After 20+ years with the sheriff’s office retirees are losing their free healthcare benefits

KRDO on October 22, 2025

Michael Logerwell

UPDATE 10/24/2025: A spokesperson with El Paso County says that El Paso County Health Plan Trust Board has requested that the board reconsider its decision on the retiree plans. The board plans to discuss the topic on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 8 a.m. in the District Attorney’s Office, 105 E. Vermijo Avenue, 4th Floor, Main Conference Room. Members of the public may attend.

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – On October 8, retired El Paso County Sergeant Emil Lucero received a letter from El Paso County alerting Lucero to a change in the retiree healthcare plan.

“I felt really disappointed. I felt like I was being left behind as a retiree who served this county for 20 years,” Lucero said.

Lucero worked for the sheriff’s office from 2002 to 2022. After spending years working in the county jail, Lucero then provided security at the courthouse and during El Paso County Commissioners’ meetings.

“A lot of things stand out, especially being attacked, having my front teeth broken. All the injuries that occurred with the sheriff’s office,” Lucero said. “Mostly the things that stand out are the injuries and stuff that I incurred over my 20 years with the office, defending and supporting the citizens of El Paso County.”

Now, to keep medical coverage to treat those injuries as he ages, Lucero is going to have to pay.

Chart provided by El Paso County

In 2026, Lucero will be on the hook for $56.08 a month, then in 2027, he will pay the same amount as active employees, $112.16. Lucero said that the monthly payment is just for him and not the rest of his family.

El Paso County will still be paying more than $1,000, but that won’t cover it all, and Lucero says that doesn’t include extra coverage for his family. He would have to pay extra for that.

For years, Lucero says, sheriff’s employees were promised free health coverage if they served 20 years or more for El Paso County.

“Every year, they would dangle a carrot in front of our face[s] so that they would keep retention so that people would stay. And it was a good benefit, and that’s one of the reasons why I stayed for 20 years,” Lucero said.

Lucero also shared this letter with KRDO13 from El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal. In it, Sheriff Roybal writes that he is adamantly opposed to this change and says he will continue to advocate for quality benefits for the sheriff’s office retirees.

An El Paso County spokesperson said this move is projected to save the county $600,000 across 2026 and 2027.

This decision was made by the El Paso County Health Plan Trust Board. The board provided a statement on the decision:

“The El Paso County Health Plan Trust Board acknowledges the concerns raised by retirees regarding recent changes to retiree health insurance premiums and associated subsidies. We deeply value the dedicated service retirees have provided to our community and want to provide clarity on this matter.

Like many employers nationwide, the County has faced rising healthcare costs. Each year, thoughtful work goes into evaluating all our benefit offerings. This process involves careful analysis, thorough research, and collaborative effort.  Our ongoing goal is to provide a robust and comprehensive benefits package that supports the health and well-being of our employees, retirees, and their qualified dependents at an affordable cost.

We strive to enhance our plans annually, while balancing affordability, access, and our responsibility to be good stewards of tax revenue received from the taxpayers of El Paso County. These efforts help ensure that our employees and retirees continue to receive meaningful benefits that meet their needs.  To maintain the integrity and long-term sustainability of the plan, adjustments were necessary, and these changes were made to help preserve access to retiree medical coverage well into the future.

We remain committed to supporting our retirees and ensuring they continue to have access to quality healthcare options.  Retirees with questions about their coverage or payment amounts are encouraged to contact the Benefits Division of the Human Resources Department at 719-520-7486 (option 2) or email employeebenefits@elpasoco.com“

“When I was a sergeant over at the board of county commissioners, I used to put myself in between them and the irate public during those meetings, and now I feel like they just left me, left me out to dry,” Lucero said.

KRDO13 is working to find out the full extent of the impacts of this decision and what those saved monies will be put towards.

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La Casa de la Raza teams up with Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics Mobile

KEYT on October 22, 2025

Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) When La Casa de la Raza noticed an increase in health care hurdles for members of the community it teamed up Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics.

The Medical and Behavioral Health Mobile unit parked right by the entrance.

Then volunteers spread the word on social media and people started showing up for all kinds of caRE.

