Feature Story
Taft 2010 Census
Jessica G. Miller
Wednesday morning, Faith in Action hosted a media briefing on the 2010 Census with a variety of speakers including Senator Dean Florez and Taft Chevrolet's Devinder Bains.
The Census sets out every ten years to count every person in the United States to collect population information, help allocate funds for education, road repair and law enforcement, and to determine the number of seats each state gets in the House of Representatives, among other things. Faith in Action's event was designed to educate the media on the importance of the Census, from assuring the confidentiality of the questionnaire to combating the fear some have in filling it out.
All of the speakers stressed the importance of the Census and being counted. "It's all about counting," Bains said. "And realizing y...
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News
Taft Man Found With Gunshot Wound, Dies at Kern Medical Center
No Suspects Identified in Shooting
Kern County Sheriff's Deputies are investigation a shooting that occured at 216 Jefferson Street in Taft Sunday afternoon. 46 year old James Lawrence Cash was found by deputies at the Ford City residence with a single gun shot wound to the head. Cash was transported to Kern Medical Center where he eventually died from the gun shot wound. T...
BREAKING NEWS
Taft: Kern County Grand Jury to Release Taft City Council Report Tuesday Morning
Investigative Body Looking Into Real Estate Investment, Employee Raise Issue in Taft City Government
The Kern County Grand Jury will release a report on Taft City Government on Tuesday morning, February 9th. The Grand Jury has been looking into several issues in Taft City government since September 2009, but the proceedings are secret and no issues that the government body has been looking into have been publically disclosed. But city hall h...
News
Taft Inmate Walks Away from Taft Correctional Institution Minimum Security Satellite Camp
Taft, California. On February 7, 2010, at 10:00 PM, while conducting the official count, staff at the Taft Correctional Institution discovered one inmate was missing from the Institution's Satellite Camp facility. The Satellite Camp is a minimum-security facility that houses approximately 550 federal inmates. There is no security fence around t...
Business
Taft: Steven Thomas Does the Shaker Board for Little Caesars
Steven Thomas loves his job as a "Shaker Board" performer for Taft's Little Caesar's pizza. "I love it," said Thomas. "It's the greatest job in the world. I get to entertain and perform for people, especially the kids." Everyday around noon, Thomas heads out for the intersection of 10th and Kern Streets in Taft and dances while he flips, thr...
Taft College News
First Annual Taft College Femme Fatales Philanthropy Tea
by Jessica G. Miller
The first annual Femme Fatales of Philanthropy Tea, hosted by Taft College's Foundation and Development Director, Sheri Horn-Bunk, was held on Thursday afternoon in the college's Cougar Room. Over 30 women from all over came to the event to listen to special guest speaker, philanthropist Melanie Lundquist, talk about the Bernard Osher Scholarship E...
Taft City Council
Taft City Coucil Finance Committee Meets for First Time Since August
The Taft City Council Finance Committee met on Monday this week to recap revenues and expenditures for the last 6 months of 2009. The committee had not met since August last year. The Council had only just approved the 2009-2010 budget at their January19th 2010 meeting, 6 months past the July 2090 deadline. New committee member Craig Noble joined ...
Westside Watcher
Bricklaying and Who Really Owns the Midway Sunset Antique Building?
Editorial
Well, ol Cliffy is mad as hell now.....seems he's off the Oil Workers Monument Committee bcause he never attended any meetings.....and talk about being petty...Cliff, got so mad when he found out he was off the committee, that he wants back his oilworker brick display box that the he built and donated to the committee 2 years ago and gave to...
Taft High School News
Taft High School Orientation February 22
Taft Union High School will host Orientation Night for eighth graders at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22, in the Mullen gymnasium. The event will showcase the activities at the school from sports and clubs to electives and academies, explained Assistant Principal Rona Angelo. "We want to show all the opportunities available, all the good things going ...
It's About Taft
Rain, Rain and Rain
By Randy Miller, Randymiller@taftindependent.com
Hi Everyone, Hasn't it been nice the last couple of weeks ?? Rain !! What a concept. It certainly is welcomed and needed but I don't have to tell you that. It is nice to see the hills so green this early on; snow in the mountains, how great is that; cleaner air too. By Jove, I think it must be winter time in Taft, the best of places to live...
Now Playing at the Taft Fox Theater
Daybreakers - Movie Trailer
It's 2017, and the undead far outnumber the living in this horror film starring Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke (TRAINING DAY). A virus has spread across the earth, turning its inhabitants into vampires.... It's 2017, and the undead far outnumber the living in this horror film starring Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke (TRAINING DAY). A virus has spread across ...
