Local radio group adds an FM simulcast for First Look with Scott Cox and The Ralph Bailey show, heating up the local radio wars …

 * … RADIO WARS: The local radio wars heated up this week when American General Media

accounced it had added a new FM station to its broadcast of News-Talk 1180 KERN. The station will simulcast KERN-AM on 96.1 FM, giving local hosts Scott Cox and Ralph Bailey new reach on the FM dial. AGM president Rogers Brandon said the simulcast will "allow KERN-AM and the excellent talent that we have on the station to be discovered by the vastly larger FM audience."

* … BIRTH: Did you hear about the woman who gave birth on a Southwest Airlines flight from San Francisco to Phoenix? Lind Brammer wondered: "Who issues the birth certificate? Which county?  I think it would be an interesting item for that baby to put on his/her resume, that he/she was born inflight, somewhere over the San Joaquin Valley."

* … PANDHANLDERS: Sandra Hurtado witnessed something the other day that is worth sharing. In her words: "We were exiting freeway at White Lane and a young girl in her 20s was standing at the median with her cardboard sign asking for money. My daughter made a comment that it was so sad because she is so young. We all felt bad for her. I proceeded to my destination at Urner's to pick up my order. I'm standing in the back and I see the young lady walking through the parking lot and get in a car. She sat in the car for awhile … counting her money. She left in a shiny red SUV, a really nice car.  It's so hard to judge now when giving money."

 * … RIP NANCY: Nancy Sherman spent 30 years working as a nurse at Kern Medical Center, and over that time became almost legendary in her commitment to her patients. This note from my friend Gordon Westhoff speaks volumes: "I just read the obituary today for Nancy Sherman and wanted to say a few words regarding her. I had the privilege as a sales rep in healthcare to call on Nancy for over twenty years at KMC. She was the best and most dedicated clinical nurse I ever knew - her patients were all that mattered to her. Doctors and sales reps both feared and respected her  As a rep you better NEVER try and sell her a product that was not the best for her patients  I was terrified of her when I first met her becasue she let me know in VERY clear terms to not ever waste her time with salesman bull! Her nurses all respected her and her patient's families loved her. She was a true legend at KMC."

 * … FOODIE: If you are a fan of anchovies, make sure to order the Ceasar salad at The Padre Hotel which comes with lightly and delicately fried anchovies. Highly recommended.

 * … SPOTTED: A man waiting in line at the downtown Sequoia Sandwich Shop is wearing a T-shirt that reads: "Bakersfield. It's really not that bad."

 * … GOOD FORM: Hats off to Shirley Cody who recently completed 1,000 miles of water walking at the McMurtry Aquatic Center. Not a bad feat for an 80-year-old woman who devoted five years of her life to achieving this goal.

 * … BAD FORM: Kern County sheriff's deputies have arrested two teenage boys for allegedly feeding a cat to two large dogs and vide taping the grusome act. According to KGET, the video surfaced on social media and the teenagers were tracked down and arrested for animal cruelty. This kind of behavior defies all logic. In the video, the teenagers could be heard encouraging the dogs to attack the cat. No word on if the cat survived.

New study finds yoga alone is not enough to obtain overall fitness, the sadness of the death of comedian Robin Williams and locals express more disgust with panhandlers

 * … YOGA: This is for all you yoga fanatics out there: new research shows that yoga really doesn't do much for overall muscle strength or cardiovascular fitness. That's according to a study published in the New York Times that followed two groups of women for eight months, one that completed twice

weekly, hour-long yoga sessions and the other that continued with their normal activities. The result? "Yoga appears top be too gentle physically to be anyone's lone exercise. "Yoga will certainly strengthen your legs but you need to include other forms of exercise in your weekly routine to obtain more complete fitness.

 * … WILLIAMS: Let's hope the death of comic genius Robin Williams focuses more attention on depression and related illnesses that are near epidemic in our society. I know of very few people who have not dealt with severe depression in their own families, and it is long past time for an honest conversation about this national malady.

