Drivers Brace for New Challenges in the Montecito Construction Zone

KEYT on July 8, 2025

John Palminteri

MONTECITO, Calif. – The message came out month ago, about new construction updates in the Montecito segment of the Highway 101 widening project. It wasn’t going to be easy to work on the lanes, ramps, bridges and landscaping without some stress on commuters, maybe more than the other sections from Carpinteria north.

That work resulted in a split in the northbound lanes that just came back together. The southbound lanes will get the feel of it in the next week.

Crews will be moving the K-rail and split the lanes as part of the work design. Overall, no matter what is being done, the plan is to keep two lanes open in both directions.

“Oh my goodness. I guess I am going to avoid it for awhile,” Trish Mahan said as she came out of a local store.

There will also be changes to the way southbound drivers go from Coast Village Road to Highway 101 toward Carpinteria. The next available on-ramp will be at Sheffield Dr. once this work gets underway.

It’s still to be seen what the real day-to-day impacts will be. Peak periods are often afternoons and early evening hours when thousands of workers, who have driven up from their homes in Ventura County, are trying to go home by squeezing into the two lanes of traffic.  

They will find relief however, once they get to Summerland when the three lane section is now available.

In the meantime, “I grab the wheel a little tighter. Yeah.  I concentrate.  You need to concentrate when you go through there. Definitely do. Can’t  have your mind on something else,  ” said Tony Handler a resident about 30 years.

A worker in the area says drivers are anxious and it’s a problem. Brandon Aubert said, “people in this area really seem to be impatient they have no care about other people really. “

One resident where a detour will take place on North Jameson Lane says the drivers often speed in the area by her house. Susan Herting said, “cars come so fast on the frontage road there and the bikes. Our kids and grand kids (are out) I wish they (drivers) would slow down there.”

In the big picture, recently more funding came in for the Santa Barbara portion of the project.

The freeway widening project has been in motion for years, but the cost and the funding sources were always limiting what could be done and when. Now, the funding for the final segment has been approved. It was the largest award in the State of California on this particular grant from the California Transportation Commission. It is the last little piece of the puzzle. The allocation for the freeway work is $137 million in voter approved state money. 

The project is being guided by many agencies including the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments. 

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Local children’s advocacy non-profit organization announces merger with Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum

KEYT on July 8, 2025

Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Children’s Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County (CRR) has announced it will merge with the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum (SMVDM).

The move will combine the two longtime nonprofit organizations that have operated in Santa Barbara County for several decades.

Under the deal, CRR will now head up operations of the museum, which has been open to the public for three decades.

“Children’s Resource and Referral will be overseeing all operations of the Discovery Museum and our team will be in and out,” said Jacqui Banta, Children’s Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County Chief Operating Officer.  “We will be not only continuing the wonderful programs that the museum has always had in our community, which is also celebrating their 30th year here in Santa Maria Valley, but we will also be adding parent education, stay in place and child development initiatives.” 

With dozens of people on hand, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held Tuesday at the newly renamed Children’s Resource & Referral’s Discovery Museum in Santa Maria.

According to CRR the merger with SMVDM will bolster educational opportunities and experiences for children and their families by aligning missions, operations and outreach, as well as:

• Strengthen the Educational Continuum – Merging playful discovery with school readiness and child development support

• Broaden Community Reach – Deepening engagement with underserved populations across Santa Barbara County

• Boost Operational Efficiency – Leveraging shared resources and facilities

• Foster Innovative Programming – Launching new offerings like STEM Nights, “Stay & Play” family hours, mobile discovery units, and multilingual access initiatives

“This is more than a merger; it’s a movement toward a stronger, more connected future for our community’s children,” said Michelle Graham, CRR CEO. “Together, we are expanding access to early education, enriching learning experiences, and supporting families where they are—both in life and in learning.”

CRR describes its organizational mission is to develop strong and healthy families by providing education, care, and resource systems to children, their parents, and caregivers, with a special emphasis on low income and under-represented children and families.

For more information about Children’s Resource & Referral’s Discovery Museum, click here to visit the official website.

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Coachella Valley and Riverside County animal shelters took in more than 200 runaway or stray animals over the Fourth of July weekend

KESQ on July 8, 2025

Tori King

Thousand Palms, Calif. (KESQ)– Local animal shelters are working to find the owners of hundreds of runaway or stay animals that were taken in over the Independence Day weekend. Every year, the Fourth of July sees the highest number of runaway pets out of all the holidays, and this year was no different, according to the Riverside County Department of Animal Services.

Officials with the Riverside County Department of Animal Services confirmed its four shelters took in more than 200 animals between July 4th, and July 6th alone. They believe many of them likely ran away or escaped during 4th of July fireworks celebrations, due to the loud noises.

