Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
Sorted by date Results 801 - 825 of 1554
The city cut the ribbon at Mannel Park on Saturday, opening up a new outdoor fitness court that will allow residents to work out on a variety of equipment. The court features over 10 stations that people can do cardio and strengthening exercises and can keep track of their progress on their phones. The court is a product of Fitness America, who specializes in exercise programs that can be used with a minimal amount of equipment. Several local dignitaries were on hand...
The city will take over the Modified Correctional Facility after it came to an agreement with the state Department of Corrections. Shafter made an agreement with the state in 1996 that gave the state 99 one-year leases. In October 2020, the state cased operations at the facility, resulting in a number of layoffs and a loss in revenue for the city. "We received around $1 million a year in revenue from the CCF, which hit the city hard with the announcement of the closure," said...
Mother of an autistic son, Brianda Gonzalez was looking for a way to help her son with his cognitive skills as he lagged behind at 2 years old. Gonzalez, who works at the Golden Oak Elementary School library, came up with Kidd Doh, a product that stimulates a child's senses, encouraging imaginative play and helping motor skills. When Gonzalez' son, Justin, was 2 years old, she noticed he was lagging behind in cognitive skills and in speech. He was later diagnosed with autism...
Over 30 vendors turned out this past weekend at the Shafter Congregational Church's pop-up event. Pastor Mark Scialabba and church volunteers were on hand with a variety of pamphlets and information on salvation. Scialabba also said that they had a lot of vendors who were offering a variety of items, from clothing, jewelry, to baked goods. "These pop-up events are really popular right now and we are helping the community by giving them a chance to shop in one spot," Scialabba...
A fire at a building in Buttonwillow killed a dog, left eight residents without a home and destroyed a furniture storage area. The Kern County Fire Department responded to a building in the 100 block of Front Street on Sunday, May 16 at around 10:30 a.m. The heavy flames ignited a car next to the building and an adjacent building. The building, a two-story structure, had apartments on the upper floor and a furniture storage area on the bottom floor. All firefighters and the...
The mask policy is not changing yet in Shafter as the city announced masks are still needed indoors in public places and at events with a large crowd. This past week there was a slight increase in new cases in the city with 19 newly reported cases. This brings the total confirmed cases in Shafter to 3,552. Wasco has had 5,416 confirmed cases. "The California Department of Public Health has not updated their mask guidance at this time. Kern County residents should continue to...
The City Council recognized the undefeated Shafter High School football team at its Tuesday meeting. Mayor Cathy Prout presented a proclamation to the members of the undefeated team who sported a 5-0 record this season. Led by Coach Jerald Pierucci, the team outscored its opponents 233-29 and outgained its opponents by a five to one margin. "This team showed a unity and love for one another and represented the city of Shafter with class," said Prout. Pierucci thanked the city...
Congressman David Valadao recently visited the Minter Field Air Museum, discussing possible aid that may be available for the museum. Minter Field Air Museum President Ronald Pierce said that Valadao also took a tour of the museum, checking out some of the vintage aircraft. He toured the displays that contain artifacts from the different conflicts the United States Military has been involved in, including items from the World Wars, the Vietnam and Korean wars, as well as the...
A Wasco man was found dead in his vehicle after being shot and then crashing into an orchard in Shafter. The man, later identified as Tony Sanchez, 64, of Wasco, had reportedly crashed into the orchards near the intersection of Fresno and Beech avenues. At approximately 1 p.m., the Shafter Police Department received a call of an accident near the intersection. Shafter Police Department officers found Sanchez in the vehicle deceased, the victim of a gunshot wound. According to...
The Truth Church in Shafter celebrated Mother's Day on Friday with a blood drive and pop-up event. Pastor Frank Cabrera said they had planned to hold a blood drive and decided to add the pop-up event to honor the mothers in the community. Simon Cabrera, of Houchins Blood Bank, said that the drive was one of the busiest they have had this season, with a steady flow of donors. "When [the pandemic] first started last year, it was a very difficult time, but we eventually got...
A local Girl Scout is spreading awareness of human trafficking as part of her Gold Award. Maelyn Camacho of Girl Scout Troop #2447 recently came to the Shafter Rotary Club meeting to talk about human trafficking and some things that can be done. She was joined by Dr. Doug Bennett of Magdalene Hope. Magdalene Hope is a nonprofit that fights human trafficking. Camacho was looking for a community project to create in order to receive her Gold Award in the Girl Scouts organization...
The Shafter Young Adult Theater opened their production on Friday night with a packed house in their performance of The Wizard of Oz. Playing the role of Dorothy, Lauren Givens showed a great range vocally, emotionally, and played the title lead character with a powerhouse performance. Givens was surrounded by a multitude of talented actors who all shone in their own right. Megan Bloehmof, who wowed crowds as Annie a couple of years ago, was fantastic as the Scarecrow, showing...
All of the students graduating this year at local schools will be able to walk across the stage watched in person by their family and friends. Shafter High Principal Russell Shipley made a You Tube video announcing the good news for the Generals. Earlier in the year, it was announced that Shafter High would be holding a graduation ceremony, but it would be held at Frontier High School. The Shafter High football stadium is in the middle of a major renovation and is not available. With progress that has been made with covid-19...