Horoscopes
Week of 2-5-10
Aries (March 21-April 19): You've made your bed and now you must lie in it, though lying is what got you in this predicament in the first place. Taurus (April 20-May 20): Make sure that you're pulling your own weight around the house, because if you're not careful some resentment could be building up towards you. Gemini (May 21-June 20): Thi...
Valentines Day Special
Send Your Valentine A Message in the Taft Independent Friday, February 12th Valentine Day Issue
Get a 2 in. by 2 in. Valentines Color Display Ad for $12.50, or 2 1/2 in. by 2 1/2 in. Ad for $20
Send your Valentine a special message in the Taft Independent's Friday, February 12th Valentines's Day issue. Call or email the Taft Independent by Thursday, February 11th at Noon to place your Valentines greeting display ad. - Up to 15 words in a 2 in. by 2 in. ad for $12.50 ad. - Up to 26 words in a 2 1/2 in. by 2 1/2 in. ad for $20 ad. ...
News
Gasosline Prices Drop Further
Average retail gasoline prices in California have fallen 3.3 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.93/g today. This compares with the national average that has stayed flat, moving just 0.4 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.66/g, according to gasoline price website CaliforniaGasPrice- s.com. Including the change in gas prices in...
Chamber of Commerce
Taft District Chamber of Commerce Honored by Kern County Board Of Supervisors on 100th Birthday
Fred Schell of the Taft Chamber of Commerce (left) receives an award on behalf of the Taft Chamber of Commerce from Supervisor Ray Watson on Tuesday honoring the Chamber's 100th Birthday. The Chamber was incorporated in January 1910. The Chamber later that year organized a campaign to get the City Taft incorporated which was passed in November 191...
Taft City Council
City Holds Tree Meeting, Presentation from Kern Tree Foundation
Melissa Iger of the Kern Tree Foundation gave a presentation to the City of Taft Tree Committee on Thursday. The city plans to plant nearly 3,000 trees. Iger recently joined the Taft Community Gardens Board of Directors.
Business
Taft Center Street Welcomes Edward Herrera Insurance Agency
Edward J. Herrera Insurance Agency is the newest business to open on Center Street, at 420 Center Street. Join Edward at his grand opening on Wednesday, February 10th from 12pm to 3pm. Edward is looking forward to being a business partner with Taft and Edward J. Herrera Insurance Agency believes in giving back to the communities they work in. Edwar...
News
Questions Raised About Ownership of Midway Sunset Trading Post
Councilman Craig Noble Had Sold Building to Retain Council Seat, Buyer Stopped Making Payments in May 2009
Local real estate investor Laura Geiger has told the Taft Independent that she quit making payments in May 2009 on the Midway Sunset Trading Posts building that she had purchased from Councilman Craig Noble in December 2008. Geiger said that she purchased the building from Noble in December 2008 as an investment, and to help Noble retain...
News
Taft Census Seeking 200 Applicants to Count
by Jessica Wallis
The Census is still recruiting on the Westside and is looking for about 200 qualified applicants to make sure that Taft and the Westside get counted this year. In the previous Census the Westside did not receive an accurate count due to lack of participation. The accurate count from the Census determines grants for the city, how roads get buil...
News
Taft Camera Club Photo Contest Winners On Display At TC Library, Library Hosts Open House On Tuesday
by Herb Spencer
Winning photograph prints from Taft Camera Club's recent Wonderful World of Photography photo contest are now on display at the Taft College Library and will be available for public viewing throughout the remainder of the month. An Open House honoring all of the winners will be hosted by the Friends of the Library in the Cougar Room of t...
Now Playing at the Taft Fox Theater
The Lovely Bones - Movie Trailer
Oscar winner Peter Jackson directs this adaptation of Alice Sebold's beloved novel THE LOVELY BONES. After she is killed, young Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan, ATONEMENT) looks down from heaven on... Oscar winner Peter Jackson directs this adaptation of Alice Sebold's beloved novel THE LOVELY BONES. After she is killed, young Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ro...
Calendar
Week of 2-5-10
Taft California "Gateway to the Carrizo Plain National Monument"
Rotary Youth Pancake Breakfast February 6th Saturday, February 6th from 7am-11am at the Taft High School Cafeteria. Tickets are $4 and all proceeds to Taft Youth. Maricopa Pancake Breakfast Saturday, February 6th The first Saturday of each month at Veteran's Hall, located at Cedar and Taylor St. 7am-11am, $5 per person, children under 6 fr...
