KGET: Local News

Komen reverses decision to pull funding for Planned Parenthood

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:26:00 -0800

The Susan G. Komen Foundation says it cut funding to Planned Parenthood because it was under government investigation. Congress recently launched a probe into Planned Parenthood at the urging of anti-abortion groups, so Komen pulled funding for the group three days ago.

That’s when the media maelstrom hit. Many Planned Parenthood supporters across the nation voiced their disapproval of Komen’s cuts to funding on Facebook and Twitter.

The Komen For the Cure decided to reverse its decision. The group issued this statement on Friday: “We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women’s lives.”

The foundation had planned to stop giving grants to Planned Parenthood because it adopted a new criteria that excluded funding organizations that were under investigation.

Planned Parenthood received close to $680,000 last year for breast screenings. Planned Parenthood officials said they received a lot of donations this week. Raquel Simental of Planned Parenthood said the organization was going to use that money to fill the gaps if Komen’s new policy had gone through.

“I think what we saw today, thankfully, is that women and America rose above politics, and we did the right thing,” Simental said. “Komen did the right thing.”

She said one in five women have used Planned Parenthood at some point in their lives, so they are a trusted organization that has provided health care for millions of women.

Komen announced it would revise the group's criteria for grant funding so that it won't apply to similar investigations in the future.

Family gets personal belongings of murder victims

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:17:00 -0800

A Bakersfield family, once left with only memories of their murdered loved ones, now has boxes of their belongings to hold onto.

Police believe Jordan Criado killed his wife and their four children in Oregon before setting their rented home on fire. The owners of that home, the landlords, salvaged what they could and made a special delivery to Bakersfield.

Seconds after the U-Haul gate went up... "Oh my God, look at my babies."

Gwen Crowles gets a first glance at her daughter's and four grandchildren's belongings. Things they held dear - created a rush of emotion- of tears and joy.

"I'm overwhelmed. I mean I can't stop smiling," said Crowles.

All of the boxes came from the Oregon home, Bakersfield native, Tabasha Criado moved to with her four children. All five were found stabbed to death last July.

Police suspect Tabasha's husband, Jordan Criado, killed them, then set fire to the home.

Their landlord, Monte Frazier, gathered what he could save and drove 12 hours to Bakersfield, hoping to offer some closure.

"You really have angels as parents cause you don't find people that would do what they did," said Crowles. "And, they never met us, just through the phone, you know, that was Heaven sent because I had no way of getting this stuff here and this is all that I have of my babies."

"A simple picture of someone can bring back so many thoughts, memories, so then you start to remember good things instead of negative things," said Frazier.

"The Fraziers came down and brought this stuff. God Bless them," said Bill Crowles, Tabasha's father.

Some of the boxes are labeled. Others you can see a teddy bear and some books inside. They're all things once held dear to the couple's daughter and grandchildren.

Now, they are here for them to open and discover, possibly the comfort they've been wanting.

"You know, we still have a long ways to go, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. You know, good things are yet to come. I truly believe that," said Gwen Crowles.

Jordan Criado has been charged with murder, arson, and other crimes. A judge entered a 'not guilty' plea on his behalf, saying Criado was mentally unable to do so on his own.

A trial date or mental health hearing will be set in March.

"Freedom Riders" share the stories that made them heroes

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:15:00 -0800

Two people who played major roles in the famous “Freedom Riders” movement during the Civil Rights Era will speak at Beale Memorial Library on Saturday at 2 p.m. to discuss their life-changing experiences.

On Friday, 17 News got a glimpse into their stories.

But first, a little background:

In December 1960, the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed segregation in interstate transportation. Nonetheless, a few months later segregation was very much a part of bus stops and bus station restaurants across the Deep South.

In protest, a group of both black and white activists took busses across the south, stopping at the segregated stations along the way and refusing to sit in either “colored only” or “white only” areas.

Those were the Freedom Riders.

In May 1961, the first group of Freedom Riders stopped in Anniston, Alabama while traveling from Washington D.C. to New Orleans.

But, this was not a sightseeing detour or a casual rest stop. The bus tires were slashed and an angry mob reportedly organized by the Klan surrounded the vehicle. Then, someone threw a firebomb through the window, flooding the inside of the bus with flames and smoke.

“And, as they spilled off the bus, I could hear them crying for water,” said Janie Forsyth McKinney, who was just 12 when the Freedom Rider bus rolled into her hometown of Anniston.

McKinney was one of the first to come to the aid of those choking from the smoke. Her actions would earn her the nickname the “Angel of Anniston” and the title of honorary Freedom Rider.

“I remember saying someone needs water. I can do that. That I can do. And, I started taking water to people gasping for and crying for water,” she said.

McKinney was recently featured in a PBS documentary, in a national CBS story, and on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Joining her as one of the Freedom Riders at the Oprah Winfrey Show last May (which celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the first Freedom Riders journey) was Claude Liggins.

Liggins was a 20-year-old college student in California when he heard about the events that had unfolded in Alabama. He decided to go to New Orleans to join the cause and become a Freedom Rider.

"We didn't know if we would ever come back alive, but we were willing to take that chance," he said.

But, a cause such as this is never without its consequences. Liggins, along with several hundred other Freedom Riders, was arrested in Mississippi and jailed for several weeks.

He recalls it being a very intimidating experience. “They took us to the maximum security unit and this was the unit that had the death chambers in it,” he said. “And, on the girl's side they said they could see the chair they would sit people in to execute them.”

51 years removed from those trying times, Liggins, now in his 70s, says he plans to remind people at the Freedom Riders event at Beale Library on Saturday at 2 p.m. that you’re never too young or too old to make a difference.

“Some of the younger [generation] say ‘I really wish I could do something like you did,’” he said. “And, they do have a chance to do something like we did. It’s a little different, but there’s still a lot of problems and we need them to solve them.”

Remembering Trinity: Taft toddler laid to rest

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:51:00 -0800

Friends and family gathered near Los Angeles Friday to say their final goodbyes to a 3-year-old Taft girl who was killed last week.

Sheriff's detectives say Trinity Hanna was beaten to death at the hands of her mother's live-in boyfriend. 17 News traveled to La Crescenta where funeral services were held for the toddler.

Most of Trinity's family lives in the Los Angeles area. They described her as a bubbly and energetic toddler.

Some came wearing t-shirts that said 'We Love You Wubbzy.' "Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!" was Trinity's favorite cartoon, and Wubbzy was a nickname that stuck with the toddler.

"The little girl touched everybody. She was a bubbly little girl, always had a smile on her face. For the past three years we've made her little Rice Krispies cakes for her birthday cake. I'm going to miss that," said a tearful Jamie Harris, Trinity's uncle.

Tiny blue ribbons filled Crippen Mortuary, in honor of the toddler who died ten days ago. Sheriff's deputies say Trinity was beaten, scalded and slammed onto a coffee table by her mother's live-in boyfriend, Eric Foster.

"It's tragic. What can you say right now? The whole thing is just tragic. The whole family is just torn to pieces," continued Harris.

More than 80 friends and family members gathered in the mortuary to say goodbye to the little girl. 17 News cameras were not allowed inside.

Trinity's family said the mood was somber. Many people are still in shock and at a loss for words. "Her mom was super mom, but I'm disappointed she didn't see warning signs, you know?" said Cat Hurley.

Those who knew Trinity best, say they are still holding onto the few memories they have from her short life. "She loved everybody. She could never do any wrong," noted Harris.

Eric Foster is due back in court Thursday.

Local filmmaker supports anti-human trafficking measure

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:16:34 -0800

There's a push right now in our state to strengthen laws and punishments against those who traffic human beings for profit.

A group made up of police, survivors, and their advocates is trying to collect enough signatures to get a measure on the November ballot. A Bakersfield film maker already supports it.

Children for sale is the subject of a movie coming out this fall, called "Trade of Innocents." Bakersfield's Jim Schmidt is the co-producer.

"I think there's a special place for people like this and the punishment should be tougher," Schmidt said.

Tougher legislation is the goal of Californians Against Sexual Exploitation Act, or the CASE act.

In Sacramento Thursday, CASE said this measure will crack down on traffickers who profit from child prostitution.

"I can only say unscrupulous can only begin to describe the character and the nature of the people who traffic individuals," said Assemblyman Roger Dickinson.

The movie, "Trade of Innocents", is set in Cambodia but, Jim Schmidt says it's a global issue that reaches into our own backyards.

