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Hey everyone! Welcome to another episode of Local Turlock Podcast for the week of September 17^th. I am here to give you some of Turlock’s latest scoops, news & stories, with 2 business highlights for the week. Sit back and relax as we open with our first story! After two year hiatus, the Pitman High marching band is returns to action. Having problems with your solar panels? Solar panel cleaning business is now open to serve you! Are you a mental health care worker or clinician and looking for job? Stanislaus County is looking for you! Next news, a gun found in Pitman student’s backpack last Tuesday. Finally, High schools hold the first Back to School Nights since pandemic Give your love and support to our local businesses especially during this pandemic as I highlight 2 businesses this week. Also sharing the latest updates about COVID 19 in Stanislaus County. All that and more today for this week's Local Turlock podcast.

The Marching Pride returns to action

After a two-year hiatus, the Pitman High marching band is returning to action at the 4th Annual Preview of Champions. The free parade will feature numerous Northern and Central California high school marching bands competing for top prizes. 

The marching bands are separated into divisions based on the number of students in the group and the groups compete against similarly sized in a military style marching competition where they are judged on the following: music, showmanship, marching, auxiliaries, drum major, percussions and sweepstakes. 

The Pitman Marching Pride has an impressive history of placing in the top three schools in their division in many of the events they have participated in, according to Allen. As the host school for the Pitman Preview of Champions, they will not be allowed to compete for a trophy.

While they will be the first band to march in the Sept. 25 event, their performance will be strictly for exhibition. However, they will get a chance to compete at the other three band reviews they are attending when they travel to other competitions in October and November.

The free parade starts at 9 a.m. Sept. 25 at N. Tegner and Atherstone roads, down the street from the high school. Drumline competition runs simultaneously near the intersection of Sandstone Avenue and Persimmon Road.

Solar panel cleaning business services Turlock and beyond

From creating his own board games to inventing handy tools, Turlock resident Juan Pineda Sanchez has always been a self-made entrepreneur. Now, he’s taken that passion for success and started his own solar panel cleaning business servicing his own community and beyond.

Using his own expertise as a solar panel technician, Pineda Sanchez said he was inspired to start Super Cleaning Solar Panels Cleaning Service about six months ago after realizing many weren’t aware of the importance behind clean solar panels. Since then, he’s used his own expertise in the solar field as well as connections he’s made throughout his career in order to provide top-notch service for those looking to get the most out of their eco-friendly energy method.

He explained that when the glass top of a solar panel becomes dirty, it prevents sunlight from properly filtering through the energy-creating cells beneath. Some clients have gone years without cleaning their panels, he added, and never understood why their energy bills were higher than anticipated.

His prior experience in the solar panel industry also led him to develop a tool he believes cleans glass more efficiently than those used by other businesses. Rather than a brush, Pineda Sanchez utilizes a fabric tool and filtered water to polish panels, avoiding scratches and resulting in a shimmering, energy-efficient finish.

Pineda Sanchez services homes within a 40-mile radius of Turlock, he said, and prospective clients can book a cleaning at www.supercleaningsolarpanelscleaningservice.com. 

Plan laid to hire mental health care workers for Stanislaus schools, with focus on Latinos

Spanish speakers soon will be placed in Stanislaus County schools as mental health care outreach workers and clinicians to fill what local officials and numerous reports call an urgent service gap.

With anticipated federal budget approval at the end of September, Community Project Funding will allow First Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center, a Turlock-based nonprofit providing mental health services in Stanislaus and Merced counties, to hire 13 additional promotoras and five clinicians to be stationed in Stanislaus schools full time.

Promotoras are outreach workers with roots within the Latino immigrant community who serve as liaisons to social services organizations. Some promotoras are paid workers, while others are volunteers who provide basic health care information. The new hires will specialize in caring for underserved Latino youth through the Mental Health Access Project, allowing the organization to double its capacity and serve an additional 900 individuals.

Although the shortage in health care workers predates the pandemic, the effort comes as researchers share concern over rising mental health problems among youth during the pandemic.

Gun found in Pitman student’s backpack

A student was placed under arrest Tuesday afternoon at Pitman High School after a handgun was found in the student's backpack.

The student was initially called to the Pitman High School Dean's office around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday after information surfaced that the student might be in possession of a controlled substance, according to the Turlock Unified School District.

A routine search was conducted, during which the handgun was found in the backpack.

The Turlock Police Department's school resource officer immediately handcuffed the student and placed the student under arrest.

Pitman High School was not placed on lockdown.

As a standard practice, they will continue to work with law enforcement to continue to improve and enhance their security measures to protect the safety of all stakeholders on the Pitman campus."

There was no information released about the identity of the student.

High schools hold the first Back to School Nights since pandemic

A year ago at this time, Ceres High and Central Valley had to hold its Back to School Nights virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Students and families attended meet-and-greet events outdoors on campus for the 2021-22 school year on Aug. 25.

The Kick’n Taco catered Ceres High’s Back to School Night, which was staged from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Students received family food tickets after meeting with all of their teachers.

Central Valley dance and cheer teams and student musicians performed during Back to School Night, which lasted two hours (6-8 p.m.). 

Dinner was also served.

Everyone was spread out so they didn’t have clusters of people together and many people had masks on.

Coronavirus update, Sept. 16: Stanislaus reports 13 deaths in a day after brief lull

Stanislaus County added 13 deaths to COVID-19 on Wednesday, grim news after the lull of recent days. A total of 1,210 residents have died since April 2020, the county Health Services Agency said.

The count was just three between Saturday and Tuesday, a break from a surge that had brought 52 deaths earlier in the month. The reporting date can be several days after the death.

Stanislaus had 143 new positive tests Wednesday, for a total of 71,278. The county also has 825,256 negative test results and 67,708 people who are presumed recovered.

Business Spotlight:

Carlin's Tailoring & Alterations

Location: 2101 Geer Rd Suite 115 Turlock, 

Tel. No: (209) 262-8343

Operating Hours: Wednesday (9am-6:30pm)

Carlin's Tailoring is a small business with mighty heart. Carlin is an unbelievably skilled tailor who does all work herself. Her personal touch and passion for making sure you get exactly what you're looking for makes every experience with her unforgettable.

House of Random

Location: 80 S 1st St Turlock

Tel No. (209) 250-0605

Operating Hours: Monday (Closed) Tuesday-Sunday (1:00PM-10:00PM)

House of Random was established to bring the best tasting, creamiest ice cream to central Valley. Every scoop of our ice cream is made to order and frozen right in front of the customer using liquid nitrogen.

Thank you for tuning in for this week’s podcast. Don’t forget to visit our website, localturlock.com, to stay up-to-date on our local news. You can always email me at turlock@localturlock.com and visit our Facebook at Facebook.com/localturlock and leave us some comments! Stay tuned for next week’s exciting episode! Have a great weekend and always stafe safe!

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Hey everyone! Welcome to another episode of Local Turlock Podcast for the week of September 3rd. I am here to give you some of Turlock’s latest scoops, news & stories, with 2 business highlights for the week. Sit back and relax as we open with our first story! Are you a fan of comic books, you don’t wanna miss Comic Con as it returns to Turlock fairgrounds very soon! Want to start your business but don’t know how? Check out the journey of a Turlock resident’s unique cakes business as it hits rapid success. Looking for a good time this weekend? Nothing beats good food and Free concert to be held at Crane Park this weekend. Next, President Junn of Stanislaus State welcomes students to a delayed start of in-person instruction. Give your love and support to our local businesses especially during this pandemic as I highlight 2 businesses this week. Also sharing the latest updates about COVID 19 in Stanislaus County. All that and more today for this week's Local Turlock podcast.

Comic Con returns to Turlock fairgrounds

Comic book and popular culture fans have something to celebrate as the Ohana Comic Con will return to Turlock.

The Turlock comic con is set for Sept. 6. The event will be held at the Turlock fairgrounds in building E2 between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Fans of “Star Wars” and “Power Rangers” are not going to want to miss this, because there will be a white Power Ranger and Darth Vader to take pictures and sign autographs. There will also be a cosplay show, which is the highlight of the event for a lot of people, according to organizer, Ziggy Star. The fun is not only for the kids, parents get just as excited for the event as their little ones do, said Star.

The pandemic has affected turnout recently, compared to past years, but there is still expected to hundreds of people at the Turlock event.  Guests are going to required to wear masks and Star “wants everyone to be safe while having a lot of fun.”

Coming to Comic Con in costume is a huge draw for many fans. Star said that while “Star Wars” is still popular with kids today, Marvel characters are most seen at these events.  With “Black Widow” coming out recently and a new Spiderman movie on its way, those are sure to be some popular picks for costumes this year. 

Turlock resident’s unique cakes a rapid success

Name of business: Cakes by Daisy

Type of business: Cake baker

Location: Accepting orders in Turlock and throughout the 209

Contact information: @cakesbydai on Instagram

Specialty: Personalized number and initial desserts

In just over a year, Turlock resident Daisy Gomez has made a name for herself in the cake business by creating edible works of art which celebrate everything unique about her clients. Gomez first began making cakes in May 2020 when she baked one for her father’s birthday, and just a month later decided to start her own business, Cakes by Daisy. Since then, her variety of cakes in all shapes and sizes — from numbers to initials to spelled-out words — have made waves on social media, with the 22-year-old amassing nearly 5,000 Instagram followers in her first year of business. 

The young entrepreneur estimates that she’s baked around 600 cakes during that time, helping the community celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and more. Gomez spends about two hours decorating each cake, utilizing her own artistic touch to create custom cakes that her customers adore.

