Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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Mayor Alex Garcia was arrested for driving under the influence this week. Court records show an individual named Alexandro Cecelio Garcia, identified as being born in 1989, was arraigned in Shafter court on Monday on a charge of suspected driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content of .08. The time and the place of the arrest could not be determined based on the information available.. Local officials who have personal knowledge of the situation -- but refused to be identified -- co...
Ken Hurlbert, of Shafter, is now ranked number one in the world in his age division in the shot put. Hurlbert, after a 15-month hiatus because of the covid-19 closures of track meet events, competed in a World Masters event in Santa Clara - the Striders Masters Meet - and launched a throw of 10.86 meters, which is the top throw in the world this year. Hurlbert was pleasantly surprised with the result, especially after the long time off. "After 15 months off, I wasn't expecting a result like that...
Joslyn Pierucci, 13, of Shafter, has won third place at a national track and field competition. Pierucci, a thrower, competed in Rome, Georgia at the USATF National Youth Outdoor Championships last week. Joslyn threw a personal best of 35'9''. Daughter of Shafter High football coach Jerald Pierucci and Jodie Pierucci, Joslyn was competing at the bottom of the age group which means she was competing against mostly girls older than her. There were over 1,000 athletes competing at the event, with...
Area farmers are having a tough time watering their fields as this year's Shafter Wasco Irrigation District allocation is a half acre foot of water for every acre of land the farmer owns. The region is in another drought this year, making it difficult for farmers to water their crops enough for the crops to thrive. In a strong year, the allocation is usually one acre foot of water for every acre. Some farmers are electing to leave one or more of their fields fallow, which means that they will...
If you wander outside in the evening at this time of year, you are more than likely to see a light show in the sky, thanks to the continuing issue of illegal fireworks in the area. The Shafter Police Department was proactive last year, and got the City Council to approve a new ordinance which allows the police department to issue citations of $1,000 to those who let off illegal fireworks. The new ordinance resulted in over 21 citations being handed out, many of them for $1,000. Before the...
A former Shafter High student from Wasco has been named to the spring dean's list at the University of Nebraska. Willem Neufeld Waterhouse, of Wasco, has been named to the Dean's List at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for the spring semester of the 2020-21 academic year. Majoring in agribusiness, Waterhouse is a sophomore and was named to the Dean's List for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. There are more than 6,800 students at Nebraska who were named for the...
The City of Wasco has put out a Vaccination Declaration asking residents to inform the city of vaccination status when they visit City Hall. “We will also have one for city employees,” City Clerk Maria Martinez said Wednesday. “It’s just part of the regulation that the CDC sent out and also OSHA with indoor settings.” There are different statuses that you can check on the form, including fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, not yet vaccinated, and decline to answer. On the form, the city states if the resident declines to answer, you will be...
Mayor Alex Garcia was arrested for driving under the influence this week. Court records show an individual named Alexandro Cecelio Garcia, identified as being born in 1989, was arraigned in Shafter court on Monday on a charge of suspected driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content of .08. The time and place of the arrest could not be determined based on the information available.. Local officials who have personal knowledge of the situation -- but refused to be identified -- confir...
At Shafter's Ford Theater this past week, a group of children were learning about how to suit up and go to battle at the Annual Community Vacation Bible School. Multiple churches in Shafter came together to form one Vacation Bible School. This year's theme was "The Kingdom Chronicles," where the kids were taught about two different kingdoms, The Good Kingdom and the Bad Kingdom. Cris Starrh, along with a number of volunteers from several local churches, kept the kids busy and engaged. Included...
Tyrone Johnson, a Lerdo Justice Facility inmate who escaped in April, was apprehended by Bakersfield Police after a short pursuit. Johnson, along with David Palms, escaped from Lerdo on April 28. Palms was captured hours after the escape after a foot pursuit. He was taken into custody by Shafter police officers outside of Dollar General. The inmates were believed to have walked into Shafter after the escape, with residents calling in tips of sightings of both suspects. At one point, several...
A city man was arrested for allegedly stealing copper wire from different locations around Kern County. Juan Regalado, 44, was charged on June 15 in connection with thefts of copper wire in Shafter, Wasco and Buttonwillow. He was also charged with possession of an illegal cane sword. When Kern County deputies searched Regalado’s home, the Kern County Rural Crimes Unit charged Regalado in 10 additional thefts of farm equipment, all terrain vehicles and other materials including metal pipe. The e...
Shafter native Barry Bongberg will be appearing at the Kern County Museum on Saturday, July 10 for a book signing and presentation involving several military themed authors and subjects. Bongberg wrote a book titled, "Dear Mom and Dad, Letters from Vietnam." Bongberg will join several other local military authors and speakers, including Dr. Craig Luther, from Tehachapi. Luther is the organizer of the event. Some of the topics for the event are the eastern front and Normandy campaign in World...
