Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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The Shafter High Lady Generals softball team has began their SSL season undefeated and have only two losses all season, giving the team a great chance at a high seed when playoff time comes around. Shafter has a 12-2-2 record overall and they are a perfect 4-0 to start their league season. They came away with a narrow victory 6-5 against a tough Chavez team to remain perfect in league. In that game, sophomore Madison Ortiz went a perfect 4-4 at the plate, with three singles...
Since the COVID-19 pandemic reared its head a few years ago, pop-up events have been dotting the landscape, giving local residents an outlet for their passions and giving them economic stability. Examples abounded on Saturday with a pop-up event held in Shafter at a local church. More than 30 vendors were on hand, selling their wares, from baked goods to clothing and jewelry. One example was Cakes by Karen. Karen Cabrera creates cakes, cupcakes, cookies, all made to order....
Redwood Elementary School announced its Bank of America Essay Contest winners recently, giving the students a certificate and advancing them to the District competition where they will compete against other local winners. The Redwood winners are fourth grader Alondra Chavez, fifth grade scholar Anabella Soto, and sixth grader Santiago Dominguez. These students will now compete against other winners from Kern County. Superintendent of Richland School District Rosa Romero said,...
Two Shafter residents have qualified for one of the most prestigious marathons in the country. Missy Espericueta and Peter Frantz will be making the trek east this week to participate in the Boston Marathon, making their way down the historic streets of Beantown. Both of the runners are part of the Greyhounds running club. Espericueta and Frantz are the only runners from Shafter that are making the trip. Frantz qualified for the race last year and turned in a personal best tim...
Frosty King in Shafter has been reigning over the city with its great food and customer service for over 15 years, with the business weathering storms to stay the course in remaining a staple in the city. Owner Sammy Ayash has been leading the restaurant in its operations for the entire run. The business had a popular following and then a hiccup when they learned that their previous location where the AmPm is located was being sold. Ayash found a new location a couple of...
The City of Shafter, partnering with American Refuse and Alianza Recycling, will be holding a free bulky waste event at the Shafter Veterans Hall on Saturday, April 15. It will take place in the parking lot of the hall. The event is for city residents only. Items that will be accepted include mattresses, furniture, home appliances, televisions and electronic waste, as well as water heaters. The event is for residential waste only. There will be no commercial waste accepted....
An Easter service was held at Mannel Park, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, enjoyed by a mix of different denominations that attended. Kiwanis President Ben Wilson welcomed the crowd to the event, thanking them for attending to celebrate as one. Randy Toews led the crowd in a hymn before the Scripture reading was done by Pastor Dave Moorehead of New Hope Church. The message was delivered by Pastor Alejandro Evangelista of New Hope Church. Evangelista spoke about...
The Shafter High football team was known as the Road Warriors, having to play all of their games away from Shafter for over a year while their stadium was being renovated. Imagine having to go out of town to even have a daily practice. That is the situation that the Shafter High swim team has faced for the past two years. With the Shafter pool at the Aquatic Center closed, the team has not had a place to hold meets or even practices. Led by Coach Larissa Davis, this dedicated...
The Richland Junior High girls basketball teams completed their seasons with first place finishes in their leagues, both teams going a combined 42-1. The 7th grade team, coached by Angel Acosta and his staff, went 18-0, including a first place finish in a tournament in McFarland. The 7th grade team consisted of Evie Acosta, Amaya Escalera, Desteny Flores, Baiya Hanner, Kiara Medina, Natalie Navarro and Jordan Perez. The 8th grade team had only one loss on the season, going...
The City of Shafter will be holding a Housing Element Workshop to encourage input from residents on the housing needs of the city. It is required that every eight years, a city must update its Housing Element plan, which is part of the General Plan for the city. General Plans serve as the local government’s “blueprint” for how the city will grow and develop. This includes land use, transportation, conservation, noise, open space, safety, air quality, environmental justi...
Shafter Healthy Start hosted a resource fair that attracted a large crowd, as well as over 40 vendorst. The fair was aimed at bringing together a large number of organizations, businesses and resource organizations under the same roof, giving the public a chance to get a lot of information in one spot. There was entertainment from various groups, including Brandi Root, who performed a number from her popular Zumba classes, held at the Shafter Recreation Department. There was...
Richland School District students were on hand to cheer on their parents for a change, as parents of English language learners received their graduation certificates for completing the PIQE program that enables them to help their English learner students in their educational journey. Golden Oak provides the students with the tools they need to be successful in life. The parents that graduated from PIQE attended 14 classes to learn how to support their children in early...
The Shafter Young Adult Theater entertained a full house over the weekend with three performances of the classic "Singing in the Rain." The play was directed by Mayor Chad Givens and starred a number of SYAT veterans that were up to the challenge of the putting on such a technical production. There were a number of dance routines, including contemporary, ballroom and tap. There were also some laughs, thanks to the performances of Leyna Figueroa, who played Cosmo, and Jayna...
