23ABC News at 6 a.m. - January 29

One man has changed his life for the better after saving dogs in Kern County.

By tomorrow the City of Bakersfield will be opening up a new gas station.

SWEETNESS... A LOOK BACK AT THELIFE OF FRANK DEMARCO -- FOUNDEROFROSEMARY'S CREAMERY -- WHOPASSED AWAY THIS WEEK.A MAN BEHIND BARS FOR OVER ADECADE --NOW GIVING BACK TOSOCIETY IN A WAY HE NEVERIMAGINED.GOOD MORNING... AND THANKS FORTUNING IN FOR 23ABC NEWS ATSIX A-M..

I'M MIKE HART.AND I'M DANIELLE KERNKAMP.(THERE ARE NO MAJOR TRAFFICINCIDENTS TO REPORT THISMORNING.)(THERE ARE NO MAJOR TRAFFICINCIDENTS TO REPORT THISMORNING.)A STORM IS SWEEPING DOWN FROMTHE PACIFIC NORTHWEST OVERNEVADA TODAY AS HIGH PRESSUREBUILDS IN FROM THE PACIFIC.

THATLEAVES KERN COUTY SQUEEZEDBETWEEN THE TWO, SO WE ARESEEING FAST NORTHERLY WINDSWHICH ARE BLUSTERYTHROUGH THE MOUNTAIN PASSES.THAT'S ALSO CAUSINGCLOUDS TO BANK UP AGAINST THEFOOTHILLS, SO THERE'S A CHANCEOF SHOWERS AND EVEN A COUPLESNOW FLURRIES, ESPECIALLY ATTHE BASE OF THE GRAPEVINE ANDTHE 58.

THE CLOUDS WILLSTART TO BREAK UP OVER THEVALLEY MID-DAY, WITH CLEARINGBUT COOLER CONDITIONS AS WINDSCONTINUE THROUGH THE PASSES ANDDOWN INTO THE DESERT THROUGH THEAFTERNOON.

AS A RESULT EXPECTCOOLER TEMPERATURES THISAFTERNOON,WITH MID-50S IN THE VALLEY,UPPER 50S IN THE KERN RIVERVALLEY, LOW 50S BRIEFLY IN THESOUTH MOUNTAINS OF TEHACHAPI ANDFRAZIER PARK, AND LOW 60S IN THEKERN DESERT.WE'RE FOLLOWING BREAKING NEWSTHIS MORNING --AN EARTHQUAKE REPORTED IN THEHEART OF OILDALE.23ABC'S AUSTIN WESTFALL IS INOILDALE WHERE THOUSANDSWERE JOLTED AWAKE THIS MORNING.WE BEGIN THIS MORNING WITH THELOSS OF A MAN WITH A TRULY"SWEET" DISPOSITION!!FRANK DEMARCO..

THE FOUNDER OFROSEMARY'S CREAMERY -- DIEDMONDAY DUE TO COMPLICATIONS FROMCONGESTIVEHEART FAILURE, ACCORDING TO HISFAMILY."HE LOVED DOING THIS -- AND WHATHETAUGHT ME ABOUT THIS PLACE WASHARD WORK"FOR THE LAST 36 YEARS, HISLEGACY HAS BROUGHT SWEETNESS ANDJOY TO THE COMMUNITY, THROUGHTHESWEET TREATS AT ROSEMARY'SCREAMERY.ROSEMARY'S HAS BECOME ABAKERSFIELD STAPLE, LOCATEDON THE CORNER OF F AND 28THSTREETS IN DOWNTOWNBAKERSFIELD.THE ICE CREAM SHOP, NAMED AFTERDEMARCO'S WIFE OF MORETHAN 60 YEARS, WAS OPENED BY THECOUPLE BACK IN 1984."CUSTOMERS TO US ARE VERYIMPORTANT.WITHOUT THEM, YOU HAVE NOTHING,SO YOU HAVE TO TREAT THEM WITHRESPECT,AND YOU HAVE TO GIVE THEM A GOODPRODUCT"THAT WAS AN INTERVIEW WHEN WESPOKE WITH FRANK DEMARCOIN 20-15 - AS HE TALKED ABOUTTHE IMPORTANCE OF CUSTOMERSERVICE.AND PATRICK BRANDON --DEMARCO'SGRANDSON--SAYSTHE BUSINESS WILL CONTINUESERVING THE COMMUNITYSWEET SCOOPS OF ICE CREAM.THE SERVICES HONORING ANDREMEMBERING THE LIFE OFFRANK DEMARCO ARE OPEN TO THEPUBLIC AND WILL BE HELD ONFEBRUARY 5TH AT ST.

FRANCIS.DEMARCO WAS 89-YEARS-OLD.AFTER SPENDING 12 YEARS BEHINDBARS.

