The Shafter Press - Serving the community since 1922

This week for Couch’s Corner, I would like to spotlight a very special group of young Shafter/Buttonwillow residents and football players at Shafter High School. Every year before Buttonwillow’s harvest festival and parade,... — Updated 11/27/2022

Several times recently we’ve dedicated Couch’s Corner to programs designed to help the homeless and disadvantaged in our community. This week, I thought we’d provide an update on one of those programs, Laborers of the... — Updated 5/1/2022

This week our District 4 staff had the pleasure to visit three facilities in Kern County that are trying to address our local homelessness problem. Homelessness is on everyone’s mind these days as the problem seems so... — Updated 4/3/2022

Next Tuesday, March 8, at 7 p.m., the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Crime Prevention Specialist Lorie Meza will be presenting at the Old Courthouse Building in Wasco, 810 8th St. She will be discussing community oriented policing... — Updated 3/6/2022

Kern County has many jewels, places and things for which we can be proud. Two of them are the Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area (BVARA) and Kern River Parkway Bike Trail. Back in 2013, when I was a new Supervisor, BVARA was in... — Updated 2/21/2022

After a tumultuous year, we as a community will hopefully get to relax and enjoy Christmas with our loved ones. During this Christmas season, I am thankful for the opportunity to reflect and contemplate about the negative and... — Updated 1/6/2022

To protect public health and community standards in District 4, my office works in partnership with Kern County Code Compliance to mitigate land use violations, public nuisances, and violations of property conditions. Taking proact... — Updated 1/6/2022

Can you believe it has been one year since the opening of the Delano Recovery Station? This past week, Telecare opened the doors to the public to celebrate the one-year anniversary. Since the facility began operating in June 2020,... — Updated 7/3/2021

Last year, state and local governments nationwide encountered a once-in- a-generation global pandemic. Our community remained resilient, and the Kern County Department of Public Health ensured combating the virus was a top... — Updated 6/29/2021

One of the most rewarding experiences of serving as Fourth District supervisor is working with young adults that share an idealism and belief that no limits can stop what they can accomplish. I was reminded of this when I met with... — Updated 4/19/2021

I love it when Ag and energy work together in Kern County to show the world how to do things better and this week, it happened again. The two industries worked together in Arvin at Tasteful Selections, a pioneer producer and... — Updated 4/4/2021

With special thanks to so many who have worked to get the vaccines out throughout Kern County and in particular, District 4, this week I am pleased to announce a couple more hard-to-reach District 4 communities will be able to get... — Updated 3/30/2021

Spring is around the corner, and with it, spring cleanups. That’s why I’m pleased to announce that this month the Board of Supervisors approved the bylaws and the formation of the Keep Kern Beautiful Committee, of which you... — Updated 3/6/2021

One good thing leads to another. While we are anticipating a navigation center for the homeless in Delano to be opening soon, the progress we made in Delano is helping us get programs in other rural communities going as well.... — Updated 2/16/2021

This week I want to share a program available in north Kern that may be just the thing your family needs to deal with an adult family member experiencing a substance-abuse crisis. If you have an adult family member or know someone... — Updated 1/18/2021

It’s 2021, and with 2020 in the rear view mirror, let’s all hope these vaccines, our social distancing, and our personal protective measures help eradicate this pandemic in the New Year. As we look back upon some of the heroes... — Updated 1/9/2021

After a tumultuous year, we as a community will hopefully get to relax and enjoy Christmas with our loved ones. During this Christmas season, I am thankful for the opportunity to reflect and contemplate about the negative and... — Updated 1/2/2021

District 4, we now have a vaccine that offers us hope that we can finally begin to see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, but we still have a stay-at-home order we need to follow, at least for a while, until the vaccine... — Updated 12/25/2020

Recently the City of McFarland opened a new animal shelter with 15-20 kennels. The facility is equipped with several amenities including a medical room, laundry room, and food sorting area. McFarland, like many cities throughout... — Updated 11/17/2020

As Fourth District supervisor, I work with Kern County Animal Services on efforts to reduce the euthanasia rates in our county. Recently, KCAS announced for the first time on record, that the shelters operated by the department... — Updated 10/20/2020

In recent months, Kern County has taken measures to reopen the economy and support small businesses with CARES Act stimulus funds. In May, the Kern County Public Health Department rescinded the local emergency health order to... — Updated 10/12/2020

In light of the ongoing battle against covid-19, Kern County received a surprise visit from the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams. As the nation’s doctor, Vice Admiral Adams oversees the 6,000 member U.S Public Health... — Updated 9/27/2020

One of the great things about being your county supervisor is the chance it gives me to hear your ideas and help implement them, when feasible. Three current examples of this come to mind, which I will share with you here. We... — Updated 9/7/2020

In the aftermath of the George Floyd killing, folks started saying things like “defund the police.” In the aftermath of the gang-related killing of 11-year-old Makaliah Osomo and 12-year-old Elayna Saidee of Delano July 2, I... — Updated 7/18/2020

With the summer months starting to get into full swing and triple-digit temperatures heading to the Fourth District, our office is pleased to announce that cooling centers will be open again this summer. Please see the attached inf... — Updated 6/28/2020