Cal Poly places four baseball players on All-Big West First Team

KEYT on May 21, 2025

Mike Klan

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Four Mustangs earned All-Big West First Team honors this season, the highest amount of Cal Poly players since 2022, which includes a second consecutive nod for Alejandro Garza to put him one step closer to the revered Three-Time First Team list that has just nine total players in conference history.

Coming into the 2025 season, Cal Poly had a glaring hole at first base, previously filled by fan-favorite and four-year Mustang alumni “Big” Joe Yorke. Despite the question mark, Zach Daudet, a utility player known by teammates for being able to play almost anywhere on the field, stepped into the role and flourished. Through 322 fielding chances, he made just two errors and held a .994 fielding percentage. Despite missing the first half of April due to a blood infection, Daudet fought back into the lineup and finished the regular season with a .362 batting average, 55 hits, 14 doubles, seven home runs, and 22 RBIs.

Ryan Fenn, the team’s most tenured field player, earned an All-Big West honor for his third straight and final season as a Mustang after earning honorable mentions in 2023 and 2024. He currently has a 13-game hitting streak (26-for-53, .491) and racked up 22 multiple-hit games, including 13 three-hit contests. Fenn led the team with 17 doubles and 15 stolen bases, finishing the regular season with a .362 batting average, 76 hits, and 34 RBIs. This is his second consecutive season tallying 70+ hits, double-digit RBIs, and 30+ RBIs.

Sophomore and 2024 Big West Freshman Field Player of the Year, Alejandro Garza earned first team honors for the second consecutive season, following up on his dazzling debut campaign with an even more impressive 2025. Garza’s 83 regular season hits are currently 21st in Division I baseball, and his 31 multi-hit games are tied for third-most in the program’s D1 history. He also finished the regular season second-best on the team for batting average (.366), RBIs (48), and doubles (16) while leading for runs (52). After finishing in 2024 as the second toughest batter to strike out in college baseball, he once again sat near the top of the list in 11th.

Griffin Naess, 2024 Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year honoree alongside Garza’s field player award, made the first team list this season after being an honorable mention in 2024. As a freshman, he posted a perfect 7-0 record, the most by a Cal Poly freshman since 1996, and went 6-2 in 2025 for a career 13-2 record. Naess started all 14 game-one contests this season and led the team with 81.1 innings pitched and led starters with a 3.65 ERA. He posted seven quality starts (at least 6.0 IP and three or fewer earned runs) and in six of those allowed one run or less.

Two newcomers earned All-Big West Second Team honors, while reliable setup man Jake Torres finally got the recognition he deserves as an elite reliever in the conference. Collins (mentioned above for Buster Posey semifinals) found a true home at his third Big West team and thrived not only as one of the conference’s top sluggers but as one of the country’s best catchers entirely.

True freshman Nate Castellon won the starting shortstop job from day one and has not looked back since. Arguably the conference’s best debut player behind Freshman Field Player of the Year winner Cal State Fullerton’s Carter Johnstone, Castellon earned one Big West Player of the Week honor and finished just ahead of teammate Alejandro Garza with the second-best batting average in the conference (.368). Aiding Cal Poly’s small-ball game, Castellon was also second in the Big West and 11th in Division I baseball for sacrifice bunts (12). The Woodland Hills native ended the regular season with 71 hits, 11 doubles, 46 RBIs, and a team-high 125 fielding assists (.945 fielding percentage).

Lefty reliever Jake Torres was undoubtably Cal Poly’s best and most consistent arm out of the bullpen this season, holding a 2.62 ERA and team-leading 1.03 WHIP while holding opposing batters to a paltry .198 average. In his second season as a Mustang after being the team’s co-leader for appearances in 2024, Torres went on an astonishing run from March 29 to April 22 (eight appearances) without allowing a single run through 18 straight innings. Of his 22 relief appearances this season, 17 of them ended with Cal Poly getting the win.

The most improved player on the team from 2024 to 2025 was Casey Murray Jr., and the senior was rewarded for it with an All-Big West Honorable Mention. He went from a .175 batting average through 27 games just one season ago to ending the 2025 regular season with a .298 clip. One of three Mustangs to play all 53 regular season games, every contest in center field, Murray Jr. had a perfect fielding percentage (1.000) through 136 chances and has not made a single error through his Cal Poly career thus far. “Boogie,” as he is affectionately known, had hits in 45 of Cal Poly’s 53 games and totaled 64 hits, nine doubles, and six home runs.

 Junior catcher Jack Collins who made the 13-player semifinal list for the Wichita Sports Commission’s 2025 Buster Posey Award. Following Ryan Stafford’s finalist standing in last season’s voting, Collins is the second consecutive Mustang to make it this far and hopes to join Stafford as the only Cal Poly finalist nominees in program history.

Collins, a junior transfer by way of CSUN, Saddleback College, and Long Beach State, had major shoes to fill stepping into the role of catcher at Cal Poly. Not only was he replacing Ryan Stafford, a 2024 MLB Draft 5th Round Pick and Buster Posey Award finalist, but some of the program’s best players in its Division I history have sat behind the plate.

The backstop has done all the right things since becoming Cal Poly’s opening day catcher, finishing the regular season second in the Big West for RBIs (56) and runners caught stealing (18) and fourthin home runs (12) and doubles (16). Notably, Collins is responsible for winning home runs in upset results over ranked opponents Texas A&M and Oregon State.

Collins opened his Mustang career on a blazing pace with a 14-game hitting streak (23-for-57, .404), three home runs, and 19 RBIs.

Alongside fellow All-Big West honorees and teammates Alejandro Garza and Casey Murray Jr., Collins is just one of three Mustangs to play all 53 games of the regular season.

(Article courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics).

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Mental evaluation ordered for man accused of murder, arson

KMIZ on May 21, 2025

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A mental evaluation was granted on Monday to a man accused of murder and arson.

Steven Strumpf, 32, of Columbia is in the Boone County Jail after he was charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, second-degree arson and credit card fraud in David Strumpf’s death. A hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday, June 16. He is currently being held at the Boone County Jail.

Steven Strumpf’s attorney filed the request for a mental evaluation on May 7.

Court documents in previous reporting say that on Jan. 19, 2024, firefighters discovered a body under debris in a garage on Deerfoot Way. They found the body later when looking for hot spots.

Steven Strumpf was allegedly seen that night moving items out of the house just hours before the fire. Police were also alerted to a fraudulent hotel charge on a Commerce Bank account for a stay that evening and found that Steven Strumpf had rented the room, previous reporting indicates.

He allegedly admitted to stabbing the victim multiple times and setting the body on fire, court documents in previous reporting say.

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City of Columbia lineman shocked while working to restore power Monday night

KMIZ on May 21, 2025

Erika McGuire

Editor’s Note: Phrasing in this article has been updated to reflect updated information from the source.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A City of Columbia lineman suffered from an electrical shock Monday night while working to restore power during an outage in south Columbia.

A second worker was also injured while helping lower the other lineman to safety, according to a Tuesday email from City of Columbia Utilities spokesperson Jason West.

According to West, the two were part of a crew replacing a transformer on a pole when one of them was shocked. The crew was able to use an AED and administered CPR utility EMS arrived on scene, West wrote.

West said the city could not comment on the injuries that were suffered.

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Special bonds celebrated: Survivors of medical trauma to be honored at St. Charles Bend event

KTVZ on May 21, 2025

Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — St. Charles Health System’s Trauma Program will honor and recognize former trauma patients on Wednesday, May 21 at St. Charles Bend.

The event will include a visit from therapy dogs, a free barbecue lunch and the chance to connect with St. Charles caregivers, first responders and fellow medical trauma survivors.

“Every year, this is an incredible event for our former patients and caregivers. It’s a chance to connect with one another in a meaningful and healing way,” said Jeremy Buller, Trauma Program Coordinator.

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the St. Charles Bend Conference Rooms A and B and the outside patio, weather permitting.

St. Charles Trauma and Emergency Services cared for more than 2,500 traumatically injured patients in 2024 – up about 200 patients over the previous year. Falls are the most common injury, followed by motor vehicle crashes, ATV/snowmobile/dirt bike crashes, motorcycle crashes and bike crashes.

Buller said that summer is referred to as trauma season by medical professionals because of an increase in these types of injuries.

