Kern County: A decade in review

Kern County: A decade in review

THE PAGE ON THE DECADE.AND IN KERN COUNTY... WE HAVESEEN OUR SHARE OFTRAGEDIES AND TRIUMPHS IN THELAST TEN YEARS.23 ABC'S ALYSSA FLORES GIVES USA LOOK BACK.THE DECADE STARTED WITH NEW LIFEIN DOWNTOWNBAKERSFIELD.THE HISTORIC HOTEL...ORIGINALL YOPENED IN 1928... UNDERWENT ATRANSFORMATION TO BECOME A FOURSTARBOUTIQUE HOTEL WITH RESTAURANTS,NIGHTLIFE ANDVENUES.IN 2012...BARACK OBAMA--PRESIDENT AT THE TIME--PAID A VISITTO KERN COUNTY TO DEDICATENUESTRA SEÑORA REINA DE LA PAZNEAR KEENE, THE HOME OF LATEUNITED FARM WORKERS UNIONCO-FOUNDER CESAR CHAVEZ, AS ANATIONAL MONUMENT.2013 STARTED OFF IN PANIC WHENKERN COUNTY EXPERIENCED ITSFIRST SCHOOL SHOOTING ON JANUARY10.16 YEAR OLD BRYAN OLIVER ENTERSA TAFT UNION HIGHCLASSROOM ARMED WITH A GUN ANDSHOT CLASSMATE BOWECLEVELAND IN THE CHEST, CAUSINGSERIOUS INJURIES.IN AUGUST... THE PARKWAY OPENEDCONNECTING THE WESTSIDE OFTOWN.

THE FIRST FREEWAY INALMOST 40 YEARS IN KERN COUNTY.IN 2014 WE SHARED A VIDEO THATGAINED NATIONALATTENTION.

A FAMILY CATTARA...SAVED 4 YEAR OLD JEREMYFROM BEING ATTACKED BY A DOG.THE SURVEILLANCEVIDEO WENT VIRAL ALL OVER THEWORLDNAT: LITTLE BOY2014 ALSO BROUGHT TRAGEDY WHENSPACESHIPTWOBROKE APART DURING A TEST FLIGHTOUT OF EASTERN KERN--KILLING ONE PILOT AND INJURINGANOTHER.IN 2015-- BAKERSFIELD CELEBRATEDAS OUR CONDORSBECAME PART OF THE AMERICANHOCKEY LEAGUE.

THE MILESTONECAME WITH A MAKEOVER TO WHAT WASTHEN KNOWN ASRABOBANK ARENA.OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS WELOST A COUPLE OF KERNCOUNTY LEGENDSIN AUGUST 9TH 2015...NFL HALL OFFAMER...NFL ANNOUNCER ANDBAKERSFIELD DRILLER ALUMNI FRANKGIFFORD DIED AT 84 YEARSOLD.THEN APRIL 6TH 2016 ONE OF THEFOUNDING MEMBERS OF THEBAKERSFIELD SOUND...COUNTRYLEGEND MERLE HAGGARD DIED ATTHE AGE OF 79 ON HIS BIRTHDAY.THE SUMMER BROUGHT DESTRUCTION--THE ERSKINE FIRE.KERN COUNTY'S MOST DESTRUCTIVEWILDFIRE INHISTORY-- KILLING TWO PEOPLE,DESTROYING NEARLY 300STRUCTURES, AND BURNING 50THOUSAND ACRES IN THE LAKEISABELLA AREA.IN 2017 THE LARGEST MASSSHOOTING IN MODERNHISTORY...THE ROUTE 91 SHOOTING.HAD UNFORTUNATETIES TO KERN COUNTY.

OF THE 58KILLED...5 VICTIMS WITH TIESTO OUR COMMUNITY.

KELSEYMEADOWS, JACKBEATON, BAILEY SCHWEITZER,MELISSA RAMIREZ AND VICTOR LINK.NOVEMBER 12TH.

IT WAS HERE INBAKERSFIELD AT MERCYDOWNTOWN HOSPITAL THAT MASSMURDERER AND FORMER CULTLEADER CHARLES MANSON DIED ATTHE AGE OF 83.IN 2018 THE CITY OF BAKERSFIELDMOURNED FORMER MAYORHARVEY HALL.HE PASSED AWAY ON MAY 19TH FROMCREUTZFELDT-JAKOB DISEASETHOUSANDS TURNED OUT FOR HISMEMORIAL SERVICES THATINCLUDED A PROCESSION OF HISHALL AMBULANCES ANDEMERGENCY PERSONNEL IN DOWNTOWNBAKERSFIELD.AND THIS YEAR.

NOBODY COULDESCAPE THE JOLTING ON 4THOF JULY.AS WE AWAITED THE HOLIDAYFIREWORKS.

INSTEAD, THEGROUND SHOOK.A 6 POINT 4 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKEIN SEARLESVALLEY...JUST OUTSIDE OFRIDGECREST...SHOOK KERN COUNTYAND BEYOND.BUT THAT WAS JUST THE BEGINNINGA 7 POINT 1MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE FOLLOWEDTHE NEXT DAY.A STATE OF EMERGENCY WASDECLARED AND FOR DAYSTHOUSANDS WERE WITHOUTPOWER...WATER.

OR DISPLACEDFROM THEIR HOMES ALTOGETHER.

ATHE DAMAGE HASBEEN ESTIMATED IN THE BILLIONS.FOR 23ABC IM ALYSSA FLORES