Switzerland and Colorado become state partners

KRDO on September 15, 2025

Celeste Springer

STATEWIDE, Colo. (KRDO) — The governor’s office announced on Monday that Switzerland and Colorado have become state partners.

According to a release, the partnership between the Swiss Confederation and Colorado National Guard falls under the National Guard State Partnership Program.

“Our National Guard members play such an important role in protecting our state at home and supporting our partners abroad. I’m excited by this new partnership and our ability to support one another in strengthening key capabilities and security, as well as to build closer ties between Switzerland and Colorado,” said Governor Jared Polis in a release.

According to the release, Colorado and Switzerland share similar geography and demographics. The Colorado National Guard (CONG) and the Swiss Armed Forces also share common expertise in air defense and mountain operations, according to officials.

“The Colorado National Guard is proud to partner with the Swiss Confederation,” said the Adjutant General of Colorado, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Laura Clellan. “This new SPP partnership strategically aligns with Switzerland’s defense priorities and advances key U.S. national security objectives in Europe.”

Officials say the partnership is a “cost-effective and key U.S. security cooperation tool.”

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SEE International Expands Free Eye Care to Carpinteria Families

KEYT on September 15, 2025

Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Lady Rodriguez receives her eye exams for free at SEE International’s Santa Barbara clinic.

“If it weren’t for See, I probably would not have glasses I wouldn’t be able to afford my glasses,” said Rodriguez.

Now, SEE International is expanding its Free Vision Care Program to help families in Carpinteria access essential eye treatment.

“It’s a big agricultural community. And so we saw a meet there and we’re really focusing there right now,” said director of local and domestic programs Anisha Verdialez of SEE International.

Nearly half of the patients are children.

So the team is enhancing its Mobile clinics to help residents get care in a safe, welcoming setting.

“To be able to provide the commune with our service, free of cost to be able to access it in a timely manner would be so beneficial for the community,” said Verdialez.

The SEE Vision Care team hopes anyone in need of their services will reach out anytime.

“If they have questions … primarily Spanish-speaking … affluent staff here … and so we’re here to truly just provide the care necessary and educate the community on the importance of eye care,” said vice president of programs Arianna Castellanos of SEE International.

The expansion will allow more Carpinteria residents to get eye exams and treatment when they need it most.

For Lopez, that means she can continue getting the care she depends on — and finally see a brighter future.

The program is supported by a $110,000 grant from the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara, which will help meet high demand and expand access to care for low-income households across the south county.

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Pismo Beach Business Owners Speak Out Against City’s Aggressive Ordinance Enforcement

KEYT on September 15, 2025

Jarrod Zinn

PISMO BEACH, Calif. (KEYT) – Business property owners in Pismo Beach are raising their voices against recent aggressive enforcement of licensing ordinances, which they disagree with.

They seek an update to the ordinance.

Last year the city’s leadership hired the services of an auditing agency to begin collecting business license taxes.

Before they entered the picture, the city clerk always collected business taxes.

“The city has begun attempting to enforce an outdated and archaic business license ordinance,” says Mark Burnes, a property management servicer.

Local business property owners say a municipal code from 1987 is being cited for recent enforcement letters sent by third-party auditing company, H.D.L.

“The ordinance itself was from 1946,” says Burnes. “And the 1987 update specifically excluded a number of the paragraphs and sub chapters in the ordinance that they are attempting to enforce now.”

These letters contain aggressive and threatening messages of non-compliance, guilt of misdemeanors, even arrests and jail time for not paying business license taxes, some of which the city has never required before.

“They’ve never in all these years never come after landlords,” says Burnes. “We now know why because they repealed that part of the ordinance. So the staff is either unaware of that or they are willfully trying to circumvent it.”

Some property owners say they pay property taxes, their business tenants pay for their own business licenses and the city has never required the landlords to pay any kind of underlying business tax, but now suddenly they are.

“Our business code is very clear that any business activity that is transacted in the city requires a business license,” says Pismo Beach city manager Jorge Garcia. “So the rent is an underlying business. There is revenue that is exchanged from one entity into another.”

City manager Jorge Garcia acknowledged the issues with language used by H.D.L., but maintains the city’s position that commercial landlords need business licenses.

