Kelsey Merison
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Over the Labor Day holiday weekend, Bend Police arrested at least five people for DUII, including one who was involved in a crash.
So far this year, the department has arrested more than 355 people for DUII in the community.
It says there’s no excuse for driving while intoxicated, and to please do your part to keep the community safe by not getting behind the wheel if you’ve been drinking.
Kelsey Merison
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Bend Police Department is inviting you to Coffee with a Cop!
On Wednesday, October 1st from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Backporch Coffee Roasters on Greenwood Avenue in Bend, sit down with the department for a cup of joe, ask your questions, and hear what officers are doing to protect our community.
Kelsey Merison
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — As kids head back to school in Central Oregon, St. Charles has an important reminder: new drivers are hitting the roads and it’s important to stay safe and aware, so no one ends up in the hospital.
“Being a new driver is hard enough. The key thing is making it as safe as possible,” said Dr. Jon Roberts, a trauma surgeon at St. Charles. “If you’re tired, take a rest. Never drive while intoxicated. And please put your phone down to avoid that distraction. It’s not just your safety, but the safety of everyone around you.”
The Oregon Department of Transportation has more tips online for new drivers. Click here to read more.
And to all of the new drivers out there, congratulations–and stay safe!
Jalen Fong
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – One person is dead after a two-vehicle crash near the intersection of Avenue 7E and Highway 95 Tuesday morning.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) confirmed with KYMA that the crash occurred around 11 a.m. and involved a car and a motorcycle.
DPS says the motorcyclist is dead and that there were no other injuries.
The roadway is now open again.
We will bring you the latest updates on this report as soon as it is provided for us.
Karina Bazarte
IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – Plans to renovate the Imperial County Airport are in motion thanks to a new grant.
The Federal Aviation Administration gave the grants to 72 California airports, including Imperial County Airport.
The airport received almost $300,000 from the FAA.
The Imperial County Board of Supervisors says although this is just the first phase of enhancing the airport, they have several improvements in mind.
“Not only the airport portion where you have your air, the airstrip and the taxiways, but we also have a terminal. That is a bit dated, but we would like to upgrade our terminal area to include a nice lounge, maybe a café so we’d like to work on those improvements. Our parking lot needs some more done,” said Supervisor Peggy Price of the Imperial County Board of Supervisors District 3.
Supervisor Price says the planning phase will begin as soon as the County finds out when the funds arrive.
The Calexico International Airport also got a grant from the FAA.
Adrik Vargas
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Artificial intelligence (AI) has become part of daily life for many, but concerns are growing after a California teen’s death was linked to an AI chatbot.
Lawmakers in California are pushing a bill that would require chatbots to flag warning signs such as suicidal thoughts and connect users with real help.
The legislation aims to add safety measures as more people navigate how AI fits into their lives.
In Yuma, students and families are sharing how they use AI and what concerns them. Some local students say AI has helped them tackle stress and stay motivated.
Lia Rios, an education major at Arizona Western College, said, “It really can help with mental health, when you’re, like, feeling like down or unmotivated or anything. You can always go towards AI, it’s really helpful, actually, because you can always ask for, like, a tip or ask it what would you do?”
While lawmakers debate new rules, many here say the focus should be on using AI responsibly and taking advantage of the good while staying aware of the risks. Still, some grandparents are skeptical.
Dora Echevarría said, “I think it keeps them from socializing in real life, it makes them isolate and I don’t like that, it can be damaging.”
AI can also be a helpful tool for students learning how to teach or explain things to children.
One education major shared, “For children, you can ask AI to give them examples when you don’t know what to do. I’m an education major and whenever I don’t know how to say something towards little kids, I say, ‘Hey AI, how can I explain this if I were explaining it to a small kid?’ It’s really helpful, actually.”
The California bill could add new safety measures, but locals here are already finding ways to use AI carefully and protect their mental health.
Across the community, people are learning how to use AI responsibly while keeping an eye on the risks.
