Cuesta College planning to build new South SLO County campus in old Arroyo Grande pharmacy

KEYT on February 23, 2026

Dave Alley

ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (KEYT) – Cuesta College is planning to build a long-envisioned new campus in South San Luis Obispo County at the site of a now-closed Arroyo Grande pharmacy.

“We are very excited that we have had the opportunity to acquire the former Rite Aid property at 1650 Grand Avenue in Arroyo Grande,” said Dr. Jill Stearns, Cuesta College Superintendent/President. “It really appears to be not only a location, but a building that is going to very well align with the needs of Cuesta College as we design instruction for our South County.”

The site of the property is at the southeast corner of Grand Avenue and Oak Park Boulevard, one of the busiest intersections located within the Five Cities.

The Rite Aid pharmacy closed last summer as part of the national chain’s bankruptcy process, which forced the company to shut down all of its more 1,000 stores across the country.

Cuesta College recently closed escrow on the $6.75 million property and now must go through an approval process with the City of Arroyo Grande before construction can begin.

“We are really looking forward to partnering with the city, and that ensuring that our overall design fits with their planning, and within what already exists,” said Stearns. “We have already had our team in the space assessing, taking a look at what exists. We are now in the process of identifying a construction and project manager for that and then we will be identifying an architect. The next step in our process with the City of Arroyo Grande is providing a rendering of the external facade, so that we can take that for their review and consideration before any further planning.”

According to Stearns, a large amount of the college’s students live in the South County, which has made the school’s goal of opening a permanent campus a longtime priority.

“Nearly 25% of our students are coming from South County, and so we already are serving a significant number of students from that area, and have had ongoing concerns about those who we aren’t serving,” said Stearns. “Certainly that commute is a challenge. Our students who rely on public transportation, we provide bus passes for them, but it’s not easy to navigate from South County to our San Luis Obispo campus, which is outside of the main part of San Luis Obispo, and so this will certainly provide more local access for South County residents, not only to classes, but to things like counseling and other supportive services, including basic needs that are essential in the student’s journey and their success.”

The vision for the property is to convert the existing 16,320 square foot building into the new campus, rather than demolishing the structure and build something entirely new.  

“The building is a perfect shell with four four solid walls and not a lot of structure inside of that,” said Stearns. “It’s really well suited for redesign. Our Board of Trustees has made it very clear that they want this South County campus to have the same standards that our North County campus and San Luis Obispo campuses have. The building will not only be beautiful, it will also be loaded with technology and very forward thinking in the planning and design. We anticipate that we will have four classrooms of varying types that will allow for flexibility. We will have gathering and study space for students. We will have offices to be able to provide services to students all within that existing footprint.”

Stearns is hopeful the new campus will be open for classes by January 2029.

“It’s incredible excitement,” said Stearns. “It is all about expanding opportunity, and in particular, opportunity that aligns with the needs and desires of our South County residents. We really want to bring to them the opportunity to access instruction, access services across the day and into the evening, so this is what we are excited to be able to bring to the South County.”

Cuesta College has been exploring the possibility of opening a South County campus on the planned Dana Reserve development in Nipomo.

Stearns indicated even with the new Arroyo Grande campus now in the works, the potential Dana Reserve campus could also come to fruition at some point in the future.

“This is very much the new the new model,” said Stearns. “Dana Reserve is still in our long term planning, and we are still considering the possibility of that. If the success of this new site in Arroyo Grande is what we envision it to be, we will need both to really meet the needs of our South County community.”

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Yuma man sentenced in drug case involving meth

KYMA on February 23, 2026

Joaquin Hight

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A Yuma man was sentenced Friday in a drug case involving meth.

42-year-old Jacob Cody Allison pled guilty last month to two counts of drug paraphernalia involving methamphetamine.

Allison was arrested during a search warrant in May of last year, where officers found nearly 11,000 counterfeit pills, a loaded firearm, liquid and crystalline meth and multiple items of drug paraphernalia.

He has been sentenced to nearly two years in prison.

