We are living in unprecedented times. How many times have you heard someone say that? There are a variety of ways this virus has infiltrated our lives. I know you’ve heard that too. On March 11, the World Health Organization declared coronavirus a pandemic. Days later on March 14, churches and places of worship are […]
After I was involved in two fatal shootings with the Highway Patrol, I decided I needed to get off the road for awhile. I transferred to a headquarters position in the Vehicle Theft Unit. In addition to my other responsibilities, I taught an officer-involved-shooting/peer support class. During the next 16 months, I received nothing but […]
I worked at Juvenile Hall for 30 years and remember so many teenagers going through the system. In one incident, a 16-year-old boy was sent to Juvenile Hall for the first time. He had a lot of family problems. Before he went to court to learn his fate, I told him to just make sure […]
Halloween is on Oct. 31, but it is one of the most confusing times of the year for some people in the United States. We are about to get an extra hour for this, perhaps the worst year in recent history. We are gaining 60 minutes in 2020. Who in the world wants that? The […]
When I was a young officer on the Highway Patrol, I changed into my uniform at home, put a jacket over it, and then drove to work. One day while driving to the office, I noticed a guy on a motorcycle ride out of his front gate and accelerate down the sidewalk. He was going […]
While working for the Highway Patrol, I drove north on the freeway and saw black smoke coming up below the freeway. I took the exit and saw a car on fire, which had struck a power pole. I requested the fire department. Two other vehicles with spectators exited the freeway and stopped at the scene. […]
Once while working the graveyard shift for the Highway Patrol, my partner and I were patrolling in the cold when he had to use the restroom. We stopped at a gas station, used the facilities and left. As we were about to enter the freeway, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a […]
By George Stahl Who would you say was your favorite pastry maker, and what was it they baked? Many would probably say mom, or grandma; and it was apple pie. That is, if you are a true American. After all, that was the standard answer for any serviceman in World War II if they were […]
Tomorrow, Oct. 15, marks the beginning of Medicare’s “Annual Enrollment Period” (AEP). This is the one time of the year when people on Medicare are able to change their Medicare Advantage HMO plans or their Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans (PDP). Most people on Medicare should be reviewing not only their current coverage, but […]
By George Stahl As much as it feels that COVID-19 has consumed our days, the everyday things that life throws at us have not stopped — the good and the bad that happens to us all. Recently, one of those life things came to a family in the Kern River Valley in the form of […]