ROBBIE MILLER NEVERPUT MUCH THOUGHT INTO WHAT HEWANTED OUT OF LIFEOUTSIDE PRISON WALLS.HE NEVER IMAGINED HE WOULD MEETA FRIEND THATWOULD... NOT ONLY HELP HIMADJUST TO A NEW LIFE AFTERPRISON... BUT LEAD HIM TO A LIFECHANGING CAREER.NAT: DOGROBBIE MILLERFOUNDER SOS DOG RESCUE"ONCE I GOT THAT DOG IT GAVE MEPURPOSE IN LIFE."ROBBIE MILLER'S LIFE DIDN'TALWAYS LOOK LIKE THIS."I HAD A BROKEN FAMILY.

I WENTTO THE STREETS.

I WAS LOOKINGFORLOVE IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES.

IGOT INVOLVED IN GANGS ANDVIOLENCE AND DRUGS."YEARS AGO WHILE LIVING INSOUTHERN CALIFORNIA,WRONG TURNS AND BAD DECISIONSEVENTUALLY LEDROBBIE HERE.

THE OKLAHOMA STATEPENITENTIARY.

(SHOW INMATEPIC)"...I GOT LOCKED UP FOR ARMEDROBBERY WHERE I DID 12 YEARS INPRISON.""I WAS DOING MY TIME AND THEFIRST 9 YEARS I WAS CAUGHT UPWITH ALL THE PRISON POLITICS"BUT TOWARDS THE END OF HISSENTENCE... A CHANGE OFHEART."THE LAST THREE YEARS I JUST GOTSICK AND TIRED OF LIVING THATLIFESTYLE AND STARTED GOING TOCHURCH AND GETTING MYHEART RIGHT"ROBBIE SAYS HE WASN'T SUREEXACTLY WHAT LIFE AFTERPRISON WOULD LOOK LIKE...BUT HEDID KNOW HE WANTED A DOG." IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT WASMEANT TO HAPPEN."AFTER 12 YEARS BEHINDBARS.ROBBIE WAS RELEASED IN2014 AND CAME TO LIVE WITHFAMILY IN KERN COUNTY.THE TRANSITION WAS NOT EASY."...WHEN YOU GET OUT OF THEPENITENTIARY AND YOU ARE ALLTATTED UP AND YOU FEEL PEOPLEARE JUDGING YOU EVEN THOUGHTHEY MIGHT NOT BECAUSE THEY SEEYOU AND YOU ARE GOING TOGET TREATED DIFFERENT."THAT'S WHEN ROBBIE LEARNED ABOUTSHADOW--RESCUED THROUGH MARLEY'S MUTT'S DOGRESCUE.

"SHADOW WAS LOCKED IN ACAGE IN RIDGECREST AND THEY SHOTHER WHEN SHE WAS IN A CRATEDUMPED IN A DESERT SO WHENI READ HER STORY I RELATED TOHER ABOUT BEING IN A CAGE"ROBBIE SAID IT WAS BECAUSE OFSHADOW EMOTIONS WERERESURFACING THAT HE HADN'TEXPERIENCED SINCE BEFORE HESERVED TIME."COMPASSION, LOVE, THAT WAS ALLOUT THE WINDOW BECAUSEIF YOU SHOW WEAKNESS IN THERE,PEOPLE THRIVE OFF OF IT.""WHEN YOU GO TO THE PENITENTIARYIN YOUR 20S AND MISS YOUR WHOLE20S, THERE WAS A LOT OF STUFFTHAT I DIDN'T UNDERSTANDWHEN I GOT OUT BECAUSE THOSE ARESOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANTYEARS FOR YOU TURNING INTO ANADULT."AFTER HE STOOD BY SHADOW'S SIDEAS SHE UNDERWENT ALIFE SAVING SURGERY...MILLERSAYS HE WAS INSPIRED BY HERSTRENGTH."THERE WAS A 40 CALIBER BULLETLAUNCHED IN HER LUNGS ABOUT ACENTIMETER FROM HER HEART SOTHEY ACTUALLY HAD TOCRACK HER OPEN, REMOVE PART OFHER LUNG AND SHE IS STILL HERETODAY BUT SHE WENT THROUGH A LOTTO SURVIVE."IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE HIS LOVEFOR SHADOW GREW INTOSOMETHING MORE.

AFTER WORKINGWITH LOCAL DOGRESCUE MARLEY'S MUTT'S... AND ADOG SANCTUARY IN OKLAHOMAWHERE HE LEARNED TO TREAT DOGS."I WAS ABLE TO LEARN MORE ABOUTDOG COMMUNICATION,BEHAVIOR, MEDICATION,VACCINATIONS, FLUIDS."...MILLER FOUNDED A DOG RESCUEOF HIS OWN STRENGTHOF SHADOW...OR SOS.THERE ARE SO MANY DOGS THAT NEEDHELP IN KERN COUNTY ANDI JUST FELT THAT THEY NEEDED APLACE UP HERE IN THE KERNVALLEY.BASED OUT OF BODFISH.

