Feed the Need Canned Food Drive: Get into the Kern County Fair for free Sept. 23

September 5, 2014, 12:01 pm

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Kern County Fair attendees who bring four non-expired canned food items to the fair on Tuesday, Sept. 23 between 3 and 9 p.m. will get in for free, courtesy of the Community Action Partnership of Kern Food Bank.

CAPK volunteers will be present to accept donations inside the Main Gate, Belle Terrace, and Union Avenue entrances.

The organization says that it has teamed up with the Kern County Fair to spread awareness of food insecurity throughout Kern County, as part of its Feed the Need Canned Food Drive.

According to CPAK, Kern County is number one in food insecurity in California, with The Food Research and Action Center placing Bakersfield as the leader in food hardship in the United States.

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Police seeking suspects for vehicle burglary

September 5, 2014, 1:01 pm

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Police are asking for assistance with identifying and locating suspects wanted for vehicle burglary.

The Bakersfield Police Department says the suspects were seen casing a vehicle in the parking lot of the Body Exchange at 7961 White Lane at 1 p.m., Aug. 26.

The suspects left, but later returned to the parking lot and forced entry into the vehicle, removed valuables, and fled the scene in their own vehicle, according to police.

The suspects are described as two Hispanic males in their late teens to early 20s, with thin builds. One was wearing a black baseball cap, black sleeveless T-shirt, black shorts and white tennis shoes. The other was wearing a white baseball cap, white T-shirt, and black shorts.

The suspect vehicle is described as a tan mid-2000s Chevrolet Tahoe with black running boards.

Police encourage anyone with information regarding this case to contact Detective Dennis Murphy at 661-326-3567, or BPD at 661-327-7111.

Anonymous text messages can be sent to 274637 by sending BPDCRIMES along with a message.

Community event will offer disaster preparedness tips and info

September 5, 2014, 1:10 pm

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif.– The Kern Medical Reserve Corps will host a community preparedness fair designed to assist families in developing a plan of action in case of an emergency.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Central Park at Mill Creek on 21st and

R Street

on Saturday, Sept. 6.

In correspondence with National Preparedness Month in September, the KMRC will offer an opportunity for the community to meet local first responders, learn CPR and gather emergency preparedness information.

Patrons will also get to see how public, private, and volunteer agencies are prepared to respond during a disaster.

“This event will be helpful in preparing our community. Experts will be on hand to provide residents with the emergency preparedness knowledge and tools for their families and pets” - Kern County Public Health Services Department

County officials accuse LA of illegally dumping greenwaste in Lebec

September 5, 2014, 2:00 pm

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif.– KernCounty has issued a letter to the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation for violating laws regarding mulch sent to a transfer site near Lebec.

The county has stated that a fine of nearly $900,000 has been sent to LA’s sanitation bureau for illegally dumping southland greenwaste.

According to the Kern County Agriculture Commissioner, LA dumped 280 truckloads of greenwaste at the site between June and December 2013. County officials add that LA never notified the county.

Additionally, the county claims the mulch dumping violated several state quarantines designed to contain certain pests that could threaten the valley’s agriculture industry, according to Kern County Agriculture Commissioner Ruben Arroyo.

Local agriculture officials are particularly concerned with about the Asian Citrus Psyllid, which could have a detrimental impact on the citrus industry.

Officials with LA’s sanitation bureau are reviewing the issue further but currently dispute the claim, stating the greenwaste identified in the notice was transported in compliance with all applicable state laws.

The Mountain Enterprise newspaper in Frazier Park broke this story with an exclusive report on Thursday morning.

Supervisors to discuss hiring new CFO at KMC

September 5, 2014, 2:40 pm

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Bakersfield, Calif.– During a closed session meeting on Monday, Sept. 8, KernCounty supervisors will gather to discuss recruiting and hiring a new chief financial officer for the KernMedicalCenter.

In August, supervisors terminated the contract of then CFO Sandra Martin, for reasons that have not been specified.

The move comes after the state legislature approved creating a new hospital authority that would takeover management at KMC, which supervisors said is an opportunity to introduce new leadership and a new direction.

Alon looking to upgrade Rosedale refinery

September 5, 2014, 3:17 pm

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif.– Kern County Supervisors have green lit Alon USA to upgrade the refinery on Rosedale Highway and resume operations.

Alon bought the refinery out of the previous owner’s bankruptcy in 2008 and restarted the refining process in 2011 to convert gas oil into finished fuels.

Alon states that much of what they want to do is already covered by existing permits and will not increase the facility’s current capacity of 70,000 barrels a day.

Now, Alon will be looking to expand the amount of oil it could ship in and out by railroad pipeline.

