County sheriff's and volunteer search-and-rescue crews pulled a 19-year-old San Jose man, Josh Thomas, from the Kern River on Sunday afternoon. A sheriff's helicopter crew eventually plucked Thomas from a rock he was clinging to near a powerhouse at the mouth of the canyon. The incident closed Highway 178 in both directions for about half an hour shortly before 5 p.m.

Sheriff's Sgt. Mark Baldwin said Thomas had never been in the Kern River before and wasn't aware of how swift it is. He was swimming, got caught in a current and managed to grab onto a rock.

A lawsuit filed against the city of Bakersfield alleging that police violated the civil rights of a doctor who was handcuffed for nearly an hour while he was suffering from a massive stroke has been moved to federal court.

The change of venue to the courthouse in Fresno will introduce a broader jury pool outside of Kern County and will require a unanimous verdict for the plaintiff.

Reader alert!!

Skip the first story if you're reading this over breakfast.

There's a young girl from Van Nuys who probably would be thrilled to hear that the Kern County Sheriff's air support unit has received an international honor.

Last September, 11-year-old Alice Paz was rescued by a Sheriff helicopter after falling off her inner tube in treacherous rapids on the Kern River.

A long scar forms an arc on Josh Worthen's shaved head, but a wide smile takes shape on his face.

Just days ago, the father of five underwent a six-hour surgery that removed most of a cancerous tumor in his brain.

Q: A recent question asked about the local use of Los Angeles-area sludge. My question is: What is done with Kern County sludge? Is it processed and used locally or is it sent to another area?

-- R M Lewis

RUBIO FUNDRAISER: Today's political climate is rife with partisanship so it was nice to hear of a recent fundraiser for Democratic State Senate candidate Michael Rubio that seemed to bring folks from all political leanings together. It was last Thursday at the Bakersfield Country Club, and the evening was hosted by prominent farmer Joe Campbell and well-known local defense counsel H.A. Sala. The crowd was seeded with loads of distinguished Democrats and Republicans who listened to Rubio's well-tuned message of finding practical solutions for budget gridlock, water regulation, and sustained job growth. Supporters from both sides of the aisle seemed to appreciate Rubio's dedication to work through these divisive issues. Among those attending were Castle and Cooke President Bruce Freeman, farmer Richard Sandrini, local attorney Barry Goldner, Supervisor Mike Maggard, former First Five Chairwoman Wendy Wayne and attorneys Karen Gaul and David Cohn.

MORE LA CRESTA: Former county Supervisor and Mayor Mary Kay Shell added a little romantic twist to the stories of the old La Cresta airfield.

On this Labor Day, I have tried to zero in on who has influenced my work ethic the most. Certainly, my dad was my major influence. But as I attempted to psychoanalyze myself, many other people who I have been blessed to know throughout my career have also helped shape my work ethic.

Surprisingly to me, I kept thinking back to my grandmother, Coltilde Ochoa, and the example she set, not only for me, but also for my seven brothers and sisters.

TO OUR READERS

The Californian provides free death listings using information supplied by local mortuaries. The in-depth notices that follow are paid obituaries and remembrances. These listings must be purchased by 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Mary Marlow isn't especially fond of Barack Obama. A self-identified conservative Christian, she has concerns about some of the president's policies. But could he really have said and done all of the things she's been reading in the mailings she receives a half-dozen times a week at her Bakersfield home? Some of it seems odd and far-fetched, even for a wanton liberal.

"I don't like the idea of people not quoting the president accurately," Mrs. Marlow told me last week, having turned up disquieting evidence of misrepresentation. Put another way, the minister's wife -- well into her retirement years -- seems to think Obama ought to be permitted to hang himself with his own words, not the words detractors put in his mouth.

Jastro Park was crowded Aug. 28, the visitors including families with young children enjoying the mild weather. There was even a cancer research fundraiser in the park held by local teens in the afternoon.

But that evening shots were fired and a man was killed. Some parkgoers and residents are uneasy and would like to see increased enforcement so more violence doesn't break out in the future.

The air above a wildfire is fraught with danger. There's heat, smoke and a fleet of helicopters and air tankers all trying to slow a fire without running into each other.

Those who take to the air have tough jobs -- from the physical demands they feel to the emotional heartbreak they see -- and their skills are critical, including in three recent Kern County fires.

These days, trips to a shopping center or government building come with the understanding that you're most likely going to be photographed at some point by a surveillance camera.

But how about while mowing the lawn? Or riding a bike down the street? That's becoming the case as surveillance cameras move from retail areas to residential neighborhoods.

PG&E wants to be friends.

Really, it said so.

Normally it's the government that subsidizes child care at Toddler Tech Preschool in downtown Bakersfield.

But this summer, like last summer, Toddler Tech owner Caroline Clausen is footing the bill -- to the tune of about $10,000 a month -- out of her retirement savings. Clausen will probably be reimbursed soon, assuming lawmakers in Sacramento can come to an agreement on how to close the state's $19 billion budget gap.

Kern Schools Federal Credit Union announced Friday that it plans to close its Delano branch Oct. 6 in another move to cut expenses amid rising loan losses and a decline in borrowing.

All but three of the location's 15 employees have already been placed elsewhere within the credit union, said Steve Renock, president and CEO of Kern Schools, the county's largest financial institution. He said the closure is expected to save $700,000 a year in facility costs alone.

TO OUR READERS

The Californian provides free death listings using information supplied by local mortuaries. The in-depth notices that follow are paid obituaries and remembrances. These listings must be purchased by 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

In anticipation of this morning's Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission hearing in Bakersfield -- a hearing that will include local bankers, real estate professionals, construction executives and others -- we asked readers for their thoughts on the causes of and potional solutions to the meltdown of the U.S. economy.

The hearing, to be held starting at 9 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors chambers at the County Administrative Center, 1115 Truxtun Ave., will be the first hearing outside of Washington, D.C., and New York. The panel, whose vice chairman is former Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Bakersfield, also wants to hear from the general public about how the nation's financial crisis has affected them.

The Mitsubishi lot on Gasoline Alley Drive has been relocated to make room for Kern's newest car dealership.

Owned by the same partnership behind the city's BMW, Chrysler Jeep and Nissan dealerships, Infiniti of Bakersfield opened Wednesday on a 3.5 acre parcel with a 20,000-square-foot building.

County supervisors are pushing to reverse a decision made 13 years ago that exempted veteran county employees from paycheck-by-paycheck contributions to their health and retirement benefits after five years of employment.

Their negotiators are demanding two concessions from the county's 14 bargaining units in contract negotiations that seem to be moving swiftly to an abrupt conclusion: