Hundreds Rally in Santa Barbara to Protest ICE Raids and Military Presence Amid Escalating Immigration Tensions

KEYT on June 10, 2025

Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Hundreds gathered outside the Santa Barbara Courthouse Tuesday as The FUND for Santa Barbara hosted a press conference and rally in response to a surge in federal immigration raids and a growing military presence in Southern California.

Chanting “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now,” demonstrators called for an end to targeted immigration enforcement and what organizers described as the criminalization of immigrant communities along the Central Coast.

“We want ICE out of the 805 and we wanna make sure that our community members know that we’re here to support them,” said Eder Gaona, executive director of The FUND for Santa Barbara.

The rally, themed “ICE Out of the 805,” drew support from over a dozen organizations including Indivisible Santa Barbara, the League of Women Voters, 805 UndocuFund, Future Leaders of America, MICOP, and the Immigrant Legal Defense Center.

According to 805 UndocuFund, 81 individuals have been detained or deported so far this month during four targeted ICE operations in the region.

Adding to community concerns is the presence of military forces deployed to the south. The number of National Guard troops stationed in the Los Angeles area has doubled to 4,000, and an additional 700 U.S. Marines have been deployed to assist with response efforts following protests and civil unrest.

Goleta Councilman James Kyriaco expressed concern about the military’s visibility in local communities. “We’re very concerned about safety,” he said. “You’ve got people wearing masks … that are wearing very vague … very intimidating clothing. It’s hard to tell if they’re really law-enforcement officers.”

He added that National Guard vehicles were seen in Goleta over the weekend. “On their way to point south and they stopped in Goleta to do whatever they felt they needed to do.”

While most at the rally denounced the show of force, former Santa Barbara City Councilman Dale Francisco defended the federal response, pointing to violent incidents during recent demonstrations.

“What they can’t do, however, is set cars on fire… attack the police, attack ICE agents with fireworks,” Francisco said. “That is way, way beyond peaceful protest. That’s a riot.”

Despite the charged political atmosphere, Tuesday’s rally remained peaceful and focused on community solidarity. Demonstrators held signs reading “ICE Out of the 805” and urged local leaders to protect immigrant families.

“My main concern is the deportations. It’s not right — everyone has their rights to be here. We just need to be around them and support them,” said Jose Martin, community engagement coordinator for Future Leaders of America in Carpinteria.

“We wanna make sure that our neighbors are safe and that’s why we’re doing this,” Gaona said.

Organizers say the rally was not just a protest, but a call to action aimed at ensuring safety, dignity, and due process for all members of the community.

From The FUND for Santa Barbara:

In response to escalating federal immigration raids, the deployment of National Guard troops at peaceful protests in Los Angeles, and confirmed ICE activity across Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties, The FUND for Santa Barbara, the 805 Immigrant Coalition, and community partners will host a press conference on Tuesday, June 10, at noon in front of the Santa Barbara Courthouse (Anacapa Street side).

“ICE Out of 805” is a call to action against the ongoing criminalization and militarization targeting our immigrant neighbors.

“Family separation is no longer something we can think of as happening only at the border,” said Eder Gaona-Macedo, Executive Director of The FUND for Santa Barbara. “It is happening right here in our neighborhoods, in the 805. Our immigrant community is living in fear—parents afraid to drop their children off at school, workers afraid to get to their jobs, and whole communities silenced through fear and surveillance.”

As of June, 805 UndocuFund has reported 81 individuals still in custody or already deported across four confirmed targeted ICE operations. “Immigrant-serving organizations and attorneys are at full capacity, providing services to families navigating detention, deportation, and separation,” said Primitiva Hernandez, Executive Director of 805UndocuFund. “This is a dire and escalating crisis in our region and our communities cannot face it alone.”

The FUND will be joined Tuesday by its community partners: 805 UndocuFund, Indivisible Santa Barbara, the League of Women Voters, the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara, Future Leaders of America, MICOP, the California Immigrant Policy Center, Voces Sin Fronteras, and the Immigrant Legal Defense Center (ILDC).

