Bakersfield news

• BPD looking for two suspects wanted for burglary, forgery

  26-03-2015 23:38
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - Bakersfield police are asking for the public's help in finding suspects wanted for forgery and burglary.According to BPD, suspects entered the Office Max located at 3761 Ming Av. with a credit card that had been stolen during a residential burglary hours earlier and attempted to use the card.One suspect is described as a male in his 20's, medium height and weight, shaved head.The second suspect is a female in her 20's.Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged t
  
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• Anti-gay initiative puts California attorney general in bind

  26-03-2015 23:01
  
  A California lawyer with an idea that has been called offensive,outrageous, reprehensible and illegal is putting the century-old processthat gives citizens the right to make laws at the ballot box to itslatest test.
  
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• Three local Albertsons stores to reopen under new name

  26-03-2015 22:55
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - Three local Albertsons are closing and will reopen as a Haggen Food and Pharmacy.
  The Albertsons at 7900 White Lane, and the The Albertsons at 3500 Panama Lane will close March 29 at 6 p.m. and reopen March 31 as a Haggen food store.     The Albertsons at  8200 East Stockdale Highway will close March 31 at 6 p.m, and reopen April 2.
  A spokesperson said the company wants to partner with local farmers and producers to offer locally sourced products, and retai
  
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• $1 billion water spending plan heads to California governor

  26-03-2015 22:47
  
  A plan to pump $1 billion of water spending into drought-stricken California cleared the Legislature on Thursday and was sent to Gov. Jerry Brown, who is expected to sign the legislation.
  
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• New ILCKC program developed for visually impaired adults

  26-03-2015 22:41
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - Jan Lemucchi with the Independent Living Center of Kern County visited the KGET studios to talk about their new program, known as the OIB Program. 
  The ILCKC has a new program for individuals who are blind/ visually impaired and who are 55 years of age and older needing low vision training, adaptive equipment or assistive technology, communication skills training, independent living skills training, adjustment/peer counseling, or any of the other services ILCKC provides.&
  
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• Murder charge filed in California body-in-barrel case

  26-03-2015 22:31
  
  Authorities say a 40-year-old California man used a hammer to killanother man, stuffed his body inside a plastic barrel and dumped it infront of this town's city hall.
  
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• California loosens sex offender residency restrictions

  26-03-2015 22:29
  
  California will alter its 8-year-old ban preventing all registered sex offenders from living near schools or parks, state officials announced Thursday, instead imposing the restriction only on pedophiles and others whose sex crimes involved children.
  
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• Woman gets 15 to life in toddler's murder

  26-03-2015 22:24
  
  A woman was sentenced Thursday to 15 years to life in prison for the 2013 death of a toddler.
  
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• Students experience life in the 1800's with museum tour

  26-03-2015 21:53
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - More than 800 students were expected from more than eight local elementary schools from third to sixth graders.     They were there at the museum's Pioneer Village to experience life like it was in California in the late 1800's.     It's called "Frontier Life" and it's designed to support history programs set forth by state and local schools.     The kids got to do things like make adobe bricks, build split rail fences and
  
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• Giants look to end every-other-year championship trend

  26-03-2015 21:29
  
  While the reigning World Series champions are ready to shed that every-other-year title trend, plenty of people wonder whether general manager Brian Sabean and his staff did enough during the offseason to stay near the top in the talented NL West.
  
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• Meeting tonight to discuss new downtown apartment complex

  26-03-2015 21:05
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - A community meeting is scheduled to discuss the proposed apartment complex to be constructed in downtown Bakersfield.
  The meeting will be held tonight at Metro Galleries, located at 1604 19th Street from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
  At the meeting, the community will discuss the 28-unit apartment complex planned for 2115-2125 18th Street. 
  The complex is called, The Lofts on 18th Street.
  For more information you can check out the project's Facebook page to learn more.
  *Photos from t
  
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• Pac NW grocery chain taking over Bakersfield Albertsons stores

  26-03-2015 20:59
  
  Three Albertsons grocery stores in Bakersfield will be converted to Haggen stores.
  
