Serving the community since 1970
Serving the community since 1970
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The Wasco City Council approved its last year's financial report, detailing the results from the actual operations compared to the projected budget. The city has been in compliance within its projected budget and has even had an increase in revenue that was above projected numbers. This was due to a conservative projection that took into account the efforts of the city and the public in recovering from the pandemic, financially and economically. The only bump in the road on the report was expend...
Three inmates were found guilty of the fatal beating of another inmate at the Wasco State Prison last year. Benjamin Kolehmainen, 30; Tyler Douglas, 25 and Joshua Mitchell, 45, were all convicted of assault by an inmate with force likely to cause great bodily injury, and Kolemainen and Douglas also were convicted for involuntary manslaughter. All were acquitted of second-degree murder, and Mitchell was also acquitted for involuntary manslaughter. The victim of the March 7, 2022, attack was...
The Wasco Animal Shelter plays a crucial role in the community by providing a safe haven for stray and abandoned animals, working to find them loving homes. The shelter houses typically anywhere from 15 to 25 dogs at a time. The most common breeds found are pit bulls, huskies and chihuahuas. On average, a dog will stay at the shelter for two months before being adopted or rescued. Animals will often come in as strays, and others surrendered by their owners. Marco Silva has been an animal...
Passion runs deep for Wasco sports, and Juan Gallardo is one Wasconian who exemplifies the love that comes with someone who truly cares about the youth he serves through athletics. Gallardo has been the Wasco High School varsity co-ed wrestling coach since 2010. What he enjoys most about is being invested in the kids. "Helping them through homework and in-life issues at home and in school. Try to hold them accountable as adults. And try to have them make sure they get done with everything they...
Karl F. Clemens Elementary School announced its Super Students for last week. Criteria for selection were based on significant math improvement, showing kindness to all friends, respect and hard work, following class procedures, helping other students understand new concepts and improving learning English. Pictured are, from left, school mascot Whiskers, Vice Principal Angela Devin, Asil Ahmed (1st grade), Maria Carranza (transitional kindergarten), Jesus Martinez (2nd grade), Fernando Ramirez...
The Shafter Woman's Club is helping breathe life back in to the Colours program. They will be sponsoring a food drive, ``Cans D'Arte Exhibit 2024,'' at the Depot Museum the last two weekends in February and through the month of March. This project focuses on community assistance to those who are in need of food to support themselves and their families. All proceeds will go to the Shafter High School PRIDE Pantry. Anyone can enter the Cans D'Arte. Entries will be able to enter and set up their displays Saturdays in February. The Depot Museum...
Colours – A Festival of the Arts – is making its return to Shafter this weekend, Thursday-Sunday, Feb. 22-55, full of fun events and activities for the entire family. After COVID and four years, it is time to celebrate the arts in Shafter once again. Colours will start with its traditional Shafter Community Chest Spaghetti Dinner on Thursday, followed by a weekend of talent and art. Featured this year will be an Art Gallery and a Meet the Artist event with wine tasting, with local wines fro...
Thursday, Feb 22 Spaghetti Dinner – Colours is selling spaghetti dinners at $15 a plate at the Veteran’s Hall. Drive through only. 3:30-6:30 p.m. Coffee House Music Strings — Come and enjoy live acoustic music at Tin Cup, 7-9 p.m. Cover charge is $5. Friday, Feb. 23 Minter Field Air Museum -- Come out and check out Shafter’s Minter Field. Admission is free. 1-2 p.m. Art Gallery — Come and see a Kern County artist at the Ford Theater, Free admission. 1-7 p.m. Coffee House Music Jazz — Come and enjoy live Jazz Music at the Tin Cup 7-9 p.m. Co...
FRESNO – Sophomore Julissa Gonzalez keeps making history in the world of Shafter High sports as she hit another milestone, becoming the first female wrestler to win a Central Section Masters title with a win at Selland Arena in Fresno on Saturday. Gonzalez won the 132 lbs. championship a week after losing in the final of the 132 lbs. match at the Divisional tournament. There, Gonzalez came into the tourney as the top seed and fell to Sage Reyes of Justin Garza in the final, costing her a top s...
The Shafter High Lady Generals basketball team won two games last week to earn their spot in the Central Section Division III playoffs. Shafter, the number four seed, will take on the Bakersfield Christian Eagles in the semifinals, with a trip to Fresno's Selland Arena and the Valley Finals on the line. Shafter opened the playoffs with a 53-32 win over Ridgeview High on Wednesday, with the Lady Generals sprinting out to a 20 point lead before the first half was over. Shafter used a smothering...
There is a new artist with works on display at the Shafter Library and Learning Center. Mark Engelien has had a passion for art for decades, beginning with watercolors and sketches. An architect by trade, Engelien has used his artistic side even when at work designing buildings, using his keen eye and deft hand with a pencil. With his watercolors on hold because of his career, having a family and other of life's challenges, Engelien found them again in 2020, painting 100 pieces during the...
On Saturday, local artist Charlotte White was putting the finishing touches on a piece featuring museum curator Stan Wilson standing outside the Shafter Depot Museum, with the museum's sign proudly displayed out front. White has painted several local landmarks, as well as art piece featuring workers in the fields and paintings of local landscapes. She also finished a series of works based on iconic landmarks in Bakersfield, including the historic Luigi's Restaurant. "I really enjoy painting peop...
