Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
Sorted by date Results 751 - 775 of 1554
Area farmers are having a tough time watering their fields as this year's Shafter Wasco Irrigation District allocation is a half acre foot of water for every acre of land the farmer owns. The region is in another drought this year, making it difficult for farmers to water their crops enough for the crops to thrive. In a strong year, the allocation is usually one acre foot of water for every acre. Some farmers are electing to leave one or more of their fields fallow, which...
The Shafter High Generals were perfect in SSL play on Friday night, playing arguably the most complete game of their season to date, beating the Taft Wildcats by a score of 34-13. The Generals have already had some impressive games this season, but there is usually a phase of the game that dominates the contest. On Friday night, in every phase of the game offense and defense each stepped up and did their part in the victory. Shafter started strong in the first quarter, scoring...
A routine traffic stop turned into a car chase through the outskirts of Shafter that ended in front of the suspect’s residence in the city. On Friday night, at approximately 8 p.m., an officer from the Shafter Police Department attempted to stop a vehicle that had run a stop sign at the intersection of Fresno and Poplar avenues, officers said. The driver, later identified as Christopher Sergio Acosta, 42, failed to stop, and led officers on a lengthy pursuit through the o...
The Shafter Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for their 2022 Annual Awards Banquet. The event honors individuals, service groups, clubs, and businesses who have made significant contributions to the community. There are several award categories, including business, education, health, and youth. Those interested in nominating a business, group, or individual can go to the Shafter Chamber of Commerce website and download the nomination form. Forms are also available...
The Shafter High Generals dropped their matchup with the Highland Scots on Friday night, 20-13. For the second straight week, the Generals failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities in the first half, coming away with only one score, trailing at halftime 12-6. The challenge was made even harder in the second half, when quarterback Tyson Dozhier was injured as he was playing on defense, suffering a broken collarbone. Shafter started quickly on their first drive of the game,...
Elardio Garcia has always loved firefighters. He loves the fire trucks, the uniforms and the people that save others by their bravery. Garcia had a dream to meet his heroes and see where they do that important job. Garcia's great-grandmother, Bule Rea, contacted the Shafter substation of the Kern County Fire Department to see if they could make his dream come true. Rea said, "We made an appointment and they said that as long as there was not an emergency, they would be happy...
The Grow Academy, formerly known as Grimmway Academy, in Shafter, is working to keep children healthy as they learn. With a mission that includes a commitment to improving the health and wellness of the entire community, Grow Academy is a shining example of an institution that cares about its students. The educational mission at Grow Public Schools includes a commitment to improve the health and wellness of the entire community by teaching students and their families' ways to...
The Shafter Kiwanis Club welcomed the new teachers in Shafter schools with its annual New Teachers Luncheon Friday, August 13 at the Shafter Veterans Hall. Each year, the organization hosts the local schools and their new teachers, introducing them to the community. Several council members were on hand, as well as local business owners and community members. Kiwanis President Phillip Jimenez introduced the administrators of each school district, allowing them to speak on each of the new employees. Diane Barnett, principal at...
A man faces multiple life sentences after being found guilty in a 2019 rape and robbery in Shafter. William Jack Hopkins, 46, was convicted of kidnapping to commit rape, forcible rape, assault with the intent to commit sodomy, two counts of robbery, two counts of criminal threats, and felon in possession of a firearm. On June 14, 2019, as reported in the Shafter Press at the time, Hopkins assaulted and kidnapped a woman after finding her and a man asleep inside of a vehicle in...
The new Amazon fulfillment center in the Wonderful Industrial Park will bring about 1,000 jobs to Shafter. Public Relations Specialist Eileen Hards said the Amazon location will bring a mix of full- and part-time jobs, paying a minimum of $15 an hour and offering a variety of benefits packages from day one. "Amazon is proud to open a new Softline fulfillment center in Shafter," Hards said. "Associates of the more than 1 million-square-foot facility will pick, pack and ship...
The Kern County Sheriff's Office lost one of their own Sunday after a standoff left five people dead. Deputy Philip Campas, 35, was killed when a suspect opened fire during an incident on 1st Street in Wasco. The sheriff's office also reported the suspect, Jose Manuel Ramirez Jr., 41, and his family; Viviana Ruiz Ramirez, 42, son Jose Manuel Ramirez III, 24, and son Angel Manuel Ramirez, 17, died. Sheriff Donny Youngblood held a press conference at the Sheriff's Office...
The city is coming back alive as restrictions are lessened and residents celebrated the Fourth of July. Over 1,000 people gathered for the annual fireworks celebration for the Fourth of July, celebrating being in a large group for the first time in over 18 months. The Shafter Rotary Club decorated Lerdo Highway with a parade of American Flags waving on the median. Fireworks booths dotted the downtown and business areas, selling safe fireworks to celebrate the holiday, helping several clubs and organizations raise funds. The...
