'Sarah should be here' Liberty High School graduates remember classmate who died in 2022
Sarah Marler died in a crash in December 2022. She would have graduated in 2024. In her honor, her childhood friend Lamera Farhat gave custom bracelets to the class of '24 to wear on graduation night.
UPDATE: New water treatment system at the Wasco State Prison nears completion
After airing my investigative piece on the water quality at the Wasco State Prison, they invited me to the facility to see the construction process. A new granular activated carbon treatment system will filter 1,2,3-Trichloropropane out of the Wasco State Prison water system.
CHEMICAL IN THE WATER: Wasco State Prison misses multiple deadlines to clean water supply
Since May 2018, water in the Wasco State Prison has tested positive for 1, 2, 3- Trichloropropane, a carcinogen, according to the California Environmental Protection Agency.
Panama-Buena Vista Union teacher arrested in connection to Pearl St. homicide
Margarita Lopez was shot and killed on April 19th on Pearl St. The man arrested in connection to the shooting works for Panama Buena Vista Union School District and was placed on administrative leave.
FINANCIAL TROUBLE: Barrington's Jamaican Kitchen at risk of shutting down
Barrington Lewis, the owner of Barrington's Jamaican Kitchen says his business has been struggling financially, but he says quitting isn't an option, and he'll do what he can to stay open.
DUMPED: More than 2 dozen dead animals found in fields of East Bakersfield
After finding a barrel of 13 dead cats in November 2023, Yesenia Giles says the problem persists as she found more than two dozen dead animals in east Bakersfield.
Kern County students rank last in California for academic performance
According to data from the Kern County Superintendant of Schools compiled by Gridstone Inc., a tutoring organization in Bakersfield, about 84% of African American students fail to meet expectations in math according to their grade level. Gridstone Inc. works to change that with hands-on learning.
Local family moves out of East Bakersfield due to violent attack
Daniel Macias moved his family out of East Bakersfield after a violent attack at his apartment complex left him and his pregnant wife at the time of the incident with several stab wounds.
Barrel of 13 dead cats found in east Bakersfield
Yesenia Giles, a Bakersfield resident who feeds stray animals, found 13 dead cats in east Bakersfield while on her feeding route one morning. After reporting the incident, officers said they weren't able to track down who dumped the cats.
'Senior lives matter' Plaza Tower residents protest living conditions
Catherine Stoy and Freda Banks organized a protest outside of the Plaza Towers to seek justice for what they call "unfair" living conditions.
Man arrested in hit-and-run crash on Ming and P that killed a local woman
The Bakersfield Police Department arrested 26-year-old Eliezer Camacena-Martinez in connection to the hit-and-run crash that killed Estella Andino. Serina Valdivia, Andino's daughter, says her family hopes to see the man responsible taken into custody and put behind bars for a long time.
Fentanyl Misuse and Overdose Prevention Task Force awarded $10.5 million grant
On Tuesday, the Kern County Board of Supervisors approved a $1,000,000 grant to Clinica Sierra Vista through the Fentanyl Misuse and Overdose Prevention Taskforce, started by Assemblywoman Dr. Jasmeet Baines to prevent more overdoses from happening in Kern County.
City of Bakersfield cuts down trees during heat wave, causing some concerns for the homeless
Alexander Davidson has been experiencing homelessness for more than a year and used the trees on 21st and Eye Streets to escape the heat, but now that they've been cut down, he says he has to look for another place for shade.
SNACK ATTACK: Food like Hot Cheetos could be banned in California public schools
Assembly Bill 2316 could soon ban six synthetic food dyes found in snacks like Hot Cheetos and Doritos from California public schools.
Artificial intelligence hits local fast food restaurant drive-thru
CKE Restaurants fully launched their new AI drive-thru system in early February, and now a month later employees say the system has helped, but they're still working out the kinks.
Red Roof Inn on Oak Street to be converted to housing for the homeless
Miguel Solorzano, a service coordinator with Flood Ministries, meets with unhoused people every day to find the most vulnerable people to move into the Red Roof Inn once it's completed.