Gomez’s customers trust her when it comes to decorating, and she uses a variety of fun toppings like chocolate-covered strawberries, flowers, cookies and whatever else may come to mind. The result is an aesthetically pleasing dessert featuring plenty of different textures and colors, with some featuring a customer’s favorite TV show or movie, or whatever special theme they desire. 

She takes orders via her Cakes by Daisy Instagram page, and the desserts typically cost anywhere from $40 to $130, depending on their size and detail. 

Free concert to be held at Crane Park this weekend

Turlockers looking to get out of the house and enjoy good music will have the opportunity to do so Saturday evening courtesy of a free concert in the park. 

Featuring the Turlock-based All Together Band, the concert is a collaborative effort between Offline Turlock, a new group creating spaces offline for the community to connect, and The Fun Junkies, who plan events for young adults throughout the county in Turlock, Modesto and beyond.  

Khetsavanh created The Fun Junkies in 2018 as a way for busy adults to connect and meet new people through activities like hikes, brewery takeovers, comedy nights and more across the Central Valley. When the activities slowed during the pandemic, Khetsavanh helped support local businesses by creating and selling t-shirts, then put the profits right back into gift cards for local businesses.  

Now that events are able to be held again, Khetsavanh is happy to provide the Turlock community with something fun and safe to do. Saturday night’s concert will feature All Together Band, consisting of Turlock residents Alina Torres, Jordan Burnam and Warner Swanson. The trio frequently perform at the Turlock Certified Farmers Market and feature a Folk/Americana style with a heavy focus on vocal harmonies and light acoustic instrumentation, according to their Instagram page.  

The concert in the park featuring All Together Band will begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Crane Park. For more information about The Fun Junkies, follow them on Instagram at @thefunjunkies.  

President Junn welcomes students to a delayed start at Stanislaus State

Stanislaus State President Ellen Junn shared the university’s plan for managing the fall semester amidst rising cases of COVID-19 in her virtual welcoming address on Aug. 19.

The university delayed in-person instruction until Oct. 1 to give students and staff more time to receive the COVID vaccination, which is mandated by the school.

Stanislaus State requires proof of vaccination for students, staff and faculty. Those who request an exemption for medical or religious purposes must test weekly, and free testing is available on campus.

Junn urged the campus community to upload their proof of vaccine as quickly as possible and university officials “remain excited and committed” to bringing students back to campus.

Most staff and administration have been vaccinated, however, there is currently no information available on vaccination rates among students.

Masks are required in all campus buildings. When students return to in-person instruction, student ambassadors in the school buildings will provide masks and remind people they’re required. Masks will also be available in and around all classrooms, according to Provost Rich Ogle.

A group of faculty created a set of guidelines for students who choose not to wear a mask in class. Students first will be reminded and offered one if they don’t have one. Disciplinary actions include asking students to remove themselves from the classroom and dismissing the class if the situation escalates.

Ogle encouraged all students concerned about wearing a mask to contact their academic advisor to switch their course this semester to online.

Coronavirus update, Sept. 2: Stanislaus has 8 more deaths. Hospital cases reach 299

Eight more Stanislaus County residents have died from COVID-19, for a total of 1,150 since April 2020, the county Health Services Agency said Wednesday.

The Sept. 1 figure followed an August with 45 deaths, compared with 18 in July and just nine in June.

Positive tests rose by 283 to a total of 67,757 as of Wednesday. Stanislaus also has 780,256 negative test results and 63,372 people who are presumed recovered.

Business Spotlight:

Bella Events by Diana

Location: All around Turlock

Tel. No: (209) 678-1141

Operational Hours: 24 hours

Be a guest at your own event. Bella Events by Diana is here to help you create your perfect day! Bella Events by Diana specializes in personalizing diverse events for each client and handling stressful event situations with grace. Their signature is creative and tasteful designs with incredible attention to detail and structured + logistical event flow.

Barber Club Turlock

Location: 132 S Center St Turlock, CA

Tel. No: (209) 445-0344

Operational Hours: Monday (10am-8pm)

Tuesday (9am-8pm)

Wednesday-Saturday (8am-8pm)

Sunday (9am-4:30pm)

Barber Club Turlock is an extension of the vision created in the small town of Atwater CA. With a lot of work and team effort, they have evolved it into what they felt the community needs. They take pride in bringing value to their customers, specializes in the art of customer service, combined with the art of grooming, to bring a best-of-both worlds experience. 

Thank you for tuning in for this week’s podcast. Don’t forget to visit our website, localturlock.com, to stay up-to-date on our local news. You can always email me at turlock@localturlock.com and visit our Facebook at Facebook.com/localturlock and leave us some comments! Stay tuned for next week’s exciting episode! Have a great weekend and always stafe safe!

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Hey everyone! Welcome to another episode of Local Turlock Podcast for the week of April 2nd. I am here to give you some of Turlock’s latest scoops, news & stories, with 2 business highlights for the week. Let’s begin with our first story, Turlock Transit offers free service for residents to and from coronavirus vaccination sites for free starting Thursday. More to this episode, recreational activities set to return in Turlock following a year of facility closures due to the pandemic. Next on our list, more housing could soon be available in Turlock once M. Sandhu Development, Inc. submitted plans on constructing a 36-unit apartment complex to the City of Turlock be approved. Moving on, Turlock’s first indoor cannabis site will soon be up and running in the City’s industrial zone. Next, popular Modesto restaurant, Rancho Fresco expanding is expanding in Modesto and opening another location in Turlock. For sports update, Turlock football continues dominance in historic Modesto rivalry with a blowout victory, 74-13 against Modesto High. Give some love and show our support to our local businesses especially during this pandemic as I give you 2 business highlights this week. Also sharing the latest updates on COVID 19 in Stanislaus County. All that and more today in this week's Local Turlock podcast. 

Need a ride to get a COVID vaccine? Turlock Transit offers free service for residents

Turlock residents can ride city buses to and from coronavirus vaccination sites for free starting Thursday thanks to a new program. All residents eligible for the vaccine qualify for the reservation-based Turlock Transit program designed to make vaccinations more accessible, the city said in a press release Tuesday. Dial-a-Ride bus drivers will transport residents in Turlock and Denair service areas to and from vaccination sites located in Turlock. The city encourages people to request reservations for this free service at least one day in advance, but resources may allow staff to accommodate same-day requests. Dial-a-Ride runs Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and normally charges a general public passenger $4 for a one-way trip. The service will transport both people getting vaccinated and their personal care attendant, the city said in the release. The city asks passengers with a vaccine appointment to tell staff the scheduled time when requesting a ride. Turlock Transit will limit vaccination rides to one household at a time,  Some of Turlock Transit’s other coronavirus safety measures include requiring everyone wear a face mask while on buses and waiting at bus stops. All buses have air filtration devices installed and staff also sanitize frequently-touched surfaces on buses throughout the day. The start of this program coincides with Stanislaus County opening up eligibility for its public vaccination clinics to residents age 16 and up Thursday. To request reservations for this free Turlock Transit service, call (209) 668-5600.

Recreational activities set to return in Turlock

The City of Turlock’s recreational offerings are on track to return following a year of facility closures due to the pandemic.  During the Turlock City Council meeting on March 23, Parks, Recreation and Public Facilities Director Allison Van Guilder shared an update on the status of reopening the City’s various amenities, including Pedretti Park, the Turlock Regional Sports Complex and swimming sites. Stanislaus County is currently in the red tier of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, meaning that a majority of outdoor activities are permitted under public health guidelines. The City’s parks and their amenities have been open since last September, with the exception of large, multi-table picnic areas, but families will soon be able to enjoy the pools at Turlock and Pitman high schools once again while Columbia Pool awaits its highly-anticipated remodel. The City recently received verbal approval for use of both high school swimming pools once again beginning this June. There is a catch, however, with Van Guilder explaining to the Council that the pandemic has reduced the amount of training available for lifeguards. Van Guilder added that the City has reached out to past staff in order to try and fill the positions and all lifeguards will be responsible for securing their own training course. The softball and baseball fields at Pedretti Park are close to reopening as well, as are the soccer pitches at the Turlock Regional Sports Complex. While all three sports can be played in the red tier, guidelines prohibit any tournament play consisting of more than two teams. Adult softball leagues are expected to return, however, as are hourly rentals. COVID-compliant procedures are currently under review by legal counsel, Van Guilder said, and registration for City programs is being updated. In addition, Soderquist Field is open for Little League-approved activities only and the City’s joint use agreement with Turlock Unified School District for each other’s facilities is undergoing the process of updating the waiver language to include pandemic-related information. The same is being done for the City’s other rental facilities, and Van Guilder said they will be ready to rent once larger indoor gatherings are permitted.  Not only are the City’s parks open, but they’ll once again be able to be at their best thanks to the City’s Adopt-A-Park program, which will soon be up and running again following volunteer guidance released by the state. Van Guilder said that once waiver language for the program is approved, community members can volunteer to spruce up the parks. To stay up to date with the reopening of Turlock’s facilities, follow the Parks, Recreation and Public Facilities Department on Facebook or Instagram.

