Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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With this pandemic still in the headlines, and the Governor’s stay at home order still in place, people are getting antsy to get back outside, living their lives fully, without hinderances. Well, I think that we are a long way from that right now. Even when businesses start to open up, schools gear up to open back up in August, and our beloved sports teams are back in action, there will still be certain precautions and requirements in place for awhile. This really is just c...
A last-minute use of a seat belt may have saved a man from serious injury in a recent auto accident.. Two men escaped with minor scrapes and bruises when the vehicle they were traveling in crashed into an orchard off of Lerdo Highway last week. On May 5 at approximately 2 p.m., Shafter Police Department officers were dispatched to Lerdo Highway, just east of Driver Road, responding to a report of a single-car accident. Upon arrival, officers found a grey sedan upside down, two...
The Shafter City Council held a special meeting that served as a strategic budgetary workshop in which they were shown a presentation on how the city performed this fiscal year compared to the budget estimates. They also discussed the revisions in the estimate with the current pandemic affecting the city’s services and public accessibility. For the past two meetings of the council, the public was able to view the meeting activities on YouTube, but are were not able to join the meeting and participate unless they p...
The current coronavirus pandemic had an immediate effect on businesses, schools, churches and just about every facet of our lives. But when it comes to the industry responsible for producing our food, the impact may not be fully realized for a while. Local farmers say there has not yet been a huge impact on day-to-day operations, but the long-term effects will be felt in the next year. Stan Wilson, a local farmer and historian, said it is business as usual on the farm, but it...
The coronavirus pandemic has affected not only the city's different businesses, the schools, and city office buildings, but it is also touching other phases of everyday life. For the individuals who pick up our garbage, there is an added challenge to their already demanding job, as they must navigate their way through the process of emptying our trash, not knowing if that household had been touched by the virus or not. Coupled with this challenge is the fact that so many...
An anonymous call led to police finding a body in a Gossamer Grove house being used for the extraction of marijuana oil. The Kern County Sheriff's Office said the dead man was 39-year-old Daniel S. Baek. The Shafter Police Department received a call about 4:38 p.m. about a deceased person inside a residence. The officers went to the 9100 block of Woodbrook Drive, in the Gossamer Grove area of Shafter, where they found Baek inside a residence that also contained an...
With the city of Shafter facing the Coronavirus pandemic, including a Stay at Home order by Governor Newsom and the closure of the schools and many businesses in town, one of the groups that the Health Department says is a high-risk group is those individuals 65 and over. Handling the pandemic in Shafter's assisted living facilities includes facing challenges to keep the residents safe and healthy, while still allowing them to thrive in this unprecedented environment. Meeting...
Despite being separated by distance, masks and a stay-at-home order, members of the Shafter community are confident this can still be a time to come together. The month of May has been dedicated as Shafter Strong Month. There will be a different theme each week, giving opportunity for the community to show unity and strength. This first week in May, residents are encouraged to decorate their houses with patriotic items, such as flags, windsocks, door decorations and bunting....
With 29 cases of the coronavirus confirmed in the city, the Shafter City Council Tuesday night unanimously voted to extend the Proclamation of Local Emergency for the coronavirus pandemic. City Manager Gabriel Gonzales said that the need to continue the proclamation was evident after reviewing the situation. "As of April 29, 2020, there were 847 confirmed cases and five deaths in Kern County related to COVID-19. Of those 847, 29 of those have been confirmed to originate in...
In this unprecedented time of the COVID-19 pandemic, local school districts will be implementing a pass/don’t pass system for students, including seniors who are approaching graduation. Schools will pass those students who were receiving a grade of A, B, C or D at the end of the first semester, spanning the beginning of school to Christmas break. The pass/don’t pass will be based on the grades received for the spring semester. Those students who were failing at that time will be given an opportunity to raise their grades in...
An anonymous call led to police finding a body in a Gossamer Grove house being used for the extraction of marijuana oil. The Kern County Sheriff's Office said the dead man was 39-year-old Daniel S. Baek. The Shafter Police Department received a call about 4:38 p.m. about a deceased person inside a residence. The officers went to the 9100 block of Woodbrook Drive, in the Gossamer Grove area of Shafter, where they found Baek inside a residence that also contained an...
Peters Funeral Home held a meal giveaway recently that treated residents to a full barbecue meal, courtesy of Brooklyn Barbecue of Bakersfield. Rick Woody of Peters Funeral Home said that they decided to hold the event to help out the communities who have been good to them through the years. "Times are tough right now. With the virus situation, people having trouble with their job situations and a lot who haven't got their anticipated stimulus check yet, it seemed the right...