Residents of Kern County have enjoyed the luxury of being able to lounge in their back yards, or on their porches, without being swarmed by mosquitoes. With the invasion of a new species of mosquito, this luxury is a thing of the past. Anyone who has ventured outside has probably encountered this new culprit, the Aedes Aegypti. This mosquito separates itself from the more common Culex Tarsalis by the way it attacks and the environment in which it enjoys to feed. Terry Knight,...
The City Council presented the key to the city to Nicole Morris, the new Distinguished Young Woman, at its recent meeting. The council also honored First Alternate Natalie Olvera, Second Alternate Jamilynn Eighmy and winner of the Physical Fitness Award Malia Maldonado. Morris will represent the city at the state competition in Bakersfield in July. Terry Knight, of the Kern County Vector Control, also gave the council information on the upcoming mosquito season. Knight...
Residents will be able to shop at the bazaar for mom and donate blood at an event held by the Truth Church. On Friday, May 7 from 2 to 7 p.m., the church is hosting a Mother's Day shopping event along with a blood drive held by the Houchin Blood Bank. For those wanting to donate blood, you must be at least 16 years old, have a valid picture ID, and be in good health. In addition to the blood drive, Pastor Frank Cabrera said that they are holding a bazaar that celebrates the...
The fate of the Shafter Branch Library is in limbo as the current agreement ends in June. Over the weekend, the library held an event to make the community aware of its uncertain fate. The city entered into an agreement with the Kern County Library to open the Shafter Branch for two days a week until the end of June. After this agreement has ended, another plan will have to be in place to keep the library open. The library was not opened back up by the Kern County Libraries...
The Shafter Young Adult Theater group will be presenting their production of the old classic, "The Wizard of Oz" this weekend, Friday, May 7 and May 8. Show times are 7 p.m. for Friday and Saturday, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday as well. Directed by Chad Givens, the group has been rehearsing for a couple of months. Starring in the lead role of Dorothy is Lauren Givens. Givens has been acting for a couple of years now, with her previous performances as Ariel in the Little...
The owner of Rocy's Mexican Food has opened a new venture in the city called El Duran's Taco Shop. Antonio Duran and his family have been in business in Shafter for a few years. Duran said that he loved the location of Highway 43 right after Apple Market, thinking that it would be a perfect spot for a business. Duran made this dream a reality as he opened the doors to El Duran's Taco Shop this past Thursday. Duran said the new restaurant offers everything that Rocy's offers, s...
After almost a year of virtual classes, in-person classes returned to the city when Zumba was held at the Shafter Aquatic Center, offering participants a chance to dance to the music under the instruction of Brandi Root. Sponsored by Shafter Healthy Start, Kern Family Health Care, and the Shafter Recreation and Parks Department, three classes were held last week outdoors, adhering to the covid-19 safety guidelines, including social distancing and face coverings. Over 30...
Fresno-based Scelzi Enterprises is coming to the Wonderful Industrial Park later this summer. Scelzi recently purchased the 36,366-square-foot building previously occupied by Weatherford, Inc. The business manufactures truck bodies built of mainly steel, with some aluminum and wood. The family-owned business has a large local customer base, which makes the move to Shafter a logical one, said Bill Vander Plaats, marketing manager for Scelzi. "We do a lot of business with the...
Hundreds of people turned out to the Tin Cup last Saturday to buy everything from baked bread, makeup, soaps, plants and clothing. The Coffee and Creations event was packed with vendor booths offering something for everyone in the family. Every $10 a person spent earned them a raffle ticket. Pop-up events have become popular in the area, propelled by the pandemic, vendor Adrianna Pompa said. "It really might be because of the pandemic that we have seen success," said Pompa,...
One of two inmates who escaped from the Lerdo Justice Facility was captured by the Shafter Police Department on Wednesday morning. At approximately 1:30 a.m. David Reagan Palms, 22, and Tyrone Deangelo Johnson, 24, escaped from the facility. One Shafter resident caught Palms on their security cameras. With footage obtained by the Shafter Press, Palms walked right outside of the resident's house close to 6 a.m. At around 6:30 a.m. Palms was located by the Shafter Police...
The Shafter High Generals football team ended their abbreviated season with one of the only three undefeated records in the county, going 5-0. Their final game was on Friday night, winning against one of the other four undefeated teams, the Golden Valley Bulldogs, 41-14. The Bulldogs tested the Generals' defense, with an early score that pulled the Bulldogs within 7-6 early in the game. Shafter came out and scored on their first drive of the game, which they had done in three...
Jensen Boyt, a Shafter High senior, will be attending the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It has been over a little over 20 years since a Shafter High School student had been nominated to one of the nation's military academies. The last student was Eli Espericueta, who graduated from West Point in 2000. Boyt was originally nominated by Congressman TJ Cox and went through the process of applying to local congressmen, interviews and applications. He received the call from...
