Bakersfield news

• House passes GOP California drought bill, but Senate approval unlikely

  09-12-2014 23:58
  
  Legislation addressing California's drought reached an inconclusive high-water mark Tuesday, passing the House on a largely party line vote before trickling off to a bleak fate in the Senate.
  While the Republican-controlled House approved the California water bill by a 230-182 margin, California's two Democratic senators oppose it with varying degrees of severity.
  
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• Man accused of stealing laptop sentenced

  09-12-2014 23:42
  
  One of the suspects in a residential robbery back in June was sentenced today to three years probation.
  
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• Woman, baby not seriously hurt in power pole crash

  09-12-2014 23:19
  
  No major injuries were reported Tuesday after a woman crashed into a couple power poles while her baby rode in her SUV.
  
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• Power knocked out in crash; woman, baby not seriously hurt

  09-12-2014 23:19
  
  No major injuries were reported Tuesday after a woman crashed into a couple power poles while her baby rode in her SUV.
  
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• Person found dead in Wofford Heights house fire

  09-12-2014 21:33
  
  A person was found dead Tuesday morning in a house fire.
  
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• 'First Look': Oil company owner talks about impact of falling oil prices

  09-12-2014 21:28
  
  Cheaper gas prices at the pump equal happy drivers.
  
  But not everyone is smiling at the price of the gas.
  
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• 'First Look': The Nutcracker comes to life at the Rabobank Theater

  09-12-2014 21:27
  
  When Erica Ueberroth watched Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet for the first time as a child, she was instantly inspired.
  
  "That show was what ignited me to pursue ballet," Ueberroth, a dancer with Civic Dance Center, said Tuesday on "First Look with Scott Cox."
  
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• Man rescued from atop Bakersfield convention center

  09-12-2014 21:23
  
  A man was rescued Tuesday from the second-deck roof of Bakersfield's downtown convention center.
  
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• Person found dead after house fire in Wofford Heights

  09-12-2014 21:09
  
  WOFFORD HEIGHTS, CA - One person is dead after a house fire in Wofford Heights Tuesday morning. It happened on Cathy Court just before 9:00 a.m.
  
  After getting a call from neighbors, fire fighters arrived to find heavy smoke and flames.
  
  They entered the home to find a person dead on the couch.
  
  Crews were able to put out the flames quickly, and the fire was mostly contained to the living room.
  
  No word on the victim's identity, how he or she died or the caus
  
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• House moves drought relief bill, helps California

  09-12-2014 21:05
  
  The House has passed a bill designed to give state and federal agencies authority to move more water in coming months to California's farm belt.
  
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• Drought: House moves to bring relief to California farms

  09-12-2014 21:05
  
  The House has passed a bill designed to give state and federal agencies authority to move more water in coming months to California's farm belt.
  
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• Fire crews rescue man who fell off ladder

  09-12-2014 20:38
  
  The Bakersfield Fire Department rescued a man who had fallen from a ladder at the Bakersfield Convention Center located at 1001 Truxtun Avenue at 7:42 Tuesday morning.
  
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• CDC: Brace for bad flu season

  09-12-2014 20:23
  
  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a recent report that suggests we may be in for a severe flu season, making it even more important to get your flu shot.
  
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• Exxon sees abundant oil, gas far into future

  09-12-2014 20:17
  
  North America, once a sponge that sucked in a significant portion of the world's oil, will instead be supplying the world with oil and other liquid hydrocarbons by the end of this decade, according to ExxonMobil's annual long-term energy forecast.
  
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• Rescue from Rabobank Convention Center

  09-12-2014 20:13
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA -  Bakersfield city firefighters plucked a roofer to safety Tuesday from atop the Rabobank Convention Center.
  
  Firefighters say the roofer fell from a ladder about 8 feet to a lower level. The 45-year-old man complained of back pain.
  Firefighters say they packaged the man in a stretcher and lowered him down with ropes.
  
  Firefighters say it was a standard rescue response for them. But due to the fog and weather, the roof was wet and slick.
  
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• 159 arrested in third night of California protests

  09-12-2014 19:00
  
  Hundreds of people marched through Berkeley for a third night a row, blocking a major highway and stopping a train as activists in this ultra-liberal bastion protested grand jury decisions not to indict white police officers in the deaths of two unarmed black men.
  
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• Oildale business closed after truck crashes into building

  09-12-2014 18:57
  
  TempSERV in Oildale is closed Tuesday after a truck crashed into its building.
  
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• Delano teachers unhappy with superintendent

  09-12-2014 18:46
  
  Current superintendent hired this year comes under fire from teachers who claim he lacks leadership skills.
  
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• Crude oil has seen a steady decline in price over last 6 months

  09-12-2014 18:36
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA.-You might be delighted about the recent plummet in gas prices, but that price cut has come at a major cost for some Kern county families in the form of layoffs or less work.   
  Crude oil prices have dropped 40 percent over the last 6 months and are now around $63 dollars a barrel, which is a five-year low. The price has rebounded slightly but it's still affecting families like the Warrens who rely on income from the oil industry, especially for the holidays. 
  
