Kern County, CA · Daily edition
3 stories from Kern County, in about three minutes.
Public Safety · Kern County
The Cyrus Fire, first discovered at 2:24 p.m. on Oct. 9 at Cyrus Canyon Road and Sierra Way in Lake Isabella, burned 543 acres before reaching 90% containment by Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 13. The fire is managed under Unified Command by the Kern County Fire Department and the U.S. Forest Service's Sequoia National Forest unit. The cause of the fire remains unknown as of the Oct. 13 update.
Public Safety · Tehachapi, CA
The National Weather Service in Hanford issued a Fire Weather Watch effective Thursday, Oct. 15 at 6 a.m. through Friday, Oct. 16 at 10 p.m. for the Tehachapi area and Fort Tejon in Kern County, California. The watch indicates that critical fire weather conditions are possible during that period. Residents are advised to monitor later forecasts for potential red flag warnings.
Local Politics · Kern County
Incumbent Rep. Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) and Democratic challenger Sandra Van Scotter of Ridgecrest face voters in California's 20th Congressional District on Nov. 3. The candidates hold sharply contrasting positions on healthcare policy tied to H.R. 1, the war with Iran, trade tariffs affecting local agriculture, and the region's oil-and-gas industry. Fong won the June 2 primary with 68% of the vote in a district where Republicans outnumber Democrats 47%-26% in registration. Van Scotter, a healthcare worker who has never held public office, says she entered the race over concerns that H.R. 1 would strip coverage and food-benefit eligibility from people with disabilities. Fong defends Trump administration policies including the Iran conflict and immigration enforcement while emphasizing local priorities like water infrastructure for farmers and energy affordability.
