Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
Sorted by date Results 1001 - 1025 of 1554
For Shafter residents who want to give their vehicle a thorough cleaning, it usually means a trip into Bakersfield, or a long two hours in the sweltering heat to do it yourself, battling the weather and the bugs. Fortunately, there is a better alternative, with a full cleaning and detail just a phone call away. The Midas Touch Mobile Car Wash is open seven days a week, offering a variety of levels of service, depending on your needs. Victor Gonzales started his business about...
With many businesses closed or offering reduced services, the challenge of raising funds for local clubs and organizations has been daunting. There can be no events with large gatherings or events that do not follow the safety guidelines put forth by the governor and Kern County. But Shafter and its non-profit organizations are finding creative solutions to today's challenges. For example, the Shafter Kiwanis Club, continuing a tradition that has been going for decades, is...
Richland School District students are getting acclimated to their new reality, which includes raising their hand in class with the click of a button, and only being able to see their friends from a picture on their screen. With the governor's ruling making it necessary for all schools on the watch list to operate virtually, challenges abound but are being handled by a dedicated teaching staff and administration. Superintendent Rosa Romero, who was recently appointed...
The Community Emissions Reduction Plan, which was created by a committee made up of Shafter community members, city officials and business owners, has seen some implementation since it was approved late last year. In a move to lower emissions and reduce the community’s energy usage, the CERP includes a commitment from the San Joaquin Valley Air District of up to $1.5 million to incentivize the installation of residential solar and zero and near-zero emission appliances in Shafter, by committing a 10% match to state funding f...
Cris Starrh was recently recognized for the 25 years she has served the youth of Shafter by founding the Shafter Children's Summer Theater, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year with its production of The Lion King. This was the first production that was done virtually, live streaming the play from Shafter's Ford Theater. After the production, the cast presented Starrh with a video featuring remarks from different cast members through the years. She was also given a...
The Richland School District had planned to begin in-person schooling on Aug. 6, but that was before Governor Newsom restricted school districts to distance learning in counties on the state's watch list. That made it necessary for Kern County schools to teach via the internet. While distance learning presents a series of challenges, the Richland School District has made the learning a positive experience by integrating lessons with sessions that allow the students to...
Shafter will host a group of representatives from nine cities to review a new reimbursement proposal that was put before the Kern County Board of Supervisors. The proposal would drastically increase the fire services costs for the nine cities. Those cities are: Shafter, Wasco, Taft, McFarland, Delano, California City, Tehachapi, Maricopa and Arvin. A study done by the Kern County Fire Department found that those cities had been substantially underpaying for services provided...
AN APPRECIATION Shafter has a rich history, with founding families putting down roots and creating a city that has flourished into one of the most financially sound cities in the state. Shafter lost one of the true pioneers in Shafter with the passing of Art Penner. Penner was a true gentleman who loved his family, his God and a large number of friends. A local farmer who was also a cultured man, who loved the joy of the first spring and freshly plowed earth, but also loved a...
Aliyah Ramos Esquivel, a dancer who lives in Shafter, was recognized recently with a prestigious Team Scholarship award from the Hollywood Vibe Company. Hollywood Vibe is a national dance convention/competition company that tours the United States with some of the top industry choreographers and dancers in the nation. Esquivel's scholarship enabled her to audition for the company nationals in July. She was chosen to be a part of the company's 23-member cast. She will now be ma...
The Shafter Children's Summer Theater celebrated its 25th anniversary with three performances of The Lion King over the weekend. The performances were put on at Shafter's Ford Theater and streamed for the audience to watch it virtually. The production was put on by Cris Starrh and her staff of volunteers. Starrh began the SCST when her children were small and needing something to do during the summer. In partnership with the Shafter Recreation Department and Shafter High...
The schools in the Richland School District opened their doors, at least figuratively, on Aug. 6, beginning a first semester that will have the students learning from a distance, as they did at the end of the last semester. The district had planned for students to attending in person on an alternating basis, with one group going to school on Mondays and Tuesdays and another group going on Thursdays and Fridays, with the students distance learning the rest of the week. But...
According to the Kern County Department of Public Health, Shafter showed a significant decrease in new coronavirus cases from last week, with a little over 40 new cases, compared to 200 the previous week. However, the decrease may be the result of a backlog of tests whose results have not been confirmed. There likely was a slight decrease, though, as a result of the closures of several buildings, including restaurants’ dine-in areas, city buildings, and other non-essential businesses. In a move to assist restaurants and retai...
Despite digital road signs that implore residents to “Wear a Mask” and “Stop the Spread,” the number of people testing positive continues to rise and some officials are concerned by the amount of people who are not wearing face coverings. The number of covid-19 cases grew by 200 in Shafter, with 803 confirmed cases compared to 602 last week. In Wasco, there are 847 reported cases, an increase of 219 from last week. The Kern County Health Department says those figures might n...
