From the Employment Development Department this morning:

The unemployment rate in Kern County was 13.9 percent in September 2009, down from a revised 14.4 percent in August 2009, and above the year-ago estimate of 9.1 percent. 

This compares with an unadjusted unemployment rate of 12.0 percent for California and 9.5 percent for the nation during the same period. 

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Weekend of Oct. 11-12, there are Christmas trees and garland for sale at Costco.

Anyone else see any premature Christmas elation?

State Sen. Dean Florez called upon the California Public Utilities Commission to stop Pacific Gas and Electric Co. from installing more SmartMeters and implementing any rate increases until meters can be thoroughly tested by independent technology experts.

Read the story here.

Click on the blue box above to read the full text of the senator's letter.

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Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan on Oct. 1 will host a Facebook chat about the 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' initiative to discuss the importance of better connecting producers with consumers to create economic opportunities throughout the country.

Merrigan will highlight how rural communities will benefit by rebuilding local and regional food systems. To join the 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food" chat, log-on Thursday, Oct. 1 from 3:45 to 4:15 p.m. EDT. (12:45 pm to 1:15 pm Pacific). Details are available at www.usda.gov/live and people can submit a question in advance of the chat or watch the conversation on the USDA website.

Just last week, USDA launched a new website, at www.usda.gov/knowyourfarmer, which features social media tools to help focus the public conversation about farming and food, while engaging American agriculture and linking producers to customers. The 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' website directs consumers and producers to new media resources, such as information on the USDA blog, Facebook discussions, Twitter and YouTube videos. The public will be able to send their stories, ideas or videos to the 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' team at knowyourfarmer@usda.gov. The public can become a fan of USDA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/USDA.

 

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Teixeira Plea Ag~.pdf

Click on the blue box to read the full text of the plea agreement in the case of Jerald Teixeira.

This is the first criminal proceeding in a federal investigation into borrowing and investment activity at the now-defunct Crisp, Cole & Associates.

And if you missed it, read our full coverage here.

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In business reporter Courtenay Edelhart's Sept. 24 story, retailers that sell costumes are making their predictions about what the big sellers will be this Halloween.

What are you dressing up as?

Clothing retailer Forever 21’s new department store format will open in the former Gottschalks at Valley Plaza mall in mid-November, the mall’s general manager said Tuesday.

In June, Los Angeles-based Forever 21 purchased at auction more than a dozen leases held by bankrupt Gottschalks, including the anchor spot at Valley Plaza.

The so-called premier stores will carry Forever 21’s signature trendy clothes for women, as well as the company’s other lines — Heritage 1981, a men’s and women’s casual brand; Twelve by Twelve, an affordable couture brand; Faith 21, a plus-size brand; and Love 21, a contemporary brand.

Fresno-based Gottschalks filed for bankruptcy protection in January and is in the process of liquidating its assets.

— Californian staff writer Courtenay Edelhart

Here's a news release from the IRS about this tax credit:

More than 160,000 California taxpayers so far have taken advantage of the first-time homebuyer federal tax credit that provides up to $8,000 to those purchasing a home.
But time is running out to qualify. Here are 10 things the IRS wants you to know about this valuable credit:

1. To be considered a first-time homebuyer, you — and your spouse if you are married — must not have jointly or separately owned another principal residence during the three years prior to the date of purchase.

2. You cannot claim the credit before there is a completed sale and purchase of the residence. The sale and purchase are generally completed at the time of closing on the purchase.

3. To qualify for the credit, the completed purchase must occur before Dec. 1, 2009.

4. The home must be located in the United States.

5. The credit is either 10 percent of the purchase price of the home or $8,000, whichever is less.

6. The amount of the credit begins to phase out for taxpayers whose modified adjusted gross income is more than $75,000 or $150,000 for joint filers.

7. The credit is fully refundable. A homebuyer with no taxable income, who qualifies for the credit, may file for the sole purpose of claiming the credit and receive a refund. The credit will be paid out to eligible taxpayers, even if they owe no tax or the credit is more than the tax owed.

8. The credit is claimed on IRS Form 5405, First-Time Homebuyers Credit.

9. Taxpayers can claim the credit for a qualified 2009 purchase on either their 2008 or 2009 tax return. For those who have filed a 2008 return, a Form 1040X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return can be filed in order to get a refund in 2009.

10. The credit for qualified 2009 purchases does not have to be repaid, as long as the home remains your main home for 36 months after the purchase date.

Qualified taxpayers who have been considering a main home purchase may find extra incentive from this tax credit to buy now so they can complete the purchase before the Dec. 1 deadline. 

For more information on this and other key tax provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, visit the official IRS Web site at www.irs.gov.
 

Total population: 800,458;
51.8 percent male and 48.2 percent female.

Population age 18 and older: 561,613

Households: 244,186, including 101,793 with children under age 18 still at home.

Average household size: 3.1

Marital status of those age 15 and up: 119,943 men were never married, vs. 84,736 women.

(updated info on education to clarify)
People age 25+ with just a high school diploma or equivalent: 115,320

Those 25+ with some college, no degree: 112,891

Those 25+ with an associate degree: 34,825

Those 25+ with a bachelor's degree: 48,854

Those 25+ with a graduate or professional degree: 20,651

People enrolled in college, undergraduate and graduate: 49,497.

Languages spoken at home: 292,131 people ages 5 and older speak a language other than English.

Occupied housing units: 244,186, including 145,468 owner-occupied (59.6 percent) and 98,718 renter-occupied (40.4 percent).

Median monthly cost of homes with a mortgage: $1,591

Median gross rent: $801 
   
Race or ethnicity: 69.5 percent white;
47.1 percent Hispanic or Latino;
5.5 percent black;
3.7 percent Asian; 17.9 percent
other; and 3.5 percent two or more races.

Place of birth: 155,938, or 19.5 percent, were foreign born.

Source: 2008 American Community Survey

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Get a snapshot of the local residential real estate market by taking a look at what’s sold recently in Bakersfield.

See the current update to our home sales map, plus a year’s worth of data on the sale of Bakersfield homes.

We publish single-family home sale transactions, as well as foreclosures. The homes are color-coded by price, with information from First American Real Estate Solutions.

This week’s data covers July 27 to 31. Highlights include:

90 homes are newly plotted on the map.

Priciest? One sold for $1,077,590 in the 93308 ZIP code. It was 2,464 square feet.

Cheapest? One sold for $28,500 in the 93307 ZIP code. It was 986 square feet.