Good morning, Bakersfield.

The 2026 Baby Expo will be held at Beale Memorial Library on Friday, Aug.

28 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. as a free event for families during World Breastfeeding Month, featuring arts and crafts, infant story time, and a raffle for the first 100 attendees.

Homelessness in Kern County rose 3.2% from 2025 to 2026, so the Mission of Kern began a treatment-first recovery program that focuses on drug care before housing.

The program helps residents gain clarity and move toward lasting stability.

Foothill High School alumnus Eric Ventura won a $25,000 California Table Grape Scholarship and will attend UC Berkeley this fall.

He credits Youth 2 Leaders (a nonprofit that guided his scholarship application) for helping him reach his dream.

International student Piyush Bhandari is set to start his second semester in the ADN program at Bakersfield College; originally from India, he credits a welcoming International Student office (Debi Anderson, Mirka Lopez) and supportive teachers as he prepares to pursue a BS and open an elder care facility.

CHP Bakersfield is hosting a free Start Smart teen driver safety class on Thursday, Aug.

27 at 6 p.m. at its Bakersfield office at 9855 Compagnoni Street + space is limited and interested families should register by calling the office.

In Wasco, a city-run cooling center saw very low use this summer under 105-degree heat, with only one visitor on three days costing $3,800 in overtime, so officials decided to keep it open on qualifying days while planning to reassess its future (city leaders stress proactive planning).

Two Kern County residents died this summer from heat exposure in Bakersfield and California City, and Dr. William Franklin of Adventist Health urged residents to drink water early so they can avoid severe dehydration during the approaching hotter weather.

A proposed Costco project is planned for Seventh Standard Road and Calloway Drive near the Shafter-Bakersfield border (the third Costco in town).

The nearly 185,000 sqft development will include 10 buildings with retail, commercial, and restaurant spaces and will add road upgrades to ease traffic concerns.