Calgrove fire impacting I-5 traffic to and from L.A.

June 24, 2015, 4:58 pm

≫ Next: Arvin Police make 2 arrests in double murder; seek 3rd

≪ Previous: Plains Pipeline couldn't reach workers at spill site

$

0

0

BAKERSFIELD, CA- NBC Los Angeles is reporting firefighters are battling a three-alarm brush fire in the Newhall area Wednesday afternoon, prompting about 500 homes to be evacuated.

The so-called Calgrove fire broke out along the northbound 5 Freeway at 1:12 p.m., in the Stevenson Ranch area, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

About 225 firefighters responded to the blaze.

Initially, the fire department was not reporting that any structures threatened, but as of 1:55 p.m. evacuations were ordered for a nearby mobile home park at 23500 The Old Road in Newhall.

About 15 homes were also evacuated on La Salle Canyon Drive just before 3 p.m., according to a tweet from Cmdr. Mike Parker of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

A center for evacuations has been set up at West Ranch High School.

The Old Road was closed to non-emergency traffic just before 2 p.m. The Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park six miles away has not yet been affected other than by smoke.

CHP issued an alert to motorists traveling to the Santa Clarita area. All lanes on the 5 Freeway just north of the interchange to State Route 14 are blocked as of 1:39 p.m.

California has already had 2,486 wildfires since the beginning of the year, up from 1,654 the state has averaged over the last five years, according to Cal Fire. Eighty-six hundred acres have burned.

---

Arvin Police make 2 arrests in double murder; seek 3rd

June 24, 2015, 5:56 pm

≫ Next: Little Feet Repeat store offers back-to-school clothing at bargain prices

≪ Previous: Calgrove fire impacting I-5 traffic to and from L.A.

$

0

0

ARVIN, CA- Arvin Police have made two arrests in a double murder.

Three men were shot inside an Arvin bar June 8. Two men , Jorge Zavala, 34, of Arvin and Federico Zuniga Moreno Jr. 37 of Arvin were pronounced dead at the hospital.

The third man underwent surgery and is in critical but stable condition, according to Arvin police.

Police have arrested Lourdes Olvera Velazquez, 29 and Salvador Gonzalez Chavez 36 for their roles in the murders. Chavez is in the Kern County jail on two counts of first degree murder.

Police are still looking for Juan Pablo Villareal Vega, 31. He is describes as a Hispanic male 5'-5" 150 lbs, shaved black hair. Police say he may be driving a gold 90's model Honda with damage on the right front bumper.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Arvin police at 661-854-5583.

Little Feet Repeat store offers back-to-school clothing at bargain prices

June 25, 2015, 7:23 am

≫ Next: Farmers have new high tech option: drones

≪ Previous: Arvin Police make 2 arrests in double murder; seek 3rd

$

0

0

BAKERSFIELD, CA.-Parents already looking for back-to-school clothing at bargain prices want to hear this. 

The first Little Feet Repeat summer consignment sale starts today.

The store is packed with baby clothes, toys, things for toddlers through teens and even maternity clothes. Home decor and furniture are available as well. 

The lowest price is $2. The highest prices are around $60-$80. The higher priced items are strollers and baby swings. The consignment sale is open for all shoppers to head to East Hills Mall and find deals. 

All items come from local consigners who sold their belongings to make some extra cash. 

This is the Spring consignment sale. The sale happens twice a year. The next one will be in the Fall. 

Anyone is welcome to shop and take advantage of the sale until Sunday evening. The store will be open today until Sunday from 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Sunday is the 50 percent off sale. Whatever items are still here will be half price. 

The sale is located inside the East Hills Mall near the old Mervyns. 

Farmers have new high tech option: drones

June 25, 2015, 11:40 am

≫ Next: State supreme court rules against Internet Cafes

≪ Previous: Little Feet Repeat store offers back-to-school clothing at bargain prices

$

0

0

BAKERSFIELD, CA-  High tech is giving growers in America a new eye in the sky. Experts say UAV's...un-manned aerial vehicles will be a game changer for growers.

