Six-story building with affordable apartments planned for downtown Santa Maria moves forward

KEYT on July 23, 2025

Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The proposed six-story Perlman Apartment building that is being planned for the busy corner of Broadway and Main Street in Santa Maria continues to approval process.

The Vernon Group has been working on the project for more than a year, the latest in a handful of developments the Santa Barbara-based company has proposed in the downtown area.

The Perlman Apartments was recently discussed at the Santa Maria Planning Commission and was given an approval for a Downtown Permit by the planning commissioners.

Now, the project will move on to Santa Maria City Council, which will review the project early next month and vote on final approval.

“We’re taking this project in front of City Council August 5th,” said Brett Vernon, The Vernon Group President. “We’re really excited to present this project to the council and hopefully get it approved and move forward on the next steps to get that much closer to breaking ground on this project.”

The project is planned for what is currently Perlman Park, a lightly-used 1.12-acre site that is located in the northeast corner of Broadway and Main Street.

“It’s 150 units,” said Vernon. “It’s affordable housing and six stories tall. The ground floor is going to be all parking and all residential above that and we’re going to have a private kind of central outdoor area on the second floor.”

The overall size of the complex will be 197,000 square-feet, and according to city documents, will include 15 studio units with average area of 411 square feet, 53 one-bedroom units with average area of 583 square feet, 38 two-bedroom units with average area of 778 square feet, and 44 three-bedroomunits with average area of 1,105 square feet.

The developer and city also state the rental units would be 100 percent affordable (except for a market-rate manager’s unit), with an overall affordability of 60-percent Area Median Income (AMI).

“Once we get it approved, we have to then take that project and try to get financing for the affordable housing development,” said Vernon. “Once we once we do get financing, from state and federal agencies, we’re then going to move forward on construction documents, which will take about a year, and then at that point in time, we know we have the funds lined up. We have construction drawings and permits ready and we will then break ground.”

Vernon believes a realistic goal to break ground on the project should everything line up is approximately 18 months.

Another project with a much sooner timeline is the long-planned Heritage Walk Lofts that are being planned in the old building that was the former longtime home of Mervyn’s, and most recently, Fallas.

“We are hoping to break ground in the next month,” said Vernon. “I’m really excited. We’ve been working on this for about five years, and so to finally break ground and finally see something coming out of the ground, that to me is really exciting. I mean, this is what we work for. We’re going to start to build our community there. We’re going to reactivate downtown.”

Another six-story housing development being planned by The Vernon Group is the Alvin Newton Apartments that are proposed for the southeast corner of Broadway and Main Street, adjacent to Bank of America and the Santa Maria Town Center mall north parking structure.

“We are pretty much permit ready on the Newton Apartments,” said Vernon. “We’re securing financing for that. We’re kind of working through that. Hopefully within six months we’re breaking ground on Alvin Newton Apartments.”

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Ozzy Osbourne’s death puts spotlight on Parkinson’s disease; Advocates urge early detection

KESQ on July 23, 2025

Shay Lawson

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ)  – Following the death of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, Coachella Valley advocates are urging residents to learn the early warning signs of Parkinson’s disease — a condition Osbourne publicly battled in his final years.

According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, about 1.1 million people in the U.S. are living with the disease.

In the Coachella Valley Eileen Lynch, Executive Director at Parkinson’s Resource Organization, said there is a higher concentration of people with Parkinson’s disease in Southern California than in the rest of the United States.

“We conservatively estimate that there are anywhere from 10,000 to 12,000 people living with Parkinson’s right here in Coachella Valley,” Lynch said. “That doesn’t include the caregivers and the family that are there supporting them.”

Lynch said there is only one movement disorder specialist, which is the specialist trained to treat Parkinson’s, for that entire population.

“There is a massive gap between the demand and the need for services here,” Lynch said. “Here at Parkinson’s Resource Organization we’re happy to be diving into that gap, providing emotional support and practical resources for people with Parkinson’s and their families as they navigate this. But it is absolutely critical that we get more Parkinson’s specialists here in the Valley in the near future.”

News Channel 3 reached out to that specialist but he was not available for an interview on Tuesday.

