Two arrested after Palm Desert burglary, multiple firearms stolen

KESQ on January 22, 2026

Jesus Reyes

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – Two people were arrested a month after a burglary in Palm Desert that included multiple stolen firearms, authorities announced.

The suspects, a 32-year-old resident of Banning and a 32-year-old resident of Beaumont, were arrested Tuesday afternoon in the 11000 block of Legends Lane in Beaumont, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

The arrest was connected to a burglary on Dec. 22 in the 74000 block of Joni Drive in Palm Desert. The victim reported multiple items stolen, including several firearms.

The Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station Robbery and Burglary Suppression Team (RBST) assumed the investigation and identified the suspects responsible for the burglary.

After the suspects were arrested, deputies served a search warrant in the 1100 block of East Ramsey Street in Banning. The agency said several stolen items were recovered, including the stolen firearms, as well as an additional unserialized firearm.

Both suspects were booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility and face charges of burglary, conspiracy, grand theft of firearms, and possession of an unserialized firearm. The suspect from Beaumont was also determined to have several active felony warrants for his arrest for being a felon in possession of ammunition, as well as narcotic-related offenses.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Deputy Pouchoulen of the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station by calling (760) 836-1600.

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Carpinteria Advanced Purification Project On Tap

KEYT on January 22, 2026

Tracy Lehr

CARPINTERIA, Calif. (KEYT) Lake Cachuma may be spilling now but that wasn’t the case a decade ago when the Carpinteria Valley Water District saw the need for a locally controlled drought resistant water supply.

“We learned this lesson in 2016 when Cachuma was a puddle and we were one year away from severe shortages and all the agencies on the South Coast were really stressed about what are we going to do about this drought in 2016 and 2017, “said the district’s former General Manager Bob McDonald, “fortunately we had some rainfall that saved us, we can’t rely on that in the future, and in the future there is likely going to be a drought that will stress our water supplies and so this will enable us to fill the gaps of droughts in the futures.”

On January 14th the board awarded the contract to Walsh Construction that is currently working on a similar project in Calabasas.

Walsh to build the Carpinteria Advanced Purification Project known as CAPP.

“It is a project that will reclaim wastewater that is currently discharged to the ocean and utilize that for drinking water, so we will go through a secondary process, an advanced water treatment process is what they call it, to purify that water and then we will move it through a pipeline and inject it through two injection wells on Linden near St. Joseph Church,” said McDonald.

It is different than a desalination plant.

“With desal you have a higher level of salt than with wastewater so its is less energy that a standard desal plant would use,” said McDonald, “We are taking wastewater rather than discharging it to the ocean after the wastewater treatment process, we are capturing it and treating it again to a level where we are calling it pure but it is essentially distilled water,” said Mcdonald.

In case customers are wondering it is no longer urine or waste.

It potable water, safe for drinking, and taking showers and other household needs.

“Many people don’t understand in most cities wastewater treatment plants discharge into rivers and downstream water treatment plants capture that water and treat it that is called adhoc use, we are actually doing an engineered solution that we are making sure we are cleaning the water really well, we are then injecting it into the groundwater basin where it will travel a distance to get further clean and once we pull it out of our wells it is pretty high quality water,” said McDonald.

But it doesn’t come cheap.

More than a third of the $90 million total capital cost will be paid by grants and customers will see their water bill rates increase by 7.5 percent this year with more increases to follow.

Construction on the purification facility at the Sanitary District Treatment Plant will begin this summer.

For more information visit https://www.cvwd.net

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Sedalia street has temporary closure after train derailment

KMIZ on January 22, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Sedalia announced a temporary closure for Ohio Street on Wednesday after a Union Pacific train derailed.

No injuries were reported in the freight-train derailment, but the Ohio Street Crossing and W.T. Morris Avenue was blocked, the city announced on its social media. All other railroad crossings in the city remained open, the city wrote.

The city for motorists to avoid the Ohio Street crossing and use alternate routes while crews worked in the area, and claimed “they will likely be there most of the night and moving back and forth.”

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Former City of Pueblo employee sues city, claims retaliation after KRDO13 Investigates report

KRDO on January 22, 2026

Paige Reynolds

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – A former City of Pueblo employee is suing the city, alleging he was fired after speaking with KRDO13 Investigates about being assaulted on the job.

