The man who runs the City of Bakersfield's entertainment center - the Dignity Health Arena, Theater & Convention Center and the Amphitheater at the Park at River Walk - stopped by to talk about all the big shows to check out this season!

Adam Miller is the General Manager of the City's venues and he talked to us about what you should be looking forward to, from the Harlem Globetrotters return, to the Offspring and Trans Siberian Orchestra and more!

Things are getting spooky at the Bakersfield Police Department this month: It's almost time for Hal-LAW-een!

Carina Ortiz and Sgt. Eric Celedon from BPD's Community Outreach team stop by the podcast to talk about their signature annual event, how it came about and its growth over the years to become a huge gathering the community has embraced. Plus, find out what you need to know if you plan on coming!

Just about every City department will be involved in the fun on Thursday, Oct. 30 at BPD HQ on Truxtun Avenue, and we hope you and your kids can make it out and we can make this year's the biggest yet!

Flush... OK, now what?

Ever wonder what happens after you flush? Or how water is treated after it goes down your sink or shower drains?

Wonder no more! Assistant Water Director Evette Roldan stops by to talk all things wastewater, from what it is to how it's treated and what happens to it after it's treated.

Learn about the City of Bakersfield's two Wastewater Treatment Plants, plants 2 and 3 and why there is no plant 1. Plus, what the future of wastewater looks like!

The City of Bakersfield's Economic & Community Development Department offers a variety of support for local businesses and entrepreneurs, from grants to programs.

ECD Director Jenni Byers stops by to talk about some of those programs. We discuss what ECD does, why it exists, what type of support it offers, and we even talk about specific opportunities such as the Economic Opportunity Area grants available to local businesses to help them operate more efficiently and effectively, improving the City's economy overall.

So, if you've got a business in one of those seven EOA locations in Bakersfield, you could have some extra help available to make your business even more successful!

City Manager Christian Clegg joins the podcast once again to talk about the State of the City address and what's happening in Bakersfield.

What is the "State of the City" you ask? Well, we cover that! But in general, it's an annual event hosted by the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce for the City Manager to share important accomplishments from the past year, as well as what the public can expect moving forward. This year's state of the City was held on Wednesday, July 16.

So, it's a great catchall if you want to know what's going on in your city. Take a listen and catch up on what Bakersfield has been up to and what to look forward to in the near future!

And don't forget to like and subscribe so you don't miss an episode!

It's something just about everyone who gets behind the wheel deals with at some point: Distracted Driving.

Sure, we all know we're not supposed to do it, but it can still happen. And it's not just texting while driving. It can be anything from fiddling with the radio, looking up an address on GPS, or even just talking with your friends in the back seat.

Distracted Driving is anything that takes your attention off the task at hand: Driving safely.

It can also be deadly, leading to nearly 3,300 deaths on the road each year.

This episode - as part of the City of Bakersfield's awareness campaign - we chat with Bakersfield Police Sgt. Caleb Kiser about the dangers of Distracted Driving, what it is, how to prevent it, and how quickly something can go wrong and change your life and the lives of others forever.

The Fourth of July is an exciting day for celebrating our nation's history and freedoms, but for our furry friends, it can be a frightening time, too. And it's the busiest time of the year for our staff at the Bakersfield Animal Care Center.

Matthew Buck, Executive Director of the BACC, stops by to talk about their free microchipping campaign ahead of Independence Day and shares some helpful tips for keeping your pets safe when the fireworks start!

Lt. Nicole Anderberg and Jamie Achterberg are back for a second round with us, talking about the Community Vitality Unit.

We go into more depth this time into the programs and services the CVU is using to make the City of Bakersfield better for everyone who lives and visits here. Learn about how the it works when you let us know about an issue that CVU will respond to.

We also talk about the Trespass Enforcement Authorization for property owners so that the Bakersfield Police Department can quickly respond to trespassing incidents.

And if you missed it, go check out Part 1 here!

Our 10th episode of The Something Better Podcast is here and it's a two-parter! We talk with two key members of the Community Vitality Unit who helps address homelessness in Bakersfield and quality of life issues.

Lt. Nicole Anderberg and Jamie Achterberg sit down with us to explain exactly what the Community Vitality Unit does and how they're making impacts on issues the public cares about.

We can't get to everything in this episode, so be sure to check out episode 11 next week (May 27) where we go even more in-depth with the CVU and their work!

The City of Bakersfield launched its Park Rangers program in 2022, helping make parks safer for visitors and preventing costly damage to our important amenities.

Park Rangers Manager Billy Owens and Park Rangers Supervisor Mike Dobbs stop by the podcast to talk about the program and two new initiatives that have recently launched: An e-bike program to reduce response times and get help to those who need it quicker; and a volunteer bike patrol program for the Kern River Bike Trail.

The four e-bikes were purchased thanks to a grant from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and the bike patrol features 10 volunteers.