Hanford Insider
Welcome the Hanford Insider, I’m your host Rob Bentley. I’m a lifelong resident of Hanford and I’m very involved in the local history scene and podcasting so I decided to start this show as a resource to Hanford area residents for covering issues, promoting events, sports, and reflecting on some local history.
Tune in each Monday for a new episode.
Please help me get the word out about the show by sharing on social media, or telling a friend. For more information about the show, you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, or Threads at @Hanford Insider.
If you have a show idea, be sure to email me hanfordinsider@gmail.com If you are part of an organization that needs help getting the word out to the community, let’s work together.
Episodes
141 episodes
Hanford City Council Recap for 3/17/26
150,000 visitors don’t show up by accident. We’re back with a quick, clear wrap-up of the City of Hanford City Council meeting from March 17, led by Council Member Travis Paden, and it’s packed with local wins, big numbers, and decisions that a...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 33
•
3:44
Hanford Insider: Pioneer School District Superintendent John Raven
Hanford is changing quickly, and our schools feel it first. Today I’m joined by John Raven, the new superintendent of the Pioneer Union Elementary School District, for a grounded conversation about what it takes to lead a district that’s proud ...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 32
•
25:29
Hanford Council Recap - March 16, 2026
City decisions can feel abstract until you hear how they land on your street, your parks, and your sense of safety. We’re breaking down two Hanford City Council meetings with Vice Mayor Nancy Howze, highlighting the moments that signal where th...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 31
•
4:59
Hanford Insider: Golden Positivity and a Golden Bear State Championship!
A teen builds a nonprofit while battling cancer, and the work keeps going even after she’s gone. That’s the heart of our conversation with Amelia Carpenter and Faith Faria from Golden Positivity, ...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 30
•
20:23
Hanford Insider: City Manager Explains The Projects Shaping Hanford’s Next Decade
Streets that last longer, a downtown built for people, and a public safety HQ that anchors confidence in the city center—this week we sit with City Manager Chris Tavarez to map how Hanford turns plans into pavement and services into momentum. F...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 29
•
30:50
Hanford Insider: Big City Council Updates, Youth Athletic Complex Ribbon Cutting, and a SPHS Valley Championship!
A fresh ribbon, the scent of tri-tip, and a packed crowd set the scene for a milestone day at the Hanford Youth Athletic Complex. We walk the grounds with city leaders and community voices to unpack a $1.3M renovation that delivers where famili...
•
24:52
Hanford Insider: Where Youth Meet The Badge: Sport As A Bridge To Belonging
Step inside Hanford’s old National Guard Armory and you’ll hear it: jump ropes snapping, gloves popping, bikes rolling, and kids trading high-fives with officers who spot them between rounds. We sat down with Police Chief Stephanie Huddleston a...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 27
•
19:26
Hanford Insider: Hanford Multicultural Theater
A theater can be a building—or a beacon. We sit down with volunteer tech lead and musician Ted Hillman to reveal how Hanford Multicultural Theater Company turned a small downtown space into a living hub for acting, improv, comedy, puppetry, and...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 26
•
20:51
Hanford Insider - February 9, 2026 - Mayor's Wrap Up
A live federal update turned into breaking good news: Hanford secured an extra $2 million for the Grangeville Boulevard Grade Separation Project, closing critical gaps in right-of-way and utility work that keep rail safety and traffic flow on t...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 25
•
3:57
Hanford Insider - Katelind Donahue - "The Writer's Haven"
A town grows when people show up for each other, and this week we spotlight how Hanford’s energy is fueling real creative work. We kick off with quick hits around the city: a new city manager sworn in, downtown speakers set to bring music to Ir...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 24
•
29:49
Hanford Insider: How A Historic Bakery Shaped A Town And Sparked A New Chapter In Community Business
A bakery that once fed a town now feeds a different kind of hunger: connection, service, and shared memory. We follow Maccagno’s from a 1949 brick landmark with 20‑foot ovens and loading docks to a living hub for local business, events, and civ...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 23
•
30:01
Hanford Insider: How Tightening Residency Verification Aims To Balance Programs, Class Sizes, and Opportunity at our local high schools
What happens when a growing city meets crowded classrooms and a patchwork of feeder schools? We sit down with HJUHSD Superintendent Victor Rosa and Assistant Superintendent Bobby Peters to talk candidly about enrollment trends, residency verifi...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 22
•
34:23
Hanford Insider: How A Brewery, A Builder, And A Vision Aim To Transform Downtown Hanford
A 19th-century courthouse is about to get a 21st-century heartbeat. We sit down with builder and BarrelHouse Brewing co-founder Kevin Nickell to unpack the real work of revival: clearing decades of debris, rebuilding plumbing and electrical sys...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 21
•
33:12
Hanford Insider: Community Updates, MLK Day Celebration, And Local Sports Highlights
A new year only counts if the community moves with it. We open the season by catching you up on City Hall’s biggest storyline, celebrating neighbors doing extraordinary work, and inviting you to a Martin Luther King Jr. gathering designed to br...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 20
•
15:33
Hanford Insider: Mayor Kairis' Wednesday Wrap Up for December 2025
City decisions rarely feel urgent until they touch your block, your commute, or your kids’ route to school. This week’s wrap brings it all home with quick, plain‑spoken highlights from Hanford’s council meeting—what changed, what’s next, and ho...