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• KGET fundraiser next week to support SAL

  26-03-2015 20:52
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - KGET is firing up the barbecue next week to help raise funds to support the Kern County Sheriff's Activities League.     The organization provides programs to help local youth develop into responsible, productive citizens -- reducing juvenile crime.
  The barbecue is on Wednesday, April 1, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.     You can help support the program by joining us outside our KGET studios at 22nd and L Streets.      For $5 you can
  
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• Health educators met with locals about healthy shopping

  26-03-2015 20:33
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - Dignity Health educators got out of the hospital setting today, and into the aisles at the grocery store, to spread tips for healthy eating.
  Health educators went to the Vallarta Market on Panama Lane to educate shoppers on how to read nutrition labels, to know the differences between different types of fat, and how to make sure they are incorporating all of the important food groups.     Educators said a lot of people often miss out of food groups and don't get
  
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• Road advisory in effect for children's concert

  26-03-2015 20:23
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - A traffic advisory will be in effect on Friday morning for a concert featuring a Grammy nominated duo who will be performing for local children.
  The "Greg and Steve's Children's Concert Event" will take place on 20th Street between H and G Streets from 6 a.m. to noon. 
  During the event the streets will be closed.
  The children's concert series is being held at the Fox Theater.     The grammy-nominated singer-songwriters Greg and Steve perform famil
  
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• Tractor-trailer plows into Texas interstate bridge, 1 killed

  26-03-2015 20:08
  
  Authorities say a tractor-trailer has crashed into an overpass under construction along a major interstate in Central Texas, killing one person and halting traffic in both directions.
  
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• Electrical problem sparks fire in Maricopa home

  26-03-2015 19:56
  
  A faulty electrical outlet is being blamed for a fire Wednesday night on Mary Street in Maricopa.
  
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• Bulky waste collection event this Saturday

  26-03-2015 19:48
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - The Kern County Waste Management Department and Kern Refuse Haulers are joining together to help the community by hosting a bulky waste recycling event. Residents can drop off large household items like appliances and furniture at any of three locations around Bakersfield. The event happens Saturday, March 28, from 8 a.m. to noon.The three locations are:• North High School - 300 Galaxy Ave (bus loading zone at the front of the school)• Kern County Fair -
  
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• Nordstrom Rack opens in Bakersfield

  26-03-2015 19:46
  
  Nordstrom Rack opened Thursday in The Shops at River Walk off Stockdale Highway.
  
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• New start for Lamont composting plant

  26-03-2015 19:17
  
  LAMONT, CA - A Lamont composting plant where two workers died in an accident is under new ownership and looking to distance itself from its checkered past.
  Community Recycling is under new ownership now.     The facility even has a nice new name, Recology Blossom Valley Organics.     Their mission is the same, turning organic waste into fertilizer.
  On Wednesday, Lamont residents had a chance to meet the new owners and hear their plans for becoming a better neighbor
  
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• 'First Look': ADAKC one step closer to new alzheimer's facility

  26-03-2015 19:14
  
  Alzheimer's is a disease that cannot be prevented, cured or slowed.New research by the Alzheimer's Association says that today, nearly 55 percent of patients and their caregivers say their doctors never told them they have the disease.
  
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• Murder trial in alleged drunken driving crash that killed Princess Almonidovar postponed to May

  26-03-2015 19:09
  
  The trial of accused drunken driver Alex Rubio on charges including second-degree murder has been postponed to May 11 as his attorney is seeking more information in connection with toxicology reports and crime scene reconstruction.
  Rubio's trial was set to begin April 6, but Judge John S. Somers said Thursday there was good cause to trail it to May. He said he didn't want to set it any later than that because it would put the trial in the summer months and it's likely witnesses involved in the c
  
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• L.A. officials set to respond to illegal dumping claims

  26-03-2015 18:46
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - The city of Los Angeles will have an opportunity to dispute claims by Kern County they should be fined for violating laws over mulch sent to a transfer site near Lebec.
  A hearing has been scheduled for Friday in the Kern County board of supervisors chambers.
  The county said it has fined the L.A. Bureau of Sanitation nearly $900,000 for illegally dumping southland greenwaste.     According to the Kern County Agriculture Commissioner, L.A. dumped 280 truckloads of
  
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• Lawyer: 2 Nevada inmates handcuffed when guard shot them

  26-03-2015 18:44
  
  A Nevada prison inmate was handcuffed when was shot and killed by a guard last November, according to a lawyer who said that her client was wounded in the same shooting but survived.
  
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• A Bakersfield woman is inspiring the nation with her blog

  26-03-2015 18:43
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - A Bakersfield native is making waves and inspiring women across the country with her brave social media post.
  People Magazine said Rachel Hollis may have just become the world's most famous - and inspirational - swimsuit model.      Hollis--who is from Bakersfield---posted a bikini photo of herself on the beach in Cancun.     The mother of three isn't ashamed of her stretch marks and saggy stomach -- she flaunts them.    "
  
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• High teen pregnancy rate impacts Kern County's health ranking

  26-03-2015 18:31
  
  The 2015 County Health Rankings, conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, finds that Kern County is the seventh-most unhealthy county in the nation.
  