Drones are being used by farmers around the world, but the U.S. is lagging behind in making the rules to regulate UAV's in commercial airspace.But that day is coming soon, and Hine Ranch Company brought a leading UAV expert to Shafter to educate growers about advances in drone technology.

Dramatic advances in technology are making unmanned aerial vehicles a viable tool for ag, enabling growers to gather real-time data from the field to make more precise and timely decisions on the farm.

"It's hard for me to express how much this is going to influence agriculture in the next two to three years," said Chad Colby, who farms in Illinois and owns AgTech Consulting.

Growers from the southern San Joaquin Valley are here to learn about the next generation of UAV's.

Today's models are robust battery-powered platforms, selling from 15-hundred dollars up to ten thousand, equipped with GPS and navigation tracking, along with high resolution stabilized cameras and light spectrum sensors...all sending real time data through the internet and cell phone systems to the decision makers back on the ground.

"I'm impressed. We're looking at this for our permanent crops, and a picture brings in a lot of data to you," said Jason Kosareff, vice president of production at Paul Farm Management Co.

The data can tell a grower if his crops are getting enough water, if too much fertilizer is being applied, even detecting tiny pests.

UAV advocates say these air-borne robots are force-multipliers for growers.

"On a normal day you're going boots on the ground to look at the orchard and make an evaluation. I think the bottom line is we're going to be able to make better decisions sooner," said Martin Hine, manager of Hine Ranch Co.

The biggest impediment to putting this technology in the hands of our growers in Kern county is the federal government.
But Chad Colby says the Federal Aviation Administration just announced last week it will have procedures and policies in place by June of 2016.

"To measure data is to know." That is the mantra for growers and the farm advisors who support them out in the field.
"the idea of putting a potentially remote-sensing eye in the sky platform in a grower's hands is really revolutionary, that you can transmit that data real time back to the grower, is incredible," said Blake Sanden, Soils and Farm Advisor for the U.C. Cooperative Extension in Bakersfield.

While the F.A.A. is still formulating regulations for commercial use of UAV's, individual farmers are not prohibited from using them right now on a restricted basis.

In fact, drones are being widely used in the midwest and the popularity of drones down on the farm is beginning to move westward.

State supreme court rules against Internet Cafes

June 25, 2015, 12:24 pm

≫ Next: Rick Perry makes stop in Kern County

≪ Previous: Farmers have new high tech option: drones

$

0

0

BAKERSFIELD, CA - The state supreme court has ruled against Internet Cafes here in Kern County, finding their computerized gaming is akin to electronic slot machines found in Las Vegas casinos.

In 2014, the Fifth District Court of Appeals ruled that illegal gambling was taking place in the cafes.

     

In a decision filed Thursday, the state supreme court upheld that decision.

     

Neighbors of many of the Internet Cafes complained the businesses draw criminal activity to the area.

      

The district attorney's office worked through the last few years to shut the Internet Cafes down.

     

Several of the cafes appealed all the way to the supreme court, but lost their case Thursday.

     

Rick Perry makes stop in Kern County

June 25, 2015, 12:27 pm

≫ Next: School on lockdown following hit and run crash

≪ Previous: State supreme court rules against Internet Cafes

$

0

0

BAKERSFIELD, CA- Republican Presidential Candidate and former Texas Governor Rick Perry was in Bakersfield last night for a private fund raiser.

Before he came into town, Governor Perry stopped by Tehachapi High School where he spoke with the football team and coach Steve Denman.

Perry's campaign manager, Jeff Miller, is a graduate of Tehachapi High, and they were headed from Lancaster to Bakersfield.

School on lockdown following hit and run crash

June 25, 2015, 12:38 pm

≫ Next: Local firefighters assist in Calgrove Fire

≪ Previous: Rick Perry makes stop in Kern County

$

0

0

BAKERSFIELD, CA - A hit and run crash Thursday morning at the intersection of Auburn Street and Kilcarey Court placed a local school on lockdown. 

    

According to Bakersfield police, the crash involved a car and day care van with five or six kids inside. None of the kids were hurt but the woman driving has minor injures. 

    

The two men in the other car took off running, police said. 

     

Eisler Elementary then put themselves on lockdown after seeing the two men running across its campus.  

