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Local educator wins prestigious award

March 20, 2015, 3:19 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA  - A local educator was selected as one of the recipients for the California Teachers Association's Human Rights Awards.

Union leader Michelle S. Johnson, president of the Bakersfield Elementary Teachers Association, won the Lois Tinson Human Rights Award, named after the first African-American president of CTA. 

Johnson is the second African-American president of her union, and its youngest. She is actively involved in engaging the Bakersfield community in annual activities that promote literacy, such as Read Across America and community picnics. 

According to representatives, Johnson knows the power of building partnerships in the community for all students and educators.

The CTA is a community of more than 325,000 members and is affiliated with the three-million member National Education Association.

The award is given to educators across the state who are committed to transforming communities and changing the lives of students.
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Obama administration unveils new fracking rules

March 20, 2015, 3:24 pm
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(NBC News) Fracking has dramatically increased oil and gas production in the U.S. by driving down prices and helping the economy.

But according to Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, new rules are needed.

Pumping high pressure water and chemicals deep into solid rock until the rock fractures and frees the oil and gas can pollute ground water and, some charge, even cause earthquakes.

The first-ever federal fracking rules would apply only on federal and Indian lands.

They would require reinforced boreholes, better leak prevention, and disclosure of the chemicals pumped underground.

However, many environmentalists are slamming the regulations, saying that they wanted a complete ban.
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City: Staff to establish city's own watering restrictions

March 20, 2015, 4:52 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA - City officials will be looking to alternatives to watering only twice a week during what appears to be a long hot summer in Bakersfield.  

According to the city manager's memo Friday, a preliminary review of the newly adopted state drought regulations indicates
two primary impacts to the city of Bakersfield.   It appears the very popular spray parks may have to stay closed as they were for the latter part of the season last year.

And, unless the local jurisdiction has a contrary rule, watering only twice a week will be all that is allowed. Staff will be suggesting consideration of an emergency ordinance establishing our own restrictions be put first before the Water Board and then the City Council. Twice a week is not designed for mid-summer in our climate. The water staff will be doing surveys and coming up with a reasonable alternate to propose.




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Local man arrested in connection with shooting death

March 21, 2015, 7:01 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA - A local man was arrested for murder in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred on Friday in southwest Bakersfield.

According to Bakersfield police, 28-year-old Travell Clark was arrested as a suspect for the shooting death of an adult male in the 6700 block of Orleans Lane.
     
The shooting happened on Friday around 10:30 p.m.
     
The coroner identified the victim as 25-year-old Michael Lashawn Whatly Jr.
     
According to police, they arrived to find Whatly Jr. suffering from gunshot wounds.
     
Whatly was eventually pronounced dead at the scene.
     
Police arrested Clark for murder, being an ex-felon in posession of a firearm, and participation in a criminal street gang.
   
Police say there are no other suspects in the case.
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Law enforcement meet with community for Public Safety Day

March 21, 2015, 7:03 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA - Families and members of the community got to know their local law enforcement officials a little better today as they gathered to learn more about local public safety services.

Public Safety Day took place at Beach Park and featured law enforcement, firefighters, and other health and safety officials.
     
Event organizers said it's also a great time for children to get acquainted with law enforcement and erase any negative stigmas that may exist.

"it's good especially for the children when they do the stranger danger thing to come out and meet us so if they do get lost, we're not the bad people, we're looking for them for a reason.they're lost and parents want them back -- things like that," said Aaron Lynam, Cpt. with Bakersfield Search and Rescue.

The event also included demonstrations from local public safety agencies and first responders giving residents a look into the processes involved with emergency rescues.  
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Dance marathon champ now a world record holder

March 21, 2015, 7:05 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA - She's known as a dancing phenomenon locally, but now she's getting worldwide recognition for her skills..

Local health enthusiast Carrie Swidecki, 38, officially received recognition in the Guinness Book of World Records on Saturday for the longest marathon on a motion sensing dance game.
     
She also received the record for most high scores achieved in a 24-hour period with 101 high scores.
     
She now advocates against childhood obesity and encourages others to live healthy and exercise.

"Everybody has obstacles but it's how you approach them. And you can either be defeated or take the challenge and go for it," Swidecki said.

Swidecki said she overcame obesity 15 years ago when she weighed in at 210 pounds, wearing a size 18/ 20.
      
She adds she never dreamed playing video games would change her life so much.

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Local man with autism thanking the community for generosity

March 21, 2015, 7:08 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA - One local man is thanking the community for their generous donations to support him as he looks to finance specialized training for his service dog.
     
A special event was held at Tastries Bakery for Jacob Saecker, who has autism and relies on his dog Jasmine for everyday needs. 
     
His first service dog, Thor, recently died from cancer.
     
Jacob's family said Thor, and Jasmine, have helped him tremendously.
     