“We are always here and ready to help, but we would also love to help our community members prevent a visit to the Emergency Department,” said Buller. “Have fun this summer, but please wear a helmet, don’t mix intoxicants with moving vehicles, don’t text and drive and talk to your primary care doctor about fall prevention.”

About St. Charles Health System

St. Charles Health System, Inc., headquartered in Bend, Ore., owns and operates hospital campuses in Bend, Madras, Prineville and Redmond along with primary and specialty care clinics throughout the Central Oregon region. St. Charles is a private, nonprofit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 4,900 caregivers. We proudly partner with our local medical community to provide a wide variety of health services. 

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2 charged with animal abuse after malnourished dogs found at Keytesville home

KMIZ on May 21, 2025

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two people were charged with misdemeanors after deputies found several malnourished dogs at an empty residence in Keytesville.

Vincent Brummer and Emily Brummer were charged with three counts of animal abuse and three counts of animal neglect. Warrants were issued on Monday and $1,500 bonds were set.

According to the probable cause statement, a neighbor called law enforcement saying that a German shepherd had been tangled in a chain in a backyard for several days. A Chariton County deputy on Sunday knocked on the door of the residence – where he wrote he knew both Brummers lived – and heard other dogs barking, the release says.

The deputy saw a utility shut-off notice that was taped to the door that had a Friday date. Mail for both people was in an open mailbox and postmarked for May 13, the statement says.

The deputy went to the backyard and saw a malnourished German shepherd chained to a board with an “intentionally shortened chain,” the statement says. Empty buckets and bowls were in the area and the deputy poured water out of a spigot from a neighboring yard, the statement says.

The deputy filled a 5-gallon bucket and the dog drank 5 inches from it immediately, the statement says. The deputy then went inside the residence and was “overwhelmed by a strong, putrid odor, intensified by the heat inside the uncooled home. Dog feces were present in several rooms.”

An emaciated pit bull was found, along with a dachshund that was locked in a crate without food or water, the statement says.  

“Both dogs appeared extremely malnourished and lethargic. Neither responded significantly to my presence, which I believe to be due to extreme dehydration and starvation,” court documents say.

Temperatures in the days leading up to Sunday eclipsed 80 degrees. After the dachshund was let out of the crate, it immediately ran to an empty water bowl, the deputy wrote. Law enforcement estimates the animals were without care for four or five days.

A vet determined the dogs had poor care for about six months, court documents say. The statement says that the dogs were brought to Saving Dogs Rescue in Moberly.

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MountainStar Family Relief Nursery receives $25,000 grant from First Interstate Bank

KTVZ on May 21, 2025

Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — MountainStar Family Relief Nursery recently received a $25,000 gift from First Interstate Bank and the First Interstate BancSystem Foundation as part of their fourth annual Believe in Local grant campaign

In Oregon, the threshold for “high stress” is set at six stressors, yet families seeking help from MountainStar face an average of 16. During times of heightened stress, the risk of child abuse significantly increases.

Factors such as poverty, food insecurity, underemployment, mental health challenges, and housing insecurity create an environment that can lead to abuse.

MountainStar’s dedicated team has a proven track record of breaking this cycle. Through their comprehensive support system, they empower families and children to overcome these challenges, preventing abuse and neglect, and fostering a healthier, safer community.

“We are very grateful for this grant,” expressed Kara Tachikawa, Executive Director at MountainStar Family Relief Nursery. “Our vision to support parents in nurturing their children’s emotional, physical, and intellectual development in a safe environment can only come true with donations like this.”

Lynn Spinoglio, Commercial Relationship Manager in Bend, nominated MountainStar Family Relief Nursery for the donation. “Our Believe in Local grant campaign embodies the Bank’s core values in action, celebrating nonprofit organizations like MountainStar that make a significant, positive impact in our community,” she explained. “I am excited for MountainStar to receive this special grant award, helping make Bend a better place to live, work, and raise a family.”

First Interstate Bank launched the Believe in Local campaign in 2022 to celebrate the Bank’s longstanding commitment to the communities it serves. Each year, 40 nonprofit organizations across the Bank’s 14-state footprint receive a $25,000 gift in support of their mission. MountainStar Family Relief Nursery was nominated by local First Interstate employees and selected from a pool of over 615 submissions thanks to its alignment with the Bank’s philanthropic goals.

