Tehachapi News
Storm conditions delay school in Tehachapi, prompt cautions for motorists
An early morning weather front on Thursday brought a mixture of fog, rain and light snow to greater Tehachapi, causing a two-hour delay to the start of school. Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road was reported closed by the California Highway...
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Tehachapi Symphony Orchestra seeks new recruits, supporters
The Tehachapi Symphony Orchestra, which is now entering its 27th season of free concerts, is looking for new musicians and general volunteers as the organization looks to expand its offerings and plan for the future. The orchestra, which is now more...
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Well-attended community events, local inter-agency conf licts, continuing TUSD woes and the Scrivner case in the news
The second half of 2025 in Tehachapi was just as eventful as the first. Indeed, the year was dominated by well-attended community events, including a successful year for local holiday celebrations by the city and the chamber. Despite widespread and...
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Judge grants Scrivner mental health diversion
Former Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner was granted a mental health diversion program in lieu of potential prison time Friday in a high-profile case where the once-prominent local politician stands accused of inappropriately touching one of his...
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Wreaths Across America commemorated in Tehachapi
“To Remember, To Honor, To Teach.” These are the principles behind the nationwide event known as Wreaths Across America. Held in December each year, it's meant to enlighten the young and to remind all citizens of the nation's military veterans and...
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Tehachapi hosts its biggest Christmas Parade yet
The city Christmas tree in Tehachapi has been officially lit after the town's biggest Christmas parade yet. This year there were more than 60 entries in the parade, organized by the Greater Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce, from local public agencies,...
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Get into the holiday spirit: Hometown Christmas coming up
The holiday season is here and Tehachapi has a lot going on for Christmas in 2025 — a breakfast with Santa, a parade and, of course, Hometown Christmas. The city of Tehachapi's Hometown Christmas celebration isn't the only event this holiday season,...
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On the trot
Clearing skies and brisk 40-degree temperatures made a fine morning for the annual Hot Chocolate Turkey Trot 5-K run at Brite Lake on Saturday. Runners were dressed in an assortment of running or whimsical turkey-themed attire. The annual run is...
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ArT Tehachapi brings talented artists, collectors from across US
The 2025 ArT Tehachapi Exhibition & Sale appears to have been a great success, drawing in artists and collectors from across the country and funding another year of public art in town. The event’s ticket sales go toward funding art in Tehachapi such...
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Tehachapi honors local military service members in Veterans Day Ceremony
Tehachapi honored the service of local veterans in a ceremony Tuesday morning at Philip Marx Central Park, followed by a celebration and resource fair for veterans. Local veterans, their families, friends and supporters honored those who have served...
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Halloween brings scares, celebration to downtown Tehachapi and beyond
Halloween this year appears to have been a blast, in both Tehachapi and the surrounding area, with candy, costumes and spooky celebrations throughout the community through the evenings of last week. Of course, most of the events happened Halloween...
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Inaugural Harvest Festival earns praise from wineries
The Tehachapi Mountain Wine Growers' Commission Inaugural Harvest Festival appears to have been a big success this past weekend, with vendors, music, food and lots of local wine for attendees from near and far Saturday afternoon. The event, which the...
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Tehachapi Symphony Orchestra presents Legends
The Tehachapi Symphony Orchestra held its Fall Concert on Sunday. The concert took on the added distinction of honoring its retiring founder and longtime guiding light, Gayel Pitchford. Music Director David Newby told the audience that for 26 years,...
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Tehachapi Breast Cancer Awareness Walk draws crowd
Despite a chilly morning nearly 100 people showed up Saturday to the city of Tehachapi's Breast Cancer Awareness Walk, an event that helped raise money for local organizations helping cancer patients. The event featured two routes through town, a...
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Beer, brats and Volkswagens: Stallion Springs celebrates Oktoberfest
Brats in a bun and local beer in a stein drew a large crowd at the 20th annual Stallion Springs Oktoberfest celebration. Music along with challenging family games for adults and kids made for an exciting and fun Saturday afternoon. This year saw a...
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‘You’re all the best’
In the beautiful garden setting of The Woods Pavilion, some 75 people from local businesses, community groups and more gathered the evening of Sept. 23 to celebrate their wins for being the best Tehachapi has to offer. They are truly the best, as...