The review was conducted by the Planning and Community Development Department. Supervisors are set to discuss the permit changes on Tuesday.

Kern supervisors discuss supporting new Indian casino

September 5, 2014, 3:30 pm

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Bakersfield, Calif.– During the Kern County Supervisors’ meeting on Tuesday, they will discuss writing a letter of support for a proposed land deal near Mettler that could be the future home of an Indian hotel and casino.

KGET reported in June that the Tejon Indian Tribe was in negotiations to bring 300 acres of what is currently farmland into trust, which would allow the tribe to create a sovereign nation.

In considering a letter of support, the planning department notes the typical Indian casino contributes $63 million to the local economy.

The tribe said it is still in the planning stages and that a casino is years away from being completed.

Taft and Highland varsity football game cancelled Friday

September 5, 2014, 4:05 pm

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The Taft and Highland High School varsity football game has been canceled, Kern High School District officials announced Friday afternoon. The JV and Freshman games were expected to continue. 

The game was set to take place at Foothill High School in east Bakersfield.

No immediate reason was given for the cancellation.  The Taft Union High School District was expected to release more information through a news release Friday evening. 

The following is a news release from the Taft Union High School District: 

Administrators at Taft Union High School were made aware of two serious incidents Friday involving the school’s varsity football program. The incidents occurred in the past week and involved players being subjected to unacceptable and embarrassing treatment by other players.

As a result of an ongoing investigation, the district has taken the following actions today:

•First, tonight’s(Friday's) varsity football game against Highland has been cancelled, since most of the varsity football team was involved (the JV team will play tonight);
•Second, we have cancelled tomorrow’s(Saturday's) trip to UCLA. The football teams had been scheduled to attend a UCLA football game tomorrow(Saturday);
•Third, appropriate disciplinary measures have been taken with the students who were involved and we are continuing to investigate and evaluate other measures needed to address these incidents and prevent similar future behavior.

“I am appalled that such behavior took place within our football program,” said Blanca Cavazos, Taft Union High School District Superintendent. “The safety of our students is our number one priority and providing a safe, welcoming place for all students is imperative.”

Further details will be provided as the district’s investigation concludes and more information becomes available.

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Police arrest man suspected of DUI after fatal collision

September 8, 2014, 8:03 am

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The coroner's office has released the name of a woman who died in the hospital Monday after being struck by an SUV Sunday.

Maria Laquin, 67, was sitting in a motorized scooter when the vehicle hit her at 3015 Wilson Road on Sunday, according to police.

She was taken to Kern Medical Center, where she died from her injuries.  An autopsy is scheduled for this week.

In the meantime, police have arrested a man suspected of hit and run and DUI.  He has been identified as 63-year-old Renold Elder, of Bakersfield.  

Protesters, family gather to keep David Silva's death in the public eye

September 8, 2014, 8:21 am

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Protesters gathered at the Kern County Superior Court Sunday to bring attention to what they say was the unjust death of David Silva.

Silva died last year while in Kern County Sheriffs’ custody, after officers responded to a call of a possibly intoxicated person outside of Kern Medical Center.

Protesters said the intent of the rally was to remind the public that they are still fighting for justice.

Silva’s mother, Merri Silva, said that the rally was a healing process for her grandchildren.

“Thank goodness we have tapes where they can listen to him and see him,” she said. “With this rally, I think they realize, hey, there are people out here that love him, and believe him, and believe in justice.”

The county coroner’s office says Silva died from hypertensive heart disease, complicated by drug and alcohol intoxication, along with other factors.

Bakersfield College expanding fall classes in wake of added state funds

September 8, 2014, 9:00 am

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Bakersfield College has expanded its fall courses, adding 20 classes which start Sept. 15 to its schedule.

The courses begin at BC’s main and Delano campuses after the school’s traditional semester, which started on Aug. 25.

BC spokesperson Amber Chiang said an increased state budget has allowed the school the resources to expand courses in general education classes.

The full list of late-start classes can be found at the school’s website.

Downtown DUI checkpoint ends in seven arrests

September 8, 2014, 11:07 am

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The AVOID the 18 Kern DUI Task Force arrested five people for driving under the influence, and two more for felonies, at the checkpoint held on 24th Street Saturday.

The checkpoint was held between 7 p.m. and 2 a.m. in the 3100 block of 24th Street on Sept. 6.

In addition to arrests, 18 drivers were found with invalid driver licenses, eight of them found with suspended licenses. A total of 19 vehicles were impounded. Officers released eight vehicles which were being held for driver license violations.

Police report that 2,419 vehicles passed through the location, and 1,500 of those were screened.

The AVOID the 18 Kern DUI Task Force consists of officers from several local law enforcement agencies.

