Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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Mayor Cathy Prout and Gustavo Olvera have won the two open seats on the Shafter City Council, according to final numbers at the Kern Elections Office. The results will be made official by Dec. 16, 2022. Prout outdistanced her nearest competitor by 500 votes, getting 1,171 votes. Olvera narrowly beat incumbent Cesar Lopez by 35 votes, collecting 24.3% of the vote, 1,186 ballots, compared to Lopez's 1,186 votes, 23.6%. The race has been tight for the two candidates since election day, within 100...
ORLAND -- The clock struck twelve on the Shafter High Generals, ending their playoff run as they lost to Orland High in the State Championship game 20-7 on Saturday night. The game was played on Orland's home field, which was not a playing field as much as a mud bog. Shafter struck first in the game in the first quarter, with the offense struggling to move the ball on the soggy field. Christopher Espinoza put Shafter up 7-0 with a four-yard touchdown run. The Trojans answered immediately, with a...
Santa Claus flew into Minter Field in Shafter on Saturday, touching down in an airplane, giving his reindeer a rest before their big night. Hundreds of children and parents were on hand awaiting his arrival. They spent time looking at the antique airplanes that the Minter Field Air Museum has on display as they waited. They were also entertained by an appearance of KC the Bull from the Kern County Fair. KC visited with the children and took pictures with them. When Santa touched down, a big...
The Shafter Christmas Store was held last weekend, a return from the online store that was available last year, with parents participating in a program that enables parents to buy presents for their children at heavily discounted prices. This program has been helping Shafter residents have a merrier Christmas for a few years now. Began in 2017, the idea was born out of a desire by the City of Shafter's Brittney Neal-Soberanis to change a Christmas program that she was involved in. She wanted...
A man was killed and his wife injured and a family was left homeless after a fire shortly after midnight Sunday. The house fire occurred in the 800 block of Filburn Street at around 12:45 a.m., the Kern County Fire Department reported. Firefighters arrived to find the front side of the home burning, with flames shooting through parts of the roof. Crews searched the home for trapped individuals. They rescued Mireya Lopez, who was taken to the hospital for treatment. Her husband, Juan E. Lopez, Sr...
Lavender has become a big passion this year, with the fragrant plant being used for many things, including perfumes, lotions and culinary items, as well as a tool for pollinating other crops and plants. The Lavender Garden in Lost Hills has announced its opening of a new gifts shop and Dinosaur Park just in time for the holiday season. This popular attraction has been delighting travelers for quite some time now, with its fragrant acreage and varieties of products made from the plant. The new...
With the Shafter Generals in the news with their remarkable run to the State Championship game, there was also another Kern County football team in the hunt. Liberty High School in Bakersfield made an outstanding run in the playoffs, including a rematch with Clovis-Buchanan, a team that beat them during the regular season in a game that was called in the fourth quarter because of lightning. A Shafter youth, Matthew Jude Maldonado, was a part of the Liberty team taking the State title as a...
Maple School is offering a special program that is giving its students a head start in preparing them for possible careers in the engineering and mechanical fields, by participating in Chevron's Project Lead the Way program. This program has been helping Shafter High students get prepared for technical careers as they learn all aspects of the challenging fields in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) areas of learning. At Maple, Jan Cranfill is heading up the program, which is open...
LifeHouse Church will host a toy giveaway for needy children next week. The church expects to distribute 500 toys for boys and girls ages three to twelve. Families will drive up and pick an age-appropriate toy for their children. It will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The church will try to give away as many gifts as they can. Pastor Manuel Cantu is spearheading the event. He said in addition to distributing the toys; it will be a nice way to spread the mission of their church which is...
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 esoriano@TheShafterPress.com or call 661-292-5100 by Monday at 4 p.m. for that week’s paper. ONGOING NEW: Ag club – Wasco High Ag Prep Leadership Club is having a holiday drive Monday, Dec. 19, 3:30-7 p.m. at the Wasco High bus loading zone, corner of Palm Avenue and 7th Street. NEW: Adult ed registration – Wasco Adult Education Center Spring 2023 regis...
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: The Richland Santa Fe Grammar School, about 1935....
Dec. 5 Adrianna Lucia Diaz, 33, of Shafter, was arrested in the 200 block of Lerdo Highway on a bench warrant/failure to appear on a misdemeanor charge. Alberto Hernanadez, 57, of Shafter, was arrested on Central Valley Highway on a bench warrant/failure to appear on a misdemeanor charge. Antonio Garcia, 58, of Shafter, was arrested on East Ash and Birch for DUI. Jose Antonio Mendozatorr, 18, of Shafter, was arrested on the 100 block of South Shafter for driving without a license. Dec. 6 Cesar Omar Guerrero, 46, of Shafter, was arrested in the...