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After 24 years, city, nation remember 9/11
“We will never forget” is the underlying theme for activities held each Sept. 11 in Tehachapi. At the forefront of these remembrances are a combination of local residents, veterans organizations and service clubs. Each year, attendees arrive with...
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Regulars mourn as Woodward West announces impending closure
It's a sad time for local action sports enthusiasts, as Woodward West in Stallion Springs is set to close after more than two decades of operation. The massive action sports facility is part of Woodward, one of the largest action sports companies in...
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US astronaut details liftof f, ‘space brain’ and research at space station
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE — An astronaut lauded as a hero of space exploration as the first U.S. Space Force guardian to visit space visited the installation this week, detailing everything from the feeling of liftoff to “space brain.” Brig. Gen. Nick...
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Sara’s Ride in Bear Valley to honor a brave woman’s battle with multiple system atrophy
Sara's Ride, an event honoring the life of Bear Valley resident Sara Nilson, who died in 2023 from the rare neurodegenerative disorder multiple system atrophy, or MSA, will be held Sept. 13 in Bear Valley Springs. The event will raise money and...
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The 62nd Mountain Festival in Tehachapi draws crowds
The 62nd Tehachapi Mountain Festival, one of the biggest events of the year in Tehachapi, happened this past weekend and got positive reviews from newcomers and returning attendees. One of the centerpiece events of the the weekend, the Mountain...
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Tehachapi’s first day of school arrives
Students will return today to all schools in the Tehachapi Unified School District, and teachers around the community are preparing for a new year, with new excitement and new challenges. Among those preparing is Cummings Valley Elementary School's...
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Business Showcase returns, coupled with movie night
The Greater Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce Business Showcase returned to town after a year-long hiatus Thursday evening in Meadowbrook Park. The event saw local businesses old and new setting up booths in the park for community members, but also their...
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City wrapping up street work, will celebrate Railroad Park enhancements
More than $2 million of work on streets in the city of Tehachapi will wrap up soon — and a free concert at Railroad Park on Aug. 2 will celebrate work to rehabilitate the nearly 50-yearold park. City officials attribute voter approval of Measure S in...
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Summer Bash at Brite Lake of fers cool time
Families enjoyed games, food and lots of great music Saturday as Tehachapi Valley Recreation & Park District hosted its Summer Bash at Brite Lake. Several families came from Ridgecrest and Rosamond, saying they came to “cool off” from the summer heat...
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Tehachapi celebrates the Fourth of July morning to night
Tehachapi filled with laughter, excitement, food and music as this year's Fourth of July celebration took place amid trees, green grass and cooling breezes. In the city Friday morning, the traditional 5K Family Race started off the day's activities....
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Large Business of the Year:
Less than one year after celebrating its grand reopening, the Hitching Post Theater is celebrating another wonderful success after being recognized as Tehachapi's Finest Large Business of the Year. On June 15 last year, the new owners of Tehachapi's...
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Nonprofit of the Year: Tehachapi Amateur Radio Association earns honor
In a region known for resilience, volunteerism and tight-knit community values, the Tehachapi Amateur Radio Association was recognized for its incredible preparedness, innovation and public service. At this year's Tehachapi's Finest Recognition Gala,...
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THS Class of 2025 battles wind and noise to graduate
In gowns of green and gowns of white, Tehachapi High School’s graduates marched into Coy Burnett Stadium on Thursday, June 12, holding on to their caps to avoid losing them in the wind. Not only wind, but also a helicopter apparently practicing water...
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Small Business of the Year:
Tehachapi is known for its hard-working, dedicated entrepreneurs and community volunteers, but this year at the Tehachapi’s Finest Recognition Gala, several businesses stood out among the rest. In the category of Small Businesses, The Loop Newspaper,...
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‘And the winner is ...’
And the winner is … Thus were the words when four of Tehachapi’s finest were honored Saturday night at the Greater Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce’s Tehachapi’s Finest Gala at Mirabelle Estate, co-sponsored by Tehachapi News, which established the...
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A roll call of veterans
Our nation’s flag was raised, then lowered to half-staff and allowed to fly proudly in observance of the national celebration of Memorial Day. Tehachapi holds its traditional Memorial Day event in Central Park, with respectful speeches and quiet...
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Fishing derby draws more than 900 entries
More than 900 people registered for Saturday’s Brite Lake Fishing Derby — and nearly half of the 22 sponsor-tagged fish were caught. Taylor Davis, general services manager of Tehachapi Valley Recreation and Park District, said in an email on Sunday...
