Jefferson County adopts four-day school week

Idaho Ed News

RIGBY, Idaho (IdahoEdNews) —Jefferson County students will have to find new ways to spend their Fridays next school year.

Trustees unanimously approved moving to a four-day school week at the board’s regular meeting Wednesday.

Jefferson County enrolls 6,554 students, making it the second-largest Idaho district to adopt a four-day school week behind Nampa, which made the move in 2024.

The decision tentatively changes Jefferson County’s school start and end times across the board:

8:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. for elementary school

8 a.m. to 3:55 p.m. for Middle and High school

Leaders could still adjust these times by up to five minutes to accommodate busing, superintendent Chad Martin told trustees.

Wednesday’s decision follows the results of parent and staff surveys.

Of 1,507 parents surveyed, about 18% of said moving to a four-day week would negatively affect their family’s routine. The rest said it either wouldn’t affect them or would be positive.

Of 250 teachers surveyed, 68% support of the move.

Fridays are already early-release in the East Idaho district.

“I feel like a lot of our students are already doing four-day school weeks,” said trustee Debbie Bagley.

The change lengthens class time Monday through Thursday, allowing teachers to hold student interventions, Martin explained.

Teachers will come to school monthly on the second and fourth Fridays for professional learning, collaboration, and to share insights and experiences to improve instruction.

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Former Moniteau County commissioner charged with 3 felonies

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Moniteau County commissioner who resigned from his position earlier this week has been charged with three felonies.  

Former Northern District Commissioner Doug Naros was charged on Friday in Moniteau County with forgery and two counts of stealing. A warrant was issued for his arrest on Friday. He had resigned from his position after submitting a letter of resignation on Tuesday.

Previous reporting shows the Moniteau County Sheriff’s Office requested on Jan. 28 for the Missouri State Highway Patrol to investigate stealing allegations made against an elected official.

The probable cause statement says on Jan. 22, Naros was “observed by Road and Bridge employees with his personal vehicle in the Road and Bridge shop. A Road and Bridge employee was observed installing parts on Naros’s vehicle.”

A $227.52 invoice was submitted to the Moniteau County Cleark by O’Really Automotive, the statement says. The invoice had a handwritten note with “#5036” and the initials “DN” to indicate the parts were used on Vehicle 5036. The parts were not installed on a county vehicle with that number, the statement says.

“O’Reilly Automotive personnel searched their database and verified the vehicle searched during the transaction on January 22, 2026 matched the description of the vehicle owned by Naros, but not the vehicle owned by Moniteau County (Vehicle 5036.),” the statement says.

Naros allegedly confessed to charging it the account for his personal vehicle. A similar invoice regarding a 100-gallon fuel tank was also charged to the county about a week before that cost $959.99, the statement says.

Court documents also allege Naros told county road-and-bridge employees to trim trees at the driveway of his home in November.

“Additionally, Naros directed an on-duty Road and Bridge employee to transport the county’s mini-excavator to Naros’s residence for Naros’ personal use. During a non-custodial, voluntary interview, Naros confessed to directing these events,” the statement says.

Naros allegedly also OK’d an invoice worth $1,07.27 to put new gravel on roads and spread an inch of road rock on his own driveway, court documents say. The statement makes several more allegations of Naros using equipment for personal use.

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Probationer charged with trying to kill Palm Springs man with box cutter

City News Service

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A convicted felon accused of slashing a Palm Springs man with a box cutter, then fleeing the scene and almost making it out of the city until he was apprehended, was charged today with attempted murder and other offenses.

James Jeremiah Fuller, 41, of Palmdale was arrested Tuesday following an investigation by the Palm Springs Police Department.   

Along with attempted murder, Fuller was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, probation violations and sentence-enhancing allegations of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony and inflicting great bodily injury.

The probationer, who was being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Benoit Detention Center, was slated to make his initial court appearance Friday afternoon at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

According to police, shortly before 4 a.m. Tuesday, Fuller was involved in an unspecified confrontation with the victim, whose identity was not disclosed, in the 600 block of South Palm Canyon Drive, near Indian Canyon Drive, on the western edge of Palm Springs.

During the encounter, Fuller allegedly pulled a box cutter and attacked the man, inflicting a gash across his head, police alleged.   

The victim called 911, and patrol officers converged on the location within minutes, discovering the man bleeding and in need of immediate medical attention.

“He provided limited information, stating he had been attacked by … a male who had fled northbound in a white pickup truck,” the police department stated.

The victim was taken to a regional trauma center for treatment, and officers initiated a search, netting results less than a half-hour later when they spotted a Ford F-150 matching the description of the alleged getaway vehicle nearly four miles north of where the alleged attack happened, in the area of North Indian Canyon Drive and West Tramview Road, according to authorities. The location is a mile south of Interstate 10.   

