A freeze threatened Gary Soiseth's almond crop east of Turlock last month. Pests might bother it come spring. Soiseth can take it all in stride, though. At least it's not roadside bombs, sniper fire or other hazards he faces as he shares his knowledge of farming in Afghanistan.
Derek McGinnis of Waterford has been named the 25th Assembly District's Veteran of the Year by Assemblyman Tom Berryhill, R-Oakdale.
Lance Cpl. Gavin Brummund of Arnold was killed in Afghanistan on Thursday, the Marine Corps reported. Brummund, 22, was the first service member from Calaveras County to die in Afghanistan or Iraq over the past nine years of U.S. wars in the Middle East.