 * … PANHANDLERS: More feedback on the panhandlers across our community. This note from reader Terry Meier: "I understand there are needy people in our community, but being confronted by them at every turn is aggravating. I was even pinned down by one in the drive-through line at Starbucks!  My husband and I give generously to charities every year, so I have no guilt in turning them down. Furthermore, I’ve seen some of them work the same area telling the same story over and over.…  I’ve joked with my friends that I’m going to make a large sign and stand on a corner or median and beg for money to buy an iPad. Hey, I’m a part-time professor so I need the money!"

 * … RADIO WARS: The local radio group American General Media has acquired another FM signal in its battle to attract more listeners throughout the day. The new FM signal will simulcast the First Look with Scott Cox morning show that originates in the newsroom of The Californian and is video streamed live on Bakersfield.com. The show will be simulcast at 96.1 FM. The sale is subject to approval by the Federal Communications Commission and should be completed by Thanksgiving.

 * … BACKPACK: Kudos to the North Bakersfield Rotary Club whose members stuffed 675 backpacks for students of the Standard and Beardsley school districts. Chevron chipped in to help fund the program, called Kindergarten Roundup, and club President Sheri Horn Bunk tells me they will be distributed as soon as school starts.

 * … BAD FORM: Barbara Waggoner was at the Ramco gas station downtown recently when, to her surprise, a red haired woman walked to her car, started it up and began pumping gas while the car was idling. "Surprised that someone would do such a stupid thing, I asked if she realized she could start a fire. She gave me a 'really?' look. I told her a friend of mine had seen it happen. After I got the same look from her again, the back window rolled down and out popped a small child. I was thinking now not only does she want to take the chance of blowing all of us up but wants to blow up what I assume to be her grandchild."

 * … GOOD FORM: And then there was Dr. Randal Beeman who crashed on his bicycle at 18th and Chester the other day. No fewer than three different people stopped to help him. "When I go to other places and hear the standard blather about Bakersfield I remind myself that even though we live in one of the largest cities in California we still exhibit the small town values of cooperation and kindness towards others."

Kern County Sheriff's deputies round up 18 suspects in the rash of burglaries in the Bako Country Club area

* ... BURGLARIES: Good news for folks who live in the Bakersfield Country Club area. Sheriff's investigators last week arrested 18 people on a variety of misdemeanor and felony warrants, most of them related to a rash of home burglaries where the doors are smashed in during broad daylight.

 * ... TRASH: It's good to see some momentum regarding local litter clean ups, but some readers, like Charlie Manzer, are wondering why other communities don't seem to have much of a problem. "We go to the Ventura area a lot ... and we notice almost every visit we see Caltrans crews doing trash pick-up. Just wondering if this tourist beach community has a preference to us here in Bako? The 101 freeway and its on and off ramps are always free of litter."

 * ... MISS FRESNO. Congratulations to Elizabeth Farr, a 22-year-old senior at Fresno State University who was crowned Miss Fresno County for 2013. Elizabeth is a local graduate of Garces Memorial High School. She is majoring in business finance (entrepreneuship) and will graduate in June. She will represent Fresno in the Miss California Pageant on June 25-29 at the Saroyan Theater. Her parents are local family practice Dr. William and Chrissy Farr. Thanks to her proud grandmother, Donna Sill, for submitting this.

 * ... FIRST LOOK: If you haven't checked out First Look with Scott Cox, the radio and hi-def video simulcast on bakersfield.com, you are missing something special. The show runs from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on NewsTalk 1180 KERN with a live video stream from The Californian newsroom at bakersfield.com. Last week's guests included Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Sheriff Donny Youngblood, Monsignor Michael Braun, former Mayor Mary Kay Shell, Houchin Blood Bank's Greg Gallion, Jim Shaw of the Buckeroos and singer Monty Byrom. On Monday, opinion editor Bob Price will be talking to 5th District Supervisor Leticia Perez, and on Tuesday I will be chatting with Monsignor Craig Harrison.

