Joe Cortez

1 week ago | turlockjournal.com | Joe Cortez

Kim Fuentez sat in a shady spot of the Denair High School lunch area, taking a break from a full day of feeding her community. All around her, people exited the DHS cafeteria with a barbecued chicken dinner, and headed for a table where they could enjoy their meal. “Friday is always a good day for a barbecue,” said Fuentes, who, just a few hours earlier, oversaw the distribution of barbecued hamburgers for lunch at nearby Denair Middle School.

1 week ago | turlockjournal.com | Joe Cortez

WASHINGTON — Rep. Adam Gray (D-Merced) and Rep. Young Kim (R-Anaheim Hills) introduced this week the Wildfire Response and Preparedness (WRAP) Act to establish a 30-minute national-standard response time to wildfire emergencies on federal lands. The bill would aid national fire suppression efforts by implementing a rapid response standard to quickly engage fire conditions as they emerge.

1 week ago | turlockjournal.com | Joe Cortez

Hundreds of protesters took part Saturday in Turlock’s “No Kings” rally — a protest focused on the policies of President Donald Trump — at the intersection of Monte Vista Avenue and Countryside Drive. “The turnout surpassed all our expectations,” said Daniel Miller, president of the Turlock Democratic Club. “I always base my expectations on what has happened in the past, and our previous protest, which was on Geer and Monte Vista, drew about 60 people.

2 weeks ago | turlockjournal.com | Joe Cortez

A routine disbursement of grant funds turned into yet another  discussion about the future of a homeless shelter during Tuesday’s city council meeting. Mulling the distribution of $70,000 in Community Development Block Grant money, the council was set to vote on giving $10,000 awards to seven different programs, including the cash-strapped We Care men’s homeless shelter. However, Mayor Amy Bublak resisted the idea of awarding money to We Care, claiming the shelter’s future is in doubt.

2 weeks ago | turlockjournal.com | Joe Cortez

City councilmember and businesswoman Erika Phillips, who somehow manages to find the time for a career as a bodybuilder, captured her first professional title last week at the Toronto Pro Supershow. The victory provided Phillips, who earned International Federation of Bodybuilding pro status with a 2021 victory in Pittsburgh, a berth in the Masters Olympia in Tokyo Aug. 9-10.