Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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Shafter High School seniors were recently honored by the school with a video on their awards and scholarships for outstanding achievements. For the second consecutive year, Shafter High administration decided to put out a video instead of holding an in-person ceremony, due to the tier status of Kern County, remaining at orange. "We were not able to hold an indoor ceremony, so we decided to recognize the seniors with a video, giving them a special gift for their achievements," said Principal...
Mayor Alex Garcia is being called to resign by some City Council members after his recent arrest for driving under the influence. At the City Council meeting, council members urged City Manager Scott Hurlbert to put the possibility of removing Garcia as mayor onto a future meeting agenda. Garcia was arrested in June by the California Highway Patrol for driving under the influence. He was arraigned on June 28 and is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 19. Council members Tilo Cortez and Vincent...
Over 1,000 people came out for the Fourth of July fireworks show this past weekend. The Shafter Chamber of Commerce helped the city celebrate the holiday with the return of its annual fireworks after a hiatus. As the sun set, Grace Givens sang a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, followed by a fireworks show that lasted well over 15 minutes, with a fantastic finale. "I have coming to this show for over five years now," said Paulette Osborne, who brought her three kids to the show. "This...
The city is coming back alive as restrictions are lessened and residents celebrated the Fourth of July. Over 1,000 people gathered for the annual fireworks celebration for the Fourth of July, celebrating being in a large group for the first time in over 18 months. The Shafter Rotary Club decorated Lerdo Highway with a parade of American Flags waving on the median. Fireworks booths dotted the downtown and business areas, selling safe fireworks to celebrate the holiday, helping several clubs and...
Although the normal Memorial Day ceremonies at the Shafter Cemetery were canceled, many came out to honor the fallen heroes. AMVETS of Shafter was also on hand from 7 a.m. to noon with a display of soldier silhouettes set up by the Veterans Memorial at the center of the property. There was also someone who played "Taps" every half hour. As in years past, all of the veterans' graves were decorated with American Flags. Several families set up canopies around their loved ones' graves, sharing...
The Lavender Garden, located between Bakersfield and the Central Coast, will be hosting its First Annual Lavender Festival on Saturday and Sunday, June 12 and 13. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The event is for the entire family with a variety of vendors, food, a petting zoo, train ride and live music, said Anna Valdivia of the Lavender Garden. The festival will include the crowning of the Lavender Festival Queen, Jr. Queen, and Princess on...
About a year and a half ago, just before the pandemic hit the county, staff at Shafter High discovered a disturbing trend. Teachers were coming to administration and counselors with concerns about some of their students. They said that there were students that were not coming to class on a regular basis, and there were also students who seemed to be struggling in class, as well as out of class. One teacher mentioned that a student was not coming to class because she didn't have enough clothes...
Students at the Freewill Baptist Christian Academy celebrated Friday as they received their awards in person. Students from kindergarten through 12th grade were honored with a variety of awards, including a Bible Pin, Superintendent's Pin, and many others that recognized the efforts of the student this past year. Valedictorian for the year was Parker Russell, who is also the son of Assistant Principal Toni Russell. It was a bittersweet moment when Russell introduced her son and told the...
The City Council voted Tuesday to disband the Shafter Branch of the Kern County Library from the county structure, creating a municipal library run by the city in partnership with Bakersfield College, after the county ended talks to reopen the library. In April, an ad hoc committee was created, consisting of Mayor Pro-Tem Chad Givens and council member Gilbert Alvarado, to explore options to keep the Shafter Library open past the current agreement with the Kern County Library system, which...
Richland Junior High students enjoyed their final day of being Trojans on Saturday, as they became Shafter High Generals at their commencement. After being relegated to having a drive-thru graduation in 2020, the class of 2021 was able to walk across the stage and have their family and friends in attendance. With the Shafter High football stadium going under a major renovation, the graduation was held on the campus of Richland Junior High. "It was down to the wire, but if at all possible, we...
The City Council will be discussing the proposed budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year at its next regular meeting next month. The budget was prepared following guidelines set by the council on issues that they prioritized for the operating budget. The guidelines were public safety, health and well-being, and financial stability. The proposed budget reveals a small decrease in sales tax revenue. With the sales tax revenue expected, the city is showing a drop in the amount in the General Fund, going from a balance of a little over $6.5 million in...
The annual Fireworks Show will light up the sky in Shafter once again after being canceled last year due to the pandemic. The show is scheduled for Saturday, July 3. The Shafter Chamber of Commerce announced recently that the show would be held this year, thanks to the more lenient restrictions by the Public Health Department and Gov. Gavin Newsom's plans to open up the state. The City Council approved a Special Event Permit for the event. Since the Shafter High School football stadium is being...
Mother of an autistic son, Brianda Gonzalez was looking for a way to help her son with his cognitive skills as he lagged behind at 2 years old. Gonzalez, who works at the Golden Oak Elementary School library, came up with Kidd Doh, a product that stimulates a child's senses, encouraging imaginative play and helping motor skills. When Gonzalez' son, Justin, was 2 years old, she noticed he was lagging behind in cognitive skills and in speech. He was later diagnosed with autism and she began...
