Bakersfield news

• Local look back: Kern County's top stories of 2014

  31-12-2014 23:32
  
  These stories generated the most buzz in 2014. Ranked here are the top-10 most-viewed stories on BakersfieldNow.com.
  
  Read more

• Fiery crash blocks Beale Ave on-ramp to Hwy 178

  31-12-2014 23:24
  
  A fiery crash Wednesday morning snarled traffic along Highway 178, according to the California Highway Patrol.
  
  Read more

• Oildale residents frustrated with potholes

  31-12-2014 23:09
  
  Several residents in one Oildale neighborhood are completely frustrated with the amount of potholes on their street.
  
  Read more

• Storm brings snow to Southern California

  31-12-2014 23:02
  
  A blustery winter storm dropped snow on very low elevations across inland Southern California early Wednesday after stranding dozens of motorists on mountain highways.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• New Year's Day will be a cold morning

  31-12-2014 22:55
  
  It will only be the first morning of the first day of 2015, but the winter season's coldest temperatures are expected early New Year's Day.
  The National Weather Service at Hanford extended its hard freeze warning until 9 a.m. Thursday as temperatures in the San Joaquin Valley are expected to be in the low- to mid-20s.
  
  Read more

• Did you have the 1st baby born in 2015 in Kern County?

  31-12-2014 22:36
  
  Did you have a New Year's baby? Let us know!
  
  Read more

• Delano man arrested on suspicion of burglary

  31-12-2014 22:16
  
  DELANO, CA. - Delano police report they arrested a man for a burglary that happened yesterday afternoon.
  According to Delano PD, 46-year-old Sean Michael Jones, of Delano, was arrested on an unrelated felony warrant and drug charges -- when a search of Jones' home revealed the location of several stolen items.     The burglary happened around 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 30.     Police found the front door forced open and the home ransacked.     Property repo
  
  Read more

• Homeless census project looking for volunteers

  31-12-2014 21:59
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA. - The Kern County Homeless Collaborative is looking for volunteers to survey homeless individuals and gather information for the 2015 census.
  
  The organization currently has 80 volunteers signed up but they say they need up to 150 volunteers.
  
  The group is looking for volunteers from all parts of the county.
  
  If you would like to volunteer, or learn more about the project, contact the homelessness project manager (see info below).
  
  Christine LollarHomelessness P
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Reminder: No trash pick up on Thursday

  31-12-2014 20:59
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA. - The City of Bakersfield Solid Waste Division would like to remind the community that there will be no trash pick up on Thursday (New Year's Day) in observance of the holiday. 
  
  Trash normally collected on Thursday will be picked up on Friday, and normal Friday pick up will be collected Saturday.
  
  If you need to recycle your Christmas tree you can chop it up into small pieces and place it in your green waste container -- make sure the lid will close completely.
  
  Read more

• Bakersfield polar bear plunge happening tomorrow

  31-12-2014 20:37
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA. - The folks at the McMurtrey Aquatic Center are inviting the public to join them for the annual Polar Bear Plunge, happening the morning of New Year's Day.
  
  Take the plunge and swim 25 yards through ice-filled waters, or ride the slide and make a splash into the icy water.There will also be hot chocolate served.
  
  The fun happens at 11 a.m. on Jan. 1, at McMurtrey Aquatic Center on 1325 Q Street.
  
  Participants between the ages of seven and 17 must have written parent
  
  Read more

• Water regs, plastic bag ban among 2015's new laws

  31-12-2014 20:26
  
  California's historic drought prompted the Legislature into action in 2014, leading lawmakers to regulate groundwater for the first time and override homeowner associations that fine members for replacing lawns with more drought-tolerant landscaping.
  
  The most populous state also will became the first to set a "yes means yes" standard for sex between college students and the first to ban sin
  
  Read more

• CAPK offering food boxes for drought impacted families

  31-12-2014 20:03
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA. - Community Action Partnership of Kern Food Bank will continue to serve families affected by the drought by offering prepackaged food boxes.
  
  Families able to receive services are those that can confirm unemployment is a direct result of the drought.
  
  The following is a list of dates for emergency food distribution:
  
  Saturday, Jan. 3: 9-11 a.m., Lamont Pentecostal Church of God, 9901 Velma Ave., Lamont.
  Monday, Jan. 5: 5-7 p.m., Wasco Parks and Recreation office,
  
  Read more

• Delano police make burglary arrest

  31-12-2014 19:59
  
  A home was burglarized and ransacked Tuesday on the 2400 block of Gonzalez Court. A shotgun, TV, stereo equipment and sporting cards were stolen.
  
  Read more

• School leader charged with dog fighting, cruelty

  31-12-2014 19:41
  
  The assistant superintendent of a Southern California school district pleaded not guilty Tuesday to felony dog fighting charges after more than a dozen pit bulls being kept in crates filled with urine and feces were allegedly discovered in her home.
  
  Read more

• California judge reprimanded for driving drunk

  31-12-2014 19:39
  
  A San Francisco Bay Area judge has been publicly admonished for drunken driving but remains on the bench.
  
