Bakersfield news

• Bobcat spotted near Shops at Riverwalk

  20-05-2015 23:41
  
  Several people say it's common to see a bobcat walking around near the Park at Riverwalk.
  
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• Trial begins for man accused in fatal DUI crash

  20-05-2015 23:05
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- Opening statements have begun in the trial of a man charged with killing a pregnant woman while driving drunk.Joseph Maine is charged with second degree murder in the death of Vanessa Carrillo in January 2014.
  Members of Carrillo's family packed the courtroom Wednesday morning.After both sides made their opening statements, Carrillo's mom and best friend testified for the prosecution.The case will likely focus on who had the green light and who had the red and what the Eve
  
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• Ryann rides the Colossus at Magic Mountain

  20-05-2015 22:26
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- School is almost out and many parents are making summertime plans.You may consider driving down I-5 to Magic Mountain, where the new Twisted Colossus ride opens to the public on May 23.17's Ryann Blackshere Vargas was live there all morning with a sneak peak of the attraction. Centennial high school student Michael Mountain joined her on the ride.Mountain rode the original Colossus back in August for 36 straight hours.
  
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• Man dead from officer-involved shooting after bank robbery

  20-05-2015 21:57
  
  The man shot by police Tuesday after a bank robbery and chase has died.
  
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• DA announces conviction in gang case

  20-05-2015 21:49
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- A gang member who kidnapped a man at gunpoint then shot him will spend the rest of his life in prison, according to the Kern County District Attorney.Alfred Carl Feliz was a member of the Surenos criminal street gang at the time of the crime according to a D.A. press release.Prosecutors said Feliz abducted Miguel Alvarez, 48 from the front yard of his home in east Bakersfield. They said Feliz pointed a gun at Alvarez as he was standing outside socializing with friends and famil
  
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• Twisted Colossus opens this weekend at Magic Mountain

  20-05-2015 21:29
  
  Twisted Colossus will occupy the same space in the park as its predecessor, Colossus, which debuted in 1978 and took its last bow last summer.
  
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• Man shot during police shooting has died

  20-05-2015 21:13
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- : The man shot in the officer involved shooting Tuesday has died.
  The Kern County Coroner identifies the man as Leland Kane Smithson, 26, of Lancaster.
  Police say they still don't know if Smithson died from an officers bullet or one of his own. An autopsy has been scheduled for Friday.The incident started just after 10 Tuesday morning when police say Smithson robbed the Wells Fargo bank on 23rd and L Streets. Police spotted his vehicle and they say Smithson led them o
  
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• Gang member gets life in prison for kidnapping, attempted murder

  20-05-2015 19:53
  
  A man was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison for kidnapping and attempted murder for the benefit of a criminal street gang, along with other gun and gang charges.
  
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• Cal Medical Assn. changes aid in dying position

  20-05-2015 19:45
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- The California Medical Association (CMA) has become the first medical association in the nation to change its stance on physician aid in dying also known as physician assisted suicide.In a release, CMA said it eliminated its historic opposition and is now neutral on the matter.CMA said it will not oppose Senate Bill 128, the End of Life Option Act.
  “As physicians, we want to provide the best care possible for our patients. However, despite the remarkable medical brea
  
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• California farmers propose water cuts to avoid bigger pinch

  20-05-2015 19:25
  
  Farmers in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta who have California's oldest water rights are proposing to voluntarily cut their use by 25 percent to avoid the possibility of even harsher restrictions by the state later this summer as the record drought continues.
  
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• California decision on farmer water cuts to apply broadly

  20-05-2015 19:25
  
  A group of California farmers, in a surprising turnaround, is volunteering to give up a fourth of its available water this year, sharing a resource all but guaranteed to them for more than a century.
  
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• Oil spill spreads across 9 miles of Pacific, fouls beaches

  20-05-2015 19:11
  
  Up to 105,000 gallons spilled from an onshore pipe and a fifth of that —21,000 gallons — reached the sea, according to estimates provided byofficials.
  