“We see this every year, especially with us dealing with overcrowding prior to the Fourth of July,” said Damien Cruz, Animal Services Manager with the Coachella Valley Animal Campus. “This really put us in a crisis mode, and we can see that because we’re experiencing critical overcrowding at all of our shelter locations. We have now waived any reclaim fees, so we really want to stress that and make sure that the public is aware if your pet is missing and it’s here at the shelter, or if you are not sure if it’s here at the shelter, we encourage you to please come and look in person.”

The shelter system sent News Channel 3 a breakdown of the numbers this year:

On July 4th, the shelters took 75 animals in, 68 of them were dogs. During that day none of the animals were claimed.

On July 5th, 103 animals were taken in, 73 of them were dogs. On that Saturday, 13 pets were returned to owners.

On July 6th, 62 animals were brought in, 43 were dogs. So far, 12 owners have come to claim their pet.

Over the entire weekend, 240 animals came in, 184 were dogs, and so far 25 have been reunited with their owners.  According to those same numbers, 75% of animals that came in were dogs, and only 10% of animals have been returned to their owners so far.

According to a Facebook post by RCDAS, one dog named King was able to be reunited with it’s owner, thanks to micro-chipping technology.

Shelter operators are now urging pet owners who may be missing their animals to please call the shelters, or to come in and look. They also remind pet owners of the importance of micro-chipping your pet, and making sure they are wearing proper identification tags or a collar at all times. So far, every single animal that has been reunited with its owners had some sort of identification with owner information present.

“We do provide free engravable dog tags where we can have the owner’s phone number on there,” said Cruz. “We also have chip scanners pretty much everywhere, not only here in the shelter, but with our Field Services team. So with animals that they find out in the field, they definitely do their best to scan them for chips, get owner information and try and reunite, reunite them prior to impound because obviously that’s impounding is our last resort.”

RCDAS is also urgently asking the community to step up and adopt, with this influx of animals pushing the shelter’s capacity to critical overcrowding levels.

Anyone interested in adopting a pet can find information here.

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Palm Springs Cultural Center reminds people it’s still open despite COD campus construction

KESQ on July 8, 2025

Kendall Flynn

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs Cultural Center is sporting a new banner outside saying “open during construction,” despite construction taking away 300 parking spots. Now the cultural center is left with less than 20 spots, and has felt it’s impacts on visitor numbers.

“It’s harder than we kind of anticipated,” Michael Green, the executive director said. “A lot of customers are older…we have some handicapped parking but if those get filled up, then people have to park across the street.”

Across the street is Palm Springs High School, which won’t be available for parking in the fall, and for older visitors it can be a long walk across Baristo Road.

“That’s a lot to ask somebody to do,” Green said. “We understand that, but that’s just the reality.”

The College of the Desert has been expanding it’s campuses, including adding new educational opportunities in Palm Springs. The new campus is opening up along East Baristo Road, which is next to the Palm Springs Cultural Center.

Green said they are looking forward to the campus addition as it will bring students with complimentary majors like film, digital arts and hospitality. But the construction is making it difficult to look forward to 2027 as they’re waiting for the parking lot to reopen.

COD reassured the cultural center its parking will be restored by Sept. 15th. It’s a deadline Green said is crucial as the parking at Palm Springs High School will no longer be available and they’re hosting their first major event days later.

“We open our first off season film festivals ‘Cinema Diverse,’ the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival on Sept. 18th,” Green said. “So, we want for sure to have our parking back by then.” 

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from the Palm Springs Cultural Center on the construction impacts and what the public needs to know about attending events or movies.

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Idaho Falls Scoop Jam: All-You-Can-Eat Ice Cream Returns to Idaho Falls for a Cause

KIFI on July 8, 2025

News Team

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream! This Saturday, July 12, the Idaho Falls Scoop Jam returns to the Snake River Greenbelt. The proceeds from this all-you-can-eat ice cream event benefit the Idaho Falls Rescue Mission and the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center. 

Scooptastic Details

When: Saturday, July 12, 11 AM – 3 PMWhere: Snake River Greenbelt just north of the Farmer’s Market, by the roundabout.

For more information or to purchase tickets, click HERE.

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Long-time Bend Mexican restaurant Longboard Louie’s set to close later this month as owner retires

KTVZ on July 8, 2025

Tyson Beauchemin

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A favorite Bend restaurant serving up healthy Mexican food with a Mayan-Hawaiian twist for some 25 years is closing its doors. Longboard Louie’s recently announced its last day will be July 26th, as the owner retires from a nearly half-century career in the restaurant business.

The restaurant has moved a few times over the years, and Jeff Parshall says it’s time to hang up his hat. He says his lease is up, and he’s simply choosing to retire instead of re-upping.

