Bakersfield news

• Business matchmaking comes to Kern County

  11-06-2015 23:44
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - Business matchmaking has come to Kern County as small businesses had the chance to network with government officials and major corporate buyers. 
  A total of 23 corporations and government agencies met face to face with small business owners for a couple minutes, making a connection and hopefully a partnership
  It's like speed dating for small businesses, with federal, state, local government and major corporate buyers.
  "Somebody in Bakersfield is not going to knock on
  
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• Grand Jury gives Sheriff's Office glowing review

  11-06-2015 23:40
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- The Kern County Grand Jury has spoken and it says “WOW are we well protected by the Kern County Sheriff's Office.”The Grand Jury says whether it's search and rescue, air support unit, bomb squad unit, or the K-9 unit, the Kern County Sheriff Office is ready to respond to the rivers, mountains, desert, or the valley floor and that deputies are doing more than just apprehending suspects.The only recommendation is the need for a new bomb squad truck.If you would l
  
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• Fan drive to help keep the community cool

  11-06-2015 23:21
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - As temperatures begin to heat up, many in Bakersfield could use your help to stay cool. 
  Next week, KGET is teaming with the Volunteer Center of Kern County to collect new or gently used fans as well as cash and check donations.     Last year, the community gathered to help hundreds of less fortunate people in our community keep cool during the summer months.
  The fan drive is Wednesday, June 17, from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. down the street from the KGET studios at
  
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• State regulators consider future of HECA power plant

  11-06-2015 22:55
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - State regulators will consider whether to suspend or terminate the controversial HECA power plant near Tupman later this month.
  In April, opponents submitted 6,900 signatures against the coal-to-gas plant.     The motion to kill the project was discussed at a meeting last month, but no decision was made.     On June 22, two commissioners will meet behind closed doors to review motions for both terminating the project and to suspend the state's rev
  
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• New bill to create tax for water wasters

  11-06-2015 22:12
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - It may be time to be even more wary of your water use as Californians could face a 300 percent tax on their water bill if new legislation becomes law.
  The bill would give local water agencies the power and discretion to tax water-wasting residents and businesses as a deterrent and punishment.     State water regulators have ordered cities to reduce water use by as much as 36 percent, but excessive water use and lawn watering continues to happen despite calls for
  
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• McFarland city council to discuss policy on converted garages

  11-06-2015 22:09
  
  MCFARLAND, CA - The McFarland city council is meeting Thursday to discuss re-thinking its current policy on allowing residents to convert their garages into living spaces.
  Current city code requires homeowners who want to convert their garages to also provide covered parking spaces to replace the lost garage space.     After being approached by several homeowners concerned with the restrictions, the city said it plans to discuss amending that policy.     But, offic
  
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• BFD holding fire drill exercises today

  11-06-2015 22:02
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - The Bakersfield Fire Department academy is holding multiple drills for this year's recruits at its training facility on Olive Drive from noon to 10 p.m. on Thursday.     Recruits will be tested on medical and vehicle accident response, rescue operations, and structure fires.   There are two 'live fire" drills planned.
  
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• Arson investigators looking into Oildale home fire

  11-06-2015 21:45
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - Both city and county fire crews were called to help out at a house fire in Oildale overnight.     Now, arson investigators are looking into what caused that fire.
  The home is on East Warren Avenue near Wisteria Street.     Crews received the call around 1:15 a.m. on Thursday.
  According to the Kern County Fire Department, when they arrived, there was heavy fire on the left side of the vacant home.     The fire spread to nearby grass
  
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• Police want public's help in finding burglary suspect

  11-06-2015 21:32
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- The Bakersfield police want your help in finding a suspect they say is wanted for burglary.On May 8, just before 1 a.m. the suspect broke into the victim's vehicle in the parking lot of the Clarion Hotel near Rosedale and the 99 Highways, according to police.Surveillance photos show the man fled in a black 80’s, Mazda extended cab pick-up, with white “Mazda” on the tailgate.The suspect is described as a:white male, 20-30, 5’7”, 180 lbs., short
  
