Hanford Insider

Rob Bentley
  • 4.7 (3)
  • News Commentary
  • Updated Weekly

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.

  1. 11h ago

    Hanford Insider: HESD's Multi Year School Modernization Plan

    Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! Construction signs outside a school can feel like background noise until you hear what’s actually happening behind the fences. We sit down with Hanford Elementary School District Superintendent Joy Gabler and Director of Facilities and Operations Daniel Pierotte to get a clear, practical update on the district’s school modernization projects, including the multi-year Monroe Elementary rebuild and the campus upgrades rolling across Hanford. We talk about what drives today’s school construction timelines: California building codes, Division of the State Architect approvals, fire life safety, structural standards, access compliance, and Title 24 energy requirements. Daniel explains the kinds of improvements that matter long after the ribbon cutting, like LED lighting, better indoor air quality, durable surfaces, and infrastructure that’s affordable to maintain for the next 50 to 75 years. We also hit Washington Elementary repairs, ADA and restroom upgrades, and a central kitchen electrical project designed to increase capacity as schools move toward greener energy. Joy shares what it takes to run these projects while students and staff are on campus, why bond measures are essential to funding facility work, and how technology has become part of the building plan itself. We dig into one-to-one devices, reliable classroom connectivity for state testing, a districtwide new math adoption (Illustrative Mathematics), and a new student information system plus the HESD Connect app that aims to simplify parent communication. We close with pride points, including major school recognitions, a reminder about safe driving in school zones and around bus stops, plus community news and a local sports roundup. Subscribe to Hanford Insider, share this with a neighbor, and leave a review if the show helps you stay connected to Kings County. You can find the Hanford Insider at www.hanfordinsider.com and on social media at @hanfordinsider Thank you for supporting the show!

    Hanford Insider: HESD's Multi Year School Modernization Plan

  2. Sep 6

    Hanford Insider: Downtown Blues Festival and some other news you may not have heard yet.

    Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! A free blues festival that pulls in thousands, packs the dance area, and makes downtown Hanford feel like a different place for one night? That’s the Blues and Roots Festival, and Jim Castleman joins me with a full preview of the 25th annual celebration at the Hanford Civic Auditorium Park. We talk about what makes it more than music: the food vendors, beer and wine gardens, the easy “bring a chair and a blanket” setup, and the kind of crowd that includes people traveling in from all over California to make a weekend of it. Jim breaks down the lineup and the flow of the night, including when gates open, when music starts, and why the festival now wraps earlier. We also get into the deeper story behind the sound, from how blues feeds rock and roll to why the groove still resonates with new listeners, plus the behind-the-scenes reality of sponsorships, volunteers, and what it takes to keep a major community event free. Before the interview, I run through Kings County community news you can use, including a major China Alley restoration grant and a community calendar packed with local events. Then we finish strong with a Hanford Insider sports report covering high school football, volleyball, and water polo. Subscribe for weekly Hanford news, share this with a friend who loves live music, and leave a review so more people can find the show. You can find the Hanford Insider at www.hanfordinsider.com and on social media at @hanfordinsider Thank you for supporting the show!

    Hanford Insider: Downtown Blues Festival and some other news you may not have heard yet.

  3. Aug 30

    Hanford Insider: How Lemoore College Is Building Opportunity In Kings County

    Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! The story of a community college is usually told in brochures and buzzwords. We wanted the real version, the one that starts with who students actually are and what they’re up against. After a quick run through Hanford’s week ahead (City Council topics like murals beyond downtown, AI and local government, wastewater fees, and EV charging permitting), we sit down with Lemoore College President James Preston for a grounded conversation about growth, access, and what “student success” takes in Kings County. James shares his path from musician to high school English teacher to longtime leader at Lemoore College, and why staying close to the classroom shapes how he leads. We talk enrollment growth, campus expansion, and how programs have broadened from transfer degrees into career technical education designed for local employers. One of the most practical parts of the conversation is basic needs support: the Golden Nest basic needs center, food pantry partnerships, and a pilot program that lets students ride KART buses for free with a student ID, removing transportation as a barrier to showing up. We also dig into the workforce pipeline. James highlights industrial automation and advanced manufacturing training, plus an upcoming Rockwell partnership around PLC certification. For future educators, we cover Team Teach and the Fresno State ITEP pathway that brings a bachelor’s degree and credential track to the Lemoore College campus. And if you care about college affordability, we unpack how open educational resources helped reach 79% zero textbook cost courses and millions saved for students. Wrap it all up with a fast sports roundup, then stick around for ways to submit community events and stay connected. Subscribe for weekly Kings County community news, share this with someone who cares about local education, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What part of Lemoore College’s approach should more colleges copy? You can find the Hanford Insider at www.hanfordinsider.com and on social media at @hanfordinsider Thank you for supporting the show!

