Oregon father charged with child neglect in drowning death of 2-year-old son

KTVZ on October 30, 2025

KTVZ

(UPDATE: adding video)

SILETZ, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Lincoln County father has been charged with child neglect in connection with the drowning death of his 2-year-old son, whose disappearance earlier this year prompted an extensive search effort, according to KGW.

Court records show that Aaron Paulsen faces one count of second-degree child neglect in the March death of his son, Dane Paulsen. The charge alleges that Paulsen “unlawfully and with criminal negligence (left) Dane Paulsen … unattended in or at a place, for such period of time as was likely to endanger” the child’s health or welfare.

A Lincoln County grand jury returned the indictment on Oct. 16, and a circuit court judge issued an arrest warrant for Paulsen a week later. His bail was set at $20,000, and he is scheduled to be arraigned on the charge next Monday.

Dane was reported missing from the family’s home along Highway 229 in Siletz in early March. The boy was last seen playing in the front yard, according to law enforcement at the time.

His disappearance triggered a large-scale search involving multiple law enforcement agencies — including the FBI — local residents, and volunteers from other regions. Authorities initially circulated a description of a vehicle of interest, but investigators later located the vehicle and ruled out any connection, according to KGW.

Search teams focused on the Siletz River and nearby wooded areas, continuing daylight and overnight operations for several days and extending into a second week.

Ten days after Dane’s disappearance, an independent diver discovered the child’s body in the river roughly three miles downstream from the family’s home, KGW reported. Investigators later determined that Dane had wandered to the river’s edge and drowned. Authorities found no evidence of foul play.

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Governor Kotek declares food security emergency, directs $5 million to Oregon food banks on eve of SNAP benefits cutoff

KTVZ on October 30, 2025

KTVZ

(UPDATE: adding video)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Governor Tina Kotek declared a 60-day “food security emergency” late Wednesday and directed $5 million to Oregon food banks as the nearly month-old federal government closure apparently will mean an end, for now, to food benefits for thousands of Oregonians.

Here is the full news release from the governor’s office:

Governor Kotek Declares Food Emergency, Directs $5 Million to Food Banks, and Calls Oregonians to Action as Federal Shutdown Cuts Off SNAP Benefits

President Trump refuses to use reserve funds during government shutdown, 757,000 Oregonians to lose food benefits

TOKYO — With thousands of Oregonians facing hunger as the Republican-controlled federal government shutdown halts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, Governor Tina Kotek today announced a coordinated state response that includes three actions: declaring a 60-day food security emergency, directing $5 million to Oregon’s statewide food bank network, and calling on all Oregonians to support their neighbors in need.

Governor Kotek’s emergency declaration activates state agencies and resources to ensure emergency food can reach vulnerable families while the federal government fails to release taxpayer dollars dedicated for food assistance during a shutdown. The Governor also renewed her call for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to release emergency contingency funds already authorized under federal law to sustain SNAP benefits nationwide.

“It’s unacceptable that families are being used as leverage in a political standoff in Washington, D.C.,” Governor Kotek said. “While the Republican-controlled Congress fails to do its job, Oregon will do ours. We stand up for each other, whether it’s fires, floods, or any other crisis. I call on all Oregonians to do what they can to help their neighbors.”

The state’s website for food resource information at the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) is regularly updated for anyone in need. Go to needfood.oregon.gov or alimentos.oregon.gov. People can also call 2-1-1 for referral information.

Emergency Declaration and State ResponseThe Governor’s 60-day emergency declaration establishes a statewide incident command organized by Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM). Keeping the declaration active through the months of November and December means Oregonians will have greater access to emergency food during the holiday season.

The declaration will also ensure that when the shutdown ends, Oregon will be best positioned to turn SNAP benefits back on as swiftly as possible. Due to partnerships with vendors, administering benefits can take several days, and the declaration would minimize time to put food on tables.

Immediate Funding for Food BanksThe Governor identified funding that could most quickly be distributed to Oregon’s network of food banks. She has directed ODHS to deploy $5 million from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) carryover funds to Oregon’s network of food banks. TANF carryover is unspent federal TANF funding from prior years that remains available until used. Carryover can support short term crisis benefits without creating new ongoing requirements, which is ideal for this emergency.

This funding will support food purchasing, distribution, and local operations to ensure families can access emergency food boxes.    

A Call to Action: Help Your NeighborsGovernor Kotek issued a statewide call to action for all Oregonians to help neighbors from going hungry and help their communities weather this crisis:

Donate. Donate today here or visit: OregonFoodBank.org/SNAP-Gap. Host a fund drive (the Oregon Food Bank has a guide on how to do this). Support the Regional Food Banks in the OFB Network. Oregon’s food bank network buys in bulk and can stretch your dollar further. If you would like to donate food, like canned goods, check in with your local food pantry to see if they are accepting food donations. 

