Serving the community since 1970
Serving the community since 1970
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Jovita Valentina Sanchez was a remarkable woman who graced this world for 101 years. She had a profound impact on the lives of those who loved her and was a pillar of strength for her family and friends. She was born on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, 1923, in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, and peacefully passed on March 29, 2024. She came to the United States at age 5, first to Famoso and then to McFarland, where she was raised. At 14, she married Ray R. Sanchez and moved to Wasco. She...
Luke came into the Wasco Animal Shelter as a stray. He is approximately a 1-2 year-old male husky mix. He is great with staff and other dogs. It is unknown if Luke is house/crate trained at the time. Dogs are not tested with children, and his behavior towards children is unknown. Luke is available for adoption on Friday, April 19. 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 and/or...
Last week, Director of Programs Sunni Dobbs briefed the Wasco Union High School District board on the Arts and Music in Schools Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act. California voters approved Proposition 28 in 2022, The measure required the state to establish a new ongoing program supporting arts instruction in schools beginning in 2023-24, with three years to spend the first annual apportionment (2025-2026 school year). Public schools (K-12) receive funding every July,...
Wasco Animal Control will host its "Don't Shop, Adopt" Free Adoption Friday event on April 19. It will be an opportunity to take home a furry friend that will make a special addition to your family. Animal Control Officer Rigoberto Figueroa said the criteria for potential adopters is simple. "As of now, we only require identification, such as a driver's license." He added that it will be first-come-first-serve. "Once the decision to adopt is made, we will make a copy of the...
The city plans to make the Veteran Salute Banner Program more accessible after Councilmember Vincent Martinez brought to the City Council's attention that the current cost of the banners might be prohibitive to some veterans in the community. "The city supports our veterans, and we want to honor them in the best way possible," Councilmember Martinez told his colleagues Tuesday night at their regular meeting. The banner program celebrates honorably discharged veterans and...
Wasco High School hosted a Community Fair and Pop-Up on Friday. Representatives from various universities, junior colleges, law enforcement, military branches, small businesses, trade schools and other industries were on hand to provide information and inspire individuals to explore career and educational possibilities or just shop, eat and enjoy the live music of the WHS High Groove Steelers. Valerie Sheldon is an outreach admissions coordinator for California Aeronautical...
Karl F. Clemens Elementary School announced its weekly Super Students. 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. From left are Vice Principal Angela Devin, Damian Garcia (5th grade), Allyson Quintana (1st grade), Mariano Antonio (4th grade), Iker Rojo (3rd grade), Israel Andres...
The City of Shafter has been working on improving its parks and streets, having several improvement projects in process. One of these is the Stringham Park Improvement Project, which is in full swing. A new bus stop has been installed, replacing the stop that was located at the corner of Central Avenue and James Street. The new site is intended to alleviate the traffic at that intersection, and also will be easier for riders to navigate the area. Included in the project are...
The Shafter City Council denied a resolution on Tuesday to hire a crimes analyst that would be stationed in the Shafter Police Department. According to Acting Chief Randy Milligan, the analyst would identify crime patterns, trends and hot spots using data analysis techniques. This person would also research and evaluate data related to criminal activity and calls for service. Crime prevention and problem-solving would also be a part of the position. "The function of the...
The Kern County Coroner’s Office has identified the victim of a fatal accident on Lerdo Highway on Friday, April 12. At around 2:05 a.m., 51-year-old Tabass Zebadee Grandison-Mendoza, of Shafter, reportedly was driving in a sedan that struck a tree on East Lerdo Highway. Grandison-Mendoza was traveling westbound on East Lerdo Highway, just north of Cherry Avenue, when the accident occurred. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Lerdo Highway was closed for several hours as t...
The 15th Street Park re-opened on Saturday with a celebratory ceremony. With the new upgrades and the partnership with the news Police Department and community partners, it has become a welcoming and inviting magnet for neighborhood families. "The park has a new play structure, sitting area, picnic tables, trash receptacles, and, of course, new art throughout the entire park," said Wasco Recreation and Parks District Manager Chris Serna. She said residents can now engage in fu...
A string of vehicle break-ins has prompted the Shafter Police Department to advise residents to be extra vigilant in protecting their cars and property. According to Lt. Joshua Stephens, several residents in the Gossamer Grove area had their vehicles broken into, with the actual vehicle thefts thwarted. It wasn’t just random vehicles, either, with Kias and Hyundais being the targets of choice. It is not known why these were targeted, especially since the make of choice in rece...
Karl F. Clemens Elementary School announced its weekly Super Students. 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. From left are Principal Anabel Garrison, Johnathan Bovadilla (5th grade), Kevin Laureano (4th grade), Kimberly Santos (3rd grade), Juan Rodriguez (2nd grade), Alexis...