“The letters that were sent out by HDL were standard letters that H.D.L. sends out to other communities,” says Garcia. “Might have been a little too heavy handed. When we heard that feedback from our businesses, we immediately reached out to H.D.L., had them stop that practice. We continue to engage and we want to have that dialog. We want to have a civil discussion on how we can work together to make sure that we have it right here For Pismo Beach.”

Property owners say they thought they were getting a public hearing at Pismo Beach’s upcoming city council meeting Tuesday night, but the subject is on the agenda as a business item, which will only be discussion, and no action will be taken.

Property owners and business owners plan to attend tomorrow night’s meeting, hoping to change it to a public hearing.

City manager Jorge Garcia says there will be public comment at the meeting.

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Redmond 7-Eleven installs temporary door as they look to reopen after suspected DUII driver slams into storefront

KTVZ on September 15, 2025

Harley Coldiron

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Redmond 7-Eleven has installed a temporary door as it begins rebuilding its storefront, after a Bend driver suspected of DUII crashed into the building just before midnight Sunday. The store remains closed while crews construct a safe entrance for customers.

Redmond Police Lt. April Huey said the 42-year-old Bend man was cited and released on a charge of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. In most DUII cases, suspects are released to a sober adult; if no one is available, they are lodged in jail.

She added that the extent of damage caused in a DUII typically does not determine whether a suspect is released or booked into jail.

No injuries were reported; however, the store was closed when KTVZ News visited the scene on Monday afternoon. Construction workers said they are working to build a temporary entrance for customers, but currently, there is no estimated time of completion. The store and the entire parking lot are closed to the public.

The 7-Eleven is the only one in Redmond and is heavily frequented by residents.

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Man accused of killing his girlfriend near Senator Wash appears in court

KYMA on September 15, 2025

Karina Bazarte

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – The man accused of killing his girlfriend near Senator Wash in Imperial County appeared in court Monday.

56-year-old James Hill, who was extradited to Imperial County last week, was in court to be arraigned in the murder of 34-year-old September Lee Weisinger.

During the court appearance, it was determined that Weisinger’s cause of death was smoke inhalation, with the judge saying she was still alive when she burned to death.

The Imperial County District Attorney’s Office wanted no bail for Hill due to him being a flight risk, but Hill’s attorney said he’s not a flight risk nor a threat to the community because he doesn’t have any priors and he’s a military Veteran.

However, it was revealed that there was some type of domestic violence between Hill and Weisinger.

After the court hearing, we spoke with one of Hill’s friends, Melanie Morris, who came in support.

“He is a good person. He always helping people no one had a bad word to say about him ever…that is all I ever seen him do is help people. People call him when they need to help pull out of the sand when they are stuck he is always helping people all around,” Morris expressed.

She says the suspect cared for the victim and wants to encourage anyone who may have information about this case to come forward.

“Anyone out there that believes in James like we do, step up, tell somebody…let them know,” said Morris.

Hill has a bond of $2 million.

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Yuma Union High School District retains staff at high percentage

KYMA on September 15, 2025

Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Union High School District (YUHSD) continues to keep its staff in-house at historic rates.

The local high school district kept 87.9% of their certified staff, and 86.9% of their teachers.

This is the third consecutive year of the district maintaining a historic teacher-retention rate.

They explain how keeping staff helps their students.

“I think when students see teachers returning, it’s a moral boost again that we can’t even really quantify, but it’s just something that’s so important that continuity in education, whether it comes to classroom management, system knowledge or just moral,” said YUHSD Chief Communications Officer Eric Patten.

The district believes a number of factors could have contributed to this retention number.

This includes a 47% increase in salary since 2017, along with the “Credentialing and Retaining Educators Program.”

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Del Sol to open new location in Yuma Foothills

KYMA on September 15, 2025

Marcos Icahuate

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A local grocery store chain will be opening another location.

The location for the new Del Sol will be at 11737 S. Foothills Boulevard, and its grand opening will be on September 26, 2025, starting at 7 a.m.

Del Sol has been operating for over 40 years, providing fresh, quality groceries and serving authentic Mexican food with their in-store restaurant.

“We are so grateful for the support and loyalty this community has shown us over the years,” said Vice President Andres Salcido. “The new Foothills store reflects our ongoing commitment to the families and communities we serve. We are looking forward to sharing our authentic Mexican food, fresh tortillas, high quality produce and meat, beautiful flower arrangements, and bright and lively decor for many years to come.”

