“[Voters] were told that this is the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, and a lot of people don’t read much past that so they voted yes for that,” one lawmaker said.
Kern prosecutors charge fraudsters who bilked nearly $400k in unemployment
Seventeen people in Kern County have been charged in an unemployment insurance fraud scheme.
Valley mayors swing hard against proposed PG&E rate hikes
The utility has faced varying degrees of pushback from local leaders over its proposal since introducing the proposal in 2021.
‘Long overdue’: Grove, Valley law enforcement press for stricter penalties for human traffickers
As it stands, human traffickers face criminal penalties on-par with theft or vandalism. Sen. Shannon Grove (R–Bakersfield) wants to change that.
Bakersfield faces few options, tough choices in developing affordable housing
“We can’t change the state with all the regulations that have driven the costs where they are today,” Bakersfield Councilman Bruce Freeman said of housing costs.
Kern Co. swipes at Calif. bill with vaccine mandate for all public, private employees
At the center of ire for Kern County Supervisors: a bill that would require COVID-19 vaccinations for all public and private employees along with independent contractors.
Term limits for Kern Supes? Proposal by unions, Dolores Huerta heading to 2022 ballot.
Opponents of the SEIU and Dolores Huerta-backed proposal say it is meant to engineer election victories that lawsuits and redistricting couldn’t.
Mask revolt forces Kern Co. K-12 district to shutter classes on Monday
“Staff and administration have been stretched thin in attempts to maintain a safe learning environment…” a statement from the district announcing class cancellation reads.
Calif. spent millions on new housing. Is Valley homelessness down? We’re about to find out.
The starting point in finding out the impact of government pandemic cash on homelessness rates begins with point-in-time counts, which began this week.
Authorities recover stolen guitar belonging to Buck Owens in Kern Co. cemetery
A guitar owned by country legend Buck Owens that was stolen from an Oildale Post Office was recovered in mid-January, Kern officials said.
