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03-10-2010
A search warrant turned up $5 million worth of marijuana, cultivated pot, and hashish oil in a building on the 1600 block of South Union Avenue on Tuesday. Bakersfield Police and Drug Enforcement Agency arrested Dustin York, 32, Joseph Taylor, 50, and Jeremy Dunn , 18, of Thousand Oaks as well as Mark McGrath, 48, of Bakersfield. BPD Sgt. Wally Whitaker says Joseph Nolan, 54, of Oak Park was arrested in Ventura County in connection to the bust. Whitaker says the investigation is just starting. "It's still ongoing, and there may or may not be further arrests," he said. The bust at the abandoned Phoenix Trucking building came after a month-long investigation. |
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03-10-2010
A woman who was allegedly kidnapped by her boyfriend Tuesday night has turned up safe. Bakersfield Police say Annetta Coleman, 30, had gotten into and argument with Robert Maurice Holmes, 29, in the parking lot of her apartment complex. She then called her son to say they were going shopping, but she didn't return home. However, Coleman returned Wednesday morning, claiming that she was kidnapped by Holmes, and she is cooperating with the police. Det. Fred Calvillo says they are looking for Holmes. "He's known to carry firearms, and he has a history of domestic violence," Calvillo said. Holmes is described as a black man who stands 5'8", about 190 lbs. with black hair and brown eyes. It is believed that he is driving a red 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier. Holmes had recently been released from prison for kidnapping Coleman in the past. Call BPD at 661-327-7111 if you have any information. |
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03-10-2010
A school bus from the Bakersfield City School District was involved in a MINOR accident Wednesday morning in front of Rabobank Arena. The bus carried 38 third graders, as well as several teachers from Eissler Elementary School. They were on a field trip for a special student concert by the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra. It happened at the corner of Truxtun Avenue and 'N' Street, when a pickup cut in front of the bus to make a right hand turn from Truxtun on to 'N.' The bus driver hit the brakes to avoid a crash, thrusting twelve kids forward in their seats. They were taken to area hospitals as a precaution when they bumped their heads against the backs of the seats in front of them. NONE of the injuries is serious, and all the children were released from the hospital. |
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03-10-2010
Kern County Sheriff's deputies say they shot 18-year-old Adolfo Rivera following a crash and foot chase in southeast Bakersfield on Tuesday night. Witnesses say three men started firing at each other, but investigators don't yet know why. Sr. Deputy Michael Whorf says the chase spread from Mount Vernon Avenue and Oregon Street. "As our deputies were chasing one of the suspects southbound from that area, that suspect fired at our deputies," he said, "but did not strike our deputies." The deputy who returned fire is six year veteran Patrick McNeal, who's been placed on administrative leave. Whorf says Rivera jumped fences, hid in backyards and even broke into two homes and stole a phone, but one homeowner chased him out. Rivera's bullet wounds aren't believed to be life-threatening, but as many as four other suspects are still on the loose. Whorf describes them as Hispanic males between 18 and 25 years old. |
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03-09-2010
A jury has convicted Tommy Pernell Davidson, 44, for the first-degree murder of Jessie Hill, Jr., 21, whom Kern County prosecutors say was a gang "shot caller." Hill died a year ago Friday, just hours after he had been released from jail. Davidson was arrested several weeks later, following the attack in the 400 block of Powell Street in Bakersfield. His sentencing is April 6. |
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03-09-2010
Kern County residents could decide in November if they want a municipal utilities district, after Supervisors decided June would be too soon. They're still fighting Pacific Gas and Electric to lower rates, even as it is providing $36 million to fund Propostion 16 in June to restrict locally-run districts. PG&E vice president Tom Bottorff agrees the bills are too high, but he shifted the blame on rate payers. "It's more a consequence of the fact that people who use more energy have higher bills, and that's just a fact of choosing to live in that kind of climate," Bottorff said. Supervisor Jon McQuiston had harsh words Tuesday for Bottorff. "The proposition is not defendable," McQuiston said. "No parent likes to admit they have an ugly child. This is an ugly baby, and it's yours." Kern County's counter-measure is advisory, and still needs studies to see what prices local utilities would charge. Ultimately, the state's Public Utilities Commission and the legislature vote to change energy rates.
