🌱 See which Bakersfield students earned top honors and big scholarships this year
Bakersfield, California Patch AM: a 5 min readHi there, Bakersfield! We've got your morning read ready! Read on to stay connected. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- See which Bakersfield students earned top honors and big scholarships this year
- Could your Bakersfield business be the next target of privacy lawsuits?
- Why CHP is flooding Niles Street with extra officers Sunday.
Also on today's calendar: Backroads of the Americas – Solo Guitar Concert (Diego Garcia "Twanguero") and 6 more events.
Today's riddle: Why can't you play cards with pirates ? 🤔 (Answer below!)
- Thursday: Sunny and very warm, with a high of 90 and low of 62 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
- Friday: Hot with plenty of sunshine, temps: high: 93, low: 59.
- Saturday: Hot with abundant sunshine, with a high of 93 and low of 62 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. 47th Annual African American Graduate Awards Program Honors Academic Excellence (ognsc.com) — Bakersfield families packed Harvey Auditorium at Bakersfield High School as 51 Kern High School District seniors and 310 eighth graders were honored at the 47th Annual African American Graduate Awards Program. Hosted by the Bakersfield Ivy Legacy Foundation and Alpha Kappa Alpha’s Kappa Omega Omega Chapter, the celebration awarded over $41,000 in scholarships and numerous special recognitions. 
2. Bakersfield small businesses face costly lawsuits over website privacy law (turnto23.com) — A Bakersfield IT business owner says a lawsuit over website tracking tools cost his family more than $20,000, and he warns other local businesses could be next. A surge of California privacy lawsuits is targeting common website features, while state lawmakers debate SB 690 to clarify the rules. Bakersfield owners are urged to add clear cookie notices and strong privacy policies now.
3. CHP Bakersfield to add officers to Niles Street on Sunday to reduce motorcycle crashes (bakersfieldnow.com) — Extra CHP officers will be out on Niles Street in Bakersfield this Sunday, May 10, targeting dangerous driving behaviors to cut down on motorcycle crashes. They’ll be watching for speeding, tailgating, unsafe lane changes and improper turns after nearly 100 recent injury crashes and 10 motorcycle deaths in the local CHP area. The effort is funded by a state safety grant running through September 2026.
4. City of Bakersfield Responds to Grand Jury Report on Traffic Safety Concerns (bakersfieldnow.com) — A deadly crash at Harris Road and Summer Springs Drive in southwest Bakersfield has renewed neighbors’ long-standing complaints about speeding and dangerous conditions at the four-way stop. A new Kern County grand jury report criticizes the city’s reactive approach to traffic safety, while Bakersfield officials say they’re reviewing the findings and outline how residents can request traffic engineering reviews and see current calming projects online.
5. Kern County Public Health launches Valley fever ambassador program, aiming to curb illness (kget.com) — Kern County Public Health in Bakersfield is recruiting local residents as Valley Fever Community Ambassadors to help neighbors spot symptoms earlier and find reliable information. With cases and deaths recently hitting some of their highest levels, officials say anyone can join the short training, though older adults, pregnant women, people with diabetes, weakened immune systems, African Americans and Filipinos face higher risk.
📸 Around Bakersfield
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🗓
Upcoming Events in
Bakersfield
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
-
Backroads of the Americas – Solo Guitar Concert (Diego Garcia "Twanguero") →
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 2216 17th St, Bakersfield
5:00 pm
Sunday May 24
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
-
@Harvey Choir Pops Concert
Harvey Auditorium 1241 G St, Bakersfield, CA 93304 -
Scholarship Ceremony
East Bakersfield High School Auditorium
7:00 am -
Powder Puff
East Bakersfield High School Football Stadium
6:00 pm -
Girls Basketball Car Wash
East Bakersfield High School Old Gym Parking lot
8:00 am -
Purpose at Panorama Volunteer Opportunity - BZP Bakersfield →
Panorama Vista Preserve, 901 E Roberts Ln, Bakersfield
9:00 am -
Bakersfield Mac & Cheese Fest →
Kern County Fair And Event Center, 1142 S P St, Bakersfield
2:00 pm -
PURO TEJANO 2026 →
Stramler Park, 4003 Chester Ave, Bakersfield
4:00 pm -
FS Baseball @ West
West High School, 1200 New Stine Rd, Bakersfield
4:00 pm
Friday May 8
Saturday May 9
📣 Bakersfield Shout Outs!
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🗓 Events Nearby
-
Mental Health Awareness Resource Fair
Nueva High School Lamont, CA 93241
4:30 pm -
Band Award in Cafeteria
Liberty High School Bakersfield, CA 93312
5:00 pm -
Alicante Dual Celebration
Lamont School District Lamont, CA 93241
5:30 pm -
Hail The Sun →
The Nile Theater, 1721 19th St, Bakersfield
6:00 pm
Thursday May 7
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
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💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Can anyone help ???
A bottle baby kitten was found a few days ago and the people that help him cannot do so due to work .., I’m reaching out to anyone that can help… (Nextdoor Calcutta) - Does anyone know of a vet or someone on the side that can give my dog immediate pain relief?
I don't have several hundred dollars right now. it'll be about a week but I will have it. His mouth is swollen and he's got red pus coming up the… (Nextdoor Rosedale)
- Vestis posted a job opening for Production Stockroom Clerk-Shift Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm in Bakersfield. Apply here.
- BoxLunch / Hot Topic posted a job opening for Part-Time Assistant Manager - Level 2 in Bakersfield. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Bakersfield here.
Ok Bakersfield! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Because they are always sitting on the deck ? (Thank you Gary M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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