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• BPD: Crew caught on camera ripping off Home Depot

  11-06-2015 20:56
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- Bakersfield Police are looking for a crew of men they say hit the Home Depot on Mount Vernon Avenue.It happened May 1 at about 8:45 p.m. when police say four suspects went into the store, loaded up on merchandise and ran out the front doors.According to police, when employees tried to stop the men the suspects threatened them.The crew fled in in a dark colored mini-van, according to police.The suspects are described as:
          #1 &#
  
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• Police: Man caught on camera walking off with hotel's computer

  11-06-2015 20:36
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- Bakersfield Police are looking for a man they say went into a local hotel and walked off with a computer and monitor.It happened May 30 at the Holiday Inn Express on Hughes and White Lanes.According to police the suspect went into the hotel just before 1 a.m. and took the computer from the computer lounge.The suspect fled on a bike, according to police.The suspect is described as a: Hispanic male, with glasses, short shaved hair, with two bald spots/scars on the right side
  
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• 2 sentenced for child abuse

  11-06-2015 20:34
  
  Two people have been sentenced for abusing their 5-year-old daughter.
  
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• See a fire in north Bakersfield? It could just be a test

  11-06-2015 20:13
  
  The Bakersfield Fire Department will conduct drills, including live-fire scenarios, for recruits. The drills are scheduled for noon to 10 p.m. Thursday at a facility off Victor Street.
  
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• No-kill day at Kern shelters designed to promote adoptions

  11-06-2015 20:05
  
  Kern County Animal Services will join shelters nationwide for the Just One Day event, which encourages adoptions by suspending euthanasia for the day.
  
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• Where are the top 5 tech hubs in California?

  11-06-2015 19:52
  
  Move over, Silicon Valley: you're not the only tech hub in California.
  
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• Oildale house erupts in fire

  11-06-2015 19:37
  
  A home in Oildale went up in flames overnight. The fire erupted just after 1 a.m. on East Warren Avenue near Iris Street.
  
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• Hundreds of homes underwater as Louisiana river overflows

  11-06-2015 18:49
  
  Flooding from the swelling Red River put hundreds of homes and farmland underwater or in danger in rural northwest Louisiana, and state officials said Thursday that they would seek a federal disaster declaration to get help for residents.
  
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• $11 pet adoption event today only

  11-06-2015 18:12
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - For "Just One Day," Kern County Animal Services will not euthanize any of its dogs and cats and provide the community with a chance to adopt them at a reduced price.
  On Thursday, Animal Services will participate in the "Just One Day" national event.     All cats and dogs will be available for a reduced adoption fee of $11.     The goal is to save lives and adopt out as many wonderful animals as possible in one day.
     
  
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• Kern County has highest chlamydia rate in California

  11-06-2015 16:38
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA.-Kern County has the highest chlamydia rates in the state and according to the newly-released Kern County report card, the STD is most prevalent amongst young women ages 15 to 24. There were over 2700 cases of chlamydia amongst women ages 15 to 24 in 2013. That's compared to just over 1300 cases amongst men agest 15 to 24. Health officials are particularly concerned about the health risk it poses to women's health. According to the CDC, chlamydia can be contracted
  
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• Mud volleyball tourney canceled due to drought

  11-06-2015 15:58
  
  An annual mud volleyball fundraiser for the Epilepsy Society of Kern County has been canceled amid drought concerns.
  
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• Adopt a pet, stop euthanasia

  11-06-2015 14:26
  
  Kern County Animal Services will join thousands of other shelters in hosting a "One Day" adoption event to help stop euthanasia rates, Thursday. 
  
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• Taft storm aftermath leaves residents shocked

  11-06-2015 11:23
  
  In Taft, the rain and hail swept in late Wednesday afternoon, flooding streets and even damaging homes.
  
