Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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The Shafter Kiwanis Club held their monthly Terrific Kids luncheon recently, recognizing some outstanding students from the local Richland School District. The Terrific Kids program honors those students who best display the trait that is designated for that particular month. This last month the trait was "friendly." For Golden Oak Elementary School, the honorees were Nathaniel Villavicencio, Juan Rodriguez Mendoza, Aubrey Hernandez and Emily Hernandez. They were presented...
China Cuisine, a mainstay in Shafter for over three decades, served up a "sweetheart" of a deal on Monday, bringing a surf and turf classic to the table. Jeffrey Dang, serving as cook Monday night, created the steak and shrimp meal. "I love doing this for the community," said Dang, who was hard at work putting together over 60 of the specials in a little over three hours. "I think it is great to do something like this, giving them something special for a special night." The...
Using photos, excerpts from written material and a postcard that he owns of Gen. William Shafter's birthplace, Shafter Depot Museum curator Stan Wilson brought the city's namesake to life at the Shafter Learning Center The center began a history series last Thursday night with Wilson's lecture on the life and times on Gen. Shafter. "Shafter was a school teacher when he joined the 7th Michigan Volunteers during the Civil War. He was given the rank of lieutenant, and as an...
Toni DeRosa, the editor for the Wasco Tribune, is wrapping up her career, retiring to spend more time with her family. DeRosa started with the Wasco Tribune after the newspapers started back up in 2018 when it was purchased by the Shafter/Wasco Publishing Company. DeRosa was recently recognized at a City Council meeting, with the council members presenting her with a certificate of recognition and some kind words from all of the members. She began her newspaper career in Wasco...
A Shafter police officer was involved in an accident while working on speed control near the Target Distribution Center Tuesday. Officer Roman Nunez was traveling on Zachary Avenue and Fanucci Way when a vehicle turned left in front of his patrol cruiser at around 6:15 a.m. Although earlier reports said the officer was chasing a speeding vehicle, Assistant Police Chief Diana Burnett clarified. "He was working radar/speed control because of prior complaints," Burnett said. "He...
A young boxer from the Shafter Boxing Club took home his eighth national title recently while in Independence, Missouri. "Fast Eddie" Rodriguez came back to Shafter with his eighth championship belt, making him the winningest boxer from the club in its history. Rodriguez competed in the 15/16 year old, 101 lbs. division in the Silver Gloves National tournament. Rodriguez has won his weight division at the tournament every year except two since the Shafter Boxing Club has been...
Shafter horses, donkeys and other animals have a new safe spot to land in town after All Seated in a Barn relocated to the area. All Seated in a Barn is a horse and donkey rescue that has saved thousands of lives of the equine variety, from donkeys and horses to zebras. Founder Tahlia Fischer was watching television a few years ago with her sister and a few friends. A commercial came on with a picture of a donkey that had a number on it. It was his slaughter date and the ad...
The city recently held a workshop about the new trash collection service and how the new laws are affecting trash pickup. Due to the SB1383 law, alley service will be stopped and all pickups will be curbside. This means that it is every resident's responsibility to get containers from their yards to the curb. In response to the new laws, some residents gathered signatures on a letter that outlines the objections that the residents have. The letter states that a number of...
Elro's Barbershop has been a part of the Shafter landscape for decades, the shop becoming just as much a landmark as the barber behind the chair. Elro Cramer has been cutting hair, entertaining clients with his vast knowledge of the city and its history, and serving generations of Generals as they grew up in this community. Now he is ready to hang up his clippers. "One thing about Elro is that I got my hair cut there, my son got his hair cut there, now my grandson gets his cut...
Shafter Depot Museum curator Stan Wilson, an avid historian, will be presenting a lecture on the Life and Time of General Shafter at the Learning Center on Thursday, Feb. 10 at 6:30 p.m. The Shafter Learning Center has presentations on a different history lecture each month. Wilson is a knowledgeable lecturer who has entertained and informed the community on a variety of different subjects in past years, from the history of Shafter told in postcards, to the role that the city...
A 33-year-old Shafter man was killed when he was struck by a vehicle last week. The driver fled the scene, police reported. Jesus Eusebio Sanchez, 33, of Shafter, was struck and killed by a vehicle while walking in the road on Shafter Avenue between Riverside and Elizabeth streets at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 25. The driver fled the scene after the collision, Shafter Police reported. The incident is currently under investigation by the Shafter Police Department. Anyone who...
Minter Field is celebrating its 80th year since being dedicated with an event on Feb. 5. On Saturday Feb. 7, 2942, the Air Field at Minter Field was dedicated to Hugh Minter, with the base being the focal point of the war effort in Kern County back in the early 1940s. Minter Field was one of the busiest training bases in the country, with a good portion of the pilots being used in the conflicts training on Minter Field soil and in the skies above Shafter. The celebration will...
