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.

Hanford Insider is a news podcast hosted by Rob Bentley, with 177 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Rob Bentley hosts Hanford Insider, a news show with 177 episodes published.

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  Episode #14

  Hanford Insider: UCP+ Hanford, KRH Calico Festival, Kings Symphony strikes a note!

  Oct 4, 202638 minS4

  Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! Three big community spotlights, a packed local calendar, and the kind of practical info you’ll actually use, this Hanford Insider update keeps you connected to what’s happening across Hanford and Kings County. We start with community news, including the official groundbreaking for new development at 12th and Mall Drive, a quick look at upcoming City Council details, and reminders about election ballots and where to go with questions. If you like staying in the loop on local openings, civic updates, and neighborhood changes, this one is built for you. Then we sit down with Victor Perez and Sarah Ramos from UCP Plus of Hanford to talk about early intervention and school readiness services for kids from birth to five. They explain what to do when you suspect a developmental delay, how Early Start evaluations work, what “qualification” can look like, and why their parent education model matters so much. They also share a simple but powerful message: you don’t need an appointment to walk in and ask for help, and these services can be provided at no cost to families. From there, we highlight family-friendly events you can put straight on your calendar: UCP +'s Trunk or Treat at the COS Hanford campus, the 50th annual Kings River Hardwick Calico Arts Festival with its vendors, car show, farmers market, sweet shop, and silent auction, and the King’s Symphony Orchestra opening concert at the Hanford Fox Theater featuring the full Beethoven’s Fifth. We wrap with a local sports report covering football, water polo, and volleyball, plus how to send in your own score updates. Subscribe for weekly Hanford community news, share this with a friend who loves local events, and leave a review to help more neighbors 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!

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  Episode #13

  Hanford Insider: BIG Weekend Spotlight!

  Sep 27, 202630 minS4

  Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! Three major Hanford events are landing on the same weekend, and we’re giving you a clear game plan so you can actually enjoy them instead of hearing about them after they’re over. We start with quick community news across Hanford and Kings County, including support for K9 Officer Jet, a big retirement announcement from downtown’s Salmon’s Furniture Galleries, and a packed list of upcoming local dates worth putting on your calendar. Then we sit down with Brad Albert from the City of Hanford for a preview of the Renaissance Of Kings Fair, one of the longest-running Renaissance fairs in California. We talk entertainment, roaming guilds, the king and queen, knight combat, classic Renaissance food, and why Hanford Civic Auditorium Park and the historic downtown square make the whole thing feel like a real step back in time. Brad also shares updates on other city events, including the Catfish Crawl and what’s coming for the Halloween bash. Next, Arianne Wing from the China Alley Preservation Society joins us to spotlight the third annual tribute to the China Alley Moon Festival at the Carnegie Museum of Kings County. We cover the lion dance, taiko drumming, crafts, moon cakes and tea, and we share real progress on China Alley restoration after a major preservation grant. We wrap our triple feature with Chief Daniel Perkins and the Hanford Fire Department Annual Open House, including hands-only CPR, kid-friendly safety activities, and a timely warning about lithium-ion battery charger risks and smoke alarm response. Hit subscribe, share this with a friend who needs weekend plans, and leave a review to help more people find Hanford Insider. You can find the Hanford Insider at www.hanfordinsider.com and on social media at @hanfordinsider Thank you for supporting the show!

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  Episode #12

  Hanford Insider: Carnegie Museum's Building Kings County Pt. II Preview

  Sep 20, 202631 minS4

  Send me a text and give me feedback on this episode! A town’s history isn’t just in textbooks, it’s in the buildings you drive past, the restaurants you miss, and the events that pull people together on a random weeknight. We start with what’s happening right now in Hanford and Kings County, from the World of Outlaws Valley Clash at Kings Speedway to a beginner Dungeons and Dragons class at the Hanford Library Temporary Branch, plus live music at the Thursday Marketplace. Then we jump into entertainment news with a closer look at Queen Nation, a Queen tribute band stopping at the Hanford Fox Theater. We share what to expect, how tickets are moving, and why shows like this matter for downtown Hanford. If you’re planning a night out or bringing friends in from out of town, you’ll get the key details to make it easy. The centerpiece is an inside look at the Carnegie Museum of Kings County and its latest exhibition, Building Kings County. We pull highlights from curator training so you can hear the stories behind the displays: the old Kings County Courthouse and its restoration, the surprising era when local banks could print their own money, churches and civic life, Highway 198’s changing path through town, the Fox Theater’s origins, and local places that still spark instant nostalgia. Some moments are light and fun, like drive-in memories and Maccagno’s rum cake recipe, and others land with real weight, including a World War II era restaurant closure tied to internment camps. We wrap with Eric Bentley’s local sports roundup covering Hanford High, Hanford West, and Sierra Pacific across football, water polo, and volleyball. Subscribe for weekly Kings County community news, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more locals 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!

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  Episode #11

  Hanford Insider: HESD's Multi Year School Modernization Plan

  Sep 13, 202630 minS4

  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!

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  Episode #10

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

  Sep 6, 202629 minS4

  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!

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