As temperatures heat up again, Central Oregon officials say recent rain did little to ease wildfire danger

KTVZ on August 21, 2025

Barney Lerten

UPDATE: Adding video

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Recent rain showers across Central Oregon have provided short-term relief, but fuels remain dry and the risk of wildfire is high as hotter temperatures return, officials said Wednesday.

Here’s their update on our fire danger situation:

Hot summer temperatures quickly dry out grasses, brush, and timber, leaving conditions primed for fire.

Central Oregon public lands remain under Stage 1 Public Use Fire Restrictions, which prohibit open fires, including wood stoves and charcoal briquettes, except within designated, developed campgrounds. Under Stage 1 restrictions, the use of internal combustion engines, including chainsaws, is prohibited between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m.

For a full list of designated campgrounds where campfires are permitted and details on fire restrictions, visit centraloregonfire.org/fire-restrictions.   

In addition, the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Central Oregon Forest Protection District is currently under Regulated Closure. These restrictions apply to private, state, and county forestlands protected by ODF and include limits on fires, smoking, and equipment use. For more information, visit ODF’s website or contact a local ODF office for the latest information on restrictions.

Firefighters continue to respond quickly to new starts. With peak fire season underway, any spark has the potential to grow rapidly and threaten communities, firefighters, and natural resources.

The public plays a critical role in reducing wildfire risk. Please do your part: know and follow fire restrictions, never leave a campfire unattended, and call 9-1-1 immediately if you see smoke.

Visit the official source for wildfire information in Central Oregon at centraloregonfire.org for wildfire updates or follow fire information on X/Twitter @CentralORfire. Call 9-1-1 to report a wildfire. For smoke and air quality information visit fire.airnow.gov.

Click here to follow the original article.

California Redistricting Proposals Draw Interest from Local Voters

KEYT on August 21, 2025

Tracy Lehr

VENTURA, Calif. – Residents had the chance to see the proposed congressional maps up close Wednesday night at the Foster Library in Ventura, where a staffer from Congressman Salud Carbajal’s office hosted a public viewing.

The event coincided with the local Democratic Club’s monthly meeting and followed by one day a hearing of the Senate Standing Committee on Elections and Constitutional Amendments in Sacramento.

Voters will decide in November whether the state should undertake redistricting. Axios has reported that a majority of voters already support the idea.

Ventura County Democratic Party Chair Steven Auclair used the gathering to remind voters that the process can remain competitive.

“The map actually includes more minority-majority districts, stronger representation, and it could add up to five congressional districts,” Auclair said. “But again, they will just have to compete for those seats. Nobody’s getting wiped out. Those Republican incumbents will need to compete for voters, and again, it’s an open and transparent process.”

California’s proposal comes amid similar redistricting battles in Texas, where a new congressional map backed by President Trump and approved by the Texas House this week is expected to face legal challenges. Republicans hope changes in Texas will help protect the conservative majority in the U.S. House, while Democrats say Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposal is intended to preserve representation in California’s blue-leaning districts and counter mid-cycle GOP redraws elsewhere.

Under the proposed changes discussed Wednesday, Carbajal’s district would add Saticoy and unincorporated areas near Ventura that have seen population growth. Congresswoman Julia Brownley’s district would extend to include Calabasas, Woodland Hills, and portions of the Antelope Valley. Parts of Simi Valley and Moorpark would shift into Rep. Brad Sherman’s district.

The number of congressional representatives is based on population and is reapportioned each decade following the census. California’s current effort would be a mid-decade adjustment placed before voters, with supporters framing it as a limited response to out-of-state partisan changes and opponents warning it could weaken the state’s independent-mapping model.

Voter Saria Kraft, who invited O’Riley to speak at the Ventura event, urged participation in the fall election.

“I hope that people will vote on November 2 to embrace Governor Newsom’s concept, gaining different seats in this particular redistricting,” Kraft said.

Both Republicans and Democrats in California and Texas have accused the other party of gerrymandering, or manipulating district boundaries for political advantage. The term comes from Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry, who lent his name to the practice in the early 1800s.

