Putting kids first: new coalition helping families afford child care in Southeast Idaho

KIFI on October 2, 2025

Sam Ross

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– Bannock County and United Way of Southeastern Idaho have partnered with local businesses and leaders on a new program called the ‘KIDS First Coalition’ to provide affordable child care for working families in the Portneuf Valley.

KIDS First Coalition leaders say they launched the pilot program to combat the rising cost of childcare in the area and boost the local economy by helping parents stay in the workforce.

“If you have an infant, you want to put them in childcare, that’s equal to a semester’s tuition at Idaho State University,” said Jeff Hough, chair of the Bannock County Board of Commissioners and founding member of the KIDS First Coalition. “If you are a single parent and only making $15 to $18 an hour, you can’t afford to work and have childcare; so what this program is designed to do is to help ease that burden so that you can go back to the workforce rather than being on a welfare program.”

Hough said the KIDS First Coalition works through a collaborative effort between governments, employers, and working parents in what the Coalition is calling the ‘Tri-Share model’.

Under the Tri-Share model, employers agree to pay one-third of child care costs for eligible employees on a sliding scale based on business size, budget, and employees’ choice of childcare center. The employee will also pay one-third of the cost, and local governments will pay the other third.

“It tackles a lot of issues with one program,” said Sadie McMorris, KIDS First Coalition liaison for United Way. “It helps stabilize our workforce, it helps parents who may be struggling, it also helps childcare providers who are facing high turnover rates right now; so if we can stabilize their income, then we’ll be able to help their employees stay on board… it helps not only businesses, but families and childcare providers.”

The KIDS First Coalition launched on October 1. United Way, Biggie and Smalls Learning Center, and Southeast Idaho Council of Governments are the first three employers to sign up for the pilot program.

Bannock County and the City of McCammon have both allocated one-time seed funding from their fiscal year 2025 budgets to get the project started.

Coalition leaders said they hope to have at least 10 businesses opt in to the program so they can collect data on the initiative’s benefits and drawbacks to guide Coalition decisions and continuation in the future.

“For employers, it’s a really beneficial tool because one of the statistics that we’ve seen is people are starting to ask their employers to modify their hours because they’re having trouble with daycare hours,” said Commissioner Hough. “What this will allow them to do is pay for full-time daycare and help stabilize that… it can be a recruiting tool, it can be a retention tool, it can be used a lot of different ways, and the thing that I like most about the program is it’s flexible for the employer.”

To learn more about the KIDS First Coalition, click HERE.

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‘It’s really something’: National Women in Roofing’s local council gifts new roof to Redmond veteran

KTVZ on October 2, 2025

Claire Elmer

(Update: adding video, interviews with veteran, NWIR, and CertainTeed)

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The National Women in Roofing’s Central Oregon council marked their “Raise the Roof” event Thursday by giving a local veteran a brand new roof. 

The event brought together more than a dozen businesses who have donated time, materials, and labor — all to give back to those who have served our country.

Larry Moyer, a Navy vet and recipient of the new room, was connected to the giveaway through his volunteer work with veterans in the community. 

“This group, the National Women in Roofing, really is a giving group. And they’re really just a wonderful bunch of people, and they’re from all different businesses. It’s really something,” Moyer said. 

Moyer, who rightfully takes pride in his volunteer work, appreciates the reciprocated thoughtfulness.

“They’re really trying to give back to the community, and that’s what I do a lot,” he said. “That’s a really, really important thing for all of us. I don’t care who you are or where you’re from – take care of each other.”

National Women in Roofing — also known as NWIR — is a volunteer-based group that launched its Central Oregon chapter earlier this year. Members say this project is about more than just roofing.

Amy Cashman, social media manager for the new chapter, spoke to KTVZ News of the positive impact the group has when people work together. 

“We are able to do something really, really special just by coming together and volunteering whatever it is that our strength is, and this is the result of it,” Cashman said. 

For partner companies, giving back to deserving community members is the biggest reward. Some even feel a personal connection to the mission. 

Jack McDonnell, territory manager of CertainTeed — the company who donated high-quality shingles for the project — spoke of the company’s commitment to veterans. 

“Myself and CertainTeed are more than happy to support Oregon Band of Brothers, National Women in Roofing, and of course, the veteran here that we have today,” McDonnell said. 

The fact that McDonnell’s grandfather was a veteran makes the project even more impactful to him: “My grandfather, he was a Marine in Vietnam. And so that resonates with me to a pretty significant extent.”

Moyer says he’s grateful for the community that rallied around him — and for an organization dedicated to lifting up both veterans and women in the roofing industry.

