Parking Operation Costs may Shift Gears with Funding Issue solutions in Santa Barbara

KEYT on April 15, 2025

John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The City of Santa Barbara is hoping to get its parking operations in the right financial lane soon after many challenges in recent years.

The Finance Committee heard the latest plan today.

The proposed Downtown Parking Budget for Fiscal Year 2026 is being prepared and, as the committee requested, there are updates along the way after warning signs of finances going in reverse in recent years.

There are proposed operational changes including discounted passes and a shift in the priorities for future projects. Some will be paused to save money.

Rates will not be going up and the free time for parking will not be reduced.

In the past both of those options got some push back.

Santa Barbara City Councilmember Meagan Harmon is on the Finance Committee said, “both prioritizing affordability for users and to encourage more use of our existing lots  through lowering prices while also balancing the budget, which I thought  a few years ago wasn’t going to be possible.”

The slump in downtown business is also being called a factor in the drop in downtown parking funds.

The proposals being presented would increase Downtown Parking revenue by approximately $350,000 to $890,000.

The city operates 12 parking lots from the train station to Victoria Street. A small lot on Helena Avenue in the Funk Zone is also expected to be included soon.

One worker in the downtown area, Paul Chiha said discounting the monthly passes and adding more technology will help, “I think having a pass and a program that allows more access as well as a guide to the best places to park would definitely be a benefit.”

Another worker says some employees leave every 75 minutes to move their cars and beat the possibility of a ticket or a fee depending on where they parked. Sally Gilmour says, “they set their timer and they just go move the car a few blocks, but yes it can take time for them  to come back.”

The city is also considering using the Ortega Street parking lot for nearby residents to park for up to two weeks to ease the parking burden on neighborhood streets.

Ex-school volunteer in Jefferson City gets probation for sexual relationship with student

KMIZ on April 15, 2025

Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A former Jefferson City private school volunteer was sentenced to probation Monday.

Judge Daniel Green sentenced Jennifer Cecil to five years of probation on a felony count of first-degree sexual abuse. If Cecil violates her probation, she could be sentenced to 10 years in prison.

She was charged in July 2023 after the victim told law enforcement about their relationship and the victim’s parents confronted Cecil, according to court documents. The victim said Cecil initiated the relationship.

Lighthouse Preparatory Academy in Jefferson City, where Cecil volunteered, said in a statement at the time that it had launched an internal investigation and was cooperating with police.

Missouri Department of Corrections project aims to improve life behind prison walls

KMIZ on April 15, 2025

Erika McGuire

MOBERLY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Corrections is working with the Missouri Prison Transformation Project and the University of Missouri to improve the quality of life and well-being of prison inmates and staff.

The project held an open house Tuesday morning at Moberly Correctional Center to provide a firsthand look at a redesigned housing unit that is aimed at creating a more rehabilitative environment.

The Missouri Prison Transformation Project is a five-year-long study and was designed in partnership with the DOC.

Arnold Ventures allocated $50,000 toward renovations at Farmington Correctional Center, South Central Correction Center and the Women’s Eastern Reception Diagnostic and Correctional Center.

“Researchers are exploring how changes to the physical environment including increased privacy, comfortable communal spaces and aesthetic upgrades such as paint, plants and lighting affects an inmate behavior,” Missouri Department of Corrections spokeswoman Karen Pojmann said.

Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Missouri Kelli Canada said the research is done in a randomized controlled trial, with inmates living in renovated wings and a controlled condition with inmates living in prison wings how they normally would.

“We will collect information from them, when they enter the facility about their quality of life, their connection to the other people they are living with, their connections with staff and kinda the culture and climate of the prison,” Canada said.

Anthony Masiero is an inmate at the Moberly Correctional Center serving a 13 year sentence for first-degree-robbery. He’s been living in the newly renovated wing for about eight months and said it has improved his daily life behind bars.

“Big difference, in here it is just cleaner, a more home feeling you have couches you have a little bit of get away space, out there you don’t, out there you have a bunch of different people not giving a care,” Masiero said.

The renovated wing also offers a kitchen, games and a single-person cell that gives inmates more privacy.

“This is luxury,” Masiero said. “It automatically gives you a comfortable feeling but you still have to realize you are still in prison and not on the street,”

Inmate Tevin Lynch is serving a 12 year sentence for voluntary manslaughter and has been living in the new wing for about four months. When comparing a regular housing unit to the new unit, Lynch said the difference is night and day.