The city has proclaimed February as Safe Surrender month. The campaign has helped the safe surrender of 90 babies in Kern County. The Safely Surrender Baby Law responds to the situation of newborn infant deaths due to abandonment in unsafe locations. First signed into law in January 2001, the Safely Surrendered Baby Law became permanent in January 2006. The law's intent is to save the lives of newborn infants at risk of abandonment by encouraging parents or persons with...
The City Council has announced a protest hearing will be held in April regarding changes in rates and fees for solid waste. After the city OK’d the agreement with American Refuse for the collection of solid waste in Shafter, the council also announced the fee changes. Residents will be paying a little over $10 a month more in the new collection system. This increase takes into consideration the change from the one cart system to each household having three carts to be collected. There will be a regular trash cart, a green w...
A Shafter woman was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison in the death of her newborn baby. After 25 years, she will be eligible for parole. If she is denied parole, she could be incarcerated for the rest of her life. Elvira Farias was found guilty of murdering her newborn baby boy in 2015. Originally, Farias was found incompetent to stand trial, with a stint in an institution following the finding. A judge last year found Farias was competent to stand trial. After the...
Richland School District students recently celebrated their reading success, being on the Honor Roll and perfect attendance. At Golden Oak, third-grade students were treated to a Lexile Party. Lexile is a way of measuring reading growth. Students who showed progress were treated to a party that included board games. Reading and following directions, using critical thinking skills, and cooperating with their peers are just a few of the skills required. At Richland Junior High,...
The Shafter Police Department is asking for information regarding a fatal hit and run incident that occurred Tuesday evening. At approximately 6 p.m., police responded to the accident on Shafter Avenue between Riverside and Elizabeth streets. Upon arriving, the officers learned that Jesus Eusebio Sanchez, 33, of Shafter, was struck by a vehicle while walking in the roadway. The driver fled the scene after the collision, police said. Sanchez later succumbed to his injuries....
The ex-city employee charged with annoy/child molestation told police he remembered practicing wrestling maneuvers with the girls, but didn’t touch them inappropriately, according to court documents. Matthew Maldonado, the former Shafter code enforcement officer, had also been under investigation in 2017 by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. He formerly worked in Wasco. According to court documents on that investigation, there were reports of Maldonado allegedly inappropriately touching a minor. No charges were filed aga...
The Shafter High sports teams are in full swing in the winter season, with the Lady Generals basketball team being ranked in the top five in Kern County. The Shafter High Lady Generals Basketball team, coached by Shawn Pennel, have moved up the rankings and are currently No. #5 in Kern County and #9 in the Central Section among Division II teams. Led by Ariana Vega, who is averaging 12 points a game, and freshman sensation Eliyah Sanchez, who is averaging nine points a game, the Lady Generals have beat a number of teams who...
The Richland School District has begun RED, Reading Every Day, to encourage students to read more often. The Golden Oak Tigers are beginning to realize it's ok to love to read, the school district said. At Redwood Elementary, the Kindness Squad was busy as they surprised students who had birthdays in January, making them birthday treats and delivering them to their classrooms. Some students were excited to win prizes for their hard work during their Winter Intersession. The...
Home buyers can now choose a plot in the Skye Series of Gossamer Grove. The homes are geared toward families and couples and include the first dog park in Shafter. Homes in the series begin in the mid $400,000 range with a variety of floor plans from 2,200 square feet to 2,500 square feet. The series is home to the first ever dog park in the city. The park will be dedicated to military dogs and include a statue of one of the dogs as a focal point. For kids, the series is close...
The Shafter Wasco Landfill will host a Household Hazardous Waste event on Saturday, Feb. 12, giving residents the opportunity to dispose of materials that are too toxic to be thrown away with regular trash. The Shafter Wasco Landfill is located at 17621 Scofield Ave. and the event will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. According to Lynda Martin, of American Refuse of Wasco, the event is a great opportunity for residents to get rid of unwanted materials. Accepted items include...
Big Stop has expanded, adding a new deli section with a full range of food. Residents can shop for shrimp tacos, burritos, tortas, biscuits and gravy and regular fried food. LoveDeep Joshan said the addition of the kitchen setup allows them to prepare a more extensive menu. "We have had great business with the new food items, with the shrimp tacos and tortas becoming big items, along with the favorite biscuits and gravy," Joshan said. The Taquieria is open from 4 a.m. to 8...
The city of Shafter, which was in danger of not having a library, held a ribbon cutting celebrating its own municipal library on Tuesday afternoon. The new library has over 75% new books including a large Spanish language section. Attendees at the ribbon cutting took tours of the space along with celebrating the opening. During the pandemic, the Kern County Library system did not intend on opening the Shafter branch again. The community then approved a partnership with...
The city's first code enforcement officer was arrested on five counts of annoying or child molestation, all misdemeanors, a month after he resigned from his position. Matt Maldonado, who moved from being the code enforcement officer in Wasco to the same job in Shafter, has also been active in helping coach youth wrestling. He assisted in coaching Shafter High School wrestlers, the Shafter Youth Wrestling team, and wrestling camps, such as the Summer Wrestling Camp put on by...