More apartments in the works for Turlock

More housing could soon be available in Turlock, should a recent application to build apartments in the center of town be approved. Ceres resident Manjit Sandhu of M. Sandhu Development, Inc. submitted plans to the City of Turlock last month to construct a 36-unit apartment complex at 145 20th Century Blvd. The project would extend through the 1.92-acre vacant lot behind Walgreen’s, spanning from 20th Century Boulevard across to Hawkeye Avenue with entrances on both sides.  According to Sandhu, he was interested in building apartments in Turlock because there is a lack of affordable housing in the area. It will be the first apartment complex his development company builds, as they typically construct single-family residential homes. The apartment complex would consist of five two-story buildings approximately 27 feet in height. Each unit will include a patio for first-floor apartments, or a balcony area for those on the second story. The project aligns with the City’s goal of developing infill projects, rather than expanding Turlock’s city limits with new construction outwards. The City is making progress, recently completing the second phase of the Avena Bella affordable housing project and an additional 36-unit apartment complex located on a 1.53-acre property at 1841 Geer Rd. It’s Sandhu’s goal to construct more renter-friendly options for Turlockers following this project, which he anticipates to be completed by summer 2022 should it be approved by the City.

Turlock’s first indoor cannabis grow moving forward

Turlock’s first indoor cannabis cultivation site will soon be up and running in the City’s industrial zone, completing a years-long process for its owner with Turlock roots.  The 20,000-plant grow operation will be the vertically-integrated cannabis hub for JDI Farms, Inc., owned by Darron Silva of Turlock. Silva’s company already operates a smaller greenhouse grow in Patterson as well as dispensaries in Patterson, Oakdale, Empire and soon, Modesto. In the forthcoming 98,770 square-foot operation located at 600 D St. in Turlock, JDI Farms will grow, process, package and distribute cannabis products for their retail locations located in other towns. It’s been a long time coming for the JDI Farms cultivation site in Turlock, which will provide financial support to the City through a Development Agreement approved in 2019. Under the agreement, JDI Farms will pay the City a monthly public benefit amount of $10 per square foot each for cultivation and manufacturing, and 2.5 percent of gross receipts for distribution. The 20,000 cannabis plants will require about 20,000 gallons of water per day, Silva said, noting that JDI Farms utilizes a drip system to conserve water and will even use recycled water from condensation on the site’s air conditioning and dehumidifier systems. It’s estimated that JDI Farms will employ about 40 people for the new operation, which will be vertically integrated, meaning Silva controls the supply chain from seed-to-sale, distributing to not only the company’s local dispensaries, but to other retail locations statewide. It’s Silva’s hope that should the City decide to eventually allow a fifth retail dispensary, the Turlock native’s business would be chosen. 

Popular Modesto restaurant expanding at home, opening another location in Turlock

When Rancho Fresco restaurant opened its first Modesto location a decade ago, it was a trek to get their fresh-made tortillas and Mexican food. Still many found the spot way out on Crows Landing Road, and it became so popular that owner and founder Ismael Covarrubias opened a larger flagship site on J Street in downtown Modesto. People just couldn’t get enough of the restaurant’s tortillas, made fresh in front of each customer on a large, always-on grill. Now, once again, he’s making moves and moving closer to some of his customers with a new location set for downtown Turlock. The prime Turlock location on West Main Street in the city’s historic Enterprise Building will add to the growing Rancho Fresco restaurant family. While he has since sold his original Crows Landing Road site, Covarrubias opened a second Rancho Fresco Mexican Grill on on Las Palmas Avenue in Patterson last May. He is also expanding his Modesto site, as previously announced, and taking over the adjacent former Monsoon Indian restaurant space on 10th Street.  Like most restaurant owners, Covarrubias said the COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on business. But, it has also created opportunities. With people walking away from businesses and leases, he has been able to negotiate good, long-term deals on his new spaces. He also said his more casual style of Mexican restaurant that also catered to a late-night crowd would be a good fit for downtown Turlock. Plus his 10-year track record with Rancho Fresco should reassure his new community that he is in it for the long haul.For more on Rancho Fresco Mexican Grill call 209-526-5210 in Modesto, 209-894-2197 in Patterson or visit ranchofrescomexicangrill.com.

Turlock football continues dominance in historic Modesto rivalry

The Turlock High varsity football team defeated longtime rival Modesto High on Friday night in a blowout victory, 74-13. The Week 2 matchup between the Bulldogs and the Panthers was the 122nd time the two Central California Athletic League competitors have faced off on the gridiron — a rivalry which was renewed in 2018. Both Turlock and Modesto were charter members of the California Central Conference back in 1957 and played against each other until the 2003 season, when the following year it was announced that Modesto would join other schools in its city to form the Modesto Metro Conference. With the 2018 season’s Sac-Joaquin Section realignment, the former rivals were reunited in the CCAL. Since then, the Bulldogs have outscored the Panthers 157-26 in league play. On Friday, Turlock led 62-7 by halftime. Now 2-0 on the season, Turlock will take on Enochs High (2-0) from Joe Debely Stadium at 7 p.m. this Friday. 

Business Highlights:

TeaSsert

Location: 3102 Geer Rd Turlock

Phone Number: (209) 250-1732

Operational Hours: Monday to Sat (11:00 AM - 9:00 PM) Sunday (11:00 AM - 8:00 PM)

Build and Customize Your Boba Tea! Today! This is the Best Boba Tea In Turlock! This isn’t your traditional Boba Tea place. So many flavors and options to choose from.

Fails Donut Factory

Location: 334 N Center St Turlock

Phone Number: (209) 632-130

Operational Hours: Monday to Sunday (4:00 AM - 5:00 PM) Sunday (4:00 AM - 2:00 PM) 

Fail's Donut Factory offers plenty fresh, unique and custom donut for any special occasion.  They make sure to serve fresh bake donut and unique donut designs for eye candy.  Truly the best of the best donuts in town. 

Coronavirus update, April 1: Stanislaus reaches 1,000 deaths. It’s way more than flu

Stanislaus County reached 1,000 deaths to COVID-19 on Wednesday, 355 days after the first was reported. The county Health Services Agency said three more residents have died of the virus. The first ever reported was on April 10, 2020, about a month after the county’s first positive case. The 1,000th death came as Stanislaus is making progress on reopening businesses, schools and other sectors. But it still is in the state’s red tier, the third most restrictive in the four-tier system. The 77 new cases brought the total to 52,621. Stanislaus also has 508,868 negative test results and 51,130 people who are presumed recovered. According to the Los Angeles Times daily tracker showed, the county is 13th among the 58 counties when it comes to new cases over the past seven days. It ranks 11th in deaths over the past seven days. he county’s five hospitals had 99 patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, up from 91 on Tuesday. It was the highest count since March 17. Staffed intensive care beds available to adults remained at 12. Geographically: Modesto has 19,612 positive cases, Turlock has 7,120, Ceres has 5,356.Thank you for tuning in to this week’s episode. Don’t forget to visit our website, localturlock.com, to stay up-to-date on our local news. You can always email me at turlock@localturlock.com and visit our Facebook at Facebook.com/localturlock and leave us some comments! Stay tuned for next week’s exciting episode! Have a great weekend and always stay safe!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS

Hey everyone! Welcome to another episode of Local Turlock Podcast for the week of March 26th, giving you some of Turlock’s latest scoops, news & stories, with 2 business highlights for the week. Let’s start with our first story, Stanislaus County was finally given the green light on Tuesday to move into red tier. Moving on, most Stanislaus County libraries will open for browsing and checking on Monday with limited capacities, in keeping with California’s current guidance for opening. Next on our list, new downtown shop makes edible art accessible as Turlock resident Amy Navarra celebrates grand opening of Savor’s on March 27th! For sports update, the Turlock High School Bulldogs bulldozed Downey High School’s Knights in season opener with a dominant 56-24 victory. Give some love and show our support to our local businesses especially during this pandemic as I give the spotlight two 2 businesses this week. Also sharing the latest updates bout COVID 19 in Stanislaus County. All that and more today in this week's Local Turlock podcast.

Stanislaus County finally moves into red tier

Stanislaus County was finally given the green light on Tuesday to move into the less restrictive red tier as part of the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Stanislaus County’s daily case rate average was still higher than the metric for the red tier, but the continued low test positivity rate allowed for the move. The California Department of Public Health allows for a county to move down when the testing positivity rate meets the metrics of two tiers down, which in this case would be the orange tier. Moving into the red tier allows for:

• Restaurants, movie theaters, zoos, museums, higher education indoor lectures can resume at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is less.
• Retail stores and shopping centers can operate at 50% capacity. Grocery stores can operate at full capacity.
• Gym and fitness center indoor capacity is limited to 10%.

Public Health asks community members to continue following safety guidelines such as getting tested because it remains a vital surveillance tool in reducing the spread of COVID-19 and helps advance to the next tier and wearing a mask when in public or around those who are not a part of your household to help stop the spread. Let’s keep the entire community safe and protected from COVID-19.

Libraries to open for browsing, checkout at limited capacities

Most Stanislaus County libraries will open for browsing and checkout of materials starting Monday. Capacities will be limited, in keeping with California’s current guidance for opening. Masks and social distancing will be required. In order to maintain capacity limits, libraries are not equipped for group or extended visits at this time. Libraries in Modesto and Salida will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. These two branches will be closed on Fridays and Sundays. Book returns, which have remained closed in Modesto and Salida, will also reopen on Monday. Library branches in Ceres, Denair, Empire, Hughson, Keyes, Newman, Oakdale, Patterson, Riverbank and Waterford will be open from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. These branches will be closed Saturday and Sunday. Libraries in Denair and Keyes will continue to offer no-contact pick-up of materials only. The Turlock Library remains closed for expansion and renovation, which is expected to be completed sometime this spring. Library programs such as Story Time and book discussions will continue to be offered in a virtual format at this time. For more information, please see the library website, www.stanislauslibrary.org or call your library branch.