The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.

Click here to follow the original article.

Rep. Cliff Bentz plans Sept. 8 ‘Tele-Town Hall’ for Central Oregon constituents

KTVZ on August 21, 2025

Barney Lerten

UPDATE: Adding video

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) – Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-2nd District, announced Wednesday that he will be hosting a Tele-Town Hall on Sept. 8 to hear from his constituents and to answer questions about what he is working on in Congress.

WHO: The Counties of Klamath, Deschutes, Crook, Jefferson, Wasco, and Sherman

WHAT: Tele-Town Hall with Congressman Cliff Bentz

WHEN: Monday, September 8th, 2025; 5:30 PM PT 

WHERE: Join the conversation at Bentz.house.gov/live .

NOTE: I look forward to answering your questions. 

Click here to follow the original article.

Monterey Bay FC helps volunteers for Rancho Cielo Veggie Box Fundraiser

KION on August 21, 2025

Jeanette Bent

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) — A Salinas nonprofit is wrapping up its annual fundraiser that aims to feed local families in need.

On Wednesday, Rancho Cielo Veggie Box Fundraiser got some helping hands from Monterey Bay FC!

The team helped Rancho Cielo box-up fresh produce for their 10th annual fundraiser.

“I mean, it’s amazing because I feel like sometimes in the food industry a lot of it goes to waste,” said Adrian Rebollar, Monterey Bay FC’s midfielder. “So, to be able to gather this and be able hand it out to people who probably could make good use of [the meals], is a really good thing.”

Volunteers getting out there bright and early before 8 a.m. and loading thousands of boxes up with brussel sprouts, cabbages, strawberries and more.

Rancho Cielo says the boxes are more than just healthy food; each item is a symbol of the region’s agricultural backbone.

The players were more than happy to do their part in assembling the 1,500 veggie boxes, picked up over the past two days.

Rancho Cielo says their goal is to reach 50,000 boxes, which will reach families who need them through other local nonprofits.

Click here to follow the original article.

More than 2,300 students enrolled at Fulton Public Schools; district has SRO for first full school year

KMIZ on August 21, 2025

Olivia Hayes

FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ)

Fulton Public School students were back in the classroom today to kick off the 2025 school year.

Safety is top of mind for the district, which has more than 2,300 students across its six schools. This will be the start of the district’s student resource officer’s first full year. Officer Mackenzie Elmore started in January, for the last half of the 2024-25 school year.

Fulton Police Chief Bill Ladwig told ABC 17 News the department wants to use their resource officer for problem prevention and problem resolution. He said Elmore will work for all six schools in the district and that she goes around to all of them each day.

Ladwig explained that per the police departments agreement with the school, Elmore cannot discipline the students, only school administrators. However, Elmore can assist and support the school administrators in their discussion.

Ladwig said during Elmore’s short time at the Fulton School District, she has transformed the role.

“It’s building those relationships with the kids, high-fiving them, being there, talking to them, whether it’s reading a book to a an elementary class, or helping explain a topic to a junior high or high school class,” Ladwig said.

FPS in a statement mirrored Ladwig’s words telling ABC 17 News, “We are committed to utilizing our SRO to continue to build positive relationships with our staff, students & families, helping to create a secure and supportive learning environment for our students.”

Click here to follow the original article.

Seaside to consider a new ordinance to restrict public space usage

KION on August 21, 2025

Katie Nicora

SEASIDE, Calif. (KION-TV) — The Seaside City Council is moving forward with the ordinance after some complaints during public comment. Speakers told the chamber about their worries of infringing on the rights of homeless people, who since a 2024 supreme court decision, have been facing more aggressive enforcement, including here on the central coast. Mayor Ian Ogelsby says that despite the concerns of the community, the ordinance doesn’t take away anyone’s rights or due process.

Other people in public comment brought up their own experiences of aggressive soliciting from homeless people, something addressed by the ordinance

Original Article: The City of Seaside is considering an ordinance that aims to make public spaces safer by setting new limits for the unhoused community. 

