Sam Hoyle

Gas stations, grocery stores, and businesses across the region went dark as utilities cut power to reduce wildfire risk during gusty winds and dry conditio

Prev Next Posted 3 minutes ago Sam Hoyle Northwest Kern Neighborhood Reporter BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Honor Flight Kern County has landed back at Meadows Field after taking 20 veterans to the nation's capital in honor of their service — just weeks after the first-ever cancellation in the program's history. The earlier flight was forced to stand down after issues pushing the plane back from the gate delayed the departure and led to its cancellation. While that flight is rescheduled for spring of next year, Honor Flight Kern County wanted to put together one more trip for 2026, sending almost two dozen veterans and guardians each on the trip of a lifetime. Back home, it was a celebration as the veterans made their return to friends, family, and community members. The trip was a family affair for Lowell Tallon, a U.S. Army veteran who was slated to be on the cancelled flight. When the opportunity to go presented itself again, he jumped at it. "My brother reached out to me, and he said, 'Hey, I'm going to nominate Dad for honor flight, and if he gets accepted, I think that we should both try to go," Karrie Gallemore said. And soon after, the ball got rolling, and the three were on their way to Washington, D.C., to take in the sights and sounds of the capital. "Having both his son and daughter on the trip, I think it made it even more special for him and certainly for us," Kevin Tallon said. "It was such a glorious experience for me to be with my son and my daughter and to share those moments in Washington, D.C.," said Lowell. "You see it on television, but it's different when you're there." The next Honor Flight is in the spring of 2027. To learn more about it, you can find that information in this story online. This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. Stay in Touch with Us Anytime Anywhere Download Our Free App for Apple and Android Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe to Us on YouTube

Prev Next Posted 4 minutes ago Sam Hoyle Northwest Kern Neighborhood Reporter ARVIN, Calif. (KERO) — Newly sworn-in Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling visited Kern County on Tuesday, touring agricultural and logistics operations and sitting down with 23ABC for a one-on-one interview following a tour and roundtable at Grimmway Farms in Arvin. Sonderling made two stops in Kern County on Tuesday — one at the Wonderful Logistics Center in Shafter in the morning, and the second at Grimmway Farms in the afternoon. "This produces some of the best, and most, agriculture for the entire United States, and this is an industry this administration really cares about," Sonderling said. Following his time at Grimmway, Sonderling told 23ABC he was in Kern County for the opportunity to hear employers' workforce challenges and to find ways to encourage more people to pursue careers in agriculture. One of the key points Sonderling said he came away with from the trip is a need for people to be tech-savvy in the agricultural world. "Whether it's automation, working with the automation, and that's a new skill that workers are going to need, and they're going to need it very specific to agriculture. So a big part of this too is not just working with employers in this field, but also talking to the workforce development boards, talking to community colleges, talking to the Pre-K-12 system of how we can get those skills that are changing in agriculture into schools," Sonderling said. When looking at Kern County unemployment data, historically it is higher than the state average, with the agricultural industry being seasonal — unemployment peaks through the winter and falls through the summer months regularly. When asked how Kern County could better tackle that, Sonderling pointed to the administration's interest in bringing back manufacturing jobs and his visit to the Wonderful logistics center earlier Tuesday. "One of my visits here today was at Wonderful and just seeing that incredible facility they're building. Those are jobs that are not seasonal, and they require a new skill because of the level of technology that are going into those logistics facilities," said Sonderling. "The jobs that come with this are trade and technical skills jobs, and those jobs skills haven't been taught in school. So we're really working with employers to bring these high-paying, high-skilled jobs back." Sonderling isn't headed back to Washington, D.C., just yet. After the interview, he said the trip continues down to Los Angeles. This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. Stay in Touch with Us Anytime Anywhere Download Our Free App for Apple and Android Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe to Us on YouTube