William Ward filed the lawsuit after previously coming forward in December 2023, when KRDO13 Investigates reported on an on-the-job assault at the Pueblo Fleet Maintenance Garage and concerns over how the city handled the incident.

In that report, Ward said he was punched in the jaw while attempting to break up a fight between two other city employees. Video obtained by KRDO13 Investigates showed the moment Ward was struck.

Police charged Marshall Pinz with assault the same month the incident occurred. However, internal city documents obtained by KRDO13 Investigates showed Pinz was allowed to continue working and was not placed on leave until roughly two months after his arrest.

Ward also previously told KRDO13 Investigates that city leadership had been informed of a physical threat Pinz allegedly made toward another employee the day before the assault, but no action was taken at that time.

“If the city had handled this appropriately from the beginning, we wouldn’t be here,” Ward’s attorney Richard Orona said. “This became about accountability.”

Ward spoke with KRDO13 Investigates in December 2023 about the assault and the city’s response. According to the newly filed lawsuit, about six months later, Ward received a notice of disciplinary consideration for insubordination. The notice cited speaking with KRDO13 after being “specifically directed not to.”

Court records show Ward filed a complaint against the city and was terminated in July 2024. The lawsuit claims the termination amounted to retaliation for speaking publicly about workplace safety concerns.

A spokesperson for the City of Pueblo said the city could not comment on the lawsuit or its claims. However, the spokesperson provided a statement regarding media policy, saying:

“In 2021, the City created and hired (January 2022) the position of the Director of Public Affairs to serve as the City’s primary liaison to the news media. It is expected that all media requests regarding City matters are directed to, and responses coordinated by, that department.”

Court records obtained by KRDO13 Investigates indicate the city plans to ask for dismissal of the lawsuit.

KRDO13 Investigates also attempted to reach Pinz for comment but has not been able to make contact. Court records show Pinz was later sentenced to probation and community service.

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President Trump claims USMCA is “irrelevant” ahead of its review this summer, local experts disagree

KVIA on January 22, 2026

Heriberto Perez Lara

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — President Trump visited Michigan last week, where he said the USMCA trade agreement is irrelevant to the country’s economy. The president claimed the U.S. does not need either Mexico or Canada for trade and industry. Local economy experts and leaders say this is not true.

“There’s no advantage to it, it’s irrelevant to me,” President Trump said at a Ford manufacturing plant last week. “Canada would love it, Canada wants it and they need it because we don’t need Canada’s product and that’s the thing, I want to be a nice person, but we don’t need it.”

“I want to build the cars here, not in Canada. We used to build cars in Canada and now the Canadians are moving here to build cars; same thing with Mexico, same thing with Japan,” President Trump added.

The agreement includes a clause that requires a review every six years to decide whether to extend it for another 16 years or end it in ten years. The review is set to begin on July 1, 2026, and all three countries will decide.

“Up through 2024, there was a lot of policy continuity. Beginning in January 2025, there has been federal policy that moves all over the place, and it’s caused a lot of uncertainty throughout the United States,” said UTEP Professor of Economics and Finance Dr. Tom Fullerton. “But since much of the policy uncertainty and pronouncements or mispronouncements occur about USMCA, even more of that uncertainty has occurred here within the border region because we depend so much on international manufacturing and international commerce.”

Professor Fullerton also told ABC-7 that there’s also a lot of international commerce that occurs in both El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, which simply relies on good relations between the two countries and a close-to-seamless linkage that allows customers to move back and forth across bridges.

“It would be helpful if the White House would acknowledge that even though the United States economy is much larger than the Canadian economy and the Mexican economy, the increase in international trade and international investment flows between all three countries has benefited the United States as well as Canada and Mexico,” Professor Fullerton added.

ABC-7 also spoke with the CEO of the Borderplex Alliance, Jon Barela, who said the USMCA agreement has been an unparalleled success not only for Canada, Mexico and the U.S., but also for the El Paso-Ciudad Juárez region in particular. According to him, this area is the fifth-largest manufacturing hub in North America, with over 350,000 residents working in manufacturing enterprises in the region, a 16% increase over the past two years, and truck cross-border trade at the local ports of entry.