Jasmine is trained in search and rescue tactics as well as to detect and alert others in case of a seizure or other medical emergency.

The family said that if they reach their goal of $1,500, they will put those funds toward the needs of others looking to pay for similar dog training.
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New Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park

March 22, 2015, 5:28 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA - Dirt filled the air as local racers revved up their engines at Kern County Raceway Park on Sunday, trying out the new dirt track.

The new track is the third venue at the facility, which also hosts a half-mile paved oval and motocross family track.

Lee Baumgarten, the President and General Manager of Kern County Raceway, said a small Facebook post drew out a large crowd on Sunday.

"We have a handful of racers out here and they are going to give feedback to the people that are building the race track so we can make it as good as we can for them," said Baumgarten.

One driver, a CPA during the week and racer during the weekend, Shannon McQueen, tried out the track in her sprint car.

"They have a great facility out here. I mean it's awesome. We lose racetracks faster than we get them so its nice to have another venue to race at," said McQueen.

McQueen primarily races midget cars, a lot smaller than the sprint car she practiced with on Sunday.

"In 2012, I became the first female driver to win a USAC Western States Midget Title. In 2011, I became the first female driver to win a Bay City Racing Association Midget Title; I became the first female to win a USAC Midget Race in 2007," said McQueen.

Despite all of her championships, McQueen said being a woman in racing isn't always easy.

"I've been around long enough that most of the guys know me and give me the respect that I deserve but when I first started it was very difficult. They wanted to push you around but they figured out really quick with me if you are going to race me dirty you are going to get the receiving end of it as well," she said.

She is thankful for her local sponsors and racing family through her adversity.

"Anybody that is a fan of racing that goes to the race track and supports auto racing, it takes all those guys to make this go and if there is no one sitting in the stands we are not doing a very good job either," said McQueen.

Kern County Raceway Park's third season formally kicks off on March 28 with the NASCAR west series.

Organizers said the night will be filled with music, food, and lots of action.

Click HERE for more on the Kern County Raceway Park.

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Weekend shooting lands teen in hospital

March 23, 2015, 9:24 am
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BAKERSFIELD, CA- Kern County Sheriff's deputies are investigating a shooting in east Bakersfield.

Sunday, just before 3:30 p.m. deputies got a call for a shooting about a block from Kern Medical Center.

Deputies say the victim walked across the street with relatives and was found by deputies at KMC.

They say the victim is William Hoard, 18, has a non-life threatening gubn shot wound.

Deputies were advised the two suspects were black male adults. Two vehicles were seen leaving the area. The vehicles were described as a pink and grey sedan and a black sedan.

This investigation is ongoing.

Anonymous "text" tips can be sent to TIP411 (847411). Just type the key word "KCSO" prior to the message.
Anyone having information on this incident is asked to contact the Kern County Sheriff's Office at (661) 861-3110 or contact Secret Witness at (661) 322-4040.
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Deputies arrest woman they say stole cash from elderly victim

March 23, 2015, 11:04 am
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TAFT, CA- Kern County Sheriff's deputies say they busted a woman who had stolen cash from a 93-year-old Taft woman.

Deputies say Olga Davidson, 50, had snuck into the home without the victim knowing.

A neighbor discovered Davidson inside the home and called deputies.

KCSO says the woman claimed a specific amount of cash was missing.

Deputies say they found the cash concealed in the crotch area of Davidson's pants.

Davidson is part of the Sheriff's Electronic Monitoring Program.

She was arrested and booked on first degree burglary charges.
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Sen. Ted Cruz announces presidential run

March 23, 2015, 11:38 am
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(NBC News) Ted Cruz is running for president.

The Republican senator from Texas announced his candidacy early Monday morning on Twitter, then followed up with speech at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

"The answer will not come from Washington, it will come only from men and women, lovers of faith, people from across the county from people of faith who respect The Constitution," Cruz told the cheering crowd.

Cruz is the first contender to officially declare his 2016 candidacy, and despite his grassroots Tea Party support, political analysts still consider him a long-shot for the Republican nomination.
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Teen tries to poison mom after she took away her iPhone

March 23, 2015, 12:02 pm
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(KUSA) A 12-year-old Colorado girl is accused of trying to kill her mother with bleach after she took away her iPhone.

The girl, who has not been identified, was detained Friday at the Boulder County Juvenile Center. The Boulder County Sheriff's Office was first notified of the alleged crime on March 6.

The sheriff's office says the girl first tried to kill her mother on March 2 by putting bleach into her breakfast smoothie. The mother told police she noticed an odor of bleach in the drink, and thought her daughter had cleaned the glass before making the beverage, and didn't rinse the bleach out.

