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
164 episodes
Hanford Insider: ENCORE EPISODE, KCSO Air Support Unit
More planes and helicopters circling over Hanford has sparked a lot of curiosity and more than a few rumors, so we decided to go straight to the source. We sit down with Sergeant Jerry Hunter and Senior Deputy Eric Johnson from the Kings County...
Hanford Insider: ENCORE EPISODE - Chris Tavarez Hanford City Manager
Hanford doesn’t need more buzzwords, it needs roads you can drive on, a public safety facility that actually fits the people working inside it, and utility systems that won’t fail at the worst possible moment. We sit down with Hanford City Mana...
Travis Paden's council update and Independence Day greeting
Your street lights, neighborhood landscaping, and park upkeep do not happen by accident, and they definitely do not pay for themselves. Councilmember Travis Payden gives us a clear wrap-up of recent Hanford City Council actions, starting with t...
Vice Mayor Nancy Howze Breaks Down the June 16th City Council Decisions Pt. 2
A City Council meeting can feel like a blur until you hear what actually changed and what it means for your day-to-day life in Hanford. Councilmember Nancy Howze gives us a focused June 16 recap that starts with a boost to public safety: ...
Hanford Insider: Hanford's Freedom Fest & Fireworks Show
Hanford is getting a real, live Fourth of July fireworks show again, and the behind-the-scenes planning is the part most people never hear about. I’m joined by Brad Albert on location at the Hanford Softball Complex to walk through the first Ha...
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Hanford Insider: Illegal Fireworks Crackdown
Illegal fireworks don’t just light up the sky, they light up roofs, yards, and sometimes lives. As Hanford heads into the July 4 holiday weekend, we sit down with Hanford Fire Chief Daniel Perkins to get painfully clear on what’s changing, why ...
Mayor Mark Kairis Breaks Down the June 16th City Council Decisions Pt. 1
Hanford’s wastewater system is one of those essentials you only notice when something goes wrong, and that is exactly why we wanted to slow down and explain what City Council just took on. Mayor Mark Kairis joins us with a clear recap of the Ju...
Hanford Insider: E Bike & E Scooter Safety with HPD Corporal Daniel Todd
A kid on an e-bike. A rider on a motorized scooter. A driver turning right who doesn’t expect someone flying the wrong way. That mix is how close calls turn into tragedies, and it’s why Hanford is taking electric bicycle safety and e-scooter sa...
Hanford Insider: Superior Dairy update & a Hanford West state championship!
A near-100-year-old ice cream shop is easy to love and hard to rebuild. We sit down with Andy and Jacob Zonneveld, new owners of Superior Dairy Products, to hear why the family stepped in to restore one of Hanford’s most recognizable landmarks ...
Hanford Insider: How The Carnegie Museum Turns Classic Cars Into A Summer Festival
Downtown Hanford is about to fill up with chrome, stories, and the kind of small-town energy you can feel from a block away. We’re giving you a detailed preview of the fifth annual Carnegie Museum of Kings County Car and Bike Show, plus the key...
Hanford Insider: Kings Players, the June Primary Election, Community News, & Sports
Graduation week doesn’t just sneak up on Hanford, it hits all at once, and we want you walking in prepared. We start with the practical stuff that saves you time and stress: the new clear bag policy at Neighbor Bowl, the biggest graduation nigh...
Mayor Mark Kairis Breaks Down the May 19 City Council Decisions
A nearly $60 million decision rarely fits into a quick recap, but that’s exactly what we tackle as we break down Hanford’s most consequential May 19 City Council actions. Mayor Mark Kairis, walks us through what we approved, why it matter...
Hanford Insider: Hanford Step Sisters and another Sierra Pacific Valley Championship!
A town feels different when you stop trying to “get in shape” alone and start showing up with other people. That’s why I’m excited to share my conversation with Tiffany Ramirez and Lori Bravo, the women behind Hanford Stepsisters, a women-only ...
Hanford Insider: 2026 High School Baseball & Softball Playoff Brackets
Playoff brackets always feel like a fresh reset, and this Spring Playoff Special Edition is your rapid guide to where Hanford-area baseball and softball teams land and what round one really looks like. I walk through the matchups one by one, so...
Hanford Insider: Inside the Charm House Wedding And Event Venue
A beautiful old property can feel like a mystery until someone opens the gate and invites the community in. That’s what happens when I sit down with Kristen Smith to talk about The Charm House Venue, an elegant event venue just outside Hanford ...
Hanford Insider: Community News, Sports, and the new Hanford Hotel
A familiar building at the edge of downtown Hanford is getting a whole new identity and it says a lot about where the city is headed. We sit down with Sam Patel, owner of the newly reimagined Hanford Hotel, to talk about why he invested in Hanf...
Hanford City Council Recap 4/28/26
Big city decisions often sound technical until you connect them to real life: where your kids play after school, how hot a summer walk feels on a treeless block, and whether a local airport can support emergency response and business travel. Ma...
Hanford Insider Previews the 2026 Thursday Night Marketplace
The Thursday Night Marketplace isn’t just a fun night out. It’s one of the clearest signs of how downtown Hanford is growing, how local businesses get discovered, and how a community learns to celebrate in its own backyard.We sit down w...
Hanford Insider: Celebrating Excellence in Education 2026
A community runs on the people who show up every day and schools are one of the clearest places to see that in action. We start with a quick Hanford civic and community rundown, including what to watch for at the upcoming Hanford City Council m...
Hanford Insider: Big Restaurant News, A Packed Community Calendar, and Kings County History
A town’s week can tell you a lot about its soul, especially when you line up today’s headlines next to the stories that built the place. We start with the latest Hanford community news, including a recap of a long City Council meeting, early de...
Mayor Mark Kairis Explains The Biggest April 7 Council Decisions
Crime trends, park funding, neighborhood upkeep, refuse rates, safer streets, and summer fireworks all show up in one fast City Council recap with Mayor Mark Kairis. If you want to understand what Hanford City Council decisions actually mean fo...
Hanford Insider: Community News/Sports and Kings County History Pt. 1
A city council agenda can tell you where a town is headed, and Hanford has some real signals this week. We walk through the upcoming meeting items, including Heroes Park funding, public hearings that affect neighborhood costs, and the possibili...
Hanford Insider: Recreation Roulette with Brad Albert
Something big is happening in Hanford this spring, and it’s not just the warmer weather. We’re seeing new signs go up in old buildings, downtown events filling the calendar, and parks gearing up for the months when everyone wants to be outside....
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...
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 ...
