Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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A Bakersfield man whose body was found in a Shafter farm silo was smothered, the Kern County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday. The Coroner's Office released its findings after an autopsy and toxicology tests were conducted on the body of Allen Jeffrey Stracener. The Shafter Police Department is still seeking information on the case, encouraging anyone with information to contact them to help resolve the investigation. "We still do not know what Stracener was doing in the silo," said Shafter...
With the upcoming school year nearing, Richland Junior High held their annual Arena Day event last Thursday at the Richland Activities Center. Arena Day is a one-stop shop for students entering the seventh and eighth grades. Upon arrival, each student receives a checklist that has six different stations on it, everything that the students need to complete before they are ready for the first day of classes. It was a packed house as students were separated alphabetically and staggered their...
The Shafter Kiwanis Club held their annual New Teachers Luncheon last Friday, welcoming them to Shafter with a lunch of tri-tip, pasta, salad, and an array of desserts. This tradition has been going on for decades. Organizer Arlie Smith didn't know how many years it has been in existence, but said, "I know that I was a guest here 47 years ago, starting my first year of teaching in the Richland School District." Richland Interim Superintendent Rosa Romero, who is currently doing double duty as...
The Shafter High Generals will be opening this season with a big target on their backs after running through the SSL last year on their way to a runner-up finish in the Central Section Division V championships. Coach Jerald Pierruci and company will be attempting to repeat as SSL champions after the graduation of over 50% of their starters. Pierruci said that the Generals have 28 players on the squad currently with a few key returners from last year's team, including speedster wide receiver and...
The Shafter City Council reversed their decision made on July 2 when they voted 3-2 to put a marker at the Veterans Memorial at Veterans Park with their names and titles on it. There will be no additional plaque. At the meeting on July 16 it was decided that they would revisit the issue at the next meeting after several citizens spoke out about their disagreement with the decision, and several more residents who spoke against it Tuesday night: Mary Crabb Sharron, who said that she had relatives...
[Updated at 2:50 p.m. Wednesday] The City Council, by a 3-2 vote, accepted City Manager Scott Hurlbert's resignation at a special meeting of the council on Tuesday night. In a split vote, Mayor Gilbert Alvarado, Mayor Pro-tem Cesar Lopez and Councilmember Manuel Garcia voted to accept the resignation, and Councilmembers Cathy Prout and Chad Givens voted no. The council appointed the city's chief financial executive, Administrative Services Manager Jim Zervis, as acting city manager. He is a...
True Value Hardware in Shafter held a celebration over the weekend, complete with a ribbon cutting, prizes for attendees, a car show, music and a lot of fun. The ribbon was cut on Friday morning, with a host of local dignitaries on hand to celebrate the occasion. Owner Abdula Mohsen received a proclamation from the City of Shafter, which was presented to him by Shafter Mayor Pro-Tem Cesar Lopez. Mohsen also was given proclamations by Joseph Lopez, a representative from Congressman TJ Cox's...
A Bakersfield man whose body was found in Shafter farm silo was smothered, the Kern County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday. The Coroner's Office released its findings after an autopsy and toxicology tests were conducted on the body of Allen Jeffrey Stracener. The Shafter Police Department is still seeking information on the case, encouraging anyone with information to contact them to help resolve the investigation. "We still do not know what Stracener was doing in the silo," said Shafter...
The Shafter Children’s Summer Theater celebrated their 24th year with a presentation of “Annie Jr.,” which showcased the talent in the area as the kids sang and danced their way through a very challenging score. Most know the story of the little orphan in search of her real parents. Annie, played by Megan Bloemhof, goes in search of them after escaping from the orphanage, which is ran by Miss Hannigan, played by SCST veteran Natalia Crane. Bloemhof belted out “Tomorrow,” the signature song of th...
The BNSF Railroad is planning maintenance operations on the track crossing at Lerdo Highway near State Street and Santa Fe Way, requiring the temporary closure of the crossing Tuesday through Friday, Aug. 12-18. According to the railroad, the work will make it smoother for vehicles going over the tracks, City Manager Scott Hurlbert said. The last time such maintenance occurred was six years ago. More information is available on the City of Shafter’s website, shafter.com, and the City of Shafter Facebook page....
Congressman TJ Cox, representative of California's 21st District, paid a visit to Shafter last Friday morning, stopping in at The Press office. Cox said that Congress is out of session this week, so he decided to go on a small media tour, visiting a variety of local media outlets, connecting with the constituents and giving us a chance to ask questions and voice concerns about issues that affect our Valley. Cox said that a major development in Congress this past session was progress in the...
You can smell it in the air. The green grass is being tended, the fields being prepared for another season of gridiron battles. This is my favorite time of the year, as the football teams begin practice, each team looking for that big season in which they are on top of their respective leagues, that dream of a championship in their sights. It seems that on the college level, and even on the high school level, the challenges schools face are pretty much the same each year. Sometimes, the challeng...
Children from the Community Action Partnership of Kern and the Friendship House were beneficiaries of a grant from the California Coastal Commission which provided for a trip to the beach, where they received education on ocean pollution, watersheds and marine debris. Approximately 120 students from the Shafter Youth Center and Friendship House Community Center attended the Kids Ocean Day event. The event started with a scenic bus tour to William Randolph Hearst Memorial State Beach in San...
