Bend Park and Rec District launching public survey to gather input and insight on how they’re doing

KTVZ

Update: Adding video

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — How satisfied are you with the services of Bend Park and Recreation District? Is the district utilizing your tax dollars wisely and efficiently? What should the agency’s role be in regards to tax exemptions for housing?

Now is your chance to provide input and feedback.

BPRD, with help from Probolsky Research, will launch a new Public Perception Survey beginning this week, seeking valuable insight from district community members on topics ranging from parks and trail use, safety, inclusivity and more, the park district said in Monday’s news release, which continues in full below:

Every few years, BPRD conducts surveys like this to gauge awareness, perceptions and priorities of Bend residents in regards to parks and recreation services. These results directly inform district communications and services and identify community priorities for future programs and projects.

The 2025 survey includes questions asked in previous years to track changes over time and also features new questions based upon current issues in the community.

Beginning Monday, community members (selected randomly) living in the park district will receive a phone call, postcard, or text asking them to participate in the anonymous, statistically valid survey, which will take about 15 minutes to complete. This multi-mode approach provides community members with the opportunity to participate in the survey in a manner that is most convenient for them.

If you are contacted, please consider taking time to complete the survey.

“Community input is integral to informing district priorities and helping us to be more effective in our mission to strengthen community vitality and foster healthy enriched lifestyles through parks, trails and recreation,” said Park Planner Rachel Colton. “If you are selected to participate in the survey, please provide your feedback as it is valuable and meaningful and will inform how we deliver parks, trails, programs and activities for the community.”

In 2022, approximately 900 community members completed the perception survey. According to the results:

More than eight in 10 residents rated quality of life in Bend positively.

Parks, trails and recreation services were the top of the list of services residents felt were a good value. On a scale of one to 10, survey respondents gave parks and recreation services an average ranking of 7.9.

More than eight in 10 were satisfied with BPRD services. Most residents were somewhat (42%) or very (42%) satisfied with BPRD.

For district residents who don’t receive a phone call, postcard or text to take the statistically valid survey, there is still an opportunity to participate. An online open link survey will be available later in November.

Community members can check bendparksandrec.org and/or BPRD’s social media accounts for information about when the open link survey is available to all community members.

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Santa Maria bus system becomes second in the nation to achieve all-electric fleet

Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – The City of Santa Maria has announced its transit system has successfully transitioned its entire fleet of buses to 100% battery-electric vehicles.

The city indicated it believes its Santa Maria Regional Transit (SMRT) system is now just the second in the United States to feature an all-electric fleet.

The announcement follows the recent delivery of six electric buses, boosting the total number within the SMRT fleet to 40.

“These efforts are a reflection of our commitment to prioritizing financial prudence and a focus on long-term security,” SMRT Transit Services Manager Gamaliel Anguiano, Transit Services said in a release. “By converting to an all-electric fleet, we are moving SMRT toward greater independence from volatile global fuel markets and potential supply chain issues while also realizing substantial operating cost savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. This investment in our community’s future is a practical step towards fulfilling our objectives of being a Smart City, Safe City.”

The historic achievement for SMRT completes a four-year initiative by the City of Santa Maria to fully transition all of its buses into a 100 percent battery-electric transit fleet.

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Ballot Return Pace Picking Up With Upcoming Nov. 4th Election

John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The clock is running out for voters to cast their ballots by mail, at a ballot drop box, or make their plan to vote in-person on election day, Tuesday.

For those who are having ballot or voting issues, the election office has added staff members to answer phone calls in person to clarify any issue. That would include last minute registration.

About two weeks ago, roughly 80 percent of the voters who are eligible to participate in the November 4 election in Santa Barbara County still had their ballot, but had not yet mailed it.

The County Elections Office said at that time approximately 52,000 have been returned.

Since then the pace has picked up at all locations, but an estimate of the ultimate turnout would only be a guess, by even elections officials, at this point.