With the City Council's approval to launch a Wasco Police Department and with the hiring of the new chief of police, Charlie Fivecoat, efforts to move forward are progressing rapidly. According to City Manager Scott Hurlbert, the typical timeline for starting a police department from scratch is 18-24 months. "We have a few advantages in starting the Wasco Police Department, such as a cooperative partner in the Kern County Sheriff's Office and an experienced chief of police. This may allow a...
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Our loss, Heaven's gain: There goes Coralee. Actually, she is already there. She arrived in a twinkling of an eye, at about 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 24, 2022, Thanksgiving Day, singing praises to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This world, which she entered on Sept. 26, 1939, is going to miss her infectious smile, her funny little snicker and her boisterous laugh; she found true joy in everything and everybody. On Dec. 30, Coralee's earthly body will be interred by her family at Shafter Memorial...
Jerry Dale Fowler went peacefully to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Dec. 10, 2022. Jerry was known by his kind and gentle nature, love and dedication to God and his overwhelming love of his family. He married the love of his life, Shirley Fowler, at age 21, and they celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary on June 21, 2019, before she passed; he has been missing her ever since. Shirley and Jerry had two loving children, Mark Fowler and Mindy Hensen; and two adored granddaughters,...
Joyce Yvonne Stanley, born on Oct. 9, 1936, passed away in her Tehachapi home on Nov. 11, 2022. She was surrounded by her family, listening to them laugh and compete with Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Joyce was the sixth child born to Frank and Elizabeth Ursery in Kennett, Mo. She grew up and attended school in Deering, Mo. She was active in her local 4-H Club. She learned to sew at the age of 9 and won many ribbons at local fairs. She loved working outdoors with her brother. Bill, and father...
Mary Miller Taylor Smith was born in Wasco on April 26, 1939, to John and Rosa Miller. She was a first-generation American, as John and Rosa were Swiss immigrants. Mary grew up on a farm and loved the outdoors, animals and gardening. She attended St. John's Catholic school, Wasco High School, Bakersfield College and Fresno State University, where she majored in biology. On Jan. 21, 1961, she married her college sweetheart, Vaughn Taylor, and they made their home in Shafter. During their marriage...
On Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022, Stephanie (Mansfield) Sherman, a beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother, passed away at the age of 64. Born to Carl and Shirley Mansfield, Stephanie is survived by her three daughters, Tiffany, Sarah and Emiley, and her seven grandchildren, Christian, Molly, Morgan, Jett, Ariel, Sebastian and Shayne; one great-granddaughter, Romi, and her sister, Kobie Carrasco. Many would describe Stephanie as a quick-witted, humorous and a very chatty person who loved...
Michelle Fletcher Staggs, 64, of McFarland passed away Dec. 11, in Bakersfield. Peters Funeral Home, Wasco. Manuel Sandoval, 45, of Shafter, passed away Dec. 9, in Bakersfield. Peters Funeral Home, Shafter....
Marie E. Krause (Swan) was born Nov. 14, 1927, and passed away Dec. 10, 2022, after a long and full life. She was a woman of many passions, but the greatest of these was creating art. She designed and made stained glass Tiffany-style lamps, doors, windows and many stepping stones. At the United Methodist Church in Wasco, she taught stained glass-making classes, sharing her artistry with others. Every Sunday, she also arranged the flowers for the church altar, choosing them from her own garden....
Second Corinthians 9:15 says, Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. God is a giver. He is rich in mercy and grace, and he gave the world the most perfect gift in Jesus Christ. James 1:17 says, Every good and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father. I remember as a child getting a BB gun and a package of toy soldiers, footballs and socks, but the greatest gift I received was when I accepted God’s gift, Jesus Christ, into my heart. Bicycles and BB guns can rust and f...
Toys for Tigers held its annual toy giveaway for needy children Saturday. Over 380 families were served, with over 1,000 gifts distributed. "We purchased the toys through donations we raise all year long," said Toys for Tigers treasurer Pat Ketcherside "Every year we have a lot of sponsors like the Wasco Rotary Club and the Wonderful Company; they are a big supporter of us. We have over 40 sponsors." She added that many volunteers work to make the toy distribution a success. "We are all...
Planet Dance Studio celebrated its 20th anniversary in grand with a Christmas-themed 'Sleigh Ride' recital for an audience of over 500 people. The event took place at the Shafter High School auditorium. There were 65 girls ages four to 17 that performed 19 different dance routines in the genres of tap, jazz, ballet and hip hop. Five instructors trained the girls and choreographed the numbers, which the girls pulled off seamlessly with great technique and presentation. They danced to classic and...
United Against Covid-19 (UAC), in partnership with the City of Wasco, sponsored their monthly Covid-19 vaccination clinic. Once again, Wasco residents who were vaccinated received a $50 Visa gift card. The UAC coalition includes the Dolores Huerta Foundation, South Kern Sol and Lideres Campesinas, organizations that aim to empower underserved communities like Wasco. Mayor Gilberto Reyna said, "I think these clinics are making a positive difference by increasing the number of vaccinated people...
