Serving the community since 1970
Serving the community since 1970
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The City of Shafter, partnering with American Refuse and Alianza Recycling, will be holding a free bulky waste event at the Shafter Veterans Hall on Saturday, April 15. It will take place in the parking lot of the hall. The event is for city residents only. Items that will be accepted include mattresses, furniture, home appliances, televisions and electronic waste, as well as water heaters. The event is for residential waste only. There will be no commercial waste accepted. Items not accepted...
Frosty King in Shafter has been reigning over the city with its great food and customer service for over 15 years, with the business weathering storms to stay the course in remaining a staple in the city. Owner Sammy Ayash has been leading the restaurant in its operations for the entire run. The business had a popular following and then a hiccup when they learned that their previous location where the AmPm is located was being sold. Ayash found a new location a couple of blocks away. "It didn't...
Hall Ambulance Services is making progress on improving response times in its service area, which includes Shafter and Wasco, according to a top official of the company. Without providing statistics, Jonathan Surface, chief operating officer at the company, told the Shafter City Council Monday that pre-pandemic, there was a nationwide shortage of EMTs and paramedics. This made more competition for staff, and the cost of acquiring employees rose. Another challenge has been an underpaid...
The Shafter Young Adult Theater entertained a full house over the weekend with three performances of the classic "Singing in the Rain." The play was directed by Mayor Chad Givens and starred a number of SYAT veterans that were up to the challenge of the putting on such a technical production. There were a number of dance routines, including contemporary, ballroom and tap. There were also some laughs, thanks to the performances of Leyna Figueroa, who played Cosmo, and Jayna Pierucci, who played...
Richland School District students were on hand to cheer on their parents for a change, as parents of English language learners received their graduation certificates for completing the PIQE program that enables them to help their English learner students in their educational journey. Golden Oak provides the students with the tools they need to be successful in life. The parents that graduated from PIQE attended 14 classes to learn how to support their children in early literacy. The children of...
Shafter Healthy Start hosted a resource fair that attracted a large crowd, as well as over 40 vendorst. The fair was aimed at bringing together a large number of organizations, businesses and resource organizations under the same roof, giving the public a chance to get a lot of information in one spot. There was entertainment from various groups, including Brandi Root, who performed a number from her popular Zumba classes, held at the Shafter Recreation Department. There was also the Brinco del...
The City of Shafter will be holding a Housing Element Workshop to encourage input from residents on the housing needs of the city. It is required that every eight years, a city must update its Housing Element plan, which is part of the General Plan for the city. General Plans serve as the local government’s “blueprint” for how the city will grow and develop. This includes land use, transportation, conservation, noise, open space, safety, air quality, environmental justice and housing. The Housi...
The Richland Junior High girls basketball teams completed their seasons with first place finishes in their leagues, both teams going a combined 42-1. The 7th grade team, coached by Angel Acosta and his staff, went 18-0, including a first place finish in a tournament in McFarland. The 7th grade team consisted of Evie Acosta, Amaya Escalera, Desteny Flores, Baiya Hanner, Kiara Medina, Natalie Navarro and Jordan Perez. The 8th grade team had only one loss on the season, going 24-1, with a first...
The Shafter City Council voted Tuesday night to nominate Wasco councilmember and former mayor and Gilberto Reyna to serve on the San Joaquin Valley Air District Board. Reyna was selected to be the small city representative on the board. The person must be from either Arvin, Delano, Taft, Shafter, Maricopa or Wasco to be eligible for the position. The only other applicant was Cory Morse of Maricopa. The council also held a public hearing to approve Tract #7402, which is located in the Gossamer...
Mayor Chad Givens gave the annual State of the City Address at last Thursday's Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet, with a promising look at the future. Givens said that the city is one of the most stable cities financially in Kern County, if not the state, pointing to its vision of being a desirable destination for economic development. "Shafter is an ambitious city that is not only prospering economically, but is becoming a player in the global economy." Givens also stated that the city is on...
The Shafter Chamber of Commerce held their annual Chamber Awards Banquet last Thursday night, recognizing some of Shafter's best and brightest. Chamber's Debbie Haley welcomed the packed house and invited them to participate in the silent auction and enjoy a dinner served by Hodel's Country Dining. The Shafter Police Department Honor Guard presented the colors and Pastor Steve Seymour did the invocation. After the completion of the dinner portion of the evening, Mayor Chad Givens presented the...
Miguel Ayon and the Shafter Boxing Club have joined an elite group of individuals and groups that have been honored with the title of Grand Marshal of the Shafter Cinco de Mayo Festival. Ayon was surprised at the announcement, saying that he was very honored and thankful for the nomination. Ayon got involved in the Shafter Police Department's PAL program in 2009, helping out with the kids as they trained. Ayon left the program a short time later, deciding to start his own program, training kids...
The California-Nevada-Hawaii Kiwanis District 33 held a meeting and awards luncheon at Hodel's Country Dining recently, covering over 400 clubs in the western region of the United States. The district's governor, Valarie Brown-Klingelhoefer, was in attendance and presented two awards to Shafter community members for their years of service to their community. Lt. Governor Ricardo "Chief" Ibarra also helped honor the pair of recipients. They gave a Community Service Award to Ronald Pierce, board...