The newest numbers Monday show a turnout rate of about 32 percent. That’s roughly 80,000 votes. For this election there are 250,857 registered voters in the county.

This is a unique election where the ballot in front of voters asks for only one choice.

Proposition 50 concerns congressional redistricting in the state. It was placed on the ballot by the state legislature and specifically focuses on the redistricting process. Officially it is called The Electlon Rigging Response Act.

There are no candidates on the ballot.

At one of the downtown Santa Barbara drop boxes Melinda Brown said, “it’s a special election. It is not common, it is an off year.     I still think there will be a  strong turnout.”

Angel Garcia came from work and had ballots for his family. “Considering what is going on right now, nothing is normal right now.  This is fantastic. I am doing whatever we can.”

At the box by the Santa Barbara City College Garvin Theatre, Thorn Robertson said, “this is the first time I have done the drop off box.  Usually I like the  old fashioned way and going to the actually polling places and thanking the volunteers for what they are doing.”

With the clock winding down, Mimi Mork said, “it has been in my bag for days. I was thinking about getting it in a week ago.”

Coming back into town after being gone, Elissa Ross said she “went through a huge pile of mail and off to mail it. These mid terms are going to be key as a vision into the next election.”

These voters don’t want to be on the sidelines. “I strongly believe that everybody gets involved and take the time and vote. People feel my vote won’t count  I am just one person.  NO every vote counts,”   said Stella Ybarra.

A “Yes” vote would allow the state to temporarily use new, legislatively drawn congressional district maps for elections beginning in 2026. This would last until the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission redraws the maps following the 2030 U.S. Census.

A “No” vote would keep the current congressional district maps, drawn by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, in place until new maps are adopted after the 2030 Census.

The vote by mail ballot can be returned at a U.S. Post Office mail box, a white special ballot box, or in person on election day at any precinct location or the election office.     

The ballots went out, the first week of October and some filled it out immediately.

The California Secretary of State says voters have options on how to return their ballot. 

Voters can:

Drop off their ballot at a secure designated drop box, polling location, vote center, or county elections office.

Mail in their ballot. Ballots must be post-marked on or before Election Day. If mailing your vote-by-mail ballot, it is recommended that you mail your ballot early. In some locations, mail may not be postmarked by USPS until the following day; it is recommended to get a manual postmark from a postal employee inside your local U.S. Post Office if mailing your ballot on Election Day.

Voters also have the option to vote in-person.

More information about voting options can be found here: https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/.

California voters can register to vote or update their voter registration online at: registertovote.ca.gov.

Voters who are unsure of their voter registration status can quickly check it online at: voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.

Upcoming California key deadlines and dates for the November 4, 2025, Statewide Special Election can be found at: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/statewide-special-nov-4-2025/key-dates-and-deadlines.

The last day to register to vote online was October 20, 2025.

Same day (conditional) registration will be available October 21, 2025 – November 4, 2025 https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, 2025.

(More details, photos and video will be added here later today.)

La Oficina Electoral del Condado de Santa Bárbara recuerda a los votantes las opciones de devolución de boletas Las oficinas de Santa María y Santa Bárbara servirán como centros de votación el día de las elecciones, 4 de noviembre de 2025.

(SANTA BÁRBARA, Calif.). El Secretario a cargo del Registro de Votantes del Condado de Santa Bárbara, Joe Holland, les recuerda a los votantes que, a medida que se acerca la Elección Electoral del Condado del martes 4 de noviembre de 2025, existen varias opciones de devolver su boleta para que pueda incluirse en el recuento.

“Todos los votantes registrados en el Condado de Santa Bárbara recibieron una boleta oficial de voto por correo, junto con materiales de votación a principios de octubre”, afirmó Holland. “Ahora es el momento de devolver la boleta”.