“It’s more clustered, this place over here since we have single man cells it opens a lot more for your mental.” Lynch said. “You build structure within yourself living conditions and it helps build that within yourself that you can carry on when you leave,” 

“Its loud, the noise bounces off the hard surfaces there is just a lot of stuff going on there is a lot of plain colors and not a lot of visual stimulation that happens in a lot of these spaces,” Canada said. “There is not a lot of privacy, its very loud, it can feel very chaotic, there is not anything interesting to look at so we wanted people to talk to through what would make this environment feel different for you and healthier to live and work in.”

The project will track changes to training and communication, physical environment, self-improvement and community connections in prison.

The project anticipates outcomes of:

Fewer inmates with conduct violations

Lower rates of reincarceration

Fewer grievances filed about prison staff

Enhanced perceptions of prison culture and climate

Improved health, sense of belonging, civic engagement and qualify of life, pre- and post-release

Better staff job satisfaction and health; fewer work absences

According to Canada, more studies are taking place at prisons across the country. She said similar studies have been done internationally and showed less people are returning to prison.

Throughout the five years of research, Canada said researchers will do surveys with he inmates every three months and 18 months after they are released from prison.

Get involved: City of Bend seeks people interested in serving on several community advisory bodies

KTVZ on April 15, 2025

Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Community committees, boards and commissions are a great way to get involved with local government. The City of Bend has several Council-appointed advisory groups that make recommendations to City Council or City administrative staff.

Applications are being accepted for the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, Environment and Climate Committee, Landmarks Commission, and Transportation Bond Oversight Committee, as well as the Bend Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Budget and Technical Advisory Committees.

Advisory body members are eligible for a stipend ($40/meeting, not to exceed $500/year) to help lower barriers to participation (See information below). Applications are due on May 15, 2025, by 5 p.m.

Visit bendoregon.gov/committees to learn more and to apply.

Affordable Housing Advisory Committee 

The Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) provides policy, code and funding recommendations to the City Council in alignment with the goals outlined in the City’s Consolidated Plan. The City of Bend will consider individuals with lending and financing experience to fill one partial term vacancy (ending July 1, 2026). Members may seek reappointment for up to two consecutive three-year terms, not including any partial terms. For more information, visit the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee webpage. 

Contact: Racheal Baker, Affordable Housing Manager, 541-323-8550 or rbaker@bendoregon.gov. 

Environment and Climate Committee

The primary focus of the Environment and Climate Committee (ECC) is to provide input and recommendations to the City Council on topics related to environmental stewardship and to oversee the implementation of the Community Climate Action Plan, adopted in December 2019.  

The Committee is made up of individuals who have experience or expertise, professional or lived, in the following subject matters: energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy efficient building, environmental justice, equity in environmental stewardship and sustainability, alternative transportation and mobility, energy policy, environmental policy, forestry, water resources, ecology, other life sciences, carbon emission reduction, and other related areas. For more information, visit the  Environment and Climate Committee webpage.

The Environment and Climate Committee is seeking applicants to fill two partial term vacancies (ending January 1, 2027 and January 1, 2029)  Members may seek reappointment for up to two consecutive four-year terms, not including any partial terms.

Contact: Cassie Lacy, Senior Management Analyst, 541-323-8587 or clacy@bendoregon.gov. 

Landmarks Commission

Candidates for the Landmarks Commission are required to be a community member residing within the Bend Urban Growth Boundary with an interest in architecture, history, architectural history, planning, prehistoric and historic archaeology, folklore, cultural anthropology, curation, conservation, landscape architecture or related disciplines. For more information, visit the Landmarks Commission webpage. 

The City is inviting interested community members to attend one of the regular monthly Landmarks Commission meetings to learn more about serving on the commission. Meetings are held at 6 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at City Hall. Please check the City of Bend calendar for details. 

The Landmarks Commission is seeking candidates to fill a partial alternate term (ending January 1, 2028). Alternates for this commission play an active role and may take part in any deliberation. Alternates may be counted as part of the quorum and may vote if their participation is necessary to make a quorum. Please note, alternates are not eligible for the stipend program. 

Contact: Heidi Kennedy, Senior Planner, 541-617-4524 or hkennedy@bendoregon.gov.  