•
Season 3
•
4:20
Hanford Insider: A Ribbon Cutting Sparks Regional Transit, Economic Growth, And Holiday Cheer
What if a transit center could change how a city moves, works, and dreams? We head to downtown Hanford for the KART Transit Center ribbon cutting and hear directly from the people who built it—county supervisors, city leaders, state voices, and...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 19
•
30:48
Hanford Insider: Travis Paden's Wednesday Wrap Up
Big changes start with quiet choices: better maps, safer streets, clearer rules, and the people who bring them to life. We unpack a full council agenda that connects everyday services to long-term strategy, from a key GIS upgrade to the dollars...
•
Season 3
•
3:46
Hanford Insider: Wreaths Across America
December in Hanford brings more than twinkling lights—it brings movement, memory, and a community that shows up. We open with the latest city news, from the council’s leadership rotation to a tougher stance on illegal fireworks that scales fine...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 19
•
17:04
Hanford Insider: How A Beloved Storefront Became A City Tradition
A storefront can hold a city’s memory. We head to the corner of Seventh and Douty to explore how a 19th-century hotel became Hanford Furniture and, ultimately, the canvas for a holiday tradition that still stops families on the sidewalk: the Ch...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 18
•
23:51
Hanford Insider: Muralist Jennifer Butts
A blank wall can change a neighborhood when the right story lands on it. We sit down with muralist and educator Jennifer Butts to trace her journey from a seven-year-old with a sketchbook to a globe-trotting teacher in Honduras and China, and f...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 17
•
29:58
Hanford Insider: Travis Paden's Wednesday Wrap Up 11/19/25
Big changes are coming to Hanford, and the latest council recap connects every headline to real life: safer streets, smarter spending, and a leadership search you can shape. We walk through the East Lacey Corridor’s next phase, where city engin...
•
Season 3
•
3:56
Hanford Insider: Your Guide To Hanford’s Holiday Kickoff: Winter Wonderland, Parade Updates, And Community Highlights
The holidays are officially on in Hanford, and we’re bringing you a front-row seat to everything that makes this season shine. From a redesigned Winter Wonderland with an elevated viewing deck and crackling fire pits to a bigger, safer Christma...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 16
•
23:05
Hanford Insider: Dallas Poore "Warriors of the Wind" - Veterans Day Special
Start with city hall, end on the open road. We bring you a fast-moving update on Hanford’s museum agreements, zoning changes, and a grant-funded tree plan, plus a key route change for the Hanford Christmas Parade that adds 2,000 feet of viewing...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 15
•
36:36
Hanford Insider: Christmas Parade Improvements and Bullpups Domination!
Big traditions don’t stay magical by accident—they’re planned, stress‑tested, and built with neighbors in mind. We open with a crisp look at City Council’s agenda, from the Kings County Farm Bureau briefing to the east‑west cross‑valley rail li...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 14
•
15:54
Hanford Insider: Rob Isquierdo - Reestablishing Stratford
The week’s headlines feel different when you hear them from the people building the future they want to live in. We sit down with podcaster and community organizer Rob Esquerdo to trace a clear line from storytelling to action: how a classroom-...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 13
•
18:53