BPD urges anyone who suspects an impaired driver to call 911. Anonymous tips can be sent to 274637 by sending BPDCRIMES along with a message.

Report: Ray Rice cut by Baltimore Ravens

September 8, 2014, 12:16 pm

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(NEW YORK DAILY NEWS) - Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was sacked by his team Monday — and suspended by the NFL — after a horrific new video showing him decking his fiancée in a casino elevator emerged.
“The #Ravens have terminated RB Ray Rice's contract this afternoon,” the team announced in a terse tweet.
Less than an hour later, an NFL spokesman tweeted that pro-football commissioner Roger Goodell had given Rice the boot.
“Roger Goodell has announced that based on new video evidence that became available today, he has indefinitely suspended Ray Rice,” Greg Aiello wrote.
The double hit on Rice came amid renewed outrage over the way the NFL has handled the scandal — and as Ravens coach John Harbaugh scheduled an 8 p.m. news conference, where the running back’s future was expected to be discussed.
Rice, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in four straight seasons for the Ravens, was already in the doghouse after a disappointing 2013 season during which he gained 660 yards and scored just four touchdowns.
There was no immediate comment from Rice, but the suspension means he may never play NFL football again.

“It means no team can sign him at this point,” a league insider said. “To be reinstated, he has to go through the league.”
The new footage posted by TMZ.com on Monday showed Rice knocking out Janay Palmer seconds after the doors closed — and sent shockwaves across professional football.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had taken heat for suspending Rice for just two games after the first batch of tape emerged last month showing the player dragging his unconscious wife out of the elevator.
Confronted with the new footage, Goodell insisted he had never seen it before.
“We requested from law enforcement any and all information about the incident, including the video from inside the elevator,” the NFL said in a statement. “That video was not made available to us. And no one in our office has seen it until today.”
Contacted by The Daily News, the Atlantic County prosecutor's office declined to comment on the video or the NFL’s claim that they never saw it.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/video-ray-rice-punching-then-fiancee-casino-elevator-emerges-article-1.1931889#ixzz3CklfIjb1) - 

Tevis Junior High vice principal arrested for bringing gun on campus files claim against the city, police department

September 8, 2014, 12:48 pm

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The vice principal arrested for bringing a handgun on the Tevis Junior High campus Aug. 28 has filed a claim against the city and Bakersfield Police Department.

The claim is the first step in filing a lawsuit. Kent Williams, vice principal of Tevis Junior High, said that he feels his second amendment rights were violated, and he was falsely arrested when Bakersfield police arrived on the campus.

Police had received a tip that there was a gun on campus from a school employee. They found it in a backpack in Williams’ office.

Williams said he brought the gun for the protection of himself and his students.

“I read the paper. I watched the news,” Williams said. “I see all the incidents taking place across the country, and I figured I would go about it the proper way: get trained and get a license, and that’s what I did.”

He would not specify how long he had been bringing the weapon on campus.

Williams has worked as an educator for 27 years. He is currently on paid administrative leave with the Panama Buena Vista Union School District.

His attorney, Daniel Rodriguez, said Williams notified the campus supervisor that he brought the weapon. Rodriguez said the retired police officer also brought a gun to school.

Rodriguez said that Williams’ concealed carry permit allows him to carry the gun. The officers who arrested Williams were confused about the law, consulted a supervisor, and arrested him anyway, according to Rodriguez.

BPD spokesman Joe Grubbs said that neither the department, nor the city, had seen the claim. Even if they had, they could not comment on legal matters, he said.

PBVUSD has not yet commented to KGET about the claim, but in a prior interview, the assistant superintendent of educational services said that in the past seven years, only one person has asked for permission to carry a gun on campus.

That request was denied, the assistant superintendent said.

Free citizenship classes offered in Shafter this fall

September 8, 2014, 1:17 pm

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SHAFTER, Calif. – Adults seeking U.S. citizenship in the Kern County area can attend a new series of free citizenship classes in Shafter this fall.

The classes will run from Sept. 25 to Nov. 20, every Thursday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in room 214 of Redwood Elementary School, located at 331 N. Shafter Avenue.

Classes are designed for people over the age of 18, who have held permanent resident status for five years and can speak, read, and write English.

Organizers say the classes will prepare students to complete the N-400 Citizenship Application, and pass the INS Citizenship Interview.

Elders may qualify to have an interview conducted in their native language.

People seeking more information on the classes are encouraged to contact Mary Lou Inselman at 661-746-8621.

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15th annual College Night at Rabobank Convention Center Monday, Sept. 8

September 8, 2014, 1:50 pm

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The 15th annual College Night is happening Monday, Sept. 8 at the Rabobank Convention Center, allowing potential students to interact with representatives from public and private colleges and universities from around the country.