Later in the week, the BCSO says the girl poured bleach into a water carafe her mother kept in her bedroom.
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Bakersfield losing two more Fresh & Easy stores

March 23, 2015, 1:17 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA- Two Bakersfield Fresh & Easy stores are closing.

A representative from the independent grocery chain confirmed for 17News early Monday morning the store located at Panama Lane & Stine Road and a second store at California Avenue & Stockdale Highway will be sold.

Fresh & Easy says the company spent the lat year re-focusing its efforts under new ownership.

That includes launching some new ideas in its test market of Las Vegas.

The company CEO posted a video to Youtube Friday saying the company wanted to give every location a chance to succeed.

But he said some, due to physical limitations like parking lot size, were just not performing to expectations.

April 3rd is the expected closing date.

Two Fresh & Easy store will remain open in Bakersfield.
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Road work to cause lane closures overnight

March 23, 2015, 1:36 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA- The California Department of Transportation announced a couple of overnight road closures that May affect your commute home.

The northbound and southbound number one lanes on I-5 from the Lerdo Highway overcrossing to the State Route 46 separation will be closed from 6 p.m.to 6 a.m. starting Monday through Thursday.
Crews will be working to repair the lanes.

Motorists should also plan for lane closures for Highway 58 between H Street and Cottonwood Road through Thursday as well.

Crews will be working to repair the shoulders.

Outside lanes in both directions will be closed from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
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New specialty veterinary services coming to Bakersfield

March 23, 2015, 1:48 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA- There are new specialists in Bakersfield to care for your furrier family members.

Access Specialty Animal Hospitals is opening a satellite location here in town, offering cardiology and internal medicine for pets.

They are teaming up with Animal Emergency and Urgent Care on Easton Drive, off Truxtun Avenue and the specialists will visit weekly for appointments.

The CEO of Access says they will add specialties as the need grows.

Access started back in 2005, offering emergency and internal medicine services in Los Angeles.

Services at the animal hospital are similar to human specialty medicine and typically by referral only.
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Privatization of libraries could cost jobs

March 23, 2015, 2:22 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA- A for-profit company has pitched the board supervisors to take over the county's beleaguered library system.

At last week's meeting, the board decided to send the proposal of privatizing the libraries back to county staff for further review.

17 news obtained a copy of the pamphlet that Library Systems and Services sent to county leaders as part of its pitch to take the libraries over.

In it, LSSI says it can lower costs through automation of certain tasks and the company says it lowers employee pension costs because library staff become LSSI employees.
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Vandals hit neighborhood near Stockdale Country Club

March 23, 2015, 3:37 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA- Bakersfield police are investigating a string of vandalism in southwest Bakersfield, where several cars were spray painted.

It happened near Stockdale Country Club about a block north of Stockdale Highway, at Carr Street and Hartman Avenue.

Some people who live there woke up to their vehicles spray painted with silver paint.

Police service technicians responded and say this attack was spread out over several blocks.

"Well this is an awesome neighborhood, the people are very nice people here and I don't understand why anyone would come and do something like that. It was very reckless and totally unkind," said victim Margaret Ayala.

Some garage doors were also painted. Some sidewalks and trash cans were also hit in that area.

All of it, except for the victim's vehicles has been cleaned up by the graffiti removal with the city's public works department.

If you know anything about this vandalism call Bakersfield Police at 327-7111.
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Three alarm fire guts Inyokern home overnight

March 24, 2015, 8:48 am
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INYOKERN, CA - Just before 3:15 AM Tuesday morning, the Kern County Fire Department received a call for a structure fire in the 3600 block of W. Graaf Ave.

The call came from a neighbor that could see large flames from the residence. The first arriving crew encountered a 2,000 square foot single-story block construction home that was fully involved in fire.

The house included an attached garage and basement that were also on fire.

Crews deployed hose lines to protect nearby exposures including a double-wide mobile home and travel trailer.

Trees and brush were also beginning to catch fire and crews were able to extinguish those fires. The nearest fire hydrant required crews to make a long hose lay of 1400' with one fire engine midway along the supply line to boost the pressure.

The house fire was controlled at 4:49 AM but required extensive mop-up.

Crews made a search of the structure and did not find any casualties. The homeowner was not home at the time and KCFD Fire Investigators are looking into the cause of this fire.
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Local emergency medical personnel earn awards

March 24, 2015, 10:07 am
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BAKERSFIELD, CA- Six emergency medical services professionals from Bakersfield's Hall Ambulance were recognized Monday as stars of life at the state capitol today.

Paramedic relief supervisor Armando Lazaro jumped into action after he was in a crash with another driver believed to be drunk on Taft Highway last November. Lazaro helped other victims first, before realizing he too was badly injured.

Makenzie Stevens a flight nurse with Hall Critical Care transport. Last year, she helped mentor new flight nurses and paramedics and worked numerous overtime shifts to cover vacant shifts. Stevens did not miss a day of work in more than three years.

