Keeping the Tuolumne County Horseshoe Club afloat has been a labor of love that has spanned more than two decades for 77-year-old Barbara Persson.
But, as the lifelong Tuolumne resident admits, it’s always nice to get a little recognition.![]()
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Presidential pitcher: Longtime volunteer honored after 22 years
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Obituaries for November 19, 2012
Clyde ‘Fred’ Rowden
Nov. 23, 1944 — Nov. 9, 2012
Former Sonora resident Clyde “Fred” Rowden died Nov. 9 in San Francisco. He was 67.
Mr. Rowden was born Pasadena to Clyde and Maxine Rowden.
He worked in the banking industry for more than 40 years and was president, chief lending officer and chief executive officer of several banks throughout California during his career.
He was the president and CEO of Central California Bank — now Umpqua Bank — in Sonora for a number of years in the early 2000s.
Mr. Rowden was also the founding president and CEO of 1st Capital Bank in Monterey.
He was on the board of directors of the Western Independent Bankers and the California Independent Bankers associations.
He helped many local businesses, individuals and not-for-profit organizations during his career.
Mr. Rowden was a member of several civic organizations including the Boys and Girls Club of the Monterey Peninsula, Monterey County Food Bank, California International Airshow, the Monterey Bay Blues Festival and the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Posse.
He enjoyed golfing and was a member of the Corral de Tierra Country Club and Salinas Golf and Country Club.
Mr. Rowden is survived by his wife of 41 years, Kathleen Rowden, of Salinas; his children and their spouses, Aaron and Melanie Rowden, of San Diego, and Carrie and Diego Jara, of San Francisco; and grandson Charlie Rowden, of San Diego.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to an account at 1st Capital Bank, all the proceeds of which will go to Mr. Rowden’s charities of choice.
A memorial service was held Saturday.
Struve and Laporte Funeral Home in Salinas handled the arrangements.
Roland L. Williams
Feb. 21, 1935 — Nov. 14, 2012
Twain Harte resident Roland L. Williams died Wednesday at his home from complications of Lewy body dementia. He was 77.
Mr. Williams was born in Ely, Nev., the oldest of four children to Chet and Esther Williams.
He was a licensed land surveyor and opened an engineering and land surveying business with business partner John Engvall in Sonora in 1965.
Mr. Williams was a member of several organizations and past president of the Sonora Lions Club, California Land Surveyors Association and Sonora Radio Control Flyers.
He was a licensed pilot and enjoyed flying both full-size and radio controlled airplanes, riding motorcycles, water and snow skiing. He also enjoyed building radio controlled planes and woodworking.
Mr. Williams was preceded in death by his father and his siblings, Roy Williams and Coral Williams; and granddaughter, Denay Williams.
He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Diane Williams, of Twain Harte; his mother, Esther Holober and her husband, Harold, of St. Helena; his children and their spouses, Dennis and Jackie Williams, of Borrego, Deborah Williams Portelance and Leon Portelance, of Sonora, Jim and Aniko Kaufmann, of Pittsburg, Pa., and Christopher and Tessa Hatler, of Sonora; his grandchildren, Toby Townsend, of Sacramento, Hayley Portelance and Westley Portelance, both of Sonora, Bella, Ellie, Emmit and Everest Hatler, all of Sonora; and his brother Rod Williams and his wife, Cyndi, of Santa Maria.
Donations in his memory can be made to Hospice of the Sierra, 20100 Cedar Road North, Sonora, CA 95370 or the Lewy Body Dementia Association, www.lbda.org.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday at Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Dambacher Mountain Memorial Cemetery in Sonora.
Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
Notices
BROWN — James Brown, 84, of Sonora, died Nov. 8 at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System Home. Heuton Memorial Chapel is handling arrangements.![]()
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News of record for November 19, 2012
TUOLUMNE COUNTY
The Sheriff’s Office reported the following:
THURSDAY
11:37 a.m., Sonora area — Someone attempted to break into a residence on the 12000 block of Red Maple Circle.
2:24 p.m., Strawberry — Fishing poles, DVDs and a TV were stolen from a house on the 27000 block of Summerhill Drive sometime in the past 45 days.
2:51 p.m., Crystal Falls — A GPS and iPod were stolen from an unlocked vehicle on the 21000 block of Crystal Falls Drive.
2:53 p.m., Crystal Falls — An iPod and flashlight were stolen from an unlocked vehicle on the 21000 block of Crystal Falls Drive.
3:43 p.m., East Sonora — Oxycontin was stolen from a residence on the 19000 block of Hess Avenue.
7:23 p.m., Sonora area — Keys and mail were stolen from an unlocked vehicle on the 17000 block of Plateau Road.