Share when you shop. Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC) is stepping up for Oregonians to donate to Emergency Food Assistance Organizations using Oregon’s Bottle Bill. OBRC is activating its Emergency Fund Oct. 30th – Nov. 30th to support 12 nonprofit organizations providing vital food assistance to Oregonians in need. To help or learn more visit bottledrop.com/food. Oregon’s grocers are also stepping up as they support hunger relief efforts every day and partner with our local food banks. Consumers will start to see in-store checkout campaigns and food collection points at many grocery stores next week to fund holiday meal programs and pantry essentials. She urges other Oregon private businesses to step up too, and the Governor is prepared to leverage public-private partnerships to put food on tables. 

Volunteer. Food banks rely on volunteers to package food, stock shelves, and assist shoppers. Visit Oregon Food Bank’s Food Finder (in 19 languages) to access food today or support your local food pantry. If you would like to donate food, like canned goods, check in with your local food pantry to learn if they are accepting food donations and what they need. Check out volunteer opportunities here.

Governor Kotek is also directing the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) to expand its ongoing charitable giving campaign to include statewide non-perishable food donations and run through December 5.

Additionally, the Governor will continue to demand that USDA use every available fund of Oregon taxpayer dollars so no Oregonian will go hungry. Earlier this week, she and other Oregon leaders sent a letter to USDA Secretary Rollins.

About SNAP in OregonSNAP is entirely federally funded and helps more than 1 in 6 people in Oregon — about 18 percent of households — buy groceries. This includes children, working families, older adults and people with disabilities.

Every $1 in SNAP benefits generates $1.50 to $1.80 in local economic activity, driving an estimated $1.6 billion into Oregon’s economy each year.

The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) will continue to provide updates to the public through:

The official website odhs.oregon.gov

The official ODHS social media channels

Partner organizations

Additional media alerts

ODHS encourages SNAP participants to:

Check EBT card balance regularly

Continue following SNAP rules and reporting requirements

Stay informed by following or subscribing to ODHS communication channels

Sign up for an ONE Online account and download the Oregon ONE Mobile app at benefits.oregon.gov to get notices about your SNAP case

Know where to find emergency food resources in your community.

Visit the needfood.oregon.gov or alimentos.oregon.gov

Visit the ODHS Food Resources website to find local programs and food support.

Visit the Oregon Food Bank Food Finder website.

Contact 211info by dialing 2-1-1, texting your ZIP code to 898-211, or visiting www.211info.org.

Older adults and people with disabilities: Connect with the Aging and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon (ADRC) for help finding government and community resources. Call 1-855-673-2372 or visit www.adrcoforegon.org.

Sign up for a ONE Online account or download the Oregon ONE Mobile app as the fastest ways to get notifications about your SNAP benefits.

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Exceptional Community Hospital hosts Trunk-or-Treat event

KYMA on October 30, 2025

Joaquin Hight

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Exceptional Community Hospital held the event from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

It featured cars decorated for Halloween to give out candy to children and many different companies supporting the event.

Onvida Health brought therapy dogs and a pony for children to see and pet throughout the event.

The hospital’s Community Outreach Coordinator, Lisa Brazeel, shares more about what the event is about.

“This is a free truck—trunk or treat, a modified trunk-or-treat, for all the community. It’s absolutely free. We have some great community partners that are here with us tonight,” she explained.

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Cole County Salary Commission approves raise for elected officials

KMIZ on October 30, 2025

Dan Kite

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Elected officials in Cole County will take home more money in the coming years, after a vote for a 5% raise was narrowly passed at the Tuesday meeting of the Cole County Salary Commission.

The vote came after a debate between members about whether to note that elected officials have not received an official raise in decades. The only exceptions they noted were cost-of-living adjustments and a separate adjustment in 2017 to bring salaries back in line with state statutes.

The raise was passed by a vote of 7-5, with the county sheriff, prosecutor, and public administrator among those in favor, and all three county commissioners among those against the proposal.

The commission also passed a separate cost-of-living adjustment by a vote of 10-2.

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Junior Forecaster: Riley is ready for Halloween

KTVZ on October 30, 2025

John Carroll

Riley is in the 4th Grade at Elk Meadows Elementary school and is a fan of the rain. She loves the way it calms things down as well as the smell of new rain on the ground.

