Articles written by Jamie Stewart
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Shafter council OKs survey of Highway 43 along Los Angeles Avenue
Highway 43 between Los Angeles and Galpin streets may be expanding after the City Council approved a survey. Shoulder work will be done along this route, increasing the safety of the roadway. The...
Colours Festival canceled for 2021
The Shafter Colours Committee has announced that the 2021 festival has been canceled. "We are sorry that we have had to come to this conclusion, but we will see you all in 2022," said Larry Starrh,...
Virus surges with over 230 new cases in Shafter
The city has seen the number of new cases of covid-19 increase last week, despite campaigns to slow the spread. Last week, there were 237 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to...
Richland schools continue learning from a distance
Richland schools have been utilizing distance learning since the beginning of the pandemic and it has not been easy. Several instances of trouble with connectivity has hindered the process, according to some parents. “I have had a lot of trouble...
Gossamer Grove expands with new series
The Homestead Series by Lennar Homes is now available, as Lennar Homes invites prospective homebuyers to tour the houses through virtual tours, self-guided tours or personal tours by appointment. The...
Focus on Local Business: Arly's Appliance sees surge in repairs during pandemic
It has been over 60 years that Arly's Appliance first opened its doors, and today they are still the go-to repair men when it comes to appliances and small motors. Back in 1959, Arly Fiel moved to...
Roundtable addresses rise in crime
Fresh on the heels of the second homicide in the city in a one-week period, a roundtable discussion was held to address the issue. Hosted by council members Tilo Cortez and Vincent Martinez, the Zoom meeting had over 20 people in attendance including...
Company fined for failure to adequately protect workers
Primex, the Wasco nut processor, was fined over $77,000 for violations related to the coronavirus outbreak that took place at the company in June. The violations state that the company failed to...
Wasco was full of ups and downs in 2020
2020 will always be referred to as the Year of the Virus, but the city managed to thrive during the pandemic. Here is a brief look at the year. January In January, at a City Council meeting, three...
10% of Shafter has coronavirus
The city is still being bombarded by new coronavirus cases, as there were 127 new cases last week. This brings the total of confirmed cases in Shafter to 2,450. This figure is very high on a case per...
Man dies after second deadly shooting in a week
A man has died after being shot on Poplar Avenue. This is the second deadly shooting in Wasco in a week, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office reported. Officers responded to a report of shots fired Dec. 27 at 4:40 p.m. in the area of the 1500 block of...
Winners of Christmas tree contest announced
The Shafter Depot Museum holds a Christmas tree decorating contest every year, with businesses, organizations and people decorating their tree with a different theme in mind each year. This year the...
A look back at 2020 in Shafter
This year was full of challenge and change for the city as the world battled covid-19. Here is a round-up of some of the top stories from the year: January The year started off with a bang in...
Music helps lift holiday spirit in downtown
The holiday spirit was in the air as a brass band played in the downtown square. The group, headed by former judge and local musician Gary Ingle, played a medley of holiday favorites. The tradition...
Only small gatherings encouraged this Christmas
The city is seeing an increase in confirmed cases of covid-19, despite a face covering campaign and businesses adhering to safety guideline designed to stall the spread of the virus. City buildings...
Vaccine arrives; healthcare workers first in line
The covid-19 vaccine has arrived in the city and healthcare workers will be the first to receive it. The vaccine is being given out in tiers, with the first tier beginning with those persons most at...
Christmas trees accepted at landfill
After your Christmas tree has lost its luster, county residents have options to dispose of their tree. Christmas trees can be composted by cutting up the tree and using a compost pile. Make sure...
Depot Museum lit up with Christmas cheer with tree display
The annual Christmas Tree display at the Shafter Depot Museum is in full swing and has attracted hundreds of residents to see this year's collection of decorated trees. This year's theme is the Colors...
Court ruling clears way for indoor church services
The state ruled Dec. 10 that excluding churches from holding indoor services goes against Freedom of Religion. California Superior Court Judge Gregory Pulskamp issued an injunction against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s planned covid-19 restrictions,...
Pandemic brings new adventure to McFarland woman
Veronica Carmona, of McFarland, was working at the Boot Barn in Bakersfield. With the virus making the job market uncertain, a lot of people have had to find ways to support themselves and make ends m...
Virus cases on the rise despite safety guidelines
Shafter has seen its confirmed cases of covid-19 increase despite a mask-covering campaign and safety guidelines in place. Last week there were 133 confirmed cases in the city, bringing the total...
Prout selected as Shafter mayor
Gilbert Alvarado, Chad Givens and Pete Espinoza were sworn into the City Council at its recent meeting. Council member Espinoza took his seat on the council, replacing outgoing council member Manuel...
Christmas Store lives on after cancellation
It came as no shock last week when it was announced that the annual Shafter Christmas Store had been canceled, but it was still a disappointing one for many families who had shopped online for their...
Shafter receives almost $100K to enhance virus prevention
The city has received over $96,000 in Community Block Development grant funds from the Kern County Board of Supervisors to use toward covid-19 public service and facilities improvements. The project...
Events help bring the holidays to the community
Due to the pandemic, the community is facing a holiday season filled with uncertainty and caution. Thanks to the community spirit alive and well in the city, this holiday season will still be merry...
