Monterey and Santa Cruz counties set to receive millions back for public education

Mickey Adams

CENTRAL COAST, Calif. (KION-TV) — Some states will soon get billions of dollars in public school funding that was previously withheld by the Trump Administration.

The Department of Education saying that the funding will start being distributed the week of July 28.

Monterey County is set to get back nearly $25 million, while Santa Cruz County is expecting more than $10 million.

The superintendent of the Alisal Union School District has responded, saying, “This is great news not just for our district — which depends on this critical funding to provide professional development and services for migrant students — but for children across Monterey County and California.”

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Jefferson City Animal Shelter at capacity after local animal abuse investigation

Olivia Hayes

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Animal Shelter says it’s at capacity for dogs after taking in several following an animal abuse investigation.

Casey Logsdon, Jessica Morgan, Ashley Ousley and Henry Ousley Jr. were charged on Thursday with 19 counts of accessory to animal abuse.

Logsdon, 33, and Morgan, 41, were booked into the Cole County Jail on Friday morning and are being held on $10,000 bonds. Neither of the Ousleys were listed on the jail roster on Friday evening, though court records for both say a warrant was served and $10,000 bonds were set.  

The probable cause statement says deputies were called to a mobile home for a welfare check when they were told about the animals. Court documents in previous reporting say kennels were found throughout the home that contained animals and were covered with urine and feces.

No fresh water or food was made available and all of the animals appeared to be malnourished, the probable cause statement says.

“There were multiple issues—infestation, animals not being provided with food or water, unbathed, completely malnourished,” Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson said. “It’s questionable whether some of these animals will survive.”

The court documents explained that Casey Logsdon owned some of the animals in the home of Henry Ousley, Jr.. Logsdon allegedly had regular access to Ousley’s home, knew the living and health conditions of the animals in Ousley’s care but failed to intervene, provide basic food and water or remove the animals from him.

“I think this case, with the condition those animals were in, more or less led us to say: This is more than just neglect. This is so egregious that it has to be considered abuse,” Thompson said.

Court documents say Henry Ousley Jr. was previously cited for similar reasons in 2017, 2019 and 2021.

ln 2019, Henry Ousley relinquished four Chihuahua or Chihuahua mix dogs to the animal shelter after an inspection, the statement says. Ousley had 19 dogs on the property at that time. ln 2021, Cole County Deputy Stockman responded to the same address to check on animals after a utility company called and reported two dead dogs in the yard, the statement says.

A number of animals saw signs of improvement after they were given proper nutrition for two days at an animal shelter, while at least five had to be euthanized for either aggressive behavior or poor health, the statement says.  

The Jefferson City Animal Shelter wrote in a Friday evening social media post that adoption fees will be waived from July 28-Aug. 1 on all animals. The Brenna Siebert Fund is sponsoring the payment of the adoption fees and does so “a couple of times a year,” the post says.

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New state law allows Pueblo West to create new program to mitigate wildfire dangers

Michael Logerwell

PUEBLO WEST, Colo. (KRDO) – A new state fire mitigation law is going into effect at the start of August. The law allows unincorporated areas, like Pueblo West, to manage dead vegetation that often leads to quick wildfire growth.

In Colorado Springs and other municipalities, city leaders can pass ordinances regulating vegetation maintenance to mitigate wildfire danger.

That’s not the case in Pueblo West, but this new law will change that soon.

Colorado State Senator Nick Hinrichsen told me the idea for this bill started after the Marshall Fire.

“We identified that there is a real risk in certain areas of the state, [like] Pueblo West, having some factors that could lead to such a catastrophe.”

Some of those factors are dead vegetation, which can turn floating embers into a full-blown wildfire

Now, on August 6, the same time the new state law goes into effect, new vegetation rules will activate for Pueblo West home and property owners.

2024 048 Vegitative Fuels and Mitigation Abatement ProgramDownload

The resolution was passed in late June in anticipation of the new law. Going forward, individual property owners must remove all dead vegetation, keep low-hanging trees at least 3 feet above ground, and the 5-foot radius around your home must be clear from brush piles, or you could face fines.

