Latest news with #KernCounty
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Coroner IDs Bakersfield man killed in Friday night shooting
The Kern County coroner's office has identified a Bakersfield man shot and killed Friday in what the agency has determined was a homicide. The agency reported Monday that Izaiah Thor Rodriguez, age 20, died at 12:40 a.m. Saturday at Kern Medical after being shot 43 minutes earlier in the 5600 block of Stockdale Highway. An unidentified juvenile who was seen fleeing the area Friday night has been arrested on suspicion of shooting Rodriguez, the Bakersfield Police Department reported earlier. It said police found a firearm believe to have been used in the shooting and that a witness identified the suspect in an in-field lineup. Anyone with information about the incident was asked to call BPD at 661-327-7111.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Jury convicts man of attempted murder
A Kern County jury convicted a man Friday of trying to kill another man to whom he owed a substantial amount of money. The Kern County District Attorney's Office said in a news release Monday that Rogelio Alvarez will face up to 32 years to life in prison when he is sentenced July 15 by Kern County Superior Court Judge Tiffany Organ-Bowles. It said Alvarez was found guilty of premeditated and deliberate attempted murder, assault with a firearm and a misdemeanor count of theft by false pretenses. On May 19, 2024, according to the DA's release, Alvarez picked up the victim, who was supposedly a friend of his, and took him to a field off Morning Drive under the pretense that they would meet a mutual acquaintance. But it said that when they arrived, Alvarez told the victim to hand his phone to a female passenger. Once that was done, Alvarez shot the man in the cheek, the neck and six more times in his upper body before leaving him for dead, the DA's Office stated. It said the victim survived and walked to the nearest residence to summon help. The DA's release said the likely motive for the shooting was that Alvarez owed the victim a substantial debt.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
More cowbell, fewer unhoused: Point-in-time homeless count brings goal slightly more into focus
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) – They have a tradition at the Brundage Lane Navigation Center: Graduates get a parade. Not the traditional kind. No baton twirlers, no trombones. It's more like a gauntlet of joy, with employees and fellow navigation center residents sending off a fellow homeless center resident to the world of the housed with hoots and cheers. The closest thing to a musical instrument? Cowbell. Mosquito sample tests positive for West Nile virus in Kern County And Navigation Center manager Theo Dues wants more cowbell. 'We're gonna continue to do this work until we see this crisis resolved,' Dues told KGET on a recent tour of the Brundage Lane facility, managed by Mercy House in collaboration with the City of Bakersfield. 'We truly believe that homelessness is a problem that we can solve. Now just manage. That we can actually solve.' What's the holdup? Primarily this: The availability of affordable housing. California has a shortage. There are signs things are improving. Then there's this positive trend. The Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative's new point-in-time homeless count reveals a decline in the number of unhoused in Kern County. Not a huge decline – just 2.3 percent from last year's count – but a decline nonetheless. The annual count is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The collected data is used by state and federal governments to determine funding for counties, cities, and local continuums of care, so it's important – important to know not just how many, but who and from what backgrounds. 'Now, within this count and every count, every demographic is represented,' said Lauren Skidmore of the Open Door Network, which runs the Bakersfield Homeless Center. 'There is a very diverse population of homeless individuals.' Never miss a story: Make your homepage The 2025 Count revealed 2,606 people experiencing homelessness, including 1,393 who are unsheltered and 1,213 individuals who have utilized shelters. This is not an exact science, but it's one of the few tools we have. Counting the number of people living in shelters is one thing, but counting those on the street is quite another. And officials with the collaborative say their ability to gather data that can be trusted is at an all-time high – not just because they continue to tweak their techniques, but because they continue to see buy-in from the broader community. 358 volunteers participated in the three-day count, the third straight year of high volunteer participation. That, combined with a more sophisticated counting process and progress in the creation of affordable housing means the likelihood of more navigation center graduation parades. Because we got to have more cowbell. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Diablo Grande residents demand answers over threat of water shut off
PATTERSON – Residents of Diablo Grande packed a heated meeting on June 4, demanding answers from the Western Hills Water District as the community faces the threat of having its water shut off at the end of the month. The Kern County Water Agency has notified Western Hills that it will halt water deliveries on June 30 unless the district catches up on unpaid bills dating back to 2019. Western Hills currently owes Kern more than $13 million. Now the water district is proposing a significant rate hike, raising monthly water bills from roughly $200 to nearly $600, giving residents a difficult choice: accept the increase or risk losing water service entirely. If approved, the higher rates would keep water flowing through the end of the year while the district searches for alternative water sources. The situation stems from a contract created in 2000, originally designed to serve more than 5,000 homes. Only about 600 homes were ever built in the community, leaving a small group of homeowners responsible for the major debt. Tensions flared during the meeting as county officials emphasized the limits of their authority. Stanislaus County Counsel Thomas Boze told residents the dispute remains largely between the water district and Kern County Water Agency, saying the county can only offer limited assistance. "This is an issue for the water district to deal with," Boze said. "There are other avenues that need to be exhausted before I can proclaim an emergency." Yet when residents asked what those avenues are, Boze did not answer. A letter from the Governor's Office echoed that message of calling the issue a financial matter, not an emergency that warrants state intervention. The state said it would supply bottled water if a shutoff occurs. Residents have until June 28 to formally protest the rate increase. But district officials warned that if a majority opposes the hike, the water will be shut off just two days later. Western Hills officials said they've reached out to the state's Department of Water Resources for help, but so far have not received a response. They're also exploring other long-term options, including potential agreements with neighboring irrigation districts.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Protesters gather at the Liberty Bell for 2nd time in a week as fear lingers over immigration raids
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — 'I'm terrified…I'm terrified of what could happen,' said Ashley Garcia Rios, protesting against ICE at the Liberty Bell in Downtown Bakersfield on Tuesday. Fear lingers in Kern County ever since the January immigration raids. 'There's always going to be fear,' said Efren Hernandez. 'There's always going to be fear. Fear is something that's always going to live in-between our community,' said Rios. 'Especially having immigration status or not.' 'I have a friend already that might move to Mexico because their mom is saying that she feels locked up inside,' said Hernandez. 'She can't go outside, she can't even do her dailies.' Though there might be some resistance against the cause, protesters say it's important to keep showing up to bring awareness and prevention. They believe immigration officials could come up from Los Angeles County anytime. 'We know that they are going to be here soon and we're prepared. We're preparing,' said Rios. Rios asked local law enforcement for transparency on their stance regarding immigration raids. 'What's your guys' plan? Are you guys going to keep us safe?' said Rios. 'Because, supposedly law enforcement is supposed to keep you safe and not cause fear.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