"If you extrapolate out the national statistics it would tell you that it really exists everywhere," Schmidt said.

"Under this proposed law the children would be considered victims. As it stands, if a child is picked up, they can be thrown in jail for prostitution."

"I remember standing on the corner of 10th and L, at 13 years old," said Dellena Hoyer a survivor of human trafficking.

Dellena Hoyer was a child prostitute, not of her own choosing, and says current laws should change.

"I was that girl who went to juvenile hall and I was shamed. I was charged with prostitution. I was re-victimized over and over and over," Hoyer said.

"It's going to take a lot of attention, a lot of people talking about it, and a lot of people with power and influence to really make a difference," Schmidt said.

In a recent national report by the anti-sex trafficking group Shared Hope, California received an "F" for its laws to protect children against sex trafficking.

The movie, "Trade of Innocents" is due out in September.

Go Red for Women raises awareness about heart disease

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:12:47 -0800

In 2001, Los Madding was with her husband when she almost lost her life.

"All of the sudden I felt terrible and I told him I had to go sit in the car," Madding said.

She didn't know it at the time, but Madding was suffering a heart attack.

"About 1.2 million people have a heart attack or sudden cardiac death each year," Dr. Brij Bhambi, Central Cardiology, said. "About 60 percent of them are first timers."

Madding didn't know men and women often have different symptoms.

"I didn't have a pain in my heart, but if I had asthma I felt this is what it would be like," Madding said.

"The symptoms can be more subtle, more subtle and different," Bhambi said of heart attacks in women.

While men tend to get crushing chest pain that radiates to the jaw or arm, women may have a subtle sense of not feeling, restlessness, nausea or heartburn.

"You have to have your vigilance very high to catch that process otherwise you run the risk of missing heart attacks," Bhambi said.

Part of that vigilance is a simple screening called a cardiac stress test.

A patient is hooked up to a heart monitor and blood pressure machine, and starts off walking slowly on the treadmill.

The technician gradually pump up the speed and incline to test the heart's ability to respond.

It's something Madding wishes she had done before.

It makes you feel great to know everything is going well," Madding said.

17 News examines Urgent Care policy following death of Taft girl

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:02:00 -0800

There is a growing community uproar against the mother of a 3-year-old Taft girl beaten to death last week, allegedly by the mother's boyfriend. But, the Sheriff's Department says Angela Hanna is not considered a suspect. Sheriff's detectives aren't talking, because the case is still under investigation.

The story has generated a lot of feedback from the community. Of the 850 people who voted in a KGET poll Wednesday night, 98% said the mother should face criminal charges.

Some viewers compared the case to a similar one in Delano.

During a heated argument at a home on Oak Street in Taft, Eric Foster told detectives he let his girlfriend's daughter fall from his lap and slam her head on the coffee table. An autopsy found the left side of her skull was fractured and her brain was severely swollen.

The case is similar to one in Delano, where a 2-year-old boy died, also allegedly after being abused by his mother's live-in boyfriend. An autopsy revealed the child had broken ribs and a skull fracture.

Delano Police believe it was the boyfriend who inflected the fatal injuries, but the mother, Noemi Mendoza, was arrested last week on a first degree murder charge a year after the little boy's death. Police say Mendoza knew about the abuse and did nothing to stop it.

In the Taft case, the Sheriff's Department says Angela Hanna is not considered a suspect and they won't comment on the case. Deputy District Attorney Andrea Kohler told 17 News she can't speak about the case because she doesn't want to jeopardize the investigation.

In Taft, blue ribbons line the streets in honor of Trinity Hanna. Her home on Oak Street is now up for rent. At the home of Trinity's grandmother, in nearby Valley Acres, no one answered the door.

17 News discovered an urgent care and Hall Ambulance in Taft are less than a mile away from the family's former home. The staff at Westside Urgent Care told 17 News if someone comes in with a real emergency, they won't turn you away if you can't pay upfront.

"We will see any patient that's in an urgent condition. We'll see them without question. We want to make sure we render service to everyone. If the care was so necessary that it needs emergency services, we would call 911 and there are three ambulances in that location that can take that patient into Bakersfield," said Leah Chivington.

Governor's tax hike proposal gets mixed reaction in Kern County

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:46:00 -0800

The Kern County Superintendent's Office oversees 47 school districts. Deputy Superintendent Mark Fulmer says the districts have lost more than $1,500 per student over the last six years, so a tax increase could keep the cuts from getting worse.