    Hanford Insider: How Lemoore College Is Building Opportunity In Kings County

  4. Aug 22

    Hanford Insider: Ann Marie Paden with TKRL, Community News, & Sports

    Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! A small-town podcast can feel like a bulletin board, a scoreboard, and a front porch conversation all at once, and that’s exactly what we’re going for this week on The Hanford Insider. We start with the community news you actually need: the Mid-Kings River Groundwater Sustainability Agency ballot and the upcoming public workshops, plus updates on the Houston Avenue Bridge repair over Cross Creek. We also flag key public meetings around Hanford, including the California High Speed Rail Authority and other local conversations shaping Kings County. Next, we hit the local high school sports report with a quick, clear roundup across football, girls volleyball, and water polo. If you’re tracking Hanford, Sierra Pacific, and Hanford West, you’ll get the results, the momentum swings, and what to watch for next week, all in a few focused minutes. Then we sit down with Ann Marie Paden, Executive Director of Tulare Kings Resources for Life (TKRL). Anne Marie explains what TKRL actually does in Tulare County and Kings County, from science-based fertility awareness education and curriculum support to care for people navigating infertility, miscarriage, and healing after abortion. She also shares a remarkable adoption connection story that began with a couple willing to help and turned into a real community safety net. We wrap with concrete ways to plug in, including volunteering, advocacy, and attending TKRL’s “Advancing The Mission” fundraiser on September 3 in Visalia. If this kind of local storytelling and local resources matter to you, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more people in our community can find it. You can find the Hanford Insider at www.hanfordinsider.com and on social media at @hanfordinsider Thank you for supporting the show!

    Hanford Insider: Ann Marie Paden with TKRL, Community News, & Sports

  5. Aug 16

    Hanford Insider: KRH Calico, Links for Life, High School Football Preview

    Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! Data centers, local control, and real-world community impact are colliding in Hanford, and we dig into what’s happening right now. We start with the Hanford City Council’s upcoming meeting, including a Measure H revenue and expenditures report and an update tied to land use regulations for data center facilities. We also share the City of Hanford’s public stance on proposed data centers and why review, participation, environmental analysis, and enforceable protections are central to the conversation for residents across Kings County. From there, we shift into the week’s community calendar, with quick hits you can actually use: a beginner Dungeons and Dragons class at the Hanford Branch Library temporary site, the Thursday Night Marketplace country night, and other local gatherings that keep Hanford connected. We also highlight the November city election matchups, a major State Route 41 groundbreaking, and a look ahead to the 50th annual Kings River Hardwick Calico Arts Festival, including the call for photos to help tell the story from the very beginning. The feature interview is a preview of the Links for Life Pink Passion Picnic with Kathy Mittleider. We talk about what’s new, including expanded breast cancer diagnostic services such as MRI access, plus support for people going through treatment with wigs, compression sleeves, and head coverings. You’ll also hear what to expect at the event, from a genetics-focused speaker to crowd-favorite entertainment, and how ticket sales and fundraising directly support local services. We close with the Hanford Insider Sports Report: the Babe Ruth 16U All-Stars’ World Series run, plus a clear-eyed high school football preview for Hanford West, Sierra Pacific, and Hanford High as the season kicks off. Subscribe, share this with a neighbor, and leave a review so more people can find the community news and local sports coverage they’ve been missing. You can find the Hanford Insider at www.hanfordinsider.com and on social media at @hanfordinsider Thank you for supporting the show!

