Power restored to Ameren customers in Moniteau, Cooper counties

KMIZ on March 10, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

There were nearly 1,000 Ameren customers without power on Tuesday afternoon.

Information from Ameren’s outages map showed 688 customers were without power in Cooper County, while another 280 had no power from the same outage in Moniteau County.

Ameren’s map indicates that the outage was caused by damage from a tree at 3:57 p.m. just north of Prairie Home. The nearest official National Weather Service station to Cooper County, at Marshall Memorial Municipal Airport, recorded a wind gust of 35 miles per hour at 4:35 p.m.

Ameren stated in a 7:19 p.m. email that power had been restored.

Check back for updates.

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Yuma man convicted of sexually abusing a child sentenced

KYMA on March 10, 2026

Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The man convicted of sexually abusing a child under the age of five for more than ten years has been sentenced.

46-year-old James David Schultz was sentenced Monday to 17 years at the Arizona Department of Corrections.

He will also serve lifetime intensive probation once he’s released.

Schultz was arrested in December of 2023 following a months-long investigation after the Yuma Police Department after they received information referencing a delayed sex offense.

The victim was a child between the ages of four and 14 at that time, and Schultz was identified as the suspect.

During that investigation, YPD says they conducted a separate investigation regarding Schultz that was being linked child sexual abuse material.

As a result, Schultz was arrested for multiple felony offenses.

Last month, Schultz pled guilty to to sexual conduct with a minor, molestation of a child and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor.

Sexual Assault of a Minor 23-053798Download

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There’s Good News: From classrooms to labs, Bend students prove girls belong in science

KTVZ on March 10, 2026

Tracee Tuesday

(Update: adding broadcast video).

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — February marked International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a global reminder that a girl’s curiosity is her superpower. It’s a message that girls belong in laboratories, tech hubs, and research centers — everywhere science is done.

In a two-part special report, KTVZ News highlighted the women who’ve made their mark in science. Now, in part two, we turn to the girls who are just beginning their journey, inspired, determined, and ready to take the lead.

For Mountain View High School junior Peyton Resmussen, the gap is something she’s already noticed. “I’ve talked to my grandma about her, like science classes, and she said, its more… a lot more men,” she said.

Pew Research shows men still outpace women in engineering, mechanical fields, astronomy, and physics, while women continue to excel in the health and life sciences, including healthcare, psychology, and veterinary medicine.

So what does that mean for today’s girls who dream of working in science and medicine?

Mountain View program brings science to life

At Mountain View High School in Bend, girls in the Biomedical Foundations program are already gaining real-life experience in the lab and in the field. The school partners with the Cascades East AHEC Health Occupations program, offering hands‑on rotations at St. Charles Bend.

Students learn about everything from nursing and radiology to caregiving for the elderly, getting a taste of what a career in healthcare feels like. Among them are two juniors — Peyton Resmussen and Elizabeth Warren, both eager to turn their interest in science into future careers.

Peyton is interested in working in the medical field. “Within our human anatomy class, we get to learn about, like, what’s happening in our body and learning just about all the different systems, particularly the digestive system, seeing how, like, those are all linked together and then just seeing, like, how it can come from just a big scale all the way down to like the molecular level,” she said.

‘Science is all around us.’

Elizabeth Warren says her focus is on environmental science, and she sees it as a field where girls can make an impact. “Science is all around us all the time. It is us. Consumes our everyday lives. And I think that it’s really important to dive deeper into that and look at every aspect of science,” she said.

Both young women say they’re aware of the disparity, that more men still hold science-related jobs than women. “It’s intimidating sometimes, like, seeing those numbers and seeing that there’s like, usually more men within it,” Peyton said.

Outnumbered, not outmatched

But these girls say being outnumbered doesn’t mean being outmatched. And when it comes to standing equal in science, they say one word matters most.

“Confidence because women, they give birth; they are very smart. I think that anyone should be just as confident in women as they are in men,” Elizabeth said.