Prev Next Posted Sam Hoyle Northwest Kern Neighborhood Reporter BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Bakersfield City Council voted unanimously to explore housing low-level offenders after hearing a report on a familiar challenge: a lack of jail bed space that the city says is limiting its ability to hold people accountable. City staff will set aside $4 million and bring back a plan to be discussed at a future date. According to the report filed with the council, the city has added 100 more police officers and spends millions each year to address drug addiction, homelessness, and help people transition out of homelessness. Even so, the city says residents and businesses continue to deal with vandalism, theft, and more. The central issue, according to the city, is that while it is arresting people committing these crimes, most are released within the day due to a lack of jail bed space, which limits the help it can provide. "The city is invested, and we have the enforcement capacity. We're just not seeing the accountability side," said Christian Clegg, Bakersfield City Manager. Since September 2025, the city has been discussing the topic as part of a task force analyzing bookings, diversion, different types of detention, and jail facilities, among other things. The goal is to determine whether the city could take up housing low-level offenders who are routinely released following Prop 36-eligible offenses, in an effort to hold people accountable and provide opportunities for treatment and diversion. "It's not all about jail. We feel that it is more important for individuals to get treatment and to get help and to get the services that they need. But there are many individuals over the last decade who have had services available to them and have not taken advantage of those. And that lack of accountability is an important driver in encouraging and sometimes, you know, giving individuals a push to go and get the treatment that they need," said Clegg. City Manager Christian Clegg ran the council through some of the specifics, including how much an undertaking like this would cost, whether the city has the jurisdiction to do it, and what the city would be liable for, such as upgraded insurance. The council ultimately said it is willing to explore the task after a unanimous vote, even if it is a temporary venture. "Seems to me that we have to move the needle somehow, and again I would repeat, like Mr. Clegg said, it's not just about locking people up. It's behavioral health," Bob Smith, Ward 4 Councilmember, said. "I don't see us personally getting into the jail business. I would like to see us work something out in the future with the county, so that they can take over that," Larry Koman, Ward 5 Councilmember, said. "It is something that I think we need to address. I fully support future research into this topic. I think there's more analysis that's going to be certainly required," Eric Arias, Ward 1 Councilmember, said. City staff will set aside $4 million and bring back a plan to be discussed at a future date. This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. Stay in Touch with Us Anytime Anywhere Download Our Free App for Apple and Android Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe to Us on YouTube

Prev Next Posted 4 minutes ago Sam Hoyle Northwest Kern Neighborhood Reporter BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A new trail along the Friant-Kern Canal is almost ready to go. Councilmember Bob Smith says the project, connecting northwest Bakersfield to a trail that stretches from Lake Ming to Lake Buena Vista, is nearing completion. "It's a great amenity. Ward 4 and the Northwest was always the most difficult to access the Kern River Parkway. Because you've just got the high-speed arterials of Callaway and Coffee to get to it," said Smith. "Once this is complete, people will be able to be on a bike path all through northwest Bakersfield and connect to the bike path on the river." Skip Ad Continue watching after the ad The trail is part of the city's master plan and will eventually connect with the Kern River Parkway Trail, but there is still some work left to be done before the city holds an official grand opening of the new six-mile stretch of path. "The railroad crossing in between Rosedale and Brimhall – Truxton. It has been difficult, the railroad's pretty independent, but we have final approval from them, and the fabrication of the last piece of the bridge over the railroad has been ordered and will be constructed," Smith said. Smith added the hope is to have the bridge in place by late spring of 2027. While the full trail isn't officially finished, a large portion of it stretching from the intersection of Coffee and Rosedale up to 7th Standard Rd. is complete, and cyclists like Kevin Talley, owner of Grizzly Cycles in northeast Bakersfield, have been able to use it. "It's a huge step in the right direction for Bakersfield," said Talley. "My argument for our current bike path is it's always been, go over there, this is where you belong, don't be on the roads. There's no interruptions, there's no street crossings. With the north-south bike path, it's really nice to see that it crosses some main arteries," Talley said. Talley says he's excited to see the crossings because he believes that by making cyclists more visible to passing drivers, it will make it safer for everyone. "I think that we can coexist as one, but there's always been kind of a separation because of our current bike path, and with the new bike path integrating with everyone else, it's just going to make people more aware. It's going to make cycling, I think, safer for everyone just because people are gonna be more aware of your everyday — not just utilitarian cyclists, but your leisure cyclists going out there just to enjoy the day." Stay in Touch with Us Anytime Anywhere Download Our Free App for Apple and Android Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe to Us on YouTube

The city of Arvin could file a formal complaint against its former city attorney with the state bar, stemming from allegations of overbilling that led the city to fire him.

Prev Next Posted 10 minutes ago Sam Hoyle Northwest Kern Neighborhood Reporter ARVIN, Calif. (KERO) — Arvin City Council voted to file a formal complaint against its former interim city attorney, Nathan Hodges, over allegations that Hodges' law office overcharged the city during his tenure. The vote, with four in favor and one council member abstaining, means the formal complaint will head to the state bar, the regulatory body for lawyers practicing in the state of California, to be looked over by the Office of Chief Trial Counsel. Council member Donny Horton was the abstaining member of the council. The complaint to be filed alleges that Hodges violated rules of professional conduct that govern lawyers during his time as the city's interim city attorney. The issue stems from a Kern County Grand Jury report that noted discrepancies in attorney fees during Hodges' tenure and advised the city to look deeper, while noting the city also holds responsibility in the matter given the Mayor signs off on all invoices submitted to the city. Soon after the grand jury report, the city hired an outside consulting firm, which says it found overbilling after examining all invoices during Hodges' tenure. Tuesday's vote came after City Council convened during closed session previosuly and asked its current city attorney, Stephanie Gutierrez, to prepare a state bar complaint against former interim city attorney Nathan Hodges and attempt to recoup the alleged overbilling to the tune of nearly $79,000. Following Tuesday night's meeting, Arvin Mayor Olivia Calderon said the reason this city brought this forward is to ensure they're being good stewards of the community and ensuring they're fiscally responsible with the city's tax dollars. "What we have said loud and clear to the community, and this is what we've been hard at work doing — is making sure that as the city's — as the mayor, as the council, we have been doing our job. We have been doing our job to provide proper oversight, to do our due diligence, to ensure that there's accountability and that there's an accounting for every single tax dollar," said Calderon. In an email to 23ABC prior to the vote, Hodges said, "I have not received any information from the city about any of their allegations. I would be happy to discuss this with them and if a mistake was made, find a way to resolve it in a timely manner." Stay in Touch with Us Anytime Anywhere Download Our Free App for Apple and Android Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe to Us on YouTube

