Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 28
The Shafter City Council was given a presentation of the value and possibilities of rail system that the city owns near the Wonderful Industrial Park. In the past, Shafter had made a considerable amount of money with oil companies using the system for transportation of their products and supplies. But, with the crash of the oil industry, the major customers of the rail system moved out of the area, including Baker Hughes, which was a big customer. The rail system is a section of track that also...
Just two weeks after her husband passed, longtime resident Antoinette "Toni" Johnston died Tuesday. Johnston was very active in a variety of clubs and organizations in Shafter, including being a longtime member of the Shafter Recreation Board. Her husband was a longtime council member who served two terms as mayor. Funeral service details have not been released at press time. --Jamie Stewart...
Second in a series on the candidates for Shafter City Council in November. Prior stories can be found at TheShafterPress.com. Rafael Zamudio wants to run for City Council to help make a difference in the community. He believes that the council has not been listening to the residents, and it is time that they have a voice. "As a home grown Shafter resident, it was an easy decision to throw my hat in the race for City Council. I have noticed changes in our local government that don't coincide...
The Shafter High Generals christened their new stadium on Friday night with a 25-6 victory over the Orosi Cardinal. They will be celebrating an official Grand Opening of the stadium on Homecoming night, Sept. 23, with a variety of activities on the menu. For the price of admission to the game against the Taft Wildcats, attendees will be treated to a video produced by Coach Jerald Pierucci and students in his multimedia class. The video will be played just before the beginning of the game. At...
First in a series on Shafter High alumni and their experiences after graduation. Jackson Sanchez, a 2020 Shafter High graduate, is continuing his love affair with sports through the pen these days, writing his way to a major in journalism at Fresno State University. Sanchez was a major contributor for the Shafter Generals on their way to the Valley Championship game against Bakersfield Christian High School in 2019. Sanchez did a little of everything for the Generals, receiving, quarterback and...
The Wasco Rotary Club played host this last month to an old friend, when former a finance director for Wasco and Shafter, Jim Zervis, came to talk about the proposed one cent tax that is on the ballot for November. Zervis was the finance director for the City of Wasco years ago, and ended up as the city manager. He then went to work for the City of Shafter as its finance director. Kern County grabbed him up a couple of years ago to work for them in their finance department. Zervis spoke to the...
He was sound asleep at home at 2 a.m. one August morning. This is when he got a call from one of the farm workers working for a company during the night shift for the annual grape harvest. The worker explained that he needed an auto part as soon as possible, as one of the machines had broken down. So, he got out of bed, put on his work clothes, and drove to Shafter Napa right away. He then got the part and took it to the farm worker who needed it. Instead of going back home after to sleep more,...
The Miss Wasco Rose Queen Pageant last Thursday was nothing but spectacular. All seven contestants sparkled on stage. The competition was fierce, but Ensley Mehlberg took home the title. Mehlberg also received the award for physical fitness and was the talent winner. "I feel really happy. I am still shaking. It doesn't feel real," said Mehlberg. "I look forward to connecting with the community, meeting all the little girls and boys, and seeing what they have to say." The contestants were Nevaeh...
It was a jam-packed lineup of events for the Wasco Rose Festival, beginning with a pageant on Thursday and "An Evening of Wine and Roses" reception on Friday. On Saturday, there were many other activities for the whole family, including a color run, 3-on-3 basketball tournament, a festival at Barker Park, an open house at the Wasco Historical Society Museum and Block and Tackle Deep Pit Dinner. The Wasco Recreation and Parks District kicked off Saturday early morning with their "Somewhere Over t...
ANNOUNCEMENTS Road work – Construction on East Euclid Avenue between James and Nickel streets to last to or three more weeks. City of Shafter recommends avoiding the area. New semester: The Shafter Library & Learning Center’s fall semester are ongoing, and registration is open. Classes are Monday-Friday, 4:05-7 p.m. Classes are: Grades 1-8: Art Through All Mediums, Art Around the World, Future Scientists, Cooking, Baking, Spanish, Keyboarding/Computer Programming, Crafts, Literacy Lab, Lego Robotics, iMath games/tutoring. Pre-K: Pre-K (3-5 yea...
Sept. 2 Israel Gomez Jr., 35, of Shafter, was arrested on Pine Street and Blake Avenue on a bench warrant/failure to appear on misdemeanor charge. Biana Chamale, 37, of Shafter, was arrested on South Shafter Avenue and Riverside Street on a bench warrant/failure to appear on misdemeanor charge. April Roselinda Sandoval, 38, of Shafter, was arrested in the 100 block of West Orange Avenue on a bench warrant/failure to appear on a misdemeanor charge. Jesus Estevan Navarrete, 34, of Shafter, was arrested on the North Wall Street and West Lerdo...