Meantime, Supervisor Michael Rubio says some of his constituents -- who live outside of incorporated Bakersfield -- are being charged a "city surcharge" on their PG&E bills. Rubio says it's a mistake, and that they don't deserve the extra fees. He's telling them to report the error to Assistant City Manager John Stinson's office at 661-326-3751. |
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03-09-2010
A Bakersfield College student is under arrest, accused of making threats with a gun at the campus cafeteria Tuesday. The Renegade Rip newspaper reports witnesses say Jermaine Turner, 19, was heard saying "I will kill you all." BC spokesperson Amber Chiang says the students in the cafeteria kept their cool. "They took him very seriously, and one of the students was able to call our public safety officers to respond to the scene immediately," Chiang said. "They contacted Bakersfield police for assistance." BPD cordoned off the area, locked the cafeteria down for ten minutes, and arrested Turner, who reportedly gave what turned out to be a B-B gun to an accomplice to hide it in the gym. The gun was recovered, and no one was hurt. |
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03-09-2010
The state Public Utilities Commission says it expects to name a consultant later this week to probe the accuracy of Pacific Gas and Electric's digital SmartMeters. The devices send information about a household's energy use through wireless signals. The announcement follows another call Monday by State Senator Dean Florez (D-Shafter) for a moratorium on the installation of Smart Meters, which he blames for higher bills. |
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03-09-2010
Kern County Supervisors approved another round of monitors for Kern Health Systems and other county-created agencies that spend tax money. They'll have more oversight on almost all accounts, especially when the agencies spend and buy. Supervisor Mike Maggard says Kern Health's spending for an $8 million audit came from a claims account that had no scrutiny. "Quite frankly, somebody's medical bills, somebody's prescription, and a check for $400,000 to AMG runs through that account," Maggard said, referring to Allied Management Group, with conducted the audit. Maggard says those should have been operational expenses, anyway. Supervisors say new controls will always be a work in progress.
Development Services Agency is the new name of Kern County's Resource Management Agency, as it takes on a new identity and merges its organizations into three departments. The goal is to streamline operations and help clients get permits and clearance to build faster. Some old department head positions will go away, as the county seeks to save $160,000. |
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03-08-2010
State Senator Roy Ashburn (R-Bakersfield) has publicly come out of the closet and admitted he's gay. The conservative told KERN radio host Inga Barks Monday morning that he'd believed he could keep his private life separate from his job, but said that all changed last week when he was arrested for DUI in Sacramento. "I am gay, and...those are the words that have been so difficult for me for...so long". Ashburn also said he should not have been drinking and driving, and expected to be treated like any other citizen facing those charges. Ashburn said he's already lost his drivers license and a state-owned vehicle that he partly paid for as a result, and hoped that his public admission would bring him peace and let him get back to work in the Senate, where he took a brief leave of absence last week. However, Ashburn still defended his voting record as being in the best interests of his constituents in the 18th District. Ashburn terms out this year.
Throughout the years, gay rights activist Whitney Weddell says she's met lots of people who have had difficulty coming to grips with their sexuality, especially later in life. "On the one hand, I understand why they're in such fear, and have such self-loathing," she said. "On the other hand, he has contributed for years and years to an environment of homophobia that is dangerous." That's why Weddell says Ashburn is still a hypocrite, and could have easily pleased his constituents by voting to expand some gay rights, aside from marriage. Political consultant and former Kern County Supervisor Gene Tackett says he understands Roy Ashburn's voting record against gay rights issues. Tackett says Ashburn's voting and DUI arrest are blurring together. "I think that they're two separate issues, and that probably everybody is concerned about driving drunk," he said, "but when they come together, then you can be upset twice." Tackett says that's all a part of politics. |
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03-08-2010
Shafter State Senator Dean Florez is calling for a moratorium on the installation of PG&E Smart Meters, until a third party can determine whether or not the new technology is accurate. The utility told shareholders last week that more than eight-million meters would be up and running by year's end. Florez says it's unfair for consumers to use untested equipment. "You don't install the meters, see if they work, find out that there's massive problems, and then, in essence, keep putting them on until you're caught." Florez says the Public Utilities Commission promised to test the Smart Meters five months ago. He's now giving them until March 15th before he takes further action.
