Bend City Council to discuss Flock automated license plate readers at tonight’s meeting as critics voice concerns

KTVZ on January 8, 2026

Tracee Tuesday

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Bend City Council meets tonight at 6 p.m. at City Hall, with one of the agenda items centering on an amendment to the city’s agreement with Flock Group Inc. — the company providing automatic license plate reader technology for Bend Police.

The proposed amendment would modify the city’s existing contract with Flock, updating the hardware and software products used under the agreement. Officials say the change effectively replaces the older equipment and software with new products while keeping the rest of the contract intact.

KTVZ News will be there, focusing on what the amendment means for transparency, technology use, and public safety here in Bend.

You can watch the meeting online at https://www.youtube.com/live/3CTAuN76Opw

Catch Tracee’s Tuesday full report tonight on our FOX and NBC affiliates during the 10 and 11 p.m. newscasts.

Bend Police Communications Manager Sheila Miller said the department began using four Flock cameras six months ago at the entrances and exits from town. She said the license plate readers are used in criminal investigations, where they are looking for specific vehicles.

Some residents critical of the city’s contract with Flock planned to speak to councilors as well, noting that several cities in Oregon and elsewhere have dropped or paused use of their cameras in recent months amid concerns over who would have access to the license plate and other data.

Miller told KTVZ News, “The Flock system is currently set to local lookup only. We did that as an additional safeguard in December, though previously we did have it set to share with Oregon agencies.”

Miller also stressed that the Flock camera system is not the one being used by city contractor Vierra Mobility for the police department’s new Automated Traffic Enforcement system. Bend Police said in their fourth-quarter report that those red-light and speed cameras will go live this month at three locations: NE 27th Street and Neff Road, SE Third Street and Reed Market Road, and SE Powers Road and Business 97.

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Buchanan County provides $25,000 funding boost to help nonprofit Sisters of Solace

News-Press NOW on January 8, 2026

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — County Commissioners signed off on a court order Wednesday to provide a helping hand for one non-profit and its mission of supporting women survivors of trauma. 

A $25,000 funding request was approved Wednesday by Buchanan County Commissioners to help support Sisters of Solace and a community health worker, a critical position within the nonprofit founded in 2020.

SOS provides a community of support for women survivors of trauma and addiction through a range of varied programs, including residential housing/healing and fostering employment opportunities through Justice Enterprise, which has helped formerly homeless women become artisans and business women.

“The community health worker really helps manage our ladies cases, making sure they have access to things like medical care, dental care, mental health care and really facilitating their recovery, goals and helping them really get back on their feet again,” Sisters of Solace Executive Director Trina Clark said. “It makes such a difference in their lives. I don’t know how we could run our program without it.”

Within its residential healing program, SOS can provide or help facilitate access to services such as ID recovery, healthcare access, mental health assessments, GED preparation, life skills training and more, all at no cost to residents.

“We’re extremely grateful to the commissioners for believing in our mission and being willing to support. It really does make a difference in our community,” Clark said.

In July 2024, Sisters of Solace opened a new market and coffee shop called Solace Market Coffee Shop at 3024 Frederick Ave. The shop has become an integral part of its career readiness program, offering employment opportunities — including making candles for its retail store — and valuable training for women within the program.

“We just encourage everybody to come in and shop. And the coffee’s great. It’s a really nice place to meet with your small group,” Clark said.

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Legal experts question ICE agent’s self-defense claim in deadly Minneapolis shooting

KMIZ on January 8, 2026

Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Legal experts are weighing in on the deadly shooting in Minneapolis involving an ICE agent that left one woman dead on Wednesday.

United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were on a residential street as they heighten their immigration crackdown in Minnesota. The Department of Homeland Security claims the ICE agent shot the woman in self-defense, alleging the woman was trying to run them over. Others claim the woman was attempting to drive away from the scene.