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• Police: Kidnapping of Calif. woman was hoax, now can't find her

  26-03-2015 17:53
  
  Northern California investigators say they were suspicious when a man took hours to report that strangers broke into his home and abducted his girlfriend for an $8,500 ransom but had to take it seriously for the two days she was missing.
  
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• Local doctor forms walking club with patients

  26-03-2015 17:34
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - A Bakersfield doctor is developing a reputation for checking up on her patients outside the office -- way outside the office.     Once a week she and her patients meet at the Park at River Walk to exercise together.
  After Dr. Sonia Kamath heard of other doctors across the country starting to exercise with their patients, she decided it was time to practice what she preaches.     So she and her medical assistant call patients each week and ask them
  
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• More than 1,400 jobs available at today's Job Fest

  26-03-2015 17:14
  
  SHAFTER, CA - If you're looking for a new job, don't miss out on this oppportunity to meet with dozens of employers.
  The Shafter Job Fest takes place today, from 9 a.m. to Noon at the Shafter Veterans Hall, located at 309 California Ave. 
  There are over 50 employers confirmed, most are different employers than last year's Job Fest.
  The total number of available jobs represented is more than 1,400. Some of the new employers to this year's Shafter Job Fest include:* DMSI is the staffing
  
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• Fees proposed for downtown parking structure

  26-03-2015 17:01
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - The Bakersfield City Council has voted to move forward with changes to a parking structure downtown, but no decision was made on fees.
  On Wenesday, council members voted to approve an automated pay system at the parking garage on 18th and Eye Streets.     The initial proposal calls for an increase of $5 for monthly pass holders.     Others would get two hours free, then pay $1 an hour for each hour thereafter, up to $10 maximum.     
  
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• California senate approves drought funding

  26-03-2015 17:00
  
  SACRAMENTO, CA - The California state senate has approved legislation to accelerate more than $1 billion in funds to address California's drought.
  Senate president Kevin de Leon said the bipartisan action provides a down payment on the state's efforts to respond to the drought and strengthen California's water infrastructure.
  The bills now go to the assembly for concurrence before going to the governor for signature.
  
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• Alone at controls, co-pilot sought to 'destroy' Germanwings plane

  26-03-2015 16:16
  
  The co-pilot of the doomed Germanwings jet barricaded himself in thecockpit and "intentionally" sent the plane full speed into a mountain inthe French Alps, ignoring the pilot's frantic pounding on the door andthe screams of terror from passengers, a prosecutor said Thursday.
  
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• 'First Look': First News for March 26

  26-03-2015 15:50
  
  Lead stories from "First Look with Scott Cox's" Top Stories: FORD CITY MAN SURRENDERS AFTER ALLEGEDLY ASSUALTING WOMAN MONDAY EVENING:A Ford City man accused of choking a woman and dragging her 20 feet across a yard before throwing her inside a residence surrendered Monday evening following a standoff with deputies. Glenn Reid, 36, was booked on suspicion of crimes including kidnapping and false imprisonment following the 7:50 p.m. incident in the 500 block of Harrison Street. Depu
  
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• Officials: Co-pilot appears to have crashed Germanwings plane on purpose

  26-03-2015 13:20
  
  From: NBCNews.comThe co-pilot of the crashed Germanwings plane appears to have "intentionally" forced the jet into a descent while his captain was locked out of the cockpit, prosecutors said Thursday.First Officer Andreas Lubitz, 28, was alone at the controls of the Airbus A320 as it began its rapid descent, Marseille Prosecutor Brice Robin told a news conference."Banging" sounds were heard on the crashed plane's cockpit voice recorder, Brice said, suggesting the captain was
  
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• Jesse Jackson Jr. leaves federal prison for halfway house

  26-03-2015 12:27
  
  The Rev. Jesse Jackson says his son, former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.,has been released from an Alabama prison after serving a year and ahalf for illegally spending $750,000 in campaign funds.
  
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• Saudi Arabia, allies open air campaign against Yemen rebels

  26-03-2015 12:27
  
  Saudi Arabia bombed key military installations in Yemen on Thursday,leading a regional coalition in a campaign against Shiite rebels whohave taken over much of the country and drove out the president. Thedramatic military assault turns impoverished, fragmented Yemen into anew front in the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
  
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• Saudi airstrikes target rebel bases in Yemen

  26-03-2015 12:27
  
  Saudi Arabia bombed key military installations in Yemen on Thursdayafter announcing a broad regional coalition to oust Shiite rebels thatforced the country's embattled president to flee. Some of the strikeshit positions in the country's capital, Sanaa, and flattened a number ofhomes near the international airport.
  
