Police Say Missing Oxnard Man May Be in Santa Barbara Area

KEYT on August 1, 2025

Alissa Orozco

OXNARD, Calif. – Oxnard Police is searching for a missing adult who may have been traveling to the Santa Barbara area.

The missing man is 57-year-old Louis Hernandez, who was last seen at the 2500 block of Apple Lane in Oxnard. A press release from the Oxnard Police Department says he may be driving a white ’20 Toyota Tacoma with CA license 79897X2.

They say Hernandez may have been driving to the Santa Barbara area.

Hernandez is 5’8′ tall and approximately 160 pounds, with grey hair and brown eyes. His clothing is unknown.

Anyone with information about Louis Hernandez and his whereabouts should contact the Oxnard Police Department dispatch immediately at (805) 385-7740.

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Decision 2026: More candidates file to run for four Deschutes County commissioner seats

KTVZ on August 1, 2025

KTVZ

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)– More candidates have filed to run for four out of the five Deschutes County commissioner seats on the ballot in next May’s primary election. Two seats are currently occupied by incumbents Tony DeBone and Patti Adair, and two new seats have been added following voter approval of an expanded, five-member commission.

County commissioners recently appointed a seven-member citizen advisory committee to draft a district map representing each commissioner position after Measure 9-173 was passed by voters last November. The measure expands the commission from three to five seats; voters would decide next year whether to move from five at-large positions to ones elected by geographic zones.

According to the county, “If the BOCC — and ultimately the voters — approve the DMAC’s (District Mapping Advisory Committee’s) recommended map, the new districts would be in place for each election of commissioners, beginning in 2028.”

Jamie Collins, a 22-year veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, climate scientist, and nationally certified disaster responder and incident commander, is running for Position 1, the seat currently held by county Commissioner and Chair Tony DeBone. John Heylin, a business owner and creator of Measure 9-173, John Heylin, is also running for the position.

For Position 3, currently held by Commissioner Patti Adair, Amanda Page and Amy Sabbadini have filed with the Secretary of State’s Office to run. Page is the Director of the Redmond School Board and Sabbadini has a background as an educator.

Rick Russell is the only candidate so far running for new commissioner Position 4. Morgan Schmidt and John Nielsen have both filed for Position 5, the other new seat.

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Firefighters battle 2nd house fire in La Quinta in same day

KESQ on August 1, 2025

Haley Meberg

La Quinta, Calif. (KESQ) – Fire crews battled their second house fire in La Quinta reported on Friday. The latest fire erupted just after noon on the 52-500 Block of Avenida Carranza.

According to a Cal Fire Battalion Chief, on scene, the first arriving unites found a working fire with smoke coming from the rear of the home.  Crews were able to isolate the fire to the attic area of the home. 

Five people are displaced due to the fire, 2 adults and 3 children.  There were no injuries reported.  One dog inside the home was found deceased. 

No word on what caused the fire at this time. 

Earlier in the day, fire crews battled a residential structure fire on the 50300 block of Spyglass Hill Road, also in La Quinta. https://kesq.com/news/2025/08/01/fire-breaks-out-in-a-la-quinta-home-friday-morning/

Stay with News Channel 3 for more updates on both fires.

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Madison County implements temporary Open Fire Ban

KIFI on August 1, 2025

Seth Ratliff

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — The Madison Fire Department, in conjunction with the Board of County Commissioners, has declared a temporary open fire ban for all county residents. This critical measure will be in effect until September 30th.

“Madison Fire Department has the expectation this burn ban will heighten the public’s awareness of the extreme fire conditions we are in,” said Chief Corey Child in a press release. “We are hopeful that following the restrictions outlined in this ban will lessen our chances of a large fire in Madison County. The current indices of low fuel moisture and low relative humidity indicate any fire started in Madison County has a high probability of resulting in a large fire.”

Understanding the Restrictions

During this temporary ban, all forms of open burning are prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to:

Campfires and bonfires

Burning of trash or debris

Agricultural burning

Use of fireworks

Violations of this temporary burn ban will be treated as a misdemeanor offense. Individuals found in violation will face fines ranging from $100 to $300, according to the release.

National Fire Preparedness Level Rises

The decision to implement this local ban aligns with a nationwide increase in fire activity. According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), the National Preparedness Level has been elevated to Level 3 out of 5. This escalation is a direct result of a significant surge in fire incidents across the country and increased competition for vital firefighting resources nationwide.

