Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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An arrest was made over the weekend and three other cases were handed to the District Attorney’s Office for investigation regarding a rash of illegal fireworks activity in and around Shafter. Police Chief Kevin Zimmermann posted a video reaching out to the community for assistance in catching the perpetrators, who have been inundating the community with a series of explosions, some strong enough to rattle windows. Shafter’s pet population has also been disturbed by the noi...
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the community of Shafter still held its annual Community Vacation Bible School, letting the kids delve into the mystery of creation. This event was the result of a collaborative effort, involving local churches and a host of volunteers. Put on by Valley Bible Church, De La Saron Church, Shafter Christian Fellowship and New Hope Church, the Vacation Bible School was a chance for local children to gather for the first time for a lot of fun...
With the governor of California reinstating the Stay at Home order for one county in the state, 12 more counties have been put on a watch list, creating the possibility that the order may be reinstated. To try to negate the need for it, an order has been made that makes it necessary for residents to wear a face covering whenever entering most public buildings in the state. In Shafter, more than 75 percent of businesses now require customers to wear a face mask to enter. Even...
One group of the population that has been hit hard with the current pandemic is the animal residents of the county, with its shelters limiting their services, including suspending all adoptions and rescues. In March, all adoptions and rescues were suspended. Last week, however, Shafter's shelter reopened to the public, with all services in operation, including adoptions. There are guidelines to follow: All business is by appointment only, and face coverings are required to...
The Walmart Distribution Center in Shafter, which has seen its opening date pushed back into the spring of 2021, celebrated the Fourth of July with a flag raising and a fundraiser benefiting the Children's Miracle Network. Caleb Dobbs, the event coordinator, said this was the first time the flag was raised at the facility. The Shafter Police Department was on hand as well. Distribution Center 8522 has hit some delays in scheduling its opening date. With much of its equipment...
Tigers' Taekwondo, with studios in Shafter and Wasco, were back in action as training sessions began on Monday June 15. The studios had been closed for almost three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Returning students were met with a different setup, including a hand sanitizer station at the entrance and a laser thermometer that takes every student's temperature upon entering the building. A reading that is not within the normal range requires the student to return home...
The Shafter Chamber of Commerce has been busy at work, even as the majority of city businesses were at a virtual standstill for the past couple of months. The organization has been a go-to source of information when it comes to the status of eating establishments in town, as well as resources available to local businesses and individuals. At a recent meeting, after a lengthy discussion, the Chamber decided not to cancel the popular Fireworks Extravaganza, instead opting to...
An arrest was made over the weekend and three other cases were handed to the Kern County District Attorney's Office for investigation regarding a slew of illegal fireworks activity in and around Shafter. Chief Kevin Zimmermann posted a video reaching out to the community for assistance in catching the perpetrators who have been inundating the community with a series of explosions, some strong enough to rattle windows. Shafter's pet population has also been thrown into chaos wi...
The Shafter City Council held a special meeting on Tuesday night and approved the budget for 2020-21with a unanimous vote. The budget proposal was the same one that had been discussed over the past few weeks with minor changes. The budget projects a 7.5% decrease in sales tax revenue, with there still being a chance, according to City Manager Gabriel Gonzales, of stronger performance because of the position of online retail sales, led by Williams Sonoma. The housewares...
After a hiatus due to the coronavirus, the Shafter Woman's Club met on June 10 to install new officers. President Angie Nelson's theme, "Fostering Kindness," will guide the club for two years. Social distancing and masks were a part of the event. The club received several awards in the past year for several different projects. In Cans d'Arte, the event that is held during the Colours Festival, the club received an State Art Award. They also received a State Award in Domestic...
The Shafter City Council got a sneak peek at the 2020-21 budget at a special meeting Monday night. The budget is very different than what had been projected in earlier discussions, primarily the result of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Consultant William Stadler, who was retained by the city to help them form the budget, presented the council with an overview that included a drastic reduction in capital improvement projects that the city had previously slated for...
Shafter has a new Distinguished Young Woman, and her name is Shelbee Ramos. With the competition held online, including video interviews, taping their routines, including Self Expression and the Talent competitions, this year's program navigated through unchartered territory. With the event originally scheduled for Friday, March 20, the coronavirus situation made it necessary to first postpone the program. According to Toni Franz of the Shafter DYW program, the event was...
The Shafter City Council voted last week to approve a plan to move forward on the engineering phase of the roundabout project that includes Santa Fe Way, Los Angeles Avenue, Highway 43 North and Highway 43 South. The council’s approval means that Caltrans can continue their work on configuring the intersection. Beech Avenue is presently a part of the intersection, but it will not be a part of the roundabout that is being drawn up, based on Caltrans’ recommendation. With Beech Avenue a part of the project, the cost of the pro...