The pickup was stopped by patrol units. Fuller was in the driver’s seat and taken into custody without incident. A woman was with him in the passenger seat. She wasn’t identified, and she wasn’t taken into custody.   

A witness back at the scene of the alleged attack corroborated the victim’s statement and positively identified Fuller as the alleged assailant, police said.

Court records show he has documented prior convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, robbery and witness intimidation.

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Laboratory expands cervical cancer screening options with new HPV self-collection tests

Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – February is National Cancer Prevention Month. Sonora Quest Laboratories is expanding cervical cancer screening options with their new HPV self-collection tests.

The test allows patients to order their own FDA approved swab for private self-collection. The test determines if HPV associated with cervical cancer is present so appropriate monitoring and treatment can happen.

Doctors say the test is ideal for patients who decline or are unable to have a pelvic examination.

“They say roughly about 50% of women who get diagnosed have not been screened ever or within the last five years, so we’re hoping to close that gap and promote an increased screening,” said Sonora Quest Laboratories scientific medical director Dr. Stacy White.

The American Cancer Society reports over 13,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cervical cancer this year.

Patients can order tests at over 70 Sonora Quest Patient Service Center locations in Arizona.

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Belton police officer charged with rape in Pettis County

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man who the Missouri State Highway Patrol says has held “several law enforcement positions” was charged on Friday in Pettis County with first-degree rape.

Collin Goodsell, 28, of Peculiar, Missouri, is being held at the Pettis County Jail without bond. A mugshot was not immediately available on Friday afternoon and a court date has not been set.

According to an email from a Missouri Department of Public Safety spokesman, Goodsell as of Friday has a valid peace officer license and is commissioner by the Belton Police Department.

Charging documents allege Goodsell raped a woman in 2017 “by the use of forcible compulsion and in the course thereof the defendant displayed a deadly weapon in a threatening manner.”

A Friday press release from MSHP says Goodsell was arrested on Thursday after the Division of Drug and Crime Control was requested in December to investigate sexual assault allegations against a Belton Police Department employee.

MSHP wrote that Goodsell has held “several law enforcement positions in Cass and Livingston” counties.

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Song Sung Blue Star Kate Hudson Shines as Arlington Artist of the Year

Andie Lopez Bornet

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – She is in some of the most iconic movies from the 2000s.

And Friday the remarkable Kate Hudson arrived at the Santa Barbara Arlington Theater smiling ear to ear to be honored with the Arlington Artist of the Year Award 

“I loved celebrating our film and i think it’ll be really interesting to see the retrospective of my life in movies,” said Actress and Singer Kate Hudson.

The prestigious award was given to Hudson for her role as Claire Sardina in the critically acclaimed musical drama, “Song Sung Blue” where she delivers a sophisticated performance, making the audience feel every emotion through the movie screen.

“It’s not very often you get to do everything I was able to do in the movie in one film,” said Hudson. “And Claire, portraying her life, you know she’s a real woman, she’s still alive today, was such a privilege and allowed me to explore things I haven’t been able to explore before on film.”

“I think there’s so much heart and the fact that the characters are so relatable in an every man and every woman character role, it’s so exciting to see her here.” said SBIFF Director of Development, Benjamin Bhutani Goedert.

The role in “Song Sung Blue” has earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. 

She was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actress for the film “Almost Famous” which came out in the year 2000.

“Great work, we love it seriously, just go forever really,” said Anthony Pascale, a fan of Kate Hudson.

You can watch “Song Sung Blue” on Amazon Prime.

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Jefferson City police make arrest after victim shot on East Cedar Way

Ryan Shiner

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Jefferson City police officers responded to a shooting Friday on East Cedar Way.

A Friday press release from the Jefferson City Police Department says officers were called at 12:06 p.m. to the 900 block of East Cedar Way after someone had been shot.

A 37-year-old Jefferson City man was found with a gunshot wound. That person was brought to an area hospital and is stable with non-life-threatening injuries, the release says.

The suspect — a 26-year-old Jefferson City man — was seen driving away in a vehicle and a chase with police occurred until the alleged shooter pulled over in the 1700 block of East Elm Street, the release says.

He was arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault, armed criminal action and endangering the welfare of a child, a second release says.

The name of the alleged shooter was not released by police on Friday afternoon.

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Guadalupe Anticipates Their First Skate Park At Las Mujeres

Jarrod Zinn

GUADALUPE, Calif. (KEYT) – There’s excitement in Guadalupe during construction of a new skate park.

This is a first for the city.

Local skaters are eager for this construction to be completed.

Plenty of people are ready for the work to finish.

“It’s happening, and it’s happening fast,” says Sebastian Chavez, who lives in Guadalupe. “I’m stoked. So happy. I’m already planning out my first little runs, and I know a lot of people are, too.”

Not only is skating one of the most affordable means of transportation in the world, there’s an entire subculture existing around it as a sport.

