Bakersfield news

• Jean Fuller elected to lead State Senate Republicans

  24-02-2015 23:46
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- State Senator Jean Fuller has been elected Senate Republican Leader.
  
  Fuller represents Bakersifeld in the State Senate and will assume her new duties in November.
  
  “Jean Fuller is a respected legislator who has earned the trust of our Caucus during her time in the State Senate, and after handily winning re-election last fall she is a great choice to serve as our next Republican Leader,” Senator Huff said. “She is highly thought of by Republicans
  
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• Shafter man faces life in prison

  24-02-2015 23:16
  
  FRESNO, CA — A Shafter man faces life in prison after pleading guilty to federal drug charges.
  
  United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced today that Santos Acevedo Gutierrez, 41, resident of Shafter, pleaded guilty yesterday to possession with attempt to distribute methamphetamine and agreed to the forfeiture of over $10,123.
  
  According to court documents, on April 30, 2014 Kern County Sheriff Deputies executed a search warrant at Gutierrez’s home in Shafter, CA an
  
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• State Senate Republicans pick Bakersfield's Fuller as new leader

  24-02-2015 23:14
  
  Fuller will become the Senate's first woman Republican leader when she assumes the post on Nov. 1.
  
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• Drought: Assemblyman Salas introduces 'cash for grass' bill

  24-02-2015 23:08
  
  Bakersfield Democrat Rudy Salas has introduced a bill in the Assembly that would establish a statewide tax credit for residents who swap real grass for "more drought-resistant landscaping," according to his office.
  
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• Johnny Garlic's restaurant is now open

  24-02-2015 22:56
  
  Johnny Garlic's restaurant opened this morning at The Marketplace.
  
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• Rescued sea turtle being flown from Oregon to California

  24-02-2015 22:19
  
  A sea turtle that was rescued from frigid Northwest waters and treated at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport is catching a ride back to California on a Coast Guard training flight.
  
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• Lawmakers fear overuse of psychiatric drugs on foster kids

  24-02-2015 22:17
  
  At a hearing Tuesday, California lawmakers will examine why the state's foster children are being prescribed psychiatric drugs at three times the rate of other youth.
  
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• Hackers snap up Burning Man passes, leaving many ticketless

  24-02-2015 22:15
  
  Someone hacked into Burning Man's website and snapped up the first batch of tickets to the summer festival.
  
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• Fishing could be off limits in streams if water runs low

  24-02-2015 22:12
  
  Fishing along streams in three Northern California coastal counties may be off limits through the spring at times when water levels run low.
  
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• Hillary Clinton beginning to shed low profile with California speech

  24-02-2015 22:04
  
  Hillary Rodham Clinton has so far kept a low profile this year, something that's starting to change as she heads toward her expected 2016 campaign for president.
  
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• George Zimmerman won't face federal charges

  24-02-2015 21:50
  
  The Justice Department says the government will not pursue federal civil rights charges against George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin three years ago.
  
  Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder in the shooting.
  
  He said that he was acting in self-defense when he killed Martin, during an altercation in a gated community in Sanford, Florida.
  
  The shooting stirred a national debate about race and guns.
  
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• Geogre Zimmerman won't face federal charges

  24-02-2015 21:50
  
  The Justice Department says the government will not pursue federal civil rights charges against George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin three years ago.
  
  Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder in the shooting.
  
  He said that he was acting in self-defense when he killed Martin, during an altercation in a gated community in Sanford, Florida.
  
  The shooting stirred a national debate about race and guns.
  
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• Defying GOP, Obama vetoes Keystone XL pipeline bill

  24-02-2015 21:49
  
  President Barack Obama has vetoed a Republican bill forcing construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
  
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• Kern County Animal Services offers spay/neuter vouchers

  24-02-2015 21:43
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- Tuesday is world spay day and unincorporated Kern County residents are receiving a special deal on getting their pets spayed and neutered.
  
  On Tuesday Feb. 24 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. people who live in the county can go to Kern county Animal Services on Fruitvale to pick up a voucher.
  
  The Humane Society of the United States and Kern County Animal Services are teaming up to offer vouchers to low-income residents for just ten dollars.
  
  Qualifying pet owners will b
  
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• County Supervisors update fireworks ordinance

  24-02-2015 21:22
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- Kern County Supervisors have made some changes to the county's ordinances on fireworks.
  
  Supervisors Voted 3-2 on Tuesday to approve the new ordinance.
  
  The sticking point was 2 popular fireworks.
  
  The Piccolo Pete's and Ground Flowers were to be banned under the ordinance.
  
  But some said those are the biggest sellers and banning them would be devastating to the non-profit groups that rely on fireworks sales.
  
  In the end, the ordinance was approved with
  
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• California's plastic-bag ban suspended by ballot referendum

  24-02-2015 21:05
  
  After one of the fiercest legislative battles of the year, pitting bag-makers against environmentalists, Gov. Jerry Brown signed the bill last fall. It was scheduled to be phased in starting in July at large grocery stores and supermarkets as a way to cut down on litter and protect marine life.
  