This moment is part of a long and ongoing history of state-sanctioned violence that targets Brown, Black, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ communities alike. Our struggles are interconnected, as is our power. We call on all communities to stand in solidarity in defense of our dignity, safety, and rights. We urge nonprofits, student groups, labor unions, faith communities, and all justice-minded individuals and organizations to get plugged in and show up for our collective liberation. To coordinate efforts or join local response networks, contact executivedirector@805undocufund.org.

About the Fund for Santa Barbara:The FUND for Santa Barbara is a local 501c3 foundation that provides grants and support to organizations that advance progressive change by strengthening movements for Economic, Environmental, Political, Racial, and Social Justice. More information about The FUND can be found at fundforsantabarbara.org. Help The FUND meet the moment by making a donation at fundforsantabarbara.org/donate

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Fatal US 20 Crash: Garcia-Diaz Changes Plea in Court

KIFI on June 10, 2025

Maggie Moore

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The driver accused of causing a drunk driving accident that killed six people last May has changed his plea. Luis Garcia-Diaz, 27, of Rexburg, appeared in court Tuesday, June 10, 2025, to formally alter his plea, pleading guilty to 2 counts of vehicular manslaughter, after signing an initial agreement on May 7, 2025.

Under the agreement, he will be required to pay all financial restitution. The state will recommend 6 years fixed and 9 years indeterminate for each count served consecutively, pushing for 30 years total. The defense will have an opportunity to ask for 3 years fixed and 4 years indeterminate for each count served concurrently. 

Garcia-Diaz was originally charged with six counts of vehicular manslaughter, along with felony charges of driving under the influence causing great bodily harm, permanent disability, or disfigurement.

The tragic collision occurred on May 18, 2024, on U.S. Highway 20 near the Lindsay Boulevard exit in Idaho Falls.

Court documents state that Garcia-Diaz was driving a Ram pickup when it struck a Chevrolet van carrying 15 passengers, confirmed to be agricultural workers from Mexico with H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker visas, according to a report from the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The driver of the van and five passengers died in the crash.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 2, 2025.

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‘Stand with us’: Local nonprofits plead for community support as federal funding cuts loom

KTVZ on June 10, 2025

Isabella Warren

(Update: Adding video, Adding comments from executive directors, Rep. Janelle Bynum)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Central Oregon nonprofits MountainStar Family Relief Nursery and the Deschutes Children’s Foundation are sounding the alarm as federal funding continues to be at risk for organizations nationwide.

“We are all in agreement that we don’t want the government to waste money on things that are not doing good in our community or across the country,” said Kara Tachikawa, executive director of MountainStar. “I think the frustrating part is the people with the smallest voices are the ones that are getting affected first.”

The executive director of Deschutes Children’s Foundation, Cassi MacQueen, said Tuesday,  “It has not changed for nonprofits here in Central Oregon. We are continuing to see high needs of our population, growing concerns – and less funding.”

Both nonprofits serve more than 30,000 people in Central Oregon.

They say they are experiencing the impacts, as federal funding and contracts are paused or cut as part of President Trump’s commitment to cut spending.

“We want to use our voice together to let the community know that we are here,” Tachikawa said. “We are the same groups that you have been trusting for years and years, and we are still doing good in the community. So will you please stand with us?”

The message comes as nonprofits like Shepherd’s House Ministries and NeighborImpact are cutting back on services.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it would cut more than $1 billion in funding for local food banks and schools. For Central Oregon’s NeighborImpact, that means a 17% reduction in its food supply, amounting to more than half a million pounds of food, with the largest cuts in milk, cheese and meat.

And President Trump’s proposed budget could see cuts to SNAP benefits and Medicaid. Oregon District 5 Representative Janelle Bynum has been against the bill from the start.

“It’s a trash bill – let’s call it what it is,” Bynum told KTVZ News. “We’ve elevated the issues. We’re explaining it in plain English, and then we’re putting pressure on our Republican colleagues to stand up, wave their hand, have some sort of courage, and to recognize when their districts are in trouble, too.”

We reached out to District 2 Rep. Cliff Bentz, but he was unavailable for comment.

Both nonprofits warn of the impacts on the community if funding cuts continue.

Macqueen said, “While we are a small community, our nonprofits are robust, and they’re providing critical, life-saving, wraparound services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. And so making sure that folks know that if nonprofits don’t exist, these services don’t exist.”

