Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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With new information being revealed over the last few days surrounding an alleged meeting in Bakersfield with two men portraying one as a minor, Mayor Alex Garcia resigned as Wasco mayor and councilmember early Thursday morning. In a statement, he said he has "been healing following my recent assault; I am now finally able to speak with you to announce, with a heavy heart and profound regret, my resignation. "I want to assure you that the accusations made against me are mischaracterized and inaccurate and certainly do not...
With new information being revealed over the last few days surrounding an alleged meeting in Bakersfield with a man portraying himself as a minors, Mayor Alex Garcia resigned as Wasco mayor and councilmember Thursday morning. Here is the statement from Garcia released by the city: To the Citizens of Wasco, As I have been healing following my recent assault, I am now finally able to speak with you to announce, with a heavy heart and profound regret, my resignation as Mayor and Council Member of the City of Wasco. As many of...
As the school year approaches, House of Fadez is hosting its annual back-to-school event on Sunday, Aug. 4, providing free haircuts and backpacks to low-income students from kindergarten through 12th grade. House of Fadez opened its doors a few years ago and quickly became a local favorite. Owner Luis Contreras shared his connection to the event. "I remember how hard things were for my family when I was growing up, and I know how much small acts of support can mean. Now that I...
The Seamless Summer Option program at James A. Forrest Elementary School served an average of 500 to 540 children each Wednesday in July. Using a "grab and go" system, parents could drive through to pick up four bags containing seven days of breakfasts and lunches for their child. The program ensures that any child between the ages of 2 and 18 receives nutritious meals even when school is out. The Wasco Union Elementary School District food service director, Randy Jenkins,...
Mayor Alex Garcia may have been lured into a meeting with individuals at a location in Bakersfield, perhaps with the intent to attack him based on his sexual orientation, his lawyer said in a statement Monday.. Meanwhile, a fellow councilmember called for him to explain himself, "or resign." "I advised him [Alex Garcia] not to make any statements because there are a few investigations that appear to be ongoing. Based on the information we have available right now, it appears...
For Jan Hummel, the newly hired principal of Teresa Burke Elementary School, the most rewarding part of her career in education has always been the deep connection she shares with her students. "I tell people it's not important if you don't remember all your students' names throughout all those past years. What is impressive is when the students from all those years remember you; then you know you've really made a difference," she said. "When they come back and see you, it's t...
Edwin Sanchez, who was involved in a fiery crash in Shafter in August 2023, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of vehicular manslaughter in connection with a deadly crash last year in Shafter and has been sentenced to probation and community service. On the afternoon of Aug. 14, Sanchez drove a Ford Excursion west on West Lerdo Highway approaching Driver Road, according to a court filing. The Ford collided with an Infiniti Q50 in the intersection. Both vehicles caught...
Due to a production error, pictures and captions for two stories on last week’s print page 1 and continuations of the stories inside the paper were swapped. A corrected version is posted on TheShafterPress.com and WascoTrib.com. The Press and Tribune regret the error....
Father Jose Padron has become the first known ordained priest from the St. Therese Church in Shafter. The celebration of Padron's ordination took place July 13 and was witnessed by over 100 parishioners from Shafter who had made the trip to see Padron become ordained. He is now the priest for St. Anthony's Church in Fresno. Padron said that he is excited in fulfilling his lifetime dream to one day have a parish and allow God to work through him. The Mass of Ordination took pla...
With new information being revealed over the last few days surrounding an alleged meeting in Bakersfield with two men portraying one as a minor, Mayor Alex Garcia resigned as Wasco mayor and councilmember early Thursday morning. In a statement, he said he has "been healing following my recent assault; I am now finally able to speak with you to announce, with a heavy heart and profound regret, my resignation. "I want to assure you that the accusations made against me are mischaracterized and inaccurate and certainly do not...
With new information being revealed over the last few days surrounding an alleged meeting in Bakersfield with two men portraying one as a minor, Mayor Alex Garcia resigned as Wasco mayor and councilmember early Thursday afternoon. Here is the statement released by the city: To the Citizens of Wasco, As I have been healing following my recent assault, I am now finally able to speak with you to announce, with a heavy heart and profound regret, my resignation as Mayor and Council Member of the City of Wasco. As many of you are...
Mayor Alex Garcia may have been lured into a meeting with individuals at a location in Bakersfield, perhaps with the intent to attack him based on his sexual orientation, his lawyer said in a statement Monday. Meanwhile, a fellow councilmember called for him to explain himself, "or resign." "I advised him [Alex Garcia] not to make any statements because there are a few investigations that appear to be ongoing. Based on the information we have available right now, it appears...
Devonn Bradley responded early Tuesday morning to a request for comment on the meeting between him, his brother and Wasco Mayor Alex Garcia last Wednesday night in Bakersfield. He described the altercation this way: "We didn't meet up with him to fight; we even told him we didn't want to hurt him. His claims are nonsense. He kept reaching into his bag as if he had a weapon. Naturally, anyone would defend themselves in that situation. Plus, this is a man who came to meet a 15-year-old. He also brought weed, a pipe, a full...