Después de marcar sus selecciones, los votantes deben ingresar la boleta en el sobre de devolución que fue proporcionado, sellarlo, firmarlo y escribir la fecha en el sobre. “Es fundamental que el sobre de devolución esté firmado”, enfatizó Holland. “Cada firma en la boleta se verifica con la firma de registro del votante para validar la boleta antes de que se cuente”. Maneras de devolver una boleta.

Por correo: las boletas pueden ser devueltas a través del Servicio Postal de los Estados Unidos. No se requiere franqueo siempre y cuando estén selladas a más tardar el Día de las Elecciones, 4 de noviembre. El Servicio Postal de los Estados Unidos invita a los votantes a enviar sus boletas por correo con antelación para asegurar la entrega oportuna para el procesamiento y el conteo.

En las urnas oficiales: las urnas seguras están ubicadas en todo el Condado de Santa Bárbara y están disponibles las 24 horas del día hasta las 8 p.m. el Día de las Elecciones. Puede encontrar la lista de las ubicaciones oficiales de las urnas en Urna ubicada en Allan Hancock en Santa María cada boleta enviada por correo y está publicada en sbcvote.com.

Votar en persona: aunque todos los votantes registrados reciben una boleta de voto por correo, aquellos que prefieren votar en persona pueden hacerlo en su centro de votación asignado el día de las elecciones. Hay más de 50 centros de votación ubicados en todo el condado para asistir a los votantes el Día de las Elecciones. Los votantes pueden encontrar su centro de votación visitando sbcvote.com e ingresando su dirección residencial.

La Oficina de Elecciones de Santa Bárbara ubicada en 4440-A Calle Real en Santa Bárbara y la de Santa María en 511 Lakeside Parkway en Santa María servirán como centros de votación de servicio completo el día de las elecciones, martes 4 de noviembre, de 7 a. m. a 8 p. m.

Para obtener más información:Los votantes tienen muchas opciones para obtener información electoral. El personal electoral está disponible para apoyar por teléfono al (800) 722-8683, a través del sitio web de la Oficina Electoral, https://www.countyofsb.org/164/Elections, y por correo electrónico a electionsupport@countyofsb.org.

Además, la Oficina Electoral de Santa Bárbara ubicada en 4440-A Calle Real en Santa Bárbara está abierta de lunes a viernes de 8 a. m. a 5 p. m. La oficina también abrirá el sábado 1 de noviembre, de 9 a. m. a 2 p. m.

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Ft. Yuma Wellness Center breaks ground on new wellness facility

Joaquin Hight

WINTERHAVEN, Calif. (KYMA) – Fort Yuma Wellness Center held a groundbreaking ceremony Monday morning.

According to the center, the ceremony took place at 10:00 a.m., and this is for a new wellness facility on the Quechan Indian Reservation.

The new facility will feature a gym, conference rooms, and a kitchen. Diabetes Educator & Trainer Peter Escalanti shared how the new facility will aim to provide healthier and happier lives within the community.

Entry to the facility will be completely free thanks to a grant funding this new facility, and all communities are welcome.

The 8,500 square foot facility is expected to begin construction in the next two weeks, from Monday, November 3, and is planned to be finished within seven to nine months.

Their biggest hope for this new building is to provide better services to treat diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.

Escalanti says that he is excited for the kitchen area of the facility, which he plans to open up for cooking demos.

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Santa Barbara Clinic Prepares for Surge After Medi-Cal Rule Change

Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Sanctuary Centers is already seeing a sharp rise in new patients.

“It’s gotten increasingly busy in my role as a therapist … seeing a lot more people a lot more diverse, backgrounds, and documented on sheltered … speaking to the types of people and the type of community we see here,” said associate marriage and family therapist Daisy Cruz-Dominguez of the Integrated Health Clinic in Santa Barbara.

A new federal policy is blocking county clinics from treating Medi-Cal patients who don’t meet immigration status rules — driving thousands to seek care elsewhere.

“Many undocumented and even some DACA recipients are being told they are not allowed to see their Primary Care Doctor anymore because of an executive order from the White House that takes effect January 1,” said director Chris Reilly of the Integrated Health Clinic in Santa Barbara.

