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
150 episodes
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 ...
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...
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, ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