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• Oil slicks off California span 9 miles; cleanup underway

  20-05-2015 19:11
  
  An oil spill that fouled beaches and threatened wildlife along a scenic stretch of the California coast spread across 9 miles of ocean Wednesday as cleanup efforts began and federal regulators investigated how the pipeline leaked.
  
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• Efforts underway to scrub spilled oil from California coast

  20-05-2015 19:11
  
  Initial estimates put the spill at about 21,000 gallons, but that figurewould likely change after a Wednesday flyover gave a better sense ofthe scope, U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman Jennifer Williams said.
  
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• County to get more resources to process DNA

  20-05-2015 18:57
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- County Supervisors have agreed to provide the District Attorney's office with some big bucks for DNA analysis.Supervisors voted yesterday to allocate around $84,000 for DNA analysis.That money will pay for two case work view stations, one capacity expansion module and one thermal cycler to be used in the local crime lab.Officials hope this will help solve more crimes and alleviate some of the backlog.
  
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• KCSO breaks ground on new Lerdo Justice Center

  20-05-2015 18:15
  
  The new Kern County Justice Facility, which will be constructed at the Lerdo Detention Center, will house inmates that require special needs. 
  
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• Zimpex "didn't know" it sold bogus safety covers

  20-05-2015 18:09
  
  Zimpex, Inc.' CEO says she "didn't know" they were selling counterfeit safety garments.
  
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• Man claims he was duped by two service providers

  20-05-2015 16:51
  
  A senior citizen contacted 23 ABC after he says he was taken advantage of by two different wireless service provider sales people.
  
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• Rent Is Outpacing Minimum Wage

  20-05-2015 16:40
  
  In order to afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent in Kern County, renters need to earn $16.00 per hour.
  
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• Bakersfield on low end of park ranking

  20-05-2015 15:35
  
  Just how does the city of Bakersfield stack up with the rest of the country when it comes to its parks?
  
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• California farmers propose voluntary cuts

  20-05-2015 11:27
  
  FRESNO, Calif. (AP) -- Farmers in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta who have California's oldest water rights are proposing to voluntarily cut their use by 25 percent to avoid the possibility of even harsher restrictions by the state later this summer as the record drought continues.
  
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• LA approves $15 minimum wage by 2020

  20-05-2015 09:58
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Los Angeles is the latest and biggest city to endorse a hike in the minimum wage, adding to a string of successes for unions and advocates for the poor who have made it a primary objective as American wages stagnate.
  
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• Kern River sign to be updated to 271 lives lost

  20-05-2015 09:44
  
  On Friday, May 22nd, 2015 at 10:00 am the Kern County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue Team will be updating the sign on Hwy. 178 at the entrance to the Kern River Canyon to reflect the current number of lives lost in the Kern River since 1968.
  
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• Pipeline leaks oil into the Pacific Ocean

  20-05-2015 08:24
  
  Officials say it was around 12 P.M. Tuesday when the Santa Barbara County Fire Department first spotted the leak near Refugio State Beach, a south facing beach, after nearby ranchers called 911 reporting a powerful petroleum smell.Officials say the ruptured pipeline is operated by Plains All American Pipeline and runs along the coast near Highway 101. The oil company does have a hub here in Bakersfield and said in a statement the crude oil released came from a 24" pipeline that s
  
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• City of Bakersfield releases water use report

  20-05-2015 03:49
  
  It's no secret Californians have been trying to save water in this drought, and now Bakersfield residents are getting a look athow they're doing.
  
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• Water-safety experts offer resources, tips

  20-05-2015 03:45
  
  Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death among Kern County children under age 6 and the second leading cause for all children under age 18.
  
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• "Eastside Rapist" sentenced to 432 years

  20-05-2015 02:51
  
  The Bakersfield man known as the Eastside rapist was sentenced Tuesday afternoon after a judge rejected the motion for a mistrial.
  