     

Police suspect these are the men who took off from the crash, but they aren't sure because they can't find them. 

     

The school was on lockdown for about 10 minutes. 

Local firefighters assist in Calgrove Fire

June 25, 2015, 12:44 pm

≫ Next: Program offers down payment assistance for homebuyers

≪ Previous: School on lockdown following hit and run crash

$

0

0

BAKERSFIELD, CA -  A total of 22 Kern County Firefighters are helping in the battle against a brush fire in the Santa Clarita area.

The firefighters are assisting LA County Firefighters in the Calgrove Fire, which started just after 1 p.m. on Wednesday along northbound Interstate 5 in the Stevenson Ranch area.

     

Officials are reporting 500 homes were evacuated, however, that evacuation order was lifted late last night.

     

The fire has reportedly burned 350 acres and is about 45 percent contained.

     

---

Program offers down payment assistance for homebuyers

June 25, 2015, 2:37 pm

≫ Next: Skateboarder killed by semi on Union Avenue

≪ Previous: Local firefighters assist in Calgrove Fire

$

0

0

BAKERSFIELD, CA- If you're hoping to buy a house, but just can't afford a down payment, a new program could be the solution.

Wells Fargo's HomeLIFT program is offering more than $4 million in down payment assistance, for local home buyers.

To qualify, you must be approved for financing and make 120% or less than the Area Median Income.

To apply click here.

Skateboarder killed by semi on Union Avenue

June 25, 2015, 4:17 pm

≫ Next: Armed robbery suspects trigger search on eastside

≪ Previous: Program offers down payment assistance for homebuyers

$

0

0

BAKERSFIELD, CA- A skateboarder was hit and killed by a semi Wednesday afternoon, according to Bakersfield police.

It happened just before 1 at California and Union Avenues.

Police say the semi was making a right turn from southbound Union to westbound California.

Witnesses told police that the skateboarder did not wait until it was safe to enter the crosswalk and collided with the rear wheels of the rear trailer of the semi-truck that was towing double trailers.

Police say the semi had a green light.

Drugs and alcohol do not appear to be a factor according to police.

The southbound lanes of Union Av. and the westbound lanes of California Av. were closed until 3:45 p.m., while the investigation was being conducted at the scene.

Armed robbery suspects trigger search on eastside

June 25, 2015, 5:18 pm

≫ Next: Down payment assistance program

≪ Previous: Skateboarder killed by semi on Union Avenue

$

0

0

BAKERSFIELD, CA- Officers from Bakersfield Police, CHP and the Kern County Sheriff's Office swarmed an eastside neighborhood Thursday after they say two teens robbed a nearby grocery store.

Deputies say it started at the Food Max on Niles Street near Fairfax Road. The suspects ran into a neighborhood north of Niles and that's where the search was focused.

A girl was pulled out of one home on Oregon Street after she ran in the back door of the house in an attempt to hide. A K9 dog bit the suspect and she was attended to my medical personnel at the scene.

The male suspect was found later hiding next to an apartment building in the same block.

Deputies say they have not yet recovered the gun.

Down payment assistance program

June 25, 2015, 6:28 pm

≫ Next: Court strikes down marriage bans

≪ Previous: Armed robbery suspects trigger search on eastside

$

0

0

BAKERSFIELD, CA - If you're hoping to buy a house, but just can't afford to fork out a large chunk of money for a down payment, a new program could be the solution.

Wells Fargo's HomeLIFT program is offering more than $4 million in down payment assistance, for local homebuyers.

There are income qualifications along with a list of required documents, but the program is expected to provide $15,000 grants to more than 270 Bakersfield homebuyers.

Self-Help Enterprises program director Susan Atkins said, "We'll be providing $15,000 grants to families that will be forgiven after 5 years."

To qualify, you must be approved for home financing and make less than or equal to 120% of the Area Median Income.

NeighborWorks America Pacific Regional Vice President Joe Dabek said, "There is no catch, this is a commitment."

"The idea behind that is that they're becoming part of the community," Dabek said, "the longer they stay in the community, the more connected they get to the community, their children meet other children, they build community which is what is a building block for a revitalized community."