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Touch A Truck rolls into Tehachapi
Touch A Truck, a Tehachapi Mountain Junior Rodeo Association fundraiser, took place Saturday afternoon in the Milano Rodeo Arena. The afternoon featured Kern County Fire Department trucks, along with a Hall Ambulance. Superlarge tow trucks capable of...
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National Day of Prayer rally brings pastors, others in front of City Hall
For about 20 years the National Day of Prayer has been observed in front of Tehachapi City Hall. Brian Drucker has coordinated the event for most of those years. On Thursday, May 1, he said he and others were “not just doing this to go through the...
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Let’s go fly a kite at the Wind Festival
At Golden Hills’ Meadowbrook Park, the rain clouds came and went, bringing forth the gentler kite flying winds of Tehachapi. Families picnicked, played games and flew kites of different designs and colors. Many kites were purchased, but several were...
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Easter eggs send kids hopping
A traditional Easter event was organized and hosted by the Tehachapi Valley Recreation and Parks District Baseball Fields. Egg-hunting children crossed over a bridge and under a balloon-laden arch where TVRPD Adventure Camp Counselor Riley Wilster...
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Reproduction of ‘Loop mural’ will be installed downtown
The first of a series of murals created to honor Tehachapi’s history and culture literally fell off the wall in 2013. Painted in the summer of 2002 by John Pugh, a noted mural artist, and New Zealand artist Marc Spijkerbosch, the gigantic mural...
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Residents join Hands Off movement in Tehachapi
Nearly 300 Tehachapi residents chanted and carried signs in response to the nationwide “Hands Off” movement. For four hours Saturday, the four corners of West Tehachapi Boulevard at Tucker Road were lined with people of all ages. Comments on the...
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The cakes — and more about the ongoing dispute between two local agencies
This is a story about cake. But, as you will see, it’s not really about cake. Cakes are often part of celebrations. Recently, two apparently coincidental celebratory cakes illustrated a growing chasm between two local agencies. On March 26,...
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Tehachapi’s first shopping center seeing a revival with new tenants
Tehachapi Towne Center — at the southwest corner of Tucker Road and Valley Boulevard — is seeing a revival. In an economic development report earlier this month, Assistant City Manager Corey Costelloe said the city has collaborated with tenants and...
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City’s latest housing element draft: Building in church parking lots and taller apartment buildings
Apparently to meet state requirements, the latest draft of the city of Tehachapi’s next housing element proposes programs to help address the needs of unhoused people and extremely low-income households that aren’t being met by market-rate...
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Cerro Coso provides update on Tehachapi campus in report to school board
An update from Cerro Coso Community College about plans for its Tehachapi campus is among items on the agenda for the March 11 meeting of the Board of Trustees of Tehachapi Unified School District. The meeting is set for 5 p.m. on Tuesday at school...
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Some JMS students may lose bus ride with plan to be considered
A change in Tehachapi Unified School District’s transportation plan may mean fewer Jacobsen Middle School students can ride a school bus next year. The district’s Board of Trustees discussed proposed changes in its transportation plan on Feb. 11 and...
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Concert raises at least $5,000 for LA fire victims
“Concert for a Cause,” a joint effort of Rotary of Tehachapi and the Tehachapi Valley Recreation and Park District, raised at least $5,000 to support victims of the Altadena, Pacific Palisades and Los Angeles area wildfires, organizer Linda Carhart...
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Scrivner faces 5 felonies, pleads not guilty to charges
The state Department of Justice filed felony charges Friday afternoon accusing former Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner of three counts of child endangerment and two counts of illegal possession of an assault rifle, capping a nearly 10-month...
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School board narrows search for superintendent
After receiving about 2,000 applications, members of the Board of Trustees of Tehachapi Unified School District last week came up with a short list of candidates to interview for superintendent. The board met in closed session at a special meeting on...
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Water district welcomes Trump delivery orders
President Donald Trump’s executive order regarding water deliveries to Southern California was appreciated by Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District, General Manager Tom Neisler said in an email last week. “Cooperation between federal, state and...
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Winter storm impacts Highway 58, brings kids out to play in snow
Sunday’s winter storm forced many travelers to use highways 14 and highway 58 as alternate routes when Interstate 5 was closed. Traffic was heavy for hours over the Tehachapi Mountains. Sunday’s winter storm forced the closure of Interstate 5 at the...