Mobile clinic workers said they can help people with Social Security numbers sign up for Medi-Cal and Covered California.

The Chief Medical Officer Ali Javanbakht, M.D. will see anyone regardless of their documentation.

“So with a clinic like this we can do just about anything we normally do in a primary care setting so if there is acute need an acute injury an acute illness we can access that, if someone has a chronic condition and needs someone to access and give guidance we can certainly so that if someone hasn’t seen a provider in years they need a place to begin we can start that conversation so yeah it is pretty broad that conversation we offer,” said Dr. Javanbakht.

Clinic Manager Eva Bretado said sometimes offices are too far to get to without a car.

“We understand that it is hard at this time, a lot of people might not have transportation, that is pretty much the goal of the mobile clinic to be reachable and nearby for the community,” said Botella Banuelos.

Some patients haven’t seen a doctor in  awhile.

Martha Rodriguez said she hadn’t seen a doctor in six months.

Wellness Navigator Ana Botella Banuelos helped interpret the rest of what Rodriguez said in Spanish.

“She comes for the community they don’t have documentation they are happy we accept them they have our services for free she is  very thankful she can see a primary care provider,” said Botello Banuelos.

The mobile unit plans to visit on a regular basis 

Mario Guerrero serves as the Health Promotion Services Manager.

Guerrero said it feels good to help people in need get and stay healthy.

He said the entire team knows they are appreciated by the people they serve.

For more information visit https://sbclinics.org

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Pueblo Centennial receives the Qdoba Friday Night Blitz Spirit Award plaque

KRDO on October 22, 2025

Rob Namnoum

Pueblo Centennial high school receives the Qdoba Friday Night Blitz Spirit Award plaque on Tuesday. The Bulldogs were our week five winners of the Qdoba Friday Night Blitz Spirit Award.

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Onvida celebrates their annual Quality Hall of Fame

KYMA on October 22, 2025

Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Onvida Health hosted their annual Quality Hall of Fame judging event Tuesday. The event celebrates the continuous efforts of employees and providers to improve service, operations, care delivery, and cost efficiency.

89 projects hospital-wide were submitted focusing on quality improvement and patient care. Teams have three minutes to present their projects and findings to community judges. One of the presenters shares how it allows cross collaboration from different departments and services.

“Anyone within the organization can stand up and say, ‘Let’s make this better for our community,’ and that’s really what these are. All these posters around us are all the projects that have been done throughout the health system from all different avenues of the teams, really showing how we’re making things better here at Onvida for our community and for our patients,” said Hall of Fame presenter Matt Southmayd.

The hospital says the event is an example of how they strive to provide the best for patients.

“That’s the opportunity then to always be looking at how we can be better. Never satisfied with status quo- always looking for more,” said Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Machele Headington.

The hospital will announce the winners of the various categories on November 5 during Innovation Week.

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Indio hosts State of the City address

KESQ on October 22, 2025

Jesus Reyes

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Indio held its State of the City address Tuesday, revealing what’s in store for the city the next several years.

News Channel 3 anchor Peter Daut hosted the event, which was at Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino, and spoke with Mayor Glenn Miller.

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Fall bird migration raises risk of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza; local backyard poultry flock euthanized

KTVZ on October 22, 2025

KTVZ

Update: Adding video

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — As wild birds begin to migrate during the transition into fall, the risk for transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) to domestic birds will increase, as seen recently in five backyard poultry flocks, one in Deschutes County, the Oregon Department of Agriculture said Tuesday.   

So far in October, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory has confirmed the presence of HPAI in five mixed-species backyard poultry flocks located in Deschutes, Malheur, and Wallowa counties – three of them in Wallowa County alone, according to a news release that continues in full below:

Samples from the flocks initially were sent to the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Oregon State University for testing. OSU confirmed the presence of HPAI, and NVSL verified the results a few days later in each case.  

In response, Dr. Ryan Scholz, the State Veterinarian for the Oregon Department of Agriculture, placed the farms under quarantine. A team from the ODA then humanely euthanized all the poultry on the properties.