  Read more

• Man dead in fiery Hwy 178 crash

  31-12-2014 19:23
  
  The California Highway Patrol has confirmed that a man died Wednesday after crashing on Highway 178.
  
  Read more

• Car bursts into flames in Hwy 178 crash

  31-12-2014 19:23
  
  A man suffered major injuries - possible fatal injuries - Wednesday morning after crashing on Highway 178.
  
  Read more

• 18-year-old dead in fiery Hwy 178 crash

  31-12-2014 19:23
  
  The coroner's office identified the driver as Salim Bassam Akroush.
  
  Read more

• BPD looking for man they say stole car

  31-12-2014 19:22
  
  The Bakersfield Police Department is looking for a man they say stole a car and was seen at Sam's Liquor located at 318 White Lane.
  
  Read more

• Man dies as a result of Highway 178 crash

  31-12-2014 19:15
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA. - An adult male, who was reportedly driving over 100 miles an hour in the fast lane of westbound Highway 178, has died after crashing his vehicle, according to the California Highway Patrol. 
  According to the CHP, the vehicle hit the embankment, then turned over and hit the Bernard overpass. 
  CHP originally reported the man was dead upon arriving at the scene, but after CPR was administered on him, he was transported to Kern Medical Center with life-threatening in
  
  Read more

• With digital forces at the gate, a down year for Hollywood

  31-12-2014 19:03
  
  Hollywood's 2014 may well go down as a mere box-office blip, or it could be Act One in a drama of coming digital disruption.
  
  Read more

• 2014 Year in Review - Part #1

  31-12-2014 17:42
  
  What stories do you remember from 2014? The hero cat that saved her buddy from an attacking dog? The spaceship that fell from the sky over Mojave? 
  
  Read more

• Drilling company may layoff 700 local employees

  31-12-2014 17:37
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA. - A drilling company is warning the state it may layoff as many as 700 local employees.
  Ensign Energy Services filed the worker adjustment and retraining notice with the state on Dec. 22.     According to the company's website, the "warn" notices issued provide protection to employees, their families, and the community by requiring employers give notice 60 days before a plant closing or mass layoff.      Ensign reports it's unsure
  
  Read more

• Beach parties, fireworks: World rings in new year

  31-12-2014 16:48
  
  After a turbulent year marred by terror woes, Ebola outbreaks and a horrific series of airline disasters, many could be forgiven for saying good riddance to 2014 and gratefully ringing in a new year.
  
  Read more

• 'First Look': First News for Dec. 31

  31-12-2014 16:38
  
  Lead stories from "First Look with Scott Cox's" Top Stories:
  
  OIL COMPANY LAYS OFF 700 IN BAKERSFIELD: A Canadian oil field services company appears to be the first in Bakersfield to carry out a mass layoff as a result of the recent collapse of oil prices. Ensign Energy Services Inc. warned state officials earlier this month that it expected to release 700 people in Bakersfield effective De
  
  Read more

• THE YEAR IN PICTURES: Nick Ellis

  31-12-2014 12:30
  
  5 QUESTIONS FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHER
  
  1. What was your most uplifting photograph of 2014? Why?
  
  Read more

• Low temperatures threaten Kern County citrus

  31-12-2014 05:23
  
  Expected low temperatures Wednesday and Thursday are bringing not only the threat of dangerous driving to Bakersfield, but potentially severe impacts to Kern County's citrus crop.
  
  The National Weather Service in Hanford issued a hard freeze watch for Wednesday night through Thursday morning. Low temperatures are expected to range from 25 to 30 degrees Farhenheit into Thursday morning. A hard freeze c
  
  Read more

• Local Kwanzaa celebration highlights themes of unity and cultural importance

  31-12-2014 03:52
  
  As we inch closer to New Year's Day, a local group celebrated the end of another holiday, Kwanzaa.
  
  Read more

• Drought emergency food distributions by CAPK in January

  31-12-2014 03:42
  
  Community Action Partnership of Kern Food Bank will continue distributing emergency prepackaged food boxes to families affected by the drought through January 2015.
  Individuals eligible to receive a food box must certify they live in a household where drought conditions caused their underemployment or unemployment.
  
  Read more

• Las Vegas to roll dice with cold New Year's Eve weather

  31-12-2014 03:39
  
  Fireworks coordinator Phil Grucci has a request of Mother Nature in this city of glitzy shows: If you're going to let it snow on New Year's Eve, let it snow at just the right moment, like right before midnight when his show launches from the Las Vegas Strip.
  
  Read more

• Vial of Life program could help save lives

  31-12-2014 03:39
  
  The Kern County Public Health Department wants to remind people of a very important program that could save someone's life.
  
  Read more

• Freezing temps coming to Kern County

  31-12-2014 03:33
  
  How do we deal with freezing temperatures? Eyewitness News has some advice.
  
  Read more

• Freezing temps come to Kern County

  31-12-2014 03:33
  
  How do we deal with freezing temperatures? Eyewitness News has some advice.
  