The NWIR says this is just the beginning of what they hope to accomplish in the community. They are grateful to their sponsors for making it possible.

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Herzog, others sued for discrimination, harassment

News-Press NOW on October 2, 2025

News-Press NOW

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Six construction workers have sued Herzog Contracting Corp. and its partners for racial discrimination and harassment while working on a public transportation project in Kansas City, Missouri.

The lawsuit was filed in a Jackson County, Missouri Circuit Court in late June. The matter was referred to federal court earlier this month.

The plaintiffs include Javier Buendia, Jonas Buendia, Oliver Curry, Carl Hunt, Joseph Martin and Charles Watkins. The defendants named were Herzog, Stacy and Witbeck, an engineers’ union and a laborers’ union. Also named as defendants were three individuals, Bryce Shields of Savannah, Missouri, Joseph Ayers of Maysville, Missouri and Chris Greenwood of Shawnee, Kansas.

To clarify, Shields is not related to Missouri District 11 Rep. Brenda Shields.

The plaintiffs, all minority workers, said they were subjected to continual harassment at various job sites while working on the KC Streetcar project. The group claims they were subjected to:

Racial epithets

Derogatory and racially charged names

Threats of physical violence

Actual physical assault

Sexual harassment

Association with a white nationalist group. The plaintiffs allege that one foreman on the project was a member of the Proud Boys

The lawsuit listed dozens of instances in which the plaintiffs were subjected to this treatment.

Employment discrimination petition, including HerzogDownload

The plaintiffs also allege, when they complained to company supervisors or union officials, their complaints were ignored and they were retaliated against.

The plaintiffs are all seeking monetary damages.

No hearing dates have been set in federal court.

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Alzheimer’s research advancing with treatments and prevention, as more than 122,000 Missourians battle disease

KMIZ on October 2, 2025

Meghan Drakas

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

One MU Health Care neurologist says research on Alzheimer’s disease treatments and prevention has rapidly accelerated in the last few years. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 7 million Americans are battling this disease, which includes more than 122,300 Missourians.

“We had a good 15 to 20 years of nothing,” Dr. David Beversdorf said. “We’ve been trained by repeated failures to be a little cautious.”

Beversdorf has studied cognitive and behavioral neurology and also works with adults with autism. He says Alzheimer’s is a core feature of one of the things he deals with in his line of work.

“Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia,” Beversdorf said. “Dementia is a clinical diagnosis where you have a cognitive difficulty in more than one area…that [causes] difficulties with handling your daily activities.”

It’s a disease Mid-Missouri resident and Columbia Walk to End Alzheimer’s Committee Member, Valorie Livingston, knows all too well.

Valorie Livingston with her family at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s (Credit: Valorie Livingston)

“There’s so much anxiety and depression and sadness that comes with this disease,” Livingston said. “Nobody ever sits you down and prepares you [for] that one day, you might have to make these kinds of decisions about your mom and dad and you have an extreme amount of guilt about making these decisions.”

Livingston said around 2015, her family noticed her father was having some challenges with remembering things and was becoming less active. After some testing, the family discovered what was wrong.

“He was actually diagnosed with Parkinson’s [and] Alzheimer’s, so sadly he lost his cognitive skills at the same time that he lost his physical skills,” Livingston said.

She said her father died in 2019 and during that four-year journey, “there were so many situations…I had never dreamed about being in and having to make such difficult decisions.”

Livingston says she was raised on watching sports every Sunday with her dad. Her parents were married for 55 years and when her father died, she says it took a toll on her mother.

Valorie Livingston’s parents holding hands. The two were married for 55 years. (Credit: Valorie Livingston)

“Experiencing all those changes, she declined quickly,” Livingston said. “Then, with her dementia, because of the chaos and the disorganization of her lifestyle, all of a sudden, really, the confusion spiraled her down the same path.”

Livingston said her mother died a few years after her father in 2021.

“She’s from the generation [where] you just get out there and you do whatever you have to do to take care of everything and everyone around you,” Livingston said. “She was the sweetest, kindest, most hardworking mom I could ever imagine.”

FDA approved treatments

Beversdorf says research on Alzheimer’s disease is a complicated but rapidly moving field.

“We’re getting into a stage where we can identify the pathological features of Alzheimer’s before someone has dementia,” Beversdorf said. “You can now have the biomarkers prior to any emergence of a cognitive decline. It’s very complicated now.”

Since 2021, three drugs have been given FDA approval for treatment of the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Aducanumab received the first accelerated approval, but was later discontinued in 2024.

Lecanemab was given traditional FDA approval in 2023, followed by Donanemab in 2024. Both of these treatments are focused on addressing the “underlying biology” of the disease.

