A man accused of setting a fire that damaged the Kern County Veterans Memorial is headed to a mental health hospital after being found not competent to stand trial. A hearing was held Tuesday for Oscar Ibarra, 40, where a judge sent him to treatment for two years. The memorial on Truxtun Avenue was damaged…… Read More
A 30-year-old registered sex offender was sentenced Wednesday to a year in jail for trying to hug an 11-year-old Bakersfield girl. Prosecutors say Jaylen Cates approached the girl outdoors last November and said, “Come here and give me a hug so I can keep you warm.” A bystander stepped in and told the girl to…… Read More
The Bakersfield City Council has approved its proposed budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The budget totaling $852.7 million was approved by a 5-to-2 vote on Wednesday. Money will be allocated for priorities such as homelessness and street repairs, however some community members expressed dissatisfaction with the city’s decision to allocate nearly $115 million in…… Read More
A 39-year-old Bell Gardens man was arrested by McFarland police after a traffic stop led officers to alleged cocaine and hundreds of pictures of child pornography. Police say Gerardo Heredia was stopped in the 100 block of Browning Road June 20, where officers reportedly discovered the drugs inside his car. He was arrested on drug…… Read More
Three men faces charges after Kern County Sheriff’s deputies report finding 250 pounds of alleged stolen copper wire in Arvin. Deputies arrested Lucas Blas, 38, Carlos Acosta, 39, and Salvador Najera, 34, after searching a home in the 300 block South A Street on June 18. Investigators say they also found wire-stripping machines following the…… Read More
A pedestrian is dead after being struck by a vehicle in east Bakersfield. It all started around 6 p.m. Saturday when police say a driver hit a pedestrian at the intersection of Baker and Sumner streets, then took off. The driver sped northbound on Baker Street, blew a red light at Niles Street, and slammed…… Read More
A new report by The Kern County District Attorney’s Office says more than 5,400 cases tied to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking have been filed in the county over the past two years. Kern County Sheriff’s deputies responded to over 15,000 domestic calls in unincorporated areas. Bakersfield police handled fewer domestic cases, but reported…… Read More
CBS Tel Aviv — Israel said it carried out more strikes on Iran on Monday, targeting missile, satellite and radar sites two days after the President Trump ordered American warplanes to join Israel in attacking the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities, fueling concern around the world of an escalating conflict in the heart of the Middle East…… Read More
Kern County may soon allow oil drilling again in unincorporated areas. The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing this week to review proposed changes to zoning rules. Courts blocked drilling in 2020 and 2024 over environmental concerns. County staff say the new plan includes updates to meet state laws, including safety zones between…… Read More
There’s good news and bad news when it comes to the unemployment rate in Kern County. The good news: joblessness has continued to decline for two months in a row. The California Employment Development Department reports Kern’s jobless rate for the month of May was 8.7%, a 0.3% drop from 9% in April. The bad…… Read More