New downtown shop makes edible art accessible

Name of business: Savor

Type of business: Gourmet grazing shop

Location: 138 S. Center St. in Turlock

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday

Contact information: 209-638-2763, savor@savorcharcuterie.com

Specialty: Charcuterie boards and boxes, grocery items, pantry staples and home goods

When Turlock resident Amy Navarra hosted a backyard charcuterie party in 2018, it was to simply gauge the community’s interest in the artistically-arranged appetizer. She couldn’t have imagined that just three years later, her business endeavor would grow from the confines of a small, commercial kitchen to a one-stop grazing shop in the heart of her home’s downtown.  Navarra celebrated the soft opening of Savor’s brand-new brick-and-mortar storefront last March 16, and with its doors opened a world of opportunity for Turlockers to either assemble their own grazing boards or order one from the experts behind the counter.  When the pandemic hit, Navarra was forced to pivot her business model and scale down the operation. She began offering to-go charcuterie boxes in different sizes for individuals and families, and even got creative by offering handheld charcuterie “cones.” Rather than experiencing great loss due to COVID, as has been the case with so many kitchen-based businesses, Savor was met with an outpouring of support and Navarra decided to expand the business last May. It’s Navarra’s goal to cultivate “togetherness” through charcuterie and her new storefront will give customers a tasty, simple way to do so. As Navarra prepares to celebrate Savor’s grand opening on March 27, she’s overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity to operate a business in historic downtown Turlock.

Bulldogs bulldoze Knights in season opener

The Turlock High School Bulldogs made their highly-anticipated return to Joe Debely Stadium Friday night, kicking off the shortened COVID season with a dominant 56-24 victory over Downey High School.  The team came out strong with an eight-play scoring drive on their first possession, capped by a seven-yard touchdown from senior running back Josiah Gonzales to give the Bulldogs an early 7-0 lead. Following a punt by the Knights and an ensuing interception by Turlock quarterback Cole Gilbert, Downey answered back with a touchdown of their own to tie the game 7-7. The referees called a tight game and Turlock’s lack of practice led to 10 penalties called on the Bulldogs in the first half.  The second half saw the Bulldogs come out firing, forcing a Knights punt to get the ball back in their hands and let Gonzales rush in for a 50-yard touchdown to make it 35-17. At the end of the third quarter and into the fourth, Turlock tacked on three more scores on three consecutive possessions — a six-yard pass from Cole Gilbert to wide receiver Logan Smith, a five-yard rushing touchdown by Foreman and a four-yard touchdown run by Gilbert.  While Downey was able to notch a touchdown with just two minutes left in the game, the Bulldogs had already pounded the nail into the coffin against the Central California Athletic League rival. Cole Gilbert finished the game with 217 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. His QB counterpart Evans also had two passing touchdowns on the night. Gonzales also dazzled on Friday, contributing on defense, special teams and offense with 98 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, including his exciting 50-yard touchdown run. For the entire team, the win was the cherry on top of the real prize: playing football again. Next week, they’ll be away against Modesto High School. Turlock will next travel to take on Modesto High at Gregori High on March 26.

State warns farmers to prepare for dry summer

Despite some recent rainfall, state officials issued bleak warnings to farmers this week which caution them to prepare for water shortages this summer. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, nearly 91% of California is currently experiencing moderate to exceptional drought. While some may have been hoping for a “March miracle” to bring some much-needed rainfall, there wasn’t nearly enough precipitation this month to make a difference. As of March 10, the state’s snowpack was only 58% of average. Reservoir and groundwater levels throughout California are significantly below average; Don Pedro Reservoir currently has about 250,000 fewer acre feet in storage than it did last year at this time.  Though a drought has not officially been announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom (former Gov. Jerry Brown declared an end to the most recent drought in 2017), U.S. Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack designated 50 California counties, including Stanislaus, as primary natural disaster areas earlier this month due to the drought. This gives farmers the next eight months to apply for assistance through the Farm Service Agency, including emergency loans. Your early efforts can help minimize the potential impact of water management actions on businesses, homes, farms, and California’s public trust resources. Start planning now for potential water supply shortages later this year and identify practical actions you can take to increase drought resilience, such as increasing water conservation measures, reducing irrigated acreage, managing herd size, using innovative irrigation and monitoring technologies, or diversifying your water supply portfolio.” For more information on the current drought statistics, visit https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA. 

Business Highlights:

Hands On Spa & Salon

Location: 2857 Geer Rd Ste D Turlock

Phone Number: (209) 656-9916

Operational Hours:  Monday & Sunday (Closed) Tuesday – Saturday (10am-6pm)

Indulge and escape to an upscale, professional and friendly day spa and salon, discreetly nestled in the heart of Turlock. Established in 2003, Hands On Spa and Salon is a cozy elegant setting. The "Hands On" approach that blends casual elegance and style with refreshing warmth and sincerity is what they are known for. 

Cotta's Kitchen

Location: 833 E Main St Turlock

Phone Number: (209) 664-2004

Operational Hours:  Monday, Saturday & Sunday (Closed) Tuesday – Friday (11am-3pm)

Cotta's Kitchen is a restaurant focusing on homemade family recipes using fresh, seasonal ingredients. Get your fill of their salmon salads, salmon tacos (these pair great with an ice cold beer!) & salmon sandwiches, as well as our carved baked ham & cheese paninis, root beer floats, and lemony white chocolate delights…their limited time seasonal cookie! 

For COVID 19 Updates, contact the business for more information about recent service changes.

Coronavirus update, March 25: Stanislaus adds 3 deaths, 44 cases on 1st red tier day

Stanislaus County announced three deaths to COVID-19 and 44 new cases Wednesday, as a relaxed set of rules took effect. The death toll now stands at 985 residents since the first was reported on April 10, 2020, the Health Services Agency said. The new positive tests raised the total to 52,241. Stanislaus also has 495,932 negative tests results and 50,716 people who are presumed recovered. The county emerged Wednesday from the state’s purple tier, the most restrictive of the four for business and gatherings. It is now in red, with fewer limits but still concern about the state of the virus. According to the Los Angeles Times daily tracker showed, the county is 14th among the 58 counties when it comes to new cases over the past seven days. It ranks 26th in deaths over the past seven days. Geographically: Modesto has 19,428 positive cases, Turlock has 7,071, Ceres has 5,355.

Outro:

Thank you for tuning in to this week’s episode. Don’t forget to visit our website, localturlock.com, to stay up-to-date on our local news. You can always email me at turlock@localturlock.com and visit our Facebook at Facebook.com/localturlock and leave us some comments! Stay tuned for next week’s exciting episode! Have a great weekend and always stay safe!

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Hey everyone! You are listening to the Local Turlock Podcast for the week of February 25^th. I am here to give you some of Turlock’s latest scoops, news & stories, with 2 business highlights for the week. Let’s begin with our first story, baby comes home – Baby Samuel Villanueva, one of the “Quad Squad” had gotten doctor’s approval to go home after being in the NICU for specialized care since Dec 31, 2020. You can make a wish come true and be the reason for the smile of a local Turlock boy, Easton Geissler, born with special needs, by voting or donating to his family’s fundraising campaign. Moving on, a 12 yr old Turlock girl wakes her family to escape house fire on Sunday. Good news, the county is seeing progress in COVID-19 fight as vaccination efforts in Stanislaus County are growing and COVID-19 cases are decreasing. Watch out for this, walnut growers invited to board’s first-ever industry conference on March 2 and 3. Give some love and show our support to our local businesses especially during this pandemic as I give you 2 business spotlights this week. Also sharing the latest updates about COVID 19 in Stanislaus County. All that and more today in this week's Local Turlock podcast. 

Baby comes home

Samuel Villanueva became the first of the “Quad Squad” to leave Doctors Medical Center and come home to Denair. Samuel is one of four boys born to Rene and Tania Villanueva on Dec. 31, 2020. All four have been in the NICU for specialized care, until recently when Samuel was given the doctor’s approval to go home. His brothers, Andrew, Julian and Robert are doing well and making progress towards following his lead.

A bike for Easton

Getting a new bicycle is a milestone in many children’s lives and now the Turlock community and beyond has an opportunity to make that wish come true for one local boy. Easton Geissler is a Turlock resident who has dealt with several challenges over his five years of life. He has cerebral palsy, hypertonia, is blind and is on the autism spectrum. He loves listening to his music, going swimming and swinging high into the air. But if there’s one thing that really tickles his fancy, it’s going fast. Easton’s family wants to give him that feeling of the wind blowing through his air and that swift motion by getting him an adaptive bicycle. The family is able to take Easton out for bike rides now through the use of a trailer attached to the back of a bike, and it is an activity he adores. But Easton is a growing child and is quickly outgrowing the trailer. The family would like to get Easton a duet wheelchair tandem cycle. The family has turned to the Great Bike Giveaway as a path towards achieving that goal. The Great Bike Giveaway is a platform for children with disabilities to win a bicycle that has been adapted to their unique needs. It’s organized by the Friendship Circle, which is a non-profit organization that provides programs and support to the families of individuals with special needs. The platform offers three options for getting an adaptive bicycle. The first in through votes. The child who gets the most votes for their particular type of adaptive bicycle will win the bike. The next option is through a random drawing. Each child who gets at least 50 votes will be entered into a random drawing to win their bike of choice. The final option is through fundraising. Typically, the duet bike the Geissler family is seeking costs around $5,300, but through the Friendship Circle it has been discounted to $4,600. People can help Easton get a bicycle by going to https://www.greatbikegiveaway.com/EastonGeissler and voting and/or donating to his fundraiser.