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03-08-2010
Twelve Kern County schools are ranked in the bottom five percent of achievement, statewide. Among them: Bear Mountain and Sierra Vista elementary schools in Arvin, and Shirley Lane Elementary in Bakersfield. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christine Frazier says that last listing makes no sense. "They have only been a school for four years," she said. "This identification process is five years. You have to score 50 points in five years. So, you would think they would have one more year, right?" Frazier questions the rankings, saying she got little rationale from state education officials. They're still requiring changes like firing principals and shutting down schools. State Department of Education spokeswoman Hillary McClean says the requirements are harsh, but necessary. "These are schools that are serving students that are just as deserving of a good education as any student anywhere in the state," McClean said. "We need to do something dramatic to change the culture at these particular schools." McClean says federal funding is available to help in transitions, namely in the "Race to the Top" and "School Improvement Grants" programs. |
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03-08-2010
Kern Medical Center boss Paul Hensler is assuring Supervisors that the hospital will turn a profit by June 30, in spite of reduced state payments and increased treatment of uninsured clients who have lost their health coverage. Hensler also says KMC is fighting not to cut programs and staff. "We're going to make another effort with our state elected officials and our organization -- the California Organization of Public Hospitals -- to try to get some of that money flowing through the state," Hensler said. He wouldn't speculate on which programs or staffers would be the first to go. The hospital turned a profit last year for the second year in a row, and has a current deficit of $625,000. The county has placed a $70 million credit cap on KMC, and Supervisors say they won't increase that. |
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03-08-2010
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) wants the people of Kern County to get back to work. And to that end, he held a "Jobs Resource Expo" in downtown Bakersfield on Monday. On hand were 78 companies to see if any of the more than 2,000 would-be employees would fit into their company. McCarthy says the number of people startled him. "This is our first one, and unfortunately, it's a higher turnout that we thought it would be," he said. "That shows us where the economy is at, and it's not turning around right now." McCarthy says with Kern County suffering from large unemployment numbers, he's considering the idea of another Job Expo soon. |
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03-08-2010
Army Spc. Ivette Davila, 24, of Bakersfield could face the death penalty, if she's convicted in her upcoming court-martial. The Army said Monday it has referred charges including premeditated murder, kidnapping and burglary. Davila is accused of killing husband and wife sergeants Timothy and Randi Miller two years ago in Washington state. Their bodies were doused with muriatic acid, and prosecutors say Davila kidnapped their baby, who survived. Davila's defense lawyer has called into question her mental capacity. No trial date has been set. |
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03-08-2010
The workers' lockout at the U.S. Borax mines in the Mojave desert continues into its second month, but management has offered the union some concessions. Employees would be able to pay union dues through payroll deductions, and have less restrictive access to mediators. Contract talks have been stalled, as the two sides are still fighting over guidelines for work shifts and raises. |
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03-08-2010
The CHP says drugs and alcohol do not appear to be a factor in a deadly canal crash Saturday night on Lerdo Hwy. Investigators say an SUV with three people inside was pushed into the canal during a crash at Zerker Road. The driver of the SUV got out safely, but 36-year old Robert Thomas Junyor and 43-year old Bretina Dawn French were trapped. Witnesses who jumped into the canal to pull them out were unsuccessful, as was the sheriff's dive team. The victims were eventually pulled out of the car after it was brought to the surface. Four others suffered minor to moderate injuries in the crash. |
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03-08-2010
Congratulations are in order for the wrestling team at Bakersfield High School, which won this weekend's CIF State Wrestling Championship for the third straight year. The win is the frosting on the cake for the tops Drillers who finished with a 41 - 0 win/loss record this season. |
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03-05-2010
