Later this year, we'll see what $37 million can do to educate Californians about the federal health care program.

Prosecutors Thursday filed new charges against a 53-year-old Turlock man found not guilty of murder in the death of another man in a suspected road rage case from 2010. Michael Joseph Hoyt, 53, appeared in Stanislaus County Superior Court on the new charges, which stem from a fight he had with Ken Winter, 67, of Hilmar outside of Turlock.

The Heart of Rock & Roll is still beatin’. And it’ll be pounding hard at the Stanislaus County Fair July 17 when longtime favorite Huey Lewis and The News takes the free stage.

High schoolers snooze through first period while elementary kids raring to go.

If you're making plans for this weekend, you've got a lot of opportunities in the area. This weekend packs a major festival punch, from Modesto to the Mother Lode. On tap are the Modesto Family Cycling Festival and Harvest Moon Criterium; the Oakdale Chocolate Festival; and the Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee.

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Eighteen students from Latin America and the Caribbean dug right into a lesson at Modesto Junior College this week. They potted seedlings in the east campus greenhouse as part of their two-year stint in Scholarships for Education and Economic Development.

In an effort to curb gang violence, more than 100 peace officers from local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies are making their way around Stanislaus County on parole and probation sweeps. Some 115 gang members are the target of the sweep that will continue through the evening.

The Modesto Chamber of Commerce has an ambitious economic development plan to stop what it sees as missed opportunities and bring prosperity to the city. The proposal calls for more shovel-ready land to attract businesses; upgrading Highway 132 from two to four lanes so it can serve as a direct link to the Bay Area; and improving other major roads.

Denair Unified School District is moving ahead with its superintendent search, holding a town hall meeting for public input June 4 and setting a fast pace to find and vet candidates. If all goes well, the town will be toasting its new school leader at a reception Sept. 12.

Bands will be serenading seniors with "Pomp and Circumstance" next week across Modesto. Families have hair appointments to make, parties to arrange and graduation tickets to mete out like precious gold. Craigslist posts already offer $20 to $50 each for tickets that seniors get for free.

Turlock police arrested a 60-year-old man on drug charges after finding him in possession of more than 40 bags of methamphetamine, authorities said.

Anyone whose hand has cramped while signing real estate documents knows the sticker shock of those huge numbers. Spending school bond money, on the other hand, usually happens with an "aye" and a community cheer.

Here is the 911 call from the home of Leila Fowler after the 8-year-old Calaveras County girl was found in the home stabbed.

A 12-year-old boy accused of fatally stabbing his 8-year-old sister, Leila Fowler, in their Valley Springs home has appeared in closed juvenile court proceedings to hear charges against him.

A series of blazes fueled by wind and dry conditions kept area firefighters busy Tuesday and into Wednesday. The first grass fire started at 1:24 p.m. Tuesday in thick brush along Dry Creek behind the county health offices on Scenic Drive, said Modesto Regional Fire Authority Battalion Chief Cecil Ridge.

Modesto police responded to two shooting reports at the same residence within a day, authorities said. One person suffered a minor wound in the second incident, which was reported Tuesday at 11:22 p.m. in the 700 block of Empire Avenue.

Turlock police arrested a 60-year-old man on drug charges after finding him in possession of more than 40 bags of methamphetamine, authorities said. According to a news release the department’s Narcotics Enforcement Team served a search warrant in the 1000 block of North Olive Avenue on Tuesday.

A pedestrian died in a hit-and-run accident early Wednesday morning on Highway 99 in Turlock, the California Highway Patrol reported. The incident happened at 1:17 a.m.

A new trial to resolve a deputy's discrimination claims kicked off Tuesday, with Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson expected to testify next week.

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The National Transportation Safety Board recommended Tuesday that states lower their threshold for drunken driving with the goal of reducing alcohol-related fatal crashes. Modesto-area law enforcement supported the plan.

California's health exchange has awarded $37 million in grants to educate up to 9 million consumers about the Affordable Care Act, with most of the funding going to outreach plans targeting a dozen or more counties.

Thousands of Modesto youth soccer players finally have a home of their own. The City Council voted 7-0 on Tuesday to approve an agreement between the city and the Modesto Youth Soccer Association that calls for the MYSA to operate the soccer complex at the new Mary Grogan Community Park.

Gov. Jerry Brown moved Tuesday to blunt appeals for increased spending, downgrading his budget proposal from January. But the Central Valley stands to gain from a boost to the state average on base funding by grade, with extra dollars to help low-income students and English-language learners.