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• KCSO: Man takes wife, children on police chase

  11-06-2015 09:16
  
  A man took his wife and children on a wild police chase in northwest Bakersfield, according to sheriff officials.
  
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• Storms hit Kern County, leave parts of Taft under water

  11-06-2015 08:51
  
  A wild storm brought flash floods and hail to Taft on Wednesday.
  
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• Storms hit Kern County

  11-06-2015 08:51
  A wild storm brought flash floods and hail to Taft on Wednesday. According to the National Weather Service,.61 inches of rain came down in 15 minutes in some areas.
  
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• Severe thunderstorm floods parts of Taft

  11-06-2015 08:15
  
  Flooding, downed trees, blowing dust, and rain... all part of a severe thunderstorm that left parts of Taft underwater Wednesday evening.Paula Meeks said, "I've been here for 34 years and we've have good rains and we've have good winds, but never anything like this, at all, ever."It rained so hard, some apartments at Imperial Gardens on Woodrow Street were flooded, and now cleanup is underway.Tim Canada said, "the waters were coming in so heavy that it started flooding all the ap
  
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• Pics and Video from Kern County storm

  11-06-2015 06:34
  
  Doppler radar is tracking a strong thunderstorm near Shafter, Calif. And is currently 16 miles Northwest of Bakersfield moving at 25 miles per hour.
  
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• Mom battles convicted sex offender for custody of their daughter

  11-06-2015 04:46
  
  Lisa Knight wants her child out of the hands of her ex-husband, the girl's father, Nicholas Elizondo.
  
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• Child custody fight involving sex offender delayed in court

  11-06-2015 04:46
  
  Lisa Knight wants her child out of the hands of her ex-husband, the girl's father, Nicholas Elizondo.
  
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• Bakersfield will run out of river water, users look for other sources

  11-06-2015 04:38
  
  For the first time since record keeping started in 1894, the city of Bakersfield will run out of its allotment of Kern River water. The city's water board got an update on Wednesday on alternate sources being lined up to fill that gap.
  
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• Bakersfield will run out of river water, look for other sources

  11-06-2015 04:38
  
  For the first time since record keeping started in 1894, the city of Bakersfield will run out of its allotment of Kern River water. The city's water board got an update on Wednesday on alternate sources being lined up to fill that gap.
  
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• Neighbor reacts to deadly shooting

  11-06-2015 04:35
  
  The coroner's office said 48-year-old Joe Ray McBath was shot to death and ruled his death a homicide.
  
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• Wild night of weather in Kern County

  11-06-2015 04:15
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- A severe thunderstorm hit Taft Wednesday afternoon. Many streets in Taft were flooded and Highway 33 north of Taft was closed for a time due to flooding.The California Highway Patrol reported Highway 166 was flooded too. There were also reports of downed power lines and fallen trees as the storms moved through.
  
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• Panel finds LAPD officer acted improperly in fatal shooting

  11-06-2015 03:13
  
  A Los Angeles police officer had no reason to stop and question a black man last year and that violation of department policy led to an altercation that ended with the fatal shooting of the man, an oversight panel found.
  
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• Storage space theft

  11-06-2015 03:12
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - Gates and cameras apparently aren't enough to keep thieves out of storage facilities.
  Leticia Morales says thieves stole items from her storage unit at one Extra Space Storage facility in Bakersfield. "Boxes were all over, papers were all over and right away I noticed even my love seat was gone," said Morales.
  Morales says her unit was burglarized May 29,26 items stolen, equivalent to over $3,000. "Of course we let the office know and that's when they told us th
  
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• 5 injured in San Diego-area business explosion

  11-06-2015 03:06
  
  The San Diego County Sheriff's Department said Wednesday's explosion at Quantum Energy Storage in Poway is being treated as an industrial accident. Four people were hospitalized but none of the injuries are considered life-threatening.
  
