Rep. Cliff Bentz holds second tele-town hall since announcing he won’t be holding any in-person events

KTVZ on September 17, 2025

Spencer Sacks

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) —   Representative Cliff Bentz, R-Ore., held his second of two previously announced town halls on Wednesday evening.

During the town hall, he spoke about rural hospitals, rural schools and wolves. Additionally, the congressman was asked about timber and wildfires 

Bentz said: “This situation is becoming more and more difficult because the more fuel that we have in the woods, the more dangerous the fires are and the more difficult it is to put them out, and the more difficult it is to find anybody that wants to sell insurance to people who have homes anywhere in the neighborhood of a forest. And so these kinds of problems can only be addressed by reducing the amount of wood in the forest.”

Representative Bentz also took a question about nuclear power.

He said: “I support nuclear, completely. The question has always been with nuclear. How do we how do we ever actually get any of it in Oregon, any generation, when the Constitution years ago was amended to prohibit it? So the first thing that would have to happen in Oregon to make it happen is to change the constitution. and I think there’s some enthusiasm for doing so. I hope there is, because nuclear reactors, small nuclear reactors, I think are the future

The congressman was also asked by a constituent about the Jeffery Epstein investigation. 

 He reiterated his remarks from last week’s town-hall, saying that he supports Representative James Comer and the house oversight’s committee’s investigation, rather than Representative Thomas Massie’s discharge petition.

This town hall wrapped up the two he had scheduled after previously announcing that he will no longer be holding in person town halls due to the protests and disruptions that have taken place before.

Representative Bentz also shared some remarks about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, condemning the assassin.

   

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LDS Church donates 40,000 pounds of food to Pocatello pantries and schools

KIFI on September 17, 2025

Curtis Jackson

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stocked the shelves of Pocatello food pantries on Wednesday with a considerable donation.

The LDS church donated over 40,000 pounds of food to several organizations, including the school district, the Idaho Food Bank, and Idaho State University’s Benny’s Pantry.

Service leaders say they put in for the order from the church’s headquarters in Salt Lake City.

And the food was transported to Southeast Idaho to feed the hungry wherever they find help in Pocatello.

“Our local food agencies and food pantries and churches, schools all provide opportunities to help someone,” said Sherri Matson, Communication Director for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “And by being able to share in this with them, they’re able to help others and be able to take care of those that really need it. They do incredible work in our community, and so it’s just a blessing to be able to support them.”

Each organization was given an allotment of items like peanut butter, pasta, and milk based on their needs.

The LDS church provided donations to 13 different Pocatello area non-profits, schools, and churches.

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Planning to check out Colorado’s Fall colors? Here are the rules officials say you need to follow

KRDO on September 17, 2025

Celeste Springer

STATEWIDE, Colo. (KRDO) — Colorado is entering into arguably one of its most photogenic times of the year, as leaves turn from green to vibrant shades of yellow, orange, and red.

Visitors are expected to flow into popular “leaf-peeping” destinations, hoping to get the perfect photo among seas of Aspen treetops.

But while a photo is forever, so is damage to the local environment.

“While shortcuts for the perfect selfie can be tempting, staying on the trail will decrease your risk of injury and protect trailside plants and local wildlife,” read a release from CPW.

CPW also asks that you “leaf” it as you found it; only park in designated areas, as driving over some areas can damage vegetation. Officials ask that you not carve names into trees, pull down branches, or move rocks.

Park rangers want to remind visitors that they will issue tickets or tow cars parked illegally. Planning ahead can help prevent issues. You can check out their Colorado State Parks Guide by clicking here. Additionally, extensive park information can be found here.

Meanwhile, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) asks that you keep the following things in mind while adventuring:

Be aware of vehicles traveling at lower speeds

Watch for vehicles pulling off the roadway or parked along the road

Find safe, designated areas to park

Be aware of pedestrians outside of their cars to take photos

For pedestrians, watch out for passing vehicles

While you explore the fall colors, if you catch a great photo, it could land you a prize.