The woman was later identified by Minneapolis city officials as Renee Nicole Good. The Honda driven by Good was registered out of Kansas City and the Missouri Department of Revenue told ABC 17 News on Wednesday afternoon that one of the two names the vehicle was registered to was Renee N. Good Macklin.

Video circulating online shows the moments leading up to the shooting, sparking mixed reactions.

Former Cole County Prosecutor Bill Tackett reviewed the video with ABC 17 News to give his legal perspective on the shooting.

Tackett says in self-defense cases, attorneys examine whether the person who fired the weapon reasonably believed they were in danger of death or serious physical injury.

“This agent right here is off to the side. He started in front of the vehicle, but the first shot has not been fired,” Tackett said. “He’s shooting from the side, not the front. This wheel is turned. The car is pulling away. That’s the first shot, his feet are clear over here, he’s on the side of the vehicle now.”

“If he’s in front of the car, if he’s have been there and she pulled directly at him then he could fire as many times as you want, nobody would say a word here,” Tackett noted.

Former Cole County Prosecutor Bill Tackett points at a screen showing a video of an ICE agent near a Honda Pilot seconds before the agent opened fire and killed a woman on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Tackett added that by the second and third shots, the ICE agent was feet away from the vehicle, which Tackett claims did not justify firing the weapon.

“You can’t claim that [self-defense], it seems to me. I would not ,as a prosecutor, you want to have this as a ‘proper use of deadly force’ based on this video, because the position of his feet when he shoots,” Tackett said. “There’s too many avenues to stop the vehicle and make this arrest without putting three bullets in the head of the driver when there just isn’t that threat.”

Defense attorney Dan Viets agreed with Tackett’s perspective on the video.

“He was not in front of the vehicle, she was not coming toward him. She was, if anything, trying to get away,” Viets said. “It’s obvious there is no threat to the shooter or to any other officer. That video makes clear this was an instance of cold-blooded murder.”

With protests happening across the country, questions about people’s rights are taking center stage.

Both Tackett and Viets say everyone has a Constitutional right to express themselves, with political speech protected under the First Amendment. If law enforcement approaches a demonstrator, Tackett says it’s important to cooperate.

“You have to identify yourself to law enforcement, really at any time, if they’re approaching you. So locking the door and not communicating is going to cause a problem and they do have a right at that point because they don’t know whether you have a gun, they don’t know what your motive is, what you’ve done,” Tackett said.

Viets offered a different perspective.

“There’s no obligation to do so. There’s no law that requires us to show our identity, to show our papers to government agentsl unless you’re driving a motor vehicle. In which case, you do, of course. You have to produce a driver’s license,” Viets said.

If law enforcement approaches a person’s home, Viets says a the resident does not have the obligation to open the door unless law enforcement has a search warrant signed by a judge.

Tackett gave another perspective on if a law enforcement officer approaches a vehicle.

“Not when an officer is telling you to stop the car, he’s investigating. At that point you would have to stop the vehicle,” Tackett said. “In a perfect world, she would have stopped and identified herself, she should have done that. But then the officer, from what I’ve seen of this video, was not in imminent danger of death or serious fiscal injury.”

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Authorities rule 19-year-old’s death in Inkom as accidental

KIFI on January 8, 2026

Seth Ratliff

INKOM, Idaho (KIFI) — Bannock County authorities have closed the investigation into the death of 19-year-old Jonas Diaz-Edgeman, whose body was discovered on private property last November.

Following a joint investigation by the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office and the Coroner’s Office, officials confirmed that Diaz-Edgeman died of hypothermia with alcohol intoxication. His death has been officially ruled an accident.

Diaz-Edgeman was found on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, prompting an immediate investigation and an autopsy to determine the circumstances of his passing.

RELATED: Suspicious Death Investigation underway in Bannock County

Bannock County Coroner Torey Danner issued a statement alongside the findings, offering his condolences to Diaz-Edgeman’s grieving family and friends.

“The sudden loss of Jonas deeply impacted many people in our community,” Danner said. “I hope that by answering these outstanding questions, we can provide some measure of closure to those who were close to him.”