And a newer type of skateboard called the “razor” scooter has made skating even more popular.

“This has been in the works for years,” says Chavez. “Even before, since I was born. Even Tony Hawk was going to give 1 million or $2 million grant, to help fund a park, but the city of Guadalupe politely declined.”

For kids and enthusiasts local to Guadalupe, this park is sure to serve as a relief from the inconvenience of having to drive all the way to Santa Maria or Nipomo for the nearest skate parks.

“It doesn’t matter from what point of town,” says Arnulfo Navarro III, Guadalupe Recreation Services Manager. “It’s ten minutes away.”

Contractors here at Las Mujeres park think they’ll be done and ready to open this summer, about 150 days total of work.

“This adds opportunity for kids to have,” says Navarro. “I understand it because I grew up with limitations of facilities. You can’t really get better at what you want to get better at in sports without proper facilities.”

Other work is being done as well to improve the park.

A dog park, a bocce ball court and a basketball half court are all part of the improvements.

Along with picnic tables and a playground themed after the Guadalaupe Dunes.

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Borderland business leaders propose new binational tram to connect El Paso and Juárez airports

Heriberto Perez Lara

JUÁREZ, Chihuahua (KVIA) — The Northern Economic Development Civil Association in Juárez (DENAC, Desarrollo Económico del Norte A.C.) is a Mexican firm that has been proposing the “Juárez-El Paso Express Tram,” a cross-border tramway that would directly connect El Paso International Airport with Abraham González International Airport in Juárez for those wishing to travel from both sides of the border.

The project is currently in its early planning stages, so for now it is just an idea/ However, DENAC business leaders believe it could boost business, travel and tourism in the border region.

DENAC officials told ABC-7 that the project aims to provide travelers with safer and faster transportation between airports and flights, facilitating access to more than 26 destinations in the United States, Mexico and other countries.

The mayor of Juárez, Cruz Pérez Cuéllar, has previously expressed his enthusiasm for the “super hub” concept. However, he also cautions that the final cost of this “Express Tram” could be high and would require additional funding.

ABC-7 spoke with Héctor Núñez Polanco, president of DENAC, and Javier Reyes, director of DENAC, to learn more about the proposed project and its current status regarding discussions with officials and local governments on both sides of the border.

Watch the full story tonight on ABC-7 at 5 and 6 p.m.

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Local election authorities say a verification tool used in Missouri flagged citizens for removal from voter rolls

Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Secretary of State Denny Hoskins is asking local election authorities to verify voters’ citizenship status after a federal program flagged people for potential illegal status. However, many county clerks have spotted citizens on the list.

Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon said Hoskins sent her a list of 74 voters in November whose immigration status needed to be confirmed.

“We could see just from looking at the numbers and looking at the actual voters that were on it, that many of them were naturalized citizens,” Lennon said. “One [voter] we actually registered at their naturalization ceremony.”

The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements is a federal program that allows the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to verify a person’s status. Hoskins uploaded Missouri voter rolls to the program within the past year.

The Secretary of State’s Office sent lists of voters who needed status verification to county clerks across the state in November. In December, over half of Missouri county clerks signed a letter addressed to Speaker of the House Jon Patterson about Hoskins’ overreach and the inaccurate data the SAVE program provided.

The letter provides two solutions for lawmakers to consider: the Department of Revenue shares immigration statuses with local election authorities, or pass a law that modifies the opportunities noncitizens and citizens have to register to vote.

Lennon said Patterson and other lawmakers didn’t respond to the letter.

About a month after the letter was sent, Hoskins sent another list of flagged voters, which cut down the voters on the first list. Lennon said the second, refined list had only 33 names on it.

“So we didn’t give anything back to the Secretary of State’s Office. I don’t know what happened between the first and the second, really only the Secretary of State’s Office know,” Lennon said.

Lennon said her office still hasn’t done anything to verify the status of the people on either list because the voters indicated on their voter registration that they were citizens.

Clinton Jenkins is the Miller County clerk and the president of the Missouri Association of County Clerksand Election Authorities.

He said members of the association agree that citizen status needs to be checked, but it needs to be done accurately.

“The last thing we want to do is have an actual verified voter removed from the record by mistake,” Jenkins said. “We have time to do this, especially before the August primary election. So let’s pump the brakes and let’s figure this out to do it the right way.”

Jenkins said counties with large cities, like Boone County or Jackson County, will have to deal SAVE data more often than rural counties.

Jenkins said the Secretary of State flagged a registered Mille County voter, but not a citizen. He said the person indicated on the voter application that they weren’t a U.S. citizen, and the county made a mistake in processing the paper work.

Jenkins said another person was flagged earlier this year, but the Secretary of State’s Office retracted that shortly after issuing the notice to Jenkins.

Miller County election officials only received two names.

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