Below is the joint release:

DCF-MtStar Joint Release 6.5.25 Setting the Record StraightDownload

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United Way donors providing fans to help combat warmer temperatures

News-Press NOW on June 10, 2025

Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — United Way of Greater St. Joseph and its donors are providing fans to people in need as the summer heat starts to take effect.

Residents will be able to start picking up fans at various locations across St. Joseph on Wednesday, June 11.

Anyone is able to get a fan from one of the local agencies. No proof of residency or form of identification is required in an effort to make the process as barrier free as possible, according to the United Way.

“We are limiting one fan per household, unless it’s a larger family, and then we can do one for every four family members,” said Social Services Director Emily Bravo at The Salvation Army.

For those in need, the following locations have fans available:

InterServ 5400 King Hill Ave.

The Salvation Army 602 Messanie St.

Northwest Missouri Community Services 1203 N. Sixth St.

United Way of Greater St. Joseph 118 S. Fifth St.

The fan giveaway is first come, first serve while supplies last.

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Juneteenth committee of St. Joseph presents ‘Our Town’ 

News-Press NOW on June 10, 2025

Jenna Wilson

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Juneteenth celebration events will kick off this weekend in St. Joseph, with a performance of ‘Our Town’ taking center stage.

The Juneteenth Celebration Committee is set to present a compelling production of Thornton Wilder’s ‘Our Town’ beginning Friday, June 13.

“This is the third play we’ve done for Juneteenth,” said Mike Wilson, a local director and playwright. “It’s a really interesting play because it uses a very minimalist stage — basically, a very bare stage.”

The play has been hailed as ‘the greatest American play ever written’ by renowned playwright Edward Albee. 

Set in a small town, the story follows a stage manager who guides the audience through the everyday lives of residents, traces a childhood friendship as it blossoms into marriage and reveals profound truths about the essence of life.

“The stage manager talks to the audience a lot and that’s not normal,” Wilson said. “Usually, actors don’t talk directly to the audience and she gives them a lot of facts and figures about the play.”

The production relies on pantomiming to tell the story through expressive bodily and facial movements rather than props.

“We don’t use any props, so when you see the women cooking breakfast, they’re doing it with no pots, no pans, nothing,” Wilson said. “It makes the audience use their imagination.”

Committee members prioritized assembling a mixed-race cast to mirror the Broadway revival of the play, which featured notable actors like Jim Parsons from ‘The Big Bang Theory’.

In honor of Juneteenth, community members are encouraged to attend the performance and reflect on this significant moment in history, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people.

“This play has an interesting underlying message and that is, we don’t really appreciate life as we live it,” said Wilson. “It’s an important message and that’s one of the reasons it’s such an interesting play.”

The play will be performed at the Missouri Theater in Downtown St. Joseph at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 13, and Saturday, June 14, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 15. Tickets are $15.

To purchase tickets, visit https://www.stjosephmuseum.org/juneteenth and select the event.

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Salute the Stars and Stripes: Idaho Falls Elks to host Flag Day event

KIFI on June 10, 2025

Seth Ratliff

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Get ready to honor Old Glory! The Idaho Falls Elks Lodge is inviting the community to its annual Flag Day Ceremony on Saturday, June 14, at 11:00 AM, at the lodge located at 640 East Elva Street.

The event not only commemorates the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official U.S. Flag in 1777 but also includes a special recognition of the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday. They say everyone is invited to join in this patriotic celebration.

The event will kick off with a flag-raising ceremony at the flagpole on the north side of the parking lot, performed by a local Boy Scouts troop. Following the opening ceremony, the American Legion will conduct “Taps” and a 21-gun salute.

Following the outdoor portion, attendees will move into the Lodge Ballroom for a brief indoor ceremony. This will include a commemoration of the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday. A light luncheon and cake, served by Army veterans, will conclude the event.

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Two men arrested after crashing into Goleta home Monday evening

KEYT on June 10, 2025

Michael Yu

GOLETA, Calif. – Two men were arrested after crashing a Honda Accord into a single-family residence on Cathedral Oaks Road Monday evening.