 * ... LIONS: Hats off to Mac McKnight, who last week celebrated 50 years as a Bakersfield Breakfast Lion's Club member. Mayor Harvey Hall marked the occasion by presenting him with a City of Bakersfield proclamation as March 21 being Mac McKnight day. At the age of 88, McKnight remains an active member of the Lion's Club and attends every meeting at 6 a.m. on Thursdays. (photo of Mayor Hall, Mac McKnight and Lions Club President Jim Lamar)

 * ... SOCCER: The U.S. Soccer Development Academy has announced the inclusion of 22 new clubs to the under 13-14 age division, including one in Bakersfield. The local club, called the Central California Aztecs, will join the existing clubs next fall.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You may be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember when "you could see the Milky Way every night, and watching the red lights of the cars on the Grapevine was entertaining."

Get ready for First Look with Scott Cox, a joint venture of The Bakersfield Californian and American General Media to produce a daily, three hour local news show simulcast on radio and streamed live on video

 On Monday First Look with Scott Cox will debut live from the newsroom of The Bakersfield Californian. This is the first joint venture of its kind in the nation, pairing the leading local newspaper with the local leader in local talk radio. 
 It will feature news, sports, weather and entertainment each day from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. It will be simulcast on KERN 1180 while streamed live in high definition video on bakersfield.com, the leading web portal in Kern County.
 It will feature the reporters and editors of the Bakersfield Californian along with newsmakers and in-depth analysis. Guests for the first week include House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, Monsignor Michael Braun, local singer and country artist Monty Byrom, Californian columnist Lois Henry and much more.
 Tune in Monday at 7 a.m. Listen to it on KERN 1180 or view it live on your computer or iPad by going to www.bakersfield.com.

First Look with Scott Cox, a three-hour local news talk radio and live video production, kicks off on Monday, March 18, and Bryan Burrow takes over the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra

* ... SYMPHONY: Former banker Bryan Burrow has taken over control of the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra as president and chief executive officer. Burrow said he hopes to bring a strong business model to the 80-year-old organization, which suffers from an aging audience and limited visibility. The next performance is this Saturday when the symphony teams with the Masterworks Chorale, CSUB Singers and a children's chorus. Tickets are available and the Rabobank box office or on ticketmasters.com.

 * ... FIRST LOOK: A new, three-hour local news program will kick off Monday, March 18, on KERN 1180. It's a partnership between The Californian and American General Media, which owns KERN 1180, and it will feature news, weather, live entertainment and analysis. Called First Look with Scott Cox, the show will be simulcast on the radio while streamed live in high definition video on bakersfield.com. The show will run weekdays from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. in a new TV studio in The Californian newsroom. Stay tuned.

* ... REMODEL: Good news for folks who live in the downtown area. The Smart and Final grocery store on Golden State Freeway is about to undergo a major facelift and renovation. Employees there say work should start in a couple months to upgrade the store to resemble the more modern Smart and Final locations elsewhere in town.

 * ... YOGURT: Burrberry, the frozen yogurt shop that opened on 18th Street a year or so ago, has moved over a block in to the heart of the downtown arts district. It is now located in the former location of the Spotlight Cafe. Owner Pam Gallagher says they've expanded offerings to include freshly baked croissants, breakfast sandwiches and a full line of coffee and tea. Next week she plans on adding soups and sandwiches for the lunch crowd. "

 * ... TRASH: Is noting that one's "culture" may be responsible for littering a racist comment? That's what one reader, Fred Castillo, said in responding to an earlier post from a business executive. "I'm not even going to get into the underlying racial tones intimated in those comments. Call me crazy but it seems less a 'cultural' issue so much as a socio economic problem. I was at a local park preparing for my walk when a car in obvious need of exterior maintenance drove up. The 'kids' proceeded to eat their fast food and tossed everything out the car windows after they were done with no obvious shame. I came this close to yelling at them but had second thoughts as I was by myself and there was no telling what their reaction would have been. Let you 'local executive' know that I am Hispanic and the folks littering were Caucasian." For the record Fred, the executive who wrote that is also Hispanic and her reference to "culture" was not about race, but rather about how folks are reared and what cultural values are passed down in the family. Culture is not always ethnic centric.

 * ... NEAR MISS: Shame on the driver of an older green Honda or Saturn that blew through the stoplight at 18th and F streets Tuesday, almost broadsiding a car by inches and giving its driver (me) a near heart attack. Everyone seems to have a horror story about drivers who blindly run red lights across our town.