Serving the community since 1970
Serving the community since 1970
Sorted by date Results 526 - 550 of 826
Wasco Elks Lodge #2419 will host its first annual Clay Shoot Tournament fundraiser on Saturday, April 15, at the Kern County Gun Club. It will be a morning of play for all levels, from beginners to experts. Clay Shooting is an event where you use a shotgun to shoot clay targets tossed in the air or across the ground. To add fun and competitiveness to the event, there are a number of shooting stations to test your skills. It is very similar to a golf tournament, but instead of completing 18...
No date has been announced for the arraignment of a Wasco middle school counselor arrested last week on charges of sexually molesting a 14-year-old student at the school. The employee was arrested on Jan. 30 after the girl charged he had touched her “inappropriately,” according a release from Kern County Sheriff’s Office. The incident allegedly occurred in May of last year. The employee, Jose Solis, 37, of Shafter, is a counselor at Thomas Jefferson Middle School and has been with the district for five years. Solis was booked into the count...
Up to 12 vehicles are set to be the first fleet for the new Wasco Police Department. At the regular City Council meeting on Tuesday, a resolution was passed to authorize the city manager to approve a purchase order for six new police vehicles and up to six used vehicles, a move toward establishing a Wasco police department. "With this, we have a variety of fleets we can phase in over time. It's a step forward with the essential logistics to make the Police department come together. It's...
Wasco Union Elementary School District offers its students a safe place to learn and keep active through its after-school programs, serving 200 to 300 youth at each elementary school site and over a hundred students at each middle school site. Jennifer Fendrick is the coordinator for the extended day programs. She explained that there are several components. "The first is the ASES program which stands for after-school education and safety. This is for students from TK to 8th grade. It takes...
The City of Wasco received a $288,000 SNIP spay/neuter grant from UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program in connection with the California of All Animal Statewide Animal Shelter Assistance Program. The purpose of the grant is to partner with the SNIP Bus to expand the city's spay/neuter capacity. SNIP Bus will hold no-cost spay/neuter clinics monthly for three years, completing an estimated 1,800 surgeries. Public Works Director Luis Villa said receiving the grant is amazing. "This grant will...
The Wasco Community Scholarship Association is now taking applications for its annual scholarship awards and invites seniors and alumni of Wasco High School who are pursuing post-secondary education to apply. It is expected that four-year university and college scholarship winners will receive $1,500, and two-year college and trade or technical school scholarship winners will receive $700. The number of scholarships granted and the dollar amount per award will depend on the number of qualified...
Valentin Medina was recently elected to serve as a council member representing District 3. He has strong roots in Wasco and is grateful the community put trust in him to carry out the public service role. Medina was born in Delano but raised in Wasco and attended local schools. He graduated from the University of California, Davis, in 2012, lived in Bakersfield for a few years, and then moved back to Wasco in 2017. He said it feels great to have the vote of the people. Medina has many goals he w...
A 16-year-old male juvenile was shot, transported to a local hospital via air medic for treatment and subsequently died in an incident last Thursday at 6th Place and Cedar Avenue. The Kern County Sheriff’s Office called the shooting a homicide in its media release, and said the investigation is ongoing. Right after the shooting, Mayor Vincent R. Martinez said, “Public safety is a number one concern in Wasco and for the City Council. Right now, we are meeting with Congressman David Valadao to...
The California Farmworker Foundation aims to improve the quality of life of farmworkers through personal and professional development. The Zumba program it organizes for the community aligns with this goal. Zumba is a form of fitness class in which you burn off calories by dancing to different kinds of lively music, often Latin-American inspired, such as salsa, merengue and samba, and other types of modern music such as hip hop and Bollywood (music from the Indian films). Hernan Hernandez,...
The Wasco High School boy's varsity, junior varsity and girls varsity wrestling teams all took wins against the Shafter Generals. It was a proud moment for them all and an opportunity to move forward in the league. The boy's varsity team won 54-18, the junior varsity 36-15 and the girls varsity team won 48-22. Juan Gallardo is the head coach for all three teams and is joined by three other coaches, Danny Arellano, Garth Wara and Joe Blanchard. Gallardo has been coaching for 27 years. He said...
For over 25 years, Casting for Recovery has provided healing outdoor retreats for women with breast cancer. These retreats, using the sport of fly fishing, bring hope, inspiration and empowerment. The retreats are open to women with breast cancer of all ages, in all stages of treatment and recovery, at no cost to them. CfR's healing program is unique. Teresa Adams, co-coordinator for CfR Southern California, said, "It is a combination of many factors, but the main thing is to try to get women ou...
A Wasco man, Nestor Jose Perez, 33, was arrested for attempted murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle, assault with a deadly weapon, shooting from a vehicle and stalking. According to a media release from the Kern County Sheriff's Office, on Jan. 19 at approximately 2:30 a.m. deputies from the Wasco sunstation were dispatched to the 600 block of North Maple Avenue for a shooting into an occupied vehicle. During the investigation, Perez was identified as the suspect. At approximately 8:40 a.m....