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City, county working on $3.7 million roundabout at Tucker and Highline
Kern County and the city of Tehachapi have agreed to partner to build a $3.7 million roundabout for the intersection of Tucker and Highline roads, according to Jay Schlosser, development services director for the city. More than $3.3 million of the...
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Tehachapi area has more than 16 million gallons of water stored for firefighting — and more in lakes
With firestorms burning in Southern California, residents of the greater Tehachapi area have expressed concern through social media about local preparation, including water for fighting fires. All of the Tehachapi area, including the city via...
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Area’s rainfall in October through December was third lowest since 2003
Sunny days with little chance of precipitation are forecast for Tehachapi for the next week or more. And that’s not good news. Unless the next four or five months see a deluge, the area may end up in drought again. The first snow survey of the season...
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Wildfires, elections dominated the year
Last week’s edition included highlights of the first half of 2024. This week provides a recap of community news and activities from July through December. Wildfires in surrounding areas — with firefighters and evacuees accommodated in Tehachapi — was...
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Union workers at cement plant ask for community support
Union employees at Tehachapi Cement LLC reached out to the community last week asking for support as they go into negotiations with the company that purchased the cement plant east of the city just over a year ago. Shaun Lundquist, president of United...
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Keeping memories alive
Wreaths Across America is a national event held in towns across America each December. Started in 1992 in Maine, the ceremony is held in large cities and small towns across the nation. Its purpose is to “remember the fallen, honor those that serve and...
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Tehachapi native Don Johnson receives FAA’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot award
Don Johnson was only 14 when he first flew over the Tehachapi Valley, soloing in a glider at that young age. A recent recipient of the Federal Aviation Authority’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot award, Johnson has more than 30,000 hours of flight time....
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Brite Lake water level lower than usual due to late irrigation demands
Brite Lake is lower than forecast or desired, General Manager Tom Neisler told members of the Board of Directors of Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District at their Nov. 20 meeting. The lake, also known as J.C. Jacobsen Reservoir, is located just...
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First winter storm hits Bear Valley
Cold temperatures, along with hail, fog, icy roads and light snow greeted Bear Valley residents early Friday morning. Snow plows quickly made the main traffic arteries safe for travel on the 4,000-foot valley floor. Higher elevations had a chain or...
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Chris Parlier leads race for District 2 county supervisor
Former Bakersfield City Councilman Chris Parlier appears to have won the District 2 Kern County supervisorial seat formerly held by Zack Scrivner. Scrivner resigned effective Aug. 2, leaving just days for candidates to file for the election to fill...
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College district buys land in Tehachapi for Cerro Coso campus
Kern Community College District recently purchased nearly seven acres of land in Tehachapi to provide a campus for Cerro Coso Community College. Cerro Coso is part of KCCD, along with Bakersfield College and Porterville College. The college’s...
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School board moves forward with recruitment of interim and permanent superintendent
Awkward might be one way to discuss the school board’s special meeting on Oct. 23. At its Oct. 8 meeting, the Board of Trustees of Tehachapi Unified School District agreed to hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. Oct. 23 to review applications from firms...
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THS Homecoming 2024
At Tehachapi High School’s triumphant Homecoming on Friday, Oct. 17, Owen Henry and Emily Perkins were chosen to be king and queen. The entire Homecoming Court consisted of THS seniors. Other nominees for king were Beckham Franchere, Payton Henry,...
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School district begins seeking search firm to hire new superintendent
Tehachapi Unified School District has begun the process of hiring a new school superintendent. Superintendent Stacey Larson-Everson will retire next month after serving the district since 2019. After much discussion during its Oct. 8 meeting, the...
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District 2 residents face a packed race for supervisor
The District 2 seat on the Kern County Board of Supervisors wasn’t scheduled to be on the ballot until 2026, but an early resignation from former Supervisor Zack Scrivner left a vacancy on the board. Scrivner had been absent from board meetings...
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A day of iron and the sound of thunder
Rods, pistons, flatheads, gear ratios, tuck and roll. These were just some of the many terms overheard at Saturday’s Thunder On The Mountain Car and Motorcycle Show. At noon exactly, the engines all fired up at once, and the revving of engines echoed...
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