Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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The Shafter High Generals boys basketball team got its first SSL win of the season by beating Kennedy High School, 56-47. The Shafter Generals's recent rough patch got a bit rougher last Monday after their fourth straight loss. They fell 74-64 to McFarland. Having run the score up that high, both teams might be doing some extra defensive drills very soon. Shafter's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Shaun Maldonado, who scored 23 points, and Aidan Cardenas, who...
The Shafter Planning Commission approved a request by APC Towers to install an 80-foot telecommunications tower that would be located at 3751 Santa Fe Way, allowing more telecommunication service in the area. Jeremy Siegel of APC Towers was in the Tuesday night meeting, and said that the tower would be a "monopine tower" that would give the community a lot more coverage in the area. Th at type of tower has several TMobile antennas, with the antennas and structure made to look...
The Shafter High Lady Generals basketball team has enjoyed some success the past few years, with this year's campaign no different, as they head into SSL play with an 11-5 record, 2-0 in the SSL. The squad, coached by Shawn Pennell and his staff, have been one of the best teams in the SSL for the past few seasons, with a co-championship last year, sharing the title with McFarland. One of the "benefits" of having such success, though, is the system that the CIF has in place...
If you drove by Stringham Park on Monday, you might have seen the city taking down a few trees on the site, but not to worry – they will be replaced. Public Works Director Michael James said that the move is part of the Stringham Park Improvement Project. "The project does require the removal of a few trees at certain areas of the park, but there will still be the same amount of trees at the park when the project is completed," James said. Stringham Park will be the new h...
A group of Richland School District students received perfect scores on their CAASPP Assessment tests recently. These tests are a measuring stick of how students are progressing in their educational journeys. The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress tests replaced the STAR state standardized tests in California in 2013. The tests cover English, mathematics and social science. According to Richland Superintendent Rosa Romero, the results for last year's...
Christmas at the Depot is always a special time of year. Decorations are out, beautiful trees are on display, and the atmosphere is festive. This year was no different. The Shafter Depot Museum held its annual Christmas event that included Christmas trees decorated by organizations, clubs and families, along the theme of The 1940s. Residents perused the museum for several weekends, voting for their favorite tree. They also had an opportunity to greet Santa in their new...
The Shafter Police Department is continuing its mission of fielding the best team of officers in the county to serve and protect the city of Shafter. They have had several new officers join the ranks, offsetting the departures of a few officers that have left to be a part of the new police department in Wasco, under former Shafter Police Chief Charlie Fivecoat. Those leaving included a long-time veteran of the SPD, Lionel Lopez, who had been promoted to sergeant in the...
It is customary for the Shafter Police Department and its officers to deal with gun fire on New Year’s Eve. But, this year, officers ended up arresting an Earlimart man who took the celebration a little too far. Antonio Alvarado, 29, was arrested on several charges and was placed on a $490,000 bond. According to police reports, officers were dispatched to the 400 block of North Wall Street in Shafter for reports of gunfire, possibly with a round hitting an apartment door. When...
The Shafter Library and Learning unveiled a new mural recently that is the result of another dream from members of the Shafter community. Local artist Lorena Castillo, who was the artist behind the first mural at the Learning Center, was once again in charge of the creation, helped by children and families in the community. "This is what makes this so special," said Castillo. "This is the result of an entire community's passion and involvement." According to one of the...
The Shafter Young Adults Theater presented a new twist on an old classic recently when they staged "A Christmas Chaos," a take on the Charles Dickon's classic "A Christmas Carol." The production was directed by Joshua Cooley, who also treated the audience to a humorous character, The Confused Actor, who interrupted the production repeatedly, reciting lines from plays that had nothing to do with the current production. The cast was a collection of veteran actors who slipped int...
This continues last week's recap of 2024 Shafter events. The first half can be viewed online at The ShafterPress.com. July saw the return of the July 3 Fireworks show at Shafter High School, put on by the Shafter Chamber of Commerce, with support from local businesses and the community. The skies over Shafter were lit up on Monday night, celebrating the Independence Day holiday. The free event began at 6p.m. with a variety of inflatables, games, and plenty of food and drinks...
Christmas came a day early for the youth of Shafter, presented with toys from the Toys for Tots organization, thanks to the support of the community. "The Shafter Lions Club used their nonprofit status to get the Toys for Tots organization here, and we secured the building," said Shafter Councilman Gilbert Alvarado, who is also a Lion. The giveaway event was held on Christmas Eve at the Shafter Veterans Hall. Every child who attended received at least two toys to take home,...
Hitchcock's Auto Parts is turning 100 years old, and they are showing their appreciation to the community where it was established back in 1923, with Chuck Hitchcock opening a business that would become one of the oldest and most popular companies in town. New owner Dustin Hooper and his wife, Berenice, will take over the business on Jan. 1, in a process that will be a slow transition, giving the new owners a chance to soak up the wisdom and advice of longtime owner Jesse...
