Lauren Romero
El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)-The United Way of El Paso County is announcing the 2025 City Employee Combined Charitable Campaign, to be held from October 1 to 31, 2025.
For more information on the City Employee Combined Charitable Campaign, please visit the United Way of El Paso County’s official page: unitedwayelpaso.org/combined-campaigns
Noah Farley
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho State University’s president is looking to expand its presence in eastern Idaho. President Robert Wagner spoke about ISU’s plans at the City Club of Idaho Falls forum Thursday, October 2, on giving students more opportunities to get an education.
He says in the near future, ISU will be the provider of 4-year degrees in the Idaho Falls region, as the college works to deliver education to students where they are.
“We want to be here. We are here. We’re doubling down on being here. This is important to us. We want to be your hometown university,” President Wagner said.
Wagner says ISU is focusing on ways to help students get into the college, graduate, and have the tools to thrive in life. One way they are doing this is by working on partnerships with the community, like with Idaho National Laboratory and other colleges in eastern Idaho.
“We’re going to develop more degrees,” said President Wagner. “We’re going to do it in conjunction with CEI. We’re going to make sure that those pathways are there.”
Wagner believes these efforts will help people in the area who want to get more education and go into the careers they want.
Mina Wahab
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) — Environmental Defense Center Executive Director Alex Katz says Sable Offshore is fighting an uphill battle.
“Coming a week after they were charged with 21 crimes by the District Attorney, including five felonies, and after a couple of losses in court and in litigation, it doesn’t look good,” said Katz. The company is preparing an alternative way to transport crude oil without further state approvals. Instead of using the onshore pipeline, it will use a floating vessel to process and transport oil. “Whether it is restarting this equipment onshore that already failed once or trying to do something out in the channel, we have to ask, ’Is this a company we can trust to operate safely or responsibly or even legally in California?’” said Katz. Despite multiple cease and desist orders and criminal charges from the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s office, Sable maintains it has completed all necessary repair and upgrades to restart the pipeline that ruptured back in 2015. The company says switching to a floating vessel, a method that was used for several years prior to the onshore pipeline, will likely cost $100 million dollars, and delay oil sales until the final months of 2026. The Environmental Defense Center says this method would create a huge risk for an offshore spill. They also say that the air pollution will come on shore. “That will impact us. All that air pollution from the platforms and the processing plants and the barges comes onshore. And that may be another obstacle for them, because under the federal Clean Air Act, they have to comply with our Santa Barbara County air rules, which are very strict,” said Environmental Defense Center Attorney Linda Krop.
Sable Offshore is asking the Trump administration to fast-track approval for an offshore vessel, saying its plans align with president Trump’s goal of producing more oil in the United States. Krop says companies typically submit a formal application, but Sable doesn’t appear to have done that. “The only thing that Sable attached to their Securities Exchange Commission filing was a three sentence letter to the Chair of an advisory council that has no authority, saying, ‘We would like your support.’ Support for what? They don’t even have an application pending. So I don’t know if this is a distraction. I don’t know if it’s a threat,” said Krop.
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KTVZ
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Bend Fire & Rescue announced Thursday that Melissa Steele has been named deputy fire marshal of wildfire preparedness, a new position dedicated to increasing community preparedness and resilience in the face of wildfire.
Here’s the fire agency’s announcement about Steele and her new role:
Steele has been in the fire service for 24 years, first as a wildland firefighter and emergency medical technician with the United States Forest Service and then with CalFire in Paradise, California. She was hired as a fire inspector with Bend Fire in 2022.
Steele stood out as an ideal candidate because of her expertise in wildfire prevention, stemming from her experience in the field and vast professional development over the years.
“We have been so impressed by all Melissa has accomplished in her time with Bend Fire. Her passion for this work and the respect she has earned across Central Oregon will help her be successful in this role,” said Deputy Chief of Prevention Jason Bolen.
Her work as an inspector included investigating fire causes, ensuring safety and compliance with fire codes, educating the public on how to prevent fires and performing home assessments for community members who want to mitigate their wildfire risk.
Steele also developed the Own Your Zone: First Five Feet program, which teaches residents simple actions that can be taken to protect their homes and properties from wildfire.
She has attended preparedness fairs and events on behalf of the Department, sits on many regional committees that address wildfire preparedness and emergency planning, and supports Firewise USA® neighborhoods by attending and speaking at education events.
Steele was awarded the Bend Fire & Rescue Appreciation Award for exceptional service in fire safety and community outreach after only a year of working with the Department.