In tough budget times, Bakersfield scored $382,000 to fight gangs from a state grant under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's California Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention (CalGRIP) initiative. Police will partner the Kern County Network for Children and Superintendent of Schools to stop kids from joining gangs, and offer better alternatives. Lieutenant Joe Mullins says the money will also provide more police enforcement. "There's a direct response to the gang violence, so a particular gang that chooses to engage in that sort of activity is going to feel the pressure from law enforcement to change its ways," Mullins said. Bakersfield is one of 24 statewide recipients. Another is Wasco, which won the same amount. |
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03-05-2010
Seven marchers en route to Sacramento got a Bakersfield sendoff hundreds of people strong. They rallied at Martin Luther King Park on Friday, clamoring for state lawmakers' attention on budget cuts that are crushing education and health care. Irene Gonzalez grew up in the central valley, and she says walking to the state capitol by April 21 is no problem. "I'm going to do it with energy and everyone around me, and the support of America," Gonzalez said. "I'll do it!" Gonzalez says she's marching to make sure her son has a future in California, and that the state's most vulnerable populations aren't neglected. Her movement, "March for California's Future," is protesting the large budget cuts to education and wasted spending on prisons. |
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03-05-2010
Six people were taken to local hospitals Friday, after a lunch hour accident between a GET bus and two other vehicles on East California Avenue and Washington Street in Bakersfield. Investigators say a car ran a red light, as the bus and a pickup sat legally in the intersection. Kern County Fire captain Moses Neal says everyone got out on their own, and they were safely treated on a nearby curb. Two people in the car, one person in the truck, and three on board the bus were taken away by ambulance with various injuries. |
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03-05-2010
More water in the Sierra Nevadas could translate to more water for farmers and homeowners in Kern County. The state Department of Water Resources has released a report showing that the snow-pack in the mountains is at 107 percent of normal for the year. Spokesman Don Strickland says recent rains have helped groundwater tables. "It certainly will benefit the dry-land farmers and ranchers by making the grass grow for their livestock this spring," Strickland said. "As far as the snow-pack is concerned, we at the Department of Water Resources rely on that to replenish our reservoir." He says that despite the high number, California remains in a drought. |
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03-05-2010
The man who dodged bullets as he allegedly burglarized a south Bakersfield home this week has pleaded "not guilty." John Jenaro Garner, 28, was ordered to be held on $80,000 bail, as he faces burglary, drug possession and other charges. Police say he was rummaging upstairs when the homeowner, Raymond Michel, 70, came home and fired warning shots over his head, then held him until officers arrived. |
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03-05-2010
The Greenfield Union School District is asking its teachers to take a pay cut of 11.5-percent next school year. District officials hope to save $2.5 million and teachers' jobs. A union representative calls the cuts "extreme", and that the district, which has ten schools, south of Bakersfield can find other things to slice. |
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03-05-2010
State Sen. Roy Ashburn (R-Bakersfield) will be arraigned on DUI charges on April 14, following his arrest in Sacramento early Wednesday morning for driving drunk. The Bakersfield State Senator's office won't say when he'll come out of hiding, but the senate was not in session on Friday. A CHP arrest report says Ashburn was swerving in between and straddling lanes, and waited at an intersection to turn right for a minute, even without cross traffic. |
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03-05-2010
Kern County's multi-agency, Cal-MMET Task Force has arrested four people from other counties on drug trafficking charges, and seized 644 grams of heroin. Sheriff's Sgt. Laura Lopez can't disclose where the bust was made, but says it followed a major investigation within county borders. "That particular type of heroin is a higher quality of heroin that what we typically see at the street level. So to say $64,000 worth of street-level narcotics, it really has a higher value." The four Hispanic suspects are from Paso Robles, Porterville, and Lindsey, but officers determined they are not affiliated with a gang.
Lopez says officers from several agencies took part in the investigation and bust. |
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03-05-2010
A 19-year-old Bakersfield man who was involved in an argument last night in the southwest is in critical condition, after police say he was shot in the abdomen on the 5000 block of Vista Del Mar Avenue. Police found David Serrano in the road around 10:30pm. Fifty-seven-year-old Glen Ollis Messenger was arrested at the scene. |
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