Good Morning Bakersfield! I joined the Eyewitness news team in November 2009. I wake up bright and early to anchor the Eyewitness News morning with John from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. I'm a news junkie and I love a good story.
I got my first taste of a newsroom at WCJB TV20 News in Gainesville, Florida There, I honed my skills on the assignment desk. But my first on-air gig, was in Charlottesville, Virginia. I finally got that "reporter" title on NBC29. I worked hard to expose sex offenders violating the law and Virginia State Police's lack of resources to monitor them. My reports led to the arrest of multiple sex offenders in Albemarle County.
But my next adventure, would take me far from the East Coast. I headed to The Last Frontier, where there was never a dull moment. From the troopergate scandal connected to Governor Sarah Palin, to her rise to international fame, I caught up with Governor Palin on several occasions to talk to her about it all. I also traveled to a few isolated rural villages near the Arctic Circle to tell the stories of Native Alaskans fighting global warming and record-high energy costs. But perhaps one of the most memorable moments was the eruption of Mount Redoubt. I was the first reporter to fly over the volcano, Mount Redoubt, after its eruption and tell about it's destruction to a nearby oil storage facility.
When I'm not at work, you'll likely find me exploring the great outdoors. I love to snowboard, hike and kayak. You might also find me digging my hands in the dirt of my garden. I love to travel. As an army brat, my family moved around quite a bit. We lived in Puerto Rico, Panama, and South Carolina. But I've learned that the great getaways, are the trips back home to see my friends and family in Puerto Rico.
If you have a news story you want to tell me about, e-mail me at lsantiago@bakersfieldnow.com.
One Classroom at a Time: Earl Warren Junior High School (Video)