  Read more

• Kwanzaa celebration teaches culture, history

  31-12-2014 03:26
  
  Bakari Sanyu, director of a cultural education nonprofit, rattled a beaded shaker the size of a cantaloupe at a Kwanzaa celebration Tuesday in Bakersfield.
  
  Six dancers, from a Los Angele- based ensemble, extended their limbs widely in coordinated staccato movements -- drummers tapping djembe drums.
  
  Read more

• BPD and PG&E team up to save lives

  31-12-2014 02:27
  
  New Year's Eve is just around the corner and for many this means celebrating with friends and loved ones. However, according to the Bakersfield Police Department, the city is on track to hit a new record for the highest number of fatal automobile accidents this year. So far in 2014, there have been 34 fatal crashes resulting in 35 deaths in Bakersfield, and typically there are one or two more during the New Year's holiday. 
  
  Read more

• Oil company lays off 700 in Bakersfield

  31-12-2014 02:22
  
  A Canadian oil field services company appears to be the first in Bakersfield to carry out a mass layoff as a result of the recent collapse of oil prices.
  Ensign Energy Services Inc. warned state officials earlier this month that it expected to release 700 people in Bakersfield effective Dec. 15, according to a website maintained by the state Employment Development Department.
  
  Read more

• Dump truck operator electrocuted

  31-12-2014 02:00
  
  The California Highway Patrol said a man was electrocuted Wednesday morning after the bed of his dump truck came in contact with power lines near Wasco.
  The CHP said the incident occurred just before 11 a.m. near Highways 99 and 46 east of Wasco.
  
  Read more

• Police looking for man suspected of auto theft

  31-12-2014 01:55
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - Police need your help to identify a man accused of stealing a car in east Bakersfield.   Police say sometime between December 4, and December 5, the victim’s vehicle was stolen from the 4400 block of Lantados St.
  
  The investigation led detectives to Sam’s Liquor at 318 White Ln. where they obtained surveillance footage of the suspect. Police describe the suspect as a: Hispanic, 20’s, 5’6”-9”, thin build, mustache and goatee, w
  
  Read more

• Bakersfield police looking for suspected car thief

  31-12-2014 01:48
  
  Police are looking for a suspected car thief.
  
  Read more

• Funeral services for Dec. 31, 2014

  31-12-2014 01:46
  
  Services scheduled
  
  Joe Lopez Gonzales, 95, Bakersfield, Dec. 27. Rosary 9:30 a.m., Mass 10 a.m. Jan. 5, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church; interment at Historic Union Cemetery. Basham Funeral Care, 3312 Niles St.
  
  Read more

• Dhanens among honorees on Donate Life Rose Parade float

  31-12-2014 01:38
  
  A "floragraph" of Fresno State fraternity pledge Philip Dhanens will be among 72 honoring organ and tissue donors on a float in the 126th Rose Parade Thursday.
  
  Composed of coffee, seeds, flowers and other natural materials, Dhanens' head shot will adorn the Donate Life float, "Never Ending Story," which depicts a library of books around a garden full of butterflies.
  
  Read more

• He actually said that? The best quotes of 2014

  31-12-2014 01:27
  
  Sources say the darndest things. These are some of the best quotes captured by The Californian in 2014.
  
   
  
  Read more

• CHP reminding people not to drink and drive

  31-12-2014 00:58
  
  The California Highway Patrol wants to urge motorists to start the New Year off on the right path by celebrating responsibly.
  
  Read more

• Raiders look to build around QB Derek Carr

  31-12-2014 00:58
  
  The Oakland Raiders head into another long offseason with questions about who will coach the team and who will pick the players for next season.
  
  Read more

• California ending year with cold, windy weather

  31-12-2014 00:47
  
  The thousands of people who camp overnight or gather early to watch the annual Rose Parade will face an icy New Year's morning as temperatures fall near or below freezing across much of southwest California, the National Weather Service said Tuesday.
  
  Read more

• Man barricades himself in Beverly Hills residence

  31-12-2014 00:38
  
  Police in Beverly Hills have detained a man after he barricaded himself in his residence when officers went to serve an emergency protective order.
  
  Read more

• California snow survey shows higher snowpack

  31-12-2014 00:34
  
  The winter's first survey of the Sierra Nevada snowpack on Tuesday found more snow than last year at this time, but officials said much more is needed to end the California drought.
  
  Read more

• Rains fuel California mushroom boom

  31-12-2014 00:30
  
  The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat reports that lands parched by a three-year drought just a few months ago are now seeing an explosion of both poisonous and edible mushrooms after about 2 feet of rain saturated grassy hillsides and swelled streams in Sonoma County.
  
  Read more

• The weird and wacky of 2014

  31-12-2014 00:00
  
  We at The Californian couldn't even begin to count how many times we've caught wind of a bizarre local story and said, "Only in Bakersfield..."
  
  2014 was a banner year for those. We had bears, gun-toting clowns (though not really), Nazi skin wallets and more on the guy who got bit by a raccoon at CALM.
  
  Read more

Follow @Bakersfield_Nws on Twitter!