3 or 4 votes to fire, that’s the question

City Administrator Leon Compton is heading towards retirement. Kevin Werner – he's the city engineer doubling as the deputy city administrator for the City of Ripon – is the strong favorite for the position. The Ripon City Council, meanwhile, is looking into the ordinance involving the position that's stood for 60 years. As it stands, it takes a 3-2 vote from elected leaders to hire a City Administrator but a 4-1 vote to remove that ...

BURYING THE DEAD

Death and dying on state highways has become an accepted consequence of getting where we need to go. And having a drink for the road often signs the fate of the innocent.

Police arrests part of pressure on drug, gang activity in Ripon

The reassignment of an officer to the investigations division has helped the Ripon Police Department step up arrests.

Helping sexual assault victims

April is sexual assault awareness month. At Tuesday's Ripon City Council meeting, Raman Dhindsa of the Women's Center Youth and Family Services encouraged every person in town to end sexual violence and support survivors by providing prevention education regarding sexual assault issues. She's the FOCUS program manager for the Women's Center of San Joaquin based in Stockton. Elected leaders supported the cause with a proclamation. "The Women's Center has set an important example of how ...

BODY BAG JARS TEENS

Three Ripon High juniors told of the impact the Every 15 Minutes DUI drama had on them as they reflected upon the horror of the simulated crash scene at the high school campus Tuesday morning that claimed the lives of two of their classmates.

Go fly a kite at Mistlin Sports Park

This year's 'Color the Skies' will be an abbreviated version. In this case, no hot air balloons, sky divers, or vendors, but rather running events followed by a kite show at Mistlin Sports Park on Aug. 31. Jessica Coleman promises the hot air balloons will be back for 2014. At Tuesday's Ripon City Council meeting, she listed the current construction of the softball fields at Mistlin as one reason for the change. "We didn't want ...

ON THE MARCH

On Tuesday morning, well before the chime of the first school bell, retired Col. Patrick Dunn put his students through their final paces.

Police train for unthinkable

SWAT officers – some seven in number – from Manteca and Ripon police departments put on a three hour emergency response drill Monday at the Ripon High School campus that included a question and answer session in the school library.

PARK VIEW SOARS TO 1ST

Park View Elementary students took home a first place in Aerodynamics competition along with other awards from the recent 27th Annual San Joaquin County Science Olympiad completion in Stockton.

10 Ripon FFA members earn state degrees

Eleven members of the Ripon FFA Chapter attended the Northern California State Degree and Regional Proficiency Award Ceremony on March 19.

Hoping to get a lift from city

It's deemed the largest hot air balloon festival in Central California. Color the Skies takes place annually in Ripon on Labor Day weekend. Last year's event featured 20 colorful balloons, making for a carnival-like event with all proceeds going to the Children's Hospital of Central California. Jessica Coleman, who, along with her husband Greg, founded this hot air balloon festival in 2006, is scheduled to attend Tuesday's Ripon City Council meeting. She's seeking a facility-use ...

Ripon High wrestler Smith’s mettle earned him medal & honors

Trevor Smith had been here before, caught between disappointment and opportunity. In 2012, the Ripon wrestler lost his first match of the CIF State Championships in the semifinal round and never recovered, slipping to a sixth-place medal. He was a victim of The Semi Slide. Faced with a similar situation earlier this month, The Bulletin's Boys Wrestler of the Year made sure his semifinal loss was his only loss. "It was pretty much remembering what ...

She’s got a doggone good job

Alexandra Queen is the first 100 percent dedicated animal control officer in Ripon since the budget cuts of 2010 that split the duties between two of the police department's community service officers.

FINALLY PLAYING AT HOME

These are exciting times for the Ripon High girls soccer program. For the first time in their 16 years history, the Indians were playing on campus under the lights at the recently renovated Stouffer Field. "It was special today just see them play in front of their school mates," said Bryce Perkins, who has been the RHS assistant coach under Jose Bobadilla since 2003. Never mind that the match against Hilmar didn't have the state-of-the-arts ...

It’s a honey of a pure food

'When I was a young man going to college, my father wisely shared his wisdom on life. Whatever you choose to do in life, do it because you love it, not because it will make you wealthy. Wealth is no substitution for happiness.

Ripon High water gun battle has $324 payday

This was the second week of Assassination. What is Assassination? It's probably not what you're thinking.

Ripon collecting unwanted drugs & syringes today

Rid your homes of unwanted prescription drugs and prevent drug abuse by dropping those expired pill bottles into a collection container today at the request of the Ripon Police Department.

Ripon Police listening to residents on Wednesday

Ripon Police Sergeant Danny Sauer will conduct a casual meeting with the residents of his beat area Wednesday night in the department's classroom facility at 259 North Wilma Avenue.

Marissa’s Closet benefit on Saturday

Marissa's Closet would like their friends and supporters to eat together and dance the night away in a fundraiser at Ripon's Community Center Saturday night from 6 until midnight.

Uncle Sam to Ripon: Go to Sacramento

Ripon's request for $3.5 million in federal funds to tap into the South San Joaquin County Surface Water Treatment plant is taking leaders to Sacramento next week.

Ripon Unified board yet to decide on principal

Candidates for two administrative positions were interviewed earlier this week at the Ripon Unified district office.

Ripon Police planning bicycle safety rodeos at Ripona, Parkview, Weston

Bicycle rodeos offered by the Ripon Police Department underscore safety of the community's school children. Officer Trevor McGinnis directed the first event at Ripon Elementary School yesterday with others to follow on May 1 through May 15.

Ripona jog-a-thon raises $10,000

Ripona Elementary School's annual jog-a-thon brought in some $10,000 for the school in the hour-long run Wednesday morning on the school's turf – bested only by the excitement seen on their faces.

Ripon getting ready for big clean-up effort

A city-wide cleanup is scheduled for next month.

RHS parking lot upgrades next

A Phase One construction update was presented to the Ripon Unified School District trustees earlier this month by Stephanie Hobbs, spokeswoman for the Ripon Community Athletic Foundation.

New digs allows Main Street Floral expansion

Main Street Floral has long been established in Ripon's downtown business community.

Three Ripon suicides in week

A man believed to be about 60 years old was found hanging in the predawn hours Monday morning in a Ripon park. He was the third suspected suicide in the past week.

Police seek suspect in indecent exposure case

An elementary school student on their way to school was reportedly accosted by a male suspect in the 200 block of S. Acacia Ave. near Second Street at 7:20 a.m. Monday.

City of Ripon community yard sale set for May 4

Looking to make a pretty penny on some unwanted items?

Diamond Pet Food works on odor