FRIDAY
4:48 a.m., Jamestown — A model train set was stolen from a residence on the 10000 block of Preston Lane.
Felony bookings
THURSDAY
2:21 a.m., Tuolumne — Allyssa Ann Jensen, 23, of the 22000 block of Conlin Trail, Sonora, was booked on suspicion of possession of drugs, violation of probation and failure to appear on bail, after an arrest at Black Oak Casino. She was also booked on suspicion of a misdemeanor charge of possession of a hypodermic needle and an infraction of possession of marijuana under one ounce.
Arrests
Cited on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs:
THURSDAY
1:06 a.m., Sonora area — Brian Marc Paul, 35, of the 300 Deerfield Circle, Copperopolis, was booked after an arrest near Highway 49.
CALAVERAS COUNTY
The Sheriff’s Office reported the following:
10:14 a.m., San Andreas — A burglary was reported on Calaveritas Road.
12:29 p.m., San Andreas — Battery was reported at Calaveras County Superior Court on Mountain Ranch Road.
3:35 p.m., Valley Springs — Battery was reported at Valley Springs Elementary School on Pine Street.
Felony bookings
THURSDAY
6:55 p.m., San Andreas — Sean Kelly O’Grady, 33, of the 6000 block of Doster Road, Mountain Ranch, was booked on suspicion of drug possession after an arrest on Highway 49 at Treat Avenue. He was also booked on suspicion of misdemeanor charges of possession of drugs and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.![]()
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Lode to get influx of holiday travelers
Travel is expected to increase slightly this Thanksgiving despite the financial quandaries many still face, according to a AAA Northern California travel forecast.
More than 5.4 million Californians are expected to travel 50 miles or more over the four-day weekend, a 0.6 percent increase from last year.![]()
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Lode jobless rate up slightly
Unemployment rose slightly in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties last month, according to figures released Friday by the California Employment Development Department.
The figure rose from 10.6 percent in September to 10.8 percent in October for Tuolumne County and from 11.8 percent to 12 percent in Calaveras County.![]()
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More storms in store?
The Mother Lode may see a break from the rain today and Tuesday but showers are likely to return Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.
Over the weekend, Sonora received 1.95 inches of rain bringing the season total to 3.69. Angels Camp received 2.52 inches for a season total of 4.26.
Last year on this date, Sonora had a season total of 2.96 inches of rain and 3.36 inches in Angels Camp.
Temperatures throughout the week will remain relatively mild with highs in the mid-60s and lows in the mid-40s in both Sonora and Angels Camp, the NWS said.
The weekend storms brought 13 inches of snow to Dodge Ridge Ski Area, which recorded 2 inches of snow at its base, 7 inches of snow at its summit and snow depths at 10 inches, according to its Sunday online ski report.
As of Saturday, Bear Valley Mountain Resort reported 3 inches of snow from the latest storm and a base depth of 15 inches, its online ski report said.
Through Wednesday, Sonora will see mild winds at 5 mph and 7 mph in Angels Camp.
Elevations above 6,500 feet may see snow late Tuesday into Wednesday.
Sonora, Ebbetts and Tioga passes are closed because of the weather.
Outdoor enthusiasts are advised to prepare for winter weather.
Caltrans advised motorists to prepare for the upcoming storm season and to have their vehicles winterized and to check road conditions before driving.
For road conditions, call 800-427-7623 or visit www.dot.ca.gov.![]()
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Copper man killed in So Cal hit and run
A 24-year-old Copperopolis man was killed last week after being struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run accident in Orange County, according to the Westminster Police Department.
At approximately 11:51 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 12, several citizens called the department to report a man lying in traffic on Beach Boulevard, south of 23rd Street in Westminster.
Police officers and Orange County Fire Authority paramedics found Brennon Solt lying dead in the street and surrounded by debris.
Officials determined Solt’s injuries were consistent with having been struck by at least one vehicle, which failed to stop while Solt was crossing the street and fled the scene without aiding him.
At approximately 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, Khuong Pham, 44, of Westminster, approached the front counter of the Police Department and claimed to be the driver in the hit-and-run accident.
After being interviewed, Pham led investigators to his Toyota RAV4, which was parked near his Westminster home just minutes from the scene.
Pham was arrested and booked into Orange County Jail on suspicion of felony hit-and-run involving death and vehicular manslaughter.
Solt was a land surveyor apprentice for Mid-Valley Engineering and was visiting Westminster on business.
He had completed his work before the accident and was scheduled to return to Copperopolis the next day.