Turlock girl wakes family to escape house fire

A 12-year-old girl’s quick actions helped her and her mother escape a house fire on Sunday in Turlock. The fire was at a two-story home in the 4000 block of Fosberg Road. The fire ignited around midnight in the garage and spread up to the second floor, said Turlock Fire Department spokesperson Capt. Jason Bernard. The young girl heard the sound from the crackling flames and smelled the smoke and quickly woke her mother and the two were able to get out of the home as the smoke alarm started going off, Bernard said. The first firefighters to arrive found the attached garage fully engulfed in flames and spreading to the second floor. The fire was also encroaching on the house next door. Firefighters found and rescued two of the family’s four cats, Bernard said. Crews extinguished the remaining fire, checked for extension, and salvaged multiple personal belongings inside the home. The cause of the fire was not immediately known because of the extent of the damage, Bernard said. The family was displaced from the home and were being assisted by Red Cross and family members.

County seeing progress in COVID-19 fight

Vaccination efforts in Stanislaus County are growing and COVID-19 cases are decreasing, giving some room to hope that the area will be able to move into a less restrictive tier by mid-March. As of Monday, Stanislaus County expanded the vaccination efforts to Phase 1B, which is for people 50 years and older who work in education and childcare, emergency services and food and agriculture sectors. For this week the County was allocated about 9,000 vaccines, up from the 5,800 from the previous week. The County also is seeing COVID-19 cases drop recently. Since Feb. 8, Stanislaus County has seen cases dropping at a small but steady rate, according to the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency data. On Monday Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the state is partnering with OptumServe and local counties to open up to 11 vaccination sites within the next week to serve some of the hardest-hit or most at-risk communities in the Central Valley. While the County is working on vaccinating as many residents as possible, it is still critical that all residents continue to follow the recommendations to wear a mask, avoid gatherings, wash hands often, stay 6 feet from others whenever in public places and get tested if exposed or experiencing symptoms. These steps, along with vaccines, are essential in ending the pandemic by stopping the spread of COVID‐ 19 and protecting the community, according to health officials.

Walnut growers invited to board’s first-ever industry conference

Although the California Walnut Board and Commission’s first-ever industry conference will be held virtually next month, the event will still provide walnut growers with plenty of valuable information — just from a distance. The CWB & CWC Industry Conference will span two half days during the first week of March, providing a virtual experience which will include speaking sessions and panels for growers, handlers and industry partners, various educational discussions and informational sessions with top speakers and panelists. In the most recent Stanislaus County crop report, which shows data from 2019, walnuts were the seventh-ranked commodity in the county with a value of $122,549,000.  While various walnut industry sectors were impacted in 2020 by the coronavirus pandemic, others saw sales pick up. This was just one of many ways the board and commission have helped growers and handlers during the pandemic and in years past. Attendees can learn about food safety, trade and marketing data, and CWB/CWC Executive Director and CEO Michelle Connelly will deliver a state of the industry address. The CWB & CWC Industry Conference will be held from 8 a.m. to noon on March 2-3. 

Business Highlights:

Lisa's Cookie Jar

Location: 115 S Broadway Ave Turlock

Phone Number: (209) 656-9745

Operational Hours: Mon to Sat (8:00 am to 5:30 pm) Sunday (Closed)

Lisa’s Cookie Jar make the best customized decorated shortbread cookies for your special occasion! Lisa’s cookies make great favors for weddings, showers, birthdays and all types of events. Their specialty flavor is vanilla shortbread cookie decorated using royal icing. They also offer variety of flavors including lemon, maple, chocolate, mint, almond and more. Just perfect gift for your loved ones!

Alison’s Cafe House

Location: 219 W Canal Dr Turlock

Phone Number: (209) 656-9002

Operational Hours: Mon to Sat (6:00 am to 7:00 pm) Sun (7:00 am to 6:00 pm)

If you are looking for a great menu selection, nice presentation, and overall vibes, Alison’s Café House in Turlock is the place to be. They offer Coffee, Smoothies, Energy Drinks, Pastry, Sandwiches, and more!

Coronavirus update, Feb. 25: Stanislaus County surpasses 50,000 cases in less than year

Just 15 days short of one year since its first reported positive coronavirus case, Stanislaus County surpassed its 50,000th on Wednesday, according to data from the Health Service Agency. The county reported 105 more positive test results, bringing to 50,075 the number of cases since it announced its first on March. 11. The county also reported four more deaths, which puts the number of reported fatalities at 941 since April. On a positive note, the county’s health care facilities reported 96 patients with confirmed COVID-19 cases, the first time that number has dropped below 100 since Nov. 15. However, its available staffed adult intensive care unit beds fell from 16 to 10. It took 44 days to get from 40,000 to 50,000 cases, just 14 days less than it took to get from 20,000 to 40,000 cases during the winter surge. Overall, while the county surpassed 50,000 positive tests, it has 444,013 negative test results and 48,059 people who are presumed recovered. As of Tuesday, the county remained in the highest widespread purple tier, along with 47 of the state’s counties. It had 20.8 adjusted positive cases per 100,000 residents. Nine counties are in the red, or second-highest-graded substantial tier, while two are in the orange, or “moderate” tier. Geographically: Modesto has 18,418 positive cases, Turlock has 6,765 and Ceres has 5,115.

Thank you for tuning in to this week’s episode. Don’t forget to visit our website, localturlock.com, to stay up-to-date on our local news. You can always email me at turlock@localturlock.com and visit our Facebook at Facebook.com/localturlock and leave us some comments! Stay tuned for next week’s exciting episode! Have a great weekend and always stay safe!

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Hey everyone! Welcome to another episode of Local Turlock Podcast for the week of February 19th. I am here to give you some of Turlock’s latest scoops, news & stories, with 2 business highlights for the week. First story, Turlock florist spreads love with her Valentine Grams project which delivered over 400 floral arrangements to the senior community. Next story we have here, Mathnasium tutoring in Turlock provides mental exercise for students. Moving on, Turlock Unified School District eyes mid-March return for secondary students. Good news, Stanislaus County and the City of Modesto are pleased to announce that an Emergency Rental Assistance program supported by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. You can make a difference in the life of a foster child in Stanislaus County. Join Every Child Matters, a virtual event on Feb 27! Give some love and show our support to our local businesses especially during this pandemic as I give you 2 business spotlights this week. Also sharing the latest updates about COVID 19 in Stanislaus County. All that and more today in this week's Local Turlock podcast. 

Turlock florist spreads love to senior community

Valentine Grams project delivers over 400 floral arrangements

Source:

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. It took a team effort to create over 400 Valentine Grams, with over 30 volunteers dedicating their time to the effort starting on Thursday. People traveled from as far as Sacramento to help with the project, Sisco said, and the Denair High School floral class was on hand every day to assist in creating the floral arrangements. Roses, carnations, anemones, ranunculus and more were purchased by the thousands from the San Francisco Flower Market and Dutch Roots Farms in Ripon to be used in the bouquets, and no arrangement was the same thanks to the wide variety of volunteers. For Mother’s Day, Sisco plans on making floral grams available for purchase on her website for those who want to deliver the gift of flowers this spring.

Mathnasium tutoring provides mental exercise for students

Name of business: Mathnasium

Type of business: Tutoring center

Location: 2842 Geer Road in Turlock

Hours: 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

Contact information: 209-348-6284

Specialty: One-on-one math help for students

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. While Mathnasium solely offers math tutoring at the moment, Eshagh originally wanted to open the center in order to provide STEM opportunities like coding camps, chess clubs and robotics classes to students. The pandemic has put a hold on those plans for now, but she believes that more chances to host STEM-related activities will arise as conditions change for the better. Tutors at Mathnasium include seasoned tutors from other franchise locations, as well as math majors from the University of California, Merced, and Stanislaus State. Safety measures in place at Mathnasium include mask wearing, plexiglass barriers, air purifiers and more. All new students receive a free assessment in order to determine their grade level and package pricing and options are then provided to prospective families.

TUSD eyes mid-March return for secondary students

As Turlock Unified School District presented its plan to bring secondary students back to campus in the coming weeks to the Board of Trustees on Tuesday evening, a group of parents, students and other community members gathered outside of the meeting to say the proposal doesn’t meet their expectations. The district’s “Safe Schools 7-12 Reopening Plan” would see junior high and high school students return to school for two half days per week. In order for secondary schools in Turlock to open under the plan, Stanislaus County must be in the red tier of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy for at least five consecutive days.  The instruction plan for secondary schools is described as a blended learning model with synchronous instruction and would see students at each school split into two groups. Group A would attend half of the school day on campus on Mondays and Thursdays, while Group B would attend half of the school day on Tuesdays and Fridays. All students would participate in distance learning on Wednesdays, as well as the remaining half of the day when they spend the morning on campus. Patterson and about 80 others convened outside of the Board meeting on Tuesday for a peaceful protest, calling for the full — or more large scale — reopening of secondary schools. The full secondary reopening plan, including other safety measures which will be put in place to protect students and staff, can be viewed on the TUSD website, www.turlock.k12.ca.us. TUSD is currently targeting mid-March as the reopening date under the presented plan, and will host a staff forum Q&A and parent forum Q&A on Feb. 17 and 18, respectively. A communication and commitment survey will be sent to parents on Feb. 19 and TUSD will host a COVID-19 staff and parent/student training and submit a health and safety agreement the week of Feb. 22. 