Eligibility will be determined at an event July 24 and 25 in Bakersfield.

This program isn't only for first time buyers. Organizers say if you currently own a home it must be sold before closing.

Court strikes down marriage bans

June 26, 2015, 1:04 pm

≫ Next: Gov. Brown issues statement on death of BPD officer

≪ Previous: Down payment assistance program

$

0

0

(NBC News) Cheers erupted in front of the Supreme Court Friday moments after the announcement of a landmark declaring same-sex marriage legal nationwide.

By a vote of 5 to 4, the high court declared that refusing to grant marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples violates the constitution.

The majority opinion was written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, just as he did in the court's previous three gay rights cases dating back to 1996.

Kennedy wrote that "no union is more profound than marriage," and also spoke of the criticism that often comes from conservatives in pushing back against same-sex marriage.

Each of the four dissenting judges filed a separate opinion explaining their views, but agreed that states should have been left with the power to make the decision.

Click to read The Supreme Court Ruling

Gov. Brown issues statement on death of BPD officer

June 26, 2015, 1:39 pm

≫ Next: Officials say one NY prison escapee shot, killed

≪ Previous: Court strikes down marriage bans

$

0

0

SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued the following statement regarding the death of Bakersfield Police Department Officer David Nelson:

“Anne and I extend our deepest condolences to Officer Nelson's family, friends and colleagues as they mourn this tragic loss. We join all Californians in honoring his dedication and service to the people of Bakersfield.”

Officer Nelson, 26, of Bakersfield, died Friday after his patrol car was involved in a collision during the pursuit of a fleeing suspect in Bakersfield. 

He served as an officer at the Bakersfield Police Department for two years. Officer Nelson is survived by his father, Larry Nelson.

In honor of Officer Nelson, Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff.

Officials say one NY prison escapee shot, killed

June 26, 2015, 2:08 pm

≫ Next: The man pulled from a burning building on Beale Avenue has died

≪ Previous: Gov. Brown issues statement on death of BPD officer

$

0

0

(NBC News) One of two inmates on the run for weeks after escaping from a New York prison has been shot and killed.

Sources told NBC News that Richard Matt was fatally wounded near Lake Titus late Friday afternoon.

Matt and fellow inmate David Sweat escaped from Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York on June 6.

Authorities believe the pair were heading for the Canadian border and had found evidence linking them to break-ins at two cabins in the area. 

More than 1,100 law enforcement officers have been involved in the manhunt for the two men.

At the time of the escape Matt was serving 25 years to life for murder; David Sweat was serving a life sentence for killing a sheriff's deputy. 

---

The man pulled from a burning building on Beale Avenue has died

June 26, 2015, 3:08 pm

≫ Next: Traffic slowed at canyon entrance due to rockslide

≪ Previous: Officials say one NY prison escapee shot, killed

$

0

0

BAKERSFIELD, CA - A man who was listed in critical condition after he was pulled from an apartment fire on Wednesday has died, according to the Bakersfield Fire Department.

The 23-year-old man has not been identified yet.

Fire officials said he suffered from smoke inhalation and remained in a coma after resuscitation efforts. The man died at 08:30 a.m. Friday at Kern Medical Center.

The fire occurred at 1010 Beale Ave., near Monterey Street around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Arson investigators are still looking into what caused the fire.

Damage has been estimated at $250,000.

Traffic slowed at canyon entrance due to rockslide

June 26, 2015, 3:46 pm

≫ Next: Gay marriage ruling: Legal analysis

≪ Previous: The man pulled from a burning building on Beale Avenue has died

$

0

0

4 p.m.
CHP is reporting that traffic is slowed at the mouth of the canyon on Highway 178 due to a rock slide. 

The west bound lane is reportedly open as CHP officers wave traffic through.

Gay marriage ruling: Legal analysis

June 26, 2015, 6:58 pm

≫ Next: Local reaction to same-sex marriage ruling

≪ Previous: Traffic slowed at canyon entrance due to rockslide

$

0

0

BAKERSFIELD - Local attorneys are weighing in on the Supreme Court's decision to allow same-sex marriage across the country.

Edward Thomas, a local attorney, said Friday's ruling is the end all for opponents of gay marriage.