ODA said that none of the animals from the farms entered the food supply chain or were intended for the commercial food market.  

Since May of 2022, Oregon has reported three affected commercial poultry flocks and 47 backyard flocks.

It is essential to note that when meat and egg products are properly prepared and cooked, HPAI does not pose a risk, and these food items remain safe for consumption. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also recommends choosing pasteurized milk and dairy products to protect your health.  

Now is the time to review and implement biosecurity protocols to reduce disease transmission from wild to domestic birds or livestock.     

Restrict access to your property and keep your birds away from other birds.  

Keep a designated pair of shoes to wear around your birds, wash your clothing after visiting them, and use disinfectants correctly.  

Clean and disinfect cages, poultry equipment, and car tires after visiting a farm store, poultry swap, or other location with birds present.  

Keep new birds separate from your flock for 30 days; quarantine returning birds from the rest of your flock after visiting a poultry swap or other event.  

Do not share equipment or supplies with others, but if you must, disinfect them first.  

Wash your hands before and after bird handling.  

Any instances of death or illness among domestic birds should be reported immediately to the ODA by calling 503-986-4711.  

More details can be found at ODA’s Avian Influenza webpage.

To report the death of wild birds, please get in touch with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). Refrain from collecting or handling the birds; instead, call 1-866-968-2600 or email Wildlife.Health@odfw.oregon.gov. 

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University of Arizona Cooperative Extension helps local high school

KYMA on October 22, 2025

Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Harvest Preparatory Academy’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program is receiving help from a local university.

The school’s stem program was in need of a laboratory to conduct experiments.

Luckily, the University of Arizona’s Cooperative Extension allowed them to use their equipment.

Now the Harvest Prep students are working on DNA extraction.

“The main goal is to create an application like a mobile app where it can detect whether the rot an Saguaro Cactus is progressing and find ways to mitigate the problem,” said Alfred Santos, the District Program Coordinator for the school.

The local staff and students are extremely thankful to the local university because without them, they would have to travel to Tucson to conduct their experiments.

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Fat Daddy’s gets approval from the Board of Adjustment

KYMA on October 22, 2025

Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Fat Daddy’s Burgers and Grill will continue to serve the community after a misunderstanding of regulations.

The popular Foothills restaurant had planned on having a five-foot distance from its neighbors, but the county requirement for their property is actually 20.

This would have caused the restaurant to lose parking and space.

However, the Board of Adjustment decided to approve Fat Daddy’s five-foot buffer.

Jacob Fletcher, the owner’s son, says it was special to have community members’ support.

“It’s like family, like everyone says, they walk in our door, you know, they want to come back. It’s that enjoyment of feeling and togetherness,” said Fletcher.

Marlin Andrews, a local customer whose band plays at Fat Daddy’s, says he is thankful to the board of adjustment for being so understanding.

“I felt that they were really thoughtful, they thought about it, you know they paid attention to the law, code, but they really considered what exceptions could be made, I thought it was great, I really did,” Andrews says.

The restaurant will not have to make any more adjustments and can go back to serving burgers and music.

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Heart of Oregon Corps launches sprint to raise final funding for Youth Workforce Development Campus in Redmond

KTVZ on October 22, 2025

KTVZ

(Update: Adding video)

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Heart of Oregon Corps kicked off a major fourth-quarter sprint Tuesday to raise the final $1.67 million needed to build Central Oregon’s first Youth Workforce Development Campus in Redmond.

The organization’s leadership, staff and board will invest more than 400 hours in a campaign through Dec. 31 that includes four major phone banks, bi-weekly community emails, texts, and in-person meetings that the group hopes will help it reach its $7.3 million goal—enabling it to open the campus for which ground was broken in September on time and without debt in the fall of 2026.

Here’s the rest of the Heart of Oregon Corps announcement. 

The State of Oregon estimates that 1 in 8 youth ages 16-24 are currently disengaged from school and work—but not at Heart of Oregon Corps. The nonprofit, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, trains rural and underserved youth across Central Oregon in careers that solve our region’s greatest challenges including construction, childcare, wildfire risk reduction and public lands conservation.

