Strict Rules Brings Isla Vista Halloween Activities & Challenges a Week Early

KEYT on October 24, 2025

John Palminteri

ISLA VISTA, Calif. (KEYT) – The large scale Halloween events of the past have quieted down in recent years in the area filled with UC Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara City College students, but this year, Halloween activities could start a week earlier.

The community has worked hard on safe activities, alternatives to large events and a message to disruptive out-of-towners to stay out.

Lt. Joe Schmidt heads up the Isla Vista Foot Patrol for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Dept.

“The last few years we have seen a very  a minimal impact of an out of town crowd for Halloween. I think  the word is out that  this is not the place  to go,” he said.

Halloween is next Friday. Many parties are scheduled this weekend – which could bring out an infusion of festive local residents, their friends and curious outsiders.

“We have significantly upstaffed Sheriff’s deputies and UCPD officers for Isla vista  to manage what we anticipate will be larger crowd coming,” said Schmidt.

Many residents say they will be gone for Halloween but here this weekend. Larsen Porter said, “and I went out last weekend  and everybody was in costume   and the spirit    very much alive .”  

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and other organizations have been doing outreach to “Keep it Safe, Keep it Local.”

The ordinances restricting live music and loud music to help control the atmosphere kick in over the Halloween weekend but they are not in place this weekend.

Alternative activities over the next week include a “Haunted Pumpkin Patch” in Anisq’Oyo’ Park, as organized by the Isla Vista Recreation & Park District (IVRPD). 

In recent years, these events have also included carnival games, silent discos, and family-friendly activities in an area, which has year-round residents and many families.

The arrest totals have dropped significantly in recent years.

The Sheriff’s Department operating the Isla Vista Foot Patrol is collaborating with UCSB Police, the City of Goleta, the Isla Vista Community Services District, the Recreation and Parks Department,AMR, the County Fire Department and student leaders to have safe streets and a quick response to needs.

Some students say they want to have fun but they also want to be very aware of what is going on around them so they can avoid something bad happening and ruining their Halloween.

Emilio Lopez said, “we have a risk management team for my  group that we  have  we always make sure that nothing bad is going on.  it’s always safe even without the cops.”

It’s also a time when parents are checking in. Ayden Curameng said, “I am always talking to my parents and they are always saying be careful what you do and watch who you are around but I think I am good with  being safe.”

While there will be beefed up law enforcement, fire, AMR and other services, Schmidt says “we have to protect their right  to have fun and celebrate  this great area but we have to make sure people are safe. ”

There will be safe stations set up for those who need to get away from big crowds or the wrong people, and there will be water to hydrate.

Malea Smith is a student who makes a plan to go out and get home safely. She has not had any negative experiences. “I felt safe every time I am out and I am always making sure I am with friends and I feel safe and I have walked home alone and it is totally safe.”

(More details about the Halloween week activities will be covered in the week ahead.)

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National discount retailer Burlington Stores opens in Idaho Falls and donates $5000 to elementary school teachers

KIFI on October 24, 2025

Danielle Mullenix

New store features Burlington’s upgraded store experience, making it easier to find top brands and savings of up to 60% off other retailers’ prices.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Burlington Stores, Inc., a national discount retailer offering low prices every day on brand-name merchandise for the entire family and home, celebrated its grand opening on Friday, October 24th, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and $5000 donation to Hillview Elementary School teachers. a new store in Idaho Falls, ID.

This is the first location to open in the eastern Idaho region. The new store brings the total number of stores in the state to 3, giving even more consumers access to “wow” deals. With more than 1,138 stores open nationwide, Burlington offers customers comparable deals on top-quality brands.

To celebrate the Grand Opening of their new store location and highlight their ongoing commitment to education, the retailer donated $5,000 to a nearby high-needs school through its long-standing partnership with the national nonprofit AdoptAClassroom. The funds will be used to provide students with the classroom materials they need to learn and succeed. The presentation of the donation to the local school community will take place at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

“Our goal is to continue to offer area residents tremendous value on brand-name merchandise for the entire family and home,” said Michael O’Sullivan, CEO, Burlington Stores. “We’re continuing to expand our footprint across the country and are excited to be opening a new store in Idaho Falls. We look forward to giving local customers the chance to discover big savings on a wide range of products.” 

With up to 60% off other retailers’ prices on brand-name merchandise arriving regularly, customers will discover something new every time they shop.

The new location features Burlington’s reimagined store layout and new store logo “Deals. Brands. WOW!” These updates are part of Burlington’s broader initiative to elevate the in-store shopping experience.

All new Burlington stores are now open in the refreshed format, featuring thoughtfully organized aisles and bold signage, making it easier than ever to navigate the store and get inspiration for the latest must-have trends.

