Articles written by Jamie Stewart
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Fall sports put on hold
The pandemic, which cost last year's high school seniors their chance to compete in the spring sports season, will sideline fall sports as well. The California Interscholastic Federation has ruled tha...
Meeting 'Zooms' in on schools, library status
Representatives of several agencies met virtually recently to discuss the challenges presented by the coronavirus. Those in attendance included Russell Shipley, principal of Shafter High School; Rosa...
Restrictions revived as cases spike
For the second time in three months, Shafter has shut down its city buildings, as well most of the businesses in town, because the governor has placed Kern County back on the state’s watch list during the coronavirus pandemic. With the spike in...
City buildings again are closed to public
Following guidelines put forth by the county and the Kern County Health Department, Shafter has closed its city buildings until the governor announces that the restrictions have been eased. Two weeks...
Danny Escalante was loved by many
When you ask about anyone about Daniel "Danny" Escalante, you are bound to hear a variety of adjectives, such as generous, kind, hard working. But most people who knew him will mention that Escalante...
Most stores begin mandating masks
Shafter and Wasco residents are suffering from whiplash after learning July 17 they had been removed from the governor's Watch List and July 18 they were back on it again. The number of coronavirus...
Back to square one
City of Shafter buildings will be closed to the public again beginning Friday, July 24. City offices will still be open and customers will be served using the alleyway behind the building, much like...
Only distance learning for now
In an about-face, the Richland School District will begin their school year with students learning from home. Last week, the district put out a reopening plan that would see two groups of students attend school in person for two days, while distance...
Mosquitoes pose threat
Shafter and Wasco have more than the threat of the coronavirus to worry about this summer as two disease-carrying species of mosquito have been found in Kern County. The Aedes aegypti mosquito, which...
WWII veteran honored
A local World War II veteran was honored last week at Carrington House, where he resides. Danny Escalante was presented with a number of mementos for him and his family. Escalante, who served in the...
Nominations open for three Shafter council seats
The nomination period for candidates running for the Shafter City Council began on July 13 and will run until Monday August 7, 2020. Residents interested in running for a seat on the City Council...
Schools weigh their options
The Richland School District approved plans to begin its fall semester on August 6, with the district using an AA/BB scheduling system. Interim Superintendent Rosa Romero said the staff has been...
Cities step backward as virus cases rise
The cities of Shafter and Wasco, which had high hopes when Gov. Gavin Newsom reopened the state with certain precautions, have seen those hopes dashed with an increase in cases that has made it...
Supervisors keep an open book on libraries' future
With the Kern County Board of Supervisors adjusting the budget for the 2020-2021 year, the future may be a little brighter for some Kern County libraries that were facing permanent closure. The...
A different kind of Fourth
The Fourth of July weekend in Shafter was the first holiday in which the new illegal fireworks ordinance was in effect and the SPD issued 21 citations during the holiday weekend. Last month, the...
Dine-in restaurants restricted once again
For the second time in less than a month, restaurants that offer dine-in service have lost that option, following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order that made it necessary for all restaurants to close their dining areas. The move is the result of a spike...
Virus forces closures of BofA, DMV
The coronavirus continues to affect Shafter, with the closures of the local Bank of America branch and the DMV office. Customers at Bank of America were found waiting outside of the local branch a lit...
Shafter crackdown on illegal fireworks
The Shafter City Council held a special meeting this week to assist the Police Department in their fight against violators of illegal fireworks ordinances. On Thursday, June 25, the council voted...
Editor's Note: For fireworks, leave it to the pros
It is that time of year again. The weather is warming, trees and plants are needing to drink more water to keep that green hue, and there are the sounds of bombs bursting in air. No, you are not in do...
Walmart raises first flag at distribution center
The Walmart Distribution Center in Shafter, which has seen its opening date pushed back into the spring of 2021, celebrated the Fourth of July with a flag raising and a fundraiser benefiting the...
Shafter shelter resumes rescue operations
One group of the population that has been hit hard with the current pandemic is the animal residents of the county, with its shelters limiting their services, including suspending all adoptions and...
Illegal fireworks go viral
An arrest was made over the weekend and three other cases were handed to the Kern County District Attorney's Office for investigation regarding a slew of illegal fireworks activity in and around Shaft...
A split over face masks
There is a conundrum in Shafter and Wasco that has the cities split on the issue of wearing masks. Since the governor mandated the wearing of masks in public buildings and in situations where social...
Tigers roar back to the mats
Tigers' Taekwondo, with studios in Shafter and Wasco, were back in action as training sessions began on Monday June 15. The studios had been closed for almost three months due to the coronavirus...
'Chilling' Shafter budget preview
The Shafter City Council got a sneak peek at the 2020-21 budget at a special meeting Monday night. The budget is very different than what had been projected in earlier discussions, primarily the resul...
