Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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Shafter Depot Museum curator Stan Wilson, an avid historian, will be presenting a lecture on the Life and Time of General Shafter at the Learning Center on Thursday, Feb. 10 at 6:30 p.m. The Shafter Learning Center has presentations on a different history lecture each month. Wilson is a knowledgeable lecturer who has entertained and informed the community on a variety of different subjects in past years, from the history of Shafter told in postcards, to the role that the city...
A 33-year-old Shafter man was killed when he was struck by a vehicle last week. The driver fled the scene, police reported. Jesus Eusebio Sanchez, 33, of Shafter, was struck and killed by a vehicle while walking in the road on Shafter Avenue between Riverside and Elizabeth streets at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 25. The driver fled the scene after the collision, Shafter Police reported. The incident is currently under investigation by the Shafter Police Department. Anyone who...
Minter Field is celebrating its 80th year since being dedicated with an event on Feb. 5. On Saturday Feb. 7, 2942, the Air Field at Minter Field was dedicated to Hugh Minter, with the base being the focal point of the war effort in Kern County back in the early 1940s. Minter Field was one of the busiest training bases in the country, with a good portion of the pilots being used in the conflicts training on Minter Field soil and in the skies above Shafter. The celebration will...
The city has proclaimed February as Safe Surrender month. The campaign has helped the safe surrender of 90 babies in Kern County. The Safely Surrender Baby Law responds to the situation of newborn infant deaths due to abandonment in unsafe locations. First signed into law in January 2001, the Safely Surrendered Baby Law became permanent in January 2006. The law's intent is to save the lives of newborn infants at risk of abandonment by encouraging parents or persons with...
The City Council has announced a protest hearing will be held in April regarding changes in rates and fees for solid waste. After the city OK’d the agreement with American Refuse for the collection of solid waste in Shafter, the council also announced the fee changes. Residents will be paying a little over $10 a month more in the new collection system. This increase takes into consideration the change from the one cart system to each household having three carts to be collected. There will be a regular trash cart, a green w...
A Shafter woman was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison in the death of her newborn baby. After 25 years, she will be eligible for parole. If she is denied parole, she could be incarcerated for the rest of her life. Elvira Farias was found guilty of murdering her newborn baby boy in 2015. Originally, Farias was found incompetent to stand trial, with a stint in an institution following the finding. A judge last year found Farias was competent to stand trial. After the...
A Shafter woman was found guilty by a jury of murdering her newborn son in 2015. Jurors must now determine whether Elvira Farias is legally insane at a trial beginning Jan. 3. Farias had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. According to the public defender's office, if Farias is found insane, she will be taken to a state hospital for treatment. If the jury deems her sane, then her guilty verdict stands. Farias was convicted of first-degree murder and assault leading to...
Richland School District students recently celebrated their reading success, being on the Honor Roll and perfect attendance. At Golden Oak, third-grade students were treated to a Lexile Party. Lexile is a way of measuring reading growth. Students who showed progress were treated to a party that included board games. Reading and following directions, using critical thinking skills, and cooperating with their peers are just a few of the skills required. At Richland Junior High,...
The Shafter Police Department is asking for information regarding a fatal hit and run incident that occurred Tuesday evening. At approximately 6 p.m., police responded to the accident on Shafter Avenue between Riverside and Elizabeth streets. Upon arriving, the officers learned that Jesus Eusebio Sanchez, 33, of Shafter, was struck by a vehicle while walking in the roadway. The driver fled the scene after the collision, police said. Sanchez later succumbed to his injuries....
The ex-city employee charged with annoy/child molestation told police he remembered practicing wrestling maneuvers with the girls, but didn’t touch them inappropriately, according to court documents. Matthew Maldonado, the former Shafter code enforcement officer, had also been under investigation in 2017 by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. He formerly worked in Wasco. According to court documents on that investigation, there were reports of Maldonado allegedly inappropriately touching a minor. No charges were filed aga...
The Shafter High sports teams are in full swing in the winter season, with the Lady Generals basketball team being ranked in the top five in Kern County. The Shafter High Lady Generals Basketball team, coached by Shawn Pennel, have moved up the rankings and are currently No. #5 in Kern County and #9 in the Central Section among Division II teams. Led by Ariana Vega, who is averaging 12 points a game, and freshman sensation Eliyah Sanchez, who is averaging nine points a game, the Lady Generals have beat a number of teams who...
The Richland School District has begun RED, Reading Every Day, to encourage students to read more often. The Golden Oak Tigers are beginning to realize it's ok to love to read, the school district said. At Redwood Elementary, the Kindness Squad was busy as they surprised students who had birthdays in January, making them birthday treats and delivering them to their classrooms. Some students were excited to win prizes for their hard work during their Winter Intersession. The...