The clinic on Micheltorena Street plans to take in up to 1,800 of them — providing primary care and mental health services in one place.

“They can come to the integrated health clinic. They’re still welcome here. Their insurance is still here and we are working with their health plan to make a home for them if needed,” said Reilly.

“My concern is that with all the fear and all the stress and all the nervousness around day-to-day life for undocumented folks already this is just going to be another added stressor, but we’re able to provide case management psychiatry, therapy medical resources,” said Cruz-Dominguez.

Staff report the influx is testing limits, but they’re expanding fast.

CenCal Health is placing the rest with other providers.

“My hope is people will come by. Say hi to us … see us get to know us … feel comfortable here and know that for all of the problems that this Community worries about today … healthcare is not one of them that they need to worry about,” said Reilly.

Sanctuary Centers leadership calls uninterrupted patient access the top priority.

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City of Solvang Addresses Crescendo Of City Hall Conversation

Jarrod Zinn

SOLVANG, Calif. (KEYT) – Discussion has been opened for fixing up older city buildings in Solvang.

The costs are in the millions.

This is the beginning of a larger conversation for the city.

At Solvang’s municipal building, a portion of city administration shares space with the fire department.

Other departments are housed in completely separate buildings.

Solvang is now discussing a multi-million dollar project to update some of its older municipal buildings.

“Longer term, you know, we could see envision a the city core city center here,” says Randy Murphy, Solvang’s City Manager. “Like she said, we have a monopoly. We own all four corners of this intersection. And what it ultimately becomes is limited by our financials in our own imagination, I guess.”

City manager Randy Murphy is working on a campaign to address what he calls inefficiencies and constraints from working in these buildings, some of which are over half a century old.

“One of the challenges is cost,” says Murphy. “Eight and a half to $10 million is a rough order of magnitude for the estimate to construct a new building. And we already own the property.”

City leaders say some updates are needed just to bring these buildings up to current safety code.

“The building is not up to date in terms of code and maybe work work product for productivity, you know, ideal setting for a staff that’s grown since we’ve come out of COVID,” says Elizabeth Orona, Solvang City Council Member.

Members of city council are acknowledging high cost for construction, wanting to make sure the needs are strong enough to warrant a rebuilding project.

“We’re operating at peak staff and at peak productivity, really, because we’ve finally gotten to deliver on a lot of the projects, both operational and capital projects that we wanted to achieve,” says Orona.

City leaders tell me  staff members are doing great work with the resources they have.

This first came up for discussion about a month ago, and there will be more conversation about it in future city council meetings.

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The Psychedelic Symphony to Put on an Evening You Won’t Want to Miss at the Granada Theater

Andie Lopez Bornet

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Costumes, covers of Pink Floyd and more is what attendees can expect during the Psychedelic Symphony with The Santa Barbara Symphony and Doublewide Kings.

The evening will take you back to the 60s and 70s with tunes in a symphonic twist.

Costumes are encouraged and the surprises seem endless!

The Morning News was joined by Robert Teneyck, Doublewide Kings bassist, and John Simpson, the band’s vocalist for the exciting event and the best way to keep an eye on tickets.

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“It’s My Biggest Regret”: Mayor Blad admits to lack of response to Perez Shooting ahead of Mayoral Election

Seth Ratliff

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Just days before the City Mayoral election, Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad has reignited debate over his handling of the fatal, officer-involved shooting of disabled teenager Victor Perez earlier this year.

Mayor Blad posted the video at 7 PM on Saturday, a time when most city offices are closed. In the video, Blad reflects on the amount of time he took to respond to the public on the shooting, acknowledging his delayed response to the community.

To watch the full response by Mayor Blad, click HERE.