For girls like Peyton and Elizabeth, it’s not about proving they can do science; it’s about proving they always belonged in it. “Women belong in the field just as much as men do, and it shouldn’t be based on, like, gender and that like they are welcome here and they are meant to learn this is not just supposed to be like guys or boys who are supposed to learn it,” Peyton said.

Mentors, motivation, and the road ahead

At Mountain View, these girls are breaking stereotypes, and they’re doing it with support from mentors who show them what’s possible. From classroom labs to local hospitals, Central Oregon’s girls in science are building the future of medicine, technology, and discovery.

Watch Tracee Tuesday’s first report on women in science here:

Women continue breaking barriers in science, but work remains to close gender gap

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Kids and families invited to Camp Fire Central Oregon’s ‘Absolutely Incredible Kid Day’ ice skating party

KTVZ on March 10, 2026

Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Hey kids! It’s time to “ready, set, skate!” for FREE with Camp Fire Central Oregon on Sunday at The Pavilion in Bend.

The nonprofit youth development organization is inviting the whole community to its annual Absolutely Incredible Kid Day (aka #KidDay) celebration—three action-packed hours of *FREE ice skating for the first 200 kids through the door, birthday cake and family-friendly activities, all honoring the incredible youth in our community and beyond.

Observed nationwide, #KidDay is recognized in unique ways by Camp Fire affiliates across the United States. The holiday encourages adults to uplift and recognize kids and teens, and it takes place each year on the third Thursday of March, which falls on March 19 this year. Camp Fire Central Oregon will host its free ice-skating celebration on the Sunday before the national holiday.

“This year’s event coincides with Camp Fire’s 116th birthday,” says Katie Roberts, Camp Fire’s outreach and communications manager. “As in years past, we’re welcoming kids and their families to skate and enjoy off-the-ice activities as well! It’s a great way to get exercise in the fresh air, engage with others, and just have fun—bring all your friends!”

In addition to skating and birthday cake, the event will feature a raffle, a hands-on STEAM activity, opportunities for parents/guardians to write letters of encouragement to kids, photo booth, and a #KidDay craft project designed to lift the spirits of patients staying at Ronald McDonald House.

Camp Fire staff will also be on hand to connect with families about the organization’s camps and youth programs while engaging with youth all afternoon.

Organizers say they expect another strong turnout, including youth from the Three Rivers and La Pine communities, where Camp Fire offers after-school programs serving three schools.

Over the past month, teen volunteers interested in community service and leadership development were encouraged to lend a hand through Camp Fire’s Teen Connects Program, and this opportunity quickly filled up!

“From the kids and families to our staff, volunteers, partners, and sponsors, #KidDay is pure community magic,” Roberts says. “It’s a day where the spotlight is entirely on celebrating how amazing today’s youth truly are, which is important because we know growing up is hard. Every child deserves to feel seen, valued, and incredible—and this event gives us the perfect chance to make sure they know it.”

EVENT DETAILSWhat: Absolutely Incredible Kid Day® FREE Ice Skating Party and Camp Fire CelebrationWhen: Sunday, March 15, 12:30–3:30 p.m. Arrive early—by 3 p.m. to skate!Where: The Pavilion, 1001 SW Bradbury Way, BendWho: Camp Fire Central Oregon and the youth and families of our community; first 200 youth through the door (*ages 17 and under, must be accompanied by a caring adult)Why: How often do we tell the kids and teens in our lives how incredible they are? This is why Camp Fire founded Absolutely Incredible Kid Day® in 1997—to activate millions of adults across the U.S. to write or tell a young person in their life what makes them incredible, and to find other ways to celebrate kids.

This year’s sponsors include the City of Bend, St. Charles Health System, Camp Fire and AT&T. Additional partners: Safeway and Bend Park & Recreation District.

For more information, visit Camp Fire’s website: https://campfireco.org/aikd.

