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
131 episodes
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...
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Season 3
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Episode 23
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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...
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Season 3
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Episode 22
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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...
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Season 3
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Episode 21
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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...
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Season 3
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Episode 20
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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...
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Season 3
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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...
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Season 3
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Episode 19
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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...
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Season 3
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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...
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Season 3
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Episode 19
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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...
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Season 3
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Episode 18
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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...
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Season 3
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Episode 17
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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...
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Season 3
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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...
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Season 3
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Episode 16
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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...
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Season 3
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Episode 15
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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...
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Season 3
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Episode 14
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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-...
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Season 3
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Episode 13
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18:53
Mayor Paden's Wednesday Wrap Up of the October 21st Hanford City Council Meeting
Quick wins matter, but so do the quiet calls that shape a city’s future. Mayor Travis Paden’s Wednesday wrap-up delivers a clear, helpful tour of the October 21 Hanford City Council meeting—what moved forward, what paused, and why it affects yo...
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3:59
Hanford Insider: CalTrans Plans, Community Events, And Hanford Sports Highlights
Big projects are finally lining up for Kings County, and the details matter. We sit down with Caltrans District 6’s Alex Aguilera to unpack the planned 198–9th Avenue interchange, how five design alternatives could reconnect north and south Han...
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Season 3
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Episode 12
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20:13
Fire safety, fall events, and a comeback win: a Hanford Insider tour of what matters now
The week bursts with energy—city moves that affect our day-to-day, a stacked fall calendar, a symphony season opener, and a high school football finish that had us on our feet. We also bring a crucial safety story to the front: Fire Chief Danie...
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Season 3
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Episode 11
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24:16
Hanford Insider: Links for Life & Cancer Awareness
A small city can change big outcomes when information, care, and community line up. We sit down with Candy Bertaina and Kathy Mittleider from Links for Life, Kings County, to explore how a volunteer-led nonprofit funds the crucial first step in...
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21:28
Hanford Insider: Cultural Celebrations - Renaissance Fair and Moon Festival Take Center Stage
Fall festivities take center stage in Hanford as our community gears up for a season packed with beloved traditions and exciting changes. The 46th annual Renaissance of Kings Fair returns to...
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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26:22
Hanford Insider: Kings Partnership's Community Services
Kings Partnership serves as a vital lifeline for Kings County residents, offering an impressive array of free services designed to strengthen families and build community resilience. Program coordinator Jennifer Quinones brings enthusiasm and e...
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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20:12
Hanford Insider: Mayor Paden's Wrap-Up 9/17/25
Mayor Travis Paden takes us behind the scenes of Hanford's latest City Council meeting, revealing crucial decisions that will shape our community's future. The Council has approved $325,000 for much-needed repairs to the Hanford Plunge, includi...
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5:54
Hanford Insider: Beyond the Surface: Exploring Hanford's Creative Pulse
Step into the unexpected cultural richness of Hanford with our exploration of the community's vibrant arts scene. While Kings County might not immediately come to mind as an arts destination, this episode reveals the surprising breadth of creat...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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28:58
Hanford Insider: The Fight Against Homelessness
The Kings County Homelessness Collaborative represents a remarkable coalition of 18 organizations working together to tackle one of our community's most persistent challenges. In this eye-opening conversation, Hanford City Councilman Mark Kairi...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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29:09
Hanford Insider: Behind the scenes of a historic downtown law firm
A historic downtown law firm is making waves in Hanford with their commitment to community, clients, and careers. The Griswold LaSalle Law Firm, celebrating 80 years of service, has transformed the iconic Hanford Furniture Building into a thriv...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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21:25