She is also a fan of Halloween, dressed today as a clown, a scary clown. Riley is looking forward to “Trick or Treating” this Friday, mainly for the candy but also for the fun. She also enjoys to scare her family members at this time of year.

Thanks Riley for putting on the Clown costume and helping us with the weather.

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This Date with 8: October 29, 1969 — ARPANET Starts with a Typo

KIFI on October 30, 2025

Phillip Willis

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Today is October 29. On this day in 1969, around 10:30 p.m., the first message was sent over ARPANET, the precursor to the internet.

UCLA Professor of Computer Science Leonard Kleinrock and his student Charley Kline had been at work, setting up a message transmission to go from the ‘UCLA SDS Sigma 7 Host’ computer, all the way to the ‘SRI SDS 940 Host’ computer, which was manned by Bill Duvall at the Stanford Research Institute, 350 miles away.

The professor had been working on a method of information transfer called packet switching that was implemented in ARPANET, which broke down information into smaller bundles of information that could be routed independently and reassembled at the destination, with lost packets retransmitted as needed.

Charley manned the helm, sending off the first message, which was meant to be “login”. However, the system crashed after the first two letters were sent. So the first message on the internet was just “lo”. A couple hours later, they completed the transmission. This one message began a chain reaction that led to the internet as we know it today.

Sources used for this story:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-29/first-electronic-message-sent-arpanet-internet-precursor

https://www.lk.cs.ucla.edu/internet_first_words.html

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BREAKING NEWS UPDATE: Redmond teen arrested in recent shooting at East Bend Safeway parking lot

KTVZ on October 30, 2025

Barney Lerten

(Update: Police make arrest in last week’s shooting)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A 17-year-old Redmond resident was arrested on assault and other charges Tuesday in the shooting of a Bend 18-year-old in the East Bend Safeway parking lot last Wednesday evening, police said.

The suspect was taken into custody around 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Deschutes County Juvenile Parole and Probation Office and taken to the Bend Police Department, Communications Manager Sheila Miller told KTVZ News.

Miller said the teen will be lodged at the county’s Juvenile Community Justice facility on suspicion of first- and second-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon.

Earlier info:

The day after the shooting, Miller confirmed the victim’s was taken to St. Charles Bend and released after treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.

Below is the official press release from the Bend Police Department.

News Release from Bend Police Dept.Posted on FlashAlert: October 29th, 2025 7:53 PM

Date: Oct. 29, 2025  

Case #: 2025-00064718 

Incident: Bend man shot in parking lot of Safeway East 

Date / Time of Incident: Oct. 29, 2025 / 6:07 p.m.  

Location: Safeway East, 2650 NE Highway 20, Bend 

Victim: 18-year-old Bend resident 

At approximately 6:07 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29, Bend Police responded to a report of an assault and shooting in the parking lot of Safeway in the 2600 block of NE Highway 20 in Bend.  

When officers arrived, they found an 18-year-old man Bend resident with serious injuries from a gunshot wound. Bend Fire & Rescue transported the victim by ambulance to St. Charles Bend. 

The suspect in this incident is not in custody at this time. Officers believe this was an isolated incident, and that there is not a threat to the general public.  

There is a large police presence in the area as detectives and officers continue to investigate the incident, and we ask community members to continue to avoid the area.

Previous report:

At approximately 6:07 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29, Bend Police responded to a report of an assault and shooting in the parking lot of Safeway in the 2600 block of NE Highway 20 in Bend.  

When officers arrived, they found an 18-year-old man Bend resident with serious injuries from a gunshot wound. Bend Fire & Rescue transported the victim by ambulance to St. Charles Bend. 

The suspect in this incident is not in custody at this time. Officers believe this was an isolated incident, and that there is not a threat to the general public.  

There is a large police presence in the area as detectives and officers continue to investigate the incident, and we ask community members to continue to avoid the area.

One person was shot in the parking lot of the East Bend Safeway Wednesday evening and a suspect fled and remains at large, police told KTVZ News.

Numerous law enforcement converged on the parking lot to investigate the reported assault. Nearby St. Charles Bend went into “modified lockout” for a time, though police at the time cited no threat to the general public.

Bend Police Communications Manager Sheila Miller told KTVZ News that the shooting victim was rushed to nearby St. Charles Bend, which went into “modified lockout” for a time.

Earlier, she said officers were quickly on scene of the assault, reported at 6:07 p.m.

“They have a pretty big area cordoned off,” Miller told us.

Bend Police were being assisted in the on-scene investigaton by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and Redmond Police.

In a Facebook post around 6:30 p.m., police said, “There is no known threat to the general public at this time.” Miller confirmed to us that was still the case an hour later.