Hall Ambulance Services is making progress on improving response times in its service area, which includes Shafter and Wasco, according to a top official of the company. Without providing statistics, Jonathan Surface, chief operating officer at the company, told the Shafter City Council Monday that pre-pandemic, there was a nationwide shortage of EMTs and paramedics. This made more competition for staff, and the cost of acquiring employees rose. Another challenge has been an...
Mayor Chad Givens gave the annual State of the City Address at last Thursday's Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet, with a promising look at the future. Givens said that the city is one of the most stable cities financially in Kern County, if not the state, pointing to its vision of being a desirable destination for economic development. "Shafter is an ambitious city that is not only prospering economically, but is becoming a player in the global economy." Givens also stated...
The Shafter Young Adults Theater will be performing their production of the Broadway hit "Singin' in the Rain" at the Shafter Ford Theater Friday and Saturday, March 31-April 1. The group has been rehearsing for several weeks, learning a variety of dances and singing numbers, bringing the Broadway hit to life. Led by Mayor Chad Givens, the theater troupe has been performing for the past three years, a welcome addition to the Shafter Children's Summer Theater, which has been...
The Shafter City Council voted Tuesday night to nominate Wasco councilmember and former mayor and Gilberto Reyna to serve on the San Joaquin Valley Air District Board. Reyna was selected to be the small city representative on the board. The person must be from either Arvin, Delano, Taft, Shafter, Maricopa or Wasco to be eligible for the position. The only other applicant was Cory Morse of Maricopa. The council also held a public hearing to approve Tract #7402, which is...
The California-Nevada-Hawaii Kiwanis District 33 held a meeting and awards luncheon at Hodel's Country Dining recently, covering over 400 clubs in the western region of the United States. The district's governor, Valarie Brown-Klingelhoefer, was in attendance and presented two awards to Shafter community members for their years of service to their community. Lt. Governor Ricardo "Chief" Ibarra also helped honor the pair of recipients. They gave a Community Service Award to...
Miguel Ayon and the Shafter Boxing Club have joined an elite group of individuals and groups that have been honored with the title of Grand Marshal of the Shafter Cinco de Mayo Festival. Ayon was surprised at the announcement, saying that he was very honored and thankful for the nomination. Ayon got involved in the Shafter Police Department's PAL program in 2009, helping out with the kids as they trained. Ayon left the program a short time later, deciding to start his own...
The Shafter Chamber of Commerce held their annual Chamber Awards Banquet last Thursday night, recognizing some of Shafter's best and brightest. Chamber's Debbie Haley welcomed the packed house and invited them to participate in the silent auction and enjoy a dinner served by Hodel's Country Dining. The Shafter Police Department Honor Guard presented the colors and Pastor Steve Seymour did the invocation. After the completion of the dinner portion of the evening, Mayor Chad...
Schools in the Richland School District celebrated the Reading Across America event last week, with classrooms filled with special guest readers of numerous Dr. Seuss books. The event encourages reading in and out of the classroom and shows that reading is an enjoyable event, not just an educational tool. Members of the Shafter community came to read to the students, including Mayor Chad Givens, Mayor Pro-Tem Cathy Prout, Shafter High Coach Jerald Pierucci, Pastor Mark...
Charlotte White, who has works of art hanging all over Shafter and Kern County, has two new pieces on display at the Shafter Library and Learning Center. Director David Frantz assisted White in hanging her new pieces, which illustrate different landscapes and an orchard. White has been painting for over 50 years and is an award-winning artist and educator. She taught at Oaks Valley Charter School for almost 10 years, with stints at Liberty High School and other institutions...
Lower than expected labor costs will give the city a surplus in its operating fund this year, the City Council was told Tuesday night. In reviewing the midyear budget report for 2022-23, it was noted that one reason for the savings came from labor costs in the Shafter Police Department due to vacancies. There was a request for an increase of $30,000 for costs regarding the closed former correctional facility, including electricity and utilities.. Overall, the city is well...
The Shafter Distinguished Young Woman program is getting ready to name a new title holder to represent the city. The program will take place on Friday, March 24, at the Fred Starrh Performing Arts Center at Shafter High School, beginning at 7 p.m. There are nine participants this year, each sponsored by local businesses. Here are the participants: Alyssa Calvillo is the daughter of Candy Gonzalez and is being sponsored by the Shafter Lions Club. She will be performing a dance...
Elijah Sanchez, 21, will appear in court again on Monday, March 13, to get a trial date after pleading not guilty to an attempted murder charge.. Sanchez was arrested on Feb. 9, after the Shafter Police Department responded to a call of shots fired near the Starbucks in Shafter. Sanchez allegedly shot Javier Munoz of Shafter in the head. Both Sanchez and Munoz have gang tattoos, although Munoz told authorities that he had left the gang life years ago. According to court documents, Sanchez yelled a gang affiliation at Munoz be...