Over 1,000 people came out for the Fourth of July fireworks show this past weekend. The Shafter Chamber of Commerce helped the city celebrate the holiday with the return of its annual fireworks after a hiatus. As the sun set, Grace Givens sang a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, followed by a fireworks show that lasted well over 15 minutes, with a fantastic finale. "I have coming to this show for over five years now," said Paulette Osborne, who brought her three kids to...
Wasco Mayor Alex Garcia is being called to resign by some City Council members after his recent arrest for driving under the influence. At the City Council meeting, council members urged City Manager Scott Hurlbert to put the possibility of removing Garcia as mayor onto a future meeting agenda. Garcia was arrested in June by the California Highway Patrol for driving under the influence. He was arraigned on June 28 and is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 19. Council members Tilo Cortez and Vincent Martinez said Garcia’s l...
A former Shafter High student from Wasco has been named to the spring dean's list at the University of Nebraska. Willem Neufeld Waterhouse, of Wasco, has been named to the Dean's List at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for the spring semester of the 2020-21 academic year. Majoring in agribusiness, Waterhouse is a sophomore and was named to the Dean's List for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. There are more than 6,800 students at Nebraska who were...
The City of Wasco has put out a Vaccination Declaration asking residents to inform the city of vaccination status when they visit City Hall. “We will also have one for city employees,” City Clerk Maria Martinez said Wednesday. “It’s just part of the regulation that the CDC sent out and also OSHA with indoor settings.” There are different statuses that you can check on the form, including fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, not yet vaccinated, and decline to answer. On the form, the city states if the resident declines to...
If you wander outside in the evening at this time of year, you are more than likely to see a light show in the sky, thanks to the continuing issue of illegal fireworks in the area. The Shafter Police Department was proactive last year, and got the City Council to approve a new ordinance which allows the police department to issue citations of $1,000 to those who let off illegal fireworks. The new ordinance resulted in over 21 citations being handed out, many of them for...
Joslyn Pierucci, 13, of Shafter, has won third place at a national track and field competition. Pierucci, a thrower, competed in Rome, Georgia at the USATF National Youth Outdoor Championships last week. Joslyn threw a personal best of 35'9''. Daughter of Shafter High football coach Jerald Pierucci and Jodie Pierucci, Joslyn was competing at the bottom of the age group which means she was competing against mostly girls older than her. There were over 1,000 athletes competing...
Ken Hurlbert, of Shafter, is now ranked number one in the world in his age division in the shot put. Hurlbert, after a 15-month hiatus because of the covid-19 closures of track meet events, competed in a World Masters event in Santa Clara - the Striders Masters Meet - and launched a throw of 10.86 meters, which is the top throw in the world this year. Hurlbert was pleasantly surprised with the result, especially after the long time off. "After 15 months off, I wasn't expecting...
Mayor Alex Garcia was arrested for driving under the influence this week. Court records show an individual named Alexandro Cecelio Garcia, identified as being born in 1989, was arraigned in Shafter court on Monday on a charge of suspected driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content of .08. The time and the place of the arrest could not be determined based on the information available.. Local officials who have personal knowledge of the situation -- but refused to...
Mayor Alex Garcia was arrested for driving under the influence this week. Court records show an individual named Alexandro Cecelio Garcia, identified as being born in 1989, was arraigned in Shafter court on Monday on a charge of suspected driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content of .08. The time and place of the arrest could not be determined based on the information available.. Local officials who have personal knowledge of the situation -- but refused to be i...
A city man was arrested for allegedly stealing copper wire from different locations around Kern County. Juan Regalado, 44, was charged on June 15 in connection with thefts of copper wire in Shafter, Wasco and Buttonwillow. He was also charged with possession of an illegal cane sword. When Kern County deputies searched Regalado’s home, the Kern County Rural Crimes Unit charged Regalado in 10 additional thefts of farm equipment, all terrain vehicles and other materials i...
Shafter native Barry Bongberg will be appearing at the Kern County Museum on Saturday, July 10 for a book signing and presentation involving several military themed authors and subjects. Bongberg wrote a book titled, "Dear Mom and Dad, Letters from Vietnam." Bongberg will join several other local military authors and speakers, including Dr. Craig Luther, from Tehachapi. Luther is the organizer of the event. Some of the topics for the event are the eastern front and Normandy...
Tyrone Johnson, a Lerdo Justice Facility inmate who escaped in April, was apprehended by Bakersfield Police after a short pursuit. Johnson, along with David Palms, escaped from Lerdo on April 28. Palms was captured hours after the escape after a foot pursuit. He was taken into custody by Shafter police officers outside of Dollar General. The inmates were believed to have walked into Shafter after the escape, with residents calling in tips of sightings of both suspects. At one...
At Shafter's Ford Theater this past week, a group of children were learning about how to suit up and go to battle at the Annual Community Vacation Bible School. Multiple churches in Shafter came together to form one Vacation Bible School. This year's theme was "The Kingdom Chronicles," where the kids were taught about two different kingdoms, The Good Kingdom and the Bad Kingdom. Cris Starrh, along with a number of volunteers from several local churches, kept the kids busy and...