“An investigation will continue for an extended period of time and community members are asked to avoid the area,” police added.

St. Charles Bend Public Information Officer Alandra Johnson told us shortly after 7 p.m., “In partnership with local law enforcement we went into a modified lockout due to the nature of the activity in the area.”

Emergency patients were not diverted elsewhere, Johnson said, as they “continued to screen and allow people into the Emergency Department (while all other doors were restricted.) And that has now been lifted.”

KTVZ News is sending a crew to the scene and monitoring developments and will have more details as they become available.

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Palm Springs Police ramping up security ahead of Halloween weekend

KESQ on October 30, 2025

Luis Avila

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — Halloween excitement isn’t just for kids — adults are gearing up to join in the festivities as well. One of the valley’s biggest hotspots is downtown Palm Springs, where large crowds are expected to fill the streets this weekend.

Hundreds of attendees are expected at the Halloween block party on Arenas, prompting law enforcement to increase patrols and implement safety measures.

“We’ll have additional staff that will be down there. The roadway will be closed off, there will be some barricades that will be set up and we’ll also have personnel on site providing security and we’ll actually have some personnel doing overwatch of the event.”

Lt. Gustavo Araiza, Palm Springs Police Department

With large gatherings often come other issues, particularly when alcohol is involved. Local bar owners, like Dean Lavine at Blackbook, are also stepping up to ensure visitors celebrate responsibly.

“All of our staff is responsible for taking training which is serving alcohol with care… We want to make sure that everyone who comes here to dine or drink is in a comfortable, safe environment.”

Dean Lavine, Blackbook Bar Owner

Lavine emphasized that keeping Halloween safe is a team effort.

“We work together all of the bars with the city and police department to ensure that we have a safe event down here.” 

Dean Lavine, Blackbook Bar Owner

Officers will maintain a strong presence throughout the weekend, as other major events, including Gay Leather Pride, draw additional crowds to the area.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Nurses at Desert Regional in Palm Springs strike, protesting for better patient care and staffing

KESQ on October 30, 2025

City News Service

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Registered nurses at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs joined their colleagues at five other Tenet-operated hospitals in the state on Thursday for a one-day strike to protest what they call a refusal by ownership to improve patient care and staffing.  

Nurses began striking at 7:00 a.m. Thursday and plan to continue until 7:00 a.m. Friday at the hospital, located at 1150 N. Indian Canyon Drive. A total of 3,100 nurses at six hospitals are expected to take part in the strike, according to the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United union.   

Desert Regional Medical Center issued the following statement:

“Desert Regional Medical Center and Hi-Desert Medical Center will continue to provide quality, compassionate patient care during a strike called by the California Nurses Association, the labor union representing our nursing staff. The hospitals will remain fully operational during the strike, and our staff’s focus, as always, will be on providing exceptional quality patient care and service.

Patients and their loved ones can be assured that our hospitals will be staffed with qualified and experienced replacement nurses as well as all of our other caregivers through the strike’s duration.

The union’s action is related to contract negotiations between the hospitals and the union. We are disappointed that the union is taking this strike action, which in our view is not constructive or necessary. We have been negotiating in good faith with the union to reach a new contract and even proposed to the union that the parties engage in a mediation to attempt to resolve any differences. Rather than engage in productive mediation and negotiations, the union provided us with its intent to strike. 

Our focus will now shift to ensuring that patients will continue to receive the high-quality care they are accustomed to during the strike, and we stand ready to resume good faith negotiations at the strike’s conclusion. We remain focused on providing safe, quality care to our patients, just as we do every day.”

At Desert Regional Medical Center, union officials contend staffing has been cut below state-mandated patient ratios in the neonatal intensive care unit. Union officials say the hospital received a state waiver that is usually only granted in emergency situations to operate below the mandated staffing level.  

“We demand safe staffing for our precious babies and that Tenet live up to its stated values of acting with integrity and the highest ethical standards, always,” Deb Edwards, a registered nurse at Desert Regional, said in a statement.

The nurses also call for:   — guaranteed meal and rest break coverage;   — improvements in recruiting and retention of experienced nurses;   — dedicated staff for the task of lifting patients to help reduce injury to patients and nurses; and   — safe staffing at all times. 

Desert Regional Medical Center Nurse Linda Serrano joined fellow nurse co-workers on the picket line, saying, “We were very disappointed that Tenet . . . canceled our bargaining this last meeting in October. We’re urging Tenet Corporation to come back to the bargaining table with us so we can seal and vote on our next contract.”