    Hanford Insider: KRH Calico, Links for Life, High School Football Preview

  6. Aug 11 ·  Bonus

    Hanford City Council Wrap Up in Minutes Aug 10, 2026

    Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! A single City Council meeting can quietly steer the next 25 years of growth, safety, and Vice Mayor Nancy Howze breaks down the August 4th Hanford City Council Meeting. We start with a big-picture item that affects everyday life: the Kings County Association of Governments (KCAG) update to the Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy, a required roadmap for 2026 through 2049 that helps keep our local agencies eligible for state and federal transportation funding. We talk through the four growth scenarios KCAG is studying and what they are designed to do: reduce vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions through coordinated land use and transportation investment. The standout news is that all four scenarios meet the state’s greenhouse gas reduction goals by 2035, and the draft plan is open for public review through September 5 at 5 p.m., so residents still have time to shape the direction. Then we shift to local actions with immediate on-the-ground impact, including a public hearing on the Copper Ridge Development and a vote to amend the annexation boundary by removing 58.24 acres. We also share results from the drone-enforced It’s Not Worth It illegal fireworks campaign: what we saw, how many calls and fires we responded to, how citations were issued, and why the council voted to continue the program next year. We close with the triumphant return of Freedom Fest and the live fireworks show, plus the vote to move forward with planning for Freedom Fest 2027. If you want clear context without the jargon, press play, then subscribe, share this with a neighbor, and leave a review so more Hanford residents can stay informed. You can find the Hanford Insider at www.hanfordinsider.com and on social media at @hanfordinsider Thank you for supporting the show!

  7. Aug 9

    Hanford Insider: Hanford Jewelry and Loan, Kings Players, Babe Ruth Stars, High School Fall Sport Preview

    Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! A pawn shop with two vaults in an old bank building sounds like the start of a crime story, but in downtown Hanford it’s really a story about trust. We sit down with Kirsten Bookout of Hanford Jewelry and Loan to talk about what it takes to keep a local jewelry store thriving for 65 years and why “pawn” often means something far more practical than people assume. We get into the real day-to-day: how the business grew from watchmaking roots, why the shop shifted away from tools and electronics, and what customers are actually looking for right now in pre-owned jewelry and estate pieces. Kirsten shares how they buy gold (and why so many people forget what’s sitting in the back of a closet), plus the small services that online shopping can’t match like fit checks, reassurance, free cleanings for items bought in-store, and help when life doesn’t fit neatly into store hours. We also talk candidly about collateral loans and how a short-term loan against a piece of jewelry can help someone bridge an unexpected bill or stretch to the next paycheck without the stress of asking family. Along the way, we hit the community side of the Hanford Insider: the Thursday night marketplace, the Carnegie Museum of Kings County opening the 1976 Hanford Bicentennial Time Capsule and collecting messages for 2076, a senior wellness workshop, local theater with Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, and a quick sports report with local baseball and a girls volleyball preview. If you enjoy local business stories, downtown Hanford history, and practical community news you can use, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more Kings County listeners can find us. You can find the Hanford Insider at www.hanfordinsider.com and on social media at @hanfordinsider Thank you for supporting the show!

    Hanford Insider: Hanford Jewelry and Loan, Kings Players, Babe Ruth Stars, High School Fall Sport Preview

  8. Aug 2

    Hanford Insider: The Tee Box, Time Capsule Contents, Sports Update

    Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! A small town feels bigger when you know what’s happening and you’ve got somewhere fun to meet up. We start with the civic stuff that impacts real life in Hanford: major City Council changes, three open seats, who has filed for candidacy, and the fast-approaching deadline to throw your hat in the ring. We also preview the week’s public meetings and the kinds of issues that show up there, from reports and hearings to how the city reviews community campaigns and big summer events. Then we roll into a community calendar designed for people who actually want to get out of the house. Heat can change plans quickly this time of year, so we talk through what’s scheduled and what to watch. The most memorable stop is the Carnegie Museum of Kings County, where the 1976 bicentennial time capsule comes back to life through cassette recordings. Hearing a local leader wonder about rising costs, fresh air, and what Hanford will look like decades later is equal parts funny, sobering, and weirdly comforting. The centerpiece is our interview with Marty Keeton, owner of The Tee Box, a new virtual golf simulator bar in downtown Hanford. Marty explains why they chose this location, what it took to get the ABC license, and how they’re building a family-friendly indoor golf experience that works for total beginners and serious players alike. We talk TrackMan technology, interactive games for kids, party options like birthdays and fantasy football draft nights, beer and seltzers on tap, and why bringing your own food is not just allowed, it’s encouraged. We wrap with Hanford sports, including a big youth baseball run and a local player moving up the pro pipeline. Subscribe for more Hanford and Kings County stories, share this with a friend who needs a new weekend plan, and leave a review so more locals can find the show. You can find the Hanford Insider at www.hanfordinsider.com and on social media at @hanfordinsider Thank you for supporting the show!

    Hanford Insider: The Tee Box, Time Capsule Contents, Sports Update
See All (176)

Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Rob Bentley
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    176
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Hanford Insider
  • Show Website
    Hanford Insider