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Supreme Court to hear arguments next week on Idaho’s “Fairness in Women’s Sports” Act

KIFI on January 8, 2026

David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho will soon defend its law preventing transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports in the nation’s highest court. 

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments next week on the case Little v. Hecox about the constitutionality of Idaho’s “Fairness in Women’s Sports” Act.

State Representative Barbara Ehardt (R-Idaho Falls), who sponsored the law, is heading to the hearing before the nation’s highest court in Washington, D.C.

“Finally, after five and a half years, my legislation that was passed in 2020 – first of its kind – the ‘Fairness in Women’s Sports’ is being heard by the Supreme Court of the United States,” Ehardt said.

The act requires athletes to participate in boys’ or girls’ sports teams corresponding with their biological sex. Co-ed teams are permitted, but the law specifically bans transgender individuals from participating in girls’ sports.

The law has been blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

“The outcome that we’re hoping for is that this not only deals with sports across the spectrum as was intended federally with Title IX,” Ehardt said, “but what we’re also hoping is that it takes even a little bit broader definition as it defines men and women – what a female, what a male is – and that some of that definition then will obviously then affect our locker rooms and our bathrooms and our, you know, basically private spaces for girls and women that should be protected.”

State Rep. Barbara Ehardt (R-Idaho Falls) discusses the Little v. Hecox case, centered on her “Fairness in Women’s Sports” law, which is going before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday.

The American Civil Liberties Union and Lindsey Hecox, a transgender athlete at Boise State University, sued the state in 2020 so that Hecox could try out for the Bronco women’s track and cross country teams.

Hecox requested that the case be thrown out in September, which was denied by U.S. District Judge David Nye.

26 states have followed Idaho’s lead and adopted similar legislation.

In addition to affirming or expanding on the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” Supreme Court justices could potentially rule that Idaho’s law is moot, or it could be limited only to Idaho, Ehardt said. 

The case will be heard on Tuesday, January 13, and a ruling is expected by late June.

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Deschutes County commissioners set hearing on proposed wildfire mitigation construction standards

KTVZ on January 8, 2026

KTVZ

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners plans to hold a public hearing next Wednesday to consider proposed wildfire mitigation standards for new residential construction in unincorporated areas of the county.

Last fall, following the repeal of the Statewide Wildfire Hazard Map with Senate Bill 83, county commissioners directed staff to modify building codes to reduce wildfire risk in the community.

Staff proposed amending the county code to align with state wildfire mitigation standards in Section R327 of the Oregon Residential Specialty Code (ORSC).

Last month, the Deschutes County Planning Commission held a public hearing and, after deliberation, voted unanimously to recommend that the board approve the proposed amendments.

If adopted by commissioners, the standards would apply to all new residential construction in unincorporated Deschutes County, including some accessory structures.

Key requirements include:

Roofing: Requires noncombustible or ignition-resistant materials, such as asphalt shingles, slate shingles, metal, tile or other approved roofing.

Exterior Walls: Exterior wall coverings or wall assembly should use noncombustible or ignition-resistant materials.

Glazing: Exterior windows, skylights, and glass in exterior doors must be tempered, multilayered, glass block, or have a 20-minute fire rating.

Ventilation: All attic, soffit, and underfloor vents must use fine, noncombustible metal mesh or ember-resistant designs.

Gutters and Downspouts: Where provided, gutters and downspouts must be constructed of noncombustible materials and have means to prevent debris buildup.

Eaves, Soffits, and Cornices: No installation of ventilation openings on the underside of eaves, soffits, or cornices.

The public hearing will be held during the regular BOCC meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, at 9 a.m. in the Barnes Sawyer Room of the Deschutes Services Building, 1300 NW Wall St., Bend. The public is invited to attend in person or virtually.

Virtual log-in information and the meeting agenda, including the specific hearing time, can be found at www.deschutes.org/meetings.