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• Delano teachers continue to demand change

  09-12-2014 17:14
  
  Delano school teachers looking for change gathered just as the school board begins a new chapter.  One new person and two other members re-elected in November were sworn-in Monday night.
  
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• Senate report: Harsh CIA tactics didn't work

  09-12-2014 15:56
  
  Senate investigators have delivered a damning indictment of CIA interrogation practices after the 9/11 attacks, accusing the agency of inflicting pain and suffering on prisoners with tactics that went well beyond legal limits.
  
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• Brutal CIA questioning didn't work, Senate report says

  09-12-2014 15:56
  
  Senate investigators have delivered a damning indictment of CIA interrogation practices after the 9/11 attacks, accusing the agency of inflicting pain and suffering on prisoners with tactics that went well beyond legal limits.
  
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• Fog delays in affect for Kern County schools

  09-12-2014 15:40
  
  34 schools and districts under fog delay.
  
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• List of school delays for December 9th

  09-12-2014 14:48
  
  The following is a list of school delays for Tuesday, December 9th:
  
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• Delano teachers continue to demand for change

  09-12-2014 08:39
  
  Delano school teachers looking for change gathered just as the school board begins a new chapter.  One new person and two other members re-elected in November were sworn-in Monday night.
  
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• Ebola precautions at Kern Medical Center

  09-12-2014 08:14
  
  Kern Medical Center CEO Russell Judd told supervisors today that Kern County is prepared to receive an Ebola patient, even though the risk of Ebola here is low. The video shown above is the process called "doffing". It's a presentation, showing how a healthcare worker would take off their personal protective equipment after treating an Ebola patient. Judd mentioned there have been two instances in two local hospitals where a person presented themselves as possibly having Ebola. He
  
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• County pension unfunded liability tops $2 billion

  09-12-2014 04:30
  
  Kern County Employees' Retirement Association struggled again in the 2013-2014 fiscal year to escape the dramatic impact of the 2008 financial crash and recession.
  
  The agency, which manages the employee retirement system for Kern County workers and the employees of a number of other special districts and agencies, has just less than 61 percent of the funds it needs to pay for the future pensions of all the current retirees and workers en
  
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• Weather Service predicts strong winds, rain and snow late this week

  09-12-2014 04:23
  
  The National Weather Service warned Monday that a "significant storm" hitting the San Joaquin Valley later this week will bring some of the strongest winds in years, plus rain and snow.
  
  The storm impacts will begin Wednesday night and continue through Friday night, the agency said. It said the west and north portions of the valley, including the Interstate 5 corridor, are expected to see strong
  
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• Vice principal to resign in wake of arrest, release

  09-12-2014 04:20
  
  A Tevis Junior High School vice principal who was arrested in August but ultimately not charged for carrying a concealed gun on campus has resigned, effective next June 30.
  
  Kent Williams, 52, who in October filed a civil claim against the Bakersfield Police Department alleging false arrest and other damages, filed the resignation letter, dated Nov. 17, with the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District.
  
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• A storybook ending for McKinley choir

  09-12-2014 04:18
  
  The reaction couldn't have been any more in sync if it'd been practiced and rehearsed for weeks. When the jumbo check was turned around and the amount revealed, around 20 choir students jumped up and down and screamed. Two dramatically fell to the floor and one yelled "You see how many zeroes that is?!"
  
  With a $2,500 donation from Dignity Health, the McKinley Magnet Elementary School is
  
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• Two teens arrested for feeding live cat to 2 dogs

  09-12-2014 04:15
  
  Two area teenagers who fed a live cat to two dogs, videotaped it and posted it online were arrested by sheriff's deputies last week on suspicion of cruelty to an animal.
  
  Although the incident apparently occurred this summer, Kern County Animal Control wasn't contacted until Dec. 4 after a person reported receiving a video of the attack on a social networking site.
  
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• Former Bakersfield resident has high hopes on 'Operation Rising Star'

  09-12-2014 04:15
  
  Johnny Vargas wants your vote.
  The former Bakersfield resident is an Army specialist with the 3rd Infantry Division 3-1 Cavalry Squadron at Fort Benning, Ga. and a finalist in Season 10 of the U.S. Army's "Operation Rising Star" contest.
  
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• Byer California to open Saturday at Outlets at Tejon

  09-12-2014 03:59
  
  Byer California, which offers contemporary women's sportswear and dresses, will open Saturday at the Outlets at Tejon.
  
  The 9 a.m. opening marks the beginning of the 50-year-old company's foray into retail under the original Byer California name. The company has long supplied leading department stores and national chains through propietary, branded and private label distribution.
  
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• Arvin families return after gas leak: 'So far, so good'

  09-12-2014 03:48
  
  Eight homes were ordered evacuated back in March, and the families returned over the weekend after getting reassurances from state officials that a second test finds the homes are free of toxic gas.
  