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• Students get excited about space challenge

  20-05-2015 02:45
  
  Fourth and fifth-graders lined up Tuesday at the Tehachapi Municipal Airport to watch 26 rockets launch as part of the Intermediate Space Challenge.
  
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• Supervising children around water proves crucial

  20-05-2015 02:40
  
  With Memorial Day weekend approaching, the Kern County Water Safety Coalition wants its residents to stay safe around bodies of water.
  
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• Cold case caller hangs up; police need answers

  20-05-2015 02:37
  
  On May 19, 2015, apparently in response to several media stories regarding the 25 year anniversary of the Jessica Martinez homicide investigation, a caller who said they had information about the investigation called the Bakersfield Police Department Communications Center.
  
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• Land deal closes for planned NFL stadium near Los Angeles

  20-05-2015 02:35
  
  The San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders moved a step closer Tuesday to building a new stadium near Los Angeles after a complex land deal was finalized on a site that could become the home of a shared $1.7 billion venue.
  
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• 3rd dead whale washes ashore in San Francisco Bay Area beach

  20-05-2015 02:29
  
  A dead whale has been found on a Half Moon Bay beach, one of three deadwhales to have been spotted on a San Francisco Bay Area beach sinceApril.
  
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• 16-month-old drowns in pool

  20-05-2015 02:23
  
  A 16-month-old died after falling into a pool Monday night.
  
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• Animals for Armed Forces event offers free pet adoptions

  20-05-2015 02:17
  
  Kern County Animal Services will offer free adoptions this weekend for those who served in the military.
  
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• 911 tape released from woman who stole ambulance

  20-05-2015 01:47
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- The Kern County Sheriff's Office has released a 911 tape from the incident in Lebec where two people died in a crash. Deputies say woman stole ambulance then intentionally crashed head on into semi killing both drivers.
  
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• Pipeline bursts, spills oil into ocean off California coast

  20-05-2015 01:20
  
  It left a slick on the surface about 100 feet wide and about a half-mile long. The pipeline has been shut off, but it's not yet clear how much oil spilled.
  
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• Tehachapi man killed in head-on crash with trash truck

  20-05-2015 01:18
  
  A 50-year-old Tehachapi man was killed in a head-on crash Tuesday morning with a trash truck.
  
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• Man waterboards little boy over ripped backpack

  20-05-2015 01:17
  
  (WEYI) A Mt. Morris, Michigan man is behind bars after allegedly waterboarding his girlfriend's 5-year-old son.Michael Porter told police he got the waterboarding idea from watching a movie."Tied the 5-year-old's hands up with a belt, down by his sides, put a garment over his head, down below his nose, laid him on a footstool on his bed and poured water over his throat, face and mouth," said Mt. Morris Police Chief Keith Becker..Chief Becker says Porter told investigators he used this
  
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• BPD releases names, details of officer-involved shooting

  20-05-2015 01:10
  
  Police on Tuesday released details of a weekend officer-involved shooting, including the name of the man who was shot.
  
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• Police release new information on Sunday OIS

  20-05-2015 00:22
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA-  Bakersfield Police have released new details about an officer involved shooting Sunday.Officers were called to a church parking lot on Planz Road to check the welfare of a man there.Police say when they first arrived they found the man in his vehicle slumped over the steering wheel backed into a parking stall surrounded by large full sized vans.
  The suspect Gilbert Fajardo, 20, was either asleep or passed out according to police.Police say the vehicle was not running and
  
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• Housing advocates say rent in Kern County is too high

  20-05-2015 00:04
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- Housing advocates say rent in Kern county is unaffordable to most low income households.In order to afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent in Kern County, renters need to earn $16.00 per hour, according to The California Coalition for Rural Housing.This is Kern County’s 2015 Housing Wage, revealed in a national report released Tuesday. The report, Out of Reach 2015, was jointly released by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a Washington, D
  
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