“I can’t express how important this campus is to generations of Oregonians,” said State Senator Anthony Broadman. “Youth having access to job training in Central Oregon, especially youth who were born here and want to stay here, is key to fueling the region’s workforce so that our communities can thrive.”

Since 2000, Heart of Oregon has hired and trained 5,000 youth across Central Oregon. The trouble is that demand for its services has outpaced the organization’s network of aging, borrowed facilities.

Heart of Oregon is building a campus where youth can learn, gain certifications, and prepare to transition to thriving careers that change health and social outcomes for a lifetime—for young people and Central Oregon communities.

“Odds are, you know someone who is struggling to afford housing or can’t find child care. You hike, bike, and paddle our beloved natural lands. And you’ve seen wildfires bear down on our communities,” said Laura Handy, Executive Director of Heart of Oregon.

“Heart of Oregon youth are building affordable housing. They’re providing child care. They are out in the forest maintaining trails and clearing wildfire fuels. This new campus will support youth for generations to come in serving our Central Oregon communities in the ways we need them most.”

Learn more about the central campus at www.hoccampus.org and watch Terry’s story to understand the impact Heart of Oregon has on the youth it serves.

About Heart of Oregon Corps

Heart of Oregon Corps is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth and young adults through employment, job training, education, and service to Central Oregon communities. With the goal of career readiness, Heart of Oregon hires and trains 225 youth ages 16-24 annually in the fields of conservation, construction, and child care. Accredited by the Corps Center for Excellence, Heart of Oregon is committed to training tomorrow’s workforce today and is accepting youth applications now! For more information or to apply, visit www.heartoforegon.org.

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New store-in-store at Bend’s Box Factory offers ‘Reverie State’: Where scent, sound and memory bring nostalgia to life

KTVZ on October 22, 2025

KTVZ

(Update: adding video)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Bend’s creative retail landscape is about to get a little more nostalgic.

Reverie State, the new scent-driven lifestyle brand built around the connection between scent, sound,and memory, is opening its first retail space inside Pac Nor Westy at the Box Factory, the company said Tuesday in a news release that continues below:

The grand opening event will take place Saturday, October 25, from 2 PM to 7 PM, featuringintroductions to Reverie State’s nostalgic scent collections, refreshments, raGle, and gift withpurchase.

Founded in 2022 as Adventure Story, Reverie State reimagines the brand and creates small-batchcandles, incense, and room sprays that evoke memories from the past. Each custom-blended scent isdesigned to spark feelings of nostalgia and help us reconnect with the times and places that made uswho we are. Each scent is paired with a curated streaming playlist accessible by QR code, blendingfragrance and music into a fully immersive sensory experience.

“We all long for a place and time that no longer exists… that’s the bittersweet part of growing older,” saidfounder Rich Murphy. “What I’ve discovered is that every story from our past has a scent connected toit, and every memory has a soundtrack. When you bring those two things together — the scent and themusic — you get to revisit those moments from the past, even just for a little while. Reverie State isabout slowing down, feeling that nostalgia, and remembering what made us who we are. We do thatthrough the shared experience of scent and music.”

Housed within Pac Nor Westy’s flagship store, the Reverie State space oGers an intimate setting wherevisitors can explore signature lines like Core Memories (candles in reusable rocks glasses inspired bycoming-of-age moments paired with curated playlists) and Soundtrack Memories (candles andincense cones in retro nostalgic packaging paired with a curated “mix” playlist).

The opening event invites the Bend community to experience the brand first-hand: smell, listen,reminisce, and take home an artifact of nostalgia.

Grand Opening Event Details:Location: Reverie StateLocated inside Pac Nor Westy at the Box Factory550 SW Industrial Way, Suite 105Bend, OR 97702

When: Saturday, October 25, 20252PM – 7PM

Event Details: Refreshments, RaGle, and Free Gift with Purchase

About Reverie State:Reverie State is a nostalgia-driven fragrance brand based in Bend, Oregon, creating small-batchcandles, incense, and room sprays that merge scent, sound, and storytelling. Each piece invitesreflection through the pairing of scent and curated playlists. Learn more at reveriestate.com.

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