IN THELAST YEAR AND A HALF...SOSRESCUE HAS WORKED WITH ABOUT 80DOGS.

"AT SOS WHAT WE DO IS WEPULL FROM HIGH KILL SHELTERS INKERNCOUNTY ONLY.

WE RESCUE THEM.

WEDO THEIR MEDICAL WORK AND TRY TOGET THEM THEIR BASIC TRAININGLIKE CRATE TRAINING, LEASHWALKING.""THEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN ISSUESAND A LOT OF TIMES IT JUSTTAKES A LITTLE PATIENCE, ALITTLE TLC AND YOU CAN GET THEMTHROUGH.ROBBIE SAYS FROM SOS RESCUE.DOGS HAVE GONE ON TO FIND THEIRFUREVER HOMES WITH LOVINGFAMILIES.

(SHOWPICS OF FAMILIES)VETERANS IN NEED OFCOMPANIONSHIP.

"NATS FROMVETERANS VIDEO"AND EVEN TO STAR IN NATIONALCOMMERCIALS"NATS OF MILK BONE COMMERCIAL"MILLER SAYS SHADOW CHANGED HISLIFE.

AND NOWHE'S BEEN ABLE TO PAY THATFORWARD TO DOZENS OFADOPTION FAMILIES."NO MATTER WHAT WALK OF LIFE,FROM DEATHS TO PHYSICAL ABUSE,TO DIVORCES TO PRISON TOMILITARY, LIKE HOW A DOG CANBRING ANY WALK OF LIFE TOGETHER"HIS SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE MOREFULFILLING THAN HE COULDHAVE IMAGINED."TO BE A FOUNDER OF A NON PROFITAND GIVING BACK INTO THECOMMUNITY AND CHANGING PEOPLE'SLIVES ON A DAILY BASISAND DOGS.

I NEVER THOUGHT THATIT WAS POSSIBLE TO JUSTGIVE BACK BECAUSE BEFORE I WASJUST TAKING FROM THE WORLD.EVERY DAY I WAS GIVING PEOPLETHEIR FIRST ADDICTION, I WASROBBING PEOPLE... NOW EVERYDAY IAM MAKING THEWORLD A BETTER PLACE WITH MYTEAM."IF YOU WANT TO SUPPORT SOS...YOU CAN DO THAT JUST BYORDERING LUNCH AT ANGRY BARNYARDBBQ IN DOWNTOWNBAKERSFIELD.PART OF THE PROCEEDS OF THE SOSDOG GO TO SOS DOG RESCUE.THE CITY OF BAKERSFIELD ISMAKING ROOM FOR A NEWNATURAL GAS FUELING STATION -AND THE COMMMUNITY HASMAKING ROOM FOR A NEW NATURALGAS FUELING STATION - AND THECOMMMUNITY HAS A CHANCE TOWITNESS THE REVEAL.SO-CAL GAS COMPANY IS HOSTING ARIBBON-CUTTINGCEREMONY AT ITS NEW NATURAL GASFUELING STATION.THE NEW STATIONS WILL HELP CLEANTHE AIR AND REDUCECLIMATE EMISSIONS ALONG THEMAJOR LOGISTICSTRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR OFFHIGHWAYS 99 AND THE 65.THE FUELING STATION WILL BE OPENTO THE PUBLIC 24 HOURSA DAY --7 DAYS A WEEK TO SERVETHE CLEAN TRUCKING FLEETSTHAT USE RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS.THE CEREMONY IS TOMORROWSTARTING AT TEN IN THE MORNINGAT 35-118 MC-MURTREY AVENUE.THE HOUSING OPPORTUNITYFOUNDATION PRESENTS A NIGHT ATTHE OSCARS "DREAMING BEYOND THESTARS" GALA THIS WEEK.THE GALA BENEFITS LOW- INCOMEFAMILIES IN GAININGFINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE ANDSELF-SUFFICIENCY.JOIN 23ABC THIS FRIDAY JANUARY31ST AT THE PADRE HOTEL FORAN EVENING OF FUNDRAISING,INSPIRATION, AND ENTERTAINMENT.TO GET YOUR TICKETS GO TO KERNOPPORTUNITY FOUNDATION DOT ORG.FESTIVITIES INCLUDE FOOD--DRINKSANDENTERTAINMENT.THE EVENT WILL BE AT THE PADREHOTEL IN DOWNTOWNBAKERSFIELD - STARTING AT 7 P.M.A STORM IS SWEEPING DOWN FROMTH