If approved, parking any vehicle on public property for the purpose of eating, sleeping, or resting would be prohibited from 9 p.m. until to 6 a.m.

Storing personal items within 200 feet of city property would also not be allowed.

Personal items could also be removed without prior warning if they’re deemed to be a biohazard.

Additionally, aggressive and unsafe solicitation would be prohibited on street medians, at ATMs and other similar areas. 

Click here to follow the original article.

Parents express mixed feelings about new CPS bus company

KMIZ on August 21, 2025

Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, MO. (KMIZ)

Some parents of students who attend Columbia Public Schools are not pleased with a new bus company the district rolled out, two days into the school year.

CPS debuted its new bus service, DS Bus Lines during its first day of school on Tuesday, after it signed a three-year contract in February. The new company’s buses have safety features including GPS tracking for parents to track the bus in real time, and cameras inside and outside the buses.

CPS said roughly 8,000 students are enrolled to take the bus. The deadline for late opt in is Wednesday, Sept. 3.

Steve Tubbesing is the grandfather to an 11- and 8-year-old who attend Jefferson Middle School and Ridgeway Elementary. According to Tubessing, the two have to take two buses to get to their school everyday. On Monday afternoon, he said the two were dropped off at a stop about 16 miles away from their actual bus stop– near Mount Zion Road.

“I guess the main thing is on what planet is it OK to let a 12-year-old and an 8-year-old off of the school bus if it isn’t their stop? I honestly don’t know what the bus driver was thinking,” Tubessing said.

Tubessing said his son-in-law frantically reached out to the bus company multiple times trying to find out where his children were, but couldn’t get anyone to answer the phone. He used a “ping” on his daughter’s cellphone to find them and pick them up.

“Thank god my son-in-law had find my phone app on his phone so he could find her phone,” Tubessing said. “You know, everybody’s scrambling to try and find where they’re at so that nothing happens to them….it was just a nightmare.”

Tubessing said his 8-year-old granddaughter was also left at Benton Elementary School, instead of Ridgeway Elementary, the school she attends.

Tubessing said his son-in-law reached out to CPS regarding the incident. An email ABC 17 News obtained shows the district said DS Bus Lines launched an investigation into the complaint and requested the video footage. The district also said it is working on strengthening communication.

CPS spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark told ABC 17 News via email that the district cannot comment on individual student information. She said anytime there are route issues, CPS investigates it and works to address it. Baumstark said CPS asks for patience while they work through the new company.

“We had a good start yesterday and again this morning. We did have a couple of buses that were running behind in the afternoon yesterday. We’re working today to make some adjustments to improve the timing for those routes.  We’ll continue to improve over the next several days,” Baumstark said.

After all of the late requests for transportation are completed, CPS will be able to launch the family mobile app, Baumstark said. However, some parents are having opposite experiences with the new bus company.

Jordan Jones, the mother to a 12-year-old boy who attends Bethel Street Center said she contacted DS in a panic on Tuesday when her son didn’t get off the bus at his usual time, but was unable to get a hold of anyone.

“I need to be able to know where my child is and know that my child is safe,” Jones said. “The concern is over my child’s safety especially because now there’s this new Missouri law that students aren’t allowed to have their cell phones in the schools. Even if he had a cell phone which he doesn’t, he wouldn’t have been allowed to have it with him.”

Ivy Williams is the mother to a kindergartener and attends Rosetta Avenue. Williams said her experience has improved drastically compared to Student Transportation of America.

“I think in the morning they were maybe like two minutes late, in the afternoon, maybe about five minutes late. But, I kind of expect that because how are they gonna make it to me in like five, 10 minutes,” Williams said. “Last year, even for pick-up or drop-off they were anywhere between 30 minutes to 45 minutes late.”

ABC 17 News reached out to DS Bus Lines for comment.

Click here to follow the original article.

Big rig overturn shuts down all southbound lanes of Mount Hermon Road

KION on August 21, 2025

Jeanette Bent

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. (KION-TV) — A traffic alert for anyone driving through Scotts Valley: police asking people to avoid the intersection of Mount Hermon and Scotts Valley Drive.