Transportation and Bond Oversight Committee

The Transportation Bond Oversight Committee (TBOC) advises the Bend City Council and City staff on the implementation of the $190 million voter-approved 2020 transportation general obligation bond. Implementation oversight currently includes ensuring transparency and accountability to the program and project delivery, recommendations to the City Council for project prioritization in the capital improvement program (CIP) and providing recommendations to the City Council on program and project considerations as requested. For more information, visit the Transportation Bond Oversight Committee webpage. 

Please note, the City Council is currently considering expanding the committee’s role, likely leading to additional time commitments beyond the current quarterly meeting schedule. 

The Transportation Bond Oversight Committee is seeking applicants to fill several vacancies (full four-year terms).

Contact: Garrett Sabourin, Principal Engineer, 541-323-8591, gsabourin@bendoregon.gov.   

Bend Metropolitan Planning Organization Budget Committee and Technical Advisory Committee

The Bend Metropolitan Planning Organization (BMPO) works cooperatively with local governments to set priorities for transportation needs and is charged with maintaining and conducting a “continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive” regional transportation planning and project programming process for the Bend Metropolitan Planning Organization area. The BMPO is seeking applicants to fill two vacancies (3-year terms) on the BMPO Budget Committee and one vacancy (3-year term) on the BMPO Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). 

The BMPO Budget Committee typically meets once per year to review the proposed Bend Metropolitan Planning Organization budget and make a recommendation to the Policy Board. BMPO Budget Committee members are not eligible to receive a stipend for committee services. 

The Bend Metropolitan Planning Organization TAC typically meets once per month, and provides technical analysis, review, comments and recommendations on draft BMPO plans, programs, studies and issues. 

Contact: Kelli Kennedy, BMPO Program Coordinator, 541-693-2122 or kkennedy@bendoregon.gov. 

Stipends

The City of Bend offers a stipend program for City advisory board, committee and commission voting members who choose to participate. The intent is to expand opportunities for community members to connect with the City and lower barriers to engagement. The program will provide members of City advisory boards, committees and commissions with a stipend of $40 per meeting, not to exceed $500 per person annually. This stipend covers assumed costs of volunteering on an advisory group such as travel, parking, stable internet connection and other expenses. Please note, non-voting members, alternate members, and Bend Metropolitan Planning Organization Budget Committee members are not eligible for the stipend. View the Advisory Body Stipend Program Policy for additional information.

COCC trio selected for All-Oregon Academic Team

KTVZ on April 15, 2025

Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Central Oregon Community College said Tuesday it’s proud to announce that students Emma Bloss, ErinRae McKellar Cook and Taylor Taliesin and have been selected to represent the college on the Oregon Community College Association’s 2025 All-Oregon Academic Team, which honors high achievement from Oregon’s 17 community colleges.

The students will be celebrated at OCCA’s All-Oregon Academic Team luncheon event on Friday, April 18, at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, with community college presidents, board members, faculty and state legislators in attendance.

To earn the distinction, students must demonstrate academic excellence and intellectual rigor combined with leadership and service. A minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA and completion of at least 54 credits is required. Nominated by a faculty member, finalists undergo a review process by the college’s committee for academic excellence.

Emma Bloss of Sisters is teaching full-time at a local preschool while working toward an associate degree in the early childhood education program, with plans to transfer to a university and eventually become a child psychologist. The dean’s list student has maintained a 3.8 GPA while serving as a head teacher at Mountain Montessori.

ErinRae McKellar Cook of Sunriver is in the massage therapy program, with a 3.95 GPA, and is committed to community service, including serving in the local Big Brothers Big Sisters program. At COCC, she has volunteered massage services and assisted with the annual Salmon Bake event. A co-owner of a micro farm focused on sustainability, she is planning a holistic career that combines massage therapy, yoga and herbalism.

Taylor Taliesin of Bend recently finished peer support specialist training at COCC and is soon to be the college’s first completer of a brand-new certificate in community health. They are also pursuing an associate degree in human services. The dean’s list student, with a 3.8 GPA, is a member of COCC’s Q+ Club (formerly the S2LGBTQIA+ Club), helped establish the Umbrella Club for neurodivergent students, and serves as an advisory council board member for the Central Oregon chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

All three students were supported in their schooling by scholarships from the COCC Foundation.

