Garth Stapley

Saving more dogs and cats – and easing frustrations of people passionate about them – is the ultimate goal of a new effort to improve how animal services are managed in Modesto and much of Stanislaus County. Spurred by unsettling stories about substandard... See more

Monthly garbage bills in Modesto are likely to climb about $3 soon, even if the city manages to end garbage companies’ virtual monopolies. The companies’ contracts with City Hall are extremely difficult to cancel, putting customers – essentially everyone ... See more

UPDATE: During a contentious more than three-hour meeting Tuesday, Dec. 16, the MID Board of Directors voted against continuing the investigation into alleged inappropriate out-of-district water use by longtime Board Director Larry Byrd. The board voted 2... See more

A Modesto judge is suing her local and state bosses, claiming disability discrimination and whistleblower retaliation. Stanislaus Superior Court Judge Linda McFadden’s Lyme disease can be aggravated by allergens from a courthouse tunnel used to transport ... See more

Two civil rights organizations may sue Modesto because its elected leaders on Tuesday refused to repeal an ordinance prohibiting people at protests from wearing masks. Representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union and the First Amendment Coalition... See more