In addition to campaigns like Believe in Local, First Interstate makes annual donations and grants totaling approximately 2% of its pre-tax earnings to local communities. These funds aid in the improvement of workforce development, boost early childhood education, and help mitigate poverty.

For more information on First Interstate Bank’s philanthropic efforts, please visit our website.

About MountainStar Family Relief Nursery

MountainStar Family Relief Nursery’s mission is to prevent child abuse and neglect through community support and therapeutic services that help vulnerable children and families succeed. To learn more, please visit www.mtstar.org. 

About First Interstate Bank

First Interstate is a community bank headquartered in Billings, Montana, delivering best-in-class banking and Wealth Management services across Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming. With more than 300 offices, First Interstate enhances the communities it serves through an innovative corporate philanthropy program, which includes donating a portion of Company profits, matching employees’ personal financial contributions, and donating $10 per hour for volunteer efforts made at qualifying organizations. To learn more, please visit www.firstinterstate.com.

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Santa Barbara Sidewalk Memorial Honors E-Bike Rider Killed by Suspected DUI Driver

KEYT on May 21, 2025

Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — A growing sidewalk memorial on State Street, near Pedregosa Street, marks the site where 29-year-old Joel Gonzalez was fatally struck by a suspected drunk driver Sunday night.

Santa Barbara police say Gonzalez was riding his e-bike just after 9:30 p.m. when he was hit by a black SUV while heading home from work at the restaurant Santo Mezcal on lower State Street. He lived near the Old Mission and often spent time in the Mission Rose Garden. He was just blocks from home when the crash occurred.

According to the Santa Barbara Police Department, the initial investigation suggests that Gonzalez may have veered or turned in front of the vehicle while traveling southbound on State Street. Officers observed that the driver, 36-year-old Santa Barbara resident Christina Almada, was displaying signs of alcohol intoxication. A DUI investigation followed, and Almada was arrested at the scene.

She was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on several charges: gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence causing injury, and driving without a license. Her bail was set at $100,000. Almada has since posted bail.

The memorial in Gonzalez’s honor includes flowers, candles, Dodgers memorabilia, and some of his favorite drinks. Family and friends have been gathering throughout the week to remember the Santa Barbara native, who graduated from Dos Pueblos High School in 2013. He would have turned 30 next month.

Gonzalez leaves behind a 9-year-old daughter, Sophia, who spoke at the memorial.

“He was kind, he was really, like, just a hard worker, and he really just got his real estate license and he was excited to do it,” said Sophia.

Family members wore Dodgers shirts to the memorial, reflecting their shared love for the team.

Christina Mendoza, a family friend, said Gonzalez previously worked security at 7 Bar on Montecito and Bath Streets before becoming a bar manager at Santo Mezcal by Los Agaves.

“I want everyone to know about Joel,” said Mendoza. “He was an amazing human, a great heart, beautiful smile — el guapo. Loved him to death.”

Mendoza has organized a GoFundMe campaign to assist the family and posted a QR code at the memorial for easy access. 7 Bar will host a fundraiser on Wednesday, May 21, with 50 percent of the proceeds going to Gonzalez’s family. Friends and staff plan to wear memorial T-shirts in his honor.

Many of Gonzalez’s former classmates have also visited the memorial to offer support to his family.

To assist the family, visit the GoFundMe link below.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/assist-joels-family-during-this-time?lang=en_US

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Madras Police Department plans speeding, ‘Move Over Law’ enforcement patrols over Memorial Day weekend

KTVZ on May 21, 2025

Barney Lerten

MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) — This Memorial Day weekend, the Madras Police Department will be conducting High-Visibility Enforcement patrols, with a targeted focus on speeding violations and Move Over Law compliance.

With holiday traffic expected to increase and more pedestrians, cyclists, and road workers present on the roads, officers will be out in force to help reduce dangerous driving behaviors and prevent fatal crashes.

Speeding Still One of the Deadliest Traffic Offenses

Speeding remains a leading cause of death on American roadways. In 2023, speeding was a factor in 11,775 fatalities nationwide, making up 29% of all traffic deaths, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

“Speeding puts everyone at risk—especially during busy travel weekends like Memorial Day,” said Madras Police Chief Tim Plummer “We’re reminding drivers to slow down, buckle up, and stay alert.”