The All-Oregon Academic Team is part of the All-State Community College Academic Team program that started in 1994 in the states of Mississippi and Missouri. Today, 38 states host All-State Academic Team programs each year, focusing on two-year colleges and recognizing exceptional students. The OCCA sponsors the annual event, in partnership with the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, which awards some $37 million in scholarships nationally to community college students.

It’s Tax Filing Deadline Day: Oregon’s Department of Revenue has some reminders and tips on how to make it a success

KTVZ on April 15, 2025

Barney Lerten

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) –Midnight Tuesday night is the deadline to file tax year 2024 state and federal personal income tax returns, and the Oregon Department of Revenue wants to remind taxpayers of the tools available to make the experience easier for both those who haven’t yet filed their 2024 return and those who have.

Through Monday, April 14, Revenue says it has processed 1.7 million of an expected 2.2 million returns and issued 1.1 million refunds.

Direct file

New this year, taxpayers can file their federal return directly with the IRS using IRS Direct File and their Oregon return directly with the state through Direct File Oregon for free. Videos are available to show how to use IRS Direct File and Direct File Oregon.

Taxpayers using the combination of IRS Direct File and Direct File Oregon have been completing their Oregon returns in about 17 minutes. Taxpayer response has been positive with survey feedback averaging 4.5 on a five-point scale.

IRS Direct File does not support all return types. Specifically, taxpayers with dividends reported on Form 1099-DIV and capital gains or losses are not supported.

More free filing options

Revenue reminds those who haven’t yet filed, that filing electronically is the fastest way for taxpayers to get their refund. Information about available free tax preparation tax preparation software is available on the Revenue website, along with a list of organizations providing free or reduced cost assistance.

Public computer kiosks for filing taxes with Direct File Oregon and free fillable forms are available in department regional offices in Bend, Eugene, Gresham, Medford, and Portland.

Where’s my refund? tool and video

Taxpayers who want to check the status of their Oregon state income tax refund will find more information available this year when they use the Department of Revenue’s Where’s My Refund? tool.

For the 2025 tax season, Where’s My Refund? has been upgraded to provide:

Additional detail about refund status. 

Added functionality to see when the agency is requesting additional information to complete processing a return. 

Website enhancements for improved customer experience.

To have the benefit of the enhancements, however, taxpayers need to be signed into their Revenue Online account. Taxpayers who don’t already have a Revenue Online account can create one by following the Revenue Online link on the department’s website. Taxpayers can still use the Where’s My Refund? tool without being signed into Revenue Online account, but won’t be able to see the updated features.

A video outlining the refund process and timelines is also available to help taxpayers understand the process.

Filing a paper return

Taxpayers who haven’t yet filed their tax year 2024 return and file a paper return should make sure it’s post-marked by today or place it in one of the drop boxes available on both the east and west sides of the Department of Revenue Building in Salem, or outside the DOR offices in Portland, Eugene, Medford, and Bend. A drop box at DOR’s Gresham office is available during business hours.

DOR staff will be on hand in the atrium of the Salem headquarters building today until 5 p.m. to accept and stamp tax returns as having been filed timely.

Filing an extension.

Individuals who are not able to file by midnight can file an extension directly with the Oregon Department of Revenue or with the Internal Revenue Service. If the IRS extension is granted, the Oregon extension is automatically granted. A timely filed extension moves the federal tax filing deadline and the Oregon filing deadline to October 15, 2025.

Taxpayers should only request an Oregon extension if they:

Don’t have a federal extension.

Owe Oregon taxes.

Can’t file your return by April 15, 2025.

Remember that an extension to file  is not an extension to pay any tax owed. Taxpayers who can’t pay the full amount they owe, should pay what they can to avoid late payment penalties.

First quarter 2025 estimated payments due today

Today is also the due date for first quarter estimated payments. In most cases, taxpayers must make estimated tax payments for tax year 2025 if they estimate their tax after withholding and credits (including refundable credits) will be $1,000 or more when they file their 2025 Oregon return. Taxpayers can make their payments on Revenue Online or mail their payment with a voucher. Taxpayers mailing their payment should mail it separately from their return or other correspondence. Oregon Estimated Income Tax Instructions, Publication OR-ESTIMATE, can be found on the Revenue website. 

Visit www.oregon.gov/dor to get tax forms, see a list of approved tax preparation software products, check the status of your refund, or make tax payments. For questions not answered on the Revenue website, call 800-356-4222 toll-free (English or Spanish) or 503-378-4988 or email questions.dor@oregon.gov. For TTY (hearing or speech impaired), we accept all relay calls. Due to the number of calls Revenue receives during tax season, you may experience extended wait times.

