Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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Over a dozen drivers make it possible for the Richland School District to provide meals to over 2,000 students during the pandemic. The drivers make the trek to students in rural Shafter, helping those who were unable to make it into town on a daily basis to pick up food. Through the USDA Summer Seamless Feeding Option waiver, the school district provides breakfast, lunch and dinner to children ages 2-18 Monday through Friday through drive-thru meal service at their three...
Baking bread was a passion for Haley Plaza, the allure of being in the kitchen with the smell of fresh sourdough filling the air. Plaza, a Shafter resident, took that passion and established Handmade in a Home three years ago, her business selling her bakes. She stressed it was important to her to make money doing something she loved. Now Plaza is a popular stop for many residents at local bazaars, craft fairs and other events, often selling out. Handmade in a Home started wit...
For families in need, the holidays can be a tough time and that struggle has been worsened by the pandemic. To help local families, the Shafter Recreation Department is hosting a Thankful Thanksgiving Family Dinner Giveaway on Nov. 19. The city is partnering with a number of local organizations including the Shafter Mennonite Brethren Church, Shafter Kiwanis Club, Shafter Rotary Club, Shafter Lions Club, Apple Market, Champs, Miramar International, Shafter Woman’s Club and t...
This is an ongoing series. The staff at Sequoia Elementary School have been working hard to provide over 500 students with breakfast, lunch and dinner. Lead by Dee Craig, the nutritional services staff helps between 550 and 625 students Monday through Friday, packing over 5,500 food items a day. These meals go to students on the Fresno Avenue and Shafter Farm Labor Camp bus routes. Approximately 150 to 250 cars pass through the school's drive-thru pickup between noon and 1:30...
The pandemic has left many residents struggling to provide food or pay their bills. With no end in sight, several organizations have stepped up to aid people with rental and mortgage assistance and getting food to seniors. One of the programs available is the Rental/Mortgage Assistance Program hosted by CAPK, Housing Authority of Kern County and other nonprofits. It is designed for renters and homeowners who have been negatively affected by the covid-19 pandemic. If your...
The Shafter Chamber of Commerce will be holding its annual Christmas Store this year despite the pandemic, although it will look a bit different. The event will not be an in-person event this year and parents will shop for gifts on the Christmas Store website in early December. Gifts will be collected at a curbside event later in the month. Organizers Melissa Bergen, Katie Wiebe and Brittney Neal-Soberanis said the in-person event will be missed, but they knew the Christmas...
Shafter Healthy Start has been focusing on helping families during the pandemic with food, clothing and information. "There have been many times when we have given residents and their families much needed assistance in the way of food, clothing, information on the different organizations that can assist them further," Director of the Shafter Healthy Start Mayra Helo said. "We are the 2-1-1 for the Shafter area and also the northern Kern County community." Helo recently gave a...
The ransomware attack on the City of Shafter’s IT system is still being investigated to see what effects the attack has had on the system. Over the weekend of Oct. 19, it became apparent that the city’s IT system had been compromised. The IT system had been locked and frozen and the extent of the damage not known. Although officials do not believe that any personal information had been obtained, city officials are working with federal law enforcement agencies to determine the...
Residents gathered recently to give their input on a new proposed park that will be in northern Shafter. The proposed site is by Fresno Avenue and Highway 43, with the proposed park near the west end of Klassen Avenue. An application has been submitted for a Proposition 68 grant to fund the park. The city has planned a series of workshops to allow the citizens of Shafter help design this new park, with several surveys given to residents asking them what they would like to see...
In an election with the majority of the races too close to call after election night, TJ Cox took center stage as he was trouncing David Valadao in Valadao's comeback bid for the 21st Congressional Districts seat. But after five days of counting, Valadao was on top -- with many more ballots to count Cox had dethroned Valadao for the seat two years ago in what was considered an upset win for the Democrats. Valadao announced that he would run to regain the seat in the 2020...
It is becoming a sad commentary for Shafter residents to see their city ignored when it comes to services in Kern County. I received a few phone calls from residents who were not happy with Shafter being passed over for a ballot location when the sites were recently announced. There are more than a dozen locations throughout Kern County in each community it seems, except for Shafter and McFarland. These ballot locations make it possible for residents to turn in their ballots...
Jewelry, soaps, crafts, homemade bread and more from 30 vendors were stockpiled high on tables last Saturday for the bazaar at the Gathering Church. Over 300 shoppers gathered at the church on Highway 43 to peruse the wares, beginning to check off their holiday wish lists. Shafter business owner Elizabeth Schull faced the challenge of the pandemic head on. Named after her daughter, Simply Serenity Boutique sells high-end clothing for children, brand-name clothes that are eithe...
As the pandemic surges, Dignity Health is stressing the need for residents to get their flu shots. "With the coronavirus out there, it is important to get protected from influenza," said Nora Garza, health screening specialist for Dignity Health. "The governor is calling it a "twindemic." We know that covid-19 can kill you, and influenza can kill you, so the two together would be a very deadly combination." Last Saturday, cars lined the street to the Shafter Aquatic Center as...