Solt moved to Copperopolis from his hometown of Stockton about a year ago to be closer to his wife’s family, including her 8-year-old son, James Waldon. “He was a very amazing husband and a wonderful father,” his wife, Danielle Solt, said. “My whole family just loved him.”
The couple were married about four years ago after they met in Stockton while working for UPS, and had two kids together, Connor, 2, and Shelby, 1.
“Brennon is a wonderful young man,” said his father, Tyler Solt, of Stockton. “He loved his babies and his wife immensely.”
Solt, the youngest of his siblings, was nearing his 25th birthday on Nov. 17.
He was involved in a serious head-on collision with one of his brothers about six years ago, Tyler Solt said.
“We were blessed that they survived, so this is just heartbreaking,” he said.
Solt attended Bear Creek High School in Stockton and graduated from Jim Elliot Christian High School in Lodi in 2005.
He also attended San Joaquin Delta Community College in Stockton for general studies.
The accident was still under investigation Friday and it was unknown if Pham was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident, according to Westminster Police Sgt. Cameron Knauerhaze.
Knauerhaze said Solt was attempting to cross Beach Boulevard, a roadway that is heavily traveled during the time of the accident, and was not in a crosswalk.
The Police Department is not releasing information on Pham’s statements but Knauerhaze said Pham was influenced to turn himself in after seeing coverage in local media outlets.
Services for Solt will be held at noon Tuesday at Quail Lakes Baptist Church in Stockton and donations can be made to Bank of the West under the Brennon Henry Solt family.
Contact Christina O’Haver at cohaver@uniondemocrat.com or 588-4526.![]()
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Murphys woman dies in collision
A Murphys woman died Sunday afternoon in an auto collision on Highway 4, just west of Red Hawk Road.
The accident, near Avery, was reported to the California Highway Patrol about 1:25 p.m.
The woman, 50, who was not identified, was driving a 2002 Honda Civic east at an unknown speed when her car turned directly into the path of a westbound 2008 Honda Pilot carrying a Los Gatos family.
The Pilot collided with the left side of the Civic at about 45 mph.
The driver of the Pilot, Cindy Gentile, 53, and her passenger, Gregory Gentile, 58, were taken to Mark Twain St. Joseph’s Hospital in San Andreas for treatment of minor injuries.
Their passenger, Bronte Gentile, 14, was uninjured.
The road conditions were described as wet.![]()
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Stars shine in downpour
The best football players the Mother Lode Youth Athletic Conference has to offer played in a pair of All-Star games on Saturday at Dorroh Field in Angels Camp. In a steady downpour, the North varsity All-Stars prevailed over the South while the South junior All-Stars claimed victory over the North.![]()
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Obituaries for November 20, 2012
Notices
EASTMAN — Robert Clayton “Bob” Eastman, 81, of Altaville died Nov. 14 at his home. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Union Congregational Church, 1141 S. Main St. Angels Camp. A reception will follow at the Masonic Lodge 384, Church St. in Murphys. Angels Memorial Chapel is handling arrangements.
GRASSO — Former Sonora resident Joe Grasso, 69, died Friday at Alexander Cohen Hospice House in Hughson. Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
HACKER — Laura Lee (Belemecich) Hacker, 63, of Sonora, died Saturday at Sonora Regional Medical Center. Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
MARKARIAN — Deran Markarian, 92, of Sonora, died Friday at Sonora Regional Medical Center. Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
MOWRY — William Mowry, 64, of Sonora, died Sunday at Sonora Regional Medical Center. Heuton Memorial Chapel is handling arrangements.
SHAW — Vernon Shaw, 84, of Sonora, died Friday at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto. A visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home.
ZWINGE — Aneta Zwinge, 77, of Columbia, died Sunday at her home. Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home is handling arrangements.![]()
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News of record for November 20, 2012
TUOLUMNE COUNTY
The Sheriff’s Office reported the following:
FRIDAY
8:56 a.m., Groveland — A 26-year-old woman said she was possibly drugged at a business on the 33000 block of Evergreen Road.
11:11 a.m., Phoenix Lake area — A door on a detached garage was kicked in at a vacant home on the 21000 block of Paseo De Los Portales, and the back door was open.
11:21 a.m., Big Oak Flat — A black plastic pouch containing ATV tools and a Sheriff’s Office detective’s name and phone number was found at a business on the 11000 block of Wards Ferry Road.
11:27 a.m., Jamestown — A pellet stove, wood-burning stove, two ladders, a flathead Ford engine and miscellaneous tools and items were stolen from a residence on the 17000 block of Chicken Ranch Road.
1:50 p.m., Jamestown — A man was choking a woman at Main and Willow streets.