"This was it. This is what the U.S. Supreme Court should've done years ago," Thomas said. "If they would've decided this differently, there would've been lots of options in different states."

Family law attorney Bobby Cloud says the only way to overturn this decision now is with an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, something that has not happened since 1992.

"We haven't had an amendment to the Constitution in a very long time," Cloud said.

"The likelihood of that happening, I think, is fairly remote," Thomas added.

Cloud said it's the day same-sex marriage advocates have been waiting for.

"I think this ruling is the death blow," Cloud added.

Local reaction to same-sex marriage ruling

June 26, 2015, 7:04 pm

≫ Next: BPD officer killed in line of duty

≪ Previous: Gay marriage ruling: Legal analysis

$

0

0

BAKERSFIELD, CA - Local supporters of gay marriage are celebrating the Supreme Court decision at a rally in Bakersfield.

Jordan Montgomery says the ruling is what he and his family were hoping for.

"We don't have to worry about it anymore. We're equal. It's a huge relief," he said.

His mother, Wendy Montgomery agreed. "I will get to sit in the front row of my son's wedding," she said, "and it means everything to me that I can look at my son and say you are now equal in every way."

But Wendy Montgomery didn't always support gay marriage.

"We told our children what the church told us, that we were just defending traditional marriage," she said, "and it is probably my biggest shame and my biggest regret."

Wendy Montgomery says her feelings changed three years ago when her son told the family he is gay.

"It's amazing what changes when it's somebody that you know," she said.

But not everyone is as supportive.

Mike Sanchez said, "It's wrong. It's immoral. We were built with the moral and ethics and it's just not right."

"I know what it's like to think gay marriage is wrong," Wendy Montgomery said, "I spent 36 years there, and I know what it's like to think that it's right and just in the past three years that I've spent there, I know that this is the right side."

BPD officer killed in line of duty

June 26, 2015, 7:05 pm

≫ Next: Courtroom outburst as murder suspect learns verdict

≪ Previous: Local reaction to same-sex marriage ruling

$

0

0

BAKERSFIELD, CA - A Bakersfield Police officer lost his life in the line of duty Friday morning during a high-speed pursuit.

The crash happened around 2:40 a.m. and closed Panorama Drive at Mount Vernon Avenue in northeast Bakersfield near Bakersfield College all morning and afternoon.

Sgt. Joe Grubbs said it was a terrible day for the department and the family of Officer David Joseph Nelson's family, but they have to remain strong and focus on the investigation.

Officer Nelson's police cruiser was burned and totaled.

The 26-year-old had been working with the Bakersfield Police Department for two years.

"It's a very, it's a tough time for the chief and clearly for the family, and the Bakersfield Police Department is that extended family," said Sgt. Grubbs.

 

At 2:37 a.m. Friday, Bakersfield Police say Officer Nelson made a traffic stop near Flower and Haley Streets.

Nelson told dispatchers the car was a silver Hyundai with no license plates. 

A short time later, officers say Nelson sounded out of breath and told dispatchers he was chasing the car.

"He was northbound on Haley then eastbound on Panorama. At that point, we lost radio contact with him," said Grubbs.

Three minutes later at 2:40 a.m., two officers found Nelson's patrol car on fire at the intersection of Panorama Drive and Mount Vernon Avenue.

Officers were able to pull Nelson from the burning car before the fire spread. 

"Officer Nelson was transported to KMC where he succumbed to his injuries and passed at 3:05 this morning," said Grubbs.

Sgt. Grubbs says Nelson collided into the block wall first and then hit a telephone pole.

As to how that happened, police are still looking for answers.

The Kern County Coroner ruled the collision accidental, with Officer Nelson succumbing to blunt force injuries.

Bakersfield Police say as the investigation continues, they are remembering Officer Nelson as the hard-working officer he was.

"Somebody that works very cautiously and took the job seriously and was very cautious in the way he approached his job," said Grubbs.

Bakersfield Police requested the California Highway Patrol conduct the investigation into the collision.

The search continues for the driver of the silver Hyundai, Officer Nelson was pursuing. Tips may be called in to 852-7800.