Bakersfield news

• Bill would intercept insurance claims to fund child support

  28-05-2015 23:56
  
  California lawmakers are advancing a bill that would intercept more insurance payments and use them to pay beneficiaries' overdue child support.
  
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• California bill would legalize motorcycle lane-splitting

  28-05-2015 23:54
  
  Bikers who navigate congested roads by driving through the middle oflanes are in a legal gray area in California, though law enforcement haspermitted the practice. Other states explicitly ban lane-splitting.
  
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• Defiant soccer chief resists calls to resign amid scandal

  28-05-2015 22:46
  
  As defiant as ever, Sepp Blatter resisted calls to resign as FIFA president Thursday and deflected blame for the massive bribery and corruption scandal engulfing soccer's world governing body.
  
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• Kern County student reaches semifinals Scripps National Spelling Bee

  28-05-2015 22:08
  
  A Kern County middle school student reached the end of her extended run Thursday at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
  
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• Closing arguments expected soon in Joseph Maine trial

  28-05-2015 22:04
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - Closing arguments are expected to start Thursday afternoon in the trial of a man charged with killing a pregnant woman and her unborn child in a DUI crash last January.
  Maine's blood alcohol level the day of the crash was twice the legal limit when he ran a red light and crashed into Vanessa Carrillo's car at the intersection of Fairview Road and Monitor Street in south Bakersfield, according to prosecutors.      Both Carrillo and her unborn child died.&nbs
  
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• Woman accused of fatally stabbing her boyfriend due in court

  28-05-2015 21:57
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - A woman arrested in connection with the deadly stabbing of her boyfriend just over a year ago was due for sentencing Thursday morning.     Connie Vaughn, 48, pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter for stabbing 53-year-old Dwayne Lewis in May of last year.     Lewis died in the hospital from his injuries.     Vaughn also pleaded no contest to escaping jail while in custody for a felony.     A first degree murder
  
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• Former NY GOP governor Pataki in the race for president

  28-05-2015 21:53
  
  George Pataki, the 9/11-era New York governor who achieved electoral success as a Republican in a heavily Democratic state, announced his candidacy for the presidential nomination Thursday, offering himself as a unifying figure in a divided nation.
  
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• Hay fire erupts south of Bakersfield

  28-05-2015 21:47
  
  A hay fire erupted Thursday morning in the area of Di Giorgio Road and Cottonwood Road just south of Bakersfield.
  
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• KHSD announces big solar project, estimated $80M in savings

  28-05-2015 21:39
  
  Kern High School District has contracted with a company to install solar-power systems at 27 school sites through the end of 2016.
  
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• Local couple sentenced today for abusing their child

  28-05-2015 21:26
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - A Bakersfield mother and father who pleaded no contest to abusing their 2-month-old daughter were both sentenced on Thursday.
  As part of a plea deal, the mother, Brianna Castro, received a sentence of 120 days in jail but will be released Thursday after receiving credit for time served..     She also received five years probation.    The father, Daniel Castro, was sentenced to six years in prison,.      Police were called to Sa
  
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• Local 8th grader now out of national spelling bee

  28-05-2015 21:08
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - Local middle school student and spelling whiz Eesha Sohail is out of the running in the Scripps National Spelling Bee Semifinals.
  The 13-year-old advanced on Wednesday by correctly spelling the word "lyddite."     However, Thursday she misspelled "morphallaxis."     Sohail, from Norris Middle School, was among only 49 remaining contestants from around the country competing in the semi-finals Thursday, vying to win $35,000 in ca
  
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• High school graduations tonight in Bakersfield

  28-05-2015 20:55
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - Thousands of local teens took their final steps on their high school journey Wednesday night.     Students form West, South, Stockdale, and Ridgeview High Schools walked the stage to receive their diplomas .
  Many more Kern High School District students will take the next steps on their journeys Friday night.     BHS, Centennial, Foothill, Frontier, Golden Valley, Highland, Independence, Kern Valley, Liberty, and North High Schools will all hold th
  
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• Update: Baby OK after rolling down bluffs in stroller

  28-05-2015 20:49
  UPDATE: A 10-year-old child was walking along the bluffs with her parents when she unintentionally let the stroller with her baby brother in it roll down the hillside.The baby was reportedly uninjured, according to doctors, who said the child was protected in the car seat attached to the stroller.According to police, on Wednesday afternoon, the girl was pushing the stroller when she stopped, set the wheel brake on the stroller, and turned her attention to their car to see if the doors were
  
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• Baby rolls 300 feet down the bluffs

  28-05-2015 20:49
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - Bakersfield police are investigating what they're calling "suspicious circumstances" after a baby tumbled down the bluffs Wednesday night.
  It happened around 10 p.m. on the bluffs along Panorama, northeast of Manor Street.     When officers arrived, fire and medical crews were already there treating the 8 month-old boy.
  The infant's stroller had been left unattended by a sibling and rolled down the hill, plummeting 300 feet to the bottom, police said.
  