Adrik Vargas
EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – The El Centro Police Department (ECPD) has released a “critical incident community briefing” regarding an officer-involved shooting earlier this year.
The briefing includes the bodycam and patrol cam footage from the night of May 21, 2025, where a burglary suspect pointed an object, which looked like a gun, at a police officer.
This prompted the officer to open fire on the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
ECPD and the California Department of Justice are both investigating the shooting to determine whether the man who was shot committed any crime, and if the deadly force used was justifiable.
To learn more about the briefing, click here.
Allie Anthony
Update 1:30 p.m.
Vista Chino reopened Wednesday afternoon, officials confirmed.
Original Report
Palm Springs, Calif. (KESQ) – Drivers in Palm Springs should prepare for a temporary closure on Vista Chino this morning.
Starting at 6:30 a.m. on September 3, the section of Vista Chino that runs through the wash will be closed for scheduled maintenance. The maintenance is part of routine work by the City of Palm Springs to clear shoulders and drainage lanes. Crews will also be relocating sand to the south side of the wash.
The closure is expected to last just a few hours, with the road anticipated to reopen by the afternoon.
Drivers who rely on Vista Chino for their morning commute should allow extra travel time and stay updated in case of any changes.
Some alternate routes include Gene Autry Trail, Indian Canyon Drive and Ramon Road.
Bradley Davis
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Bear and Fountain Creek Nature Centers are putting a Western twist on their annual Happy Trails fundraising dinner with their first-ever Hoot-Ennany! (pun intended).
The Bear Creek Nature Center will host the Hoot-Ennany (Hootennany) on Friday, September 12, from 6 to 9 p.m. There will be food, drinks, live folk music from local band Roma Ransom, and, as the name suggests, live owls from the Nature and Wildlife Discovery Center.
The Discovery Center helped the recovery of a Great Horned Owl it found injured in the Bear Creek Nature Area. Handlers plan to release the owl back into the wild the night of the Hoot-Ennany
In a partnership with the Friends of El Paso County, the Nature Centers said it will use the profits from the 16th-annual fundraising dinner for its educational and trailability programs. The Bear and Fountain Creek Trailability program offers free rentals of “terrain hoppers” to help people with disabilities enjoy their trails.
Tickets are $75 a person or $400 for a table of six. You can find more information on how to buy tickets here.
Abby Smith
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — A vehicle crash at North Academy Boulevard and Half Turn Road, which “impacted a fire hydrant,” authorities said Tuesday, has shut down the intersection due to a sinkhole.
As of 5 a.m. on Wednesday, one northbound lane of Academy had reopened to traffic, and all southbound lanes were open.
On Tuesday afternoon, northbound Academy was closed between North Carefree Circle and Austin Bluffs Parkway, while the southbound left lane of Academy was closed at the Half Turn Road intersection.
Police recommend that people avoid the area.
Update: Vehicle crash at Academy/Half turn impacted a fire hydrant and a sinkhole is occurring. Northbound Academy is closed from N Carefree. Southbound Left lane is closed at Half Turn. Westbound Half Turn is closed east of Academy.
— CSPD Communications (@CSPDComCenter) September 2, 2025
Colorado Springs Utilities initially stated that all traffic lanes should reopen and repairs be completed by 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, but it quickly became clear that cleanup and repair would take longer.
Authorities stated that the sinkhole formed after the crash dislodged the hydrant from its base, causing water to gush around an area that already doesn’t have good drainage.
No injuries have been reported.
The repair work — at least through Wednesday morning rush hour — will mean detours for residents of several apartment complexes on the east side of the Academy/Half Turn intersection.
Driving east of that area is already challenging because of a huge drainage project in the Park Vista South neighborhood, where Siferd Boulevard was one of the city’s worst areas for flash flooding during rainstorms.
Drivers also have endured a construction project just north of the sinkhole repair, at the Academy/Meadowland Boulevard intersection; that project, however, should be finished in a few weeks.