Click here to submit your photo in KRDO13’s Fall Colors competition to win up to $1,500 in prizes.

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Highway 242 closure continues near Foley Ridge Fire; Level 2 (Be Set) evacuation notices issued in Lane County

KTVZ on September 17, 2025

KTVZ

McKENZIE BRIDGE, Ore. (KTVZ) — More than 350 firefighters continued Tuesday to battle the 437-acre Foley Ridge Fire on the Willamette National Forest east of McKenzie Bridge. A 21-mile stretch of Highway 242 remained closed and the Lane County Sheriff’s Office has issued Level 2 (BE SET) evacuation alerts in the area.

Here is Tuesday’s daily update from fire officials:

Start Date: 09/06/2025

Percent Containment: 0%

Size: 437 Acres

Cause: Lightning

Personnel: 353

Full suppression efforts continue on the southern and eastern flanks of the Foley Ridge Fire. Firefighters are actively engaged in securing the perimeter. Crews are patrolling and extinguishing hot spots along direct portions of handline and dozer line.

Increased activity was seen on the Western flank yesterday afternoon, crews were able to reinforce containment lines and secure the fires edge. Crews are still scouting and looking for any viable options for direct attack on the west flank of the fire.

On Highway 242, heavy equipment is conducting chipping operations, while engine crews lay hose to support containment. Due to these activities – and reduced visibility – a road closure is in effect from the Highway 126 junction to milepost 76.

Meanwhile, four helicopters are providing aerial support, performing water drops to cool the fire’s edge and slow its spread.

Strategic firing operations are taking place in small portions on the southern flank. These operations aim to eliminate ground fuels and create a buffer zone. This strategy employs a lower-intensity fire that can help secure the perimeter in terrain too hazardous for direct engagement. 

Evacuations- Lane County Sheriff has issued Level 2 (Get Set) evacuation notices for HWY 242, Yale Camp, White Branch Youth Camp, Alder Spring Campground, Scott Lake Campground, and private residences off HWY 242. For more information on evacuation status, please visit:  https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/3293a4e0f6c1432f9d5b4e27380609fa/page/Wildfire-Evacuations

Closures – Road closures include Foley Ridge Road (Forest Service Road 2643). Closed recreation sites include Rainbow Falls Trailhead and Separation Lake Trailhead. Foley Ridge Trailhead will be inaccessible due to the closure. For the complete Foley Ridge Fire closure order, including a map, visit our website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/willamette/alerts/foley-ridge-fire-closure-order.

Weather- Mostly sunny skies are forecast for the remainder of the week. Temperatures are consistent and a slight increase in relative humidity is expected. Winds will be light 3-5 mph, with potential gusts up to 15 mph.

McKenzie River Highway (HWY 242)- HWY 242 is closed until further notice from HWY 126 intersection to MP 76. Please use an alternate route and expect delays. Visit the Oregon Department of Transportation’s webpage for additional information https://tripcheck.com  

For more information, visit the incident website: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orwif-foley-ridge-fire.

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Rep. Reschke says he will introduce resolutions to memorialize Charlie Kirk, strengthen parental rights

KTVZ on September 17, 2025

KTVZ

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (KTVZ) — State Representative E. Werner Reschke, R-Klamath Falls, announced Tuesday two resolutions he will introduce during the legislative short session in 2026.

The first will be a resolution declaring October 14th as Charlie Kirk Day. The second resolution is a voter referendum to preserve parental rights in Oregon’s Constitution, Reschke said in a news release issued Tuesday, which you can read in full below:

“Creating strong families is a central them to both these resolutions. Without strong families, we cannot have strong communities, a strong state or strong nation. These resolutions acknowledge, strengthen and encourage the need for strong families.” 

“Charlie Kirk was a once-in-a-lifetime person of character, change and charisma. His focus on families, young adults, and his fearless approach to cultural and political issues was second to none. He exemplified how our political discourse should take place — peacefully and respectfully. He modeled how to live life to its fullest, positively impacting hundreds of millions of people around the world. We should honor such a man. Therefore during the short session I will introduce a resolution declaring October 14th, Charlie Kirk Day. This date was Charlie’s birthday.”

