FRESNO, CA-- The High-Speed Rail Authority Board approved the final Environmental Impact Report and the first 114-mile segment of the bullet train’s route Wednesday morning. That initial segment of track will run from Fresno to just north of 7th Standard Road.

The proposed route through downtown Bakersfield is still up for discussion, which will be taken up later this summer.

At the public comment portion of Tuesday’s meeting, both Ward 2 Councilmember Terry Maxwell and Bakersfield City Planning Director Jim Eggert voiced their opinions on the proposed route through downtown. Maxwell said the train should either go to the east or west of downtown, but not through it. Eggert said while the city supports High-Speed Rail, he’s still requesting at least a 60-day written notice for the city once a decision is reached on the route south of 7th Standard Road.

17’s Aric Richards is at the meeting and will have more details tonight on 17 News at 5 and 6.

John Farrer raised his conductor's baton in front of the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra for the first time in 1970 as a guest conductor. Now, 44 years later, he will retire his Bakersfield baton.

"It will be a very emotional experience," Farrer said Wednesday on "First Look with Scott Cox."

A baseball game with few strikeouts and no extra-base hits turns into a virtual fielding contest, so it's no surprise that Liberty came away with a 1-0 home victory over Centennial on Tuesday.

The Patriots -- after they opened the game with an error that seems strange in retrospect -- made brilliant play after play defensively, denying Centennial of many opportunities and allowing a first-inning RBI single from Josh Medina hold up as the game-winner.

Baseball

Stockdale 3, Bakersfield 1

Frontier High baseball coach John Moncier has been suspended for the remainder of the season following an incident with an umpire during a game last week, the Kern High School District confirmed Tuesday.

The disciplinary action comes at a crucial time for the Titans (23-6), who wrapped up a Southwest Yosemite League championship Tuesday. Playoffs start next week.

BAKERSFIELD, CA - A group of local seniors wants to move a get bus stop back in front of the facility in which they live in south Bakersfield. The group put together an emergency petition they handed to get officials during a board meeting Tuesday night.

The Golden Empire Transit District changed its bus routes in 2012, as part of a plan to make routes more efficient and reduce costs. In the process, it eliminated a stop at Plaza Towers near Wilson and Wible Roads.

Residents at the facility -- mostly seniors with disabilities -- say now they have to walk about four blocks to the nearest stop.

Plaza Towers resident Dean Wayne said, "One man was killed trying to cross the street trying to get to a bus stop because he could not see the car that came and struck him. Another women who was in a wheel chair was struck when she tried to get a bus stop. She was injured but not killed."

Plaza tower residents say the new bus stop is across the street on Wible Road.

"Crossing that street can be hazardous," Wayne said.

They say accessing the sub station, about three quarters of a mile away near Valley Plaza, makes it even more difficult for some people to get around town.

Wayne said, "We can't get to our doctors appointments we can't get out to do our personal business. We can't do our shopping, almost anything that we're trying to do without assistance."

GET spokesperson Gina Hayden says safety is a priority.

"We were not aware of the incidences in front of the Plaza Towers. We will absolutely look into that and see what those circumstances were," said Hayden.

Hayden says when the route was changed in 2012 -- there weren't enough customers to continue stopping on both sides of the street.

"The Plaza Towers, prior to the changes in the system in 2012, was served on both sides of the street, the bus went both ways. It now is served on only one side of the street, which is across the street from Plaza Towers," Hayden said.

She says there is a service for people who need additional transit assistance.

"We have a para-transit curb to curb service called Get A Lift. If a customer is unable to get to a bus stop, that qualifies them for get a lift," said Hayden.

For more information about get a lift call 869-2GET.

No action came out of the meeting, but Hayden says the board will consider the residents' concerns.

UC Santa Barbara broke a tie with four runs in the top of the eighth inning and went on to beat Cal State Bakersfield 7-3 Tuesday night at Hardt Field.

Alec Daily, who replaced CSUB starting pitcher Steven Gee in the seventh, struck out Robby Nesovic to open the eighth, but Nesovic reached base on a passed ball by catcher Cody White.

UC Santa Barbara broke a tie with four runs in the top of the eighth inning and went on to beat Cal State Bakersfield 7-3 Tuesday night at Hardt Field.

Alec Daily, who replaced CSUB starting pitcher Steven Gee in the seventh, struck out Robby Nesovic to open the eighth, but Nesovic reached base on a passed ball by catcher Cody White.

No. 4 seed Stockdale dropped a 5-4 heartbreaker in the Central Section Division I quarterfinals, losing the final doubles match in a third-set tiebreaker against No. 5 Clovis North on Tuesday.

The teams were tied 3-3 after six singles matches.

One of these years, Bakersfield Christian isn't going to win a Central Section boys tennis team championship.

This season? It turned out to be another dominating run to a championship.

ARVIN, CA-- Residents in Arvin voiced their frustration at local officials and Petro Capital Resources Tuesday night over a field gas leak that forced 50 people to evacuate their homes in March.

Residents are frustrated because they thought Tuesday night at the city council meeting they were going to hear data from government officials detailing the cleanup process and what progress was being made. Instead they heard the city complain to the county, and the county complain to PCR about a lack of transparency in releasing data.

“We fully expected that we would have data released this evening and that we would get some information along with you and we are very disappointed,” said Leticia Perez, District 5 Kern County Supervisor.

One of the evacuated homes was broken into last week even though PCR hired a private security firm to watch over the area.

"The items piled up outside, and were still in the process of burglarizing the house, as I understand it, when security forces discovered the break in,” said Louis Cobarruviaz, Arvin Police Chief.