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 mysteryphoto@ The ShafterPress.com. Winners will be revealed here next week. LAST WEEK: A self-propelled harvester designed by Cliff McGraw on the Neufeld Farm in 1962....
On Saturday, October 1st, the Wasco Elks Lodge #2419 will proudly host its annual car show and cornhole tournament. The free event will be in memory of long-time Elks Lodge member Blaine Willard. Leading knight Jerry Bozarth, who has been a member since 1978, said it will commemorate a past member who contributed profoundly to the Club and the community. "He was a loyal member and was always involved in our car show. Every year he brought a car, and his car will be at the show again this year,"...
Strata Credit Union will host a groundbreaking event on Thursday, Sept. 29, to introduce its latest branch to benefit underserved communities like Wasco. "This is a $3.4 million investment that the credit union is making in the community of Wasco. It is a celebration, and we are inviting residents of Wasco to come join us," said Jose Gonzalez, vice president of sales and membership. The event will be an opportunity to get to know Strata leadership and learn more about its products and financial...
After a summer hiatus, the Wasco Woman's Club returned with their first meeting. Noelia Valera, a Miss Wasco Rose Queen contestant, HOBY candidate Addiston Vasquez and Steven Kemp from the office of Congressman David G. Valadao attended. President Jill Drescher presided and shared she is excited to get back on track with plans for the Clubhouse renovations and continuing with some of their successful projects. "I am also looking forward to being able to host our candidate forum on October 13th a...
When I was in college at Biola University, I remember making a statement to my roommate that went something like this: “I can live out my faith by myself and really don't need others to do that!.” Wow, was I wrong! In my zeal to live out my faith at that time, I was more "conformed to the pattern of this world" that Paul speaks of in Romans 12:2 and needed to be "transformed by the renewing of my mind" by the Holy Spirit. Essentially, I was thinking more like an American citizen than a citizen of heaven. I appreciate the many "individual rig...
Rodney Daniel Mcgowen, 35, was born July 15, 1987, and passed away on Sept. 12, 2022, in Bakersfield. Rodney was a generous loving soul with a heart of gold. His corny jokes put a smile on your face. He was the best brother, son, cousin, nephew and friend anyone could ask for. He will be greatly missed. Rodney is survived by his father, Rod Mcgowen Sr.; brothers Danny Garcia and Brian Mcgowen; and sister Victoria Mcgowen. Rodney was preceded in death by his mother, Mary Alice Mcgowen. Rodney's...
Guadalupe Gudino III, 30, of Bakersfield passed away Sept. 7, in Bakersfield. Peters Funeral Home, Shafter. Michelle Coats, 72, of Bakersfield passed away Sept. 11, in Bakersfield. Basham & Lara Funeral Care, Shafter. Antoinette "Toni" Ogle Johnston, 83, of Shafter, passed away Sept. 11, in Bakersfield. Peters Funeral Home, Shafter....
The Shafter High Generals beat the Orosi Cardinal on Friday night, keeping them unbeaten on the season. The game was called midway through the third quarter when there was a second delay due to lightning in the area. The Generals won the game 25-6, with a good performance on offense from running back Christopher Espinoza, quarterback Ezekiel Osborne and receivers Jesse Bernal and Jesus Vasquez. The team was playing without key running back Koa Rhodes, who sat out the contest with a...
The Wasco High Tigers saw their regular season winning streak come to an end with a 27-20 loss to the undefeated Tehachapi Warriors on Friday night. The Tigers dug themselves an early hole, falling behind the Warriors 21-0 in the first half. Used to usually getting an early lead, the Tigers saw the Warriors score on a drive that began when they recovered a Wasco fumble on their first play from scrimmage. Before the game was four minutes old, Tehachapi had a 7-0 lead. On Wasco’s next two drives,...
To see this week's Classified Ads, click on the e-edition logo....
Sabrina came into the Wasco Animal Shelter as a stray. She is approximately 1 years old, and is a female chihuahua mix. She is great with staff and other dogs; she has been tested with large and small breeds. It is unknown if Sabrina is house/crate trained at the time. Dogs are not tested with children; her behavior towards children is unknown. She will be available for adoption on Sept.16. If this is your dog, please call the shelter immediately. Proof of ownership will be required (vet...
Jerry Lynn Lauderdale was born May 4, 1939, in Wayne, Okla., to Carol and Pauline Lauderdale. He is preceded in death by his wife, Arneda Sue Lauderdale, and his three siblings, Shirley Foster, Richard Lauderdale and Dennis Lauderdale. Jerry attended and graduated from Shafter High School in 1957. While in high school he was not only a good student but a great athlete, receiving numerous awards in football, basketball and track. He married Arneda Sue Sherrell in 1960 and became a father to...
