Bakersfield news

• Taft molester gets 4 years in prison

  15-04-2015 23:58
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- The man accused of molesting a 14-year-old Taft girl was sentenced Wednesday afternoon to four years and four months in prison and he must register as a sex offender for life.In March, Efrain Velasco-Palacios pleaded no contest to two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse and one count of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14.Five felony counts in another molestation case against Velasco-Palacios were dismissed in July 2013 involving another girl.That's because de
  
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• Delores Huerta to be honored before Dodgers game

  15-04-2015 23:20
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- UFW co-founder Delores Huerta will be honored before Wednesday night's L.A. Dodgers game.Its part of Major League Baseball's ninth annual Civil Rights Game coinciding with Jackie Robinson Day for the first time.Robinson's widow, Rachel, will play a central role in the first pitch ceremony before the Los Angeles Dodgers-Seattle Mariners interleague game.Huerta will receive the 2015 MLB Beacon Award, which recognize individuals whose lives and actions have been emblematic of
  
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• Kids celebrate healthy choices with salad bars in schools

  15-04-2015 22:32
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- Students at the Bakersfield City School District are celebrating healthy eating choices.The district held a salad bar appreciation day at Compton Junior High school to thank nine local growers for providing fresh fruits and vegetables.This allows them to have an open salad and fruit bar everyday at each one of the 43 schools.The whole idea came to life after a local grower combined his love for farming and biking to take part in the first "Tour de Fresh" last yea
  
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• Final phase of Westside Parkway set to open

  15-04-2015 22:05
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- The final phase of the Westside Parkway officially opens Wednesday afternoon.The new stretch of road will open the freeway from Allen road to Stockdale Highway.This part of the freeway will feature two lanes both east and west.TRIP officials say this is a departure from three lanes at other parts of the freeway because they expect less traffic.
  However officials still believe the final phase will be greatly used by commuters and the completed parkway will help relieve cong
  
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• Defendant in case dismissed due to prosecutor misconduct sentenced to prison Wednesday on new charges

  15-04-2015 21:52
  
  A man who pleaded no contest to three sex crimes -- and whose previous case alleging sex acts with a minor was dismissed when a prosecutor falsified a transcript -- was sentenced Wednesday to four years and four months in prison.
  Efrain Velasco-Palacios, 21, allegedly impregnated the then-13-year-old victim. He pleaded no contest March 17 to committing lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 and two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse.
  
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• Man guilty in deadly DUI crash on Harris Road

  15-04-2015 21:32
  
  A man was convicted Tuesday in a deadly drunken-driving crash on Harris Road.
  
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• Guilty verdict for man accused of killing teen in DUI crash

  15-04-2015 21:27
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- A man was convicted Tuesday of second degree murder and gross vehicular manslaughter for his role in a fatal high speed crash in southwest Bakerfield.The crash happened in November of 2013. Investigators say Duarte was doing between 93 and 108 miles an hour when he lost control on Harris Road. Duarte's passenger Iman Amin, 17, died at the scene.The District Attorney's Office says Duarte's blood alcohol level was .17; more than twice the legal limit.
  Duarte's sentencing is
  
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• Plane crash investigated on Tejon Ranch

  15-04-2015 21:08
  
  The wreckage was found Wednesday morning on Tejon Ranch by a worker doing maintenance on the water system, according to Tejon spokesman Barry Zoeller.
  
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• Plane crash investigated in Lebec area

  15-04-2015 21:08
  
  Authorities are investigating a plane crash in the Lebec area.
  
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• Airplane wreckage found on Tejon Ranch

  15-04-2015 21:08
  
  Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation Administration said the plane - a Pitts S2E biplane - had been reported missing Tuesday. He said it was heading to Blythe from Bakersfield.
  
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• Fight for $15 protests expand for low-wage workers

  15-04-2015 21:04
  
  The Fight for $15 campaign that began with fast-food workers expanded in size and scope Wednesday to include a range of workers who say their meager pay is a form of economic injustice.
  