Emergency Rental Assistance Program

Stanislaus County and the City of Modesto are pleased to announce that soon funding will be made available through an Emergency Rental Assistance program supported by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The Emergency Rental Assistance program makes available $25 billion to assist households unable to pay rent and utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds are provided directly to States, U.S. Territories, local governments, and Indian tribes. Government agencies must use these funds to provide assistance to eligible households through rental assistance programs. A minimum of 90 percent of awarded funds must be used for direct financial assistance, including rent, utilities and home energy costs, as well as other expenses related to housing. Remaining funds are available for housing stability services, including case management and other services intended to keep households stablely housed, and administrative costs. Many of the specifics regarding a timeline of funding availability is unknown at this time. In the next few weeks, the federal government is expected to release detailed guidelines on the use of these funds, at which time information will be released to the community regarding application instructions and eligibility details. For program information currently available, please see the following link: https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/cares/emergency-rental-assistance-program

Every Child Matters

You can make a difference in the life of a foster child in Stanislaus County. Become a resource parent. To learn more, please join Every Child Matters, a virtual event on February 27, 2021 from 9 am to 11 am. The event will feature a panel of former foster youth sharing their foster care experiences and stories of inspiration. Resource parents (formerly referred to as foster parents) are individuals, couples, or families who act as caregivers providing out-of-home care for children in foster care. To learn more about the annual Every Child Matters event and how you can become a resource parent, please register by going to LoveAllOurKids.com/every-child-matters In partnership with the Stanislaus County Community Services Agency, the event is sponsored by Love All Our Kids, a community organization that helps find resource parents for foster youth.

Lander Auto Service

Location: 1328 Lander Ave Turlock, CA 95380

Phone Number: (209) 664-9900
Operational Hours: 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM (Monday – Friday) Sat & Sun (Closed)

Lander Auto Service is a Turlock, California family owned auto repair shop company. Since 2009 Lander Auto Service has established an auto repair shop division, offered car mechanic and developed a brake repair service service for its Turlock clients in Stanislaus County. Lander Auto Service has become Turlock local auto repair shop favorite!

Willie's Pizza & Wings

Location: 2050 E Canal Dr Turlock, CA 95380

Phone Number: (209) 667-9455

Operational Hours: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM (Mon-Sat) 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM (Mon-Sun)

After seven years of serving burgers, fries, and ice cream to the finest community a restaurant could ask for, Lulu's has decided to expand their business to include Willie's Pizza & Wings. Their goal is to provide a fun and rewarding work place, great food, and customer service so that everyone who leaves Willie's does so feeling better than when they arrived.

Coronavirus update, Feb. 18: Stanislaus hospital cases go back down. Deaths at 910

Stanislaus County reported five more deaths to COVID-19 on Wednesday as total cases approached 50,000. The county Health Services Agency put deaths at 910 since the pandemic arrived last spring. Stanislaus added 138 cases Wednesday, for a total of 49,266. The county also has 429,062 negative test results and 46,808 people who are presumed recovered. According to the Los Angeles Times COVID-19 tracker, Stanislaus County has the eighth-highest rate of infection per 100,000 residents in the last week among the state’s 58 counties. Its rate of death if 15th highest. Since the pandemic’s start, its infection rate is 15th highest and death rate fourth highest. The county’s five hospitals reported 158 patients with confirmed coronavirus cases Wednesday, down from 167 on Tuesday. The count has stayed under 200 for 12 straight days and was over 300 in early January.  As of Wednesday, 55,550 doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been allocated to Stanislaus County, unchanged for several days. This includes 26,625 doses to health care providers and 28,925 to public health. Information regarding vaccinations in Stanislaus County is on the county dashboard at http://schsa.org/coronavirus/vaccine/. Geographically: Modesto has 18,126 positive cases, Turlock has 6,652 and Ceres has 5,057

Thank you for tuning in to this week’s episode. Don’t forget to visit our website, localturlock.com, to stay up-to-date on our local news. You can always email me at turlock@localturlock.com and visit our Facebook at Facebook.com/localturlock and leave us some comments! Stay tuned for next week’s exciting episode! Have a great weekend and always stay safe!

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Hey everyone! You are listening to the Local Turlock Podcast for the week of December 4^th. Giving you some of latest scoops, news, stories, and business spotlight for the week. Let’s start with our first story, despite the pandemic, the city and community offering Christmas cheer to kick off the Christmas season throughout Turlock this weekend. Next on our list, Gym owner, Alec Schmitt, a Stanislaus State graduate decided to leave his job with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to pursue personal training full time which led him to open XX Functional Fitness in Turlock. More of the latest news, Stanislaus County offering free flu vaccines at drive-thru clinic on Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Johansen High School. Moving on, a can-do attitude among the Turlock Police Department is bringing the jolly ol' elf back to the community as Operation Blue Santa gets the green light in Turlock. Good news, Life-Saving Insulin is now available at free or no cost to people living in Stanislaus and Merced Counties. Wondering where to cut your own Christmas tree or buy one in Northern California? Stay tuned as we give you locations on where to go to cut your own Christmas tree or if you are looking to pick up one in Stanislaus County. This is the best time to show our support to our local businesses especially during this pandemic as I give you 2 business spotlights this week. Also sharing the latest updates about COVID 19 in Stanislaus County. All that and more today in this week's Local Turlock podcast.

Despite pandemic, City and community offering Christmas cheer

The holidays may look and feel different this year, but there are still countless ways to kick off the Christmas season throughout Turlock this weekend.  First, a decades-old tradition will be replaced with a socially-distanced spectacle this Friday as the City of Turlock hosts its first-ever Christmas Cruise at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds. From 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 4, carloads filled with community members will have the chance to drive through “A Night of Lights on Display” — an event that Parks, Recreation and Public Facilities Director Allison Van Guilder hopes will fill the void left behind by the cancellation of Turlock’s annual downtown Christmas parade due to COVID-19.  The Turlock Firefighters Local 2434 is sponsoring the event, which saw the City partner with the fairgrounds in order to provide spaces for participants to decorate in lieu of floats. Rather than organizations and businesses driving through a crowded Main Street as part of a parade, the community will instead drive through their displays on Friday from a safe distance. The firefighters will also be on site collecting unwrapped toys and canned food to donate to Turlock Together.  Turlock Transit will be hosting shuttle tours to cruise through the event while following all COVID health guidelines, and more information on this option can be found at www.turlocktransit.com/cruise.

Gym owner pursues passion in Turlock

Name of business: XX Functional Fitness

Type of business: Gym

Location: 1420 Freitas Park, Turlock

Contact information: 209-447-8885

Specialty: Kettlebell workouts

In October 2019, the stars aligned for Alec Schmitt. The Stanislaus State graduate realized last year that his job with the California Department of Food and Agriculture wasn’t making him happy, and decided he’d like to pursue personal training full time. On the same day that Schmitt turned in the keys to his now-former job, the owner of the Turlock gym where he had helped train people for the past few years called him and said they were looking to sell the business.  Today the location is known as XX Functional Fitness — the name Schmitt gave his first business endeavor when he bought the gym last fall.  He was inspired to chase his dreams after losing a close friend who had done the same. His friend, an artist, had chosen to forgo a “normal” job and fulfill his desire to do what he loved for a living. Schmitt’s friend was just beginning to realize his dream when he passed away unexpectedly, leaving his comrade behind to ponder the meaning of life. Coincidentally, the same day Schmitt turned in his keys and received a call about purchasing the gym was the anniversary of his friend’s death. Now, just over a year later, Schmitt has had to overcome hurdles of his own — from remodeling and marketing to a full-blown pandemic — in order to transform XX Functional Fitness into the gym it is today. The gym has adapted, however, with Schmitt making home visits for one-on-one personal training and even Facetiming clients to ensure they stay up-to-speed while absent.  Those who are still able to make it into Schmitt’s socially-distanced classes find a wide array of equipment to work with, from Olympic weightlifting racks to a massive number of kettlebells. Schmitt is a certified expert with the latter, which offers a unique, full-body workout with one small — but heavy — workout tool. He’s also using his position in the community to give back through the XX Holiday Shoppe, which will feature over 20 small businesses at the gym to provide a holiday shopping destination for the community and collect donated toys from attendees for Westside Ministries. The XX Holiday Shoppe will take place from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 13.

Stanislaus County offering free flu vaccines at drive-thru clinic on Friday

With local hospitals full of COVID-19 patients, Stanislaus County Health Services Agency wants to minimize any additional burden of influenza by offering free drive-thru influenza vaccines on Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Johansen High School. Stanislaus County has had two cases of influenza this fall and nationwide, influenza activity has been minimal, so it is not too late to get immunized. Seasonal influenza usually arrives in the Northern Hemisphere in late fall lasting through spring, and multiple strains of the flu virus can occur in the same season. Influenza infections typically start with abrupt onset of fevers, chills and body aches, with associated congestion, cough or sore throat. These findings are also common with other respiratory viruses, including coronavirus. However, COVID-19 may have a wider spectrum of symptoms, including having no symptoms and the loss of smell and taste, which are rare with influenza. Flu vaccines are recommended for anyone 6 months of age and older, but are especially important for people at high risk for serious complications from the flu including including: infants at least 6 months old and young children, individuals age 65 and older, pregnant women, caregivers of seniors, infants and other high risk individuals, those with underlying chronic medical conditions such as diabetes or a chronic heart, lung, kidney or liver disease or with immunocompromise due to illness or medications, such as chemotherapy. At the drive-thru clinic, free flu shots will be provided to anyone 6 months of age and older on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointment required. Additional information about influenza and flu vaccines can be found at: Stanislaus County website, http://schsa.org/publichealth/pages/flu/ from the California Department of Public Health flu website, at https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/Influenza.aspx and from the CDC at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm

Operation Blue Santa gets the green light in Turlock

Between budget constraints, staff shortages and the coronavirus pandemic it seemed all but certain that Blue Santa would have to be shelved for the holiday season, but instead a can-do attitude among the Turlock Police Department is bringing the jolly ol' elf back to the community. Operation Blue Santa started in 2012 with the mission of providing toys and donated items to children and families in need. Key components of the operation were school and home visits by Blue Santa and presentations on crime prevention and safety. It also relied heavily on volunteers to go out on shopping blitzs and gather for gift wrapping sessions. But this year, COVID-19 safety protocols made all of that impossible. The program is operating a bit different this year. Instead of using volunteers to gift wrap, the program purchased gift boxes to put presents in. And instead of the delivering of gifts using overtime, officers will be making deliveries during their normal shifts, as time allows. Blue Santa will be making a few appearances around town, mostly at stores during sponsor drop-off events. Blue Santa will be donning a mask to go with blue uniform. Those who are interested in sponsoring a family can contact Grace at egrace@turlock.ca.us. Those wishing to make a monetary donation either by cash or check can mail them to the police department at 244 N. Broadway, Turlock, CA. 95380. Checks should be made out to the City of Turlock, with Blue Santa in the memo line. Monetary donations can also be dropped off at the police department, but people must call ahead first. Grace can be reached at (209)216-6879 Monday through Thursday. On Friday, people can contact Sgt. Steve Crawford at (209) 668-6503.

