Bakersfield Daily Brief: Sunday, October 11, 2026

Good Sunday morning, Bakersfield. The big story from the overnight hours is a robbery at a Union Avenue store where a group of eight to ten people took food at knifepoint and fled in two cars, one north and one south. Otherwise the valley is waking up mild and quiet: 70 degrees at Meadows Field right now, a high near 79 this afternoon, moderate air quality, no weather alerts, and crews still working one active fire in the county.

The Kern Overnight

Officers spent the small hours working a robbery on Union Avenue in which the weapon was a pocket knife. According to the overnight report, the suspects were described as a group of eight to ten people, and what was taken was food from the store. One vehicle, a newer red Hyundai, ran north on Union Avenue, and a second, an older white Hyundai, went south. No arrests were reported.

West of the oil fields near Fellows, fire crews answered a smoke report off Mid Oil and found roughly two to three acres burning in brush and grass. The fire, run under the name Kirby, was reported to have roots running on three sides, and several battalions, water tenders and a helicopter were assigned to it. Earlier in the evening, a semi truck burned in a crash on the westbound side of Highway 58, and a truck caught fire on Grapevine Road just off the northbound Interstate 5 exit, closing the ramps there.

Officers also went to the area of Lowe's on Columbus Street for shots heard — no one was hurt, and the call was being checked against a separate report of a suspicious person in the same parking lot. A caller reported a brandishing that had just happened at East California Avenue and Baker Street in east Bakersfield, near MLK Park, saying a man in a green shirt had a firearm and was running toward the caller, who was in a car. The rest of the night was crashes, welfare checks, fights and medical aids stretching from Oildale out to North Edwards.

Today's weather

Expect a high near 79 degrees and a low around 52 tonight. It's currently 70 at Meadows Field. There are no active weather alerts for Kern County, and air quality sits at 51 — moderate, which is a fair-weather number for a Sunday in the valley. Fire crews remain on one active fire in Kern County, the Cyrus Fire. If you're headed out early, a light layer will serve you until the sun does its work.

Top stories

23ABC reports that the third annual Cultura Fest drew families to Stramler Park on Saturday for a free celebration of cultural heritage, with traditional dancing, live music and local vendors. The event, organized by Raices of Kern, raised proceeds to support scholarships for students. Maria Torres told the station that watching her daughter perform traditional Mexican dances brought back the celebrations she grew up with, and that finding that community after moving to Bakersfield wasn't easy at first. Isaac Doria, president of Raices of Kern, said the festival is the organization's way of giving back — showcasing local vendors and putting the profits toward first-generation college students.

According to Bakersfield Now, a driver has been booked into the Kern County Jail following a fatal hit-and-run on Brundage Lane. Few details were immediately available beyond the arrest. KGET 17 separately reports that a pedestrian died in the collision and that Bakersfield police made the arrest. We'll have more as the department releases information.

KGET 17 reports that a new veterans center is coming to southwest Bakersfield, according to the secretary of Veterans Affairs. The announcement is welcome news for a county with a sizable veteran population that has long traveled out of the area for some services. Details on timing and location have not yet been released.

23ABC reports that California voters will decide Proposition 1 on Nov. 3, 2026 — an $11.25 billion housing bond that could expand affordable housing across the state and here in Kern County. Donnie Singleton applied for low-income housing in 2019; seven years later, she and her daughter still don't have a stable home, rotating between a friend's place and her fiancé's, with roughly $800 a month the most she could afford for a two-bedroom. Rebecca Moreno, CAPK's housing director, said the numbers tell the story: for every person the agency houses, three more enter the system. If passed, the measure would authorize $10 billion for housing programs — affordable rentals, homeownership assistance, supportive housing and preservation of existing affordable housing — plus $1.25 billion for CalVet home loans for veterans.

23ABC also reports that dozens gathered Saturday to mark the 50th anniversary of Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, with guests touring the historic buildings. Lori Wear of California State Parks said Colonel Allen Allensworth was the highest-ranking Black officer of his time when he retired in 1906, and two years later founded a town that offered a safe haven for more than 300 families. His great-great-granddaughter, Anita Zachary, said it was an honor to see the crowd. Kelly Hightower and Lawonda De Leon took the train from Sacramento for their first visit; Hightower noted the town isn't in the history books they grew up with, and that knowing it existed and prospered means a great deal.

KGET 17 reports that President Trump says he will "ultimately make a decision" on whether to livestream the execution of the Fort Hood shooter. The story is a national one with limited direct bearing on Kern County, but it's drawing attention this morning.

Something good

Saturday's Cultura Fest at Stramler Park was a good reminder of what this city does well — folklorico dancers, pottery and plants, food, and neighbors who came out to celebrate heritage while quietly funding scholarships for students who are the first in their families to go to college. The same spirit showed up at Allensworth, where families from across the state walked the grounds of a town built more than a century ago on the idea that Black families deserved to live free from discrimination and violence. Both events drew crowds on a warm October weekend, and both sent something forward — one toward tuition, the other toward memory.

Coming up this week

City business resumes Monday with a special meeting of the Finance, Economic Development and Jobs Committee at noon, followed by the Fire Civil Service Commission at 3 p.m. Tuesday brings the Multi Modal Transportation and Traffic Safety Committee at noon, and Wednesday the Water Board meets at 10 a.m. The Planning Commission closes out the week's meetings Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

On the entertainment side, the Fox Theater has a full slate. United We Dance brings festival energy and an all-night set to the Fox on Friday, Oct. 16. The Boobay & Tekla Comedy Tour takes the stage Saturday, Oct. 17, and Fortune Feimster's "Taking Care of Biscuits" comedy tour lands Sunday, Oct. 18. Monday, Oct. 19 brings the Cults & Classics screening of "Psycho," and Switchfoot performs with special guest Anberlin on the Forever Now Tour Wednesday, Oct. 21. If you're planning further out, season passes for the 2026–2027 Cults & Classics series are already on sale.

Have a restful Sunday, Bakersfield.