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• BREAKING: KCSO reports small plane crash near Lebec

  15-04-2015 20:55
  
  LEBEC, CA- The Kern county Sheriff's Office is reporting a small plane crash near Lebec.The wreckage is in an area east of El Tejon School on Tejon Ranch, according to KCSO.Kern County Fire is also responding to the scene. They say there was a report of a small plane that had been missing for several days. KCSO says the wreckage is spread over a wide area and it appears the pilot is dead.
  
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• Federal judge declines to remove pot from dangerous drug list

  15-04-2015 20:40
  
  A federal judge in California declined Wednesday to remove marijuana from the list of most dangerous drugs.
  
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• Family needs answers in fatal crash that killed father of 8

  15-04-2015 20:39
  
  A Bakersfield family is left searching for answers in the hit-and-run death of a father of eight children.
  
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• Family needs answers in fatal crash that killed father

  15-04-2015 20:39
  
  A Bakersfield family is left searching for answers in the hit-and-run death of a father.
  
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• Sheriff's office wants help with missing man

  15-04-2015 20:26
  
  Tylor Brown, who has mental health issues, was last seen in the Oildale area, according to the sheriff's office. He's also known to frequent the Kern River area of Oildale/central Bakersfield and and Buck Owens Boulevard.
  
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• Sheriff's office wanted help with missing man

  15-04-2015 20:26
  
  Tylor Brown, who has mental health issues, was last seen in the Oildale area, according to the sheriff's office. He's also known to frequent the Kern River area of Oildale/central Bakersfield and and Buck Owens Boulevard.
  
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• Overnight fire burns 6 out of their homes

  15-04-2015 20:20
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- Bakersfield Fire says 6 people were displaced after a fire at an east Bakersfield triplex.The fire at 824 Kentucky was reported just after Midnight Wednesday.Crews found heavy smoke coming from the attic.Everyone in the complex was able to get out safely
  The fire was confined to the apartment of origin with no extension to nearby buildings.BFD Arson Investigators were dispatched to the scene in order to determine origin and cause of the fire. The fire is incendia
  
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• Man sentenced in sex case after escaping prior case because of falsified transcript

  15-04-2015 20:20
  
  A man was sentenced Wednesday to four years and four months in prison after pleading no contest to lewd or lascivious acts and unlawful sexual intercourse.
  
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• Man sentenced after escaping prior case because of falsified transcript

  15-04-2015 20:20
  
  A man was sentenced Wednesday to four years and four months in prison after pleading no contest to lewd or lascivious acts and unlawful sexual intercourse.
  
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• 6 displaced in 'incendiary' apartment fire

  15-04-2015 20:11
  
  Six residents were displaced by an overnight fire at a triplex apartment building in east Bakersfield.
  
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• KCSO: Man wanted for unlawful sex with minor

  15-04-2015 19:51
  
  A man is wanted on suspicion of abducting a minor and unlawful sex with a minor.
  
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• Free shredding for Tax day

  15-04-2015 19:47
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- A Bakersfield company is offering free shredding for people to mark tax day.Metro Record Storage & Shredding will shred up to two file boxes of confidential documents for free.The offer is good April 15th only and Metro will be open until 5 p.m.
   
  Metro Record Storage & Shredding2929 16th St Bakersfield CA 93301
  661-322-2929
  
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• Man accused of forcing woman into prostitution

  15-04-2015 19:38
  
  Joshua Worsham Davis, 38, was arrested in Bakersfield on suspicion of pimping, false imprisonment, obstructing or delaying an investigation, and human trafficking.
  
