TehachapiNews.com Local News

Graduations scheduled for last week of May

Sat, 26 May 2012 08:34:43 PDT

Classes end at most Tehachapi schools next week with graduation ceremonies at Tehachapi High set for Thursday, May 31 and other ceremonies to be held throughout the week.

A total of 274 THS students are expected to receive diplomas and last week a number of them received scholarships. A total of $133,534.93 in scholarships were awarded to THS students — of that amount, $73,750 was from local organizations.

Monroe High School will graduate 80 students, Tehachapi Adult School will have 8 graduates, Valley Oaks will have 18 high school graduates and Heritage Oak School will have 4.

Details of the scholarships and photos of graduates from local high schools are included in the pull-out section that is part of the May 29 edition of the Tehachapi News.

Graduation schedule:
•Monroe High School, May 30, 7 p.m. at Jacobsen Middle School Gym.
•Tehachapi Adult School, May 30, 5 p.m. at Jacobsen Middle School Gym.
•Tehachapi High School, May 31, 6 p.m. at Coy Burnett Stadium.
•Valley Oaks, May 31 at 7 p.m., at the Fox Theatre, Bakersfield.
•Heritage Oak, May 29, 7 p.m. at •Country Oaks Baptist Church.
•Jacobsen Middle School, May 29, 6 p.m. at Coy Burnett Stadium.

Wind advisory, chance of showers, slight chance of snow above 6,000 feet

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:29:11 PDT

The National Weather Service has forecast continued unseasonably cool through Saturday in the Kern County mountains.

Breezy to locally windy conditions will continue until late Friday night across the higher elevations of the Southern Sierra Nevada, the Tehachapi Mountains and high desert of Kern County.

THS receives grant from 'Project Lead The Way'

Tue, 22 May 2012 06:48:45 PDT

Tehachapi High School announced last week that it is the recipient of a $35,000 grant from Project Lead The Way (PLTW), the nation's leading provider of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum.

The grant was made possible by a generous donation from Lockheed Martin. Funds from the grant will support the implementation of the PLTW engineering curriculum, including the purchase of materials and equipment that will be used in the hands-on, project-based classes that are a distinguishing characteristic of PLTW's curriculum.

Hospital suit continues

Mon, 21 May 2012 14:26:45 PDT

The Tehachapi Area Critical Landuse Issues Group filed its Petitioner's Opening Brief on May 15 as required by the court. The brief states that TACLIG agrees the "seismically-unsound Tehachapi Hospital must be replaced," TACLIG objects to the "district's perfunctory approval of the Tehachapi Hospital Project, based upon a delayed environmental review that avoids key assessments and endangers public health and safety."

The brief goes on to discuss seismic issues at the existing hospital, impacts to emergency response times, aviation safety, scarce water supplies, compatibility with planned residences, traffic and greenhouse gases and saying that the initial study's conclusions lack support in the record and an EIR is required. It goes on to conclude that, "the district's adoption of an Mitigated Negative Declaration based upon the initial study must be overturned. An EIR is required to ensure public safety."

Christopher Kirk named to Assistant City Manager post

Wed, 16 May 2012 21:44:54 PDT

For the past several years, the position of Assistant City Manager at the City of Tehachapi has gone unfilled. As of May 16, current Director of General Services, Christopher Kirk, is now filling that role.

According to a press release from the city, Kirk joined its staff in 2007 as the Executive Assistant to the City Manager after completion a Bachelor’s Degree in government at the University of Texas at Austin. Upon joining the city, Kirk began work on a Master of Public Administration degree from California State University, which he completed in 2010.

Since that time, Kirk has advanced from managing the general administration staff to overseeing the engineering and capital projects division.
Perhaps more prominent than his role in completing over $6.5 million in public improvements has been Kirk’s leadership of other special projects including the community branding initiative and the bike master plan.

According to City Manager, Greg Garrett, Kirk will retain his responsibilities as the General Services Director while also assuming additional management and oversight of the public works and utility departments.

“This is a great first step in a number of planned organizational shifts” Garrett said. “Mr. Kirk is an asset to our organization and will serve an important role as we continue to make organizational changes over the next several years, growing even more efficient and cost effective as we do.”

Hall resigns from hospital board

Wed, 16 May 2012 21:11:12 PDT

Dr. Susan Hall submitted her resignation from the Tehachapi Healthcare District Board of Directors at its May 16 meeting.

In presenting her resignation Dr. Hall said, “As you are aware, I have taken on significant duties as a physician on the medical staff of the hospital. As a result I am doing more acute patient care. Therefore I have decided to resign from the Board of Directors.