Emergency medical technician Bill Dietz helped deliver a baby in a car at Memorial Hospital on April 8 of last year. He helped turn that baby around during delivery, ensuring a safe birth.

Myron Smith is a manager with Hall Critical Care Transport. He's served as volunteer program director for the Bakersfield College paramedic training program since 2005.

Ed Cordova is the lead emergency medical dispatcher, he was Hall Ambulance's EMD of the year last year.

Paramedic Andrew Kiser was named recipient of the Hall Ambulance President's Award for customer service, during the company's 2015 employee recognition awards last month.

Congratulations to all of these local heroes.
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Local Vet with PTSD uses new legal aid program

March 24, 2015, 11:40 am
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BAKERSFIELD, CA- A highly decorated local veteran who became a double amputee during his service is facing a criminal charge while getting treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Lance Corporal Jeremiah Thein is charged with one misdemeanor count of willful cruelty to a child.

While he couldn't say much about the charge as the case is ongoing, he did talk about how he is doing and the Veterans Justice Program and veterans advocates say his case highlights the increasing need for treatment.

Every time we met Lance Corporal Thein from his hospital bed at Walter Reed to his home- back in Bakersfield we saw his bright smile and constant charisma. Now, he says, it was all a mask and he was hiding PTSD.

April 20th, 2012, in Afghanistan, the Marine stepped on an IED, pushed a fellow Marine out of harm's way, and sacrificed his legs in the explosion.

He says he was immediately diagnosed with post traumatic stress.

"It's almost like a replay button that goes off in your head over and over again at what happened to you and everything you've gone through in a split second... honestly we are not normal people. like when you take a boy and turn him into a man and send him to a country where everybody wants to kill him, how do you expect us to come back? Expect us to come back all handy dandy oh, I'm ok all sunshine? No," Thein said

Defense Attorney and veteran, David Torres is representing Jeremiah Thein who in December was charged with one count of misdemeanor willful cruelty to a child.

That's when an anonymous caller reported possible "child abuse," against Jeremiah's step son.

The officer found bruising on the boy's bottom, legs, arm, back, and inside his left ear- plus a scratch on his forehead.

The boy told the officer "my step dad hit me with the belt."

When police asked Thein about the accusation, he told police "he was at home watching the children" alone.

He went to check on the boys and found his step-son holding a pillow over his younger son's face.

Thein told the officer he "spanked his step son with a belt approximately ten times" but "it wasn't his intention to strike anything but his bottom"

"If there's a charge we want to know what is wrong with the person and whether or not there is that issue of PTSD which in this case we believe it is. But what we want to do most importantly is to ensure these individuals receive treatment," said Thein's defense attorney David Torres.

"When veterans make mistakes and have no one to back them up, how do you think it makes us feel. When every body is all praising us when we go fight but when we come back and make a mistake everyone hates you. How are you supposed to respond to that?" said Thein

Thein says he's getting therapy and it's helping. It's through the Veterans Justice Program supported by the state penal code.

Randy Dickow helped start the program in 2011. There are posters in the Kern County Courthouse telling veterans who to contact if they are in trouble with the law offering them a chance to get counseling or treatment, in lieu of incarceration for most misdemeanors and some less harsh felony cases, if the VA finds they qualify.

"Just because they say you are a veteran doesn't mean you will necessarily qualify. They have the ability to assess you to determine if you do have PTSD," said Michael Yraceburn, Supervising Deputy District Attorney.


"We've actually been fortunate here to be able to do pre-conviction mitigation in many cases but the statute does provide that when they are successful, when they've completed all of the terms for example probation and they've completed what ever counseling that was ordered, the record can be completely erased," Dickow said

He says the most common crimes committed by vets with PTSD involve drugs or alcohol.

The second most common offense he says is domestic violence.

Locally, 34 veterans have completed the program with no repeat offenses.

"As I tell all of these guys it's not just you. It's the program. If you mess up, you're messing up the program," Dickow said.

"This is not a get out of jail free card. This is not a do not accept responsibility card. Alright, this is an alternative sentence. By going through the program the court can consider that," Yraceburn said.

Dickow expects the number of veterans, like Thein, needing PTSD counseling will grow as our service men and women return to civilian life.

As Thein adjusts to his civilian life he says he's still relying on fellow veterans for support and new friends. He has filed for divorce from his wife and since the charge, has not seen his step-son or Jeremiah Junior.

"Well I love and miss my boys. I don't care what anyone says about me. I don't care what anyone does to me. No man is perfect. I made a mistake and I acknowledge it. Yes, no man is perfect," Thein said.

Thein says he will be able to see his son next month and he is in therapy two to three times a week.

His next court date is set for April 3rd.
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