1. Breaking News Blog

   Evacuations ordered due to fire near road into Yosemite

   MARIPOSA -- A wind-whipped wildfire near the main route into Yosemite National Park in the Sierra foothills forced the evacuation of at least 150 houses Monday and was threatening more, state fire officials said. The blaze that began Sunday afternoon had burned about had burned about 21/2 square miles, or 1,600 acres,...

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2. Breaking News Blog

   Wrong-way driver reported in massive 14 Freeway pileup, delay

   AGUA DULCE -- A dozen people have been injured in a freeway accident north of Los Angeles. KABC-TV reports three were critically hurt in Monday's wreck caused by an apparent wrong-way driver. The accident, which involved at least eight vehicles, occurred during afternoon rush hour on the 14 Freeway in the Antelope...

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3. Strictly Business

   HOLLY CULHANE: National gun control debate spills into workplace

   It's not surprising that the debate over gun control that is roiling across the nation is spilling into the workplace. More than 20 states have enacted "parking lot gun laws," which require employers to allow their workers to bring guns onto company property as long as the weapons are locked in parked vehicles. Some...

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1. Local Lifestyle

   HERB BENHAM: The dime I can spare, brother, but not the guilt

   March of Dimes sent me a solicitation. In the envelope was a shiny dime. An attractive, shiny dime. What made it more compelling was that the envelope contained address labels, too. A shiny dime and address labels. Usually, you get one or the other. Both is a banner day. Address labels come in handy. There aren't...

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2. Local News
   

   Her closest friends are stricken by teen's death

   With a hair brush in hand, 18-year-old Mia Ramirez would sing her lungs out to her favorite Miley Cyrus song, "The Climb." She wouldn't care who was around. She would just sing loudly, giving her listeners goosebumps. The spur-of-the-moment songs sung by her are no longer heard. Her voice now only lives in the...

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3. Local News
   

   Nut festival organizers look to improvements next year

   Even successful events can do with a little adjustment here and there. Parking, seating, security, currency -- all have come up as possible areas for improvement as organizers of Saturday's inaugural Kern County Nut Festival take stock of what was, by many accounts, a big success. "It's not like we forgot to put...

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1. Business
   

   Innovative energy storage project tested near Tehachapi

   Century-old railroad technology is mixing with green-style innovation at an energy storage project now being tested in the heart of Kern County's wind power region. Santa Barbara-based Advanced Rail Energy Storage recently began running a specially designed locomotive up and down quarter-scale railroad tracks a few...

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2. Business
   

   Walmart proposes new store in Lamont

   Walmart Stores Inc. proposes to build a new store in Lamont that would anchor a 20-acre shopping center on what is now farmland. Still in the planning stages, the 130,000-square-foot store would open within the next two or three years at the southeast corner of Weedpatch Highway and Di Giorgio Road, Walmart...

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3. Breaking News Blog
   

   Couple pleads guilty in federal mortgage fraud case

   A Bakersfield couple pleaded guilty Monday in a mortgage fraud scheme that prosecutors say cost lenders more that $6 million in losses. In a Fresno federal court, Eric Ray Hernandez, 37, and Monica Marie Hernandez, 32, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and bank fraud. They are...

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1. Business
   

   Goats nibble away at weeds, an eco-friendly alternative for GET

   She isn't like normal goats. She doesn't roam around with her herd all day. She prefers to socialize with humans and get rubbed and massaged. And once in a while nibble at clothes. Her name is Panchita. With a chiming bell around her neck, the one-and-a-half-year-old goat rubs her head against Javier Onaindia's hand,...

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2. Business
   

   Outlet mall's opening date set for May 2014

   Construction on The Outlets at Tejon Ranch is expected to begin around the end of this summer, with an opening date tentatively set for Memorial Day weekend 2014. Lebec-based Tejon Ranch Co. released a timetable for the project Monday, saying that, barring unforeseen delays, it hopes to celebrate a grand opening of...

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3. Business
   

   Goodbye Cuties, hello Halos

   Cuties are out and Halos are in at Paramount Citrus, one of Kern County's largest agricultural operations. The change is mostly semantic: The local division of Los Angeles-based Roll Global LLC will be growing, selling and shipping the very same product -- a small, sweet, easy-to-peel mandarin that has surged in...