The Alzheimers Coachella Valley (ACV) Parkinson’s support group meets weekly.

It offers support for both those diagnosed and their caregivers.

Jeanie Ormiston has attended that group for 6 months.

“I love it,” Ormiston said.

She said she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2012.

“My doctor made me. I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to know,” Ormiston said. “But then I went from a tremor to a jerk. It was too uncomfortable to be around people. She said go to the neurologist, and I did.”

Now, she said she regularly boxes and attends the ACV Parkinson’s support group.

“Movement is the only thing that helps,” Ormiston said. “Parkinson’s never takes a day off and you can’t either.”

Osbourne’s death comes as new research from the University of Bristol suggests dogs may be able to detect Parkinson’s by smell — possibly years before traditional symptoms appear.

Andrew Imbus, a Physician Assistant with Kaiser Permanente, said this discovery is encouraging.

“They’re allowing us an opportunity to even find these patients even earlier in the stages,” Imbus said. “Finding each person who has Parkinson’s, there’s at least this thought that they have a very unique olfactory scent to them that maybe we are unable to pick up. But a dog certainly can. Being able to find these patients earlier with Parkinson’s, I think is equally great.”

While still in early stages, the scent-based studies offer hope for non-invasive, early screening tools in the future.

Advocates, patients and medical professionals agree that early detection is key.

“We can’t turn back the time or regenerate those cells, at least not yet.” Imbus said. “What we can do is to try and slow it by improving your exercise and getting you the symptomatic care through medication, surgeries, whatever means we have in front of us to try and decrease the impact on your life with those symptoms.”

Stay with News Channel 3 to learn what those early warning signs are in the full report at 10 and 11 p.m.

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Oregon school-based health centers report record patient visits, people served; a look at Redmond High’s

KTVZ on July 23, 2025

Barney Lerten

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — School-based health centers throughout Oregon reported record highs in patient visits and people served during the 2023-24 school year, according to an annual status report released Tuesday by the Oregon Health Authority.

Operating through a unique community partnership model, Oregon’s 87 SBHCs served 43,000 people – mostly school-aged youth ages 5 to 21 – and accommodated nearly 149,000 patient visits in 28 counties.

Most school-aged patients used SBHC services for primary care in such areas as well visits, immunizations, reproductive health, and acute care.

Forty-seven percent of school-aged patients came to the SBHC for behavioral health services.

SBHCs are clinics located in schools or on school grounds that provide community resources to support people’s health and well-being and have existed in Oregon since 1986. They provide access to comprehensive, youth-centered health services for children and youth, many of whom would otherwise go without care.

“SBHC staff and providers work hard every day to ensure that students, their families – and in some cases people in their communities – receive top quality health care,” said Tom Jeanne, M.D., M.P.H., deputy state health officer and epidemiologist at OHA. “This is challenging work, and the need has never been greater.”

Oregon’s SBHCs provide accessible and affordable care, referral and treatment services and operate under federal, state and local regulations.

All are operated by medical entities, with nearly 75% operated by federally qualified health centers (FQHC)—federally funded nonprofit health centers and clinics that serve medically underserved areas and populations. All FQHCs provide primary care services regardless of a person’s ability to pay.

OHA certifies and provides $65,000 a year to each state-certified SBHC to support base operating costs. SBHCs supplement this state funding through a combination of grants, funding from partner agencies, fundraising and in-kind donations, and public and private insurance billing.

According to the report:

Overall patient visits increased 15%, and the number of patients increased almost 13% since the previous year, rebounding from declines during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

A similar trend occurred in behavioral health services. Visits for all ages increased about 19% from the previous school year; and the number of behavioral health patients increased by 14%.

School-aged patients accounted for 71% of all SBHC visits and accounted for more than three clinic visits during the year, on average. One third of these patients received an immunization.

More than 2,000 dental visits were made by 1,298 school-aged clients.

At a minimum, SBHCs serve students enrolled at the host school. However, many SBHCs serve other populations, such as student families, school staff, students at other schools, or the surrounding communities.