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Christina Gordon fills vacant Cathedral City Council seat

KESQ on January 8, 2026

Shay Lawson

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ)  – After interviews and deliberation councilmembers selected Christina Gordon to fill the District 3 seat, left vacant after the death of long time councilmember Mark Carnevale.

For more than 20 years, Gordon has served as a nonprofit executive, and currently serves on the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Cathedral City.

Gordon said she plans to step down from the nonprofit’s board to focus on her new role.

“As much as I love the Boys and Girls Club, it would be a disservice to continue to be on that board and not be able to serve it fully,” Gordon said.

The council interviewed 11 candidates after Joe Camareno withdrew at the start of the meeting.

The applicants stood before the council detailing their qualifications, availability and vision for the city in 3 minute speeches.

The final choice came down to 2 finalists — Christina Gordon and Colby Gregory — who answered a few final questions before the council cast their votes.

Mayor Raymond Gregory praised both finalists, saying the council made a thoughtful decision for the city.

“Christina Gordon, with her public service here and her involvement in the community and the great number of people that know her and could speak to that directly, really did put her over the top,” Gregory said.

Gordon said she’s honored to be selected and laid out her plans for the future.

“Hiring the new city manager is chief of importance,” Gordon said. “The other is really looking at good fiscal stewardship and making sure that the tax dollars that our citizens entrust us with are well spent and provide them with the services that they need and they want.”

Gordon will serve the remainder of councilmember Carnevale’s term which lasts until November 2026.

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MidCity Excellence to celebrate legacy and alumni in 12th annual MLK Jr. ‘Solutions Summit’ on Jan. 19

News-Press NOW on January 8, 2026

Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A longstanding youth learning center will celebrate 25 years of community impact while honoring the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a powerful look at alumni now thriving in the workforce.

MidCity Excellence is a long-serving learning and performing arts center providing academic enrichment, mentorship, workforce readiness, opioid prevention education and youth entrepreneurship opportunities to students in more than a dozen schools in Buchanan County in preschool through 12th grade.

As they look ahead and celebrate 25 years of service to the community, MCE announced the 12th annual MLK Jr. Solutions Summit will take place at 11 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 19, at Word of Life Church, a gathering filled with music, food and impactful discussions about the importance of investing in youth.

Students with MidCity Excellence run through a practice TV broadcast with a cellphone during an afternoon youth program in September.

The free community event will feature performances from the St. Joe Stixx Drumline, YouthCity Gospel Choir and the MidCity Trash Can Band, including discussions from former MCE alumni now thriving in various careers, from the Armed Forces to performing arts.

“We have alumni coming back that are now doing positive things in the world,” said Kimberly Warren, founder and CEO of MidCity Excellence. “We’re going to highlight them and for the first time ever, we have youth guest speakers and I think that’s powerful, especially with schools trying to bring the attention back on kids and their performance.”

MLK Jr. Solutions Summit speakers include:

Tyrese Huskey: An electrician and 8-year U.S. Army veteran with deployments to Kuwait. Huskey is also a member of the National Guard.

Kaliana Ginn: A Lafayette High School graduate now attending MoWest on a full nursing scholarship. Ginn is currently ranked 6th in her class.

Jordan “Mama J” Alford: A nonprofit program director, entrepreneur, former founder of the Missouri Western Dance Company and class president at Central High School.

One of the many goals of the event is to bring the community together to shine a light on how positive and productive development at an early age can eventually help stabilize families, grow the local economy and strengthen the workforce.

“Our best use of resources should be focused on inspiring the lives of our children. These young people have so many opportunities,” Warren said.

Doors for the event will open at 10:30 a.m., with the program being held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Word of Life Church – MYC Fellowship Hall located on 3902 NE Riverside Road.

The event is organized with help from sponsors like the National Endowment for the Arts and the Missouri Arts Council.

Big Daddy’s BBQ will be on hand to cater its trademark cherry and hickory-smoked BBQ to those who RSVP by Jan. 14.

