A new report advocating rent cancellation and other government-led housing measures in the Central Valley warns that economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic could result in evictions for 20,000 households across Kern County. The report by a group called Faith in the Valley cautions that a "wave of evictions" looms once local courts allow unlawful-detainer cases to proceed. It proposes new housing protections for people suffering financially because of the crisis, including a rent and...

Persistence has paid off for growers of Kern County’s No. 3-grossing crop after the federal government reversed itself and ruled pistachio growers do qualify for financial compensation during the pandemic. Pistachios were left off the original list of qualified crops released in May. That's because the U.S. Department of Agriculture's analysis concluded initially that the nut didn't suffer the minimum, 5-percent price drop between Jan. 15 and April 15. The USDA says specialty crops may also...

Bakersfield's hospitality industry has recently begun to pick up — some hotels are even hiring again — as road-trippers and locals help put an end to a streak of slow business during the coronavirus pandemic. Local hotel managers and sales directors report a double-digit jump in occupancy rates in the last several weeks — not enough to match the volume of business they were doing at this time last year but welcome progress just the same. "They're starting to trickle in," said Jessica Ramirez,...

My global entry interview appointments keep getting canceled. I cannot travel internationally so I can’t come through customs and immigration to complete the interview process. Has the the 1-year completion deadline been extended or do I have to reapply for global entry? – The Real GNC, Chicago The bad news is that the Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Trusted Traveler Program Enrollment Centers will remain closed until at least Sept. 8 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The good news is that...

State inspectors have determined the vast majority of restaurants in Kern County have closed indoor dining operations in compliance with orders put in place by Sacramento early last month to limit the spread of COVID-19. The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control reported Thursday that only five of 1,522 Kern restaurants contacted since July 2 were cited for allowing indoor dining. That's a local compliance rate of almost 99.7 percent. "Considering the enormous challenges the...