Home buyers can now choose a plot in the Skye Series of Gossamer Grove. The homes are geared toward families and couples and include the first dog park in Shafter. Homes in the series begin in the mid $400,000 range with a variety of floor plans from 2,200 square feet to 2,500 square feet. The series is home to the first ever dog park in the city. The park will be dedicated to military dogs and include a statue of one of the dogs as a focal point. For kids, the series is close...
The Shafter Wasco Landfill will host a Household Hazardous Waste event on Saturday, Feb. 12, giving residents the opportunity to dispose of materials that are too toxic to be thrown away with regular trash. The Shafter Wasco Landfill is located at 17621 Scofield Ave. and the event will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. According to Lynda Martin, of American Refuse of Wasco, the event is a great opportunity for residents to get rid of unwanted materials. Accepted items include...
Big Stop has expanded, adding a new deli section with a full range of food. Residents can shop for shrimp tacos, burritos, tortas, biscuits and gravy and regular fried food. LoveDeep Joshan said the addition of the kitchen setup allows them to prepare a more extensive menu. "We have had great business with the new food items, with the shrimp tacos and tortas becoming big items, along with the favorite biscuits and gravy," Joshan said. The Taquieria is open from 4 a.m. to 8...
The city of Shafter, which was in danger of not having a library, held a ribbon cutting celebrating its own municipal library on Tuesday afternoon. The new library has over 75% new books including a large Spanish language section. Attendees at the ribbon cutting took tours of the space along with celebrating the opening. During the pandemic, the Kern County Library system did not intend on opening the Shafter branch again. The community then approved a partnership with...
The city's first code enforcement officer was arrested on five counts of annoying or child molestation, all misdemeanors, a month after he resigned from his position. Matt Maldonado, who moved from being the code enforcement officer in Wasco to the same job in Shafter, has also been active in helping coach youth wrestling. He assisted in coaching Shafter High School wrestlers, the Shafter Youth Wrestling team, and wrestling camps, such as the Summer Wrestling Camp put on by...
Be it having some good candy, jumping in an inflatable, or partying with friends, Nancy Guardado is there to help you out. Guardado just opened a Candy Land location in Wasco, joining the existing location in Shafter. Located near the Rite Aid store in Shafter, Guardado specializes in all kinds of candies, inflatables, party supplies, and pinatas, just about everything you would need to throw a great party. Guardado said she gets her candies and the majority of her other...
5 was a year that challenged everyone and also saw residents coming together like no other time in decades. With the covid-19 pandemic seemingly waning, residents, along with the rest of the nation, were trying to get their lives back to some sort of normalcy. Schools were opening back up, allowing the students to return to the classroom in person. Later in the year, as the omicron variant reared its head, a new threat loomed to threaten the progress that had been made in t...
The Shafter Brass Band continued its joyful season on Christmas Eve, giving residents a mini concert in downtown Shafter, right next to the big Christmas tree. The band, made up of local musicians, played some traditional holiday favorites, making shoppers and residents smile. They also lent their talents earlier in the holiday season when they played at the Shafter Depot Museum, adding to the festivities of the Christmas trees on display, and the arrival of Santa...
William Jack Hopkins was sentenced to multiple life sentences recently for a crime spree in 2019. Hopkins was sentenced by Superior Court Judge John R. Brownlee to life with a minimum eligible parole date of seven years, plus 15 years to life, plus 60 years and four months. At the time of his arrest, Hopkins had already served seven prior prison terms and had violated parole 24 itmes. Hopkins, 46, was convicted of kidnapping to commit rape, forcible rape, assault with the...
The Shafter Woman's Club held their annual Christmas for Seniors event this past weekend, brightening up the holiday for local seniors. The organization prepared 137 bags filled with gifts, necessities, and other items that were handed out. The club visited the Carrington House, Shafter Convalescent, and a number of local homes that had seniors identified by Richland's Healthy Start Program. Donations were collected by the Woman's Club members. "The community was so generous...
The Shafter Depot Museum is celebrating its annual Christmas Tree competition, running through Jan. 8 with a number of events for the community. This past Saturday, in addition to displaying an array of trees, the museum, in partnership with the Shafter Library, were handing out free books to children. The Shafter Library is spreading the message of literacy to the city, encouraging everyone to pick up a book and read. The theme of this year's tree competition is Merry and...
Longino "Kino" Gonzales recently celebrated his 90th birthday, surrounded by family and friends, reminiscing about a life that has been filled with love, laughs, and plenty of great memories. Anyone who lived in Shafter during 1965 and 1990 remembers Kino as he delivered mail to residents all over town, with a smile on his face and a quick wit that rivaled none. That wit is still sharp today, along with a memory that allows him to recall names and addresses from almost anyone...
