Non-profit water agency talks conservation, education, and storage
Jenny Holtermann with WAKC talks with 23ABC on Good Morning Kern County about groundwater issues and how local officials are working to address them.
Deal that relied on Kern County water for housing 200 miles away sours, potentially...
The Kern County Water Agency is poised to cut off the only water source for a 600-home development in Stanislaus County as of June 30 unless residents there agree to a 200% increase in water rates, jacking up their bills to $600 a month. Even then, the increase will only...
Wreck causes lane closures on southbound Highway 99 Tuesday evening
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Lane closures are in place following a crash on southbound Highway 99, near the California Avenue onramp. Lane closures have affected lanes one, two and three Tuesday evening after a crash on Highway 99, according to the California Highway Patrol Incident Information page. It is unclear...
KCSO seeks help to find missing man, last heard from in May
BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — The Kern County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in finding Hector Villanueva, a 46-year-old man who has been reported missing since early May. Villanueva last made contact with a friend on May 7, 2025, and his current whereabouts are unknown. Villanueva is described...
2 taken into custody after driver leads officers on high-speed pursuit through Kern County
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A pursuit that reached speeds of over 100 mph wound its way through Kern County Tuesday morning, eventually leading to the arrest of the suspect driver and a female passenger, officials said. The California Highway Patrol said officers tried to pull over a driver in a Honda Civic for...
Overnight train heist in downtown Bakersfield caught on camera
According to the New York Times, In 2024, there were more than 65,000 train thefts in the U.S., which is a 40% increase from 2023.
3 arrested for allegedly stealing 250 pounds of copper wire
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Kern County sheriff’s detectives seized $30,000 worth of stolen copper wire and arrested three men last week. Lucas Blas, 38, Carlos Eleutereo Acosta, 39, and Salvador Perea Najera, 34, were arrested June 18 following an investigation into copper wire thefts. Sheriff’s detectives executed...
Rival gang assault at Lerdo Pre-Trial Detention Facility leaves inmate injured by ‘shank’
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — Several inmates at Lerdo Pre-Trial Detentions Facility were assaulted by a rival gang, with one being stabbed by a "shank." The Kern County Sheriff’s Office said on June 14, 2025, at around 8 p.m., multiple inmates housed at the Lerdo Pre-Trial Detentions Facility were assaulted by a...
Woman arrested in East Bakersfield after hours-long search
A woman was arrested in East Bakersfield on Tuesday after running from law enforcement for hours. She faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon.
Police seize over 10 pounds of fentanyl, arrest 4 in ‘large-scale drug trafficking’ operation
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A Bakersfield man was arrested in May after police say he was involved in a counterfeit Oxycodone pill trafficking group. Oliver Lopez, 38, of Bakersfield, was arrested under suspicion of multiple drug-related charges on May 29, according to Modesto police investigators and the FBI. Over...