Lori Vallow Daybell Arizona murder conspiracy trial – Day 6

KIFI on April 15, 2025

Seth Ratliff

DAY 6 AFTERNOON SESSION REPLAY:

PHOENIX, Arizona (KIFI) – Tuesday marked day 6 in the Arizona trial of Lori Vallow Daybell, the woman convicted of murdering her two children in Idaho and charged with conspiring to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow.

After brief discussions regarding the subpena of members of Lori’s witness list, Detective Cassandra Ynclan of the Chandler Police Department returned to the stand for cross-examination.

Following Detective Ynclan’s additional remarks, Det. Aeriel Werther from Chandler Police presented a PowerPoint of the geographic location of Charles’s cell phone.

ORIGINAL:

PHOENIX, Arizona (KIFI) – Continued testimony is set to begin in the Arizona trial of Lori Vallow Daybell, the woman convicted of murdering her two children in Idaho and charged with conspiring to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow.

Several witnesses took the stand on Monday, including the Maricopa County Medical Examiner, Mark Saari, with the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, an employee with Banner Life Insurance, Jeff Mobert with the Department of Public Safety, and Detective Casandra Ynclan with the Chandler Police Department.

In court Monday, Prosecutors played sections of Lori’s call, attempting to file a claim for Charles’s life insurance, and portions of the taped interview with Chandler PD following Charles’s death.

The trial will continue on Tuesday morning, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time (11:00 a.m. Mountain). There is a 30 minute delay as per Judge’s orders.

Idaho attorney general to review investigation of Pocatello officer-involved shooting

KIFI on April 15, 2025

Seth Ratliff

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – The Idaho Attorney General’s Office has agreed to review the investigative findings regarding the officer-involved shooting that led to the death of 17-year-old Victor Perez of Pocatello.

The April 5 shooting has created an uproar in the community, as video of the incident shows the responding Pocatello PD officers shooting Perez, who had cerebral palsy and autism, 9 times only seconds after arriving on the scene. For more information on the background of the shooting, click HERE.

According to a news release from the AG’s office, the review comes at the request of the Bannock County Prosecuting Attorney, Ian Johnson.

“As with all such matters, the Office of the Attorney General will conduct a thorough and impartial review once the Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Taskforce completes its investigation,” said Attorney General Labrador. “Given the seriousness of the matter and the ongoing investigation, our office will not be making further public comment at this time.”

Funeral services for Perez will be held at 3 PM on Tuesday, April 15. Victor’s family says the funeral is open for all to attend. For more information on the location and services, click HERE.

Firefighters contain house fire in Coachella

KESQ on April 15, 2025

City News Service

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – Firefighters knocked down a fire at a single-family residence in Coachella, authorities said today.   

The non-injury structural blaze was first reported at 11:57 p.m. Tuesday in the 53000 block of Calle Bella, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

An arriving unit reported heavy smoke and fire coming from the roof, which was contained at approximately 12:47 a.m.   

Crews remained at the scene for an additional two hours to perform salvage and overhaul.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

High egg prices putting a crack on Easter traditions

KESQ on April 15, 2025

Luis Avila

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – Easter could cost you more this year. Last month, the average cost for a dozen eggs in the U.S. rose to $6.23, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Last year, the average price was $2.99.

As a result, many are ditching eggs altogether and looking for cheaper alternatives to avoid the high costs, putting a crack in what was once an annual tradition.

“We’re going to keep it simple and to point because eggs are too expensive… Ridiculously expensive but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have options.”

Delia Delahunt, Cathedral City resident

“We do pool activities and other things. If there are no eggs available, so be it… Let’s just go back to basics. We used to have fun just being us, like chasing each other.”

Diva Osuna, Thousand Palms resident

Officials say the increase is a result of the continued bird flu epidemic and high demand this time of year.

If you’re sticking with real eggs, it’s recommended you shop around for the best price or buy in bulk. If not, switch to plastic eggs or other activities that don’t involve eggs.

Regardless, shoppers say the true meaning of Easter has no price.

“Being together with family and having a good time with your loved ones.”

Delia Delahunt, Cathedral City resident

Officials don’t expect the price to go down until at least after the holiday, when demand begins to subside.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.