The event will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Rabobank Convention Center.

Sessions will be presented in English and Spanish. The first sessions for students and parents will occur at 5:30 p.m., and the second sessions at 6:30 p.m.

Kern High School District counselors will be present to speak with attendees and help with questions.

Special Sessions for foster youth, regarding applying to community college and four-year universities, will occur at 5 p.m.

In addition to local schools like Bakersfield College, Taft College and California State University, Bakersfield, state and national schools will be represented.

College Night is hosted by The Kern County Superintendent of Schools, which reports a turnout of more than 10,000 students and parents for last year’s event.

Admission is free of charge, and no reservations or tickets are required.

Lost Parents and Found Kids program helping families stick together at Kern County Fair

September 8, 2014, 2:23 pm

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The Kern County Sheriff’s Office Volunteer Services Section is working to help re-unite parents with lost children at the Kern County Fair with its Lost Parents, Found Kids program.

Volunteers will host Child Identification Wrist Band booths at every fair entrance, where parents will be able to pick up free wrist bands and write their child’s name and phone number. The child will then have necessary contact information on them should they become separated from his or her parents while at the fair.

The program will be joined by the Kern County Roads Department’s Duck Feet project. Duck feet shapes will be painted onto the ground throughout fairground pathways, allowing children who have lost their parents to follow the feet to safety.

KCSO says the Lost Parents, Found Kids program was a huge success when it debuted last year.

Fire burns Six Flags Magic Mountain's Colossus coaster

September 8, 2014, 3:22 pm

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(KNBC) VALENCIA, CA - A portion of Six Flags Magic Mountain's wooden Colossus coaster collapsed Monday when the decades-old ride caught on fire. The fire was reported at about 1:30 p.m. Crews continued to spray water on the fire at about 2 p.m.

No injuries have been reported. Authorities are attempting to determine how the fire started.

The wooden Colossus opened at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, in June 1978. It closed in mid-August, celebrating with free rides for a final few hundred riders before crews began adding steel segments to create a "hybrid" coaster set to open in 2015.

Colossus was the world's fastest and tallest wooden roller coaster when it opened, and the first to feature two drops that are more than 100 feet steep.

What to expect from Tuesday's Apple announcement

September 9, 2014, 7:39 am

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Apple is going to make a big product announcement Tuesday and is expected to introduce the latest iPhone family member: the iPhone 6. A couple more surprises are also expected to be in store.

The iPhone 6 just may have a 4.7 inch screen or a 5.5 inch screen. The bigger screens may be an effort to woo Samsung users who prefer larger screens back to the iPhone.The screen may be more durable as well.

"We're looking at having a sapphire glass which is a highly unscratchable material being used on the screen of possibly one or both of them," said Dylan Stewart, a tech consultant who calls himself the "Mac Whisperer."

The iPhone 6 just may replace the wallet.

A microchip could be placed into the phone that would sync to users' financial accounts, and be able to purchase items by simply swiping the phone over a credit card processor.

Yet another product just may steal the show during the 10 a.m. announcement.

The iWatch would be apple's first wearable device. It is rumored to allow users to monitor heart rate as well as communicate wirelessly with the iPhone and other devices.

"I believe that Apple is going to step out in front in this by also making it into an iPod," said Stewart. "Meaning that via Bluetooth it can communicate with a headset and you could be at the gym or whatever and not need to bring your iPod along as well."

Stewart says the iPhone 6 is a good buy for those who really want to be able to see more clearly on their iPhone and downsize from carrying both an iPhone and an iPad.

Multifunctional devices seems to continue to be the name of Apple's game, but the Mac Whisperer said we'll have to wait until Tuesday to be sure.

"As always Apple is full of rumors so we could be right on all of it or absolutely be surprised by everything we hear," said Stewart, whose website is www.TheMacWhisperer.com.

If Apple announces the release of the iPhone 6 Tuesday, we can expect it in stores by late next week.

The phone is estimated to cost $199 up to $499 depending on the size.

Toddler dies after being found in Rosamond back yard

September 9, 2014, 8:07 am

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ROSAMOND, Calif. – A 2-year-old boy died after being found unresponsive in a back yard pond Monday.

The child was found by his father, Alan Robbins, in the 2100 block of Manchester Street in Rosamond. Sheriffs arrived on the scene at approximately 3:56 p.m. The boy was taken to Antelope Valley Hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Sheriffs say an investigation revealed the child was with his 1-year-old sibling at the time of the incident, and that both children appeared to not be adequately supervised.

Homicide detectives are conducting an investigation.