With these two FDA-approved treatments, Beversdorf says there’s a significant cost, along with additional testing and monitoring. He mentioned an individual also needs to be in the fairly early stages of the disease because it doesn’t tend to help people who are further along.

“It’s a complicated thing,” Beversdorf said. “Not everybody fits the bill.”

He mentioned a good candidate for the drug can’t have evidence of prior bleeding in their brain.

“That’s a no-go because that places you at [a] much greater risk of bleeding,” Beversdorf said. “So it’s become a very complicated space to navigate.”

He says he could thinks there could be additional treatments that the FDA approves in the next five years.

“I would cautiously say yes,” Beversdorf said. “I say that because there’s a lot of things in the pipeline.”

Prevention measures

Along with additional research for treatments, individuals can seek gene testing for possible earlier detection for the disease.

Certain lifestyle choices could also lessen the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, including diet and exercise.

“We actually wrote an article on that two years ago, and we just submitted an updated version of that,” Beversdorf said. “The most effective things are anything to reduce your cardiovascular risk. [It] also reduces your Alzheimer’s risk.”

He said the Mediterranean, Mind and Dash diets and consuming omega-3 fatty acids can also help decrease your risk.

Beversdorf says recent data in the last few months has also shown a connection between Alzheimer’s disease and hearing loss.

“It shows we’ve known for several years that people who have hearing impairment have an increased risk of developing dementia,” Beversdorf said. “Recently, there’s data suggesting that mitigating that with hearing aids helps and so it does make a huge difference…they think it may be part of sensory deprivation and loss of the social and mental activities that you can’t participate in, in the same way because you can’t hear.”

Livingston says she’s been paying attention to the research on prevention and is working to improve her lifestyle.

“This year [I] joined a gym and started weightlifting for the first time ever, because I am now focusing on eating healthy, taking better care of myself and my muscle tone,” Livingston said. “[I’m] trying to be stronger and be more fit in hopes that it’s going to extend my whole body overall.”

Livingston says with more data and research, she’s hopeful for the future.

“I’m hoping for research and for a cure because I have it on both bloodlines for me,” Livingston said

How to support the cause

Join ABC 17 News at the Columbia Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday at Stankowski Field on the University of Missouri’s campus. This year, the walk goal is set at $160,000. As of Friday, the walk had raised more than $126,000.

Resources

The Alzheimer’s Association has a free 24/7 hotline (1-800-272-3900) which offers resources, support, assistance and information for anyone affected by Alzheimer’s including patients, caregivers and family members.

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St. Joseph plans upgrade to aging signage in advance of 2026 World Cup

News-Press NOW on October 2, 2025

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — St. Joseph tourism officials are planning a big refresh for many of the aging signs that have long guided visitors to the city’s biggest attractions. 

Scattered throughout Downtown St. Joseph and Frederick Avenue are many of the same blue wayfinding signs that were installed back in 1995, with many either faded, damaged or in some cases pointing the wrong direction.

“The current signs are so unimpactful that we completely overlook them as residents. But then, as a visitor, if you see that and if you’re actually relying on signage, if anything, it’s probably more of a deterrent,” said Christian Mengel, communications director with the St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The current signs aren’t helping anybody.”

Now, CVB officials are preparing to move forward on a years-long effort to overhaul the signs with a new array of vibrant and modernized wayfinding signs — some as tall as six feet — a roughly $350,000 project funded primarily by the CVB.

This rendering shows the height and colors of the new wayfinding signs set to be installed in St. Joseph.

With the 2026 World Cup fast approaching and the potential for a wave of domestic and international travelers coming to St. Joseph — particularly on off days between matches — tourism officials think now is the time to strike while the iron is hot, a benefit for short- and long-term economic growth.

Kansas City will host six matches as one of 16 World Cup cities across the U.S., Mexico and Canada. FIFA officials are expected to unveil which teams will compete in K.C. on Dec. 5.

“We know this will be our one chance to have that strong impact. We need nice, inviting, clean signs. Not only to help the visitor experience move from location to location, but also just as a beautification project for Downtown,” Mengel said. “We’re going to see a noticeable increase in visitation to a lot of our attractions, specifically the ones that we know are valuable to international fans.”

On any given year, Mengel said the Pony Express, Patee House and Jesse James museums see tourists from upwards of 20 countries and all 50 U.S. states, a huge international driver for those hoping to learn about American history.

More than 50 new signs will be installed primarily in the Downtown area and along Frederick Avenue, guiding visitors to historic destinations like the Pony Express, Patee House and Jesse James Museums, in addition to newer attractions like the River Bluff Trails Park and InspireU Children’s Discovery Museum, among others.