“We’re hoping that the community will take advantage of the situation, work with us to reduce vegetative fuels around their property,” said Brian Caserta, chief of Pueblo West Fire.

“We’re just here to clean up the community as much as we are to help reduce the risk of wildfire. And at the same time, we’re also not here to go around and write citations everywhere.”

If property owners fail to comply, they may be subject to a fine of up to $200, depending on the property’s value.

Chief Caserta says the fire department will work with people to get the mitigation done, and the work can be covered in certain cases for the elderly or those who can’t afford it. Both the fire chief and the senator said grant funding would be made available.

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Missing children safely located in Klamath County through help of DSCO and OSP

Barney Lerten

(Update: three missing children located)

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — The three young children who went missing with their mother in Bend earlier this week have been found, according to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.

The children were found at a residence in Klamath County following an extensive search effort led by the DSCO, with assistance from the Oregon State Police.

Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Josh Spano traveled to Klamath County with an OSP Trooper to recover the children. After more than an hour of calm and compassionate negotiation, the children’s mother, Desirae Gross, agreed to relinquish custody. They were safely turned over to ODHS without incident.

No additional details will be released at this time out of respect for the children’s privacy and the sensitive nature of this case.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is grateful for the public’s concern and support throughout the search. The most important outcome is that the children were found safe.

Dale Beaver, age 2, Isabella Beaver, age 1, and Ethan Biven, age 3, went missing with their mother, Desirae Gross, from Bend on Tuesday. The Oregon Department of Human Services Child Welfare Division said early Friday evening it “believes that they may be at risk and is searching for them to assess their safety.” 

Here’s the rest of the DHS missing child alert, with details about the three children:

ODHS asks the public to help in the effort to find the children. Anyone who suspects they have information about the location of the children or the mother should call 911 or the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline at 1-855-503-SAFE (7233).  

The family is believed to be in the Bend area, potentially at a houseless encampment along North Highway 97.  

Name: Dale Beaver Pronouns: he/him Date of birth: 11/16/2022 Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Report #25-40500 National Center for Missing and Exploited Children #2057007 

Name: Isabella Beaver Pronouns: she/her Date of birth: 1/9/2024 Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Report #25-40500 National Center for Missing and Exploited Children #2057007 

Name: Ethan Biven Pronouns: he/him Date of birth: 12-15-2021 Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Report #25-40500 National Center for Missing and Exploited Children #2057007 

Sometimes when a child is missing, they may be in significant danger, and ODHS may need to locate them to assess and support their safety.

As ODHS works to do everything it can to find these missing children and assess their safety, media alerts will be issued in some circumstances when it is determined necessary. Sometimes, in these situations, a child may go missing repeatedly, resulting in more than one media alert for the same child. 

Report child abuse to the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline by calling 1-855-503-SAFE (7233).  This toll-free number allows you to report abuse of any child or adult to the Oregon Department of Human Services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year.  

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‘Take it Full Speed’: Chiefs running backs firing on all cylinders during Training Camp.

Ryan Eslinger

ST JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — After the Chiefs used four different running backs throughout the season in 2024, the Chiefs used the off-season to bolster their running back room.

You can’t talk about Chiefs running backs without mentioning Isiah Pacheco. While injuries derailed his 2024 season, Pacheco is still the number one running back on the team.

He was a projected seventh rounder going into the draft despite running the fastest 40-yard dash by a running back at 4.37 seconds.

NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein said in Pacheco’s draft profile that he “could give himself a better chance of becoming an RB2/3 if he steps up his pass protection and third down value.”

Drafted by the Chiefs in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft, Pacheco got his chance to play in 2022 when former Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire was sidelined by a high ankle spian.

Pacheco took his opportunity and ran with it. Starting in 11 games in 2022 he solidified himself as the top back on the team, and he carried that momentum into 2023 and 2024.