Timing and Shooting Background

The shooting took place on Saturday, April 5th, 2025. Police responded to a neighbor’s 911 call after 17-year-old Victor Perez, who was disabled and non-verbal, got hold of a large kitchen knife and began swinging it at family members. Body camera footage reviewed by investigators and video captured on social media show that within seconds of arriving behind a fence, the four officers shot Perez 12 times as he stumbled toward them.

RELATED: Victor Perez Shooting Timeline

In September, five months after the shooting, the Idaho Attorney General’s Office cleared the four officers involved.

RELATED: Officers in Victor Perez Shooting will not face criminal charges

A mixed bag of backlash and Support

Controversy and criticism have followed Mayor Blad and the Pocatello Police Department since the shooting. Blad’s initial public statement came in the form of a pre-recorded video released on April 10th, five days after the shooting, and less than 24 hours before doctors at Portneuf Medical Center declared Perez brain dead.

In the recent video, Blad directly addressed this initial silence: “I have a community that needed their leader. They needed the mayor to be there and I didn’t…I wasn’t in front of the camera,” he stated. He attributed the delay to seeking information, adding, “I was listening to people of what I needed to make sure we had answers, and there were no answers. It’s a tragedy for the Perez family.”

The timing of the video—released on a weekend, just before the election—drew immediate and pointed online backlash. Many commenters condemned Blad for waiting months to address his personal response, arguing the timing was purely election-driven and performative.

In contrast, some supporters praised the Mayor’s willingness to show vulnerability and acknowledge his perceived shortcomings.

Local News 8 has reached out to Mayor Blad and the candidates for Pocatello Mayor for comment on the video and is awaiting their response.

Candidates’ response

Multiple Pocatello mayoral candidates said an initial response from the mayor was long overdue when asked about how the city handled the shooting.

“The mayor’s absence for five days was unacceptable. He should have been out that night first thing the next morning, just even acknowledging that a tragedy occurred and that is being investigated,” Mayoral candidate Greg Cates said.

“A response took too long. With a tragic tragedy that took place in that level the public really needed to be addressed quickly, and there was really a long period. It took several days for our leadership to go out and make a statement and you know, what I would have done first and foremost is I would have been out there quickly reassuring the public that if there’s problems, if there’s training issues that we need to fix, I would have just been out there,” Mayoral candidate Mark Dahlquist said.

The candidates also scrutinized the city’s management of the case.

“I feel as if the state did everything they could, legal wise, to handle that. Although I do disagree with their findings,” Mayoral candidate Nate Kissel said, “You shouldn’t be afraid to call 911.”

“I don’t know why someone at the city couldn’t just say that [it] was wrong. We have to decide if that’s the kind of policing we want in our city,” Mayoral candidate Alana Leonhardy said.

One candidate, Idaho-Law Carta Sierra Idaho-Lorax, criticized the police force.

“There’s people wanting to do a public initiative. Basically deal with the issue of police force here. It’s it’s changed. It used to be more selective on who they had. And you know, they get rid of some people or just shouldn’t have been police officers,” Sierra Idaho-Lorax said.

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‘Right treatment at the right time’: City of Bend highlights street preservation efforts and winter preparations

Claire Elmer

(Update: adding interview with City of Bend official)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Bend’s relatively new Transportation Utility Fee is changing how the city maintains and clears its streets — from fresh pavement in the summer to expanded plow coverage in the winter.

The fee began appearing on Bend utility bills in 2024, after city leaders identified about a $7 million annual shortfall in road maintenance funding. The charge is structured in phases, with the first phase starting in July 2024 and a second phase that increases residential rates and revises how most businesses are billed.

City officials say the goal is to create a stable, dedicated funding source for day-to-day transportation operations and long-term street preservation, separate from one-time construction funds.

“We’ve been working hard on bringing our street conditions up,” said City of Bend Transportation and Mobility Director David Abbas. “The Transportation Utility Fee that folks are seeing on their bills this past year — Phase 1 last year and Phase 2 implemented this year — has really helped us ramp up that work.”