Life-Saving Insulin Now Available at Free or No Cost to People Living in Stanislaus and Merced Counties

Thousands of people in Stanislaus and Merced counties can now access free or low-cost insulin through a groundbreaking partnership. Building upon a program created by pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company, Legacy Health Endowment and locally owned Boies' Medical Center Pharmacy have teamed up to provide Lilly insulin to any qualifying person who lives within one of 19 eligible zip codes and struggles to afford this life-saving medicine. To receive Lilly insulin through this initiative, patients must have either a high co-pay, no insurance coverage, or be enrolled in Medicare Part D. Patients will pay just $35 for their insulin; if they're unable to afford the $35 co-pay, free insulin is available by enrolling at usfreemeds.org.  Enrolling in the program and accessing insulin is easy. Simply fill your prescription at Boies' Medical Center Pharmacy or have your existing prescription transferred there. This independent pharmacy in Turlock has a long history of providing cost-effective, reliable services to the community. The pharmacy will also provide free diabetes testing supplies to people enrolled in the program. The insulin program is not available outside of Boies' Medical Center Pharmacy. For contant: Jeffrey Lewis jeffrey@legacyhealthendowment.org 209-250-2315.

Where to cut your own Christmas tree or buy one in Northern California

So you’ve had your fill of Thanksgiving leftovers and are ready to venture out to cut your own Christmas tree this year or pick one up from a local farm? Below is a guide for where to go in Northern California, if you're looking for a fresh-cut tree. For those hoping to score a permit to chop down a tree within designated areas of the Eldorado National Forest or Tahoe Basin, you’re out of luck. Permits for the 2020 season are already sold out. Here is where you can find information on where to secure a permit to chop your own tree in other forests:

• Klamath National Forest: Siskiyou County residents and visitors can cut one free Christmas tree per family.
• Lassen National Forest: Permits are sold through the mail only
• Plumas National Forest: Click here for information on purchasing a permit online
• Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest: Click here for information on purchasing a permit.

Here are options on where to buy a tree in Stanislaus County:

• Hay Family Farms in Modesto is located at 5406 Milnes Road, and has over 4,000 living trees to choose from.
• Heidi's Fresh Christmas Trees is located at 4220 Dale Road in Modesto and sells fresh cut Noble Fir, Nordman Fir, Grand Fir, and Douglas Fir Christmas Trees.
• Ron's Amazing Christmas Trees is located at 716 N Daubenberger Road, and sources their trees from Willammette Valley in Oregon.
• Tracy's Trees in Turlock is located at 1807 Geer Road.

Business Spotlight:

Turlock Dry Cleaners

Providing professional service over 20 years In Turlock and surrounding cities, Turlock Dry Cleaners is focusing on quality and customer service and that’s their number one goal always Now even better with the additional services that they provide including:

• Professional dry-cleaning laundry and spot clean.
• Starch and shirts or jeans per customer request.
• Wedding gowns clean and preservation.
• All size comforters bed sets and blankets.
• All size area rugs.
• Hats of any type.
• Professional alteration hemming, sizing, fixing.
• And now adding free pick-up and delivery within 30 miles from Turlock.

Location: 1581 Geer Rd Turlock, CA 95380

Contact Number: (209) 669-0244 

Operational Hours: Monday to Friday (7am to 6pm) Saturday 8am to 2pm Sun Closed

Pho 7 Anh

If you are in the mood for some pho, the place to be is Pho 7 Anh. This place is a gem! Don’t let the name fool you. They serve authentic Vietnamese, Thai, and Lao dishes. Plus, the food is consistently delicious and always comes out in a timely manner.  Pho 7 Anh is the real deal! 

Location: 503 N Golden State Blvd Turlock, CA 95380

Phone Number (209) 620-8022

Operational Hours: Monday to Sunday 10 am to 9pm

Coronavirus update, Dec. 3: Hospital patients reach 215 in Stanislaus; 225 new cases

Hospitals in Stanislaus County had another jump in COVID-19 patients Wednesday, to a level not seen since the midsummer surge. Meanwhile, the county reported 225 new positive tests, more than five times the level that would help loosen restrictions on business and gatherings. The death toll rose to 430 with the two announced Wednesday by the county Health Services Agency. The county has 22,624 people who have tested positive, 228,763 who tested negative and 20,234 who are presumed recovered. The state reported a 16.27% positivity rate in Stanislaus on Tuesday, based on 1,481 tests. That figure is released a day later than the county agency’s data. The rolling seven-day average was 11.91%. The 14-day average was 12.24%. The state requires a positivity rate of under 8 percent to advance to the next less restrictive tier in its system. That means an average of 40 or fewer new cases in Stanislaus. A total of 215 people were hospitalized Wednesday with confirmed cases of COVID-19, up from 198 on Tuesday. The number topped 220 at times during summer but hovered around 40 earlier this fall.  Geographically: Modesto has 8,121 positive cases, Turlock has 3,090 and Ceres has 2,520.Thank you for tuning in to this week’s episode. Don’t forget to visit our website, localturlock.com, to stay up-to-date on our local news. You can always email me at turlock@localturlock.com and visit our Facebook at Facebook.com/localturlock and leave us some comments! Stay tuned for next week’s exciting episode! Have a great weekend and always stay safe!

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Hey everyone! You are listening to the Local Turlock Podcast for the week of November 27th. Giving you some of latest scoops, news, stories, and business spotlight for the week. Let’s start with our first story, Hickory Farms, famous for its handcrafted cheese and summer sausage, now pops up in Turlock. Next on our list, Covenant Care Home and Hospice partnered to pilot a Meals on Wheels and Well Check Calls program open to needy seniors in Stanislaus County. Moving on, what will pandemic Black Friday look like? Take a look at when the major retailers will open on Black Friday, Nov. 27! Next, what are your holiday plans this pandemic? Let’s discover some of the events planned for the holiday season. Following the app roadmap titled “PARENTS – What You Wish You Knew: A Quick Guide to the Basics of Social Media (and the Potential Risks for Children and Teens)”, an updated version of the guide was released to provide new information to help parents oversee social media screen time during pandemic. . It’s time to show our support to our local businesses especially during this pandemic as I give you 2 business spotlights this week. Also sharing the latest updates about COVID 19 in Stanislaus County. All that and more today in this week's Local Turlock podcast.

Hickory Farms pops up in Turlock

Turlockers are in for a savory treat this holiday season as Hickory Farms has forgone its annual Modesto mall location for a seasonal storefront in Monte Vista Crossings.  Hickory Farms, famous for its handcrafted cheese and summer sausage, is a longtime gift choice for many food lovers and will operate its seasonal location in Turlock until the end of December. The shop offers customers a taste of nostalgia and their products bring people the love and comfort from when they were a child. It brings back memories of sitting around with our families on Christmas and eating the traditional items that we’re all used to. From gift boxes and platters to cheese balls and spreads, Hickory Farms has a variety of products synonymous with Christmas celebration. Hickory Farms also has other treats to choose from aside from meats and cheeses, like wine gifts, chocolates, appetizers and more. Local Christmas shoppers are used to finding Hickory Farms gifts inside of Vintage Faire Mall, but with COVID risks, the business wanted to open their seasonal shops in storefronts which would allow for easy online or call-in ordering and curbside pickup to keep customers safe.  They are located at 2727 Countryside Dr., Turlock with Operational Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Black Friday. You may also contact them at 209-279-5643.

New program to provide meals, check-ins for area seniors

A program providing free meals and daily check-in calls to some of the most at-risk and isolated residents of Stanislaus County and northern Merced County is now open to the public. Seniors are facing the most severe risks and complications from the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of stay-at-home recommendations, many have limited interaction with their neighbors and families and often can’t get groceries on their own. In response, Legacy Health Endowment and Covenant Care Home and Hospice partnered to pilot a Meals on Wheels and Well Check Calls program. The program is now open to other needy seniors in the area. This program provides free meals Monday through Friday and a daily wellness phone call. If a senior cannot be reached, or is having an emergency, Covenant Care staff is prepared to step in to get them the help they need. Meals are prepared by the United Samaritan’s Foundation, which has a long history of providing fresh and balanced meals for hundreds of seniors each week through their existing senior feeding programs. Access to the program will not require a prior hospital stay, but slots are limited. To see if you or a loved one is eligible to apply by calling (209) 250-5200 and choosing option 5, “Wellness Check.” The program is only open to the following zip codes: 95301, 95303, 95307, 95313, 95315, 95316, 95322, 95324, 95326, 95328, 95334, 95358, 95360, 95363, 95374, 95380, 95381, 95382, and 95388.