Arvin police say they have made one arrest and have two juvenile suspects while the burglaries are being investigated. For homeowners they just want to know when they will be able to return home and when they do, if it is going to be safe.

"I don't want to bring my kids to that house until they tell me the house, or they can prove the house is safe, and good for my kids,” said Andy Lara, evacuated resident.

An outline of the health and safety standards PCR must meet before residents can move back into their homes was presented at the meeting. However, a timeline for completion of those goals was not.

For half this season, Greg Miller was a key asset for the Stockton Thunder.

Assigned to the Thunder by Bridgeport (Conn.) of the American Hockey League, Miller racked 38 points in 37 games to lead Stockton in scoring. His last goal for the Thunder came in a 1-0 over Utah on Feb. 15.

Ed Lively, 53, of Gulf Breeze, Fla., would like a lot LESS cowbell.

Well, that ain't gonna happen.

Centennial's Tyler Burnes, Stockdale's Jared Kinoshita and Liberty's Warren Miller sat together at a table in the clubhouse at Sundale Country Club. They were waiting patiently for the other competitors in Tuesday's Central Section South Area Tournament to finish their 18 holes.

The longtime friends were the first three to play the par-72 course and, as it turned out, they set the standard for the day, finishing first second, and third, respectively.

Services scheduled

Jesus "Chito" Cueto, 66, Bakersfield, May 4. Visitation 5 to 8 p.m. with rosary at 6 p.m. May 7, Basham Funeral Care; Mass 10 a.m. May 8, Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church; interment at Hillcrest Memorial Park. Basham Funeral Care.

BAKERSFIELD, CA -- The Contractor's State License Board has cited a Bakersfield man for various violations during an undercover sting in east Bakersfield. 

Donald Ray Laverdure was among several contractors who were cited after investigators had posed as homeowners on April 30th at an east Bakersfield home.  The investigators would ask the suspects to bid on several projects including painting, patio construction and tree trimming.  Laverdure was also taken into custody for DUI and domestic violence warrants, according to a CSLB news release. 

Nine people had been cited for contracting without a license.  Six suspects according to the news release were cited for illegal advertising which is a misdemeanor. 

The CSLB says among those cited were Frank Tirado, Jim Scott Meadors, Raymond Lee Rangel, Richard G. Palezyan, Heriberto Gonzalez Rodriguez, Julian Robert Baca, Wulfrano Briviesca Lopez and Librado Mateo-Mondragon.

For more information about hiring contractors log on to www.cslb.ca.gov or calling CSLB's toll-free automated line, 800.321.CSLB (2757).

BAKERSFIELD, CA-- The highway patrol is offering a free class Wednesday to current and prospective teenage drivers, and their parents or guardians.  The Start Smart class organizers say, discusses important issues such as safe driving habits, and tips on how to avoid a collision. 

The class takes place at the CHP 420 club on 3910 Alfred Harrell Highway beginning at 6:00 p.m. The two-hour class will also feature people affected by poor choices who will speak. 

If you would like to sign up, call the Bakersfield CHP office at 661-864-4444 to sign up.  Another class will be held on Tuesday June 10. 

BAKERSFIELD, CA -- People in Lake Isabella can learn more about wildfires and how to prepare for an emergency Saturday at Uffert Park. 

The Kern County Fire Department will hold a wildfire awareness expo from 11 a.m until 2:00 p.m.  Fire officials say there will be wild land firefighting equipment on display and the opportunity to meet local wild land firefighters. 

There will be free hot dogs, chips, drinks, and educational materials for children.   The Kern County Fire Explorers, Helicopter 408, Forest Service, American Red Cross, CERT Teams, Fire Safe Councils, and Kern County Fire Hand Crews will be in attendance.  Smokey Bear will be available for pictures.

For more information, call Kern County Fire at 661-391-7000 or email: fireinfo@co.kern.ca.us

BAKERSFIELD, CA--World War II and Korean veterans are packing their bags for the next Honor Flight Kern County. It's wheels up Tuesday morning. Taft resident Vern Longtin joined the Navy in 1944 when he was just 17. He told 17 News at his daughter’s house in Bakersfield on Monday it was all he ever wanted to do at that point in his life.

"I wanted to go in 1941 but I wasn't old enough," Longtin said.

Three years later, he did becoming a plane captain. It was his job to check over planes before giving the aircraft to its pilots. Longtin was assigned to the escort carrier USS Suwannee after it had been damaged in one of the first Kamikaze or suicide attacks by the Japanese in World War II.

"It was really badly damaged, lot of guys killed," Longtin said.

He was preparing for the invasion of the Japanese mainland when the atomic bomb was dropped.

"I know there is a lot of controversy about that but I tell ya, as far everybody I knew out there we were a happy bunch," Longtin said.

Though he was glad the Japanese surrendered Longtin went to Nagasaki after the bomb was dropped and saw images that have stayed with him all these years.

"Enormously new weapon but it was kind of ugly,” Longtin said “It just annihilated everything it hit."

Dennis Heilscher said his stepfather was rather tight lipped about his military service. He will be Longtin's guardian during this week's honor flight to Washington D.C.

Longtin has battled prostate cancer and his stepson is grateful there is still time to share the experience of seeing the monuments together.

"I think if you have a veteran of that generation you need to do all means possible to go,” Heilscher said.

If you are interested in going on a future honor flight give them a call at 661-544-8387.

Juan Silva's RBI double with one out in the seventh inning tied the game and Kyle Waldrop added a sacrifice fly later in the inning that was the difference in the Bakersfield Blaze's 6-5 win over Inland Empire Monday night at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

It was the fifth straight win for Bakersfield, which has the California League's best record (24-8).