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• Metrolink crash leaves 28 injured, some severely

  24-02-2015 20:16
  
  OXNARD, CA- Dozens of Southern California commuters were injured Tuesday morning when a Metrolink train derailed after slamming into a vehicle abandoned on the tracks. The accident occurred at the start of morning rush hour.
  
  Shortly before dawn, a commuter train collided with a truck in Oxnard.
  
  The impact knocked three of the train's five cars to their side injuring 28 of the 51 people on board.
  
  "The extent of injuries ranged from significant head trauma and extr
  
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• Boy, 14, arrested in shooting

  24-02-2015 20:14
  
  A 14-year-old boy, who police say is a gang member, has been arrested on suspicion of negligent discharge of a firearm.
  
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• Guy Fieri's Johnny Garlic's restaurant opens in Bakersfield

  24-02-2015 20:00
  
  Celebrity chef Guy Fieri's Johnny Garlic's restaurant opens Tuesday in Bakersfield.
  
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• No new measles cases in latest California outbreak update

  24-02-2015 19:41
  
  California health officials' latest update shows no new measles cases for the first time since the Disneyland outbreak began last year — an encouraging sign that infections may be waning.
  
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• Kern Regional Center gets bad report from state

  24-02-2015 19:25
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- A state audit reveals serious problems at the Kern Regional Center.
  
  The state has given KRC 45 days to fix the problems.
  
  California's Department of Developmental Services lodged a complaint with Kern Regional Center on December 11.
  
  In it, DDS outlined a myriad of concerns about how KRC is operated.
  
  The state says these concerns stem from years of client complaints.
  
  "I don't think that we disregarded any comments. if there are concerns that a
  
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• Experts predict another bad year for West Nile Virus

  24-02-2015 18:56
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- Health officials are predicting another bad year for West Nile Virus in California because of the drought.
  
  West Nile usually causes mild symptoms, but it can cause brain swelling and be fatal.
  
  Infectious disease specialist report that the drought affects water flows, and causes water to pool rather than flow in streams.
  
  The stagnant water draws mosquitoes.
  
  The outbreak hit southern California the hardest last year, with Orange County recording 266 human
  
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• 'A lie is a lie': Vets, lawmaker troubled by VA secretary's false claim

  24-02-2015 18:22
  
  Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald drew expressions of disappointment but no demand for his resignation Tuesday, one day after he apologized for erroneously claiming he served in the military's special forces.
  
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• CHP offers class to prospective teen drivers

  24-02-2015 18:17
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- The California Highway Patrol wants to get your teen ready for the road.
  
  They are inviting prospective teenage drivers and their parents to a free class called Start Smart.
  
  The 2 hour class discusses important issues such as: Safe driving habits, consequences of a poor choice behind the wheel, and tips on how to avoid a collision.
  
  Parents and teens will be more aware, more educated, and better prepared to handle the stress of a new driver.
  
  The next
  
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• Teen wanted in shooting has been arrested

  24-02-2015 18:01
  
  Bakersfield Police have arrested a teen they say shot another teen.
  
  Detectives were notified Monday night by the family of the suspect, 14-year-old Angel Rodriguez.
  
  The family said they had found Rodriguez walking the streets and brought him home.
  
  Detectives went to the house and arrested Rodriguez.
  
  Police say 2 weeks ago he had fired a a gun into a bucket on the floor of the detached residential garage.
  
  The round ricocheted striking a 13 year old male juvenile in the
  
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• Dozens hurt as train crashes into truck, derails north of LA

  24-02-2015 17:49
  
  Dozens of people have been injured in the crash of a Southern California commuter train and a truck northwest of Los Angeles.
  
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• 28 hurt when train crashes into truck on tracks north of LA

  24-02-2015 17:49
  
  A commuter train slammed into a truck stuck on the tracks early Tuesday, sending three rail cars tumbling onto their sides and injuring 28 people in the fiery crash in California.
  
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• 28 hurt as train crashes into abandoned truck north of LA

  24-02-2015 17:49
  
  A commuter train slammed into an abandoned truck early Tuesday, causing a fiery derailment that injured dozens of people as three rail cars tumbled onto their sides northwest of Los Angeles.
  
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• Islamic State militants abduct dozens of Christians in Syria

  24-02-2015 16:56
  
  Islamic State militants have abducted at least 70 Christians, including women and children, after overrunning a string of villages in northeastern Syria, activists and relatives said Tuesday.
  
