Kern County has a new Economic Development Dashboard showing data on where we stand and where we’re going. Chief Economic Development Officer Jim Damian says our unemployment rate is consistently higher than the state average, in part due to the seasonal nature of some jobs, and he’d like to close that gap. There’s also a…… Read More
The Highway Patrol says it was a 54-year-old man from Clovis who was killed Monday in a solo vehicle crash in Kern County. The victim was driving on Northbound 99 near State Route 46 just before Noon on Monday when he suddenly veered into the center median, then back to the right shoulder where the…… Read More
Bakersfield Police are looking for the man who stole about 200 gallons of gasoline from a Samco station. The theft occurred July 3rd, around 2:00am at a Samco on Rosedale highway, and the suspect was seen driving off in a light colored, early 2000s GMC pickup truck. Anyone with information is asked to call BPD.… Read More
Kern County Fire reports the Blue Fire that broke out last weekend near Caliente is now 100-percent contained. The fire that was in steep, rocky terrain north of Caliente Creek Road was stopped at 427 acres and no structures were lost, and we’re now learning it was sparked by target shooting in the area. And…… Read More
Bakersfield is suing a long-troubled oil company over claims of water contamination. A news release Monday says Griffin Resources LLC is being investigated for actions and/or omissions regarding an incident in June that forced several Truxtun Avenue businesses to close for several days. The city seeks more than $150,000 in damages, an amount that does…… Read More
Preliminary damage estimates are coming in for the Borel Fire in the Kern River Valley, even as it remains an active incident. Kern County Fire reports 223 structures were destroyed, including 63 single family homes, 55 mobile homes, and 34 motor homes. Also lost were another 70 miscellaneous structures and a commercial building. Most of…… Read More
Three Chinese nationals have been arrested after the discovery of a massive, underground marijuana grow near Boron. Officers with several Kern County law enforcement agencies served a search warrant Tuesday, finding buried seatrains with ventilation and cooling systems. More than 17,000 pounds of marijuana was destroyed.… Read More
Three Bakersfield men have been killed and one critically injured in a crash on Interstate 5 in Castaic. The CHP says it happened around 4:30 pm Monday afternoon when the driver of the Toyota Avalon left the road near Templin Highway at a high rate of speed into a dirt embankment, sending the vehicle airborne.…… Read More
Two men have been formally charged for the murders of four people in a Mojave trailer park last year. The DA’s Office alleges Ricardo Partida shot the victims and is also a felon who was in possession of multiple firearms, including an assault weapon. He’s in custody for first degree murder, and law enforcement is…… Read More
The 5th annual Expanded Learning Project Conference brought 350 after school professionals together to enhance their skills supporting Kern County students. Director David Stricker says state funding helps provide about 850 hours of after school programming each year. Children spend an average of about a thousand hours in the classroom each year.… Read More
