The case of a transgender charged with sexually molesting a minor draws scrutiny, local radio host Scott Cox suffers a personal loss at home, the downtown eyesore Greyhound bus station is set to be demolished, and grocery stores lock up baby formula amid a nationwide shortage

 Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other company or publication.

 * ... SEX OFFENDER: Have you heard the story of James Edward Tubbs, the transexual who goes by the name Hannah Tubbs and has been charged with murder and robbery in Kern County? It's an eye opening case, covered locally only by KGET and KBAK TV stations, less so for the case here than a

sexual assault charge he faced in Los Angeles a few years back. In that case, Tubbs was charged with sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in a Denny's bathroom in Palmdale. (A DNA match in 2019 linked Tubbs to the 2014 sexual assault which Tubbs admitted to and said it happened in the restaurant's bathroom.) The violent crime happened just before Tubbs' 18th birthday, and Tubbs remained free of charges until the DNA match. But was expected, uber liberal LA District Attorney  George Gascon refused to try Tubbs as an adult and instead Tubbs received a two year sentence in a juvenile facility. And to make matters worse, Tubbs was caught on a monitored jail phone line bragging about how he would only be given a slap on the wrist given his transitioning sexual identity, which he implied was a ruse. Gascon is under fire in Los Angeles for his lax stand on crime. Meanwhile, back in Kern County, Tubbs will face a different kind of justice in the murder case with District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer, who has never been accused of being soft on crime.

 * ... SCOTT COX: Longtime morning talk radio host Scott Cox has been off this week, but you can bet he will have plenty to say when he returns. It turns out the KERN (96.1 FM and 1180 AM) morning host is scrambling to find a place to live after his house caught fire because of a grease fire. Cox said it could be six months before he is back into his east Bakersfield home, which firefighters saved after extensive damage to the kitchen, entranceway and roof. Known for his acerbic dry wit and enclyclopedic knowledge of music, Cox will no doubt have plenty to say on the matter but let this be a lesson: be careful in the kitchen. And to make matters worse, Cox and his wife had just completed a remodel of their home - except for the kitchen.

 * ... BAKERSFIELD SOUND: So have you heard that City Councilman Chris Parlier has won approval from Caltrans to create a new "welcome to Bakersfield" sign on the Hoskings Avenue overpass on Highway 99? The new design will greet cars on the south side of town with a huge overpass sign touting the Bakersfield Sound, replete with images of Buck Owens' famous red, white and blue acoustic guitar.

 * ... BABY FORMULA: The latest item caught up in supply chain issues is baby formula, and it is running out of stock just about everywhere. At the FoodsCo on Haley Street there was some formula left, but it was safely locked up to prevent thefts. In fact, with the wave of brazen thefts throughout California, have you noticed grocery stores and pharmacies are locking up more items than ever to prevent theft? A sign of the times.

 * ... HOFFMANN HOSPICE: The folks at Hoffmann Hospice hosted a day-long pickleball tournament that drew more than 200 players, underscoring once again the popularity of this relatively new sport that emerged just a few short years ago. The tournament was named in honor of Tori Hoffmann, the daughter of Beth and Tom Hoffmann who passed away in June 2020.

 * ... ADIOS GREYHOUND: The old Greyhound bus station downtown, long the scourge of residents wanting to gentrify the area, is getting ready to be demolished by its new owners. According to KGET the new owners are thinking of replacing it with a multi story apartment complex.

 * ... GIVE BIG KERN: Well here is some good news: it looks like we have set a new record in Give Big Kern, the annual philanthropic day of giving that benefits so many non profits about town. Organizers of Give Big Kern raised more than $880,000 in 2022, the program’s most successful year on record. A total of $884,835 was pledged for 132 organizations from 2,396 donors. The Dolores Huerta Foundation collected the most out of all the nonprofits with $236,347.80 from 64 donors. Independence through GRACE, a faith-based group helping those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, raised the second-highest amount, totaling to $118,322.10 from 142 donors.

 * ... MEMORIES: From the files of The Bakersfield Californian comes this picture of the intersection of 19th Street and Chester on Jan. 1, 1940. Thanks to the Kern County of Old Facebook page.

 * ... MASON JAUSSAUD: And check out this old postcard for the old Mason Jaussaud restaurant on Union Avenue, another member from Kern County of Old.

The newly vaccinated wake up and head out to dine after a year of hunkering down, a coalition vaccinates farmworkers in Delano and Greyhound wants to move to the Amtrak station

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other company or publication.

 * ... OUT AND ABOUT: Were you among those who go out this weekend, perhaps taking in dinner at a local restaurant, after a year of hunkering down? It was the thing to do: gather up friends who have been vaccinated and hit the town, or at the very least head to an intimate dinner party. One thing is for sure: our local 

eateries are on fire: big crowds were spotted at Mexicali and the Starlite Lounge and other popular local restaurants throughout the city. To be sure Covid is not behind us, but the level of confidence has grown where newly vaccinated couples are braving the elements to dine out. 

 * ... WHAT WE WILL MISS: For sure there will be things we will miss about hunkering down at home: endless days working in T-shirts and pajamas, family time that found a new rhythm during the lockdown, home cooking and a reluctant relaxation that came with the knowledge that you had no where to go but home. In his Sunday piece in The Bakersfield Californian, columnist Bob Price put it this way: "Some things we'll hang on to," he noted. "Home gyms, hiking, garage ping pong, cooking, board games. Appreciation for local small businesses. The willingness to sacrifice."

 * ... GOOD NEWS: The Greyhound bus station downtown has always been an eyesore: dirty, neglected and a gathering spot for newly released prisoners. But now, after years of effort, it looks like Greyhound is finally packing up its bags and leaving for greener pastures. This week, the City Council at its Wednesday  will consider a deal that would allow Greyhound to lease space at the Amtrak Station. "Due to an evolving business climate, Greyhound staff determined they no longer have a need for a facility of that size. City staff determined the relocation of Greyhound bus services to the existing city-owned Amtrak Station site achieves various major objectives of the City Council," according to a city memo. The property, located at G and 18th streets, is ideal for a multi purpose facility to compliment the Padre Hotel and the Bitwise building.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I keep changing the wifi password to make sure that my wife always needs me."

 * ... KATIE BARTON: Katie Barton has been named general manager for American General Media's group of radio stations after serving as director of sales and marketing. The appointment of Barton was part of AGM's move to shuffle leadership responsibilities for its stations in California and New Mexico. In addition Rich Watson, currently general manager of AGM's properties in the Santa Maria area, has been appointed regional manager of AGM California, overseeing the station groups in Bakersfield, San Louis Obispo and Santa Maria.

 

 * ... COVID VACCINATIONS: Hats off to local defense attorney David Torres and other volunteers who spent their Saturday coordinating Covid vaccines for farmworkers. In all, five groups came together to organize a mass vaccination site in Delano: the United Farm Workers, the UFW Foundation, the Cesar Chavez Foundation, the Latino COVID Task Force and the County of Kern. Torres was among the volunteers who spent their day making sure vaccinations reached those who work in the fields.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this shot of the coffee shop of the old Royal Palms Motel around 1965. Compliments of the Kern County of Old Facebook page.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: The Kern County of Old page also served up this nugget, date uncertain, of police officers parading with their canines.