In a tribute to the residents who have served in the United States armed forces, the City of Wasco is sponsoring a Veteran Salute Banner Program, symbolizing appreciation for their dedication to the nation and community. This initiative celebrates honorably discharged veterans and presently serving active-duty military personnel from any branch of the armed forces. Banners featuring the service member's photograph will adorn streetlight posts throughout downtown Wasco along...
Wasco High School will host its 5th Annual Community Fair and Pop-Up on Friday, April 12, with over 75 pop-up vendors, representatives from trade schools, junior colleges, universities, and military branches, available to students looking for career options. To add more fun to the mix, there will be an interactive obstacle course for the kids, making it an evening for the whole family. Whether considering higher education or seeking a dream career, the fair offers a one-stop...
For 45 years, Pastor Houston Crenshaw has stood at the pulpit of the Apostolic Faith Temple, delivering sermons that resonate with wisdom, compassion and faith. His words have offered solace to the grieving, hope to the despairing and guidance to the lost. But perhaps his greatest gift lies in his ability to forge genuine connections with people from all walks of life, cultivating a sense of belonging and unity within the congregation. At 90 years old, he believes what keeps...
The Kern County World War II Memorial Committee is giving the residents of Kern County another chance to honor World War II veterans on the memorial unveiled last year at Jastro Park in Bakersfield. According to Shafter native Ed Gaede, one of the directors of the memorial, there are about 900 spots available to add names. "We are excited to offer this opportunity to our residents who wish to honor their loved ones or relatives on this special memorial." In 1942, there was a...
After much anticipation and excitement, the Wasco Police Department will launch on April 18 and assume law enforcement responsibilities for the City of Wasco. At about 11 a.m., 911 circuits will begin to roll over from Bakersfield to Wasco. "We'll start to transition service calls from the Kern County Sheriff's Office to the WPD," Chief of Police Charles Fivecoat said Tuesday. "We'll be handling all police responses for the city. We will start operating on the morning of the...
Joe Appleton has 26 years of experience with the Kern County Fire Department, having been promoted through the ranks from firefighter to engineer to captain to battalion chief and finally as fire division chief, where he has served for 2 1/2 years. He enjoys being in the community, helping people and loving the challenge of emergency services. "As fire division chief, I oversee operations for C shift for the entire Kern County Fire Department, including responding to...
Shafter High students from Bronwynn Bowman’s freshmen English class were recently assigned the task of writing an Irish poem/reflection about their favorite “happy place.” “The kids wrote about places they love, and places that they find peace, a chill place,” Bowman explained. Two students decided to write about the city of Shafter as their happy place. Luna Quiroz wrote about the beautiful things that can be seen in Shafter, once you look under the rusty buildings and withe...
Shafter High students put on formal best and had a night to remember on Saturday night, as they celebrated their prom, dancing to some of their favorite music. A DJ provided the tunes, a mixture of dance, Tejano and contemporary music, something for everyone. Students danced with their dates, by themselves, and in big groups, keeping the dance floor busy the entire night. One group who were having a blast were friends Riley Griffin, Marcus Rivas, Adrian Lomeli, Briley...
The Cinco de Mayo Festival has become one of the most popular events of the year in Shafter, complete with a parade and numerous activities downtown and at Mannel Park. The festival kicks off on Saturday, May 4, with the parade, which will be presided over by the Grand Marshal for this year's event, Diana Burnett. Burnett retired last year from the Shafter Police Department, ending her career with the rank of assistant police chief. Burnett said that she has always loved this...
At Tuesday night's Wasco City Council meeting, more progress was made toward developing the Wasco Police Department, including approval to execute all documents necessary to create a no-profit Police Activity League organization and authorization to finalize the purchase of additional police start-up vehicles. Currently, the Kern County Sheriff's Department has a nonprofit Sheriff's Activity League located in a city-owned building at 1445 12th St. However, with their...
It was an Evening with the Mustangs at Teresa Burke Elementary School for families to hear about the things happening in the Wasco Union Elementary School District. Assistant Superintendent Oscar Luna presented the Local Control Accountability Plan for them to provide feedback and input. The Local Control Accountability Plan is the district's three-year guide for how it will use state Local Control Funding Formula funding to service all students. The LCFF is California's...
St. John the Evangelist Parish presented a moving reenactment of the Passion of Christ, a dramatic performance depicting the trial, suffering, crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. There were elaborate costumes, music and set designs with dozens of actors that realistically portrayed the last hours of Jesus's life before his resurrection. In an interview right before the play on Friday, Eulogio Arreola, sound technician and set designer, said, "We have been preparing since...