On Friday and Saturday, October 24 & 25, following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the first 100 customers aged 18 and up will receive a $10 Bonus Card to be used toward their purchase!

The store is also offering employment opportunities. Those interested in joining are encouraged to visit BurlingtonStores.jobs to apply online for a variety of exciting and rewarding positions. 

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Alleged victim in road rage altercation does not consider themselves a victim

KYMA on October 24, 2025

Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – 19-year-old Juan Figueroa is back in court Friday morning for a case management conference.

Juan is charged with first degree murder and attempted first degree murder after allegedly accidentally running over his brother, 17-year-old Javier Figueroa, while trying to hit a 36-year-old man during a physical altercation.

According to official court documents in a Conditions of Release Hearing, earlier this month, the alleged 36-year-old victim says he does not consider himself a victim, and disagrees with Juan being prosecuted for offenses in which the 36-year-old is labeled as a victim.

During the same hearing, Juan had his bond reduced from $500,000 to $100,000, and has since posted bail.

Joseph Figeruoa, the father of the two brothers, is thankful that Judge Claudia Gonzales gave Juan the opportunity to attend his brother’s funeral and grieve with his family.

“[She] Gave me at least time for me to grieve with my son, and my dead son, and my other son, and he got to see him, and it was priceless,” Joseph says.

However, despite the recent developments, the state is still looking to prosecute Juan.

He is scheduled to be back in court for a Final Management Conference on November 21.

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16-year-old charged with first-degree murder in shooting death of Blackfoot’s Rebecca Rivera

KIFI on October 24, 2025

Ariel Jensen

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) — The 16-year-old suspect in a Thursday night manhunt appeared in Bingham County Court this morning, charged with first-degree murder for the fatal shooting of a Blackfoot woman.

Bobby G. Jackson of Blackfoot was arraigned today, accused of fatally shooting 30-year-old Rebecca Rivera of Blackfoot in the head on October 23, 2025. He is currently being held on a $1 million bond at the 3B Detention Facility.

Investigators with the Blackfoot Police Department (BPD) have not yet determined the nature of Jackson’s relationship to Rivera. In a press release, the department stated, “Our hearts go out to the Rivera family, our community, and all those affected by this tragic crime.”

Shooting Background

Rivera’s body was discovered at a trailer park located at 1159 Broadway in Blackfoot. A preliminary investigation indicates that prior to the shooting, Jackson allegedly stole a firearm and had been reported as a teen runaway.

Police believe the teen arrived at Rivera’s home sometime after 12:40 PM on Thursday afternoon, where they allege he fatally shot her in the head before fleeing on foot. State Prosecutors believe the act was committed with “premeditation and forethought.”

Following the shooting, investigators say Jackson traveled to Chubbuck and eventually to Pocatello, where he was located at a home and taken into custody without incident late Thursday night.

The Blackfoot PD expressed gratitude to their law enforcement partners across Southeast Idaho for their cooperation in the manhunt and investigation. “We are grateful for their assistance and willingness to come forward throughout the night,” the department stated.

Arraignment

State Prosecutors reiterated in court that they believe Jackson acted with premeditation. According to court testimony, the teen has a violent criminal history, including a charge of burglary with aggravated factors.

Jackson is facing a single charge of first-degree murder.

A preliminary hearing has been set for November 6 at 8:30 am. At this hearing, the State has indicated they will motion to move the teen to a county jail rather than the 3B juvenile detention center where he is currently being held.

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Santa Barbara’s Malachi Johnston Reps His City While Dominating The Trenches For The Dons

KEYT on October 24, 2025

Joey Vergilis

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – On this week’s Walkthrough with Joey, we caught up with Malachi Johnston – a three-time captain, two-way standout, and the heartbeat of the Santa Barbara Dons football program.

From a wide-eyed freshman stepping onto the field in 2022 to a seasoned veteran, the four-year varsity, two-way star now embodies the Dons’ identity: relentless effort, sharp football IQ, and unwavering discipline on and off the field.

The Cal Poly Mustang commit has suited up for 42 games in the green and gold. 

“It’s kind of crazy,” Johnston said when reflecting on his high school career. “I didn’t realize I played that many games… it went real fast.”

In his four years, Johnston has seen a new team form around him nearly every season. 

“I’ve been on pretty much an entirely different team each year,” he said. “It kind of sucked because I’m the one guy left behind every time. I’ve lost a lot of my best friends who graduate and move on, and then I’m still here.”

Despite the constant roster turnover,  Johnston’s gratitude is evident. 

“Being able to experience it with so many different people has really let me appreciate what I get to do. It just helps me realize how special it is that I get to put on a Dons uniform and represent the city like that.”