The City Council heard a presentation on Tuesday night that painted a brighter picture for the city than many others in the state during the COVID-19 pandemic. City Manager Gabriel Gonzalez said that Shafter’s financial strength prior to the health crisis has helped the city avoid many negative effects. Gonzalez introduced Bill Statler, a budget advisor that has over 30 years’ experience as a finance director, 20 years with the city of San Luis Obispo and 10 years with Sim...
With the state's Stay at Home order in effect, a lot of people in the community have been missing going to church and fellowshipping with other people in the congregation. A Community Worship Service was held on Saturday afternoon, letting residents fill those gaps. The event, organized by Chris Starrh and Councilmember Chad Givens, was held in the parking lot of the Tin Cup. "Chad mentioned to me that their church had held a service in their parking lot on Easter Sunday, so...
An anonymous call led to police finding a body in a Gossamer Grove house being used for the extraction of marijuana oil. The Kern County Sheriff's Office said the dead man was 39-year-old Daniel S. Baek. The Shafter Police Department received a call about 4:38 p.m. about a deceased person inside a residence. The officers went to the 9100 block of Woodbrook Drive, in the Gossamer Grove area of Shafter, where they found Baek inside a residence that also contained an...
The Shafter City Council held a special meeting on April 16 to discuss budgetary goals for this year, as well as moving forward. City Manager Gabriel Gonzalez presented a Powerpoint presentation that included the current state of the city, as well as what goals they will have moving toward a post-COVIC-19 community. Gonzalez said that before the pandemic began, the City of Shafter enjoyed fiscal sustainability, a balanced budget and a pension fund that is funded 100%. Gonzalez went on to say that due to Shafter’s economic s...
The Shafter City Council approved fronting $150,000 for the Kern High School District's share of work on Well No. 9 in Shafter, located on the grounds of Shafter High School, along with nearly the same amount of its own money for the project. The well, which is between the Shafter High School and Recreation Department baseball fields, has been inactive since the late 1980s due to nitrate levels exceeding public health standards. The city has decided to get the well operating...
The City of Shafter has kept its offices closed to the public, extending the restrictions past April 15 until further notice. Each department in the city has modified its hours and services provided. City Hall office buildings will stay closed to the public, with people needing to contact City Hall able to call 661-746-5000 for further information. The Shafter Police Department has their lobby closed for public access. If someone needs to make an inquiry, a speaker box outside...
The building that houses The Shafter Press and Wasco Tribune, and the former location of Brookside Deli suffered extensive smoke damage and a small fire on Monday morning. But due to the quick response of the Shafter Police Department and the Kern County Fire Department, the damage did not go any further than a portion of the former deli. Shafter police were dispatched to Central Avenue and Central Valley Highway a little after 8 a.m., when smoke was reported coming from the b...
Under Gov. Gavin Newsom's Stay at Home order, the community has been urged to refrain from going out unless it is necessary to pick up essentials and other tasks that make it necessary to leave your home. This order does not deter those individuals who are out to break the law. There is no self-quarantining for them. This makes it even more important to have law enforcement and other first responders at the ready for individuals and businesses who are victimized during this...
In this time of crisis, some of residents can easily be overlooked – those of the four-legged variety. Nick Riddick and his staff at Animal Control still are keeping their focus on the safety and well-being of those residents who don't have voices of their own. The offices and shelter of the Shafter Animal Control are closed to the public because of the local state of emergency that was declared by city leaders. However, the department is still in operation and remains d...
The city has seen an influx of sightings of its mascot in recent days, with striped felines spotted all over the city. They can be seen mostly in neighborhood windows, thanks to the industrious mind of Sharon Sharp and other community members. Sharp was inspired by events recently held in other communities, in which residents put teddy bears in the windows of their homes for passersby to take pictures of when spotted. Sharp thought this would be a great way to keep kids and...
The building that houses The Shafter Press and the former location of Brookside Deli suffered extensive smoke damage and a small fire on Monday morning. But due to the quick response of the Shafter Police Department and the Kern County Fire Department, the damage did not go any further than a portion of the former deli. Shafter police were dispatched to Central Avenue and Central Valley Highway a little after 8 a.m., when smoke was reported coming from the building. Upon...
The coronavirus pandemic had taken its toll on the cities of Shafter and Wasco, along with other cities in Kern County, with closed schools, businesses and churches. Easter Sunday was a good example of the level of disruption the virus has caused. Mannel Park, usually filled with worshipers watching the sun rise as they celebrate the rising of the Son, was empty as residents were heeding the warnings of local officials about gathering in large groups for the holiday. This is...
The Shafter Recreation Department gave the families of Shafter a chance to celebrate the holiday even from the safety of their own homes last Friday with a Quarantine Egg Quest. On Friday, families drove by the Recreation Office on East Tulare Avenue, and District Manager Phillip Jimenez and his staff handed out 6,000 eggs filled with toys and candy. The participants then took the eggs home to hold their own egg hunts. The only rules were to hold the egg hunt at their homes,...