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Program to pare down ambulance workloads countywide starts Wednesday

KESQ on September 15, 2025

City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Beginning Wednesday, Riverside County residents who call 911 with medical needs that may not warrant a trip to the hospital will be directed to healthcare professionals available 24 hours a day for phone consultations intended to reduce the burden on ambulance services countywide.

The “911 Nurse Navigation” program is slated to go live, with round-the-clock availability, under the supervision of the county’s Emergency Management Department.   

“As the county’s Emergency Medical Services Agency, we continually strive toward improving access to care and ensuring a robust EMS system,” agency spokesman Dan Bates said. “Launching the 911 Nurse Navigation service ensures our residents receive the most appropriate level of service, while helping offset some of the emergency response call volume that may not be life-threatening.”  

The Board of Supervisors in January 2022 established a committee to examine options for reducing the strain on ambulance services, mostly in reaction to worsening “patient offload” times at then overwhelmed medical center emergency rooms. The following year, the county entered into a contract with Pasadena-based Tele911 Inc. to develop protocols for managing sub-acute patients who may not merit emergency medical treatment, but rather benefit from virtual consultations or other alternate treatment regimens.  

The 911 Nurse Navigation program is the latest option, resulting from a partnership between the county and Global Medical Response, owner of American Medical Response, or AMR, which dispatches ambulances under a county contract.   

“EMS dispatch agencies who utilize 911 Nurse Navigation will … (guide) callers to the appropriate level of care (so) we can minimize unnecessary ER visits, shorten wait times and offer better healthcare optionsfor low-acuity 911 calls,” Bates said. “This initiative will enhance the efficiency of our emergency services and ensure that residents obtain timely and appropriate medical attention.”  

Similar programs are active in more than 30 communities across 14 states, according to the EMD.

The system relies on a screening process utilized by trained Riverside County Fire Department 911 dispatchers, who determine when callers may be routed to “nurse navigators (following) physician protocols to ensure callers receive direction to the most appropriate level of care,” the EMD stated.

“The screening system directs callers to the right care at the right time … enhancing outcomes while optimizing costs,” the agency said. “Depending on the caller’s unique needs, a nurse navigator may schedule an appointment at an appropriate health center, or facilitate a real-time virtual consult with a physician.”  

The main goal is to free up fire paramedics and ambulance crews, preserving them for “high-priority emergencies,” instead of tying them up with “calls that don’t need an emergency medical services response,” the EMD said.   

Estimates showed communities relying on 911 Nurse Navigation last year collectively saved $21 million by reducing deployments of emergency medical resources.

No draw on General Fund dollars was identified under the new program, about which more information is available at https://rivcoready.org/911Nurse.

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South County businessman joins race for SLO County District 4 Supervisor

KEYT on September 15, 2025

Dave Alley

ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (KEYT) – The race for San Luis Obispo County District 4 Supervisor now has a third candidate.

On Monday, South County businessman Tyler Brewer officially announced his candidacy to run for the office that represents Nipomo, Arroyo Grande, Oceano, Huasna, Edna Valley, California Valley and other unincorporated portions of South San Luis Obispo County.

Brewer joins two other candidates who have already announced their intent to run for the office, incumbent Jimmy Paulding and Oceano businessman Adam Verdin.

Brewer is the owner of Arroyo Grande-based Family Paralegal Associates, a business that provides individuals, families, and small business owners with a wide range of legal document preparation services.

“Our district deserves leadership that listens, leadership that acts, and leadership that puts people before politics,” Brewer said in a release. “As the owner of Family Paralegal Associates, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges families face navigating complicated systems. I’m running to make government work better for the people it’s meant to serve.”

According to Brewer’s campaign website, his priorities include fiscal responsibility, public safety, affordable housing, support for small businesses, and protecting the character of the Central Coast.

It also said Brewer will serve “independent of party insiders” if elected, and will focus on making county government more accessible, transparent, and responsive to the people it serves.

“I am not a politician whatsoever,” said Brewer in an interview Monday. “I believe in working for the public, working for the people, and giving the people that don’t have a voice, a voice. I think that’s what the district four needs is someone that’s willing to work for the people and not someone that is just out there to get votes or to work for their party or to try to get funding for themself for their political campaign. It’s very important that people are represented and the people’s interests are represented.”

Voting for the seat will be held during the Primary Election on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.