For more information, click HERE.

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$2.5 million CMHS donation match extended through August

KMIZ on August 1, 2025

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Central Missouri Humane Society announced in a Friday press release that its anonymous donor who is matching up to $2.5 million in donations has extended the match through the end of August.

Previous reporting says the money will be put toward its new campus it intends to build on a 17.5-acre property on East Brown School Road. It also states that CMHS does not receive funding from national humane organizations.

The total cost of the new building is estimated around $25 million.

The original donation match was announced for the month of July. A Friday press release says CMHS raised more than $277,000 last month from donors after the match was announced.

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Coachella Valley Rescue Mission issues food crisis as rising demand empties pantry

KESQ on August 1, 2025

Haley Meberg

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ)– The Coachella Valley Rescue Mission (CVRM) is calling out for community support for food donations following rising demand from “food insecure” families leaving CVRM’s food pantry depleted. 

The CVRM was founded in 1971 and distributes about 175 boxes of food to local families each Wednesday. CVRM reports that recently there has been an influx of families looking for support. 

“We have seen nearly a 200 percent increase in families coming to the Mission to pick up food boxes in recent weeks,” said Executive Director Amanda Galindo. 

Food donations can be brought directly to CVRM at 47470 Van Buren St in Indio.

CVRM is requesting pasta, spaghetti sauce, canned meat, mac n cheese, top ramen, canned vegetables, canned fruit, rice, beans, cookies, crackers, granola bars, snack packs, and hamburger helper. 

 CVRM provides food, clothing and safe shelter to anyone in need as well as help people end their cycle of homelessness through counseling, job training and job placement services. 

Financial contributions to their efforts can be made at CVRM.org 

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Peaceful Protest Sweeps Through Several Locations Including Santa Maria

KEYT on August 1, 2025

Jarrod Zinn

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Protesters marched in Santa Maria down Broadway this afternoon, and they were headed for the local Immigration and Customs Enforcement office.

A gathering in front of Santa Maria City Hall started small and grew to a large swell at noon, as local residents joined Indivisible’s “La Marcha de la Puebla: Heroes Not Villains” protest.

A youth-lead organization called ‘La Cultura Del Mundo’ organized the gathering, and they reminded people to keep it peaceful.

“We have at least 150 individuals coming on busses for an event that they call the Freedom Rides,” says Cesar Vasquez, La Cultura Del Mundo’s founder.

According to the Pew Research Center, roughly one third of U.S. adults believe anyone residing in the U.S. illegally should be deported. About 16% believe no one should be deported. And the remaining 50% land somewhere on a wide spectrum between the two extremes.

“Our goal is to bring people together,” says Vasquez. “Conservatives are saying they don’t agree with how people are being taken. Our stance is that no one should be taken.”

Once buses arrived from Paso Robles, Atascadero, and San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria residents joined them for a rally in front of the Civic Center along Broadway.

Organizers say they had strict regulations for their protesters’ signs for this rally.

“We had fliers that said that ICE agents were Nazis and fascists, and we decided to not bring those out today because the second that we lead a movement with hate, we are the oppressors,” says Vasquez. “We have to live in a world where no one is oppressed, where everyone really bleeds red and where everyone feels the same.”

After the rally at city hall, they marched down Broadway headed for Santa Maria’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement office, but it was closed for the day.

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Long-awaited new Santa Maria DMV office opens

KEYT on August 1, 2025

Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – After many years of waiting, the City of Santa Maria finally has a brand new Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office.

At 8 a.m. Friday morning, the spacious 13,500 square foot building located at 2850 Santa Maria Way opened its doors for the first time.

Waiting outside was a long line of people who were eager to come inside and see the modern facility that has replaced a much smaller and antiquated building that has been in operation since 1969.

“This is amazing,” said Lori Martinez of Santa Maria who among the first customers inside the new office. “I really love this new DMV. It’s much bigger. The wait time, I was here less than five minutes. I’m really happy and excited. I live close by, so it’s really convenient for me.”

In addition to its state-of-the-art operations inside, as well as greater parking capacity outside, DMV noted the new building also includes solar panels and is Zero Net Energy, meaning it will produce as much energy as it uses, and meets all current California building and green energy codes to help reduce the department’s carbon footprint.