“This system is built to point to everything that someone’s missing on the way to what they’re going to. So it’s inspiring them to stay longer, which will eventually have them spend more money,” he said. “It’s an extensive upgrade to what we currently have.”

The new orange and blue signs will be double-sided, featuring directional arrows on one side and colorful art — including the iconic Pony Express emblem — on the other. The plan is to purchase nearly a dozen different variations of signs, including kiosks that include maps.

St. Joseph is one of nearly a dozen cities in Missouri planning to upgrade its signage in advance of the World Cup, including Kansas City.

The wayfinding signs were designed by Corbin Design of Kansas City, an expert in wayfinding and environmental graphic design. The company spent a considerable amount of time studying the city to create a new and customized design and color scheme that looks and feels St. Joseph.

“We’re currently just behind the standard in terms of wayfinding signs. We don’t want to just meet that bar. We want to surpass it and exceed it to be a sign system that other communities are looking at and saying, we need ours to look like that,” Mengel said.

The current blue wayfinding signs are shown on South Ninth Street, directing visitors to the Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph.

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Five 18-year-olds suspected of weapons offenses taken into custody

KESQ on October 2, 2025

City News Service

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – Five 18-year-old men suspected of weapons violations during a traffic enforcement stop in Coachella were taken into custody, authorities announced today.  

Deputies from the Thermal Sheriff’s Station conducted the traffic stop around 10:35 p.m. Tuesday near Highway 86 and Avenue 50, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

Five occupants were identified during the investigation — four from Indio, along with a Coachella resident.

Sheriff’s officials said all five suspects were arrested and booked in the John Benoit Detention Center on possession of firearms and conspiracy.   

Further investigation during the arrest led deputies to a handgun, rifle, and ammunition.

The case remains under investigation, with no additional details provided.   

Anyone with additional information was urged to contact Thermal Sheriff’s Station Deputy Beltran at 760-863-8990.

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Teton County registered sex offender charged with multiple child exploitation felonies following tip from hospital staff

KIFI on October 2, 2025

News Team

DRIGGS, Idaho (KIFI) — A registered sex offender out of Teton County is now facing up to 87 years in prison after hospital staff reported him for possession of child pornography.

Dennis Joe Empey, of Driggs, is charged with two counts of felony sexual battery-solicit participation of a minor child 16 to 17 years of age, two counts of disseminating material harmful to a minor, one count of possession of child sexually exploitative material, and distribution of child sexually exploitative material.

According to court documents, on December 26, 2024, a hospital worker reported Empey for potential possession of child pornography. The probable cause documents state that “Empey had reportedly pulled up a photo of the wound on his phone, and when he swiped out of the photo and scrolled down, there were photos of children on his phone.”

“The worker stated it was quick and the photos were blurry, but stated that one photo was of a shirtless boy that looked to be 8-12 years old,” states the document.

Detectives later went on to interview Empey in his home on January 15, 2025, where he willingly allowed the detectives to go through his phone, and detectives told him he could tell them to stop at any time.

Detectives located a photo on Facebook Messenger of what appeared to be an AI-generated photo of juvenile males within the age range of 10-14 years old engaging in sexual acts. The males’ genitalia were clearly visible in the photo, according to court documents.

According to court documents, when detectives showed Empey the photo, he confirmed that they appeared to be minors, but denied having anything to do with he photo, stating “he was just in a group chat and it had nothing to do with him.”

Empey reportedly informed the detectives that forty-five years prior, while he was in his twenties, he had “mutually masturbated with a 15-16 year old boy,” according to court documents. Empey is a registered sex offender, having been convicted in 1991 in Provo, Utah, of child molestation, sentenced to one year in jail and three years’ probation.

He was later tied to a well-known lawsuit involving sexual abuse crimes against now-former Boy Scouts. According to a report by the Idaho State Journal, Empey was accused by an anonymous victim of sexually abusing him during the summer of 1981 at Camp Morrison, near McCall, about 100 miles north of Boise.

Detectives seized the suspect’s phone and applied for a warrant to search Empey’s phone data. Upon further search, detectives discovered videos and photographs of child sexually exploitive material, in addition to WhatsApp messages between Empey and two 17-year-old boys from other countries.

According to court documents, in said messages, Empey claims to be a young man in his twenties, using an AI-generated image of a younger man. The messages start in mid-September 2024, and in them, the suspect reportedly asked the boys about their sexual encounters, repeatedly sent pornographic material, and asked the young men to take photos of themselves.

In further interviews with detectives on May 8, 2025, Empey denied recognizing any of the photos found by police.

