Kyle Harvey
KBAK/KBFX TV
Bakersfield, CA, United States
Contact Kyle
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Kyle:
Tax breaks allow Kern's solar industry to pay far less property tax than oil, ag and wind
Solar farms began popping up throughout Kern County in 2009, a welcome source of jobs during the Great Recession. But nearly a decade into the solar bonanza, local leaders are beginning to wonder if solar developers will ever pay a larger share of the property taxes that fund the local government. In contrast to the more mature wind farms, which pay property taxes based on the amount of power… → Read More
With Toys 'R' Us gone, Toys for Tots struggling for donations
Facing a world without Toys 'R' Us, the local arm of Toys for Tots says absent an 11th hour miracle, it will only be able to provide Christmas gifts to a small fraction of the children it did last year. The toy store went out of business this year, cutting off Toys for Tots from its richest annual contributor. → Read More
Bakersfield man arrested in Homeland Security operation, suspected in int'l drug ring
Federal agents Tuesday morning arrested a Bakersfield man they say played a key role in an international drug-smuggling operation. Court papers filed by Homeland Security Investigation personnel say they'll be asking U. S. attorneys to charge Naftali Omar Rivas-Menjivar with possessing methamphetamine, with the intent to distribute it. They report he coordinated smuggling efforts and recruited… → Read More
Study: Absent major changes, new groundwater rules will cost Kern 24,000 jobs
Absent major changes to farming practices and an increase in water supply, Kern County's farming juggernaut will have to shrink considerably to meet aggressive new targets for conservation. A study commissioned by the Kern Groundwater Authority suggests tremendous job losses are a possibility as water district managers and farmers work toward compliance with the Sustainable Groundwater… → Read More
What will wildfires cost PG&E ratepayers?
Early indications are that electrical infrastructure may be to blame for the devastating Camp Fire in northern California. PG&E has reported to the Public Utilities Commission that crews saw a problem with a transmission tower in the area on the day the fire started. While the exact cause of the Camp Fire is far from settled, state investigators have faulted PG&E for numerous fires in Northern… → Read More
Help is available for struggling veterans
Investigators in Thousand Oaks are piecing together a profile of Ian David Long, who they say is responsible for a deadly shooting rampage Wednesday night. He was found dead after the attack, after apparently killing himself. Long was a decorated combat veteran. He did a tour overseas in Afghanistan in 2010, serving as a corporal and earning several awards and medals, including one for good… → Read More
Prop 3 failed, so what's next for the ailing Friant-Kern canal?
Local water officials went back to the drawing board Wednesday, looking for a way to fund needed repairs to the Friant-Kern canal. The canal is damaged and requires an expensive project to repair. Farmers and water districts hoped voters would authorize the state to foot the bill by approving Proposition 3. They didn't. The Friant-Kern is like a big water highway. It delivers water from… → Read More
Kern proposes $3 million in tax rebates for Amazon tied to job growth
The Kern County Administrative Office has placed a plan before the Board of Supervisors that calls for $3 million in tax rebates for Amazon. Amazon representatives are expected to appear before the board Tuesday to lobby for it personally. County Administrative Officer Ryan Alsop said Thursday the plan is a part of a revamped program to boost economic growth in key sectors of the local economy. → Read More
Hall ambulance vehicles targeted by vandal around Bakersfield, company says
Hall Ambulance on Monday reported their emergency crews have been approached three times by a man around Bakersfield intent on vandalizing their vehicles. The company also reports that a suspect was arrested Sunday, but Eyewitness News was unable to reach Bakersfield police for comment Monday. The first incident happened Wednesday on White Lane and Ashe Road. The company says a man drove up to a… → Read More
Preventable child deaths rose in Kern County in 2017
More Kern County children in 2017 died from preventable problems than did in 2016, according to an annual government report to be presented Tuesday at the Board of Supervisors meeting. Of the 123 children who passed away that year, officials considered 50 deaths preventable. There were 42 such deaths in 2016. Two-thirds of the preventable deaths were children under the age of five. → Read More
Emerson parent upset students still without full-time teacher
The teacher shortage isn't over and parents in the Bakersfield City School District are getting tired of waiting for a resolution. Jessica Delgadillo has a son in sixth grade at Emerson Middle School who's still waiting for a full-time math and science teacher. "I'm a mom. I love my son. I would move a mountain for my son," she said. "This is his education, it's extremely important to me. " It's… → Read More
Transportation exhibit nearing completion at Kern County Museum
About six years ago, then-Supervisor Raymond Watson allocated $250,000 of discretionary funds under his control to the Kern County Museum for the creation of an antique car exhibit. But car lovers haven't seen any evidence of their long-awaited exhibit. That'll change soon. New museum director Mike McCoy says Watson's vision will be completed by spring of 2019. The exhibit is coming together… → Read More
New county budget chips away at deficit, maintains existing public safety staffing
Kern County supervisors on Tuesday voted to enact a budget that continues to prioritize paying down a deficit that began during the recent oil crash. The general fund budget for fiscal year 2018-2019 is $830 million, down 4.5 percent from last year. The la → Read More
No incentives required to bring Amazon to Kern County
Amazon has been gobbling up the retail industry for years and now they're gobbling up Bakersfield real estate. County officials on Monday announced the Seattle-based company has started construction on a 2-million square foot fulfillment center just north → Read More
One-time home of country music star Buck Owens up for sale
The one-time Bakersfield home of country music star Buck Owens is on the market. The sprawling 5,100 square foot home sits on nearly one acre in northeast Bakersfield. Owens lived in it from 1968 to 1974, notably during production of his last No. 1 hit sin → Read More
Army Report: WWII-era bombs may be buried at Meadows Field
There exists at Meadows Field Airport something that a 1994 Army report described as a probable and critical hazardous waste site that may include unused bombs and other heavy munitions. Officials with the Army Corps of Engineers downplay the severity of t → Read More
Fans say goodbye to the Bakersfield Dome
Fans on Sunday night enjoyed what was the last event at the Bakersfield Dome, a decades-old entertainment venue downtown.The Dome has played host to boxing matches, wartime fundraisers and church over the years. The last tickets were for wrestling. People → Read More
Bakersfield homeowner shoots, injures burglar
A man was shot Saturday afternoon while carrying out a burglary in northeast Bakersfield, police say.22-year-old Joshua Zorilla was hit once, but he'll be all right. He's headed to jail as soon as he's cleared by medical staff, according to the police repo → Read More
Tattoo parlors draw huge crowds with deep discounts on Friday the 13th
Bakersfield tattoo parlors on Friday drew large crowds of people eager for ink, pushing deep discounts on what amounts to a holiday of sorts for the body art industry. Todd Wiskirchen, owner of Abandon Ship Tattoo on 19th Street, said his group of artists → Read More
Some Kings County votes counted twice in state assembly primary, recount lifts Salas
Some votes cast in Kings County during California's June 6 primary were counted twice by mistake, Kings County officials say. An ensuing recount resulted in a slight shakeup in the state assembly race for District 32, where incumbent Rudy Salas moved ahead → Read More