“I’ve lived and worked in communities that were lost to wildfire,” said Steele. “My life-long goal is to see that Bend is a success story, so I’m looking for every opportunity to work with the community and local partners on laying a strong foundation of prevention before we are threatened by disaster.”
In 2023, Steele earned the title of National Fire Academy Instructor, teaching a Fire Adapted Communities Course at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters in Emmitsburg, Maryland, sharing her work with local neighborhoods and partners to create wildfire-ready communities on a national stage.
The Bend City Council is prioritizing the Bend community’s readiness for large-scale emergencies like wildfire this biennium, with several of the 2025-2027 Council Goals directed towards improving wildfire resiliency. Specific actions within these goals include expanding community outreach and education.
Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler. said, “It’s no longer unusual to hear of entire communities being destroyed by wildfire, and Bend is no exception to this possibility.
“Council has heard from the community that there is a need for more resources devoted to educating and empowering residents to act ahead of an incident,” Kebler added. “Having someone as capable as Melissa to help us carry out our goals for wildfire resiliency will greatly impact our collective risk as a community.”
Ryan Shiner
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Fulton man on Thursday was sentenced to serve 17-and-half years in federal prison on Wednesday for producing child pornography, according to a press release from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Robert Wayne Stuart, 37, was arrested in September 2023 for multiple investigations surrounding child pornography and child exploitation.
He was charged with six counts of possessing child porn in Callaway County and the child exploitation charge occurred in Moniteau County, according to previous reporting.
The cases were eventually moved to federal court.
Fulton Man Sentenced to 17.5 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Pornography.@MSHPTrooperF@MSHPTrooperGHQ pic.twitter.com/HRTkRUyTbP
— MSHP DDCC (@MSHPTrooperDDCC) October 2, 2025
Ryan Shiner
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Jefferson City man was charged with five felonies after he allegedly gave a 12-year-old girl marijuana edibles and pointed a pellet gun at her head.
Novy Lairmore, 18, was charged in Cole County with giving a controlled substance to a child, giving marijuana to a child and three counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. He is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond.
The probable cause statement says the victim’s mother brought the victim to the Jefferson City Police Department on Sept. 30, claiming Lairmore gave the girl drugs and pointed a gun at her head.
Lairmore is accused of giving the victim weed and Xanax on Sept. 1. The victim took a drug test and tested positive for marijuana, the statement says.
Lairmore also allegedly pointed a pellet gun at the victim’s head on Aug. 4, the statement says. Lairmore allegedly admitted to pointing the gun at the victim and claimed the gun also had a blue laser, court documents say.
Ryan Shiner
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A portion of the Madison Street Parking Garage in downtown Jefferson City has been restricted following an inspection, according to a Thursday press release from the city.
The release says the inspection “identified severe deterioration to decking, ramps, and supporting columns, creating safety concerns.”
The release says:
Ramps going up and down are closed.
All staircases are blocked off.
The Capitol Avenue entrance level remains open.
The alley entrance/exit on that level remains open.
Upper and lower levels are closed and inaccessible.
KTVZ
(Update: Adding video)
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon lawmakers this week approved a package of tax and fee hikes for stopgap funding to the Oregon Department of Transportation. But the agency is by no means out of the woods when it comes to being ready for winter and the need to keep highway and passes cleared of snow.
With the passage of House Bill 3991 and new funding for road maintenance coming to the agency soon, ODOT said Thursday it’s moving as fast as it can to hire winter maintenance staff.
The agency said it’s “prioritizing filling a mix of seasonal and permanent maintenance positions that provide or support winter maintenance service. They are located in every region of Oregon.”
“This funding is a significant investment, and we do not treat it lightly,” said ODOT Director Kris Strickler. “ODOT will move as quickly as possible to fill vacancies, restore staffing levels and deliver the critical services Oregonians rely on in winter.”
In previous years, ODOT began the process of hiring winter maintenance staff during the summer. However, given the agency’s recent budget woes, it didn’t have the money to fill vacant maintenance positions or hire seasonal staff.
Compounding the staffing challenges: Twice as many people left the agency in July and August of this year, compared to a year ago.
ThOse factors, along with a recent hiring freeze to save money, have left hundreds of positions vacant as the agency heads into winter.
Interested applicants can apply here: Oregon Department of Transportation : Career Opportunities : About Us : State of Oregon.
People with commercial driver’s licenses or experience providing winter maintenance services are especially encouraged to apply., ODOT said. Training is available for those without that experience or certification.
Seth Ratliff
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — An Idaho Falls man is facing the possibility of life in prison after a Bonneville County jury convicted him of second-degree murder in the fatal beating of a 50-year-old man last year.
