The Shafter Press - Serving the community since 1922

Whenever I think of the month of July I tend to think of the word "freedom" due to the July 4th holiday (fireworks too). We certainly enjoy and hopefully appreciate the many freedoms we have in the United States, not just on July 4th, but I'm sure...

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 priority with the...

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 some of the youth...

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 distributor of the...

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 their vaccine...

Spring is one of those times of year that has a certain "fresh start" to it, perhaps similar to the New Year feel in January. It's a time of year when we begin seeing more flowers, bees, longer days, time change and a general feeling of newness. In...

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 can be a part. With...

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. Progress in Arvin,...

I have lived almost my entire life here in rural Wasco one mile away from where I was born at the peak of the “Dust Bowl.” In the last 25 years a problem has become of epidemic proportion – the dumping of city waste onto roadsides of our valuab...

As they rush me to the emergency room in the ambulance, I wondered how bad my situation was. The fear of not knowing was killing me. How serious was covid affecting me? We get to the emergency room and it was a scene of organized confusion. A doctor...

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 who is acutely...

It was a year many of us will remember for all the wrong reasons. Never has there been so much change in so little time. The coronavirus took us all by surprise, never realizing how it would affect our lives. How could we have expected everyone to...

For the past couple of weeks there have been "dense fog" alerts on my phone's weather app. With that in mind, each morning I've looked out the window of my home to see if it's foggy or clear. Although many mornings have been clear, there have been a...