In week two of the 2024 season, Pacheco suffered a fractured fibula which derailed his season. Pacheco talked to media about how used the off-season to get back to one hundred percent.

“I didn’t play too much football so it’s my time to get back on the grind,” Pacheco said. “Just took advantage of that off-season.”

While Pacheco was out, the Chiefs brought back a familiar face in Kareem Hunt, whom they drafted back in 2017.

Hunt’s rookie season with the Chiefs was incredible to say the least. In his first game with the Chiefs against Tom Brady’s Patriots, Hunt showed out.

He had 148 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown while adding five receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns as the Chiefs would beat the Patriots 42-27.

In his rookie season, Hunt would rush for over 1300 yards. He had every Chiefs fan believing he was the next Jamaal Charles.

After his rookie season he has yet to touch 1000 yards in a season. He was cut from the Chiefs in 2018 and has not been the same since, dealing with injuries during his time in Cleveland.

But since rejoining the Chiefs, Hunt has come full circle and couldn’t be happier.

“God must’ve had his hand on my shoulder or something,” Hunt said to media. “It’s crazy how things go full circle.”

When he rejoined the team in Pacheco’s absence, he rushed for over 700 yards and seven touchdowns, leading the team.

Hunt recently re-signed to the Chiefs in March of this year on a one-year deal.

The two new faces in the running back room are Elijah Mitchell and Brashard Smith.

Mitchell signed with the Chiefs in March after spending all of last season off the field due to an MCL tear, and Smith was drafted in the seventh round of this year’s NFL draft.

Mitchell has dealt with injuries early in his career but is a serviceable backup for if Hunt or Pacheco were to go down win an injury. He has yet to be healthy for a full season but is looking to change that.

When he spoke to media after training camp on Friday, Mitchell talked about the challenges of dealing with injuries and what you need to do to move past it.

“Any time you get injured it’s challenging. But it happens,” Mitchell said. “Once you get back out there, take it full speed.”

Brashard Smith was drafted in the seventh round of this year’s NFL draft after an outstanding season at Southern Methodist University (SMU).

At SMU Smith ran for over 1300 yards and helping lead SMU to their first College Football Playoff appearance where they lost to the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Dave Toub said that he’s excited about Smith as a punt returner.

“I’m excited for Brashard, he keeps getting better and better,” Toub said. “He didn’t do it a lot in college so it’s new to him, but he’s a really great catcher.”

All four of these running backs have received good looks in training camp and the chemistry is going to continue to build as the camp progresses through August. Every running back is hungry to improve on their game as well as make an impact in a Chiefs offense that desperately needs a great run game.

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Desert Care Network hospitals receive national recognition for high-quality stroke care

Haley Meberg

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ)– All three Desert Care Network’s hospitals have been nationally recognized for outstanding commitment to stroke care for patients in desert communities.

Earlier this week, it was announced Eisenhower Health was awarded the 2025 Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll. 

This honor is a part of The American Heart Association’s Get with the Guidelines award for proven dedication to best practices and life-saving care.

It was later announced by The American Heart Association that they awarded this honor to Desert Regional Medical Center and JFK Memorial Hospital with additional honors in the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.

Hi-Desert Medical Center received the 2025 Rural Stroke Gold Quality Achievement Award, making all three Desert Care Networks hospitals nationally recognized. 

“Desert Care Network is committed to improving care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely and proper care for heart attacks and strokes,” said Michele Finney, Group CEO for Desert Care Network. “Working with programs like the American Heart Association, make it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which helps us ensure more people in the Coachella Valley and Morongo Basin experience longer, healthier lives.” 

To learn more about the Desert Care Network hospitals visit Desert Care Network.

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Santa Barbara to King Harbor racers hoping for some good wind for their annual event

John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – With just a light breeze blowing the Santa Barbara to King Harbor race began in the waters off of the Santa Barbara Yacht Club Friday afternoon.

It is a tradition that is celebrating its 53rd year.

The impressive lineup of dozens of vessels caught the eye of many onlookers at noon when the race took off towards the Channel Islands.