The city cut the ribbon at Mannel Park on Saturday, opening up a new outdoor fitness court that will allow residents to work out on a variety of equipment. The court features over 10 stations that people can do cardio and strengthening exercises and can keep track of their progress on their phones. The court is a product of Fitness America, who specializes in exercise programs that can be used with a minimal amount of equipment. Several local dignitaries were on hand including Mayor Cathy...
The city will take over the Modified Correctional Facility after it came to an agreement with the state Department of Corrections. Shafter made an agreement with the state in 1996 that gave the state 99 one-year leases. In October 2020, the state cased operations at the facility, resulting in a number of layoffs and a loss in revenue for the city. "We received around $1 million a year in revenue from the CCF, which hit the city hard with the announcement of the closure," said Mayor Cathy Prout....
A fire at a building in Buttonwillow killed a dog, left eight residents without a home and destroyed a furniture storage area. The Kern County Fire Department responded to a building in the 100 block of Front Street on Sunday, May 16 at around 10:30 a.m. The heavy flames ignited a car next to the building and an adjacent building. The building, a two-story structure, had apartments on the upper floor and a furniture storage area on the bottom floor. All firefighters and the residents escaped...
Congressman David Valadao recently visited the Minter Field Air Museum, discussing possible aid that may be available for the museum. Minter Field Air Museum President Ronald Pierce said that Valadao also took a tour of the museum, checking out some of the vintage aircraft. He toured the displays that contain artifacts from the different conflicts the United States Military has been involved in, including items from the World Wars, the Vietnam and Korean wars, as well as the more recent Middle...
The City Council recognized the undefeated Shafter High School football team at its Tuesday meeting. Mayor Cathy Prout presented a proclamation to the members of the undefeated team who sported a 5-0 record this season. Led by Coach Jerald Pierucci, the team outscored its opponents 233-29 and outgained its opponents by a five to one margin. "This team showed a unity and love for one another and represented the city of Shafter with class," said Prout. Pierucci thanked the city for its "amazing...
A Wasco man was found dead in his vehicle after being shot and then crashing into an orchard in Shafter. The man, later identified as Tony Sanchez, 64, of Wasco, had reportedly crashed into the orchards near the intersection of Fresno and Beech avenues. At approximately 1 p.m., the Shafter Police Department received a call of an accident near the intersection. Shafter Police Department officers found Sanchez in the vehicle deceased, the victim of a gunshot wound. According to Police Captain...
The mask policy is not changing yet in Shafter as the city announced masks are still needed indoors in public places and at events with a large crowd. This past week there was a slight increase in new cases in the city with 19 newly reported cases. This brings the total confirmed cases in Shafter to 3,552. Wasco has had 5,416 confirmed cases. "The California Department of Public Health has not updated their mask guidance at this time. Kern County residents should continue to follow the current...
Over 30 vendors turned out this past weekend at the Shafter Congregational Church's pop-up event. Pastor Mark Scialabba and church volunteers were on hand with a variety of pamphlets and information on salvation. Scialabba also said that they had a lot of vendors who were offering a variety of items, from clothing, jewelry, to baked goods. "These pop-up events are really popular right now and we are helping the community by giving them a chance to shop in one spot," Scialabba said. The church...
All of the students graduating this year at local schools will be able to walk across the stage watched in person by their family and friends. Shafter High Principal Russell Shipley made a You Tube video announcing the good news for the Generals. Earlier in the year, it was announced that Shafter High would be holding a graduation ceremony, but it would be held at Frontier High School. The Shafter High football stadium is in the middle of a major renovation and is not available. With progress that has been made with covid-19 policies, it is...
Residents of Kern County have enjoyed the luxury of being able to lounge in their back yards, or on their porches, without being swarmed by mosquitoes. With the invasion of a new species of mosquito, this luxury is a thing of the past. Anyone who has ventured outside has probably encountered this new culprit, the Aedes Aegypti. This mosquito separates itself from the more common Culex Tarsalis by the way it attacks and the environment in which it enjoys to feed. Terry Knight, public information...
The Shafter Young Adult Theater opened their production on Friday night with a packed house in their performance of The Wizard of Oz. Playing the role of Dorothy, Lauren Givens showed a great range vocally, emotionally, and played the title lead character with a powerhouse performance. Givens was surrounded by a multitude of talented actors who all shone in their own right. Megan Bloehmof, who wowed crowds as Annie a couple of years ago, was fantastic as the Scarecrow, showing agility, great tim...
A local Girl Scout is spreading awareness of human trafficking as part of her Gold Award. Maelyn Camacho of Girl Scout Troop #2447 recently came to the Shafter Rotary Club meeting to talk about human trafficking and some things that can be done. She was joined by Dr. Doug Bennett of Magdalene Hope. Magdalene Hope is a nonprofit that fights human trafficking. Camacho was looking for a community project to create in order to receive her Gold Award in the Girl Scouts organization. The project inclu...
