News Turns Personal: The hostage standoff in Bakersfield, CA that spanned June 2-3 found a member of the KUZZ news team in the unusual position of having to report on a situation in which his own stepdaughter was among the hostages. The staffer, who asked that his name not be used to protect his family's privacy, spoke with Country Aircheck about the harrowing overnight standoff between law enforcement and the hostage taker, who had what he claimed was a bomb strapped to his chest.

The KUZZ staffer's stepdaughter had a phone and was periodically able to communicate with family via text. Thankfully, the situation ended with none of the hostages physically harmed, although, he says, "They spent 16 hours wondering if this was their last hour on earth. They're going to have to cope with that for the rest of their lives."