Data from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety also shows that pedestrian risk increases dramatically with speed:

A pedestrian struck at 23 mph has a 10% chance of death.

At 42 mph, the risk jumps to 50%.

At 58 mph, the risk becomes 90%.

Move Over Law: Protecting Everyone on the Shoulder

Madras PD is also emphasizing compliance with Oregon’s Move Over Law (ORS 811.147). Drivers must move over or slow down when passing any vehicle stopped with hazard lights, not just police or emergency vehicles. This includes:

Tow trucks

Utility service vehicles

Roadside workers

Civilians with a disabled vehicle and hazards flashing

Drivers must:

Change lanes if safe to do so; or

Reduce speed by at least 5 mph below the posted limit and pass with caution.

Failure to comply can result in a Class B traffic violation and a fine—but more importantly, it can cost someone their life.

Increased Patrols. Increased Accountability.

The Madras Police Department will have extra officers on duty over Memorial Day weekend to enforce speed limits, impaired driving laws, seatbelt use, and Move Over Law violations.

“We’re not just writing tickets — we’re saving lives,” said Chief Plummer. “Let’s work together to make sure this holiday weekend is safe for everyone.”

REMEMBER:Slow Down. Move Over. Drive Sober. Buckle Up.

Sources:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 2023 Traffic Safety Facts

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS 811.147)

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Board resolves to establish ‘no-kill’ standards for RivCo’s animal shelters

KESQ on May 21, 2025

City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – The Board of Supervisors today unanimously approved a resolution declaring that Riverside County’s animal shelters will promote “no-kill” polices and practices that seek to ensure 90% of canines and felines who are impounded leave alive.   

“It took us a while to get here with this resolution,” board Chairman Manuel Perez said. “This is from the county coming together and understanding the gravity of the issue. The goal is to save as many animals as possible.”

The measure, among other things, contains a pledge that the county will “work collaboratively with public and private partners, animal welfare organizations, veterinary professionals, contract cities and residents … to reduce euthanasia.”

The 90% no-kill goal will entail greater emphasis on free or low-cost spay and neuter clinics, enhanced “return-to-owner” programs that unite lost pets with their loved ones, adoption campaigns and expedited “trap-neuter-return-to-field” programs that were inaugurated in March 2024.

Attachment-80122Download

County CEO Jeff Van Wagenen said a complement to the resolution is the newly activated “data dashboard” available via the Department of Animal Services’ web portal that depicts “intakes,” or the number of pets impounded on a given day, along with “outcomes,” showing whether animals have been adopted, transferred, returned to owners or euthanized.  

“With the goal of 90%, we’re not prepared to plant a flag and say by `X’ date, this will be done,” Van Wagenen said. “We’re reporting results as we go. Yes, there will be a financial impact.”

He indicated the upcoming 2025-26 budget hearings may include a request from the Department of Animal Services for a $5 million outlay to hire over two dozen new employees to serve as caretakers, processors, control officers and administrators. The next fiscal year likely will also include a request for appropriations to expand space at each of the county’s four shelters, where the kennels are constantly operating at maximum capacity, he said.

While no one complained about the motives behind the resolution, several residents addressed the board about its application.   

“This is nothing more than wasted paper,” a woman identified as “Jennifer” said in a call-in comment. “If this is merely to placate the public, it will not do. All these people at the helm are not going to change anything. We will wait and wait and wait for change to occur.”  

Another woman, “Mara,” further dismissed the dependability of the leadership now overseeing the Department of Animal Services.   

“These self-proclaimed saviors gave you a pitch, and you fell for it,” she said. “These so-called consultants have caused so many problems in California and other places. They’re charlatans who show up and say, `We’re the answers to your problems.'”

She was particularly incensed by the trap-neuter-return-to-field policy, which entails surgically fixing cats impounded at shelters, then turning them loose to become “community cats,” free to roam where they were originally found.

“They’re getting run over in the street every day,” she said. “While searching for safety, they’re getting mangled.”

Perez expressed dismay at the criticism, noting, “It seems like, no matter where we turn, it’s never enough. We’re willing to take it. But after a while, that’s not going to lead us … where we need to get to.”

The department is in the early stages of a reformation initiated last year by the county board.   