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• Man wanted for sex with minor

  15-04-2015 19:35
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- Kern County Sheriff's deputies want your help in finding a man they say had sex with a minor.According to KCSO, Fernando Amador had unlawful sex with the victim.Deputies have been able to secure a warrant for Amador's arrest.Amador lives in the east Bakersfield area and has previously worked in the McFarland area. He is a native of Mexico and has family in the Salinas, CA area. Amador also has a felony warrant out of Monterey County for drug charges.If anyone has informati
  
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• Deputies arrest man for human tafficking

  15-04-2015 19:11
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- A man is in jail for bringing a Sacramento woman to Bakersfield and forcing her to prostitute, according to the Kern County Sheriff's Office.Joshua Worsham Davis, 38, was arrested Monday after the victim told deputies she had been forced into prostitution in Sacramento, Oakland, San Jose, Fresno and Bakersfield. Both the victim and Davis are from Sacramento according to KCSO.The victim reported that Davis had brought her to Bakersfield 8 days earlier and and forced her to
  
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• Centennial HS students talk privatizing library

  15-04-2015 18:08
  
  As the Board of Supervisors continues talks about privatizing the Kern County library system, a group of high school students joined in the dialogue.
  
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• Aaron Hernandez Murder Trial: Former NFL Star Convicted of First-Degree Murder

  15-04-2015 16:48
  
  Aaron Hernandez was convicted Wednesday of first-degree murder in the late-night shooting of a man in an industrial park near his home — a verdict that completed a staggering fall for one of the NFL's most promising stars.Hernandez, 25, a former tight end for the New England Patriots, appeared to shake his head slightly as the verdict was read. He was also convicted of gun charges in the June 2013 killing of the man, Odin Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancée and wh
  
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• Ex-NFL player Aaron Hernandez convicted of 1st-degree murder

  15-04-2015 16:33
  
  Former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez has been found guilty of first-degree murder.AMassachusetts jury on Wednesday found Hernandez killed Odin Lloyd onJune 17, 2013. Lloyd was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee. Hewas found shot six times in an industrial park less than a mile fromHernandez's home.
  
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• Daniel Ellsberg speaks at CSU Bakersfield

  15-04-2015 08:24
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - Daniel Ellsberg was the guy who leaked "The Pentagon Papers" to the press, exposing a government conspiracy of lying to the American public about military losses in the Vietnam war.Arriving to a packed house and a standing ovation, Daniel Ellsberg took the stage Tuesday night to recruit more people like Edward Snowden, the man who leaked documents about the National Security Agency's electronic spying programs.Daniel Ellsberg said, "I think such people are doing
  
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• Firefighters union opposes Grove tax-break bill for veterans

  15-04-2015 07:43
  Assemblywoman Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, has run into unexpected opposition to her efforts to help military veterans start a new business. California Professional Firefighters, a 30,000-member union, has come out against Grove’s Assembly Bill 328, which would give military veterans an extra two years’ exemption from paying the annual $800 Minimum Franchise Tax charged to California businesses.
  
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• 'Leaker' who released Pentagon Papers draws standing ovation

  15-04-2015 07:37
  
  Dr. Daniel Ellsberg flashed peace signs as he was greeted with a standing ovation at Cal State Bakersfield’s Dore Theater Tuesday night. Known for his release of the Pentagon Papers during the Vietnam War, Ellsberg spoke to a standing-room-only audience at the 29th Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture.
  
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• LOIS HENRY: Can we justify pouring water on fireworks fires?

  15-04-2015 05:53
  California’s drought has become quite handy for pointing the finger at things people don’t like — ­almonds, fracking, the Central Valley in general, etc. Since I hate being left out of any trend, I’ve got one, too: personal fireworks.
  
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• Downtown apartments approved, appeal planned

  15-04-2015 03:59
  
  A modern four-story apartment building slated for one of downtown's oldest residential areas won approval Tuesday from a divided Board of Zoning Adjustment after 11 neighbors and nearby property owners spoke against it and promised to appeal the decision.
  The 28-unit building proposed at 2125 18th St. would have one-bedroom apartments with loft-style floor plans ranging from 760 square feet to 1,180 square feet.
  