To RSVP, please call 816-273-5450. Facebook RSVPs will not be counted.

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First Alert Weather Alert: Tracking strong winds Thursday

KESQ on January 7, 2026

Spencer Blum

We are tracking a windy evening here in the Coachella Valley. Our First Alert Weather Alert took effect at 4:00 PM Wednesday as westerly onshore winds began to build up around the valley in the evening hours. Winds were expected to gradually build throughout the evening and overnight hours shifting more north and northwesterly.

A Wind Advisory took effect for the Coachella Valley at 8:00 PM. This all comes as a result of a fast-moving low pressure system (inside slider) passing to our south, and as a much larger trough (area of low pressure) moves in from the north.

As the more prominent trough moves south and east, our winds will strengthen. Later into Wednesday night and Thursday morning will see strong winds both in and around the Coachella Valley. Stronger winds will be felt in areas like Desert Hot Springs and the San Gorgonio Pass where we could see gusts 45-65mph.

However, the usual culprits (like the interstate) will also see some gusty winds at times. As the system moves east, the winds will begin to shift and become more offshore. This will help clear out our skies. In the coming days, a ridge of high pressure will move into the region. This will allow skies to remain clear and temperatures to rise.

The First Alert Weather Alert will remain in place through 1:00 PM tomorrow as we track the possibility for strong winds. Friday will cool in the low 60s with chilly Saturday morning temperatures in the low 40s! This ahead of a warming trend that continues into next week. We could hit 80 by Wednesday.

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New task force, Upper Valley SAFE Initiative, offers free family protection workshops

KIFI on January 7, 2026

Ariel Jensen

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — Keeping children safe is every parent’s goal, and a local task force is arming families with protection through education. They call themselves the Upper Valley SAFE (Safety, Awareness, Freedom, Education) Initiative. The new group, formed last year, was organized by parents, grandparents, and community members. 

“The Upper Valley SAFE Initiative is really a volunteer led, community based, team of professionals from a cross-section of expertise who also happen to be parents, grandparents, who are concerned about their children and want to do everything they can to, provide safety and awareness and enhance their freedoms through education,” said Dean Coleman Co-founder of the Upper Valley Safe Initiative.

Founded by Rexburg residents Dean and Kristin Coleman, the group’s goal is to empower families with safety awareness, life skills to protect children, and build resilient communities. They have partnered with local law enforcement, educators, therapists, and other community leaders.

“We’re organizing it because in moving to Rexburg, we’ve met a lot of great people who work in law enforcement, different agencies. But they’re really maxed out with some of the things that they’re doing. And so we’re a supplement to support them and their efforts,” said Kristin Coleman, Co-founder of the Upper Valley Safe Initiative.

The group was formed in 2025, but they plan to go into action this year. They are organizing a series of workshops to deliver free education to the community. In honor of January being National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month, they plan to kick off their program by hosting a free class called “Family Protection Through Digital Safety.”  They want to provide parents and caregivers with information on how to protect children online.

“The SAFE Team draws from the professional training and real-world experience of its members, extrapolating essential knowledge and streamlining key concepts into practical, easy-to-understand education for families. These workshops focus on reducing vulnerabilities that can place children and families at risk and lead to harmful outcomes, and are free to the community,” said Dean Coleman.

The educational topics include, but are not limited to:

Online and cyber safety

Home and relationship safety, including AI platforms

Emotional regulation and life skills

Basic emergency preparedness

Awareness and prevention of all forms of exploitation

“I just don’t think anyone is more invested in eastern Idaho than the residents who live here. And we’re focusing on strengthening families. And because we’re parents and grandparents, it’s important to us. And it just happens that it’s important to everyone that we’ve talked to so far,” Kristin Coleman.

The event is free and scheduled for Monday, January 26, at the Rexburg City Council Chambers at City Hall. The class kicks off at 6:30 PM.

Because of how new the organization is, it does not currently have an online presence. The group hopes to have something up and running by the 26th to offer online resources for families.

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