Serving the community since 1970
Serving the community since 1970
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The BVarsity All Area football teams were announced, and the Shafter Generals were well represented in the group, giving the Generals the largest amount of players honored in the school's history. On the offensive side, the Generals' sophomore quarterback Ezekiel Osborn was named to the First Team All Area. Osborn had 2,677 yards passing on the season, with 35 touchdowns. Osborn also won the Most Valuable Player award for the entire South Sequoia League as well. Osborn led the Generals to an...
Shafter High Athletic Hall of Fame member Claude Gilbert passed away on January 13, 2024, after a battle with lung cancer. Gilbert was an icon at Shafter High School, as well as just about every school he was associated with. In addition to the SHS Hall of Fame, Gilbert was a member of the San Diego State Athletic Hall of Fame, as well as that of San Jose State. Gilbert coached the Shafter Generals football team to a championship in 1962. Gilbert's passing affected those from throughout the...
Shafter High lost another former coach recently with the passing of Mervin Huston at 89. "Boomer" Huston was the head football coach for several of the dominant teams that the Generals had during the '70s. Huston coached one of the most decorated athletes in the school's history when he helmed the squad that included David "Deacon" Turner, leading the Generals to the top of the SSL. Huston began his career at South High, after serving for the U.S. Navy in the Korean War. After South High,...
A 41-year-old Shafter man was jailed Friday in the stabbing of another man that evening. Shafter police were called to the 100 block of South Shafter Avenue, and found a victim with stab wounds to the abdomen and arm. The man was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Shortly thereafter, they found a man nearby, later identified as Julian Bazan, and he was arrested and charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and battery with serious bodily injury. A weapon suspected of...
The Shafter Kiwanis Club recognized a special group of students on Wednesday as they held their monthly Terrific Kids Luncheon. A different character trait is featured each month, with students exhibiting those traits honored for their achievements. Students are nominated by teachers and staff of each school in the Richland School District as well as Maple School and GROW Academy of Shafter. This month, the focus trait was Inclusive. Among those students honored were Martiza Sepulveda and Marco...
Cricket Wireless helps to keep Shafter, Wasco and other Valley communities talking. Manager Tania Cebellos says that they love Shafter and are excited to be a part of the community. "I love this store, and the people of Shafter are just so nice," she said. "It is great to be a part of a small town. Everyone is so friendly." The store carries phones, cases, protectors, speakers and more. A big advantage, according to Cebellos, is the fact that there are no contracts with Cricket. "We are...
An article last week in The Press included pictures of a few residents’ gravesites being defaced in the name of religion. It happened out at the Shafter Cemetery. I love that cemetery and have family buried out there, so I would never try to say anything against the cemetery or the wonderful staff that works out there. I do want to make clear that what happened recently shouldn’t be ignored or swept under the rug, which, with indications that this was not the first time this has happened, might...
The Wasco High Tigers nearly swept the Shafter Generals on the mat on Thursday night, winning the boys varsity match 68-2 and edging out the Lady Generals in the girls varsity match, 48-32. The Tigers' boys squad continued their domination of the SSL and being one of the top teams in the county in their division. The Tigers, who qualified 12 wrestlers for the Central Section Masters tourney last year, are well on their way to at least equaling that feat. They are strong at every weight class...
At least 50 graves at Shafter Cemetery were marred with eggs and what appeared to be raw animal meat last week – and it wasn't the first time, according to a police spokesman who called it an "alternative" religious practice.. On Friday morning, police were dispatched to the cemetery on Santa Fe Way regarding a case of possible vandalism. A Shafter resident – who did not want to be identified for fear of retribution from the person or group that did the damage – said that she was visiting a rela...
The Shafter City Council has chosen a designer for the new Shafter Police Department substation at Gossamer Grove. The council agreed Tuesday night that the facility will be a modular building approximately 8,600 square feet. Teter Inc. is to complete the design phase for about $327,000. The council set a budget maximum of $350,000. In 2022, the city was awarded a $6 million grant for the entire project. The design and architecture phase of the project should take three to five months. With the...
The Shafter Community Chest, with other local organizations, will be holding a special event on Sunday, Jan. 21, at the Tin Cup in Shafter to raise money for Italy Gonzalez, a Shafter girl who is battling leukemia. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Tin Cup parking lot. Italy, 12, had been winning the fight against this disease after two years, only to have it resurface. The daughter of Noe Gonzalez has undergone numerous tests, operations and procedures, leaving the family with...
The Shafter High girls wrestling team made history last year when they had their first wrestler qualify for the State wrestling tournament. Only a freshman, Julissa Gonzalez went to the State tourney and came away with a seventh-place medal. This year, the squad is working to improve on that history, as they have several wrestlers that are able to make it to the Central Section Masters tournament and possibly at least two wrestlers to According to Head Coach Eli Espericueta, the Lady Generals ha...
