Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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As Scott Hurlbert prepares to take the reins from outgoing City Manager Daniel Ortiz-Hernandez, he sat down with the Tribune to talk about his background and goals for the city. Hurlbert has three main goals in Wasco to help stabilize finances in the city. These are jobs, safety and education. "If these three things are stable, then a city is pretty well run," he said. Hurlbert said his past experience with the High Speed Rail will help the city with its issues. He also stressed the importance...
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 identified -- confir...
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 engaged. Included...
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 point, several...
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 including metal pipe. The e...
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 campaign in World...
The Recreation and Parks Department has started their summer activities, and there are a lot to choose from. With the covid-19 restrictions easing, the department has opened its Summer Day Camp for children from kindergarten to 8th grade, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Camp Director Elia Torres said that they have around 90 children in this year's camp. "We got the clearance to hold the camp just about three or four weeks ago, so I am pleasantly surprised with the number of...
The Valley Championship title slipped away from the Shafter High Lady Generals during the final game, losing 9-0 to the Highland Scots. Shafter's softball team had only one loss in the season before the title game when they lost 5-1 to Golden Valley in the middle of the season. Overall, the Lady Generals had a 14-2 record and outscored their opponents by a total of 156-45. Serenity Angulo, who pitched a five hitter in the semifinal win over Bakersfield Christian with 10 strike outs, was hit...
The name Juneteenth has been spoken a lot in 2021. It's called Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day and Emancipation Day by many and the day commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It is a day of liberty and a day to recommit to ending systematic racism in America. Now it is a federal holiday. This year, Wasco celebrated with a party in The Park on 15th and G Street beginning at 10 a.m. and lasting into the afternoon. Speakers and special guests were seated underneath canopies...
As activities restart and businesses reopen, we will try to update readers on the status of events and activities throughout the area. Please contact Erica Soriano with additions and changes at [email protected] or call 661-292-5100 by Monday at 4 p.m. for that week’s paper. Ongoing The Shafter Press and Wasco Tribune office will be closed Monday, July 5, in observance of the 4th of July weekend. Cooling center — There is a cooling center in Shafter at the Walker Senior Center at 505 Sunset Ave. The center is open from 1 to 8 p.m. Fo...
Here's this week's challenge, courtesy of the Shafter Historical Society. If you know the location, circumstances, exact or rough date and/or people in the photo, send your educated (or semieducated) guess to The Press, 455 Kern St., Suite E, Shafter, CA 93263, or e-mail it to [email protected]. Winners will be revealed here next week. LAST WEEK: The photo showed an exhibit from 1974 at the Shafter Fair, The Perfect Balance....
June 15 Jessica Gonzalez Zapien, 40, of Shafter, was arrested for theft/extortion of vehicle, controlled substance paraphernalia, possession of controlled substance, on an outside agency warrant and for scavenging. Brian James Bales, 34, of Shafter, was arrested on the 200 block of Central Valley Hwy. for obstruction of a public officer. June 16 Santos Gutierrez III, 30, of Shafter, was arrested on the 100 block of Beth Eden on an misdemeanor bench warrant. June 17 Victor Manuel Nunez, 26, of Shafter, was arrested on the E. Lerdo Hwy. and...
To see see this week's Classified Ads, click on the PDF....
Francisco Alvarez Cisneros, 29, of Lost Hills, passed away June 7, in Lost Hills. Peters Funeral Home, Wasco. Yatzil Chavez, infant, of Wasco, passed away June 18, in Bakersfield. Peters Funeral Home, Wasco. Francisco Versace Romos, infant, of Shafter, passed away June 20, in Bakersfield. Peters Funeral Home, Shafter....
Director of Finance Isarel Perez-Hernandez gave a presentation to the City Council during a special meeting on some increases that will occur during the fiscal year 2021-22. Hernandez stated that there will be significant increases in Measure X costs. Funds from Measure X come from the 1% bond issue passed in 2016 that raised the sales tax in Wasco by 1%. That means these items are paid for through the sales tax. One of the increases is in body cameras in the amount of $55,518. This is due to...
Over two dozen employers worked to entice new employees last Friday during a job fair held at Cormack Park. The job fair was hosted by Wasco Career Awareness Recruitment Education (CARE). Jose Segovia, from Elwood Staffing in Bakersfield, said he expected traffic to pick up a bit later in the afternoon at the fair. "It seems that people aren't really looking for jobs these days, especially after covid," Segovia said. "Especially after getting free benefits this year." Segovia hopes that this tre...
Before the City Council denied a motion to raise the Pride flag in the month of June, a group of supporters rallied in front of City Hall. On the June 17 agenda, Mayor Alex Garcia proposed a discussion on raising the Pride flag in front of City Hall in honor of Pride Month. He gathered supporters June 15 on the lawn in front of City Hall before the meeting. About 50 people of all ages turned out to show their support of raising the Pride flag. "I was amazed at how many students I saw supporting...
Farmworker Institute of Education and Leadership Development enjoyed participating in the Wasco C.A.R.E event this past Friday and wanted to pass this on to share a little more about our organization. As we strive to develop a replacement workforce to continue supporting California's economy, the Farmworkers Institute of Education and Leadership Development is committed to uplifting the economic prospects of our underserved populations in poor, minority communities. Whether it is developing...
Time is a present. As King Solomon wrote in the book of Ecclesiastes, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, KJV). The book of James, states, “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14, ESV). Time is the most valuable commodity we possess, yet we do not own time. The time that has passed,...
Last year, state and local governments nationwide encountered a once-in- a-generation global pandemic. Our community remained resilient, and the Kern County Department of Public Health ensured combating the virus was a top priority with the successful implementation of the state’s vaccination schedule and outreach to our most vulnerable communities susceptible to covid-19. In March of 2020, the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund provided Kern County the ability to invest relief dollars in a fiscally responsible way that kept Kern residents h...