Some of the boats will finish in Redondo Beach tonight. Some on Saturday.

The Yacht Club had events leading up to this race including a pre-party and concert Thursday night.

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Cleanup of a crashed boat takes place at dawn on a Montecito beach

John Palminteri

MONTECITO, Calif. – It was timed to get in and out at the lowest tide of the day, and that’s how a beached vessel was removed from a Montecito Beach Friday.

It started at 4:30 a.m. with a crew from Marborg Industries and the non-profit Heal the Ocean, which funded the removal.

The owner was not able to deal with the wreckage. It was on the beach for more than a week.

The heavy equipment and a roll off to collect the vessel came in from Santa Barbara’s East Beach around a tight point under the cemetery and made it to the western end of Butterfly Beach.

The vessel was a 30-foot sailboat.

It was crushed and scooped up in just a few minutes.

After that, the team of workers went thorough the debris location to collect the splinters by hand to make sure the beach was cleared of hazards when the project was done.

They made it out as the tide was beginning to rise again.

Marborg and Heal the Ocean have responded several times to rid the beaches of crashed boats that are left unattended.

This insures they are not a risk to the public or the environment.

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Building City of Sedalia seeks to demolish suffers more damage after storm

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A building the City of Sedalia is seeking to demolish after structural concerns were raised suffered more damage after storms rolled through on Thursday, the city said in a social media post.

The vacant building at 207 West Main St. in Sedalia saw its sidewalk and nearby traffic shut down last month after structural concerns were brought up. The city in a June 4 social media post said the building was in a “state of collapse” and would need immediate repairs or be demolished.

The city wrote in a Thursday social media post that all traffic from South Kentucky Avenue to South Osage Avenue will be closed because of the damage.

The city filed a petition on Wednesday to have a court declare the property an immediate danger and have it demolished. A hearing was scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday and summons were issued for the building’s owners Dana Melton and Travis Dixon.

“Over the past several weeks, the City has explored multiple options to address the condition of the building and has remained in regular contact with the property owners’ legal representatives. While additional safety inspections are still planned, the City has determined that initiating the court process is a necessary step to ensure public safety,” the city said in a Wednesday social media post. “The sidewalk and street closures in the 200 block of West Main Street will remain in effect until the area is deemed safe. The City appreciates the public’s continued patience and understanding as we navigate this complex situation with public safety as our top priority.”

The city later wrote on its social media that it has taken precautionary safety measures to assist businesses across the street from the building.

“Maintenance crews provided boards to help secure windows and assisted with their installation. These steps are intended to help protect nearby properties in the event of a collapse,” a social media post from the city says.

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Habitat for Humanity La Pine Sunriver welcomes four new board members

Barney Lerten

La PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) — Habitat for Humanity La Pine Sunriver is pleased to announce the addition of four new members to its Board of Directors.

These individuals bring deep community roots, professional expertise, and a shared commitment to the mission of creating affordable housing and strengthening neighborhoods across South Deschutes County. 

Please join us in welcoming: 

Patrick Jackson, Loan Officer at New American Funding 

Jessica McIntyre, REALTOR®, La Pine Realty 

Jennifer Michaud, Branch Manager at US Bank La Pine 

Robin Mirrasoul, Retired La Pine Business Owner 

“We are honored to welcome Patrick, Jessica, Jennifer, and Robin to our board,” said Kim Gammond, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity La Pine Sunriver. “Their combined experience in housing, finance, and community development will help us further our vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.” 

These new board members will play an integral role in advancing Habitat’s mission, supporting homebuilding initiatives, and expanding outreach in the La Pine and Sunriver communities. 

For more information on our board, volunteer opportunities, or how to get involved, visit: www.habitatlapinesunriver.org

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Founded in 1993, Habitat for Humanity of La Pine Sunriver has built more than 40 affordable homes in three neighborhoods, including Putney Place. Habitat provides more than 100 critical, health and safety repairs to neighbors across South Deschutes County each year, and runs a thriving ReStore in La Pine. 

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