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• Psychologist, defense attorney spar regarding school shooter's state of mind

  09-12-2014 03:35
  
  A psychologist testified Monday that Bryan Oliver fired upon classmates as revenge against perceived bullying, and then spent the next three hours parrying a barrage of questions from Oliver's attorney.
  
  The questioning of Dr. Kris Mohandie by Deputy Public Defender Paul Cadman provided some of the most animated, fast-paced moments of the nine-day trial. Closing arguments are scheduled to begin Tuesda
  
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• Closing arguments scheduled for Wednesday in Oliver trial

  09-12-2014 03:33
  
  The jury in the Bryan Oliver school shooting trial heard additional testimony today from the psychologist hired by the prosecution.
  
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• 24 toys make toxic toy list

  09-12-2014 02:57
  
  As the holiday shopping season is underway,  24 toys are on the  annual toxic list released by the California Public Interest Group.
  
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• KMC update: Staffers ready for Ebola, budget picture brightening

  09-12-2014 02:55
  
  Kern County supervisors got a taste Monday of the preparations Kern Medical Center has made to handle a potential Ebola case they hope will never come.
  
  A hospital worker, muffled in layers of protective blue clothes and masks, twisted through an arcane ritual of decontamination.
  
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• Los Angeles proposes sweeping upgrades for quakes

  09-12-2014 02:49
  
  Mayor Eric Garcetti on Monday proposed spending billions of dollars to better protect Los Angeles against a devastating earthquake by strengthening thousands of vulnerable older buildings and fortifying the city's water and communications systems.
  
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• 2 university buildings re-open after gunman report

  09-12-2014 02:46
  
  Officials have re-opened two buildings at San Jose State University after a floor-by-floor search following a report of a gunman on campus.
  
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• Funeral services for Dec. 9, 2014

  09-12-2014 02:44
  
  Services scheduled
  
  Dr. Lynn D. Reno, 75, Bakersfield, Dec. 6. Visitation 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 12, Alma Funeral Home and Crematory; memorial service 1 p.m. with viewing from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dec. 13, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; interment in Mackay, Idaho. Kern River Family Mortuary, Oildale.
  
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• Immigrant demand? Driver's license appointments spike in California

  09-12-2014 02:43
  
  The number of people making appointments to apply for a California driver's license more than doubled in late November — a possible sign of demand for a new license that will soon become available to immigrants in the country illegally, an official said Monday.
  
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• Tevis Jr. High VP resigns, sues BPD

  09-12-2014 02:23
  
  Vice Principal of Tevis Junior High, Kent Williams, has given a letter of resignation, effective June 30, 2015, according to Gerry Kincaid from the Panama Buena Vista Union School District.
  
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• Teens arrested after video shows live cat being fed to dogs

  09-12-2014 02:04
  
  Two teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of feeding a live cat to two large dogs and recording the attack on video.
  
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• Man hit by two cars crossing street

  09-12-2014 02:00
  
  Westbound lanes of 24th Street were closed Monday morning at Oak Street in downtown Bakersfield after a pedestrian was hit by two cars.
  
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• 2 teens accused of feeding live cat to dogs

  09-12-2014 01:57
  
  Authorities have arrested two teens accused of feeding a live cat to two dogs.
  
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• KCSO: Two juveniles arrested for animal cruelty

  09-12-2014 01:54
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - Deputies say two teenage boys have been arrested after a video surfaced on social media depicting what's believed to be an animal on animal attack.  
  
  Sheriff's officials say animal control viewed the video which appeared to show two large dogs being fed a live cat while the attack was videotaped. In the video subjects in the background could be heard encouraging the dogs to attack the cat. After reviewing the videotape, Animal Control staff contacted the Kern Co
  
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• Parents: 28 texting slang terms you need to know

  09-12-2014 01:30
  
  Moms and dads, your kids are speaking a whole new language online, and if you can't crack the code, it could mean big trouble.
  
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• Community roundup: Radio stations sponsor toy drive; e-waste event coming up

  09-12-2014 01:29
  
  American General Media will host a holiday toy drive from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday
  in the Sears parking lot at Valley Plaza, with donations going to local charities.
  
  All seven of the company's radio stations will be broadcasting live and on location from the event, hoping to fill semi-trailers with new and unwrapped toys.
  
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• E-Waste event to benefit Ronald McDonald House

  09-12-2014 01:16
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - Keep Bakersfield Beautiful and McDonald's are hosting an e-waste recycling event Saturday.  
  
  It take place at five McDonald's franchises in Bakersfield and Kern County from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. 
  
  Organizers say people can drop e-waste such as; hard disc drives, computer parts, monitors, towers, keyboards, cell phones, televisions, laptops, VCR's, smalll appliances and radios.  
  
  The participating McDonald's franchises are in Bakersfield at 100
  
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