The 2020 Census has been in motion for months, and the response from this area has been well below the state average, leading Census Bureau staff to take action in attempting to increase the local response numbers. Shafter is lagging behind the average percentage for Kern County, with about a 54% response rate. Wasco is further behind, with a rate of 53%. There are varying opinions on reasons for low response. At a conference held at the Larry E. Reider Institute last year,...
Breanna Jimenez, 31, of Shafter, is scheduled to appear on June 24 for a preliminary hearing on vehicular manslaughter charges related to an accident in which one of her children was killed. The incident occurred on Feb. 24 on Lerdo Highway, where Jimenez lost control of her vehicle and rolled over, ending up in an orchard. Her 6-year old son Jaden died as a result of the accident. Jimenez’s bail remains at $50,000. She also is charged with three counts of willful cruelty t...
Truth Church, which began its journey conducting local home Bible studies, celebrated its 10-year church and pastoral anniversary. "We have a rich apostolic heritage, coming from Greater Bakersfield First Pentecostal Church, where over 50 preachers have been sent throughout the world under the leadership of Elder I.H. Terry and Bishop Leon Frost," said Truth Church's founding pastor, Rev. Frank Cabrera, who has served since its inception in 2010. In 2009, Frank and Alicia...
The City of Shafter has reopened government buildings, including City Hall, with safety restrictions in place. At a recent City Council meeting, City Manager Gabriel Gonzales said, “We are opening our city buildings to the public on Monday. But, we will be observing safety guidelines to protect our staff, as well as the residents.” Upon arriving at City Hall, visitors are met with a couple of canopies that are in use in case of lines outside of the building. There is a limit o...
The Shafter Chamber of Commerce decided to postpone the annual 3rd of July Fireworks Extravaganza and rescheduled it for Saturday, Sept. 5, as part of the Labor Day holiday weekend. The decision was made at the chamber’s last regular meeting, after the group discussed several options. A decision had to be made in order to avoid paying a penalty for violating the cancellation policy put in place by Zambelli Fireworks Inc., the company that provides the fireworks display for t...
A Shafter woman was formally charged with one count of vehicular manslaughter and three counts of willful cruelty to a child in connection with a fatal rollover crash in February. Shafter Police Department was dispatched to the scene in the 30000 block of West Tulare Avenue after 4:30 p.m. on the day of the accident, finding the vehicle in the orchards and 6-year-old Jade Jimenez critically injured. The driver, Jade's mother, Breanna Jimenez, and her other two children in the...
It may have been a different type of ceremony, but the result was the same. Over 300 graduates from Richland Junior High made the transition from eighth-grade Trojans to Shafter High Generals last Friday with a special ceremony that was put on in the face of the restrictions in place because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Facing the possibility of having to graduate 346 students with no celebration or ceremony at all, Interim Superintendent Rosa Romero and her administration at...
Shafter has celebrated May as Shafter Strong month, with different themes each week, including drawing thank you's in chalk to our First Responders one week and lighting up the night last week, with houses bathed in red, white and blue lights during Light the Night Week. This week, the month was finished up with residents decorating their cars, bicycles and themselves in patriotic colors, showing off their patriotism and city pride. A large number of people hit the streets...
The Maple School Mustangs held a drive-by graduation ceremony last Friday, celebrating the students' accomplishments and their step into the high school arena. There were 31 students receiving their diplomas with a parade of vehicles making their way into the school parking lot. As each vehicle stopped in front of the makeshift podium, the student would exit the vehicle and receive their diploma. As they took the diploma, a short bio about each student was presented, listing...
On this Memorial Day, it seemed kind of surreal. In my lifetime, we have been involved in the Vietnam War, the wars in the Middle East and several events on our homefront, including government buildings in Oklahoma and a tragedy in New York City, in which we were attacked on a large scale with planes flying into the Twin Towers, resulting in the largest terrorist attack ever on American soil. With each occurrence, the patriotism and strength have shown in our military, our civ...
With the cancellations of the annual Memorial Day ceremonies that are usually held at cemeteries across the county, Shafter and Wasco still recognized their fallen heroes with American flags on the graves of the veterans who have been laid to rest there. Memorial Day honors men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. At the Shafter Memorial Cemetery all of the veterans' graves were adorned with American flags. Relatives of those veterans were at the cemetery...
JAMIE STEWART and TONI DeROSA The Shafter Press | Wasco Tribune Local restaurants are coming alive in varying degrees, with some opening fully and still others taking smaller steps. In Shafter, the entrance into Phase 2 has meant different things to different people when it comes to the restaurants in town. A few of the restaurants have opened back up, with limitations according to the guidelines set up by Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Kern County Public Health Department. On one...
