Here's a message for tourists passing through Modesto or Merced on their way to Yosemite National Park: Stop and pick some cherries. Or visit a waterfowl refuge. Or walk in the footsteps of George Lucas. Speakers offered those ideas Wednesday at a conference in Turlock on how to increase tourism in the San Joaquin Valley.

Turlock High pitcher Nick Voumard didn't have his best stuff. He admitted as much minutes after the Bulldogs' 5-1 season-ending loss to St. Mary's Wednesday in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 1 South final at UOP's Klein Family Field. "That kid pitched his butt off," said St. Mary's coach Peter Pijl.

Google Inc.'s new music service offers a lot of eye candy to go with the tunes. The song selection of around 18 million tracks is comparable to popular services such as Spotify and Rhapsody, and a myriad of playlists curated along different genres provides a big playground for music lovers.

Annika Jasek-Rysdahl, a 14-year-old freshman, says she began the journey to becoming a guide dog trainer because she has always been intrigued by the opportunity of helping people through animals.