The former DMV building was located in the heart of the downtown area at 523 South McClelland Street and was just 4,387 square feet in size.

The new building is three times the size of the old site and was built specifically to serve the growing needs of the Santa Maria and nearby communities.

“It’s beautiful,” said Edward Gonzales of Santa Maria. “The old DMV was a little bit too small for the population of Santa Maria, so this is a a big improvement. I think it should have came years earlier, but still, I think we’re patient here, so this is beautiful for the first day.” 

According to the DMV, funding for the acquisition phase of the new office was approved in the 2015-16 fiscal year and the land acquisition was completed in October 2017.

DMV Public Information Officer Ronald Ongtoaboc added that various issues, including COVID-19, delayed planning and construction for some time.

Construction started in September 2023 and just finished up allowing for Friday’s grand opening.

As for the old site, Ongtoaboc said the DMV plans to add the old office property to the real estate surplus property list managed by the California Department of General Services (DGS).

Santa Maria Public Information Manager Mark van de Kamp said the City of Santa Maria may be potentially interested in acquiring the property, but did not elaborate further.

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Quick action saves homes, wheat fields from Blackfoot shed fire

KIFI on August 1, 2025

Seth Ratliff

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) — Quick thinking and a rapid response from local fire departments yesterday prevented a fast-moving fire north of Highway 91 from engulfing a home, a trailer, and surrounding wheat fields. The blaze, which began around 2:00 PM on Wednesday, July 31st, started in a shed near the property and quickly spread to multiple vehicles, additional outbuildings, and open fields, severely threatening nearby residences, according to a Facebook post by the Blackfoot Fire Department.

The Blackfoot and Firth Fire Departments, along with off-duty and volunteer personnel, launched a “multi-pronged attack” that ultimately saved the main structures and the wheat fields on both sides of the property. This success came despite significant challenges, including personnel shortages and extreme weather conditions with temperatures soaring to 95 degrees and strong winds fueling the flames, according to the post.

While the incident resulted in a “best-case outcome,” the Blackfoot Fire Department highlighted a critical issue: the fire exhausted all on-shift resources. This created a significant 20-minute gap in emergency coverage for the area until off-duty and volunteer firefighters could arrive at the station and staff additional trucks, according to the post.

“As our city and county continue to grow, this is becoming an increasingly frequent situation,” states the post. “This indicates the need for a continual evaluation and adaptation of our emergency resources so that we can continue to provide the same level of service to the citizens we serve.”

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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Oregon’s ’30 Bigs in 30 Days’ aims to recruit urgently needed mentors for boys

KTVZ on August 1, 2025

Barney Lerten

Bend, OR, August 1, 2025- This August, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Oregon, a program of J Bar J Youth Services, is calling on men across Central Oregon to step up and make a difference in a child’s life.

With over 70 boys currently waiting for a Big Brother, Big Brothers Big Sisters – a 21 Cares for Kids partner – has launched a bold campaign to recruit 30 Big Brothers in 30 days.

Here’s Kelsey Merson’s recent ‘Making a Difference” spotlight on the organization.

Here’s the rest of their announcement

The need is urgent—boys on our waitlist often wait months, and sometimes more than a year longer than girls, simply because there aren’t enough male mentors.

“This is a critical time for the boys on our waitlist,” said Jenn Davis, Program Director of BBBSCO. “They’re waiting for someone to show up, believe in them, and help ignite their potential. We’re asking local men to be that someone.”

Big Brothers are matched with youth (Littles) ages 6–17 who benefit from positive, consistent mentorship. Big Brothers Big Sisters offers unmatched support to volunteers, including access to their 20+ acre campus, where Bigs and Littles can shoot hoops, play board games, cook together, do homework, or just hang out and talk all while having the support of staff.

Mentors receive guidance, activity ideas, and ongoing coaching from dedicated staff to ensure every match is safe, supported, and meaningful. All it takes is a few hours a month to make a lifelong difference.

Be the reason a boy stops waiting. Become a Big Brother today.To learn more or get started, visit www.bbbsco.org or contact us at info@bbbsco.org.

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About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Oregon 

A program of J Bar J Youth Services, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Oregon was founded in 1994. The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Oregon is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. BBBSCO serves over 220 youth annually and continues to grow programming. We are committed to serving at-risk youth and youth facing adversity with mentors in our community.  

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