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Cooper County’s outdoor warning system has 1 non-operational siren

KMIZ on March 10, 2026

Erika McGuire

COOPER COUNTY, Mo, (KMIZ)

One of Cooper County’s 12 battery-operated outdoor warning sirens was found to not be working properly following a recent test, according the Cooper County Emergency Management Agency.

CCEMA Director Larry Oerly said the siren is located at Harley Park near the water treatment plant in Boonville.

“Everything is working the way its suppose to with the exception of one siren that we found out yesterday was not working during our test yesterday and have put in a work order for it to be repaired,” he said. “I don’t know what’s wrong with it, I just know it didn’t activate,”

Oerly said the siren will not be repaired immediately but will be fixed once the company becomes available. The county’s sirens were tested three to four times, according to Oerly.

“We sent a alert out over communication alerting system to the citizens advising them and make sure they have their phones or weather radios available to them,” Oerly said.

This comes as inclement weather is expected to enter the area on Tuesday night. The county recently installed its new communications system about a month ago Oerly said.

“We now have four radio repeater sites scattered in the county and three emergency communications throughout the county,” he said. “We currently have four of seven up and operational and hopefully by the end of this year, and next year we’ll have all seven of them up and operational,”

On April 2, 2025, the small town of Pilot Grove was hit by an EF-2 tornado, damaging or destroying 16 homes, 12 commercial buildings and two public buildings. Damage to vehicles, farm equipment and trees was also reported.

During the tornado, the county’s Cold-War Era siren failed to activate due to a power outage prompting the order of a new battery-operated outdoor warning siren. The siren was installed outside of Pilot Grove City Hall in May 2025.

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Hickman High School principal to take job at CPS central office

KMIZ on March 10, 2026

Steven Lambson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The head principal of Hickman High School announced Tuesday she is taking a job at the Columbia Public Schools central office.

ABC 17 News got a copy of an email from Mary Grupe where she said she accepted the position of Director of Student Support for CPS. The district told ABC 17 News that Grupe will take over for current Director Vince Thompson, who announced his retirement earlier this year.

Grupe graduated from Hickman in 2001 and took the head principal job at the school ahead of the 2022-23 school year.

Grupe has spent nearly her entire educational career with Columbia Public Schools. She has been a teacher, a learning specialist, a case manager, an instructional aide and an assistant principal at Rock Bridge High School.

“Thank you for trusting me with the incredible honor of serving as principal of this one-of-a-kind school community,” Grupe said in her message. “As a graduate of Hickman, and as someone whose family’s story is deeply connected to this school, this role has meant more to me than I can fully express.”

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Boonville man who was accused of punching deputy now charged with attempted child enticement

KMIZ on March 10, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 72-year-old Boonville man who employed girls to help manufacture and distribute weed-related items has been charged with attempted child enticement.

Stanley Thomas was charged in Cooper County on Tuesday with attempted child enticement, money laundering and giving drugs to someone younger than 17 years old.

He is being held at the Cooper County Jail. A $150,000 bond was set in this case. A $50,000 bond was set in another case from January where he was accused of punching a deputy while the warrant was served on Jan. 20.

The probable cause statement says when law enforcement served the search warrant on Jan. 20, a 17-year-old girl was found hiding in the bathroom. The deputy wrote a stripper pole was also found in the residence that was known to be used by the youth. The girl claimed there was nothing sexual going on with her and Thomas, though text messages that were sexual in nature were later found on a cellphone between Thomas and a minor.

Thomas also allegedly had a tattoo of the girl’s name on his shoulder, the deputy wrote. The girl also had THC pens in her purse when law enforcement arrived, the statement says.

Text messages also allegedly appeared to show Thomas to set up illegal sales of weed, the statement says.

In his second case, he was charged with drug possession, third-degree assault of a special victim, resisting arrest and maintaining a public nuisance.