On Sunday morning, Shafter Mayor Chad Givens, along with his wife, Vanessa, were installed as the new pastors of the Canyon Hills Shafter Church. Formerly the First Assembly of God Church of Shafter, the church was taken over by Canyon Hills a couple of years ago. Canyon Hills has campuses throughout Kern County and elsewhere. Givens said that he has been certified by both the Pentecostal Church of God and Assembly of God Church for a few years. Givens was part of the Jesus...
The Shafter Rotary Club hosted the history-making Shafter Generals Baseball team at their meeting on Wednesday. The club held a luncheon in their honor and listened to Head Coach John Hill and a couple of players as they celebrated a historic season for the team. The Shafter High Generals baseball team did what no other Generals baseball team had done when they captured the Central Section Valley title, beating Madera Matilda Torres in the championship game. This was...
"James Garner's Tribute to Johnny Cash" will be returning to Shafter's Ford Theater on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 17 and 18. Garner appeared at the Shafter Ford Theater last year in a sold-out show that entertained the crowd with nostalgic songs and storytelling by Garner. "We're excited to bring our show back to Shafter," Garner said. "We played to a sold-out crowd, so we are glad to be playing three shows over two days to give more folks a chance to see the show." The...
The Wasco High School Class of 1974 will hold its 50th reunion on Saturday, Oct. 5. It's been 20 years since the last reunion, and it promises to be a time to reconnect, reminisce and celebrate the significant milestone. Denise Hamlin is the event committee chair. "We are looking forward to everyone having a wonderful evening, reuniting and creating new memories," she says. When asked what the night's highlight will be, she said, "It's hard to say. It will be specific for all...
The Wasco Police Department will host its first-ever Chill with a Cop at Barker Park on Thursday, Aug. 1. There's no agenda – just a chance to interact in a friendly setting with the men and women who help keep the city safe. Sergeant Lloyd Galutira is spearheading the event, which will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. "The Wasco Police Department is dedicated to building trust and creating strong relationships with the community," he said. "We wanted to come up with an event t...
The Shafter Mennonite Brethren Church is holding its annual Wrestling Camp this week, teaching kids on and off the mat. There were over 30 kids on hand, from novice wrestlers to competitive wrestlers looking to get back into form. Led by Pastor Pat Coyle, the camp has been helping children for over 15 years with basic workouts to intricate moves on the mat. Coyle had the assistance of wrestlers from the Shafter Spartans youth wrestling team, as well as members of the Shafter...
The First Southern Baptist Church of Shafter held their Vacation Bible School this week, taking the kids on a Jungle Journey that took them all over the world, in search of the 7 Cs of History. Those Cs include creation, corruption, catastrophe, confusion, Christ, cross and consummation. The 7 Cs of History are intended to be a memorable way of showing that the Bible is a history book, and its events connect with real history. This framework helps to understand fossils, rock l...
Pastor Paul Hernandez of the Free Will Baptist Church oversees the Matthew 25:35 Ministry Fresh Rescue Program, a weekly food distribution that started in January and has provided roughly 10,000 meals. Before the weekly program, the church held their distributions monthly for the last three years. Several factors inspired the church's long-term commitment to feeding the community. "First, we saw statistics that said two out of five kids go to bed hungry, and we wanted to find...
Central Avenue Park celebrated its grand opening with a joyful ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, July 19. The new park, designed to be a vibrant hub for families and visitors, provides a range of recreational activities and green spaces. "It's a fantastic park that offers active sports on the basketball court and lawn area, picnic tables and multiple types of playground equipment. Also, it connects the walking path on Filburn to the walking path on Central," City Manager...
Jesús Flores opened Carnitas El Jesse in April this year, and since then, the culinary gem has been making waves with its mouthwatering carnitas. Carnitas is a traditional pork dish known for its rich, savory taste and balance of tenderness and crispiness. It involves cooking the pork in lard, a method called "confit," at a low temperature for about four hours. This slow-cooking process renders the fat, making the meat juicy and flavorful. "There's a lot of work that goes...
It's summertime again, and that means the Shafter Children's Summer Theater program is putting on another production at the Shafter Ford Theater. For this year's musical, love is certainly in the air, as they have been working on Roger and Hammerstein's "Cinderella." The "Cinderella" cast is sure to both tug on your heart strings and have you folding over with laughter. They have been working tirelessly since April, and they are finally ready to present it. Although...
The city celebrated its new skate park with an opening on Friday evening, welcoming a large group of skaters who couldn't wait to try out the new complex. There had been a skate park at the location, on East Euclid Avenue, that was created in 2015. The facility closed in 2020 when the equipment was vandalized. Thanks to several concerned residents, including Councilmember Gilbert Alvarado and former Councilman Cesar Lopez, the new park is now a reality. The facility has brand...