4:58 p.m., Twain Harte area — Two people were arrested on suspicion of burglary and other charges after a report that two television sets and jewelry were taken from a house on the 17000 block of Plateau Road.
8:15 p.m., Jamestown — A woman said she and her boyfriend came home to the 18000 block of Ninth Avenue and found the dining room window open and their outside dog in the house.
9:58 p.m., Columbia area — A woman on the 16000 block of Big Hill Road said another woman stole her cell phone two days prior.
SATURDAY
10:21 a.m., Mi-Wuk Village — A chainsaw and gasoline were stolen from a shed on the 24000 block of Live Oak Street.
11:03 a.m., Sonora — An iPhone was stolen from the 27000 block of Mechanical Drive.
12:24 p.m., Sonora area — A woman noticed that necklaces, old coins and 10 to 15 rings were stolen from her home on the 20000 block of Clavey Court. She had last seen the items eight to nine months ago.
2:02 p.m., La Grange area — Houseboat Mini Mart and Cafe on La Grange Road was broken into sometime Friday night.
9:42 p.m., Sonora — A person was going through items in a woman’s truck while it was parked at the Acorn Campground.
MONDAY
6:33 a.m., Groveland — A handgun was stolen out of a pickup truck on Hells Hollow Road.
Felony bookings
FRIDAY
1:02 a.m., Jamestown — Brian Lee Coker, 47, of the 1200 block of Howser Lane, Columbia, was booked on suspicion of altering or forging vehicle registration after an arrest on Highway 108. He was also booked on suspicion of misdemeanor driving with a suspended license and providing false evidence of financial responsibility.
2:45 p.m., Tuolumne — Randi Monique Opperman, 27, of the 5200 of East Garrett Avenue, Fresno, was booked on suspicion of assault, burglary, receiving known stolen property and conspiracy to commit crime. She was also booked on suspicion of misdemeanor possession of burglary tools, destroying or concealing evidence and petty theft.
6:30 p.m., Twain Harte — Tyler Joseph Staal, 22, a transient, was booked on suspicion of burglary, receiving known stolen property and conspiracy to commit crime after an arrest on Plateau Road. He was also booked on suspicion of misdemeanor possession of burglary tools and destroying or concealing evidence.
Arrests
Cited on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol:
FRIDAY
12:35 a.m., Groveland — Erin Hayes Whitby, 43, of the 12000 block of Pinebrook Way, Groveland, was booked after an arrest on Ferretti Road at Pine Mountain Lake.
Fires
WEDNESDAY
11:54 a.m., Groveland — An escaped debris burn caused a vegetation fire on the 19000 block of Ferretti Road. A 100-foot by 100-foot spot of grass was burned. No injuries were reported, and the fire was under control by 1:33 p.m.
The Sonora Police Department reported the following:
FRIDAY
11:53 a.m., suspicious circumstances — A caller said a man was looking into windows on Sonora Avenue and had the caller’s baseball bat.
12:07 p.m., theft — A man said his blue California king mattress was taken from the back of his truck sometime in the last three days. He found it behind a gate on Linoberg Street.
1:09 p.m., theft — A man said his credit card was stolen while he was sleeping behind Grocery Outlet, and $259.37 was charged to the card on Nov. 13.
2:05 p.m., traffic accident — A head-on collision on South Washington Street resulted in minor damage to both vehicles.
2:34 p.m., theft — A woman said someone apparently pried open the back window to steal a purse from her friend’s locked truck while it was parked on Fairview Lane.
SATURDAY
1:44 a.m., public intoxication — A 57-year-old man was arrested for public intoxication at South Stewart and Lyons streets.
6:48 p.m., driving under the influence — A Sonora Regional Medical Center patient left the hospital in a vehicle while being treated for intoxication.
CALAVERAS COUNTY
The Sheriff’s Department reported the following:
FRIDAY
11:02 a.m., San Andreas — Vandalism occurred at Calaveras River Academy on Old Oak Road.
Noon, San Andreas — Someone spit on the front door and windows at Pioneer Apartments on West Saint Charles Street.
12:07 p.m., San Andreas — A cosmetology student on High School Street said she saw another student take a mannequin head.
1:28 p.m., Arnold — Someone dumped nails in a mud puddle by White Pines Lake on Blagen Road so that when a man drove through the puddle, he got nails in his tires.
11:04 p.m., Valley Springs — Trucks were trespassing at the Water Treatment Plant to drive around in the mud.
SATURDAY
10:43 a.m., San Andreas — A residence on Russell Road was broken into and items were taken.
2:48 p.m., San Andreas — A medal with sentimental value was stolen from a home on Pope Street.