With all that experience, Johnston’s taken on the rare challenge of playing both offense and defense.

“I think the biggest challenge is probably keeping myself safe,” he said with a grin. 

“It’s pretty easy to get hurt when you play that much. I think when we played Corona del Mar, we played 160 plays I played 145 of them. My body was pretty beat up, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Johnston shared.

That kind of workload might sound brutal, but for him, it’s worth it.

“I love playing football. As long as I get to play, I don’t care how much or how little it is,” he said. “I have fun doing both — I just love it.” Johnston said with pride.

When asked what goes through his mind in the trenches, Johnston doesn’t hesitate.

“Every time I get in my stance, my goal is to beat this dude up and rob him of his confidence. Every single time I play a team, I want them to watch film the next day and be like, that guy really messed us up.’” said the  6’3”, 270  pound Johnston.

In Johnston’s sophomore year, the Dons football program underwent a leadership change when Nate Mendoza was named head coach. 

“Mendo,” as the team calls him, immediately reshaped the culture, building an identity around relentless effort and accountability, those values align almost perfectly with Johnston himself.

“Under Mendo, everything is effort. If you don’t give 100% of your effort, you won’t play. We’re not necessarily the most athletic, biggest, or fastest guys, but we don’t have to be. It’s all about outworking you. Do you want it as bad as I do? Do you want it more?” Johnston explained.

“He’s drilled that into our brains,” Johnston said. “It’s a pretty good feeling to play for Mendo.”

When he’s not grinding on the field, in the gym, or in the classroom, Johnston finds peace far from the roar of Peabody Stadium.

“I like to go up to Camino Cielo,” he said. “There’s this dirt road that goes over the top of the mountains, and I like to go up there and kind of camp by myself. I get to decompress a little bit and be myself. I think that makes me a better player and a better teammate.”

As the sun sets over those same mountains Johnston retreats to, the lights at Peabody Stadium will power on for a Conejo Coast showdown tonight, as Malachi Johnston and the Dons welcome undefeated Westlake at 7 p.m.

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Yuma Community Food Bank sees a higher need as government shutdown continues

KYMA on October 24, 2025

Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Community Food Bank is preparing to help more locals as the government shutdown continues.

Since the government shutdown started, the food bank has seen an increase in people needing assistance, along with plenty of calls.

The food bank says they might no longer receive federal funding if the shutdown continues, meaning they would struggle to buy extra food.

While they still have supplies to give out right now, those are dwindling.

“Our mission is to provide for our Yuma Community. If people have needs because of the shutdown, or for whatever reason, come see us, we’re going to try to help in whatever way we can,” said Andy Robinson the CEO and President of the Yuma Community Food Bank.

The food bank, along with millions of others, could lose Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, otherwise known as SNAP, if the shutdown is not over soon.

Robinson shares just how crucial the money for the federal government is to their operation.

“It’s hard to say the amount we get, but it’s significant that it’s going to affect us longterm if the shutdown doesn’t get handled soon,” Robinson says.

The Yuma Community Food Bank shares how you can help.

“We are emergency prepared so we have a backup, but as this continues our backup will dwindle, so anything that people can help us with, food donations, anything like that would be greatly appreciated,” says Robinson.

If you would like to receive help from the food bank, all you have to do is show up and bring an ID.

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Coroner IDs two Rupert men killed in I-15 crash near Fort Hall

KIFI on October 24, 2025

Seth Ratliff

FORT HALL, Idaho (KIFI) — The names of the men killed in a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 15 near Fort Hall earlier this week have now been officially released.

Bannock County Coroner Torey Danner identified the victims as Manuel Rodriguez-Baltazar, 42, and Raul Navarrete, 44, both of Rupert.

According to ISP, on Tuesday October 21, 2025, at approximately 8:05 a.m. Rodriguez-Baltazar and Navarrete were traveling north in a Ford F450 pickup when it collided with a Peterbilt semi-truck. The impact caused the pickup to overturn and leave the roadway. Neither of the men was wearing a seatbelt and died at the scene.

ISP is continuing to investigate the cause of the crash, which has not yet been released at this time.

“My condolences to Manuel and Raul’s families and friends as they grieve the loss of their loved one,” said Coroner Torey Danner. 

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Extra cash could help The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri keep shelves stocked as prices rise, federal programs go dry

KMIZ on October 24, 2025

Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Boone County commissioners are set to help keep the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri afloat as low-income locals worry the shutdown will mean no federal food assistance.

The commission is amending its contract to provide the food bank with American Rescue Act Funds to pour in an additional $50,000 to support operations and keep shelves stocked.

Presiding Commissioner Kip Kendrick said the additional funding is intended to supplement food banks as food insecurity rises because of SNAP and WIC benefits being delayed while the government remains shut down.