The Recreation and Parks Department has started their summer activities, and there are a lot to choose from. With the covid-19 restrictions easing, the department has opened its Summer Day Camp for children from kindergarten to 8th grade, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Camp Director Elia Torres said that they have around 90 children in this year's camp. "We got the clearance to hold the camp just about three or four weeks ago, so I am pleasantly surprised with the number of...
The Valley Championship title slipped away from the Shafter High Lady Generals during the final game, losing 9-0 to the Highland Scots. Shafter's softball team had only one loss in the season before the title game when they lost 5-1 to Golden Valley in the middle of the season. Overall, the Lady Generals had a 14-2 record and outscored their opponents by a total of 156-45. Serenity Angulo, who pitched a five hitter in the semifinal win over Bakersfield Christian with 10 strike outs, was hit...
The Shafter High graduating class of 2021 took their last walk across the stage as a student, beginning their lives of Shafter High alumni on Wednesday night on the Shafter High campus. The commencement began with a welcome by Principal Russell Shipley, who told the attendees, "I am so proud to have this class graduating on the Shafter High campus, after the momentous challenges they have faced in the past couple of years." This year's graduating class was one of the biggest in history, with a...
The City Council was introduced to three new officers who have joined the Shafter Police Department. Officer Marvin Gomez, who is a Kern County Sheriff's Office veteran of over 25 years, was hired by the department in May 2021 and is his second phase of field training. Chief Kevin Zimmermann said that the city is fortunate to have hired Gomez, who is a county leader in the Gang Task Force Units and has been one of the foremost experts in fighting gang activity. Officer Rachel Carrasco was hired...
A man has been charged by the Shafter Police Department after the fourth incident of vandalism at the Green Hotel in the last 10 months. Adolfo Morenocallejas was arrested Friday after being found by police exiting the hotel. Former Shafter mayor and former City Council member Garry Nelson had went to the Green Hotel around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday morning, wanting to check up on the property. When he arrived, he noticed that the back window had been broken. Nelson entered and also found the...
The Shafter Chamber of Commerce held a free covid-19 vaccine clinic at the Shafter Veterans Hall on Saturday, June 12, helping residents get vaccinated as the state begins to reopen. The event was sponsored by the chamber, as well as Dignity Health, Kern County Public Health, the United Way of Kern, CAPK Food Bank and Adventist Health. Residents could receive the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine or the two-shot Moderna vaccine. Both vaccines have shown a high percentage of effectiveness, with...
The Shafter High Lady Generals softball team advanced to the Central Section Division V Championship game with a 5-4 win against Bakersfield Christian on Tuesday afternoon. The top-ranked hosts sprinted out to a 5-0 lead by the fourth inning, thanks to some clutch hitting by Nataly Espinoza, Serenity Angulo and Alicia Pompa, who all reached base to load them up with one out. They then scored two of their runs on an infield error by the shortstop, giving Shafter a 3-0 lead. That lead reached 5-0...
It was an unusual year for high school seniors in Shafter and Wasco, but the students made it, graduating from high school and moving onto the next chapter in their lives. Shafter High School will have their seniors walk across the stage at Shafter High for the last time, celebrating their careers with their commencement ceremony. The event will be held on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. An in-person graduation was approved after a year that restricted the events that were allowed because of the...
The ribbon is cut on the mural across from the Shafter Learning Center. SEE STORY ON PAGE 4....
A wall across from the Shafter Learning Center is blank no more after the ribbon was officially cut on the new mural, a project that began with a group of students dreaming about what it could be. In October 2019, while attending a Fall Break Literature Class at the Shafter Learning Center, Alondra Montalvo, Sierra Albiar, Khloe Verdugo, Seniya Schluter, and Brinlee Swann noticed a blank wall located diagonally across from the center. They thought, "this wall needs some art." They began to...
The Shafter Kiwanis Club announced their honorees for May's Terrific Kids, which recognize students from the Richland School District. The Kiwanis Club honored those students virtually to celebrate those students who have exhibited the character traits outlined in the program's mission statement. Each month there is a different trait that students are recognized for. Those traits that the Kiwanis and the school's teachers are looking for include thoughtful, enthusiastic, respectful,...
Editor of the Shafter Press Jamie Stewart recently spoke at the Kiwanis Club luncheon meeting. With the relaxation of some of the restraints regarding the pandemic, the meeting was held in person, with a portion of the club attending with others joining by Zoom. Kiwanis President Phillip Jimenez welcomed everyone and member Colleen Diltz introduced Stewart, who began his tenure with the Shafter Press in the fall of 2011. Stewart told the attendees the new office location has made it easier for...
Diva, an approximately 5-year-old female Great Dane mix, will be available for adoption on June 17. Diva is black, white and cream and came in as a stray. She is extra large and will need a big area to roam and play. Diva has a short coat which will not need much maintenance other than baths and brushing. She has been great with staff, but has not yet been tested with other dogs. She did come in microchipped and staff is trying to get in contact with her owners. It is unknown if she is house or...