Deputies responded to a reported crash in the 6200 block of Cathedral Oaks Road around 11:38 p.m. shared the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office in a press release Monday.

According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, the 23-year-old driver of the vehicle failed to negotiate a left turn from Cathedral Oaks onto southbound Carlo Drive, drove over a crosswalk activator, and into a home.

The single resident at home at the time of the crash had no injuries because they were in a different part of the home at the time and the residence was shored up using lumber from local fire stations shared the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

The 23-year-old driver from Goleta was found to be under the influence of alcohol and the 24-year-old from Santa Barbara who was the passenger at the time of the collision attempted to hide open containers of alcohol from deputies detailed the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

The driver was arrested for misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol and the passenger was arrested for misdemeanor concealing evidence and both were booked at the Main County Jail before being released later Tuesday explained the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

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Idaho National Laboratory, Missouri S&T launch research partnership

KIFI on June 10, 2025

News Release

The following is a news release from the Idaho National Laboratory:

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho National Laboratory and Missouri University of Science and Technology have signed a new collaboration aimed at advancing research and educational opportunities. This partnership has been formalized through a memorandum of understanding highlighting their joint commitment to the Strategic Understanding for Premier Education and Research (SUPER) initiative.

The agreement outlines the intentions of INL and Missouri S&T to collaborate on various research and development projects of mutual interest, including integrated energy systems, advanced nuclear reactors, electric power and grid systems and security, and advanced materials and manufacturing for extreme environments. The agreement will provide expanded opportunities for students, faculty members and researchers from both institutions.

Todd Combs, INL’s deputy laboratory director for Science and Technology and chief research officer, said the partnership focuses on leveraging the strengths and common scientific interests of both organizations to perform innovative research activities.

“This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to scientific excellence and our dedication to addressing the world’s most pressing energy challenges,” Combs said. “Together, we are poised to make significant strides that will benefit both our institutions and society at large.”

Within the scope of this collaboration, INL and Missouri S&T will:

Collaborate in research areas of mutual interest.

Exchange academic and research materials.

Exchange visiting research scholars.

Hold cooperative symposia, seminars, workshops and conferences.

Establish a joint appointment program to enhance research and academic collaborations.

The partnership will target key research areas that align with INL’s vision to change the world’s energy future and secure our nation’s critical infrastructure. The identified research areas include:

Integrated energy systems

Advanced nuclear reactors

Electric and power grid systems and security

Advanced materials and manufacturing for extreme environments

The collaboration between INL and Missouri S&T is expected to foster significant advancements in these fields, promoting scientific and technological innovation. “Missouri S&T has been a proud partner with INL for years, and we are thrilled to take our collaborations to an even higher level with this agreement,” said Joseph Newkirk, professor and chair of nuclear engineering and radiation science at Missouri S&T. “With our strong foundation in nuclear research and education, it makes perfect sense for S&T to work alongside a premier national research laboratory. This partnership opens new pathways for our students and faculty to contribute to solving some of the world’s most critical energy challenges.”

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City transit temporarily switches to fixed routes

News-Press NOW on June 10, 2025

Crystal Olney

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — St. Joseph Transit switched to fixed routes only starting Tuesday, June 10.

With the implementation of fixed routes only, this means there will be no deviations and riders will have to walk to the nearest designated bus stop to be picked up.

While there will be no deviations from routes for pickups, arrangements can be made with drivers for drop-off deviations, according to a City of St. Joseph social media post.

Demand Response will still be available in the south end. Residents can call (816) 233-6700 for their ride.

This is a temporary change made by the city and officials hope to have point deviations pickups back in place soon.

For a list of bus routes, visit the city’s website at stjosephmo.gov.

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Manitou Springs Fire Department to conduct wildland fire training at Deer Valley Park

KRDO on June 10, 2025

Celeste Springer

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The Manitou Springs Fire Department says that residents can expect to see smoke on Tuesday, June 10.

According to the department, they’ll be conducting wildland training exercises in Deer Valley Park from 6 to 9 p.m.

The fire department says the exercise is part of their wildfire response readiness program.

Officials say for non-emergency questions, contact the Manitou Springs Fire Department at 719-685-1444 or El Paso County Dispatch at 719-390-5555. In the event of an emergency,call 911.

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