“One of the great successes that President Trump had during his first term was wide bipartisan support in both houses of Congress that ratified the USMCA, the deal that his administration cut. So it’s been a very successful agreement. And once every six years, we review the agreement. We’re due to do that here soon. And in the months ahead, we’ll see where we go,” CEO Barela said.

CEO Barela adds that the USMCA has proven its importance not only by creating jobs, but also through the foreign direct investment that has been generated by the three economies.

“We’ve also seen many investors from Canada and Europe investing heavily in our region; so we believe that trend will continue if the USMCA is re-certified, re-ratified,” CEO Barela added.

“The tariffs have also caused a lot of investment plans to be sidelined because there was so much uncertainty about what was ultimately going to happen, and incredibly, all the tariff threats were against Mexico for products that were covered under USMCA,” Professor Fullerton also said. “It took several weeks, but eventually it was all clarified, but it was kind of unnecessary to go through that whole experience.”

“Ultimately, just the tariffs in general are hurting businesses throughout the United States and a lot of times, when tariffs are applied, they’re used to final goods, consumer goods, but the tariffs that have been enacted over the last 12 months by the United States fall upon not only consumer goods or final goods, but also intermediate inputs, raw materials and equipment,” Professor Fullerton said.

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‘ICE out of Indio’ protest marches to City Hall, calls for accountability

KESQ on January 22, 2026

Shay Lawson

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ)  – Dozens of protesters gathered Wednesday afternoon for a peaceful march in Indio calling for changes to immigration enforcement and greater accountability from federal authorities.

Organizers called the demonstration “ICE Out of Indio,” urging community members to stand in solidarity with people they said have been harmed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Protesters met near 45th Street and Jackson Street around 4 p.m. and marched to Indio City Hall.

The event was promoted as a peaceful gathering, with organizers encouraging participants to address city leaders during public comment at the Indio City Council meeting, which began at 5 p.m. in the council chambers.

Stay with News Channel 3 for the full report at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.

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‘Now’s the time to speak up’: Crook County School Board reminds community of survey on interim superintendent

KTVZ on January 22, 2026

Claire Elmer

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — Crook County School Board and District leaders are asking the community to weigh in as the board considers whether to appoint Dr. Joel Hoff as the district’s permanent superintendent.

The school board opened an anonymous public survey inviting feedback on Hoff’s leadership during his time serving as interim superintendent. District officials say the feedback will play a key role in guiding the board’s final decision.

“What the board directed us to do was to get as much feedback as we could so they can make an informed decision,” said Briana Van Roekel, director of school improvement for Crook County School District. “We again want to hear all voices — from community members, family members, students, staff. So that’s the point of the survey that’s out there right now.”

Crook County School Board Vice Chair, Scott Cooper, said the survey is part of a broader effort to ensure transparency and community involvement in the decision-making process.

While board members believe Hoff has performed well during his interim term, Cooper said gathering public input helps confirm that sense — or reveal concerns the board may not be aware of.

“The board thought we ought to take a minute and check our perception and make sure that our community is fine,” Cooper said. “If there’s something that we haven’t heard that we should hear that would raise concern, and we think there’s a reason why we ought to have a competitive search out there, we want to hear that, too.”

The survey closes January 26. A summary of the results is expected to be presented publicly at the February school board meeting.

In addition to the survey, the district has scheduled public listening sessions with staff, students, and families to gather more detailed feedback.

“It’s an important position because it is dealing with every family with kids in our community,” Cooper said. “And it’s very community-facing. So we want the right person in there. If you’ve got something to say, now’s the time to speak up.”

Findings from the survey and listening sessions will be shared publicly in March before the board makes its final decision.

The survey is available in both English and Spanish on the Crook County School District website and in provided links throughout this article.

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Oregon lawmakers seek May vote on transportation funding bill

KTVZ on January 22, 2026

Triton Notary

(Update: Adding quotes from Governor Tina Kotek, Christine Drazan)

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ)– House Speaker Julie Fahey and Senate President Rob Wagner announced Wednesday they will introduce legislation to set the date of the referendum on House Bill 3991 for May 19, aligning the vote with Oregon’s statewide primary election.