“It’s been a good run – 45 years – about two lifetimes in the restaurant business,” Parshall told us. “So you know – the time is right, so we’re just kind of going to wind it down.”

So you now have less than three weeks to grab your favorite surf and turf burritos. As Longboard Louie’s shuts down, it’ll sell off the last of its merchandise, memorabilia and some of the decor.

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City of Bend chooses Veo as the vendor for its new, permanent bike-share program, rolling out this week

KTVZ on July 8, 2025

Barney Lerten

(Update: Adding KTVZ News Poll)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The City of Bend announced Tuesday it’s partnering with Veo, an independent shared mobility company, to bring shared e-bikes to the community. Veo will begin introducing its fleet of 300 e-bikes this week.

The city’s selection of Veo as its new vendor followed the City Council’s vote in April to establish a permanent bike-share program.

This type of program is not new to Bend – between 2022 and 2024, the company Bird operated a Bike Share Pilot Program within the city.

Like Bird, Veo’s e-bikes – the model they call Cosmo – will be available to riders for a fee. The permanent bike share program allows one operator to manage the citywide program under a license of up to three years, officials said, and will incorporate lessons learned from the pilot program – including the importance of responsible e-bike parking. 

“Improving access to affordable and convenient multimodal transportation is a priority for the City of Bend. A permanent bike share program will help ensure flexibility and inclusivity across different modes of travel, the city said in Tuesday’s announcement.

“Bikes and e-bikes are also effective tools for reducing traffic congestion, lowering single-occupancy vehicle use, and minimizing emissions, helping to reduce the City’s carbon footprint.”

“Bend’s new bikeshare program is about expanding access to convenient, affordable transportation —and making car-free travel fun,” said Jeff Hoover, Veo’s director of government partnerships. “Whether you’re commuting to work, connecting to CET, or just exploring Bend without a car, Veo is here to make getting around easier. We’re proud to partner with the city to support its climate goals, reduce parking demand, and bring more transportation options to the community.”

Veo also emphasizes rider responsibility, or the “riding Dos and Don’ts” listed below:

Do:

●Yield to pedestrians: Give people walking the right of way every time.

●Park responsibly: Park your vehicle out of pedestrian paths to ensure safety.

●Wear a helmet: Protect your noggin while riding.

●Take the bike lane: Ride in the street or bike lane, not on the sidewalk.

●Obey traffic laws: Follow stop signs, signals, and speed limits.

Don’t:

●Ride underage: Riders must be 18+ to unlock and operate.

●Double ride: One rider per vehicle.

●Ride on the sidewalk: Keep sidewalks clear and stick to the street or bike lane.

●Ride under the influence: Never while under the influence—it’s illegal.

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Local organization to hold Vietnam Era Commemoration Ceremony

News-Press NOW on July 8, 2025

News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — In less than a week, local organizations will host a Vietnam Era Commemoration Ceremony to recognize the men and women who served the United States.

The City of St. Joseph, the AUSA Henry Leavenworth Chapter and the St. Joseph Community Alliance will serve as hosts to the ceremony, which will take place at 10 a.m. on Monday, July 14, at Word of Life Church, located at 3902 Riverside Rd.

Veterans who served between Nov. 1, 1955, and May 15, 1975, regardless of location, are invited to participate.

Each honoree will receive a commemorative lapel pin and certificate, which will serve as symbols of appreciation for their dedication and sacrifice.

Family members, friends and community members are encouraged to help identify eligible veterans.

To register a veteran, or to learn more, call (816) 271-4680 or email kgarton@stjosephmo.gov.

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One dog dead following Tuesday afternoon house fire

News-Press NOW on July 8, 2025

News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph Fire Department worked the scene of a structure fire Tuesday in the area of South 19th and Olive Streets that killed one dog.

Firefighters responded to the scene just before 1 p.m. At one point, the house was completely engulfed in flames.

SJFD reported there were no other injuries and that the fire is under investigation at this time.

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Tribal cemetery added to register of historic places

KESQ on July 8, 2025

City News Service

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians has received confirmation from the U.S. National Park Service that the tribe’s ancestral Chemehuevi cemetery in Twentynine Palms has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, officials said today.

The cemetery is historically associated with the Chemehuevi people, ancestors to the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians. Their reservation today spans San Bernardino and Riverside counties, separated by Joshua Tree National Park.

“Burial grounds are significant to Indigenous culture and our tribal identity; our ancestors are part of this land for all eternity,” Chairman Darrell Mike said in a statement. “The tribe has a rich history throughout the entire southeastern desert region dating back since time immemorial. The National Park Service designation links our tribal heritage to these expansive lands and the cemetery is just one location that will be preserved for generations.”

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