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• Family of five displaced after Taft fire

  28-05-2015 20:30
  
  TAFT, CA - A family of five in Taft was displaced after their home caught fire, according to the Kern County Fire Department. They said the likely cause is a barbecue the family was using earlier that night.The fire happened in the 200 block of Buena Vista Avenue just after midnight on Thursday. KCFD crews arrived to find the single-story home with a fire in the rear of the structure. The family of five, two adults and three children, were waiting safely outside the home, fire officials sa
  
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• Baby in stroller goes down Panorama Bluffs, escapes injury

  28-05-2015 20:07
  
  An 8-month-old boy in a stroller rolled down part of the bluffs off Panorama Drive.
  
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• Obama says TX storms a reminder to prepare for disasters

  28-05-2015 19:55
  
  President Barack Obama said Thursday the deadly flooding in Texas should serve as a reminder of the need to make the nation more resilient to the impact of natural disasters, adding that climate change is affecting both the pace and intensity of storms.
  
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• Houchin, McDonald's offers free Big Macs to blood donors

  28-05-2015 19:51
  
  Houchin Community Blood Bank is teaming with local McDonald's restaurants to celebrate National Hamburger Day - and to encourage blood donations.
  
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• Summer programs around Kern County

  28-05-2015 16:44
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA.-The 2014-2015 school year comes to an end today, putting a pause on school life, but teachers want to make sure learning doesn't stop. Teachers say summer is a time to relax and for students to take a break. But, the brain is a muscle that must be exercised all year long so local educators offer these tips to ensure students retain what they've learned during the school year and are prepared when the school bell rings again in the Fall. Summer may be the time to catch
  
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• Family holds vigil for hit and run victim

  28-05-2015 16:37
  
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• Eesha Sohail competes in Spelling Bee semifinals

  28-05-2015 16:19
  
  Kern County Spelling Bee champion Eesha Sohail is competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee semifinals -- and has a chance at the national crown.
  
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• Baby rolls down bluffs in stroller

  28-05-2015 15:32
  
  An eight-month-old baby is expected to be OK after it rolled down the Panorama bluffs in a stroller. 
  
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• Preventing stroke from striking your family

  28-05-2015 15:17
  
  Doctors from the San Joaquin Community Hospital are stepping up to educate the public on how to prevent, recognize and respond to a stroke.
  
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• Local group reaching out to women on streets

  28-05-2015 09:15
  
  223. That's how many human trafficking cases have been reported in California this year, according to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center.
  
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• Symposium focuses on raising asthma awareness

  28-05-2015 08:42
  
  Local group holds symposium on raising awareness about asthma and treatment.
  
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• RelayRides offers rental car alternative

  28-05-2015 08:26
  
  Could you imagine renting out your personal vehicle to a stranger? Or even someone from another country? Or how about the idea for renting your dream vehicle for a fraction of the cost?
  
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• El Nino: What does it mean for California?

  28-05-2015 08:25
  
  "El Nino" is an atmospheric phenomenon, where the easterly trade winds in the equatorial Pacific weaken. This allows for the release of the warm surface water build up near Indonesia, and a general warming of the entire Pacific Ocean.But how does a warmer ocean affect the amount of rain we get in California?Meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Hanford, Brian Ochs said, "if you have warmer sea surface temperatures over a larger area of the tropical Pacific you'll have
  
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• Local rescue helps out Kern County Animal Services

  28-05-2015 03:43
  
  TAFT, CA - The Kern County Animal Services is getting some extra help from an animal rescue in Taft. This comes after Wings of Rescue cut ties with the county earlier this month when nearly a dozen animals from the county's shelter got sick and some even died.Unity Thrift Outreach and Rescue in Taft took 18 dogs from the county shelter to making sure they are strong and healthy for the next flight.
  Trixie Hodges, is the President of Unity. She said the non-profit has seven foster homes. Every h
  
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• North HS student surprised with big scholarship

  28-05-2015 03:24
  
  A graduating North High School student, Kelly Ayllon, was surprised Wednesday with a scholarship from Pacific Gas and Electric Co. The Bright Minds scholarship will give her as much as $20,000 per year for as many as five years to complete her undergraduate studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.
  
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• 2 years after double murder: 'I want answers'

  28-05-2015 03:23
  
  “Little by little, they're starting to accept the fact that he's gone,” said Ponce’s nephew, Christian Rodriguez.
  
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• California Assembly advances ban on microbeads in cosmetics

  28-05-2015 03:22
  
  Environmental advocates across the U.S. have targeted tiny exfoliating beads found in soap, toothpaste and body washes because they don't disintegrate and make their way into the stomachs of marine life.
  