4:31 p.m., San Andreas — Juveniles were hunting turkeys with a BB gun.
Felony bookings
FRIDAY
7:30 a.m., Valley Springs — Jordan Michael Frey, 22, of the 700 block of St. Andrews Drive was booked on suspicion of child cruelty after an arrest on the 500 block of La Contenta Drive.
10:57 a.m., Mokelumne Hill — Martha Sue Looney, 71, of the 20000 block of Smith Road was booked on suspicion of harming an elder, kidnapping, first degree burglary, conspiracy to commit crime and false imprisonment with violence, after an arrest at her home.
10:57 a.m., Mokelumne Hill — Debra Ann Mendoza, 49, of the 20000 of Smith Road was booked on suspicion of harming an elder dependent and false imprisonment with violence.
11:30 a.m., San Andreas — Amber Dawn Alice Hawthorne, 30, of the 300 block of Russell Road, was booked on suspicion of possession of drugs, after an arrest at his home. He was also booked on suspicion of misdemeanor being under the influence of drugs, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and possession of unlawful paraphernalia.
SATURDAY
5:28 p.m., Sheep Ranch — Thomas James McNicholas, 46, of the Tanwood RV and Mobile Home Park, Avery, was booked on suspicion of violation of probation, after an arrest in the Sheep Ranch area. He was also booked on suspicion of misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
7:16 p.m., Mokelumne Hill — Ellen Renee Link, 58, of the 4900 block of Lone Star Road, Wilseyville, was booked on suspicion of assault after an arrest on the 4500 block of Railroad Flat Road.
SUNDAY
1:46 a.m., West Point — Eric Anthony Buhl, 21, of the 200 block of Matson Lane was booked on suspicion of assasult after an arrest on the 22000 block of Highway 26.
2:15 a.m., Angels Camp — Hulises Ramon Avila, 30, of the 300 block of Live Oak Drive, was booked on suspicion of assault after an arrest near his home.![]()
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What’s up with the dead salmon in the Stanislaus?
Boaters and fishermen who visit the Stanislaus River above New Melones Reservoir might be surprised to see hundreds of dead fish littering the shores.
Officials say the carcasses near Camp 9 are part of a natural phenomenon that takes place in the fall — the kokanee salmon spawn.![]()
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Movie theater misfire rattles
The Sonora Police Department is investigating a weekend incident in which an off-duty prison employee accidentally discharged a firearm inside the Regal Cinemas theater on Sanguinetti Road.
The incident was reported at 4:47 p.m. Friday, apparently during a showing of “Taken: 2.”![]()
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Kidnap, abuse alleged in Moke Hill
Two Mokelumne Hill women were arrested Friday after allegedly kidnapping a 69-year-old woman last week, according to the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office.
At approximately 3 p.m. Nov. 11, Martha Sue Looney, 71, and her daughter, Debra Ann Mendoza, 49, allegedly contacted the woman at her Mokelumne Hill home and offered to fix her hair and makeup.![]()
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Hostess snacks fly off shelves
Buying a Twinkie in the Mother Lode right now could be a challenge.
With the once-ubiquitous snack cake’s future in jeopardy, supplies of the cream-filled sponge cake are dwindling.![]()
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Movie train to visit Sonora
On Saturday, Dec. 1, for one night only, Railtown 1897 State Historic Park’s Sierra No. 3 will visit Sonora to thank the community for helping keep Railtown rolling and to show off the restored locomotive.
It will be stopped from 5 to 8 p.m. at South Washington Street and Hospital Road.![]()
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Mental Health's Down retiring
Calaveras County Behavioral Health Services Director Rita Downs will retire in late January.
Downs, 68, announced her retirement just as County Administrative Officer Jeanne Boyce, 57, her former immediate supervisor as Health Services Agency director, said she will be stepping down as of Dec. 30.![]()
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Knife wielding, vandalism net probation
A Campo Seco man who allegedly entered a Valley Springs home May 6 with a knife and tried to break into a pregnant woman’s locked bedroom was sentenced Monday to three years’ probation on felony vandalism charges.
As part of a plea agreement, charges against Phillip Anthony Romero, 46, related to the incident — including threatening someone with a knife, criminal trespassing and public drunkenness — were dropped.![]()
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Arnold burglar faces six years
An Arnold man accused of involvement in a rash of summer burglaries in the Pinebrook subdivision was sentenced Monday on a first-degree burglary conviction.
Eric Scott Schroeder, 24, received a jail sentence that credited him for completing 109 days served since his Aug. 2 arrest at his home. He will remain on formal probation for three years and could face six years in state prison if he violates the terms of the sentence.![]()
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Datebook for Nov. 20-28
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