Bakersfield.com Local News

Curtains to be raised for movie theater

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:14:33 PDT

Call it a happy ending to a long -- a really, really long -- Hollywood epic.

Maya Bakersfield 16 Cinemas has been a coming attraction for nearly a decade, but the movie theater will finally open to the public July 15, according to Larry Porricelli, vice president of sales and marketing.

Wilderness fire draws less aggressive tactics

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:22:33 PDT

In another example of the evolution of fire management strategies in the nation's forests, the U.S. Forest Service is allowing the Shotgun Fire to burn eastward, while at the same time, attempting to block the fire's westward expansion.

Located in the Golden Trout Wilderness northeast of Porterville where Shotgun Creek flows into the Little Kern River, the Shotgun Fire has grown to 412 acres and is expected to double again in area by the end of the holiday weekend, the U.S. Forest Service said in a release Friday.

Law enforcement on hunt for impaired drivers

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:56:45 PDT

Officers from several law enforcement agencies will be out in force during the Fourth of July holiday weekend, cracking down on impaired and drunken drivers, the Kern Avoid DUI Campaign Task Force reported Friday in a news release.

The holiday enforcement push will include a DUI checkpoint that will operate from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. in an undisclosed location in greater Bakersfield.

Five grass fires knocked down in minutes

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:55:29 PDT

Firefighters successfully battled five separate grass fires on both sides of Highway 99 Friday afternoon.

While the blazes were separate, they all occurred between Airport Drive and Olive Drive at close to the same time, according to a release from the Kern County Fire Department.

Sarah Palin to resign governorship

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:59:35 PDT

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has announced that she will resign as governor of Alaska and will not seek a second term, according to reports from CBS News and other news outlets.

Palin's decision is thought to open the door for a run for the presidency in 2012.

Highway 46 reopens after hours-long closure

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:34:27 PDT

Highway 46 has been reopened several hours after a fatal traffic accident and fire involving a big rig forced the closure of the east-west artery, the California Highway Patrol reported.

Drive carefully.

Action Line: Intricacies of the Do Not Call list

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:00:00 PDT

Editor’s note: Action Line is a weekly column from the Better Business Bureau answering consumers’ questions and concerns about money and business issues.

Ric Llewellyn: Americans need to reclaim their demand for liberty

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:00:00 PDT

I love to read the Declaration of Independence. It is among the most poignant pieces of literature in the world. From where we stand today, July 4, 2009, we look back on one of the most bold and humble confrontations for freedom in world history.

Is 9th grade intervention working?

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:25:39 PDT

Let a 9th grader squeak through to sophomore year with low reading and math skills and odds are he'll drop out or not get a diploma.

About 10 percent of all freshmen -- or roughly 1,000 students -- in the Kern High School District need that remedial help. So in 2006, the district implemented a so-called Ninth Grade Intervention program whereby kids, for example, were encouraged to enroll in after-school classes and summer school to ensure they'd earned at least 45 credits before becoming sophomores.

Test your history IQ with our quiz

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:03:35 PDT

You're a patriot, but are you a scholar? Find out if you rank more on the side of the great George Washington or the stinker Benedict Arnold with our quiz.

1. Which Civil War battleground city that fell to Union forces on July 4, 1863, refused to celebrate Independence Day for decades?

Readers reflect on what it means to be American

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:26:56 PDT

Kenneth M. Cannon

Retired

Stimulus funds to help homeless kids

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:50:57 PDT

The Bakersfield City School District will get an extra $44,350 in federal stimulus funds to serve homeless students, the state announced Thursday.

Last year the number of students in the district who were classified as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act increased to about 550, a 7 percent increase.

Is Bakersfield 'city of righteousness?'

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:42:19 PDT

When Bakersfield's city fathers and mothers approved the slogan, "Bakersfield: Life as it should be" a few years ago, some locals greeted the decision with applause and exclamations of civic pride.

Others simply asked, "Can they be serious?"

Man dies after fighting, being Tased by deputies

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:37:28 PDT

A 25-year-old Bakersfield man died Thursday morning in the custody of sheriff's deputies after he had been hit with a Taser gun and bit by a sheriff's dog.

Deputies went to the home of Rory Romal McKenzie at about 12:45 a.m. after his wife flagged down a deputy and said she had just been assaulted by her husband and he was armed with a baseball bat.

Coalition speaks out against taxes

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:28:47 PDT

Terry Maxwell has been hit hard by the recession.

The owner of T.L. Maxwell's Restaurant and Bar in downtown Bakersfield has had to cut hours and employees. He said he believes other restaurants in the city are facing the same hardships.