The Shafter Press and Wasco Tribune encourage local organizations to let the public know about coming events and activities through this column. Drop off or mail items at the office, 455 Kern St., Suite E, in Shafter, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, call 661-292-5100 or email [email protected]. Deadline is 4 p.m. Thursday prior to publication. Updates will be on TheShafterPress.com and WascoTrib.com. ANNOUNCEMENTS Prisoner of war camp lecture – The Shafter Library and Learning Center hosts Shafter Depot Museum curator Stan Wilson’s pres...
Here's this week's challenge, courtesy of the Wasco 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 Tribune, 455 Kern St., Suite E, Shafter, CA 93263, or e-mail it to mysteryphoto@WascoTrib.com. Winners will be revealed here next week. LAST WEEK: The Wasco Mercantile in 1916....
Feb. 14 Gina Marie Velas Quez, 38, of Wasco, was arrested in the 700 block of F Street on a misdemeanor bench warrant. She was cited and released at the scene. Feb. 16 Alexis Lopez, 27, of Wasco, was arrested in the 700 block of F Street on a misdemeanor bench warrant. She was cited and released at the scene. Luis Alberto Vaca Lopez, 40, of Wasco, was arrested in the 1000 block of F Street on felony bench warrants and for a misdemeanor showing false ID to an officer. He was booked into the Kern County Jail. Feb. 17 Jose Rivas, 54, of Wasco,...
Diana and Tomas Lopez are the proud owners of Wasco Glass. They bring a wealth of experience and dedication to their commercial and residential glass shop and agricultural equipment glass replacement business. "We offer complete windows on homes and specialize in shower door installations, custom build screens, retrofit windows, mirrors, tabletops, tempered glass, new patio sliding doors, pet mesh screens and windshield chip repair only," Tomas said. Wasco Glass launched on Nov. 1, of last...
5 years ago: March 13, 1974 Elmer Unruh and Robert Millwee were elected to the Shafter City Council. 40 years ago: March 14, 1984 Shafter High student Kim Haage was awarded the Bausch & Lomb science award. 30 years ago: March 9, 1994 The Shafter Generals varsity basketball team won the Valley Championship. 50 years ago: March 3, 2004 --Compiled by Erica Soriano...
Helen Marie Pankratz was born March 29,1940, in Hutchinson, Kan., to Helen and Andrew Pankratz. There were two children in the family; her sister, Sara Ann, was a year and a half older. They were poor, but they didn't know it at the time. During her childhood on the farm, she had many cherished memories. At a young age, Helen asked Jesus to be her Lord and Savior, and made that decision public when she was baptized on Sept. 20, 1953, at the age of 13. She attended South Inman Grade School, a...
Martha Peters went to be with her Lord and Savior on Feb. 7, 2024, in Shafter. Martha was born June 22, 1933, in Hillsboro, Kan., to Frank and Sarah (Zielke) Penner, the 11th of 13 children. The family moved to Dinuba in 1943, and Martha attended Immanuel High School and met her future husband, Clarence W. Peters. They married Aug. 17, 1951, and in November moved to Ukiah to begin Clarence's alternative service, both working at Mendocino State Hospital. Career changes took them from farming to...
Fortino Diaz Valdivia Sr. passed away on Feb. 14, 2024, in Shafter, at the age of 75. He was born on Aug. 12, 1948, to Taurino Arcos Valdivia and Vicenta Diaz Valdivia in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. He was raised in a family of four sisters and six brothers. At a young age, Fortino worked early mornings before heading to school each day to help support the family. In his late teens, he traveled to California for work and settled in Shafter, where he met the love of his life, Olga Nieto. They m...
Charles F. Rice was born in Bakersfield to Clemie and Oscar Rice on Oct. 31, 1934. He was the sixth child in a family of 10 children. Charles passed away after a short illness on Feb. 10, 2024. Charles farmed cotton and alfalfa in Bakersfield from 1952 until 1959. He enjoyed this time being in the ag industry. He worked for Pure Gro as a dispatcher and later as a manager in Tulare County. Later he worked as a purchasing agent for Souza Enterprises in Hanford, retiring after 24 years. Charles married Joyce Allen on Jan. 23, 1953, at the Shafter...
Eldalene Maurine Peters was born in Bakersfield on Nov. 8, 1941, to Richard H. and Ethel E. Douglas of Wasco. She married Glenn G. Peters, the love of her life, on July 29, 1967; they shared 44 years together. Eldalene (Mom) attended Wasco elementary schools and graduated from Wasco Union High School in 1959. Mom also attended business classes at Bakersfield College and Delano Business School. After schooling, Mom went to work at Security Bank, Bank of America and various positions for the...
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McKenzie came into the Wasco Animal Shelter as a stray. She is approximately a 5-7-year-old female bull terrier. She is great with staff and other dogs. It is unknown if McKenzie is house/crate trained at the time. Dogs are not tested with children. Her behavior towards children is unknown. McKenzie will be available for adoption on Thursday, Feb. 22. Everyone is welcome to adopt from our facility, and we like to give everyone the same opportunity to adopt. Adopters can be from out of town...
Hannah Grace Jerez, 22, of Shafter, passed away Feb. 9, in Los Angeles. Peters Funeral Home, Shafter. Leonard Dunn, 80, of Wasco, passed away Feb. 15, in Delano. Peters Funeral Home, Wasco. Mary Maxine Horton, 91, of Wasco, passed away Feb. 14, in Wasco. Peters Funeral Home, Wasco. Donald D. Disney, 83, of Idaho, passed away Feb. 10, in Idaho. Peters Funeral Home, Shafter....