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1. Local Lifestyle

   HERB BENHAM: The dime I can spare, brother, but not the guilt

   March of Dimes sent me a solicitation. In the envelope was a shiny dime. An attractive, shiny dime. What made it more compelling was that the envelope contained address labels, too. A shiny dime and address labels. Usually, you get one or the other. Both is a banner day. Address labels come in handy. There aren't...

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2. Jamie Butow
   

   JAMIE BUTOW: Hashtags arrive on Facebook

   Hashtags have become such a huge part of Twitter that it's hard to imagine the platform without them. And now after months of speculation, hashtags have arrived on Facebook. Support for the topic organization system began rolling out to some Facebook users last week, and will roll out to all users in the coming...

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3. Richard Beene
   

   Bakersfield Observed: A blog about life, media, politics and people

   College There has been a surge in the percentage of Americans who how hold a college degree. That's the word from the National Center for Education Statistics, which reported that 33.5 percent of Americans age 25-29 how hold at least a bachelor's degree. That compared with 24.7 percent in 1995. Locally, according to...

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1. Jose Gaspar
   

   JOSE GASPAR: New council member has heavy burden to bear

   The special election held earlier this month produced some most interesting observations. First, the Bakersfield City Council has some new blood with the election of Willie Rivera as the people's representative of Ward 1. It was a crowded field with six candidates all giving it their best shot at getting elected....

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2. Dining

   PETE TITTL: Fine restaurant not so fine this time

   If there's one high-end restaurant we thought we could count on for consistency, it was The Bistro, which for years has turned out exquisite meals from its inventive kitchen on California Avenue. For that reason, I thought it would be the perfect place to take the most interesting couple in Bakersfield (and, no,...

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3. Sound Off
   

   SOUND OFF: Readers write about NASCAR, sellouts, wipeouts, grossouts

   Our Duck Dynasty story last Monday (June 10) prompted the following question: READER: Why don't we know about events until after they happen in Bakersfield?! -- Brandi Reiter ARTHUR: Eye Street Editor Jennifer Self replies: The event had been listed in our calendars for a while. Our resources are limited but I had...

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1. Preps
   

   Centennial grad Watson says UCLA brings different mindset to this postseason

   Omaha, Neb. -- When Florida State eliminated UCLA from the College World Series last year, Bruins head coach John Savage said his team was "schooled in a positive way." It wasn't what Centennial High School alum Grant Watson wanted to hear, but he took it heart for the 2013 season. "I think last year we came here...

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2. College
   

   Ex-BC star Crawford ready to build on successful rookie season with Cowboys

   IRVING, Texas -- Tyrone Crawford's first year in the NFL went about as well as the former Bakersfield College standout could have expected. Crawford made 20 tackles in 16 games. But the 25-year-old defensive end is looking to have an even bigger impact this season. "I'm really comfortable with this defensive scheme,...

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3. Community - MyBakersfieldSports.com
   

   June 18 community sports announcements, accomplishments

   Baseball Pitching velocity camp on Saturday-Sunday. Core power, arm strength, throwing program, pitching mechanics and video analysis. First session (grades 5-8) Saturday 8:30-10:30 a.m. and Sunday noon-2 p.m. Second session (freshmen-seniors) Saturday 11 a.m.-1 p..m and Sunday 2:30-- 4:30 pm. Coached by Phil...

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1. Sports

   Bette Addington: New website for Mexican-American Bowling Association

   BY BETTE ADDINGTON and mike hefley Contributing columnists X Pete Montalvo, director of the Mexican-American Bowling Organization, announced that MAMBO now has a new website: www.mambo.org. Regarding the upcoming annual MAMBO tournament at South Point in Las Vegas, there are still a couple openings for team spots...

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2. Sports
   

   PHOTO GALLERY: An evening of drag racing at Famoso

   An evening of drag racing provided lots of entertainment Saturday night at Auto Club Famoso Raceway. The event is known as Saturday Night Ntiro. Californian photographer Autumn Parry captured the night in photos. 

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3. Preps

   Local report: Blaze wins 1st-half finale

   MODESTO -- Juan Silverio blasted two home runs as the Bakersfield Blaze closed its first-half schedule with a 12-3 victory over the Modesto Nuts at John Thurman Field on Sunday. Silverio hit a two-run blast in the first inning to give Bakersfield a 2-0 lead. He then hit a grand slam to left field to cap a five-run...