The Shafter High Generals boys basketball team got its first SSL win of the season by beating Kennedy High School, 56-47. The Shafter Generals's recent rough patch got a bit rougher last Monday after their fourth straight loss. They fell 74-64 to McFarland. Having run the score up that high, both teams might be doing some extra defensive drills very soon. Shafter's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Shaun Maldonado, who scored 23 points, and Aidan Cardenas, who dropped a double-double...
The Shafter Planning Commission approved a request by APC Towers to install an 80-foot telecommunications tower that would be located at 3751 Santa Fe Way, allowing more telecommunication service in the area. Jeremy Siegel of APC Towers was in the Tuesday night meeting, and said that the tower would be a "monopine tower" that would give the community a lot more coverage in the area. Th at type of tower has several TMobile antennas, with the antennas and structure made to look like a pine tree....
If you drove by Stringham Park on Monday, you might have seen the city taking down a few trees on the site, but not to worry – they will be replaced. Public Works Director Michael James said that the move is part of the Stringham Park Improvement Project. "The project does require the removal of a few trees at certain areas of the park, but there will still be the same amount of trees at the park when the project is completed," James said. Stringham Park will be the new home for the Regional T...
The Shafter Police Department is continuing its mission of fielding the best team of officers in the county to serve and protect the city of Shafter. They have had several new officers join the ranks, offsetting the departures of a few officers that have left to be a part of the new police department in Wasco, under former Shafter Police Chief Charlie Fivecoat. Those leaving included a long-time veteran of the SPD, Lionel Lopez, who had been promoted to sergeant in the Shafter force. There were...
Christmas at the Depot is always a special time of year. Decorations are out, beautiful trees are on display, and the atmosphere is festive. This year was no different. The Shafter Depot Museum held its annual Christmas event that included Christmas trees decorated by organizations, clubs and families, along the theme of The 1940s. Residents perused the museum for several weekends, voting for their favorite tree. They also had an opportunity to greet Santa in their new caboose at the museum on...
A group of Richland School District students received perfect scores on their CAASPP Assessment tests recently. These tests are a measuring stick of how students are progressing in their educational journeys. The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress tests replaced the STAR state standardized tests in California in 2013. The tests cover English, mathematics and social science. According to Richland Superintendent Rosa Romero, the results for last year's tests were made...
The Shafter High Lady Generals basketball team has enjoyed some success the past few years, with this year's campaign no different, as they head into SSL play with an 11-5 record, 2-0 in the SSL. The squad, coached by Shawn Pennell and his staff, have been one of the best teams in the SSL for the past few seasons, with a co-championship last year, sharing the title with McFarland. One of the "benefits" of having such success, though, is the system that the CIF has in place that places teams in...
This continues last week's recap of 2024 Shafter events. The first half can be viewed online at The ShafterPress.com. July saw the return of the July 3 Fireworks show at Shafter High School, put on by the Shafter Chamber of Commerce, with support from local businesses and the community. The skies over Shafter were lit up on Monday night, celebrating the Independence Day holiday. The free event began at 6p.m. with a variety of inflatables, games, and plenty of food and drinks for those in...
The Shafter Young Adults Theater presented a new twist on an old classic recently when they staged "A Christmas Chaos," a take on the Charles Dickon's classic "A Christmas Carol." The production was directed by Joshua Cooley, who also treated the audience to a humorous character, The Confused Actor, who interrupted the production repeatedly, reciting lines from plays that had nothing to do with the current production. The cast was a collection of veteran actors who slipped into their characters...
It is customary for the Shafter Police Department and its officers to deal with gun fire on New Year’s Eve. But, this year, officers ended up arresting an Earlimart man who took the celebration a little too far. Antonio Alvarado, 29, was arrested on several charges and was placed on a $490,000 bond. According to police reports, officers were dispatched to the 400 block of North Wall Street in Shafter for reports of gunfire, possibly with a round hitting an apartment door. When officers arrived,...
The Shafter Library and Learning unveiled a new mural recently that is the result of another dream from members of the Shafter community. Local artist Lorena Castillo, who was the artist behind the first mural at the Learning Center, was once again in charge of the creation, helped by children and families in the community. "This is what makes this so special," said Castillo. "This is the result of an entire community's passion and involvement." According to one of the founders of Listen to...
Christmas came a day early for the youth of Shafter, presented with toys from the Toys for Tots organization, thanks to the support of the community. "The Shafter Lions Club used their nonprofit status to get the Toys for Tots organization here, and we secured the building," said Shafter Councilman Gilbert Alvarado, who is also a Lion. The giveaway event was held on Christmas Eve at the Shafter Veterans Hall. Every child who attended received at least two toys to take home, along with a couple...
Shafter rebounded from the challenging times of the Covid-19 pandemic, seeing the city prosper and its residents begin to thrive again after the last couple of years of uncertainty. JANUARY began with new leadership at the top of the City Council, with Chad Givens named mayor. Givens was excited about the chance to serve the city in this capacity and was looking forward to the possibilities that lie ahead. Givens also said, "Shafter is my home. I was born and raised here, and I love going to...