Students who are facing a new school year are usually nervous and excited, not knowing what to expect and the challenge of making friends if they are going to a new school. Rudy Salas, partnering with the City of Shafter, Richland School District and Shafter Healthy Start, are alleviating a lot of worries for students who also have the concern of having enough supplies to have a successful school year. Assemblymember Rudy Salas held a Stuff the Bus event in Shafter on Saturday August 3 at the...
The Shafter Branch of the Kern County Library hosted Brandon Fowler and his friends from Roaming Reptiles on Tuesday at the Shafter Veterans Hall. The reptile show was such a hit last year that this year, they moved the show from the library to the Vets Hall. Almost 100 kids, of the young and old variety, were on hand to meet a number of creepy crawlies in person. Roaming Reptiles has been entertaining schools, clubs, birthday parties, and other events for years, showing the public that reptiles...
The Shafter Youth Center was full of wildlife last week as they presented their ever-famous Animal Week. Among the week's visitors was Shafter Animal Control, who gave the kids tips on how to be responsible pet owners, such as getting them licensed, spayed or neutered, and how a pet can become an important part of the family. Also on tap was the Wind Wolves Preserve, who came and talked about the special non-profit preserve that houses a group of over 30 Tule Elk. It also has among its...
The Vanguard Medical Group recently celebrated five years of service with an open house which for residents, with refreshments served as well as a variety of information and gifts. Several members of the City of Shafter staff were on hand at the event, including City Council members, the city manager and other prominent business owners in town. Headed up by Dr. Novira Sunner, administrator of the Vanguard Medical Management Co., the business was opened back in 2014 with a goal of giving the...
In a special meeting held on Thursday, July 25, the Shafter City Council approved a resolution to authorize the completion of repairs to a wall at the Shafter Modified Community Correctional Facility on Ash Avenue. Recently, water intrusion was discovered in a wall in the Modified Community Correctional Facility kitchen. Further inspection showed damage. Although the damage did not present an "emergency," there is a level of urgency to make the repairs. Staff reached out to a number of...
In a special meeting held on Thursday, July 25, the Shafter City Council approved a resolution to authorize the completion of repairs to a wall at the Shafter Modified Community Correctional Facility on Ash Avenue. Recently, water intrusion was discovered in a wall in the Modified Community Correctional Facility kitchen. Further inspection showed damage. Although the damage did not present an "emergency," there is a level of urgency to make the repairs. Staff reached out to a number of...
SL Payne, Inc., has built a flourishing business on a solid foundation of personal care and service. Steve Payne has been in the construction business for decades, serving the communities of Shafter, Wasco, Bakersfield, Delano, and all of the surrounding areas in Kern County. Payne got his feet wet in the business back in 1978. He started at the bottom and worked his way up. This gave Payne the opportunity to get experienced in all facets of the business, aiding him tremendously when it came...
The BNSF Railroad is planning maintenance operations on the track crossing at Lerdo Highway near State Street and Santa Fe Way, requiring the temporary closure of the crossing Tuesday through Friday, Aug. 12-18. According to the railroad, the work will make it smoother for vehicles going over the tracks, City Manager Scott Hurlbert said. The last time such maintenance occurred was six years ago. More information is available on the City of Shafter’s website, shafter.com, and the City of S...
The Shafter City Council reversed their decision made on July 2 when they voted 3-2 to put a marker at the Veterans Memorial at Veterans Park with their names and titles on it. There will be no additional plaque. At the meeting on July 16 it was decided that they would revisit the issue at the next meeting after several citizens spoke out about their disagreement with the decision, and several more residents who spoke against it Tuesday night: Mary Crabb Sharron, who said that she had relatives...
The Shafter Childrens Summer Theater program is preparing for opening night of Annie next Friday, Friday, Aug. 2. The program is in its 24th year and this year's performance is the tale of the adorable little red-haired orphan who goes on a quest to find her real parents. The play will be staged at Shafter's own Ford Theater. Cris Starrh created the Childrens Theater program back in 1995. She was wanting a project to keep her kids busy during the summer, and it has grown every year. For the firs...
The Shafter Community Band put on a free concert in Mannel Park on Sunday evening, drawing a crowd to listen to a variety of marches performed by the local musicians. With the gazebo and walkways dotted with American flags, the site was awash in red, white and blue. Fittingly, the All-American sounds of John Phillip Souza rang out as the flags flapped in the light breeze, waving to the beat of the music. There were several composers on the playlist in addition to the "March King" Souza. Edwin...
Shafter has lost one its pioneers with the passing of J.C. Atkinson. Atkinson was a businessman, public servant, husband, father, and son. He was the seventh of 11 children born to Elijah and Maggie Atkinson of Parker, Oklahoma. They moved to Wasco in 1942 and he eventually moved to Shafter after a stint in the U.S. Army, stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska. With his wife Bernice, Atkinson raised three sons in Shafter, holding a variety of jobs on the way. Among his occupations, J.C. worked for Harol...