“I will also be reintroducing a resolution that ensures parents have a fundamental right to the upbringing, education and care for their children. In light of AB 495’s serious consideration in California’s legislature, Oregon parents need the protection of such a constitutional provision,” said Rep. Reschke.

The legislative “short session” will begin on February 2, 2026 and concludes no later than March 9, 2026. During the short session, each legislator is allowed to introduce two bills.

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2 Boonville men killed in head-on crash in Cooper County

KMIZ on September 17, 2025

Ryan Shiner

COOPER COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two men from Boonville were killed during a head-on collision Wednesday afternoon on Highway 87 in Cooper County, just outside of Boonville city limits, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The crash occurred near Hail Ridge Court on Highway 87, CCFPD Lt. William Johnson said.

The crash report says a Ford F-150 – driven by a 77-year-old man – was heading southbound on Highway 87 when a 2014 Ford Escape – driven by a 24-year-old man – crossed the centerline and hit it head-on.

Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene by the Cooper County coroner, the report says.

The bodies of both men were brought to Howard Funeral Home in Boonville, the report says. Neither driver wore a seatbelt, according to the report.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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Jury finds Winchester man guilty in Riverside County’s second fentanyl-related murder conviction

KESQ on September 17, 2025

City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A convicted drug dealer who supplied a deadly dose of fentanyl to a 30-year-old Temecula man was convicted today of murder. It is the second fentanyl-related murder conviction in Riverside County.

After deliberating less than a day, a Riverside jury on Wednesday found Quinn Aaron McKellips, 39, of Winchester guilty in the death of Calin Sender in 2020.

After more than a week of testimony, the prosecution and defense delivered closing arguments at the Riverside Hall of Justice Tuesday, after which Riverside County Superior Court Judge Steven Counelis sent jurors behind closed doors to begin weighing evidence. Deliberations lasted only a couple of hours Wednesday morning before a verdict was reached.   

Counelis did not immediately schedule a sentencing hearing. McKellips is being held without bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.   

According to an arrest warrant affidavit filed by sheriff’s Investigator Robert Cornett, Sender and McKellips were longtime acquaintances, and the latter sold different types of narcotics to the victim for months.   

In the predawn hours of Jan. 17, 2020, deputies and paramedics were called to Sender’s residence in the 44000 block of Festivo Street after the owner of the property, who had been renting him a room, discovered him dead on the floor, adjacent to a chest of drawers.

Cornett said deputies discovered two halves of fentanyl-laced M-30 pills, as well as two other whole pills and a dozen Xanax “bars,” in the room. An autopsy determined the cause of death was “acute fentanyl intoxication.”  

Detectives searched the victim’s mobile phone and uncovered a string of text messages between Sender and McKellips, including a communication in which the victim requested “supers” from the defendant. The reference meant Sender wanted a stronger M-30 pill, loaded with fentanyl, the affidavit said.

The investigation spanned over two years before the sheriff’s Overdose Investigations & Narcotics Unit compiled sufficient evidence to identify McKellips as the supplier of the fentanyl.  

During an interview with detectives, the convicted felon was asked about “supers,” and he insisted they were Suboxone, which is used to treat narcotic addiction, according to the affidavit. He further stated he himself had been a fentanyl user since 2018 and “whenever he would sell a pill to someone, he would tell them to `quarter’ it and only take that piece.”   

“He said he had lost four (acquaintances) to fentanyl,” the affidavit said.

McKellips was arrested without incident in September 2023.

Court records show he has prior convictions for possession of controlled substances for sale, being a narcotic addict in possession of a gun, transportation of controlled substances for sale and domestic violence.   

Since February 2021, county prosecutors have charged almost 40 people in connection with fentanyl poisonings.   

In November 2023, the D.A.’s office closed the books on the county’s first fentanyl murder case to go before a jury, culminating in the conviction of 34-year-old Vicente David Romero, who was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for the 2020 death of a Temecula woman.

