A proposal by Bakersfield officials for a "time-out" on California's high speed train through town may be gaining traction.
The California High Speed Rail Authority will consider a recommendation by staff members at its June 6 monthly meeting to approve a rail alignment and station locations between Fresno and Shafter -- not all the way through Bakersfield.
Bakersfield officials and the Kern Council of Governments had suggested in December that the authority only certify an environmental document outlining the rail's path from south of Fresno to somewhere north of Bakersfield, such as Shafter.
The proposed alignments through Bakersfield are all highly contentious and would surely spark lawsuits, locals said. Besides, the rail...
Black Ops Real Estate, a housing developer, has postponed the date of its presentation to the Bakersfield Planning Commission for a planned apartment complex in southwest Bakersfield following opposition from residents in that area to those...
Recent news coverage regarding a littering incident reported by a Bakersfield resident has brought attention to the Bakersfield Police Department and reported indifference to the littering problem in the city. There are several factors...
The Bakersfield City Council approved appointments for its seven committees plus other boards with city representation at their meeting on Wednesday night. The council committees take up specific issues, such as personnel issues or changes...
Marvin Dean, who helped organize signature gathering to force a special election for the Ward 1 Bakersfield City Council seat, is challenging the Kern County elections office for disqualifying 1,145 signatures over a technicality. Ward 1...
Bakersfield Ward 1 residents and volunteers have been gathering signatures on petitions to force the city council to hold a special election, and so far, they've gotten about half the 1,220 signatures they need, said Ward 1 resident Marvin...
Bakersfield city staff got a final answer from the state on Wednesday about whether the city can keep getting property tax money to pay off certain contested redevelopment debts. The answer was no. That means the city will likely be on the...
A kind of "time out" was proposed last week as a way to forestall lawsuits and rethink options on the proposed high-speed rail route into and through Bakersfield. It's a smart, reasonable approach. And, full disclosure, as a property owner...
Hundreds of people crowded the rotunda at the County of Kern Administrative Center Thursday night to ask questions about the Centennial Corridor project, and an army of consultants, planners and other experts was ready for them. The...
I had some interesting feedback from my Sunday column on why Caltrans appeared to be favoring parks over people's homes in its plans to extend Highway 58 north to connect to the new Westside Parkway. What I discovered in reporting that...
Efforts to reduce Bakersfield's litter are being recognized and awarded by the national Keep America Beautiful organization. The Bakersfield Californian has won first place in the business/professional organization category in Keep America...
A tenuous alliance between the city and county over animal control has been badly shaken by the sudden appearance on the Board of Supervisors' Tuesday agenda of a request to approve a pricey new contract for spay/neuter services. The...
City planners are looking for public input on how to improve bike routes in the city. They want to hear about what changes should be made to get people riding more often. And they want to know what discourages people from riding,...
Sheriff's office: Man who died in custody had drugs in throat (16)
A 25-year-old man who died in Kern County sheriff’s custody Monday night had two plastic baggies with illegal drugs stuffed in his throat, the department reported.
Silva family files federal claim (11)
The family of David Silva announced Friday it has filed its long-expected federal civil rights claims against the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, six sheriff’s deputies and a sergeant, two California Highway Patrol officers, the county and the state alleging excessive police force killed him.
CSUB awards Haggard, Owens top honors (9)
He’s Dr. Merle Haggard now. The bad-boy hero of the rebel strain of music that put Bakersfield on America’s cultural map half a century ago did something Friday he hadn’t done since he was 9: He sat still in school.
Key green light for California high-speed rail (5)
SACRAMENTO -- The California High-Speed Rail Authority won approval Thursday from a federal railroad oversight board to start construction this summer on the first leg of what would be the nation's first bullet train.
Local attorney arrested in shooting of his wife
A Bakersfield attorney’s rocky marriage, marked by a divorce suit and a history of loud, public arguments, reportedly erupted into violence early Wednesday morning when police say he turned a gun on his wife and fired.
Coroner's office identifies woman found dead in garage
A woman found dead in a southeast Bakersfield garage Tuesday was identified Friday as 18-year-old Mia Ramirez of Bakersfield.
Sheriff's office: Man who died in custody had drugs in throat
A 25-year-old man who died in Kern County sheriff’s custody Monday night had two plastic baggies with illegal drugs stuffed in his throat, the department reported.
Sheriff's Office makes arrest in homicide
After a search that lasted much of Tuesday afternoon, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man on suspicion of homicide in connection with the discovery of a woman’s body in a southeast Bakersfield garage.