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1. Dining

   PETE TITTL: Fine restaurant not so fine this time

   If there's one high-end restaurant we thought we could count on for consistency, it was The Bistro, which for years has turned out exquisite meals from its inventive kitchen on California Avenue. For that reason, I thought it would be the perfect place to take the most interesting couple in Bakersfield (and, no,...

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2. Dining

   The Dish: Restaurants have specials for Dad

   Today being Father's Day, many restaurants will be running specials to help you honor dear old dad. BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse not only will be giving a limited-edition Father's Day pint glass to every dad all weekend, but you can enter to win a trip for four to the 2013 PGA championship tournament. The Outback...

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3. Theater
   

   Theaters offer cool matinees to keep kids busy

   Keeping the kids entertained during the summer can feel like a full-time job. Local theaters are doing their part to help you be the cool parent (or baby sitter) with a season of movies geared for young audiences. Reel Kids Summer Movie Series Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m., June 18 through Aug. 14, Reading...

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1. Music
   

   MATT MUNOZ: Making most of her big break

   When iconic rock vocalist Pat Benatar gave Brynn Marie a chance, the aspiring artist went out and hit it with her best shot every night. "I had the chance to open for Pat last summer in Oklahoma and was asked back again and again," said the 28-year-old singer of landing the coveted gig that brings her to Rabobank...

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2. Music
   

   Baritone-deaf to his comic appeal? Not Michael McDonald

   It's a voice so unique and soulful that it has the power to take millions of baby boomers to the streets while triggering uncontrollable fits of laughter in the children of said baby boomers. But no one is happier than Michael "Yah Mo B There" McDonald that his baritone still has cultural currency as a popular punch...

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3. Community
   

   It's a bird, it's a plane ... it's Edwards AFB?

   If buzz and anticipation are any indication, the new Superman is about to conquer the world. But first he had to survive Edwards Air Force Base. "Man of Steel," which hits Bakersfield screens at 12:01 a.m. Friday, was shot on location at the east Kern military base in early 2012, said Joanie Haenelt, film liaison...

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1. Our View

   And now for the downside of state budget

   There are several things to like about California's new, $96.4 billion state budget, which awaits only the signature of Gov. Jerry Brown sometime in the next two weeks to become official. We can like the fact that it's the earliest the Legislature has passed an on-time budget in a quarter-century; is somewhat...

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2. Our View

   Counterintuitive, but we need more people on food stamps

   Signing up for the federal food stamp program, known in this state as CalFresh, is good for the economy. Who knew? The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs the national food stamp program, figures every CalFresh dollar spent creates $1.79 in economic activity. As the L.A. Daily News reports, a 2013 study by...

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3. Community Voices

   DAVID KERANEN: Proof is in exceedingly short supply among paranormalists

   Stafford Betty's June 10 Community Voices article, "Materialism: The Creed of the Scientific Fundamentalist," almost literally cries out for a refutation. The word "fundamentalist" as used in the title is a form of dismissal and mildly derogatory. In general, fundamentalists of all varieties tend to have some of the...

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1. Letters to the Editor

   City jumped the gun on allocation lawsuit

   I would like to comment on the June 9 article, "Court fight looms over tax money." I am the Kern County Auditor-Controller. As the Auditor-Controller, I am charged with correctly allocating property taxes to all public entities in Kern County: the cities, schools, special districts and the county. This duty belongs to...

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2. Letters to the Editor

   Shelling out Nut Fest thanks

   I would like thank Beth Pandol and Sheryl Barbich for their work in organizing the first Kern County Nut Festival last weekend. It seems like the only things you hear about Kern County involve bad air and police brutality, but these two women had the foresight and perseverance to put together an event that we in Kern...

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3. Letters to the Editor

   Immigration bill too lengthy

   The Californian's Sunday editorial ("At least one valley congressman gets it," June 16) implied that tea party folks are giving Rep. Kevin McCarthy a bad time because they oppose immigration reform. Our Founding Fathers would have called the 800-page immigration reform bill just what it is: "pretended legislation."...

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1. Breaking News Blog

   Evacuations ordered due to fire near road into Yosemite

   MARIPOSA -- A wind-whipped wildfire near the main route into Yosemite National Park in the Sierra foothills forced the evacuation of at least 150 houses Monday and was threatening more, state fire officials said. The blaze that began Sunday afternoon had burned about had burned about 21/2 square miles, or 1,600 acres,...