Visit the following links to read and hear about how students and their families are embracing services provided by school-based health centers:

Multnomah County Student Health Center, https://healthcenter.multco.us/current-patients/our-services/kids-and-teens#878-a-doctors-office-at-school.

Redmond High School-Based Health Center, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGh_oqzsfnY.

Pendleton School Based Health Centers (story begins at 07:00), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MQm2GFfIOo.

To learn more about Oregon’s SBHCs, check out the OHA SBHC Program webpage. 

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Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office, EMS responds to injury accident

News-Press NOW on July 23, 2025

News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — One child was transported to Mosaic Life Care with injuries due to a two-vehicle accident on southeast 32nd and Seymour Roads.

The call came in around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, where a minor riding a motorcycle collided with a vehicle on the road.

The minor was ejected from the motorcycle and landed in the field adjacent to the road.

Buchanan County law enforcement said the incident is still under investigation, and the case will be transferred over to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

News-Press NOW will provide updates as they become available.

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Boil advisory issued for more than 2 dozen downtown Columbia water customers after water main break

KMIZ on July 23, 2025

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia Water and Light crew was seen fixing a water main break on Tuesday afternoon in the 100 block of South Ninth Street in downtown Columbia.

A boil water advisory was issued for 27 customers in the area, according to a social media post from the department. A reason for the break was not immediately given to media or the public.

Additionally, another boil advisory was issued for an area of Bodie Drive in north Columbia at 9:30 a.m. the same day. That advisory is affecting 41 customers and will stop at midnight, according to information on the city’s outage map.

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What are the limitations of making a citizen’s arrest in Colorado?

KRDO on July 23, 2025

Michael Logerwell

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – After Pueblo Police arrested a man for assaulting a burglary suspect, KRDO13 Investigates wondered: What are the limits around making a citizen’s arrest?

RELATED COVERAGE: Man arrested along with burglary suspect for assaulting the burglar

On July 17, Pueblo Police were dispatched to the 700 block of Joilet Avenue. At the home, they found a man tied up with duct tape and three other men around him.

The man tied up was 21-year-old Joseph Mares. One of the men standing near him was 26-year-old Cruz Alarcon. Both men would end up in handcuffs. Mares for 2nd degree burglary and Alarcon for 2nd degree assault.

Before the police arrived on the scene, neighbors told us there was a whole lot of commotion.

“I heard a lot of screaming, a lot of punching, a lot of fighting.” Nadine Cozzolino told KRDO13 Investigates.

However, the arrest affidavit says there was more than just a fight.

The Pueblo Police Department says security camera footage from a nearby home shows Alarcon threatening a tied-up Mares with a pistol and hitting him with the butt of the gun multiple times, even threatening to kill the man at one point. Then police say Alarcon kicked Mares in the head and stomped on his legs, all while he was still tied up.

Pueblo police say that goes beyond what’s legal in a citizen’s arrest.

KRDO13 Investigates spoke to a local attorney who said the most important part of a citizen’s arrest is that the person making the arrest has to perceive the crime. He said there is some leeway given when making the arrest, but excessive force is prohibited.

The Pueblo Police Department clarified on social media that it was what Alarcon is accused of doing after Mares was tied up that earned him criminal charges.

Both men have bonded out of jail.

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Hot, dry weather prompts Forest Service to increase public use restrictions, fire danger levels on national forests

KTVZ on July 23, 2025

Barney Lerten

 PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Due to July’s persistent hot and dry weather, national forests across the Pacific Northwest increased or implemented public use restrictions last week.

Through these public use restrictions, as well as high to very high fire danger levels, firefighters are urging the public to be vigilant in preventing human-caused wildfires when recreating outdoors.  

Current public use restrictions can be found on national forest webpages or by checking at the local ranger district before recreating in an area. Even if campfires are allowed, please consider whether having a fire is necessary. For information on campfire safety, visit: https://smokeybear.com/en/prevention-how-tos/campfire-safety.

Here are a few tips to keep yourself, your family, and communities safe as fire season ramps up in the Pacific Northwest: 

Stay vigilant if wildfires are burning in your area or near your community.

Know that conditions may change quickly.

Adhere to local fire restrictions.