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• East high grad is proof of resilience

  28-05-2015 03:18
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - A Bakersfield East High School graduate is proof of resilience. Ruben Tellez Junior was hit by a car during track practice two years ago and nearly died. Wednesday, not only did he graduate on time, he did so with a 4.0 GPA and became the first in his family to get a high school diploma.
  As Tellez walked to his diploma, it's the finish line of one of the most challenging races of this runner's life. It began when he was hit by a car April 22, 2013.
  "Honestly, I feel
  
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• SR 178 back open after head-on collision

  28-05-2015 03:08
  
  A head-on collision near the Lower Richbar Campground closed both directions of Highway 178 for about one hour and 15 minutes, according to reports from the California Highway Patrol. 
  
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• Drones the future of crop dusting?

  28-05-2015 02:51
  
  After a helicopter crashed in Wasco, burst into flames and critically injured the pilot, many are looking at ways to make crop dusting safer.
  
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• More entertainment making its way to Kern County

  28-05-2015 02:43
  
  Kern County is seeing an increase in entertainment and it's helping bring in big bucks. 
  
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• AP source: Arrest made in massive downtown Los Angeles blaze

  28-05-2015 02:07
  
  A law enforcement official says a man has been arrested for allegedly causing a massive inferno that destroyed an unfinished apartment building and damaged adjacent office towers in downtown Los Angeles.
  
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• California city makes water, milk default in kids' meals

  28-05-2015 02:03
  
  A Northern California city says it's taking a stand against obesity, by making milk or water the default drink in kids' meals.
  
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• Fire dept official: CPR performed on boy pulled from pool

  28-05-2015 01:54
  
  CPR had to be preformed Wednesday on a 5-year-old boy pulled from a swimming pool.
  
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• Traffic problems in Kern River Canyon after crash

  28-05-2015 01:43
  
  Traffic was stopped Wednesday afternoon on Highway 178 near Lower Richbar inside the Kern River Canyon after a head-on crash.
  
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• Traffic mess cleared in Kern River Canyon after crash

  28-05-2015 01:43
  
  The California Highway Patrol reported around 6 p.m. that both directions had reopened.
  
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• Crash causes traffic mess in Kern River Canyon

  28-05-2015 01:43
  
  Traffic is stopped on Highway 178 inside the Kern River Canyon after a head-on crash.
  
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• 3 hurt in head-on crash in Kern River Canyon

  28-05-2015 01:43
  
  The westbound driver, 48-year-old Brian Duke, of Bakersfield, veered into oncoming traffic for an unknown reason, the CHP said.
  
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• City crews clear out homeless camp on South Union Ave

  28-05-2015 01:31
  
  Huge piles of trash and debris were scooped up as city crews cleaned out a big homeless camp on South Union Avenue.
  
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• California awards $250M to high school career prep programs

  28-05-2015 01:17
  
  California is betting big — $1.4 billion over five years — that connecting high school studies to specific careers will get more students to graduate, go on to college and find well-paying jobs.
  
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• Car smashes into school bus

  28-05-2015 01:17
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA-The California High Patrol is investigating a crash between a car and a Bakersfield City School District bus Wednesday afternoon just before 3.There were no kids on the bus at the time of the accident at Quincy Street and Mt. Vernon Avenue.CHP says witnesses told them the car was doing 60 miles an hour when it smashed into the back of the stopped bus.The driver of the car suffered moderate to major injuries and was taken to the hospital.The driver of the bus was uninjured.CHP sa
  
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• Near drowning in southwest Bakersfield Wednesday

  28-05-2015 01:01
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- A five year old boy was taken to the hospital Wednesday afternoon after falling into a swimming pool.It happened just before 1 p.m. on Duncanson Drive near White Lane and Old River Road in southwest Bakersfield.Officers say the boy was breathing when officers arrived.Bakersfield police say it was an accident and no charges are expected.According to the Department of Public Health, drowning and near drowning is the leading cause of death in children under five in California
  
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• Ex-LAPD detective sentenced for having child pornography

  28-05-2015 01:00
  
  A retired Los Angeles police detective who kept hundreds of child pornography images on his computer won't be going to prison.
  
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• Study reveals flaws in gene testing; results often conflict

  28-05-2015 00:43
  
  The first report from a big public-private project to improve genetic testing reveals it is not as rock solid as many people believe, with flaws that result in some people wrongly advised to worry about a disease risk and others wrongly told they can relax.
  
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• Man convicted in Halloween killing of Los Angeles boy

  28-05-2015 00:36
  
  A gang member who opened fire on a South Los Angeles backyard has been convicted of killing a 5-year-old boy who was posing for pictures in his Halloween Spider-Man costume.
  
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• 2 men charged with murder that occurred decades ago

  28-05-2015 00:35
  
  Two men have been charged with killing a woman more than 35 years ago after she was kidnapped from her job at a Los Angeles County gas station.
  
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