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Local activists hold vigil at ICE detention center in Calexico

KYMA on February 23, 2026

Jessamyn Dodd

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA) – A vigil for two migrants who died while in ICE custody was held in Calexico over the weekend.

Activist groups, like the ACLU, Catholic Charities and more, held a vigil at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico.

The facility houses migrants and asylum seekers awaiting deportation decisions.

Dozens of community members and immigrant rights activists stood outside the facility Saturday while speakers led the group in prayer and shared personal stories.

One speaker, Susan Massey, shared her own family’s journey as Jewish immigrants coming to America as refugees.

“It just reminds me how really intolerable it is that a nation as rich as ours has closed its door to refugees and is deporting asylum seekers,” Massey expressed.

Demonstrators said they want more transparency and reforms from the Department of Homeland Security and ICE.

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Bend 15-year-old arrested for string of disturbing TikTok videos taken at public spaces across the city

KTVZ on February 23, 2026

Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Bend Police said Monday they have arrested a 15-year-old resident on over two-dozen charges after a series of recent TikTok videos showed a person urinating in public spaces across the city.

The teen was taken into custody at his home over the weekend following an investigation into the social media posts, Bend Police Communications Manager Sheila Miller said.

The investigation began on Feb. 4, when officers received multiple reports regarding the videos. The footage showed a person urinating on the floors of high school and restaurant bathrooms, as well as on a diaper changing station and in park bathrooms throughout Bend.

Miller said officers identified the suspect as the 15-year-old and went to the juvenile’s home on Saturday to take him into custody.

The teenager faces a total of 26 charges, including include 24 counts of second-degree criminal mischief and one count of second-degree disorderly conduct. He was also issued a citation for urinating in public.

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Bomb threat call prompts evacuations in Blackfoot; Police determine incident was a hoax

KIFI on February 23, 2026

Curtis Jackson

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) – Blackfoot Police say they have reopened an area they evacuated following a bomb threat Monday morning.

Bingham County Emergency Communication Center received a call at 10:56 a.m. reporting a bomb threat in the area of West Bridge Street and Pine Street.

As a precaution, homes and businesses around the area were evacuated while officers investigated. They reopened the area when no explosive devices were found.

Blackfoot Police say the call is believed to be a fake threat and that there is no danger to the community at this time.

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Preliminary hearing delayed for man accused of murdering missing teen

KYMA on February 23, 2026

Jessamyn Dodd

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – The preliminary hearing for the man accused of murdering a missing teen has been delayed.

On Friday, 51-year-old Abraham Feinbloom pled not guilty in connection to the disappearance and death of T’neya Tovar.

During Monday’s court appearance, Feinbloom‘s private attorney, Melanie Roe, did not show up again, but according to the D.A.’s Office, Roe did submit a substitution of attorney, which will let her take over from the public defender.

In addition, Roe requested to extend Monday’s court appearance to the afternoon, but the judge denied the request.

Feinbloom will be back in court Wednesday.

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Paranormal Cirque returns to Yuma

KYMA on February 23, 2026

Marcos Icahuate

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A stunning event is returning to Yuma.

Paranormal Cirque will be at Arizona Market Place (3351 S. Avenue 4E) from February 27 to March 1.

This horror show presents a European flare meant for a mature audience, with a mix of creepy and fun circus arts.

“Scare, encompass, amuse and surprise are the ingredients for a mixture of emotions impossible to forget. This is truly a Paranormal experience like no other,” writes Paranormal Cirque on their website.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here.

Show times are as follows:

February 27 – 7:30 p.m.

February 28 – 6:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.

March 1 – 5:30 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.

March 2 – 7:30 p.m.

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Reaction from locals, tourists still in Puerto Vallarta amid cartel violence over the weekend

KESQ on February 23, 2026

Gavin Nguyen

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Locals with close ties to Puerto Vallarta are reacting to the cartel violence that erupted there over the weekend.

Some part-time residents who split time between the valley and Puerto Vallarta said the Mexican resort town shares many similarities with Palm Springs.