The Wasco Union Elementary School District held its monthly Parent University last week. It was an opportunity to learn about different topics and a way to empower the whole family. The Parent University workshops align with the WUESD mission to provide all students with an education that promotes lifelong learning and appreciation for diversity and responsible citizenship. Angela Devin is an English learner and early literacy coordinator with the WUESD. She said it is a way to unite the...
Addison Tatum, the 2023 Kern County Ms. United States Agriculture, will compete for the state title on Saturday, Jan. 28. She brings a wealth of excitement and enthusiasm to the pageant. Tatum has lived her entire life in Wasco and feels proud to represent the city. "It's a small town and is special to me. I like advocating for women because there are not many of us in agriculture." She graduated from Wasco High School in 2018. She is currently a student at California State University, Bakersfie...
Vincent R. Martinez is the new mayor of Wasco. He brings experience, enthusiasm and a willingness to work as a team. Together with the council, he hopes to empower residents and provide them with a better quality of life. "I am excited to take on the role. The city is in a good position to make many positive changes. I'm looking forward to helping guide the city in the direction we have been going through in the last few years." He has two years of council experience and has served on the Wasco...
At the regular City Council ouncil meeting on Tuesday, a resolution was passed approving the water and sewer rates adjustments. The new rates will become effective on Feb. 1. A public hearing was held to allow residents to express their thoughts on the rate adjustments. Before that, notices were mailed to customers, informing them that they could submit protest letters. The protest letters were tabulated, but it wasn't the majority of customers, which is required to withhold power of the...
There is a new bakery in town that will surely delight your taste buds. Vane's Cakes and Bakery opened last November with rave reviews. Husband and wife team Wences Flores and Vanely Uribe are the owners. It is a family affair, with uncles and nephews lending a hand to attend to the busy clientele. Their specialty is preparing one-of-a-kind cakes for all occasions, including weddings, baptisms, birthdays and quinceaneras in various flavors such as chocolate, carrot and banana. "We are most...
The Boy Scouts of America is among the nation's foremost youth programs for character development and values-based leadership training. It prepares kids for for adulthood and beyond. The program is over 110 years old, and since its inception in 1910, more than 130 million boys and girls have participated, with over 35 million adult volunteers who have helped carry out the BSA's mission. The organization serves youth from the ages of 5 to 17. They use the outdoors as a classroom and host many...
On the heels of its successful winter recital, Planet Dance Studio has begun preparations for its upcoming summer gala on June 17 at the Shafter High School Auditorium. The theme this year is the "Wild, Wild, West," where the dancers will perform to music from the biggest country stars, from current to legendary. It will be a take on all things country with original costumes. Almost 100 dancers are expected to showcase the talents that they will have cultivated over many months of practice,...
The Kern County Library Wasco Branch has an exciting lineup of free fun activities for January and February for young and old. The fun begins on Jan. 23, with an adult project program where participants will use their imagination to make placemats. Registration is required, and one can sign up by emailing [email protected] or calling 661-758-2114. On the 30th, they will host a family craft event to design coffee mugs beginning at 4 p.m. Also, on the 30th, there will be a STEAM (Science,...
Westside Family Fellowship will benefit from a generous grant awarded by the Wonderful Company to fund their free farmer's market for another year. This will help thousands of local families with the fresh produce and food essentials that are distributed to them every month. CAPK of Kern is also an important partner as they donate canned and dried foods. They also offer heavily discounted rates for the purchase of meats. "When we get here at 5:30 am, cars are already lined up. We know this is...
Palm Avenue Middle School hosted the 40th annual Wasco Union Elementary School District Science Fair for kindergarten to 8th grade students. There were 235 projects presented based on scientific questions students created themselves. In the morning, the projects were displayed and presented to a judging panel of volunteers made up of district employees, community members and teachers, including retired staff. Students were divided into various judging groups based on age. They were each allowed...
The Wasco Union Elementary School District has a Migrant Education Program with the mission to empower students that come from migrant farmworker families. For families following the different crop seasons, their children's education is often interrupted, putting them at risk of falling behind significantly. The program aims to help students improve and maintain their academics. Flor Martinez is a migrant resource teacher and said she is a product of the program. Most of the staff is, too. She...
After a long battle against pancreatic cancer, Rob Cobb finally returned home toa moving tribute to welcome him back to Wasco. Hundreds of community members came to show their respect and love for him and his family. Juan Gallardo, a close friend, said, "Learning he has limited time, I woke up one day and said if he is coming home, we need people to see him for one last time. Though we are hoping and praying for a miracle." "It was amazing, and it just so happened to fall on his 50th birthday....
The 2nd annual Great Polar Plunge Challenge is set to take place on Jan. 7 at 10 a.m. at Barker Park. It will be a fun way to kick off 2023 and jump-start new year's resolutions with a dip into an icy cold pool. The Wasco Recreation and Parks District is organizing the event. "We are inviting the community to take part in an exhilarating activity that will serve as an impetus to realizing your goals for 2023," Program Coordinator Juan Bernal said, "The polar plunge is a physical extension of...