“If the shutdown continues into November, then [those benefits] appear to be basically running out at the end of this month, so we know that it’s going to create a lot of food insecurity,” Kendrick said.

Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri spokesperson Katie Adkins said Boone County is already seeing a high demand on top of people losing SNAP benefits and federal workers not getting paid.

“We serve a lot of people who are using SNAP dollars, and we serve a lot of people who are not using the SNAP program,” Adkins said. “The Food Bank is generally the safety net to the safety net program.”

Adkins said the Food Bank Market serves about 11,000 to 12,000 people a month.

Adkins also said that because the Food Bank buys in bulk, it can purchase three meals for every dollar spent.

During the last government shutdown, which lasted 35 days in 2018, Adkins said SNAP had extra funding, but that hasn’t happened this time.

U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Kansas City) and other representatives wrote a letter to the Department of Agriculture urging the agency to use contingency reserve dollars to temporarily fund SNAP.

“Choosing not to ensure SNAP benefits reach those in need this November would be a gross dereliction of your responsibilities to the American people,” Cleaver and other lawmakers wrote in the letter.

The letter states there’s enough in the contingency reserve to give Americans nearly two-thirds of the full SNAP benefits for November.

The ABC 17 News team spoke with U.S. Rep. Mark Alford on Friday who said the Democrats plan sounds solid, but earlier in the interview he said he wants the government to reopen.

“We need some Democrats to wake up, to put their pride aside, to put their fear aside and join us in opening the government,” Alford said.

Governor Mike Kehoe also joined the national talk on SNAP benefits and the government shutdown when he posted Thursday to X, urging Missourians to donate to local food banks.

“Missouri is all about neighbors helping neighbors. Across our state, food banks and pantries have been hard at work preparing for an increase in need as the Democrat-led federal government shutdown continues,” Kehoe wrote.

It’s uncertain right now how a prolonged shutdown will affect WIC benefits.

A Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services spokesperson said they are closely monitoring funds with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and will know more next week.

In the meantime, Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services continues to schedule and see families in the clinic as it awaits a clear answer on November benefits.

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Deadly I-15 crash north of Spencer under investigation by ISP

KIFI on October 24, 2025

News Team

STANLEY, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho State Police are also investigating a deadly crash that happened Thursday night on I-15 north of Spencer.

Troopers say a white Dodge van from Lethbridge, Canada, was driving southbound on I-15 at milepost 183 when went off the road around 5 pm and stopped in the northbound left lane.

The 77-year-old driver was taken by ambulance to the hospital, but her 76-year-old passenger, who was not wearing a seatbelt, died at the scene.

The northbound left lane was blocked for about four hours as ISP and Clark County responded to the scene. This incident remains under investigation by the Idaho State Police.

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State conservation departments encourage hunters to donate venison

News-Press NOW on October 24, 2025

TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Missouri Department of Conservation and the Conservation Federation of Missouri are encouraging deer hunters to donate venison to the Missouri Share the Harvest program.

The program started in 1992 and has provided more than six million pounds of venison to Missourians.

The donated venison will go toward local food banks and food pantries to help feed the state. Missouri’s deer season started on Sept. 15 and will run until Jan. 15. Hunters can donate venison at any time during or after the season.

Tyler Polley, a Buchanan County conservation agent, said along with hunters donating, the MDC also contributes meat to the harvest.

“That’s where a lot of our deer meat comes from, because…us as a Department and as landowners, we do targeted removal to try to combat CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease),” said Polley. “All that meat, once it’s been tested and all that, it gets put into the harvest, which goes out and helps many, many people.”

To donate, hunters must take the harvested deer to an approved meat processor and let the processor know how much venison to donate.

The MDC website shows different processors throughout the state. Polley said some hunters might have to pay a processing fee.

“The harvest does help every processor with $95 per deer, and then the hunter would have to cover the rest with the processing fee,” Polley said.

Second Harvest is an organization that receives some of the meat from the MDC and distributes it to food pantries across the region.

Mackenzie Bally, Second Harvest marketing manager, said the program is really beneficial.

“A lot of the families we serve maybe don’t have a source of protein coming in at all. And deer meat has a really low fat content. And so it’s a really nutritious item that people can be eating,” she said.

In the last couple of years, Second Harvest has received 5,000 to 7,000 pounds of venison from the program. This year, Second Harvest hasn’t received much venison because the peak months for donations are January and February.

Bally said this program is important because Second Harvest relies heavily on donations and fundraising.

“Having partners like local hunters and processors is just a really great way to get involved and help the people that are right in your community,” she said.

To get more information on the Share the Harvest program, visit the MDC website.

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