   Read More
2. Breaking News Blog

   Wrong-way driver reported in massive 14 Freeway pileup, delay

   AGUA DULCE -- A dozen people have been injured in a freeway accident north of Los Angeles. KABC-TV reports three were critically hurt in Monday's wreck caused by an apparent wrong-way driver. The accident, which involved at least eight vehicles, occurred during afternoon rush hour on the 14 Freeway in the Antelope...

   Read More
3. Breaking News Blog

   Highway 178 lanes reportedly closed

   The westbound lanes of Highway 178 were closed at 4:09 p.m. due to a car accident that sparked a fire, according to the California Highway Patrol website. Several television stations are reporting that the closures are ongoing. A CHP official referred The Californian to its automated traffic information line, however,...

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1. The Grade Blog

   Local student-historians compete at National History Day event

   Several local students competed in a National History Day event last week at the University of Maryland. The students qualified for nationals at the National History Day-California competition last month in Sacramento. Results of last week's contest are: Junior Group Exhibit Fifth Place: Caitlyn Richter, Kaitlyn...

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2. Breaking News Blog
   

   Sheriff's detectives tracking man suspected of burglary

   The Kern County Sheriff's Office is requesting the public's assistance in identifying a suspect wanted for burglary. The case goes back to the evening of Jan. 23 when a man entered the Gas Wars mini-mart at 1915 N. Chester Ave. in Oildale, the Sheriff's Office said in a news release Monday. The man selected several...

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3. Breaking News Blog

   Deputies make traffic stop, find meth

   Kern County Sheriff's deputies stoped a car for vehicle code violations in the area of Di Giorgio and South Fairfax roads Saturday night, and then found suspected methamphetamine, according to a sheriff's news release. Jaime Urias, 22, of Bakersfield, was arrested on suspicion of being an unlicensed driver, the...

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Editors' picks from the last week

1. Pick 6 - Editors Picks from Past Week
   

   NUTS! They attract a crowd of thousands to inaugural Kern County Nut Festival

   Almond everybody went walnutty for Kern County's first nut-themed mega-festival Saturday at the Kern County Museum. The pathways of the museum's Pioneer Village were packed with people and lined with vendors hawking nut-influenced snacks, desserts, beverages, beers, meals and novelties as the sprawling Kern County...

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2. Pick 6 - Editors Picks from Past Week
   

   Trash pickup program a pathway out of homelessness

   If you can think of it, someone has thrown it out of an open window at 70 miles per hour, and one of these seven men probably has picked it up. Part of a unique collaboration that has Caltrans paying the city of Bakersfield to hire residents of the Bakersfield Homeless Center, seven men in fluorescent yellow,...

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3. Pick 6 - Editors Picks from Past Week
   

   RICHARD SHIELL: Turn your garden into a natural salad bar

   Making salad is a great way to incorporate garden produce and herbs. Sliced fruit, nasturtium petals, a sprinkling of finely chopped rosemary, mint or lavender all liven up the first course. Softer-leaved herbs like tarragon and cilantro can be pulled off their stems and added directly. Two things make or break a...

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1. Pick 6 - Editors Picks from Past Week
   

   SHERRY DAVIS: Good dog training lays groundwork for growth

   When I start a new dog on basic commands I am laying the groundwork for everything it will learn in the future. It is a valuable, if not exciting, part of a process. Basic commands in obedience are similar to the compulsories in figure skating; if you're not good in your compulsory or foundation skills, you'll never...

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2. Pick 6 - Editors Picks from Past Week
   

   Condors patient in search for coach

   Condors general manger John Olver said he's not about to make a rush to judgement when it comes to hiring a new coach. So, as spring is about to turn to summer, Olver is content to wait for what he called the "coaching carousel" to stop before making a decision. Olver was hired as general manger April 11 and his top...

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3. Pick 6 - Editors Picks from Past Week
   

   School's in for summer program students

   It was one of those rare Bakersfield summer days when the heat wasn't in fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk range. Normally children would have been playing outside in the mild weather. Instead, hundreds of Bakersfield City School District youngsters were huddled in groups at school cafeterias. Some wrote in journals. Others...

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