The Shafter Press - Serving the community since 1922

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...

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 from 2020, I...

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 positive aspects of...

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 positive aspects of...

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 starts to make a...

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Romans 12:1 How does a person live a sacrificial life? It is rather simple to live...

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 the district,...

For the past 11 summers we’ve had the privilege of hosting SMBC Sports Camp for sports such as volleyball, wrestling and basketball. I don’t need to tell how big sports are in our culture and are a great “connecting point” into our...

I have lived in Shafter for 30 years and have seen many positive changes for the city. Let me say that I usually don’t get involved in local politics because we elect people whom we feel will get the job done for the people who elect them. The last...