With the added revenue, the city’s Street Preservation Program completed about 67 lane miles of work this construction season, at a cost of roughly $4.85 million. Abbas said that includes a mix of paving, slurry seal and other preservation treatments that extend the life of the road surface and keep it in better condition longer.

“We were able to increase our street preservation efforts — 67 lane miles at about $4.85 million this year,” Abbas said. “Pretty good year for us.” He added that staff are focused on “the right treatment at the right time,” so streets are sealed before they deteriorate to the point of needing far more expensive reconstruction.

“You don’t want to wait until it requires that expensive reconstruction,” he said. “Keep it sealed up, and not have those cracks and potholes that everybody doesn’t like.”

City information explains that the Transportation Utility Fee is meant to fund maintenance and operations of the existing transportation system — things like pavement preservation, bike lanes, sidewalks, and winter operations — rather than major new road projects.

The fee is charged to all developed properties within city limits, with single-family homes paying a flat monthly rate and non-residential properties charged based on use and size, such as retail, office or industrial space. Households enrolled in the city’s utility assistance program receive a reduced rate.

City leaders and business groups have said the fee was chosen instead of a local gas tax or higher property taxes because it can be applied more broadly, including to tax-exempt properties that still generate traffic and use city streets.

Officials also note that the funding is intended to address backlogs in basic maintenance that, if left unchecked, could lead to higher long-term costs and more disruptive reconstruction projects.

When snow season arrives, Abbas said the same fee is helping the city keep up with Bend’s growth and rising expectations for winter road conditions.

“We continue as a growing city, so the transportation utility fee I mentioned also helps in the wintertime,” he said. “We brought on a few more staff and some equipment to try to keep up with the needs of the community — more proactive snow plowing and sanding, and things to try to keep the roads safe for folks.”

Bend now runs overlapping plow shifts, with on-call crews available nights and weekends, and the department can scale up to 24-hour operations during major storms. The city also offers an online plow-tracking map, updated every 30 minutes, so drivers can check where plows have been before they head out.

With more snow in the forecast as winter approaches, Abbas said drivers still play a big role in staying safe, even with expanded coverage.

“Slow down, be safe, give yourself extra time,” he said. “Our crews will do the best we can to have the roads safe.”

The city says it expects to maintain a similar level of preservation and winter operations work next year, supported in part by the transportation utility fee. Staff plan to continue monitoring pavement conditions and winter response metrics as Bend grows, adjusting how the fee is used to balance long-term maintenance needs with day-to-day safety on the streets.

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Coachella Valley seniors target for AI voice clone scams

Daniella Lake

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – Senior citizens in the Coachella Valley say they’ve been getting calls that sound like loved ones in distress, asking for money. Artificial intelligence is being used by scammers to clone people’s voices, and according to the University of Chicago, 91% of people can’t tell the difference between a real voice and an AI clone.

Joel Johnson was the target for an AI scam. He got a call a few weeks ago, from a voice he thought was his son.

“I broke my nose. I caused a horrible accident that I need help,” the voice over the phone said. Then, Johnson was told to call an attorney. The attorney told him to send $10,000 for bail for his son.

Luckily, Johnson had his wife call their son. Turns out, he was completely okay.

“It’s scary that something like this could be done in this manner and Lord knows how many other things it’s being used for in a criminal method,” Johnson said. Johnson has spent his career as a consumer fraud attorney. He’s worked on thousands of cases of people being taken advantage of.

Sat Singh, a strategic advisor for AI Coachella Valley shared some tips on how to protect yourself from AI voice clone scams.

Create a secret code with your family. Do not share the code over text or any online platform. If you ever receive a suspicious call, the secret code will help you verify the caller’s identity.

Call the actual phone number of the loved one the voice on the phone claims to be.

If they ask for money through wire transfer or gift card, hang up. It’s likely a love one wouldn’t ask for financial assistance through this method.

AI Coachella Valley hosts workshops for people of all ages to learn how to navigate AI. You can learn more on their website.

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