Shafter rebounded from the challenging times of the Covid-19 pandemic, seeing the city prosper and its residents begin to thrive again after the last couple of years of uncertainty. JANUARY began with new leadership at the top of the City Council, with Chad Givens named mayor. Givens was excited about the chance to serve the city in this capacity and was looking forward to the possibilities that lie ahead. Givens also said, "Shafter is my home. I was born and raised here, and...
The Shafter Kiwanis Club held its monthly Terrific Kids Luncheon Tuesday, honoring a special group of kids from the elementary schools in the Shafter area. Students from Redwood, Sequoia, Golden Oak, Richland Junior High, GROW Academy and Maple School were recognized for displaying a certain character trait that was the feature trait for this month. This month, the character trait is Responsibility. In addition to Responsibility, the other traits that are recognized by the...
Shafter received its first new fire truck in almost 15 years recently, getting a brand new engine that was "pushed into" Kern County Fire Station 32 in Shafter. Fire officials say that the new engine was loaded with brand new tools and was thoroughly examined before it was pushed into – the term used by firefighters for the first time a truck is driven into a bay – the engine bay in Station #32 in Shafter. Shafter Mayor Pro-Tem Cathy Prout was onsite for the delivery, She als...
Dodgeball is a game many of us played in grade school and haven't seen that giant rubber globe since. But a group of Shafter residents dusted off their sneakers Saturday and played in a kickball tournament to benefit the Toys for Tots organization. All of the proceeds went to the group and there was another Toy Drop-off event held at the tournament site, Veterans Park. The event was sponsored by Big Dog Presents and Acelaredos Off Road. Several teams kicked their way around th...
The Shafter Kiwanis Club works year round to enrich the lives of Shafter residents, especially its youth. In addition to their Terrific Kids Luncheon program, the club holds several events throughout the year, sponsors several sports teams and usually backs a contestant in the Distinguished Young Womans program. Last week, the members of the organization were busy packing over 70 boxes of food for needy families. Each box contained a protein, vegetables, bread, potatoes and...
The Shafter City Council approved an improvement project plan for the Shafter Aquatic Center which would give the facility a whole new look with a new building. A special meeting was held on Tuesday night, and discussed three different options that were created to complete the renovation of the center. The council recently awarded a contract to complete to get the pool operational and a little landscaping. The project discussed Tuesday would include the main building, which...
It was Christmas in Shafter on Saturday at the Shafter Depot Museum, as they held their annual Christmas at the Depot event. Santa arrived and took a seat in the museum's new caboose, giving the kids, young and the young at heart, a chance to make their Christmas wishes known. There was also live Christmas music, as the Shafter Brass Band entertained the crowd as they perused the museum and checked out all of the decorated trees. Refreshments also were served, including baked...
The Shafter Youth Center was the site of the city's latest ribbon cutting ceremony. Local dignitaries, along with representatives from CAPK, the Wonderful Company and a representative from Supervisor David Couch's office were on hand to celebrate a new playground at the Shafter Youth Center complex on East Euclid in Shafter. Director Angie Nelson said that the new playground is more than just a play structure. "This is so much more than equipment and wood chips," said Nelson....
The Shafter Depot Museum will be playing host to some special visitors on Saturday, including the main man from the North Pole. Santa Claus will arrive at the museum and will be setting up in the museum's new caboose to meet all his little friends. He will have a stuffed animal for each child. He will be on site from 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. The Shafter Brass Band will be playing Christmas music from 11 a.m. until noon. Featured will be 12 beautiful trees, each very...
A few years ago, a few Shafter residents were looking for a way to help the community celebrate the holidays without giving a bunch of hand-outs. Melissa Bergen and Katie Wiebe looked into Pride for Parents, hosted by FCS ministries in Atlanta. It emphasized the need to highlight that both donors and recipients want to bring something to the table and that desire should be honored. Though their resources may be limited, parents would rather know that they are providing for...
On Friday morning at approximately 5:10 a,m., two suspects broke into the Shafter Animal Shelter, 1849 S. Shafter Ave., and took two young dogs there. "The two puppies were scheduled to go to one of our rescue partners from out of state. They are still missing,and we just want to get them back," said Animal Control Officer Nick Riddick. "They were scheduled to go and start their new lives. This is sad, and we encourage anyone with information on the case to please contact the...
The Shafter City Council voted unanimously to award the $3 million Shafter Aquatic Center Improvement Project contract to James E. Thompson Inc. Currently, the estimated cost of the project is $2.8 million, with $2.4 million coming from the Clean California Grant. The remaining $380,000 is coming from the city's General Fund. The project includes replacing the decking, landscaping, ADA improvements and resurfacing the pool. With the approval, the city can move forward, with...