In August, the Kern County Public Works Department held a very successful virtual clean-up event. They are following up that event with a fall clean-up event to be held on Nov. 7. This is a county-wide event that encourages all residents to volunteer 15 to 30 minutes of their day by cleaning up trash and debris in their neighborhoods. "We had such a fantastic turnout with the first virtual clean-up, we wanted to hone in on this community engagement and continue this ongoing...
Betty Petrie and a few of her close friends gathered at Giovanni's Italian Eatery in Shafter recently to celebrate Betty's 105th birthday. Owner Noy Soutchay prepared some of Betty's favorites, including the pineapple fried rice, pot stickers, and chicken fetucinni to help Betty and her friends remember Petrie's birthday. Soutchay said that in 2006, soon after taking over the restaurant, Betty would come in every Thursday with Ione Lollar. They would order turkey sandwiches...
Come November, there will be a couple of races in the local election that will help shape the city of Shafter. There are three City Council seats up for grabs with six candidates vying for those slots. Chad Givens, Manuel Garcia, and Gilbert Alvarado, who are currently serving the remainder of their terms, will be running against newcomers Kris Lawrence, Rafael Zamudio and Pete Espinoza. All of the candidates say they would like to help the city realize its potential. “Shafter is one of the safest towns around, and it is due...
Mario Gomez and his wife, Candy Gomez, were installed as new lead pastors at Shafter Christian Fellowship recently after the departure of Justin Medlock and his wife, Rosie. Gomez has over 16 years of pastoral experience and said that he loves to share the Gospel in the community. Gomez was the connect pastor at New Life Church in Bakersfield for the past three years. In March, Gomez said that he was feeling a tug on his heart and mind that he could not shake. The impression h...
The City Council interviewed candidates for the Planning Commission at their regular Council meeting on Tuesday night. The terms of Planning Commission members Jon Johnston, Kirk Mouser and Peter Frantz are expiring in December 2020, so that leaves three positions open for on the commission. Frantz and Mouser decided to apply to keep their seats on the board, but Johnston did not reapply. Frantz and Mouser were joined by six other candidates who submitted applications to...
The City of Shafter's IT system was attacked by ransomware over the weekend, resulting in the entire system being frozen and locked. City Manager Gabriel Gonzales said that their IT department discovered the breach over the weekend. At this time, they do not believe that any personal information has been obtained. Gonzales said that the city's staff is working closely with the FBI to determine the extent of the attack. "We are working with the FBI on this matter and trying to...
A 35-year-old Shafter man was seriously wounded after a shooting Saturday morning on the outskirts of town. Kern County Sheriff’s Office said that deputies were dispatched to the area of Poplar Avenue and Burbank Street after receiving reports of shots fired. When deputies arrived, they found the 35-year-old man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The man was taken to Kern Medical Center for treatment. The injuries were considered non-life threatening. The department said that the injured man was uncooperative when p...
A Shafter man was killed on Saturday when the ATV he was riding crashed into a power pole near Wasco. Jesus Manuel Luna II, 28, was riding on Wildwood Road south of Highway 46 near Wasco. California Highway Patrol officials said that at approximately 12:05 a.m. officers were sent to the area after receiving a report of a collision. When they arrived at the scene, they found a man, later identified as Luna, had suffered fatal injuries and he was pronounced dead at the scene....
In recent rulings, the City Council is looking into the possibility of the Shafter Branch Library partnering with Bakersfield College to offer the community a chance to utilize the services. Since the coronavirus outbreak, all of the 24 branches of the Kern County Library system have been closed to the public, with some of the branches now able to offer curbside services, as well as online ordering. Wasco’s branch of the library system was identified as one of the branches r...
There are three seats available on the City Council being contested between six candidates including the three incumbents of those seats. Current members Manuel Garcia, Gilbert Alvarado, Chad Givens are joining newcomers Kris Lawrence, Pete Espinoza and Rafael Zamudio in the race. Council members make policy for the city, as well as create a budget for the year and make decisions regarding the financial status of the city and the infrastructure. This week we are featuring...
The Shafter Police Department has an active K-9 Unit that has been serving the city since the reinstatement of the program. The team consists of Senior Officer Kevin Green and his K-9 partner, Ecko. Ecko is a 2-year-old Belgium Malinois born in Germany. At the beginning of 2020, Chief Kevin Zimmermann presented the need for a K-9 Unit for the department to the City Council. Council members approved and the search was on for a suitable partner. Green was chosen to train with th...
Kern County entered the red tier on Tuesday, opening the doors of more businesses and public buildings. The tiers, determined by the state and Public Department of Human Safety’s Virus Grading Scale, dictate how the county is handling the pandemic. The red tier, up from the purple tier where the county had been, means residents can now eat inside restaurants, as well as go to the gym and go inside other public buildings. Social distancing guidelines apply. During the past two weeks, the increase in new cases has slowed. T...