What will a pandemic Black Friday look like? And when will stores open in Modesto?

The traditional start of the holiday shopping season, and a boatload of bargains, will look a lot different in 2020 because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Most major retailers will stay closed on Thanksgiving Day, bucking years of trends that saw scores of people rush to finish or delay their family dinners in order to shop sales on the holiday day itself. This year most big box retailers will reopen the day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday because as consumer legend tells it that was when stores finally turned a profit on sales for the year. In the valley, that means shoppers might tuck in to bed a little sooner — no doubt also due in part to a hefty and delicious dose of Tryptophan — to find the best deals as stores open early Friday morning. Online Black Friday sales have already begun in earnest, and are also being offered as a safer alternative. Curbside pickup, which many retailers are offering, is another option. Online shopping, in addition to being contact-free, does not require a mask or social distancing. Though still wash your hands because that’s just good hygiene.  Here’s a look at when the major retailers will open on Black Friday, Nov. 27.

• Bass Pro Shop: Open 8 a.m.-6. p.m. Thanksgiving, 5 a.m. Friday
• Big Lots: Open 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Thanksgiving, 6 a.m. Friday
• Best Buy: Open at 5 a.m. Friday
• Burlington: Opens 7 a.m. Friday
• Costco: Open 9 a.m. Friday
• GameStop: Open 7 a.m. Friday
• Harbor Freight Tools: Open 7 a.m. Friday
• Home Depot: Open 6 a.m. Friday
• Kohl’s: Open at 5 a.m. Friday
• Lowe’s: Open 6 a.m. Friday
• Michael’s: Open 7 a.m. Friday
• Office Depot/OfficeMax: Open 9 a.m. Friday
• Old Navy: Open midnight Thanksgiving through Friday
• Staples: Open 9 a.m. Friday
• Target: Open at 7 a.m. Friday
• Vintage Fair Mall: Open 6 a.m. Friday
• Walmart: Open 5 a.m. Friday

And remember, wherever you go out to shop this holiday season, wear a mask. They protect you (they really do), they protect others, and they’re a way to show the no-doubt exhausted store staff that you care about their safety as well.

Here’s your planner for Modesto-area holiday parades, events, and how to enjoy them

Several communities and groups still plan to bring some holiday spirit to the region at the end of what’s been a festive-challenged year. Many of the traditional Christmas events in the Modesto and Mother Lode regions have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. But others will go on with modifications, downsizing and virtual options. Among the larger events canceled in Modesto are the Dickens Faire and Mod Shop Indie Crafters Market. But the city will hold a Christmas parade, with a twist: Onlookers will drive past stationary yuletide displays. The following is a look at some of the events planned for the holidays season. Note that they could be canceled or adjusted depending on county and state pandemic guidelines.

COWBOY CHRISTMAS – Nov. 28: Oakdale Cowboy Museum outdoor holiday market. COVID-19 guidelines will be enforced. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Cowboy Museum, 355 E. F St., Oakdale. www.thecowboymuseum.org/santa-.

GUSTINE’S OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS – Nov. 28: There will be a drive-through breakfast with Santa at GPS Hall from 8 to 11 a.m. A Christmas market will be held downtown, with social distancing in place, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Children can see Santa and take home craft bags, also from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Cornerstone Dance on Fifth Street. There will be a live virtual tree lighting on the city’s Facebook page at 6 p.m. 209-587-0810.

ANGELS CAMP HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE – Nov. 28: Merchants will participate in a community open house with raffles, shopping and dining. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Citywide in Angels Camp. www.angelscampbusiness.com/event/small-business-saturday.

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS LIGHT EXPERIENCE – Dec. 1-24: Shelter Cove Community Church offers a drive-through Santa’s village, Christmas tree lane and white Christmas, as well as a live-action nativity scene. There will be a drive-through, 150,000-light show with Christmas music. The event runs 6 to 9 p.m. nightly at Shelter Cove, 4242 Coffee Road, Modesto. The event is free, but it’s recommended to RSVP for Fridays and Saturdays. 209-567-3200. sheltercovelive.com/christmas.

LATHROP VIRTUAL TREE LIGHTING AND SHOEBOX PARADE – Dec. 1 and Dec. 12: A virtual tree lighting will be shown on the city’s website and Facebook page Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. A parade Dec. 12 will feature small floats videotaped and shown on the city’s website and Facebook page beginning at 10 a.m. It will remain up through Christmas. www.ci.lathrop.ca.us/parksrec/page/christmas-shoebox-parade.

TURLOCK CHRISTMAS PARADE – Dec. 4: A Christmas Cruise will be held at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds. People will stay in their cars and drive past the decorated lights and displays. 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the fairgrounds, 900 N. Broadway.

MODESTO CELEBRATION OF LIGHTS – Dec. 5: A Downtown Drive-Through Holiday Cruise will feature displays of lights and decorations on stationary floats, as well as storefront decorations and Rockin’ Holidays displays and tree lighting on Tenth Street Plaza. The parade begins at 17th and I streets, turns on 10th Street and ends along Tenth Street Plaza. 5:30-8:30 p.m. www.modestogov.com/553/Holiday-Parade

CHRISTMAS TREE LANE – Dec. 5 through Christmas: Neighbors off Moffett Road across from Smyrna Park will put up their annual lavish holiday lights display for people to drive through. The city stresses social distancing for those who choose to walk. 209-538-5628.

OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS FAIRE – Dec. 5: Modesto Free Methodist Church will have vendors selling crafts and homemade items. They will sell tri-tip, $25, and half chickens, $6. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Modesto Free Methodist Church, 1520 Rose Ave. www.modestofm.org.

ESCALON CHRISTMAS ON MAIN PARADE OF LIGHTS – Dec. 12: A drive-through parade of lights will feature stationary floats along Main Street as well as decorated storefronts and sidewalks. There will be a one-way flow of traffic for onlookers to follow. 5:30 p.m. 209-838-2793.

Guide aims to help parents oversee social screen time during pandemic

Although Legacy Health Endowment first released its social media guide for parents over a year ago, the need for families to understand technology continues as the pandemic wears on. LHE, a nonprofit healthcare grantmaking foundation, originally produced and promoted the app roadmap titled “PARENTS – What You Wish You Knew: A Quick Guide to the Basics of Social Media (and the Potential Risks for Children and Teens)” in October 2019. The guide was well-received and provided families with statistics, instructions and solutions which ensured their Internet-savvy kids are safe while using popular cell phone apps like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. An updated version of the guide was released by LHE this month, providing new information for these fast-changing times. As the pandemic keeps children and teens from socializing in person, Lewis believes the guide can be even more helpful now as kids seem to be glued to devices day in and day out. The pandemic is challenging for families in so many ways, but LHE President and CEO, Jeffrey Lewis hopes the social media guide can help parents navigate at least one facet of everyday life which has been changed by COVID. The guide is available for download and viewing at www.legacy health endowment.org.

Business Spotlight:

Carnivore's BBQ Sandwich Shop
Carnivore's BBQ Sandwich Shop serves up an affordable alternative to fast food with locally sourced meats and produce.  It is a California based style of BBQ that originated in Santa Maria, just south of San Luis Obispo. It's based on using the freshest locally sourced Tri-Tip cuts of beef, good ole- California Red Oak with the bark, and a technique of smoking that combines direct and indirect heat. 

Location: University Plaza 2685 Geer Rd Turlock, CA 95382

Phone Number: (209) 250-1175

Operational Hours: Monday-Friday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Sat 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM Sun 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Quickly Turlock

If you are looking for the best boba place of all time, Quickly Turlock is the place to be. Their add ons and milk tea flavors are always amazing. And the pearls are always cooked perfectly. Quality hasn't gone down at all even with the troubles of pandemic and offers curb side delivery with fast service. If you’re looking for a flavorful tea or smoothie visit Quickly Turlock.

Location: 2014 W Monte Vista Ave Turlock, CA 95382

Telephone Number: (209) 250-2026

Operational Hours: Monday to Saturday 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Sunday 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Coronavirus update, Nov. 26: Stanislaus has 343 new cases, 167 patients in hospitals

New cases of the virus hit another three-month high in Stanislaus County, as hospital counts continue to rise, too. The state reported 343 positive tests in the county Tuesday, the most since the 365 on Aug. 26. The number needs to average 40 or fewer to start reversing the limits on gatherings that tightened earlier this month. The county’s positivity shot up to 23.65% on Tuesday, based on 1,450 tests. The rolling seven-day average was 12.62%. The 14-day average was 11.96%. The state requires a positivity rate of under 8 percent to advance to the next less restrictive tier in its system. Two more residents have died of COVID-19, for a total of 422 as of Wednesday. The county has 21,145 people who have tested positive, 215,999 who tested negative and 19,023 who are presumed recovered. Geographically: Modesto has 7,481 positive cases, Turlock has 2,862 and Ceres has 2,332

Thank you for tuning in to this week’s episode. Don’t forget to visit our website, localturlock.com, to stay up-to-date on our local news. You can always email me at turlock@localturlock.com and visit our Facebook at Facebook.com/localturlock and leave us some comments! Stay tuned for next week’s exciting episode! Have a great weekend and always stay safe!

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