Two groundbreaking mayors, a prominent political consultant, a beloved pediatrician and children's advocate, and a respected police chief were among the notable residents of Bakersfield who passed away in 2018. Some lived well into their 80s and 90s, and some were taken much too soon.

The new year brings with it resolutions for some, the status quo for others, and new laws impacting everyone.

• "Those two jurors are heroes and Mr. Bratton, while taking umbrage with the 10 'killer jurors,' owes his very life not just to jurors 8 and 9, and not just Ms. Singh and I, but to the entire American jury system that has been a hallmark of our nation since the Revolutionary War." — Deputy …

NEW YORK — The mass shooting at a Parkland, Fla., high school — which killed 17 students and staff, and sparked nationwide student-led marches for gun control — was the top news story of 2018, according to The Associated Press' annual poll of U.S. editors and news directors.

We had a handful of locals make it to the professional ranks, a Condors coach lose his gig and a local legend return home. And that's just the start of it.

Here are the players, personalities, teams and storylines that made the 2018 Kern County high school sports season one to remember:

Even for a last-minute town, we were still in shock when Neil Young announced in late April that he was getting the band back together — Crazy Horse — for just five shows in the Central Valley. In a year that brought us a hot new pastime, new restaurants and entertainment venues, new festiva…

Every year at this time, many in my profession, and perhaps yours, find themselves bidding the old, departing year a not-so-fond "don't let the door hit you on the way out."

When San Joaquin Valley Republicans awoke on the morning after Election Day, things didn't look too bad. The dreaded blue wave of Democratic victories had appeared to have missed most of the valley's GOP candidates.