Public health statistics indicated there were 349 known fentanyl-related fatalities countywide in 2024, compared to 579 in 2023, a 40% decline.   

Fentanyl is manufactured in overseas labs, principally in China, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which says the synthetic opioid is smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border by cartels.

Fentanyl is 80-100 times more potent than morphine and can be mixed into any number of street narcotics and prescription drugs, without a user knowing what he or she is consuming. Ingestion of only two milligrams can be fatal.

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Redmond traffic alert: Single-lane closure begins next week on Northwest Way, near new Wetlands Complex

KTVZ on September 17, 2025

Barney Lerten

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The City of Redmond will implement a single-lane, signalized closure on NW Northwest Way from Euston Lane to the new Redmond Wetlands Complex access at 5801 Northwest Way beginning next Monday, September 22, through mid-December.

The closure is necessary to install a 48-inch interceptor line linking the Wetlands Complex to the existing wastewater treatment plant in Dry Canyon, the city said in this week’s news release, which continues below:

Drivers should expect delays in the area and are encouraged to plan alternate routes when possible. Traffic control measures will be in place to ensure safety for both motorists and construction crews. Local access will be maintained for residents and businesses within the construction area.

The Redmond Wetlands Complex is a multi-year investment to expand wastewater treatment capacity while creating engineered wetlands that improve water quality, provide wildlife habitat, and offer community recreation opportunities. Construction began in summer 2025 and is expected to continue through fall 2027.

For more project information or to sign up for updates, visit www.redmondwetlandscomplex.com. If you have questions, please contact Project Engineer Julie Thiessen directly at 541-504-2016, or by email julie.thiessen@redmondoregon.gov.

Northwest Way Redmond mapDownload

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Here’s the NFL and College Football games airing on KTVZ News this week

KTVZ on September 17, 2025

KTVZ – News Team

KTVZ News is proud to air several of the top matchups in the NFL and College Football. Below is the latest schedule for this week, which includes Sunday Night Football on NBC.

Friday, September 19th:

KFXO/FOX:  

5:00 – 8:30p: Iowa @ Rutgers

Saturday, September 20th

KFXO/FOX- 

7:00-9:00a: Big Noon Kickoff (pregame talk show)

9:00a – 12:30p: Texas Tech @ Utah

12:30 – 4:00p: North Carolina @ UCF

4:00 – 4:30p: Fox College Football Extra (Football talk show)

4:30 – 8:00p: Arizona St. @ Baylor

8:00 -11:30p: Michigan St @ USC

KTVZ/NBC –

9:00a -12:30p: Maryland @ Wisconsin

12:30 – 4:00p: Purdue @ Notre Dame

4:00 – 4:30p: Big Ten Countdown (Pregame show)

4:30 – 7:59:30p: Illinois @ Indiana

Sunday, September 21st

KFXO/FOX – 

8:00 – 9:00a: Fox NFL Kickoff (pregame talk show)

9:00 – 10:00a: Fox NFL Sunday (pregame talk show)

10:00a-1:00p: Los Angeles Rams @ Philadelphia Eagles

1:00-4:30p: Arizona Cardinals @ San Fransico 49ers

4:30 – 5:00p: The OT (Postgame show)

KTVZ/NBC:

4:00-5:15p: Football night in America (pregame show)

5:15-8:30p: Kansas City Chief @ New York Giants

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74-year-old man dies in Howard County crash

KMIZ on September 17, 2025

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An elderly man was killed in a single-vehicle crash Wednesday on Highway 5 in Howard County, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report says a 74-year-old man from Glasgow, Missouri, drove a 2007 Ford F-150 northbound as it went off the right side of the road. The man overcorrected and the truck flipped while going off the left side of the road, the report says. The truck continued to overturn as it went off the left side of the road, according to the report.

The man was ejected from the truck and was pronounced dead at the scene, the report says.

The man was not wearing a seatbelt when he crashed and the vehicle was totaled, according to the report.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

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