The Shafter Young Adults Theater will be performing their production of the Broadway hit "Singin' in the Rain" at the Shafter Ford Theater Friday and Saturday, March 31-April 1. The group has been rehearsing for several weeks, learning a variety of dances and singing numbers, bringing the Broadway hit to life. Led by Mayor Chad Givens, the theater troupe has been performing for the past three years, a welcome addition to the Shafter Children's Summer Theater, which has been in operation for...
Schools in the Richland School District celebrated the Reading Across America event last week, with classrooms filled with special guest readers of numerous Dr. Seuss books. The event encourages reading in and out of the classroom and shows that reading is an enjoyable event, not just an educational tool. Members of the Shafter community came to read to the students, including Mayor Chad Givens, Mayor Pro-Tem Cathy Prout, Shafter High Coach Jerald Pierucci, Pastor Mark Scialabba, Debbie Haley...
Elijah Sanchez, 21, will appear in court again on Monday, March 13, to get a trial date after pleading not guilty to an attempted murder charge.. Sanchez was arrested on Feb. 9, after the Shafter Police Department responded to a call of shots fired near the Starbucks in Shafter. Sanchez allegedly shot Javier Munoz of Shafter in the head. Both Sanchez and Munoz have gang tattoos, although Munoz told authorities that he had left the gang life years ago. According to court documents, Sanchez yelled a gang affiliation at Munoz before pulling the gu...
The Shafter Distinguished Young Woman program is getting ready to name a new title holder to represent the city. The program will take place on Friday, March 24, at the Fred Starrh Performing Arts Center at Shafter High School, beginning at 7 p.m. There are nine participants this year, each sponsored by local businesses. Here are the participants: Alyssa Calvillo is the daughter of Candy Gonzalez and is being sponsored by the Shafter Lions Club. She will be performing a dance routine at the...
Lower than expected labor costs will give the city a surplus in its operating fund this year, the City Council was told Tuesday night. In reviewing the midyear budget report for 2022-23, it was noted that one reason for the savings came from labor costs in the Shafter Police Department due to vacancies. There was a request for an increase of $30,000 for costs regarding the closed former correctional facility, including electricity and utilities.. Overall, the city is well within the budget...
Charlotte White, who has works of art hanging all over Shafter and Kern County, has two new pieces on display at the Shafter Library and Learning Center. Director David Frantz assisted White in hanging her new pieces, which illustrate different landscapes and an orchard. White has been painting for over 50 years and is an award-winning artist and educator. She taught at Oaks Valley Charter School for almost 10 years, with stints at Liberty High School and other institutions on her resume. White...
Mannel Park hosted the Ventura Circus last weekend, giving several performances of their new showcase. This circus had a host of different acts that amazed and entertained the crowds on hand. It was standing-room-only on opening night, with this year's themed "The Dream" show. Ventura Circus is a family-owned and-operated circus that relies on acrobatics, clowns, balancing acts, and high-flying tricks to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. "The Dream" follows a girl who is drifting...
Police arrested Elijah Sanchez, 21, of Bakersfield,.after he allegedly shot another man in the head outside the Shafter Starbucks last Thursday morning At approximately 9:37 a.m., Shafter police officers responded to a call reporting a shooting in the 100 block of West Lerdo Highway. Officers already in the area heard the shots, saw a man running from the scene and detained him – it was Sanchez. Officers then found an adult male suffering from gunshot wounds to his head. McDonald's employees s...
Shafter's Distinguished Young Woman organization will be holding its annual scholarship program in March, giving a Shafter High School junior the chance to represent Shafter in the state program set for June in Bakersfield. Last year's winner, Faith Bazaldua,will be handing her title to a new participant, ending a year filled of community events and civic duties. The contestants for this year are Britney Hill, Melissa Valenzuela, Mia Ruiz, Emily McGuire, Ariana Escalera, Desiree Arreola, Alyssa...
The Shafter Boxing Club has spent the past two decades building a reputation of world-class boxers. At this year's National Silver Gloves Championships in Independence, Mo., they provided more evidence – five National Champions, giving the team the most titles of any club in the competition. Led by Coach Mike Ayon and a team of volunteers, the club competed in the State Championships to qualify for the Regional Championships. The Region 8 is comprised of boxers from California, Nevada, A...
Former Shafter Code Enforcement Officer Matthew Maldonado saw his trial date set back to May 8, on charges on five counts of felony child molestion/annoyance. A readiness hearing was set for April 24 in the Shafter Court at 9 a.m. At this hearing, counsels discuss discovery of information and attempt to resolve the case before it goes to a jury trial. Jared Thomas, Maldonado’s counsel, said that they were were discussing discovery in the case witht he District Attorney’s Office. Maldonado was ar...
The Shafter Kiwanis Club held their monthly Terrific Kids luncheon, recognizing a group of outstanding students who were nominated by their teachers or staff. They were recognized for best exemplifying the particular trait for that month. This month, the trait was Friendly. The Terrific Kids program has been honoring students for decades, giving them positive reinforcement for their exhibition of positive character traits at their respective schools. Those traits that the Kiwanis and the...