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Idaho lawmakers want a say over federal grants that could go into medical education

KIFI on March 10, 2026

Kevin Richert

Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on March 10, 2026

BOISE, Idaho — For much of the session, legislators have been haggling over how to have a say over the way Idaho spends $930 million in rural health grants.

A new bill emerged Tuesday morning.

Introduced unanimously in the House Health and Welfare Committee, this bill follows a similar version from the Senate and would create a legislative committee to oversee Idaho’s federal Rural Healthcare Transformation grants. The money could have far-reaching implications — and could factor into Idaho’s medical education debate.

The two Rural Health Transformation Committee bills differ slightly.

The Senate version would create a seven-person panel: three senators, three House members and a nonvoting member appointed by Gov. Brad Little. At least three of the legislators would need to come from a legislative district “without a population center of 20,000 or more persons” — wording designed to ensure rural representation.

Under the House version, the panel would be larger — with four senators, four House members and a nonvoting gubernatorial appointee. The House bill doesn’t have the same rural wording.

Legislative leaders are committed to having rural representatives on the panel, said Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d’Alene, who is co-sponsoring the House bill with Health and Welfare Committee Chairman John Vander Woude, R-Nampa.

The committee will be bipartisan, Redman told House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, even though the bill says nothing about this. “I was assured that there will be a member of the minority party,” Redman said.

The House bill comes more than a month after the Senate’s version made its debut. Senate Bill 1264 has been parked on the Senate’s calendar since Feb. 13. On Tuesday, Redman told House Health and Welfare members that the bill will probably not get a vote.

The rural transformation money is a component of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. Idaho was awarded its share of the money in late December, and it will have five years to spend it.

Some lawmakers already have eyes on the money — with a view to a shortage that leaves Idaho ranked No. 50 in the nation in physicians per capita. They have suggested that Idaho could use the federal money to cover the cost of new Idaho residencies for medical school graduates. And that, in turn, would free up state dollars to subsidize additional medical school seats for Idaho students.

In January, Rep. Dustin Manwaring also suggested the state could use rural healthcare funds to acquire its own medical school — namely, the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine, in Meridian. The for-profit ICOM is not for sale, but Idaho State University and some lawmakers have made no secret of their interest in a purchase. A medical education task force, co-chaired by Manwaring, R-Pocatello, incorporated a possible ICOM purchase into its January report to Little and the Legislature.

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County of El Paso raising concerns over proposed ICE detention center in Socorro

KVIA on March 10, 2026

Heriberto Perez Lara

UPDATE– ICE responded to ABC-7’s request from Tuesday, a spokesperson said the department does comply with the National Environmental Policy:

“Let’s be honest about this. This isn’t about the environment. It’s about trying to stop President Trump from making America safe again. The left didn’t care about the mountains of litter that illegals aliens dropped on ranches and riverbeds during Biden’s border crisis. They’re feigning concern now because they want those same illegal aliens to stay forever and vote here.

“ICE fully complies with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as implemented by DHS directives and policies when planning and executing all ICE actions, including real estate acquisitions. Prior to purchasing this site, ICE carefully evaluated the use of existing facilities to help minimize environmental impacts, including potential impacts to protected species, sensitive natural resources, and valued cultural resources.”

SOCORRO, Texas (KVIA) — El Paso County, through the County Attorney’s Office, did a presentation during Monday’s Commissioners Court on the proposed new ICE detention center planned to be opened in Socorro, Texas.

County Attorney Christina Sanchez presented a legal overview, asking her office to present the process, status, and framework associated with detention centers within the county amid concerns recently raised by local communities.

According to the presentation, the County was made aware of the potential ICE detention facility on January 20 due to local media reports.

In response to community concerns, El Paso County says it has taken several actions, including:

Sending letters to the region’s congressional delegation requesting transparency and oversight regarding detention facilities.

Sending letters to the state delegation requesting opposition to this detention facility.

Requesting that federal officials ensure all environmental review requirements are followed before any project proceeds.