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• Summit examines pain in oil, ag, related industries

  26-03-2015 08:16
  
  Local business and government leaders got a close look Wednesday at the cracks forming in Kern County's economy as a result of drought and sharply lower oil prices. At an annual meeting that was much less optimistic than in recent years, economists and local specialists predicted substantial reductions in the county's agricultural output and continuing pain in its oil fields.
  
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• 'First Look': Water expert panel at Kern County Economic Summit

  26-03-2015 08:14
  
  Wednesday on "First Look with Scott Cox," Californian columnist Lois Henry made her appearance via telephone and talked about her participation in the Kern County Economic Summit, live from the DoubleTree Hotel. Henry put together a panel of experts to talk about the economic impact of water in Kern County.
  
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• Officials mull annual pass requirement for Hart Park

  26-03-2015 08:07
  
  Kern County Parks and Recreation leaders are kicking around the idea of creating an annual pass to use one of the county's signature park spaces -- Hart Park along the Kern River northeast of urban Bakersfield. Parks and Recreation Director Bob Lerude said Wednesday that the idea will be broached at the April 22 meeting of the Kern County Parks and Recreation Commission.
  
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• ROBERT PRICE: 10 things you need to know today

  26-03-2015 08:04
  
  1 When there's an increase in the price of West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark crude that reflects the ever-changing health of the U.S. oil industry, Kern County's high school dropout rate tends to tick upward. Why? Because, as Richard Gearhart, assistant professor of economics at Cal State Bakersfield, told a packed house at Wednesday morning's Kern County Economic Summit, the oil fields are more likely to be hiring and a $40,000 salary looks pretty good to a 16-year-old. Do oil
  
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• THE GRADE: Kern County Science Fair results

  26-03-2015 08:00
  
  AND THE WINNERS ARE ... More than 200 students either placed first, second or third or earned honorable mention distinctions in the 27th annual Kern County Science Fair, held Tuesday at the Rabobank Convention Center. Most first-place and some second-place finishers will be eligible to compete in the 64th annual California Science Fair held at the California Science Center in Los Angeles on May 18-19. Here’s the complete list of winners by category and grade-level:
  
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• Reserved parking to open up for public use

  26-03-2015 07:47
  
  If you go downtown on a Friday or Saturday night to eat, you know how difficult it can be  to find a parking spot, but soon, that will change.
  
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• Rack 'em up: Coveted retailer finally arrives in Bakersfield

  26-03-2015 07:41
  
  Nordstrom Rack will open its highly anticipated first store in Bakersfield Thursday, and the grand opening will feature prizes, food and other incentives for shoppers. The store at the Shops at River Walk is already generating a lot of buzz. The store has its own Facebook page, with glowing reviews.
  
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• Barnes named head of the Kern Community Foundation

  26-03-2015 06:58
  
  Kristen Barnes, a longtime champion of local philanthropy, has been named president and CEO of the Kern Community Foundation, it was announced Wednesday. Barnes, who takes over the job April 6, replaces Jeff Pickering, who is leaving to take a job in Florida.
  
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• Divided City Council OKs parking structure renovation

  26-03-2015 06:43
  
  The city’s downtown parking structure will get its first update in at least 10 years, opening up more than 400 spaces to the public at increased fees, the Bakersfield City Council decided Wednesday. After about 20 minutes of consideration, the City Council agreed with staff the parking structure at 18th and Eye streets can do a better job of paying for itself and accommodating the public.
  
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• CHP to conduct DUI/DL checkpoint this Friday

  26-03-2015 04:44
  
  The California Highway Patrol will be conducting a DUI/Driver's License checkpoint this Friday. 
  
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• LA deputies kill man in volley of gunfire caught on video

  26-03-2015 04:40
  
  A man with a shotgun who killed his girlfriend has died in a recorded hail of gunfire from Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies.
  
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• 14 killed in scaffolding collapse in central Vietnam

  26-03-2015 04:35
  
  At least 14 people were killed and 28 others were injured when scaffolding collapsed at a construction site in central Vietnam.
  
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• 1 person killed when tornadoes hit Oklahoma, Arkansas

  26-03-2015 04:21
  
  TULSA, Okla. (AP) — The slow start to the nation's tornado season came to a violent end Wednesday, when tornadoes raked Tulsa during its evening rush hour, killing one person and injuring others.
  
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