A lawsuit filed in August by Rancho Mirage-based Walter Clark Law Group is seeking a permanent injunction against the department’s euthanasia programs. Clark called it a “ground-breaking case” that’s predicated on the 1998 Hayden Act. That legislation, authored by then-state Sen. Tom Hayden, D- Santa Monica, states in part, “no adoptable animal should be euthanized if it can be adopted into a suitable home.”   

One organization has alleged the county has the highest pet “kill rate” in the nation. In September, the board hired Austin, Texas-based Outcomes for Pets LLC Principal Adviser Kristen Hassen to rectify problems within the agency.

In February, the supervisors approved the Executive Office’s selection of Mary Martin to head the department following a nationwide executive recruitment drive. Martin, who most recently served as assistant director for Dallas Animal Services of Texas, officially started her new job at the end ofMarch.

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Columbia labor unions claim city is failing to prioritize workers

KMIZ on May 21, 2025

Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia held its annual labor group presentations Monday night, hosting union representatives from the Columbia Police Officers Association, Columbia Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 1055 and LiUNA Local 955, which represents a large portion of the city’s workforce.

All three unions expressed concerns over how the city was handling negotiations. 

The Annual Labor Group Presentation allows the City Council an opportunity to hear about how negotiations with city staff are going, since labor negotiations are primarily handled by the city administrator’s office. Dozens of city employees were in attendance on Monday night. 

Columbia is looking to balance its 2026 budget, as it projects to draw $31.1 million from its cash reserves during the next six years, as sales tax revenue falls short of expectations and employee wages and benefits continue to rise. However, union representatives feel that the city is not prioritizing its employees. 

Columbia Police Officers’ Association

Don Weaver, a lawyer who represents CPOA, told the City Council on Monday that they want to see changes to next year’s budget, calling the financial issues cited by the city “fabricated” and adding that if the city wants to prioritize public safety, it should be prioritizing working with CPD to help address its staffing shortage. 

On May 5th, Columbia Police Chief Jill Schulde told ABC 17 News that the department currently has 15 officer vacancies and 2 sergeant vacancies. 

“CPOA is asking the City to implement a pay step plan (predictable pay adjustments commensurate with time of successful service) to ensure CPD can attract and retain the best and brightest,” Weaver wrote in a statement to ABC 17 News. “Implementing long-term solutions to CPD’s staffing crisis is an essential step toward improving community safety.” 

The lack of a pay step plan was a point of emphasis for Weaver on Monday night, who told the council that most progressive cities in Missouri have a step plan. He added the CPOA has only had one meeting with the city since submitting its plan. 

“It would be good for the city, and for CPOA members and for the community to give officers and sergeants predictable pay increases,” Weaver told the council. 

Columbia Professional Firefighters LOCAL 1055

The Columbia Professional Firefighters’ union pointed to several longstanding issues within the city, including stagnant wages that are not competitive with comparable markets, salary compression caused by past wage freezes, and ongoing challenges with recruitment and retention as employees leave for better pay and benefits elsewhere.

“We’re at a place where we’re not making progress and the city has decided to hit the panic button, which always comes back to the employees,” Local 1055 President Zack Privette told the city council on Monday. 

Privette asked the council to build its next budget around employees to help meet inflation and CPI rates with wage adjustments. He says that employees who work to earn advanced training do not get compensated, and because of this, he feels the city is taking advantage of employees. 

Privette also added that multiple classes of employees within the fire department are earning the same pay regardless of how long they have been with the city, which has hurt their recruitment efforts as employees continue to leave for better pay and benefits elsewhere. 

LiUNA Local 955

Local 955 union claims it proposed a 7% adjustment to the current pay scale. The proposal also called for all eligible employees currently on the step scale to receive a one-step increase. 

Employees not currently on the step scale would move to the closest step without a reduction in pay, followed by a one-step increase. In addition, the union requested that three steps be added to the top of each pay scale and that the merit process be reviewed with the city administrator. According to the union, the city administrator rejected the proposal and offered no economic counter.

Andrew Hutchinson, the public employees union representative for LiUNA Local 955, told the City Council that Columbia is one of the only cities he has worked with that offers no cost-of-living adjustment.

Hutchinson told ABC 17 News that they will be meeting with the city again on Wednesday morning. 

ABC 17 News reached out to the City of Columbia for comment. Check back for updates.

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