Robert Wyatt Lange, 21, of Idaho Falls, was found guilty in the death of Alejandro Parades Hurtado following a four-day jury trial, Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal announced Thursday.
The conviction stems from an aggravated battery that occurred on the evening of October 19, 2024. According to the initial police release, Alejandro Parades Hurtado was found brutally beaten and with severe injuries on a sidewalk along the west side of Northgate Mile near the intersection with May Street. The victim later succumbed to his injuries, according to the Idaho Falls Police Department.
RELATED: Man dies after being severely beaten along Northgate Mile
The IFPD quickly launched an investigation and a three-day search for a suspect. Authorities later released dash cam video footage to the media showing a person of interest near the scene.
RELATED: Police: Suspect turns himself in for attacking man
Lange, who was 20 at the time of the incident, turned himself in at the Idaho Falls Police Complex after reportedly seeing himself in the released video. He was subsequently charged with second-degree murder.
Lange is scheduled to appear before Judge Brendon Taylor in the Seventh District Court in Bonneville County for his sentencing on December 5, 2025. Under Idaho law, the second-degree murder charge carries a maximum penalty of up to life in prison.
Prosecutor Neal extended his thanks to the IFPD detectives who “worked hard on the case and testified at the trial.” The announcement noted that several members of the victim’s family were present in the courtroom throughout the trial proceedings.
CNN Newsource
Originally Published: 02 OCT 25 17:14 ET
By Brittaney Tait
Click here for updates on this story
SALT LAKE CITY (KSL, KSL TV) — A teenage boy is being hailed as a hero after protecting his two younger brothers from gunfire during the Grand Blanc Township shooting that killed four people and severely injured eight others.
Jasper, 14, was serving as an usher during the passing of the sacrament on Sunday at his congregation with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His job was to stand by the chapel doors to make sure the area was reverent. According to his aunt, Amber Rosen, as the sacrament was finishing, Jasper suddenly had a runny nose.
“It was so unexpected and came on fast,” Rosen said. “Jasper hadn’t been sick. But he felt the need to leave his post and go to the restroom to get a tissue.”
Moments later, the gunman, Thomas Jacob Sanford, crashed his truck through the front doors of the church. The shooter entered the chapel through the exact doors where Jasper had been stationed.
“The shooter came to where his post was. So had he not needed to blow his nose, Jasper would have been the first person the shooter saw,” Rosen said.
Rosen, who lives in Sandy, said her sister Michelle and her other children were sitting in the back of the congregation when Sanford opened fire.
“Jasper ran to them and grabbed his eight and 10-year-old brothers,” Rosen said. “In the chaos, his sister Josie was whisked away with another family trying to exit.”
More than one hundred people were trying to exit through one door to escape the gunfire.
“The shooter knew this and so he went around to wait at the doors to shoot people as they were fleeing the chapel,” Rosen said. “So Jasper led his mom and two brothers to a back exit.”
This door became blocked in the pandemonium, and Jasper’s younger brothers were being thrust up against the glass, unable to get out.
“Without even thinking, Jasper took his elbow and hit the glass window a few times and the whole thing shattered with no cuts to him,” Rosen said. “They ran into the parking lot. Jasper flagged down a car that was leaving and put his brothers inside, so that they were off-site and safe. He was so brave and heroic.”
Rosen said at this point, the chapel was fully engulfed in flames. Rosen started to cry as she expressed how worried her sister was that Josie was missing.
“My sister kept saying, ‘I have to run back in that church. My sweet girl! Where is Josie? Where is Josie?’ But Jasper comforted her and assured her Josie was with another family, safe,” she said.
Jasper and his mother hid behind cars while the gunman exchanged fire with officers.
“It was so absolutely terrifying. The trauma is deep. No child should ever have to experience this — let alone take a leadership position in a violent attack like this one,” Rosen said.
SWAT teams found 11-year-old Josie hiding in the woods. She was clutching a Latter-day Saint hymnbook when she was discovered.
“When Jasper saw her, he sprinted and grabbed her and of course it was a wonderful reunion for them that their family was all together and safe,” Rosen said. “I believe that angels were with them.”
Rosen plans to join her sister who lives in Boise this weekend as they fly to their hometown of Grand Blanc to support her family.
“We are all visiting Michigan this weekend with our family because that’s where we want to be,” Rosen said. “We all just want to curl up with a big blanket, watch movies and enjoy the sisterhood. The healing will be a long road. This has been harder than anyone could imagine.”
Editor’s note: Jasper’s family asked KSL not to use his last name for reasons of privacy.
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