“Puerto Vallarta is now ‘Palm Springs South,'” said Wesley Eure, who is still in Puerto Vallarta as of Monday. “So many people I know from Palm Springs bought places here, or traveling here, or vacationing here, or here long term.”

Eure said it was a scary experience. He recounted he first saw smoke, which he thought was from a brush fire. That smoke began to grow, and he noticed several large pillars of black smoke rising.

“We jumped on the Internet. And we saw that the city was suddenly coming on fire. They were starting fires on trucks and tires blocking the roads. It was – it got pretty scary. And it happened all day,” Eure said.

Eure recounted trucks and cars being lit on fire, tires blocking roads, and explosions from propane tanks.

Authorities like the State Department have announced some flights are departing and arriving as normal at Puerto Vallarta International Airport as of Monday afternoon.

Still, government authorities advise American citizens still in the area to seek shelter and avoid law enforcement activity. More information on what you or your loved ones, if impacted by the unrest in Mexico, can be found here.

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State Sen. Fitzwater to take job at Missouri Technology Corporation; won’t seek reelection

KMIZ on February 23, 2026

Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The state senator who serves Callaway and Montgomery counties said Monday that he will not seek reelection, instead taking a job with a public-private economic development partnership.

Sen. Travis Fitzwater (R-Holts Summit), announced on his Facebook page Monday — the day before filing for the August primary begins — that he is taking a job as director of the Missouri Technology Corporation. The MTC is a public-private business development partnership with a focus on biosciences.

“To everyone in District 10 — Callaway, Lincoln, Montgomery, Pike, and our beloved slice of St. Charles County — and to all of you who’ve backed me along the way: Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your encouragement, your prayers, your trust — they’ve meant the world to me and my family,” Fitzwater wrote.

Fitzwater was first elected to the General Assembly in 2014 and served eight years in the House before his election to the Senate in 2022.

One other Republican has filed paperwork to raise money in District 10 — Wentzville municipal judge Mike Carter. No Democrat has filed fundraising paperwork.

Fitzwater says he will serve out the remainder of his term, which ends in January 2027.

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Abraham Feinbloom appears in court on murder charge in death of T’Neya Tovar

KESQ on February 23, 2026

Garrett Hottle

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KESQ) Abraham Feinbloom returned to court Monday morning for a scheduled preliminary hearing, but the matter was continued until Wednesday.

According to the Imperial County District Attorney’s Office, Feinbloom is now represented by private attorney Melanie Roe.

In a conversation with Melanie Roe this morning, she tells News Channel 3 at this time the matter was put over to Wednesday.

Melanie Roe, says she’ll be asking the court to substitute her in as Feinblooms attorney of record.

Court records previously uncovered by News Channel 3 reporter Garrett Hottle show Feinbloom faced felony kidnapping charges in Imperial County in an earlier case. Those charges were dismissed in January 2019.

Roe confirmed to News Channel 3 last week, that she represented Feinbloom in that prior case. In a statement to News Channel 3, she said the district attorney dismissed all charges at the time because prosecutors were “unable to proceed.”

Addressing the current case, Roe emphasized the presumption of innocence.

“Mr. Feinbloom, like all persons accused of a crime in this country, is shrouded by the presumption of innocence,” Roe said. “That means he is innocent of all charges unless, and until, the prosecution can prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Roe also said the matter “is best handled in the courts and should not be tried in the media.” She noted that, to her knowledge, no death certificate has yet been authored by a medical examiner and argued that reporting the manner of death as murder before formal confirmation is premature.

During Feinbloom’s arraignment, a judge said investigators believe T’Neya died from a gunshot wound. Bullet fragments were reportedly found in a leg recovered Dec. 21 in the Vista Del Mar area near Portsmouth Avenue and Newhaven Court, less than a mile from the Harlequin Court home where Feinbloom was later arrested.

The court further indicated Feinbloom and T’Neya had been in contact since October 2025.

Prosecutors also stated in court that someone brought T’Neya to the Harlequin Court home. Authorities previously said that when Feinbloom was arrested, he attempted to run from deputies and was found with a passport and Thai currency in his possession.

The preliminary hearing is now set to resume Wednesday.

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