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• Closing arguments begin for alleged masked rapist, Billy Ray Johnson

  15-04-2015 03:47
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - Tuesday was the first day of closing argumentsin the case of the alleged masked rapist, Billy Ray Johnson. He is accused in a series of sexual assaults that terrorized east Bakersfield in the summer of 2013. The prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney, Cynthia Zimmer, gave her closing argument, rehashing every aspect of the case.Zimmer started off with the 911 calls from each victim, then preceded to explain in detail why Billy Ray Johnson had 24 charges and several enhancements.
  
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• Video shows chairs stolen from couple's front yard

  15-04-2015 03:45
  
  A couple woke up one day last week to find chairs stolen from their front yard.
  
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• Women form group to keep Kern County libraries public

  15-04-2015 03:33
  
  After hearing that the Kern County Board of Supervisors were lookinginto possibly privatizing local libraries, Miranda Lomeli-O’Reilly andMandy Walters created a plan to keep the libraries public.
  
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• Stopping child abuse: 'You are the voice of a child'

  15-04-2015 03:20
  
  The public is urged to report any suspicions of child abuse, as Kern County highlights Child Abuse Prevention Month.
  
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• Los Angeles mayor wants to cut violent crime, add trash cans

  15-04-2015 03:14
  
  The first-term Democrat says Los Angeles will double the number of police officers in an elite division to counter a spike in violent crime, while adding 5,000 trash cans to streets over four years.
  
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• Sex offender limits no longer tied to voters' initiative

  15-04-2015 02:35
  
  A new policy says California parole agents will have to find a specific link to child victims before they can bar sex offender parolees from living near schools and parks.
  
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• Amanda Renteria is nat'l political director for Clinton campaign

  15-04-2015 01:54
  
  Amanda Renteria has been named national political director for Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.
  
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• City bulldozer takes down wall at "Tent City"

  15-04-2015 01:23
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- City crews werebusy Tuesday taking down fencing material and knocking down a wall at the so-called "tent city" in south Bakersfield.The city building department started wall removal last friday.The vacant lot where officials say nearly 50 people lived is now under the authority of the city, for the next year.City officials say there is no schedule for the second phase.
  
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• School threat bill introduced

  15-04-2015 01:16
  
  State Senator Jean Fuller along with Sergeant Joe Grubbs of the Bakersfield Police Department, teamed up to present Senate Bill 110 to the Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday. 
  
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• River bottom fire keeps crews busy

  15-04-2015 00:57
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- Kern County Fire and Bakersfield Fire joined forces to battle a river bottom fire Tuesday.Just after 11:00 a.m., the Kern County Fire Department received multiple calls for a fire in the Kern River bottom of Oildale, west of the North Chester Ave bridge.
  First arriving crews encountered a fire in brush and trees approximately 2 acres in size. Firefighters swept the area to ensure there were no persons in the area.
  Due to a heavy fuel load of dense brush and trees, crews ti
  
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• Vons to close 2 local stores

  15-04-2015 00:53
  
  Two local Vons stores will be closing their doors permanently. 
  
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• Fire breaks out near Sam Lynn Ball Park

  15-04-2015 00:43
  
  A fire in the riverbed off Golden State Highway near Sam Lynn Ball Park is now under control.
  
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• Florida bouncer lit on fire by customer

  15-04-2015 00:23
  
  (WPTV)A bar bouncer in Port St. Lucie is recovering in a Miami burn unit after a patron threw what appeared to be a cup of gasoline on him, then set him on fire during a scuffle Sunday night.Read More: http://bit.ly/1I9vPLk
  
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• 2 Bakersfield Vons grocery stores to close by mid-May

  15-04-2015 00:15
  
  Two Vons grocery stores in Bakersfield will close by May 16, a company spokesman said Tuesday.
  
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• Library privitazation meeting gets big turnout

  15-04-2015 00:06
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- Community activists are pushing back against a recent proposal by County Supervisors to privatize county libraries.The turnout for last night's demonstration at Beale Memorial Library was so large, the meeting had to be moved to a bigger room.Advocates for Library Enhancement talked about the importance of libraries to our communities.They also discussed funding alternatives that would allow the library to remain public including a sales tax increase.They would need 40,000
  
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