It's not enough to ace the tests. A Johansen High program picked as a model by the California Department of Education grades students on job performance, researching social causes and active citizenship.

Friday is Love Our Neighborhoods Night, a time to hold a block party, have a movie night in the driveway, deliver cookies or fire up the barbecue in the front yard.

California lawmakers now will help plant another farm bill, hoping it will bear fruit for the state's frustrated growers.

A two-alarm fire broke out Tuesday afternoon in the 1200 block of Rouse Avenue in Modesto, displacing seven people.

The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors took the following action Tuesday:

Modesto Irrigation District leaders unanimously agreed Tuesday to sell idled power plant equipment for a fraction of the price they paid for it seven years ago.

Around the Region (5/15/13)

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. plans a controlled release of natural gas at Coffee Road and Claratina Avenue this morning, a process that can produce a loud, sound like an engine and intermittent smells.

The city of Modesto's customer services lobby at 1010 10th St. will be closed to the public Friday and Monday for construction. It will reopen Tuesday at 8:30 a.m.

Yesteryears (5/15/13)

Modesto Irrigation District leaders this morning will discuss making the best of a bad business deal that cost ratepayers more than $2 million. Unloading useless 7-year-old power plant equipment for 13 cents on the dollar seems smarter than junking it for even less, says a report about a water treatment system that hasn't seen action in nearly two years.

The father of a 12-year-old boy arrested in the fatal stabbing of his 8-year-old sister said Monday that he will believe his son is innocent until he is shown evidence that proves otherwise.

A fire broke out Tuesday afternoon in the 1200 block of Rouse Avenue. The home appeared to be vacant, but firefighters were going through with flashlights to be sure. Crews with the Ceres Fire Department, Westport Fire District, Burbank Paradise Protection District and the Modesto Regional Fire Authority were on scene. We'll have more information on the fire later tonight.

A backpack left in a restroom at Kaiser Modesto Medical Center resulted in a call to the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department bomb squad.

Modesto police identified a man they say robbed the Valley First Credit Union at 1419 J Street on Tuesday. Officers’ were dispatched to the bank at about 11:30 a.m. after the suspect, identified as Troy Lee Mitchell, 47, of Modesto, handed the clerk a note that demanded money.

The Turlock Irrigation District board today approved a small increase in the amount of water available to its farmers. The cap is now 34 inches per acre over the 2013 irrigation season, up from the 30 inches set in February amid concerns about dry conditions.

The Public Employment Relations Board has ordered Modesto City Schools back to the bargaining table with its support staff, union negotiators said.

A senior management consultant for the Stanislaus County chief executive office will take over leadership of the county's smallest city. The Hughson City Council on Tuesday announced the appointment of Raul L. Mendez as city manager.

Police are looking for a 20-year-old Modesto man after stabbing left two people hurt in southwest Modesto. According to police reports, James Ingram was involved in an argument with family members of a woman he was dating when the fight turned physical.

Graduating students at more than a dozen California public universities will have to hand over money before they are handed their diplomas. Across the state, 15 of Cal State’s 23 campuses have graduation fees, the Oakland Tribune reported. That includes California State University, Stanislaus

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The last time George Souliotes was tried on murder charges, federal appellate judges say, his publicly financed Modesto attorneys did a lousy job. Souliotes now has a nationally recognized attorney with an astounding winning record.

Stanislaus County supervisors may approve a trial life jacket loan program to run May 25 to Sept. 1 at Woodward Reservoir where several drownings have occurred in recent years.

The Stanislaus Wildlife Care Center in Hughson is holding its annual Baby Animal Shower on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is a way for the center to collect items it needs to care for injured and orphaned animals. It's looking for everything from paper towels and receiving blankets to rubber gloves and heating pads. Cookies and punch will be served, videos will play in the lobby all day, and there will be activities for kids. Of course, visitors will get to meet and learn about the center's educational animals, including Curley the barn owl, Bella the red fox, the snakes Slither and Oreo, Otis the screech owl, and others. Clockwise from top, a 3-month-old possum is pictured in a hammock at the center Monday afternoon; 1-day-old wood ducks get on their feet; center director Donna Burt holds an 8-week-old coyote; and an 8-day-old barn owl is fed bits of mice. These animals — which are not part of the educational menagerie — will not be on public view. The center is on two acres along the Tuolumne River in Fox Grove Regional Park. For directions and more about the Baby Animal Shower, visit the center's website at www.stanislauswildlife.org.

An arraignment for seven men indicted on murder charges by a criminal grand jury was postponed for a third time Monday.