Local News 8 spoke with victims’ advocate Noel Russell — who filed charges against Empey decades ago on behalf of her then-husband — about these latest allegations. She says Empey has been enabled for years and that his abuse needs to be stopped.

“One of the things. That I would love to be able to get through to people, is people think they know the offender, but the only person who really knows the offender, who really knows who they are and what they’re like, are their victims, and nobody else truly sees their whole face. They see the mask the offender puts on so that they can continue to prey on people,” said Russell. “But he has made it very clear that he is going to prey on children until the day he dies.”

He was arraigned before Magistrate Judge Jason Walker on September 17, 2025. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for October 15, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.

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Hillyard Tech students explore career paths on Manufacturing Day tour  

News-Press NOW on October 2, 2025

Praji Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce marked Manufacturing Day on Thursday, Oct. 2, giving students a closer look at career opportunities in their own backyard.  

Students from Hillyard Technical Center toured I&M Machine and Fabrication. And for many of them, it was their first time stepping inside a factory they’d only ever driven past.  

“It’s just an effort to get high school kids to understand what’s going on in these factories that are in this town. They just drive by and nobody knows what’s going on there,” said Jon Barron, the general manager of I&M.

Barron said the turnout was big this year — 23 groups of about 20 students each. And it’s more than just a quick look around.  

The program has already led to real opportunities, with three students moving into apprenticeships at the factory after taking the tour.   

“They want to get into the workforce and with a good job and make real money right off, so they hope to get more hands-on experience working in the factories,” Barron said.  

Cooper Tabor, a senior at Hillyard Tech, said he’s hoping to get more hands-on experience in the industry and eventually land a job that can really support him.  

“The amount of machines they have they have is kind of cool and it’s crazy to know how much money they cost,” Tabor said.  

He said he came on the tour because he enjoys working around machines — it’s something he’d take over a desk job any day.  

“This is my first time being here for the tour, and I really want to be able to do something to support myself and it sets me up to live the life that I want,” Tabor said.  

Tabor hopes to find a good job out of state where he can put his skills and training to use. 

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Salvation Army to collect winter clothing donations

News-Press NOW on October 2, 2025

Rebecca Evans

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Salvation Army of St. Joseph is now accepting donations of coats, hats, gloves, blankets and scarves to help families in need.

Winter gear can be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday until Friday, Oct. 31, at the Salvation Army, located at 602 Messanie St.

The items will help community members in need stay warm during the colder months.

Courtesy of the Salvation Army of St. Joseph.

Any items donated should be in gently used or new condition.

“We try our hardest just to make sure that those folks are able to survive through the night and through the winter,” said Emily Bravo, Social Services Director at the Salvation Army, “It’s very, very important to keep them warm overnight.”

She highlighted the need for gloves, baby coats and large-sized coats, noting that these are often the least donated items. Those without clothing to give can still support the Salvation Army by volunteering their time.

Those with questions can call the Salvation Army at 816-232-5824 for more information.

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Viral fundraiser by LDS community aims to help Michigan Church Shooter’s wife and sick son

KIFI on October 2, 2025

News Team

MICHIGAN (KIFI) — The family of Thomas Jacob Sanford, the perpetrator of a recent attack on a Michigan church, is receiving an immense amount of support from members of the very faith community he targeted: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Days after Sanford drove his truck into the Grand Blanc Township LDS chapel, opened fire, and set the building ablaze—an event federal investigators are calling a “targeted act of violence”—LDS Church members and friends worldwide have rallied to support his wife and son, who has a rare genetic disorder.

The viral GiveSendGo fundraising campaign has so far raised over $280,740 for Sanford’s family as of Thursday morning. The funds are earmarked to “help provide for the Sanford family’s daily needs, provide for ongoing medical treatment, and create some stability in a time of heartbreak,” states the fundraiser.

The attack, which resulted in four people killed and eight wounded, has been met by the church’s leaders with a strong message of peace and forgiveness, which they are encouraging the worldwide faith community to embrace.

LDS author David Butler started the fundraiser, explaining online that his faith inspired him to act. He felt compelled to care for people in need and to follow the teachings of James, the biblical apostle of Christ: “To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction.”

While the campaign has drawn some scrutiny from those questioning the decision to aid the shooter’s family, Butler addressed the criticism, clarifying that the effort is not about taking sides.

“[Sanford’s family] They certainly didn’t choose this. They certainly didn’t want this to happen. And they’re victims, too,” Butler said in an interview with Fox News. “I think people want to love. People want to forgive.”

The majority of donations were accompanied by kind messages and reassurance for the family, with notes frequently stating, “You are loved. This wasn’t your fault.”

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