Sign up for emergency alerts with your local county.

Become familiar with the three evacuation levels.

Know where to find up-to-date evacuation information for your area.

Make a plan to keep your family safe.

To prepare for smoke from current or future wildfires, here are some helpful links: 

Smoke-Ready Toolbox for Wildfires | US EPA.

Oregon Smoke Blog

Washington Smoke Blog

Though early this week, some areas of the Pacific Northwest will experience cooler temperatures than normal, fire danger levels will stay high to very high because already dried fuels will remain susceptible to ignition sources. In addition, warmer, drier conditions will quickly return to the Pacific Northwest, increasing the potential for wildfires across Oregon and Washington.

Currently, there are seven large wildfires burning on national forest lands in the Pacific Northwest. Firefighters and aviation resources are ready to respond to growth on these existing fires as well as engage in quick and risk-informed action on any new fire starts.

Resources, including USDA Forest Service firefighters and incident management teams, continue to be prepositioned in the Region to support aggressive suppression response. 

For more news and information about national forests in the Pacific Northwest, visit our news page at https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/newsroom/releases or our home page, at https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06. For more information about the USDA Forest Service, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov.

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Extreme heat can cause significant damage to electronics

KMIZ on July 23, 2025

Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

With extreme temperatures expected to linger in Mid-Missouri, cellphones and other electronic devices could be at risk for serious heat damage.

If you’re not careful, that damage could leave you with a hefty repair bill — or worse, needing a full replacement. High temperatures can cause phones, tablets, and even laptops to overheat, leading to battery damage or breaking.

iBuy Phone Repair owner Russell Scott has been in the phone repair industry for nearly 17 years and said many customers come in during the summer months for heat-related issues.

“I see a lot of phones coming in with swollen batteries,, mainly held together by adhesives and glues usually when something gets hot especially with a adhesive or glue what happens it will break down so what happens is phones will separate, the screens will separate the backs with separate,”

Scott says sometimes the damage is so severe, the phone can’t be fixed.

“It can mess up the hardware, the main board itself, sometimes when the battery expands and the battery gets too hot it can damage the board as wells,” Scott said. “Definitely the battery the screen as well because sometimes when the battery swells up, it’s going to push against that screen.”

Scott said the most-common mistake people make is leaving a phone in direct sunlight like on a car dashboard or on the beach.

ABC 17 News tested how quickly a phone can overheat. An iPhone was placed on a car dashboard at 1:15 p.m. Wednesday and within five minutes the phone received a temperature notification, warning the phone needs to cool down before it could be used again.

Scott warns, to cool a phone down, do not put it in a freezer or refrigerator because it can make the damage worse by causing condensation inside the phone.

Others ways you can protect your device are:

Don’t leave electronics in a hot car;

Remove phone cases when cooling down;

Turn the phone off if it starts to overheat; and

Avoid charging in extreme heat.

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Modernism Week to reveal schedule for October in Palm Springs

KESQ on July 23, 2025

City News Service

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The fall version of Modernism Week in Palm Springs will include more than 50 events featuring free and low-cost programs during its Oct. 16-19 run, officials announced today.

“We are so excited to continue sharing the momentum of our twentieth-year celebration with this popular fall version of our festival,” Modernism Week CEO Lisa Vossler Smith said in a statement. “We will continue to showcase new events and some of the most popular programs that have made Modernism Week in February so famous.”

The four-day event will highlight mid-century and modern architecture, art, interior, landscape design and vintage culture throughout the city.   

A full schedule will be released online Friday at modernismweek.com, and tickets will go on sale Aug. 1 at noon.   

The signature 11-day festival will be held Feb. 12-22, 2026, with tickets available starting Nov.1 at noon.

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Fire crews tackle 3.71-acre fire along Highway 101 in San Luis Obispo

KEYT on July 23, 2025

Caleb Nguyen

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – CAL FIRE SLO crews put out a 3.71-acre fire along Highway 101 in San Luis Obispo near Reservoir Canyon Road.

The fire threatened two structures and first broke out just after 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, according to CAL FIRE SLO.

Forward progress of the fire stopped just before 7:00 p.m., and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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