Neighborhood yard covered with a 5' high pile of tumbleweeds
Teddy Marrero lives in a southwest Bakersfield neighborhood and says since the high wind storm over two weeks ago, he hasn't received help from the city to remove the mound of tumbleweeds in his yard.
ELECTRIC POWERED: First solar-powered electric truck stop opens in Bakersfield
Watt EV opened the first solar-powered electric truck stop in the nation on Monday in Bakersfield as California works to continue reducing emissions in the central valley.
UNPLUGGED: Affordable Connectivity Program ending in April
The Federal Communications Commission pulled the plug on the $14.2 billion Affordable Connectivity Program in January. Close to 3 million households in California are enrolled, and data from January 2024 to February 8, 2024 shows more than 100,000 total subscribers in Kern county.
Two people arrested in McFarland after several street takeovers ended at a McDonald's
A man and a woman were arrested at a McDonald's in McFarland where police say they responded to a fight. A search of the man resulted in a confiscated handgun and an illegal extended magazine.
Bakersfield Police Department implements new ceasefire model to tackle gun violence issues
Assistant Chief of Police Brent Stratton says the department looked at other cities to begin implementing a ceasefire model to prevent gun violence in 2021, and he says that model has helped reduce homicides by more than 30%.
Bakersfield students receive free laptops and backpacks at back-to-school event
Through emPOWERment Dess Perkins Foundation, 200 Bakersfield students received free laptops, a backpack filled with school supplies, and a box of food to prepare for the new school year.
Kern County Black Chamber of Commerce gala saxophonist auditions for America's Got Talent
Saxophonist B. Thompson performed at the Kern County Black Chamber of Commerce Vibes and Victory Gala in June, and just a month later he took to a world stage, auditioning for America's Got Talent.
'Your child has cancer.' Local mom starts foundation to help cancer patients like her daughter
Nine-year-old Delilah Loya has been battling cancer for five years. Although Loya's family says the ongoing battle has been hard, Delilah's mom, Samantha Loya Cerrata decided to start the Hey There Delilah Foundation with her best friend, Stephani Pierce, to support anyone diagnosed with cancer.
EXTREME HEAT: Here's how to protect your pets in the next heatwave
As Bakersfield gears up for another heatwave, pet owners should keep an eye out for signs of heat illness in their pets.
Trashy conditions in an overgrown field in Oildale concern residents
Catrina Brown moved into her neighborhood in February and has seen the field in bad shape for as long as she's lived in the area. She says she wants to see a change for future generations.
Banding together to serve the homeless in Bakersfield
Tee Steven, a former Bakersfield rockstar, began serving food to the homeless after he saw how much food restaurants dumped at the end of the day.
Bakersfield cactus mural comes during the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act
The approximately $12,000 project began almost a year ago in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, which works to protect threatened and endangered plants and animals.
Loved ones remember World War II veteran Ray Mish at Honor Flight breakfast
World War II veteran Ray Mish died at 98 years old, and his friends remembered his life at the monthly Honor Flight breakfast on Thursday morning.
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Sabor Taino bringing 'Puerto Rican sazon' to Bakersfield
Antonio Ramos, the owner of Sabor Taino, brought together a fusion of traditional Puerto Rican cuisine and barbecue to bring the Puerto Rican culture to Kern County.
A brushfire cost one East Bakersfield family everything but each other
On August 2, 2023, Kern County saw several wildfires and brushfires, one of which cost one family everything when a brushfire in a nearby field spread to their home. The fire engulfed the fence behind the Garcia family home and moved onto their property while the Garcia kids were still inside.
Planting good seeds for the underserved farmworker community
Eddie Khanna began his new nonprofit Agricultural Family Fund after seeing farm workers in the morning while on his long runs in McFarland. He realized the health risks farm workers deal with and wanted to help by offering free health screenings to those who may not be able to afford it.
Our own Lady Justice: Judge Wendy Avila represents what's possible as the first Latina judge in Kern County
Judge Wendy Avila paved the way for Latinos in the justice system in Kern county as the first Latina to take the bench. She remembers the challenges in her life and how she uses them to make a difference in our community.