The city of Arvin could file a formal complaint against its former city attorney with the state bar, stemming from allegations of overbilling that led the

Prev Next Posted 4 minutes ago Sam Hoyle Northwest Kern Neighborhood Reporter BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Many gathered to honor the late labor leader Dolores Huerta with a candlelight vigil near the site of the future Dolores Huerta Peace and Justice Cultural Center in Downtown Bakersfield on Wednesday. The ceremony was a solemn one as community members and leaders gathered to pay their respects to the late labor leader. Lori de Leon, one of Dolores' children, noted her mother was fearless in her pursuit of better treatment for farmworkers. “She didn't hesitate, you know. Even though she was a young Latina and a young mother, a single mother at the time, she didn't hesitate going and knocking on doors and talking to the legislators," said de Leon. "She had that courage and that confidence to be able to do that.” Dozens of residents and community leaders attended to offer their condolences to the family in attendance and honor Huerta's memory Wednesday night. Lisa Buckner says Huerta mentored her when she was a young activist in the 1970s, and when asked about the crowd of people who came to the vigil, Buckner said it was a testament to Huerta's ability to impact people's lives. “It will be a big hole in many lives, including my own. She's meant a lot to so many of us over the years, and I'm glad that there are people who are recognizing that she did, in fact, influence them and their lives and what they've done with their lives.” Among the many speakers at Wednesday night was one of Dolores' sons, Emilio, who mirrored de Leon's sentiment of Dolores' tenacity, and asked those in attendance to think fondly of her. “She never hesitated to do the hard work, right? She said, if it wasn't hard, then it wouldn't be worth doing," said Emilio. "As you leave here tonight, remember Dolores. Remember what she stood for, remember her values, and you know when the going gets tough, right? As Supervisor [Leticia] Perez said, think about Dolores and what Dolores would have done.” A date and time for Dolores Huerta's funeral services have not been announced as of Wednesday evening. Stay in Touch with Us Anytime Anywhere Download Our Free App for Apple and Android Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe to Us on YouTube

Prev Next Sam Hoyle Northwest Kern Neighborhood Reporter BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Tributes continue to pour in online and in person for Dolores Huerta, a pillar of the farm labor and civil rights movements who died earlier this week at 96. Locally, the Fox Theatre added a tribute to the late labor leader to the center of its marquee on Thursday morning. As news of Huerta's death spread on Wednesday, communities from Arizona to Los Angeles and throughout the Central Valley gathered to remember her life and legacy. Skip Ad Continue watching after the ad Here in Bakersfield, more than 100 people gathered Wednesday night at the future site of the Dolores Huerta Peace and Justice Cultural Center. Family members were among those paying tribute. “On behalf of my mother, my sisters, my aunt, my mother's younger sister, my cousins, we want to thank you for coming out here tonight. This has not been easy for us, but we know that my mother would have been honored, and we're honored by your vigil here this evening,” said Emilio Huerta, one of Dolore's children, during Wednesday night's vigil. Community leaders and members of Huerta's family reflected on her decades of activism and her message that ordinary people have the power to create change. “She went out and did the work that needed to be done, and that was her legacy. And her message to all individuals is that each one of us has power. And right now we need to exercise our power. As we know, we got election days coming up right next week. And to honor her legacy, the best way you could honor her legacy is to go cast your vote. Make sure you vote,” said Lori de Leon, one of Dolore's children, during Wednesday night's vigil. By Thursday, the tributes continued, with Governor Gavin Newsom ordering flags at state buildings to be flown at half-staff in Huerta's memory. Back in Bakersfield, the vigil built on Wednesday afternoon and evening remained in place Thursday afternoon. Irene de Barraicua with Lideres Campesinas returned Thursday morning to add candles to the memorial. When asked what Huerta meant to her, she pointed to three words that became synonymous with the labor leader: “Sí se puede.” “Somebody who wasn't just talking the talk but actually putting all of her words into action. So like, the three words that people know that Dolores Huerta coined, right, the 'Sí se puede,' the 'yes you can.' She was all about it. She was – she put that into practice. It wasn't just three words or a chant; it was her daily life,” said Barraicua. In an email from a spokesperson for the family, the family will be holding a private funeral service for Huerta, however, they noted that there will be a public memorial, and details will be shared on that in the future Stay in Touch with Us Anytime Anywhere Download Our Free App for Apple and Android Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe to Us on YouTube