Former resident Edward L. Tompkins dies at 92

Sun, 06 May 2012 14:39:21 PDT

Edward L. Tompkins, 92, for whom Tompkins School is named, passed away May 5 at his home in Anderson.

Long time Tehachapi residents, Mr. Tompkins and his wife, Helen, moved to the Northern California community in 2003 to be near their daughter Diane and her family. Mrs. Tompkins passed away in 2004.

E-edition offers all of the stories and photos from this week's Tehachapi News

Tue, 22 May 2012 06:29:10 PDT

The Tehachapi News e-edition offers an exact electronic replica of this week's Tehachapi News print edition available with just a couple of clicks at your computer screen.

With the e-edition, you can flip through the pages, enlarge sections you'd like to read and even click through to other websites from links in news articles and advertising.

Tehachapi man arrested on warrant

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:18:12 PDT

On April 6, Kern County Sheriff's Office deputies assigned to the Tehachapi substation conducted a follow up investigation to an incident that occurred approximately one week prior. During the incident it was determined that 48-year-old Timothy Lee Atkinson shot at the victim's unoccupied vehicle and also threatened to kill the victim.

Deputies from the KCSO, assisted by officers from Tehachapi Police Department, developed several leads in the case. Deputies from the Tehachapi substation obtained an arrest warrant for Atkinson as well as a search warrant for his residence.

Sheriff reports arrests in Tehachapi, Boron

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 07:56:47 PDT

The Kern County Sheriff's Office has reported two arrests conducted with special law enforcement efforts in Tehachapi and Boron.

According to a press release, the East Area Special Enforcement Team (EASET) conducted directed patrol in the Tehachapi area in response to several daytime burglaries. EASET conducted several stops, probation searches and assisted with handling calls for service. During a probation search, EASET assisted Tehachapi deputies in the area of Golden Hills. At a residence located in the 21500 block of Golden Hills Boulevard the deputies contacted Ezekiel Meza, 24. He was arrested on $80,000 dollars in outstanding warrants.

CCI project honored for energy savings

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 08:18:13 PDT

A boiler upgrade by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has been honored by the Southern California Gas Company for reducing national gas use more than any other government project in the state in 2011.

The boiler retrofit completed at CCI at Tehachapi was precented with the Government Award on March 29 at the utilities Business Expo Awards in Pomona. The annual event recognizes public and private organizations that achieved the greatest success in energy-efficient projects. Renovations to the boiler system, which provides hot water to about one quarter of the 1,650 acre complex, resulted in water being heated more efficiently and a reduction in natural gas consumption by 345,322 therm, equal to slightly more than the natural gas consumed annually by 10,000 average California households.

Judge orders new EIR for Tehachapi Walmart project

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:17:40 PDT

If Walmart wants to go forward with a proposed Super Center in the City of Tehachapi the city will have to prepare a new Environmental Impact Report following decertification of the EIR certified in 2011 by the Tehachapi City Council and Tehachapi Planning Commission.

After hearing arguments from the city and Tehachapi First —- the citizens group created to oppose Walmart -- Judge Kenneth Twisselman stuck with his tentative disposition, ruling against the city and in favor of Tehachapi First Friday afternoon, April 27.

Judge may order new EIR for Tehachapi Walmart project

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:30:57 PDT

The City of Tehachapi's approval of a proposed Walmart Super Center went before Judge Kenneth Twisselman in the Kern County Superior Court on Friday morning, April 27.

Early indications are that the judge may de-certify the Environmental Impact Report approved by both the Tehachapi City Council and Tehachapi Planning Commission in 2011.

Walmart hearing set for April 27

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:00:17 PDT

The City of Tehachapi's approval of a proposed Walmart Super Center is expected to have its day in court on April 27.

On May 19, 2011, the City Council approved the proposed 165,000 square-foot store to be located near the intersection of Tucker Road and Tehachapi Boulevard. This approval was quickly followed on June 17, 2011, with a lawsuit filed by Tehachapi First, a local organization which grew out of opposition to the proposed Walmart store. The suit challenged the adequacy of the Environmental Impact Report prepared for the project.

Tehachapi man who died in collision on Highway 46 remembered as tireless volunteer

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:48:15 PDT

David Hubbard, the Tehachapi man killed in a traffic collision on Monday, April 23, is remembered as a tireless volunteer who helped with the reconstruction of the Tehachapi Depot.

A train enthusiast, Hubbard was a member of the Tehachapi Loop Railroad Club and into "O" gauge trains. He was also an early member of Friends of the Depot.