Temperature: 54.1°F / 12.3°C | Humidity: 18% | Pressure: 30.08in / 1018hPa (Steady) | Conditions: Clear | Wind Direction: SSE | Wind Speed: 4.0mph / 6.4km/h

Temperature: 65.3°F / 18.5°C | Humidity: 48% | Pressure: 30.04in / 1017hPa (Rising) | Conditions: Clear | Wind Direction: West | Wind Speed: 0.0mph / 0.0km/h

Baseball

Golden Valley 8, Mira Monte 0

More than 18,000 Kern County residents signed up for health plans made possible by the Affordable Care Act during the first open enrollment period for those plans, according to new local data the state released Wednesday.

Between Oct. 1, 2013, and March 31, 2014, 18,083 people got health insurance through the state's health insurance exchange, nearly 91 percent of whom were eligible for subsidies, according to Covered California and the California Department of Health Care Services

With tax revenues improving in the aftermath of the Great Recession, city officials revealed plans Wednesday to hire five more police officers and make nearly $5.6 million in park improvements as they gave the Bakersfield City Council its first look at the proposed new budget.

As might have been expected for an area that received $630 million in federal earmarks for major highway projects, secured by former Congressman Bill Thomas, R-Bakersfield, highway improvements left skid marks all over this year's budget.

BAKERSFIELD, CA - Many aspiring professional football players work toward the NFL Draft all their lives. Bakersfield's Derek Carr is one of those athletes.

Draft day will be one of the biggest days in his life. The NFL will announce first round draft picks Thursday night.

For Carr,  it's a family affair. His brother David was the number one overall pick back in 2002. Derek is expected to follow in his brother's footsteps.

He is expected to be picked up in the first round and will likely begin a promising career as a professional football player. Unlike most top prospects, he's not at the draft in New York. Instead, he's here at home.

Derek Carr said, "All that traveling I want to spend those 3 days working out in the gym and getting ready for mini camp and I don't want to do all the visits and parties I want to work and run and throw and I have so much family I am not getting there on my own and there are too many people that have helped me that i want to be around."

Family plays a major role in his life, working closely with his older brother.

"Ever since he was little I knew he would be looked at as a first round pick where will he go and I was just hoping I could be there for him and fortunately I have been," said David Carr.

As the dream plays out for Derek, he's still looking to his brother for guidance.

Derek Carr said, "Who else would you want the guy went number one in the draft, 13 years, a super bowl ring, you put that resume people wish that guy could help them he has been there the whole way, he made me move into his house, he dragged me because I didn't want to live with him. But no it has been good it has been a blessing."

Derek says the best advice his brother has given him is to enjoy it.

Derek Carr said, "Looking back at it everything flew by fast and you put this work into it and it is gone and it shows you how fast things go and have to enjoy it and that's one thing that is hard is to remember to enjoy the process."

The draft starts at 5 p.m Thursday.

If Derek is picked in the first round, he'll be on his way Thursday night to starting his NFL career in a new city.

Thursday - Partly cloudy. High of 84F. Winds from the WSW at 5 to 20 mph.

Thursday Night - Partly cloudy. Low of 59F. Winds from the WSW at 5 to 20 mph.

Friday - Partly cloudy in the morning, then clear. High of 88F. Breezy. Winds from the West at 15 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph.

Thursday - Partly cloudy. High of 77F. Windy. Winds from the WSW at 5 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph.

Thursday Night - Partly cloudy. Low of 55F. Breezy. Winds from the WSW at 15 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph.

Friday - Partly cloudy in the morning, then clear. High of 79F. Windy. Winds from the West at 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 45 mph.

Thursday - Partly cloudy. High of 61F. Windy. Winds from the WNW at 10 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph.

Thursday Night - Partly cloudy. Low of 43F. Breezy. Winds from the WNW at 15 to 20 mph.

Friday - Partly cloudy in the morning, then clear. High of 61F. Windy. Winds from the NW at 15 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph.

Thursday - Partly cloudy. High of 81F. Winds from the West at 5 to 15 mph.

Thursday Night - Partly cloudy. Low of 59F. Winds less than 5 mph.

Friday - Partly cloudy in the morning, then clear. High of 77F. Winds from the WSW at 5 to 15 mph shifting to the NW in the afternoon.

Lead stories from "First Look with Scott Cox," Top Stories:

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE OKS CREATION OF KMC HOSPITAL AUTHORITY: Kern County supervisors have started a process that could turn control of troubled Kern Medical Center over to an independent hospital authority, and on Wednesday got help from a state Assembly committee. Supervisors say the county hospital can operate more efficiently -- and profitably -- outside of the county bureaucracy. They voted unanimously Tuesday to take the first step in creating an authority and support passage of Assembly Bill 2546. The legislation would give supervisors the power to create the authority and disentangle themselves from the financial millstone KMC has become. Read the full story here.

STOCKTON -- Turnovers and penalties.

The two proved to be a deadly combination for the Condors on Wednesday night as the Stockton Thunder took full advantage of those en route to a 6-2 victory at Stockton Arena.