Submitting Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to DHS, ICE, and CBP seeking records related to the planning, construction, or operation of any proposed detention facility in El Paso County.

EP COUNTY DETENTION CENTER LEGAL OVERVIEWDownload

ABC-7 reached out to the El Paso County Attorney’s Office for comment.

El Paso County Attorney Christina Sanchez says County Commissioners directed her office to review any standards to process information they could come across at the proposed ICE detention center in Socorro.

“This is a matter of public concern that a lot of the information regarding the lead-up to this site has not been forthcoming from the federal government and this really was in response to the 200-plus members of the public who showed up to Commissioners Court to express their concern and for us as a governmental entity and as public servants, to provide any information that we can to the public on the issue,” said County Attorney Sanchez.

“There are implications for this: who bears the costs of ensuring that the infrastructure is in place? who bears the cost of ensuring that the roads are up to par to transport individuals back and forth? who incurs the costs for medical services that may need to be adhered to by individuals who are in the facility? Presumably, they would go to our public hospital for care,” County Attorney Sanchez added. “So it’s all a trickle-down effect in terms of the cost that would potentially be imposed on this community, of course, and not to mention the other concerns that El Paso County commissioners have in terms of the public health, safety and welfare of this community.”

At the end of the Commissioners Court meeting on Monday, County Commissioner for District 3, Iliana Holguin, who represents that portion of Far East El Paso County, said that due to the lack of communication from the federal government, they are incumbent to try to gather as much information and provide it to El Paso residents, especially those who submitted their public comment a couple of weeks ago.

“One of the many, many, many disturbing things about this entire situation has been the complete lack of information and transparency that we’ve received from the federal government,” said Commissioner Holguin. “Just to reassure the residents of El Paso County that our work on this issue is not done and I think we all certainly understand how important this issue is to our residents.”

According to Commissioner Holguin, El Paso Water is set to have its board meeting on March 11; she encourages all residents and community members who are concerned about the proposed ICE detention center in Socorro and the use of the County’s water resources by this facility to speak up in front of El Paso Water officials as well.

“County officials have also met with stakeholders, including the City of Socorro, Lower Valley Water District, Emergency Services District #2, members of the state and federal legislative delegation, and residents who have voiced concerns about the proposed facility,” El Paso County said in a statement.

While immigration detention facilities are operated by federal agencies, El Paso County stated it will continue monitoring developments, advocating for transparency, oversight, and community engagement as more information becomes available.

ABC-7 reached out to ICE and DHS again today for comment; we are still awaiting a response.

Yesterday, an ICE spokesperson told ABC-7 the following:

“There is nothing new on Socorro at this time. Yes, ICE has purchased property in Socorro, Texas. However, these will not be warehouses — they will be very well-structured detention facilities meeting our very robust national detention standards. As a federal law enforcement agency, ICE uses detention space across the country to meet its operational needs. ICE continues to seek new detention space across the United States to meet the needs of our mission and when a contract is finalized and a new facility is operational, that information will be available on ICE.gov.”

According to ICE, the Socorro, Texas, facility and its construction are expected to bring 4,907 jobs to the area and would contribute $851.1 million in GDP. It’s also projected to bring in about $153.4 million in tax revenue.

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Lincoln University to raise tuition, room and board by 5% next school year

KMIZ on March 10, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Lincoln University in Jefferson City is raising rates for tuition and room and board next school year.

Documents published on Tuesday for Monday’s Board of Curators meeting shows a 5% increase across the board for the 2026-27 school year.

The rate increase for tuition applies for all undergraduates and graduate students regardless of major or residency. The room-and-board increases apply to all residence halls except Dawson Hall. There will be no fee increases.

There is a discounted rate available at Dawson Hall for students with at least 30 credit hours and a 3.0 GPA.

There will be a $125 per student course fee for English classes 100-102 and a $75 per student course fee for journalism classes 225-499.

View all of the changes for next school year in the document below.

2026 03 09 BoC Action ItemsDownload

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