The Democratic leaders said the goal is to let voters weigh in on the transportation funding package as soon as possible, giving lawmakers, cities and counties more certainty about transportation dollars this biennium.

Legislative leaders noted that the Oregon Constitution allows the Legislature to set election dates for initiative and referendum measures, and say transportation policy discussions will continue throughout the year as the state plans for long‑term funding needs. Wagner said voters have made clear they want a say on the bill, and that state and local officials need to understand the funding landscape so “meaningful conversations can continue.”

Governor Tina Kotek responded to the announcement, saying, “Two weeks ago, I was clear with Oregonians about transportation: we must redirect, repeal, and rebuild.”

The Governor added, “The legislature and the constitution will determine how and when repeal occurs. My responsibility remains the same: keep our roads safe, our economy moving, and help deliver a bipartisan long-term transportation solution.”

The May timeline mirrors the last time a transportation funding package was referred to voters, when legislation from the 1999 session went to the ballot in May 2000. Fahey said that in a time of uncertainty, leaders are focused on governing, not politics, and acting quickly to avoid disruptions to Oregon’s transportation system and to protect roads and bridges that connect people to work, school and emergency services.

Legislative attorneys have reaffirmed that Oregonians have the right to weigh in through the referendum process and that lawmakers can set the election date; a recent legal opinion also indicates the Legislature likely retains the power to repeal a referred law, which could make a referendum unnecessary, although leaders are currently moving toward a public vote. The 2026 legislative session is set to begin Feb. 2, and lawmakers are expected to use the results of the May referendum to help determine Oregon’s transportation funding future.

Gubernatorial candidate and state Sen. Christine Drazan, R-Canby, also criticized the attempts to move the referendum.

“This is what desperation looks like,” Drazan said in a statement. “Tina Kotek is afraid of being on the same ballot as her gas tax. At the end of the day, she can’t avoid Oregonians; they will hold her accountable.”

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Morgan County man faces 17 counts of child porn possession

KMIZ on January 22, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Gravois Mills man was charged with 17 counts of possessing child pornography on Wednesday in Morgan County.

Matthew Steenrod, 38, is being held at the Morgan County Jail on a $250,000 bond. His mugshot was not available on Wednesday evening. A court date has not been scheduled. A court date has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says a victim spoke with authorities on Nov. 25 detailing an alleged sexual assault by Steendord. Authorities met with an older victim on Dec. 1, claiming they found wiring and cameras and believed they were being recorded.

The next day, authorities searched for open sources online and IP addresses used by Steenrod and found a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the statement says. Steenrod allegedly uploaded a photo of child pornography to Pinterest in 2016, the statement says.

A search warrant was conducted at Steenrod’s residence on Dec. 12 and authorities allegedly found small cameras throughout the home, the statement says. Law enforcement allegedly found child porn on electronic devices found at the home, the statement says.

He was sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty on Jan. 3, 2023, to drug possession and resisting arrest. The sentence comes with a four-year suspended sentence. A disposition hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, March 9.

He is also charged in Morgan County in another case with two counts of illegal gun possession. Court information shows he pleaded guilty on Feb. 24, 2025, and has a sentencing hearing scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, March 23.

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Man charged with first-degree murder has case moved to Warren County

KMIZ on January 22, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man accused of killing a man in 2023 near Vandalia had his case moved to Warren County.

Charles Armour, born in 2006, of Paris, Missouri, was charged in Audrain County in 2025 with first-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and one count of first-degree robbery in the Nov. 30, 2023, death of Matthew Stewart. Stewart, 23, was found dead with gunshot wounds on County Road 556 near Vandalia.

On Wednesday, a case review was scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 19.

Another person, Christopher Brickey, was charged in Audrain County with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. He has a case review scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 18.

A probable cause statement says deputies found Stewart bleeding in a ditch from his head and torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Law enforcement also found shell casings at the scene, the statement says.

Stewart allegedly planned on selling a gun to Brickey and Armour and the three left a home to “range test” it, the statement says. Stewart’s roommate called him after some time and Stewart allegedly stated he was shot by the defendants, the statement says.

The statement says Brickey told deputies that Armour planned on killing Stewart, but planned on Brickey shooting first. Brickey allegedly admitted to shooting Stewart with Stewart’s gun.

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