Serrano also says Tenet nurses have been locked out due to the strike – meaning they will not be able to return to work until Sunday.  

Union officials said Tenet Healthcare Corp. made $4.1 billion in profits last year and CEO Saum Sutaria made more than $24 million as the highest-paid health care CEO in the county.

“It’s clear to the nurses that Tenet is prioritizing profits over patients,” Joeton Labos, an ICU nurse at San Ramon Medical Center, said in a statement.

CNA has been in contract negotiations with Tenet since February.

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Senators argue latest investigation into 2020 election results may jeopardize future elections

KEYT on October 30, 2025

Andrew Gillies

WASHINGTON D.C. (KEYT) – On Wednesday, nine Senators wrote a letter condemning the appointment of former ‘Stop the Steal’ attorney Kurt Olsen to investigate the 2020 election and warned that the White House may use the investigation to declare a national emergency and make sweeping changes to elections nationwide.

The letter, signed by California’s Senators and seven other members of the upper chamber, was addressed directly to the White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles and White House Counsel David Warrington.

“While the 2020 election was nearly five years ago, Mr. Olsen’s appointment appears to be part of a scheme to convince the President to attempt a national emergency declaration to illegally claim unconstitutional federal powers over state and local election administration,” opened Wednesday’s letter from legislators. “Any such declaration would quickly fail to withstand legal scrutiny, but it would still represent a completely unacceptable attempt to undermine the U.S. Constitution and free and fair elections in this country.”

The letter asks that the White House legal officials ensure the investigation does not violate legal and ethical standards nor undermine future elections nationwide.

Olsen played a prominent role in attempts to stop the certification of results of the 2020 election in four battleground states and, according to reporting by The New York Times, recently encouraged the President to make public claims and legal demands for voting machine data from Arizona, Wisconsin, and Georgia.

The Senators noted in Wednesday’s letter that The New York Times also reported that Deputy Assistant Secretary for Election Integrity at the Department of Homeland Security Heather Honey pushed for the Trump Administration to declare a national emergency to exercise, “some additional powers that don’t exist right now” to take, “these other steps without Congress and we can mandate that states do things and so on”.

Article I Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution assigns the authority to determine the times, places, and manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives to respective state legislatures while empowering the federal legislature to pass laws that may alter those regulations.

The Office of President of the United States is not mentioned in the clause.

Olsen has also made claims that voting machines were not properly secured during the 2020 election and media outlets that repeated similar claims have had to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars to settle defamation claims detailed Wednesday’s letter.

“The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history,” read a joint statement from federal elections security groups and private organizations focused on elections security on Nov. 12, 2020. “All of the states with close results in the 2020 presidential race have paper records of each vote, allowing the ability to go back and count each ballot if necessary. This is an added benefit for security and resilience. This process allows for the identification and correction of any mistakes or errors. There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised.”

The Director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Christopher Krebs during President Trump’s first term and signatory of the above joint statement regarding the 2020 Election, was fired days after the statement was issued.

“Chris Krebs did a really good job, as state election officials all across the nation will tell you, and he obviously should not be fired,” stated Republican Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska in November of 2020.

In March, the Trump Administration issued Executive Order 14248-Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections which, among other changes to voting, ordered the Election Assistance Commission to, “rescind all previous certifications of voting equipment based on prior standards.”

Earlier this month, Senator Padilla joined Senator Gary Peters in filing an amicus brief supporting a lawsuit aiming to halt the Trump Administration’s demands for state voting information to create a national database that can be used by state’s to purge voters while also explicitly tying election security funding to compliance with the demands.

Last week, the Department of Justice announced that it was sending election monitors to five counties in California to observe voting during the 2025 Special Election that features a single item, Proposition 50, which could have significant impact on federal representation in the next election cycle.

“This [Department of Justice election observation] initiative is aimed at promoting transparency and an open flow of communication between poll observers and election monitors to ensure that elections proceed with a high degree of security,” argued the Department of Justice while announcing the election observers on Oct. 24. “From now and up to Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws.”

The announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice shared that requests for election monitoring in a particular jurisdiction can be sent to VEM@usdoj.gov for review.

Voting in the 2025 California Special Election is already underway and some local counties asked that voters send their mailed ballots as soon as possible to ensure they are counted while other counties have set up Voting Centers that provide expansive assistance to voters looking to properly cast their ballots.

“[A]ny attempt to declare a national emergency to interfere in state and local election administration would be illegal and unconstitutional,” concluded Wednesday’s letter. “While we are confident any such scheme would fail quickly in the face of judicial scrutiny, it still poses unacceptable risks of undermining future elections in this country.”

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