A tractor trailer overturned after turning right from Scotts Valley Drive onto Mount Hermon Road, spilling its load of cement.

It happened shortly after 3 p.m. and overturning right outside of the the 76 Station.

Police say all lanes of Mount Hermon Road towards Highway 17 are shut down until further notice.

We are working to learn whether anyone was hurt. 

Click here to follow the original article.

Cole County deputies participate in active-shooter training at Lincoln University

KMIZ on August 21, 2025

Erika McGuire

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Cole County deputies on Wednesday took part in an active-shooter training session at Lincoln University, giving deputies a realistic scenario to prepare for the worst.

Inside an empty Perry Hall, about a dozen deputies practiced their response.

“So the training is about the response to an active shooter, we try to make it as realistic as possible whenever we show up on the scene. There’s chaos, so we try to train out staff to do the best they can to go in, make entry and eliminate the threat,” Cole County Sheriff John Wheeler said.

Wheeler said deputies undergo the training once a year, teaching them to not follow the normal human response in a crisis.

“If you try to make entry and you’re going in and there injured people laying down and they’re asking for help common sense says top and put bandages on or get them out of the building, but the first one in can’t do that, “Wheeler said. “They have to go directly to the threat and it’s hard, It not hard, but it’s training to make sure they understand that they have to go to the threat first and stop the killing,”

The training involves, fake weapons and volunteers that play victims and suspects giving officers the intensity of a real life shooting.

Cpl. Joey Matherne, of the Cole County Sheriff’s Office, said the training gives the best hands-on experience to be prepared. While the gunshots aren’t real, Matherne said the sound adds to the realism.

“Gunshots in the hallway like that, that’s not something you hear day-in and day-out. And you hear people explain active-shooter situations that have been in them, and what they perceive that sound to be. So to hear that is a good take away for us, to give you an idea of what to expect,” Matherne said.

Cpl. Meredith Friedman has been in law enforcement for years and said while the training can bring a mix of emotions, it’s crucial for deputies to perform under pressure.

“It does amp you up a little bit, it does give you a little bit of sense of anxiety and nerves and a little bit of pressure,” Friedman said. “Because there’s people watching and you’re going to be critiqued and all these things, a lot of it, it’s so important that we do these because then we fall back on all the trainings that we had,”

After each exercise, Wheeler said, deputies undergo a debrief to learn rom their mistakes.

“Its immediate action evaluation, so when they go through, they get two of the hour-and-a-half of training, classroom training,” Wheeler said. “Then they go through the scenarios, if they’re up there and they make and they need corrected they’ll get immediate correction on the spot,”

There is no law in place requiring officers to do a certain number of trainings each year. While Wheeler said more training a year is necessary, he said costs and time can be a challenge.

“It’s costing the citizens money because while if I have to pull somebody off the road to go to training, I got to cover that, so that maybe overtime for that individual work in the road,” Wheeler said. “So, realistically, do I think there should be more training? Absolutely, but fiduciary wise, you got to look at the finances on it,” Wheeler said.

Every deputy in the department who carries a weapon must undergo the training, Wheeler said, which involves about 60 deputies. Last Wednesday, one group completed the exercise, and another is scheduled for Aug. 30.

Deputies undergo the training once a year.

Click here to follow the original article.

In-Depth: How AI is changing curriculum as teachers use it to personalize learning, combat cheating

KESQ on August 21, 2025

Angela Chen

It is the dawn of artificial intelligence. And already — kids are using it in their daily lives. 

But educational policies and standards at large have not caught up to the dramatic rise of AI and how students are using it, whether for good or bad.

“In my math classes, people cheat with AI, and it’s really invasive in classroom,” said Olivia Aparicio, a senior at Rancho Mirage High School and the president of the Associated Student Body. 

She says the use of AI has become ubiquitous, a tool some students frequently abuse. 

“Students are so deep into AI use that they understand how to use it now and how to use it to their advantage,” said Aparicio. “They can get away with almost anything.” 

ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, Synthesia, Snapchat AI and so many more AI platforms offer a horizon of seemingly infinite possibilities.

We are in the Wild West when it comes to AI, with educators still trying to figure out the best way to incorporate  — and police it — in the classroom. 

Instructors are seeing heavier workloads and spending substantially more time now monitoring for cheating, according to a recent report, “Time for Class: Bridging Student and Faculty Perspectives on Digital Learning 202,” by education consulting firm Tyton Partners. 

AI has the capability to solve math problems while showing the work or construct entire essays while personalizing it to grade level ability. It can even incorporate grammar mistakes to mimic human error. 

Teachers say students started doing this years ago when ChatGPT debuted in 2022. 

Increased reliance on AI has been linked to an erosion in critical thinking skills, according to a study by Michael Gerlich at the Center for Strategic Corporate Foresight and Sustainability at SBS Swiss Business School. 

It’s something educators are trying to balance as they navigate the AI frontier.

At James Workman Middle school in Cathedral City, generative AI is already part of the curriculum. 

“We really have to teach kids the possibilities inherent in AI as a thought partner, rather than as something to offload the work to,”said Jessica Pack, a 6th grade teacher at James Workman. “And I think that students themselves have a desire and motivation to be good at something.”

In Jessica Pack’s 6th grade classroom, AI is used to motivate. On the day News Channel 3 came to interview Pack, kids were visualizing their future — literally, through the use of generative AI. Students wrote out what they wanted to be 15 years from now and then, used generative AI to create a photo of that future. Pack is one of the nation’s leading experts on AI in the K-12 classroom and a 2014 California Teacher of the Year. She says teachers have to adapt — or get left behind. 

“AI is here to stay, so I think it’s our responsibility as professionals to understand AI: how it works, tools that are most appropriate for the K-12 setting, and what the best practices and ethics are,” said Pack.

It seems it’s certainly here to stay. For students, AI is already ingrained in their lifestyles, as they use it to organize school work, navigate friend drama or to simply figure out what to eat.

“Some of my friends use AI to vent or personal problems,” said Aparicio. “I use it for recipes. Actually, I was home alone one day, and I didn’t know what to make for dinner, so I asked ChatCPT, “Hey, what can I make with these five ingredients? And it gives you a full on recipe.” 

“I definitely think that it is a good resource for learning. I think that they should use it for organization, skills programs, if they need any other small adjustments to their own work, but not to fully do their own,” said Sarabjeet Singh, a student at Desert Hot Springs High School.

It’s top of mind for our school districts.For the start of the 2025 school year, DSUSD already has an AI policy in place. PSUSD also has a written policy, slated for board approval on Tuesday, 08/26/2025. CVUSD plans to take an AI policy to its board for approval on 9/11/2025.

These policies emphasize using AI as a teammate, rather than a replacement for critical thinking. DSUSD’s policy also discourages against using AI writing detector sites, considering them unreliable and biased against English language learners. But the CEO of Copyleaks, an AI detection company, says AI can often do what humans can’t. 

“We’re an AI company ourselves, and what our AI models are able to do is really to identify all these different factors that AI is is using or writing in a different way, and really identify and distinguish them between how humans are writing,” said Alon yamin, the CEO and co-founder of Copyleaks. “So we can think about average length of a sentence. We can think about how often you use punctuation. We can think about different phrases that you’re using, and we found that  is using specific phrases in completely different frequency, like versus an average person. So AI just writes in a different way, but it’s something that is visible to other AI models, and less so to humans. You could say that it’s AI fighting AI.”

So what is the best way to approach AI? Is AI better at recognizing its own handiwork — or can we only count on humans to do the job?

This is the start of a new technological era, and while we figure out how to fit AI into our lives, AI is advancing every day at a rapid pace — one that education at large in the U.S. has yet to catch up to. 

“We’re in a marathon of the advent of AI,” said Pack. “And if it’s 26 miles long, we’re really still in mile one.”

Click here to follow the original article.