Local News
President Bush awards Purple Heart to Tehachapi Marine
A Tehachapi man and U.S. Marine sergeant injured by a land mine while in Afghanistan received a Purple Heart medal from President Bush Thursday morning at the National Naval Medical Center in Maryland.
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Piute fire grows to 16,000 acres
Somewhere near the top of a nameless crest in a remote pine forest in the Piute Mountains of Kern County, Ashley Markley worked his 11th straight day fighting wildfires.-
Coroner: oil worker died from heat exposure
A 27-year-old oil worker who died in rural McKittrick in mid-May died from heat exposure, according to the Kern County coroner’s office.
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Oildale man may lose eye from illegal firework
A 24-year-old Oildale is in danger of losing an eye after an illegal firework blew up Thursday, according to the Kern County Fire Department.
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War medals recipient "real proud"
When a Japanese Torpedo Bomber hit Luis Mendoza’s ship during the Battle of Okinawa more then 60 years ago, water began to gush in.
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Kern’s property valued at $84.1 billion
Despite a battered housing market, the taxable value of Kern County property is up for the fiscal year beginning July 1, in large part due to new construction of oil and gas wells and production facilities, Assessor-Recorder Jim Fitch said in a news release Thursday.
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'Time is brain': Kern No. 1 for strokes, but hospital programs responding
San Joaquin Community Hospital’s stroke center isn’t necessarily a place you can visit.
You won’t find a dot on a map designating its location.
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Stroke survivor a shining example of recovery, but it's a long way back
Joanne Todd comes with a performing pedigree.
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Foreclosures surge in first half of year
Kern County has been inundated by property foreclosures during the first six months of 2008, with totals already surpassing last year’s record-breaking numbers by more than 1,000, Kern County Recorder’s office statistics show.
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County proposes layoffs, service cuts
Sixteen layoffs, shorter library hours and browner parks are part of a so-lean-it-hurts spending plan for 2008-2009 proposed by county officials Thursday.
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Deputies, feds make $360,000 meth bust
A three-month Kern County Sheriff's Department investigation ended Wednesday night with the arrest of four Kern County men suspected of transporting and selling more than $360,000 in methamphetamine, officials said.
Lois HenryLois Henry: Fireworks neither safe nor sane for California
I have a new title: Enemy Of Fun.
Marylee ShriderMarylee Shrider: Kern needs to shake off recall fever
Is it my imagination, or is Kern County suffering from a severe outbreak of recall fever?
Leonel MartinezLeonel Martinez: I told you Latinos would embrace Obama!
It doesn't take long as a columnist to discover that, as if being scolded about your real opinions isn't bad enough, a lot of readers are anxious to slap fight you over something you never said. Take the argument that relatively few of the nation's Latinos voted for Sen. Barack Obama in the presidential primary because they are racist.
Dianne HardistyBy God, if Dems fail, it won't be her fault
On a warm summer evening in 2004, three men huddled over a table on the patio of a trendy Sacramento restaurant.
Robert PriceRecall election delay just might be bad news for Ken Weir
To some, it might look like Ken Weir is suddenly off the hook. The folks campaigning to recall the Bakersfield city councilman have admitted they're struggling, within the narrow time frame they've been given, to collect enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot.
Special Reports
Are your fireworks illegal? When can you use legal ones?
Officials are cracking down on violations this year, so read up before you light 'em up!-
VIDEO: Group gets fired up for fireworks sales
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WHAT'S UP this weekend? Here's your guide
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No economic BOOM: Fireworks sales fizzling
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Your BEST BETS for a booming FOURTH
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Monty Byrom is turning 50 and you're invited!
You're invited to his birthday bash! Read all about it or find out what else is going on this long Fourth of July weekend.
Special Sections
Election
Here, you can find the latest local and national headlines, opinions from Californian staff and local bloggers, local polls and much more.
Weighed Down
The Californian sought out local children -- and their families -- to look at obesity through their eyes. We followed four families over several months to get a better understanding of their lives and the difficulties in achieving a healthy lifestyle. Each family represents a different aspect of the obesity epidemic.
The Future of a Refinery
Read the ongoing coverage on Bakersfield's largest refinery. We've got stories, blogs and video.Advertisement