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• 30 injured in Metrolink train derailment

  24-02-2015 16:43
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA.- At least three Los Angeles-bound Metrolink train cars derailed after the train was involved in a fiery collision with a vehicle Tuesday morning between Oxnard and Camarillo.     
  The vehicle was on the Ventura County Line tracks at the time of the collision, just before 6:00 a.m. according to Metrolink. Several cars were on their sides near 5th St. and Rice Ave. and at least 30 people were injured. 
  Fire-rescue personnel have set up a triage area a
  
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• School delays for Tuesday, February 24th

  24-02-2015 16:21
  
  The following is a list of school delays for Tuesday, February 24th:
  
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• Alaska becomes third state with legal marijuana

  24-02-2015 15:56
  
  Alaska on Tuesday became the third U.S. state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, but organizers don't expect any public celebrations since it remains illegal to smoke marijuana in public.
  
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• Gas prices continue to climb

  24-02-2015 11:32
  
  If you filled up the tank lately then chances are you have already noticed the change at the pump.
  
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• Unique lightning bolt captured on cell phone

  24-02-2015 08:41
  
  With the storm that hit Kern County on Feb. 23, photos from all over flooded the 23ABC newsroom of lightning, hail and rain. But one photo made us all go WOW!
  
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• Kern County's wild weather wrap up

  24-02-2015 08:15
  
  The rain started on Sunday with snow above 5000 feet. And the energy from the storm stayed in Kern County through Monday producing an EF-0 tornado.
  This is the fourteenth confirmed tornado to touch down in Kern County since official record keeping began in 1949.
  This one was northwest of Buttonwillow at 11:40 Monday morning.
  17 News viewer Destiny sent us the tornado video taken by her husband.
  The National Weather Service estimated its width to be 150 feet and it's path about a half-m
  
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• Suspect in deadly hit-and-run crash in court

  24-02-2015 03:41
  
  A man accused in a deadly hit-and-run crash was in Kern County court Monday.
  
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• Port labor dispute spells bottleneck for Kern recycling centers

  24-02-2015 03:30
  
  Recycling centers in Kern County have been stuck with a bottleneck, thanks to the labor dispute over at the West Coast ports. Now, as dockworkers gear up again, centers piled high with cans, bottles and cardboard hope their operations also get back to normal.
  
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• Sister questions why no arrest yet in deadly crash

  24-02-2015 03:22
  
  An emotional Debra Allen spoke Monday about the loss of her brother, 60-year-old Oscar Stonebarger, who was riding his bike Feb. 7 when he was hit by a vehicle on the 2800 block of Taft Highway.
  
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• Former Fresno police detective admits to bribery charge

  24-02-2015 02:15
  
  Federal prosecutors announced on Monday that Derik Carson Kumagai worked as a Fresno police detective in 2013 when he accepted the $20,000 bribe.
  
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• California congressman wants hearing on superbug outbreak

  24-02-2015 02:14
  
  Congress should launch an investigation into what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is doing to prevent additional superbug infections after a deadly outbreak at a Los Angeles hospital linked to tainted medical scopes, a lawmaker said Monday.
  
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• Program to help veterans at Glenwood Gardens Tuesday

  24-02-2015 01:52
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - Glenwood Gardens is hosting a Veteran's Aid and Attendance seminar at their facility on Calloway Drive Tuesday morning.  
  
  It's scheduled to start at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday and is expected to run until 10:30.  For more information, call Glenwood Gardens, call 587-0221.  Here's some information about aid and attendance from the Veteran's Administration website.  
  
  The Aid & Attendance (A&A) increased monthly pension amount may be added to your mon
  
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• Calabasas man suspected in Bakersfield bank robbery

  24-02-2015 01:17
  
  A Calabasas man is accused of robbing a bank in Bakersfield.
  
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• Police catch serial bank robber

  24-02-2015 01:02
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- Bakersfield police say they have caught the man who robbed the Wells Fargo on Panama Lane.
  
  On February 18, 2015, 64 year old Calabasas resident Johnny Carlson turned himself into the Victorville office of the California Highway Patrol indicating that he had robbed a bank in Rocklin, California.
  
  Bakersfield police detectives were aware of the robbery in Rocklin, California and suspected that the suspect in the Bakersfield robbery was the same suspect.
  
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• Shoot-out at marijuana grow-house kills 1, wounds 1

  24-02-2015 01:00
  
  One man was killed and another wounded during a gun battle at a Northern California marijuana grow-house.
  
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• Winter storm brings rain, snow to Southern California

  24-02-2015 00:58
  
  Flooding was reported on Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles while accidents on slick roadways backed up traffic on several other freeways early Monday.
  
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• Party bus that hit, dragged man near LA located

  24-02-2015 00:56
  
  Authorities say they believe they've found a party bus that dragged a man more than 200 feet in a weekend hit-and-run in a Los Angeles suburb.
  
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• Man critical after being hit by party bus near Los Angeles

  24-02-2015 00:56
  
  Authorities are searching for the driver of a party bus that struck a pedestrian in California and dragged the man for more than 200 feet, leaving him seriously injured.
  
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• Water thefts on the rise in drought-stricken California

  24-02-2015 00:53
  
  As California's drought drags on, officials are cracking down on thieves who wrench open fire hydrants and ignore or tamper with meters to access one of the state's precious commodities — water.
  
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