Most people who die during the pandemic have serious underlying conditions, the District Attorney expresses no confidence in a local judge and "Back the Blue" protesters hit Highway 101 on the Central Coast

 Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other company or publication.

 * ... COVID DEATHS: We have good news and bad news when it comes to the coronavirus. First, it's probably good news that 94 percent of patents who died from the virus also had underlying health conditions. But the bad news? Well, according to local health experts, many of those underlying

conditions - diabetes, obesity, auto-immune conditions - are prevalent among adults in Kern County. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only 6 percent of deaths listed COVID-19 as the only cause of death, meaning the rest died from other health conditions.

  * ... CYNTHIA ZIMMER: In a rare move, our District Attorney's office has denounced a local Superior Court judge as biased and said it lacks confidence in the judge's ability to handle future criminal cases. District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer  said she will try to avoid having criminal cases heard by Judge Michael E. Dellostritto after he struck firearms enhancements when sentencing a man who shot and wounded another man in east Bakersfield. "If ever there was a case that warrants the imposition of a life sentence for unlawfully injecting firearms into crimes and increasing violence and suffering cause by doing so, this is it." I will discuss the case when I interview Zimmer Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM/1180.

 * ... STREET RACING: The crackdown on street racing in town - long overdue - is finally reaping some results. Over the weekend police arrested seven people and cited 80 others in a second consecutive weekend of street racing enforcement. Between 9 p.m. Friday and 2 a.m. Saturday, Bakersfield police cracked down on street racing, leading to 33 vehicles being impounded and dozens of citations.

Anyone with information regarding street racing or reckless driving is encouraged to contact the Bakersfield Police Department at 327-7111. 

 * ... BACK THE BLUE: If you were on the Central Coast this weekend you may have spotted a pro-police rally staged on an overpass on Highway 101. Protesters gathered at the overpass and hung U.S. flags and "Back the Blue" signs while they were cheered on by passing cars honking their horns.

 * ... TEJON PASS: Check out these contrasting picture of the Tejon Pass over the years, and remember this the next time you drive to Los Angeles.