“The information we have right now is in broad strokes about what the governor has proposed,” Fulmer said. “It’s relatively flat funding for schools with the assumption the initiative passes.”

Governor Jerry Brown is proposing a tax hike to help bring money to state schools. The proposal is still in its early stages, but the plan would be to tax people who earn $250,000 a year and raise the sales tax by half a cent for five years.

Michael Turnipseed, the executive director of KernTax, says his group won't be too quick to vote down the governor's plan like most tax groups.

“I think the governor knows that people are sympathetic to education,” he said. “They know the value of education and that the next generation is counting on getting a good education to better themselves.”

Turnipseed feels education has often been on the back burner for our state legislature, and the government should focus on cutting other areas.

“What we haven't seen yet is meaningful reform in government or pension reform,” he said. “There are a lot of things on the table that we have to look at that have not been cut.”

A poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found voters will overwhelmingly support this initiative on the November ballot. In fact, 68% of people surveyed said they will vote 'yes' to a tax increase for education.

Fulmer says whether the proposal passes or not, schools in the county will still face challenges.

“There's still pressure on district budgets,” he said. “That doesn't mean that any programs will grow, it means that districts will still have to make difficult budget decisions.”

He says if the governor’s plan does not pass, the county's schools could lose close to $370 per student. Overall, $5 billion could be cut from California schools overall if the tax hike is not approved.

Contact 17: Residents complain about rig noise

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:40:00 -0800

Imagine waking up one morning, looking outside and seeing a huge oil rig out your back door.

That's what happened in one neighborhood in southwest Bakersfield, and residents want to know what it is, how long it's going to be there, and what the noise rules are.

But, we found the company is operating within the rules of its permit.

The homes surrounding the drilling platform were built in the 1990s after the platform was established, but residents may not have known what they were moving next door to.

"Theres a giant monster out there right now with bright, bright lights, and a loud humming constant noise. It's just going 24-7 all the time, sometimes louder than others, but it's always there," said Susie Roberts who lives in the neighborhood.

According to Code Enforcement and the Fire Department, which regulates permits for drilling rigs, the company is operating within its permit.

Fire officials say for this zone, drillers have to keep the noise down to 65 decibels, like the sound of an idling car engine.

The well owner is Crimson Resources based in Colorado. When we talked to them they told us since this drilling platform was there before the homes, they don't have all the noise constraints and notice requirements. But, they are conscious of where they are and placed a tall noise reducing wall at the site.

The company also says they are ahead of schedule and should have the whole operation torn down in the next few weeks.

New Bishop weighs in on Obama contraceptive policy

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:30:00 -0800

The New Bishop of the Fresno Diocese Armando Ochoa is still settling into his new role, but he's taking a firm stance against a new health insurance policy rolled out by the Obama Administration.

The Bishop is one in a growing number of Catholics speaking out against the policy. It requires all Catholic employers to cover contraception and abortion as part of preventative care. He told 17 News he would put his fist down against government policy forcing all employers, including religiously affiliated schools and hospitals, to cover all FDA-approved contraceptives.

"We're standing up for what we believe in," said Bishop Ochoa. "But, I'm saying you've got to put your money where your mouth is, and that's what we as Catholic Christians are going to do."

Some Republican leaders are also voicing concern.

"I think this mandate violates our Constitution," said Rep. John Boehner, House Speaker. "I think it violates the rights of these religious organizations, and I would hope the administration would back up and take another look at this."

In 2008, 54% of Catholics who voted, voted for President Obama. Steve Schneck, a professor at Catholic University who has advised President Obama in the past, calls the new contraception policy a misstep that might backfire this political year.

"I'm seeing in the pews something that's waking up," said Schneck. "A little sense of Catholic solidarity that I think could very well carry over into their political activities."

"It's going to force us into a pocket, but if we have to evoke the conscience clause, I'm right there," said Bishop Ochoa. "If we're going to be penalized, so be it. But, we are going to do everything we can to support our health care professionals in following our ethical guidelines for, not only the Diocese in Fresno and our two Catholic hospitals, but nationwide."

The new policy takes effect August 1st. However, religious groups who oppose contraception have been given a year long extension to enforce the policy.