According to the San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder Office, which handles elections, the end of the filing period is in December, so additional candidates may later enter the race.

A candidate will need to capture a majority of votes in June to win the election. If not, a runoff will take place during the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.

Whoever wins the race will be sworn in early January 2027.

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Hayden Homes chosen for new 262-acre SE Bend development with focus on affordable housing for educators

KTVZ on September 15, 2025

Gregory Deffenbaugh

(Update: adding video, adding information on project, statements from Hayden Homes representative)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — In southeast Bend, a major development is moving forward on what’s known as the Stevens Road Tract. It’s more than 260 acres of land near 27th Street and Reed Market Road, and it won’t be vacant much longer.

The property was offered for sale more than a year ago. Now, it’s set to become a new neighborhood — Hayden Homes has been selected to purchase the land and lead its development.

KTVZ News received a written statement from Deb Flagan, Vice President of Community Engagement for Hayden Homes, about what the project and opportunity means to their company. 

“As a private homebuilder founded and based in Central Oregon, we are grateful for the opportunity to produce much-needed housing in our region. When we provide more Central Oregonians with the opportunity to own their own home, we are contributing to local economic development and helping to build a strong community,” said Flagan.

Plans call for roughly 2,500 homes, including market-rate units and 20 acres of deed-restricted affordable and workforce housing. Many of those homes will prioritize local educators and school staff. 

Hayden Homes’ nonprofit, First Story, offers zero-down, zero-interest mortgages for eligible households. Educators already make up about 15% of First Story families. 

The neighborhood will feature parks, walking and biking paths, and transit connections. 

This project sits adjacent to the Stevens Ranch development, which sold in 2020. Together, the two properties total more than 600 acres of new housing and infrastructure in southeast Bend. 

Beyond local impact, Flagan notes, “The Stevens Road Tract sale is a landmark example of the transformative potential of land use and public-private partnerships. The proceeds of the sale will go to the Common Schools Fund, which in turn helps to fund public schools across our state.”

With Bend projected to need more than 33,000 new homes over the next 20 years, the Stevens Road Tract represents a significant step toward meeting the city’s housing needs — for educators, families, and working Oregonians alike.

Earlier story — BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — September 11th — The Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) has selected Hayden Homes, a homebuilder based in Redmond, Oregon, to purchase and develop the Stevens Road Tract, a 260-acre property located in southeast Bend. The project, guided by the requirements of House Bill 3318 (2021), will bring a new neighborhood to the area and help meet the increasing demand for housing in Bend.

Located near 27th Street and Reed Market Road, the Stevens Road Tract will be transformed into a community featuring approximately 2,500 residential units. The development will prioritize long-term housing affordability with 20 acres of deed-restricted affordable and workforce units for both rent and homeownership. A significant portion of these homes will be reserved for local educators and other school district employees. Additionally, the development will include market-rate housing, parks, and transportation options that support walking, biking, and public transit.

Once the sale is finalized, the proceeds will be deposited into Oregon’s Common School Fund, which distributes earnings to public school districts across the state each year.

“The Stevens Road Tract reflects what is possible when state lands are managed with both purpose and vision,” said Kaitlin Lovell, director of the Oregon Department of State Lands. “This sale will support Oregon’s public schools through the Common School Fund and help address a critical need for affordable housing in one of our state’s fastest-growing communities. It is especially meaningful that educators, those who dedicate their lives to our children’s futures, will be among those who benefit most.”

Hayden Homes is recognized for its commitment to providing affordable housing for working families. The company’s nonprofit arm, First Story, offers zero-down, zero-interest home loans to qualifying buyers, including educators and first-time homeowners.

“Hayden Homes is honored to be selected for this innovative housing project,” said Steve Klingman, president of Hayden Homes. “Stevens Road Tract will impact generations of Oregonians not only by providing attainable homeownership and long-term housing affordability in Bend, but also through an investment in public schools statewide. Our local educators are hometown heroes who are instrumental in building a strong community. Hayden Homes is proud of our longstanding commitment to building homes priced for educators and other hardworking Oregonians.” 

The sale of the property is being managed by Cushman & Wakefield, which also represented the state in the successful sale of the adjacent Stevens Ranch property in 2020. Together, the two developments will add more than 600 acres of planned housing and community infrastructure to southeast Bend.

Note: The information in this article was provided by the Oregon Department of State Lands

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