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• 6-year-old killed in accident involving grandfather

  11-06-2015 03:05
  
  Authorities in Northern California say a man was backing up his pickup truck when he struck and killed his granddaughter as the 6-year-old rode a bicycle in Vacaville.
  
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• Kern County report card released

  11-06-2015 03:02
  
  The Kern County Network for Children (KCNC) released the 2015 Kern County Report Card at the Larry Reider Education Center, 2000 K St. in downtown Bakersfield. 
  
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• Federal judge: Wal-Mart violated state minimum wage laws

  11-06-2015 03:02
  
  Wal-Mart could be on the hook for more than $100 million in back pay after a federal judge ruled the company failed to pay California minimum wage to truck drivers for activities that included inspecting and washing their trucks, an attorney said Wednesday.
  
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• California oil spill cleanup costs reaches $62 million

  11-06-2015 03:00
  
  The cost of cleaning up the oil spill that fouled beaches last month on the California coast has reached $62 million so far, the pipeline company said Wednesday.
  
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• California settles heat-death lawsuits, agrees to improve

  11-06-2015 02:55
  
  Family members of two farm workers who died from suspected heat-related illnesses and a labor union have settled their lawsuits against California on the condition that the state do more to ensure laborers are safe when temperatures rise.
  
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• Sexy ads promote water saving with a wink in San Francisco

  11-06-2015 02:28
  
  The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission intends to run the ads on billboards, buses, TV and social media. Meanwhile, officials in Southern California have gone with celebrity-heavy campaigns to urge water saving as the four-year drought drags on.
  
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• KCNC 2015 Report Card

  11-06-2015 02:27
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA - The Kern County Network for Children released its 17th annual Report Card Wednesday on the well-being of local kids. While the data can be complex, publishers say it's goal is simple -- improving quality of life for local children.
  The report includes data on economics, education, health, safety and well being.
  There are areas where Kern County is improving, but we still fall below state average in most categories.
  The report card highlights improvement in graduation rates and
  
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• California bounces back as No. 7 economy in world

  11-06-2015 02:13
  
  After taking a significant recession-era hit, California's economy has bounced back up to the seventh largest in the world as the state's gross domestic product reached $2.3 trillion in 2014, show figures released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
  
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• Los Angeles leaders give final approval to $15 minimum wage

  11-06-2015 01:50
  
  Officials have given final approval to an ordinance that makes Los Angeles the largest city in the U.S. to gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
  
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• Couple sentenced in child abuse case

  11-06-2015 01:39
  
  A couple that faced child abuse charges that entered a plea deal back in March was sentenced this morning in Superior Court. 
  
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• Experts offer tips for a green lawn during drought

  11-06-2015 01:34
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- Experts say there are very few of us in California who aren't guilty of over-watering our lawns. But that's all in the past, right?.We've all been cut back to three days of watering a week.But some landscape experts say you can gradually cut back to two days a week and still have a green lawn."90% of the people who come to the nursery have over-watered," said Kathy Robinson, co-owner of Robby's Nursery in northwest Bakersfield. "Every day, twice a day, some
  
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• Will 2015 be Kern County's worst fire season?

  11-06-2015 01:31
  
  Mix together the drought, dry vegetation and hot temperatures and you get the recipe for one of Kern County's worst fire season in years. 
  
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• Priest with history in Kern County arrested for alleged sexual crime

  11-06-2015 01:04
  
  A priest of the Diocese of Fresno has been arrested on suspicion of possessing matter depicting a minor engaging in sexual conduct.
  
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• City says water restrictions are working

  11-06-2015 01:02
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- The Water Resources Board for the City of Bakersfield says our water conservation is improving but we are not at our goal yet.City Councilman and Board Chair Harold Hanson reported at a meeting Wednesday that the city decreased its water delivery in May by 25 percent as compared to May 2013.The state mandated goal is 36 percent.The city could be fined for by the state for not meeting the goal, but Hanson says he is not worried about that for now. He says he is focused on c
  
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