2018, she traded in her cap and gown for a white coat.

“None of us are doing this for the money. None of us at all. We love what we do. It’s such a fabulous job and I’m so lucky to have it,” Silva said.

Silva is now in her last year of residency in Stanislaus County and while she’s excited for her future in health care, she worries about repaying the half-million dollars in loans it took to get there.

“It really is a burden to have such high loans,” Silva explained. “A lot of my residents talk about moving outside the state in order to get better loan forgiveness programs and it’s really disheartening.”

This week Rep. Josh Harder, D-Modesto, introduced a bill to help bring relief to Silva and other physicians in the making.

Continue Reading on Fox 40

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Mathnasium tutoring provides mental exercise for students

in People

After Mathnasium’s original plans to open last year were put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, Turlock’s newest tutoring center is now serving the community during a time when students may need services the most. 

Mathnasium has over 1,000 locations nationwide, and owner Ramona Eshagh wanted to add another in Turlock in order to provide more science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, opportunities for local students. The Turlock resident had originally hoped to have the new tutoring center up and running by April 2020, but COVID made it difficult to obtain permits in a timely manner, she said. Those working on the project even came down with the virus, causing a delay in construction and ultimately pushing the new Mathnasium location’s opening to that fall.

Since November, students have been able to receive help with their math homework in a safe, sanitized and socially-distanced environment — services Eshagh believes to be vital in the age of distance learning. 

“Unfortunately with COVID...most kids are either at grade level and just need help because distance learning isn’t helping them in terms of the material they need to learn, or they're really behind and have emphasized it to their parents,” Eshagh said. 

Continue Reading on Turlock Journal

Turlock florist spreads love to senior community

in People

Valentine’s Day is a holiday all about spreading love, and one Turlock florist did just that on Sunday by delivering flower grams to the local senior community. 

Heidi Sisco of Heidi Hearts Flowers has made it a point to boost the spirits of those living in skilled nursing facilities and senior living homes throughout the pandemic, delivering beautiful floral grams with well wishes to remind them they haven’t been forgotten during this time of isolation. The idea began first with bouquets last year, then with poinsettias for Christmas when she delivered 500 of the beautiful flowers to the area’s elderly in December.

Sisco received an outpouring of support from people all over the United States for the poinsettia grams, thanks in part to a shoutout from country music superstar Kacey Musgraves, and knew she wanted to offer the service again for Valentine’s Day. She had been preparing for the event since December, she said, collecting enough donations to purchase thousands of flowers and deliver 405 floral arrangements to local organizations like Covenant Living of Turlock on Sunday. 

“It was really special getting to do it again,” Sisco said. “We’re now approaching a year of being quarantined, and I wanted to remind them they really are thought of.”

Continue Reading on Turlock Journal

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