Public Safety · Kern County
The National Weather Service in Hanford, CA issued a flood watch at 1:16 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, valid from Wednesday 8 a.m. through Thursday 8 p.m. The watch covers Bakersfield, South End San Joaquin Valley, Kern River Valley, Piute Walker Basin, Tehachapi, Grapevine, Frazier Mountain Communities, Indian Wells Valley, Mojave Desert Slopes and Mojave Desert, as well as Kern and Buena Vista counties. Flash flooding is expected from excessive rainfall caused by storms training over the same area. Residents in flood-prone or low-lying areas are urged to monitor forecasts, prepare to evacuate if necessary, and avoid driving through floodwaters.
Public Safety
A CalMatters investigation examining court filings and DMV records for more than 130 commercial licensees charged with vehicular manslaughter from 2019 to early 2024 found nearly half still held valid Class A or B licenses as of late May. The report centers on Baljit Singh, who killed a motorcyclist in Kern County in July 2021 and then killed Jenny Chow outside Fresno in June 2022, with the DMV aware of the first crash but not suspending his license until 2024. State law empowers the DMV to investigate fatal collisions and suspend licenses without a conviction, but records show the agency routinely does nothing or takes years to act. About 4,000 people died in large-truck crashes in California from 2015 through 2024. After CalMatters submitted questions about specific drivers, the DMV took action against a dozen of them.
Public Safety · Kern County
Jurors are deliberating in the wrongful death civil trial against former OB-GYN Arthur Park, seven years after 23-year-old Demi Dominguez and her newborn son Malakhi died following an early discharge from a hospital where she had been admitted for high blood pressure while nearly eight months pregnant in April 2019. Park ordered up to 23 hours of observation but Dominguez was discharged in less than 17; days later she suffered a fatal seizure at home, and her son died hours after an emergency C-section. The family alleges Park missed warning signs of severe preeclampsia, while Park, representing himself, disputed that her condition had severe features. Jurors asked about damage awards in comparable cases but were told no set standard exists for non-economic damages.
Local Politics · Kings County
Incumbent David Valadao and challenger Randy Villegas detailed their top priorities for the November 3 midterm election in the California's 22nd Congressional District. Valadao emphasized water storage, immigration reform, and federal appropriations as his main goals, citing specific funding achievements for local communities like Arvin-Edison and Delano. He highlighted the impact of water shortages on housing moratoriums and hospital sustainability due to Medicaid reimbursement rates. Villegas also addressed these issues, though the article primarily details Valadao's responses to questions about healthcare access and ICE enforcement.
