2+ day, 16+ hour ago   (219+ words) TAFT — An early morning fire involving an evaporative cooler on the roof of the Taft College Student Center was quickly extinguished Thursday, with no injuries reported and no anticipated disruption to food service operations. The fire was discovered at approximately…...

6+ day, 13+ hour ago   (571+ words) Nahaman Bucato at first court appearance in September of 2025. By Taft Midway Driller Staff A Kern County jury has convicted Taft resident Nahaman Bucato of first-degree murder in the September 2025 shooting death of Benjamin Alexander Bernal, rejecting Bucato’s claim that…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago   (217+ words) On Fridy, deputies from the Taft Substation with the assistance of the Kern County Sheriff’s Office High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force(KC-HIDTA) and wardens from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Cannabis Enforcement Program executed a search…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago   (144+ words) The California Highway Patrol said a passenger car heading east on Copus Road traveled into the westbound lanes and into the path of a Honda minivan early Friday morning, causing a head-on collision that killed three people in the car…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago   (126+ words) Police at scene of fatal collision involving work truck and e-bike. Police are continuing their investigation into a fatal collision between a truck and a man on a peddle-assist e-bike in Taft Wednesday morning. "It's going to be a very…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago   (216+ words) Nahaman Bucato at his arraigment. The trial of a man accused of murdering his wife's lover a year ago is underway, but whether he is guilty of shooting the victim isn't being disputed. Nahaman Bucato, 34, has admitted shooting Benjamin Bernal,…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago   (146+ words) Map shows exclusion zone around hydrogen sulfide fire. Update: The hydrogen sulfide fire that prompted an evacuation warning north of Maricopa is under control, and all evacuation warnings have been lifted. The incident was declared under control just before 5 p.m. and…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago   (103+ words) Map shows exclusion zone around hydrogen sulfide fire. An evacuation warning has been issued for a hazardous material incident north of Maricopa Sunday afternoon. The Kern County Fire Department says a tank of hydrogen sulfide gas is on fire near…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago   (230+ words) Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood announces is retirement to the Kern County Board of Supervisors Donny Youngblood, Kern County's sheriff for the past two decades, is retiring in January 2027 at the end of his current term in office. He made…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago   (313+ words) The City of Taft takes a dim view of unlicensed vendors, whether they have pop-ups on street corners or appear at big events or even pedal down residential street in the afternoon or evening hours. It's even a standard condition…...