Shafter and Wasco are among nine communities facing a spike of up to 200% in the cost of services provided by the Kern County Fire Department. Ryan Alsop, the chief administrative officer for the KCFD, said the department has been undercharging the cities it serves for years. “This is about getting full cost recovery for the services we are providing,” he said. The department has been unable to buy new equipment, he said. “After conducting a study, it was apparent that we were not getting the full value of the services we we...
Neste, the world's largest producer of renewable diesel, has opened four new locations. One of the stations, operated by Jeffries Brothers Petroleum, is in Shafter, two are in Wasco and one is in Buttonwillow. The Shafter location is next to the Tin Cup off of Beech Avenue. In Wasco, the two stations are on Highway 46, one of them within the city limits at the Tiger Mart station. Kristine Janata, account executive at rbb Communications, which represents Neste, says the move...
On July30, more than a dozen Shafter residents wearing blue and holding signs gathered outside the Tin Cup to recognize Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Back in 2011, President Barack Obama signed a proclamation dedicating a day to fight the issues of slavery and human trafficking. Richland Board of Trustees member Melissa Dewitt led a Shafter contingency that joined many other groups around the nation calling for the end of human trafficking. "This is an important issue that...
A group of Shafter residents has helped the campaign to reopen the Shafter branch of the Kern County Libraries, which received countywide attention recently as it attracted news cameras and a front page story in the Bakersfield Californian. With the recent budget cuts, it seemed unlikely that many of the branches of the countywide system would reopen. But with an adjustment to the budget, it appears they will open a couple more libraries in addition to the eight that are open...
For the second time in three months, Shafter has shut down its city buildings, as well most of the businesses in town, because the governor has placed Kern County back on the state’s watch list during the coronavirus pandemic. With the spike in new cases in Kern County, the region was forced to close all non-essential businesses and services. Restaurants with outside dining areas are allowed to serve customers, as well as offer take-out and delivery. Other businesses, such as hair salons, movie theaters and gyms, are being s...
Following guidelines put forth by the county and the Kern County Health Department, Shafter has closed its city buildings until the governor announces that the restrictions have been eased. Two weeks ago, Governor Newsom announced that certain counties would be put back on the watch list and would have to close all non-essential businesses that operate indoors. Businesses with outdoor service options are still able to serve the public. This includes restaurants with outdoor...
When you ask about anyone about Daniel "Danny" Escalante, you are bound to hear a variety of adjectives, such as generous, kind, hard working. But most people who knew him will mention that Escalante was a truly nice guy. Escalante passed away on July 19, just days after being honored by the Honor Flight of Kern County for his service to his country. He originally planned to participate in an Honor Flight to the nation's capital, but with the pandemic and his failing health,...
Representatives of several agencies met virtually recently to discuss the challenges presented by the coronavirus. Those in attendance included Russell Shipley, principal of Shafter High School; Rosa Romero, interim superintendent of the Richland School District; members of the Richland Board of Trustees; and Shafter City Council members Chad Givens, Cathy Prout, Manuel Garcia and Mayor Gilbert Alvarado. Among the topics was a discussion of the status of each school district...
The pandemic, which cost last year's high school seniors their chance to compete in the spring sports season, will sideline fall sports as well. The California Interscholastic Federation has ruled that all fall sports in the Central Section will have their seasons delayed until the winter quarter, with football, soccer and volleyball scheduled to begin their seasons in December. With the late start to fall sports, the ruling makes it difficult for those students who usually co...
City of Shafter buildings will be closed to the public again beginning Friday, July 24. City offices will still be open and customers will be served using the alleyway behind the building, much like a drive thru service. The Shafter Building Commission will still be serving the public with building inspections and other essential services. City Manager Gabriel Gonzales said at the recent City Council meeting that with Kern County being put back on the watch list, there will...
In an about-face, the Richland School District will begin their school year with students learning from home. Last week, the district put out a reopening plan that would see two groups of students attend school in person for two days, while distance learning the rest of the week. But with Governor Newsom’s announcement of stricter guidelines for reopening, the Richland district had to rethink their plan. “Unfortunately, with the new statement by the governor, we don’t qualify to reopen for in-person sessions, leaving us no...
Shafter and Wasco residents are suffering from whiplash after learning July 17 they had been removed from the governor's Watch List and July 18 they were back on it again. The number of coronavirus cases are spiking in Kern County. As of July 20, 332 Wasco residents had tested positive for covid-19 with 137 recovered; Shafter had listed 328 positive cases with 207 recovered, according to the Kern County Health Department. Local businesses in Shafter are requiring all...
