There’s Good News: Paralympian Rudy Garcia-Tolson shares message of resilience at Buckingham Elementary in Bend

KTVZ on April 30, 2026

Kelsey Merison

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Paralympian Rudy Garcia-Tolson, a five-time Paralympic medalist, visited Buckingham Elementary last week. He shared his journey and messages of resilience and self-belief with students.

The visit, hosted by Bend-La Pine Schools, allowed Garcia-Tolson to discuss his experiences growing up with a disability and becoming a world-class athlete. He spoke about determination and the importance of self-belief.

He took questions from students, signed autographs, and even raced them outside!

Bend-La Pine Schools says that Garcia-Tolson’s story inspired their students to dream big and push beyond limits.

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Search continues for missing 20-year-old Jefferson City man

KMIZ on April 30, 2026

Marie Moyer

Jefferson City, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man is still missing more than 24 hours after he was last seen, but his family is not giving up the search.

Nathan Spencer, 20, has been missing since around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. He was last seen leaving the scene of a crash near Cedar Creek Court and Expressview Drive, just north of Highway 50/63. The Jefferson City Police Department reported Spencer’s vehicle rear-ended the other vehicle.

His family adds that Spencer may have been injured in the crash. He also wears glasses and has been diagnosed with autism.

“He’s a really good kid, and this is unusual, this isn’t like him at all,” Nathan Spencer’s brother Ethan Spencer, said.

Spencer adds that the search has been a difficult time for the family.

“It’s been very emotional and, it’s been hard, but I’m not giving up, I love that boy, and I just want to find my brother,” Ethan Spencer said. “He’s really smart and he’s driven, and those are two really good characteristics about him, he’s got a big heart.”

Ravae Moore, the ceo of Missouri Missing, told ABC 17 News that people with neurological or cognitive disorders add an extra variable in the search.

“They’re in more imminent risk of danger, let’s put it that way,” Moore said. “[Officials] are likely to search for them quicker.”

The JCPD also reported that officers conducted a grid search of the area with a drone and UTV.

Nathan Spencer was last seen wearing a black shirt, black jacket with two white stripes down the sleeves, jeans, and black shoes. He is also six feet tall and weighs 230 pounds with red, collar-length hair.

“Anyone who wants to help, they are more than welcome to help us,” Ethan Spencer said.

All information should be sent to the JCPD.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, there are nine total active adult missing person cases in Cole County.

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‘Mother Nature Said Not This Year’: Jensen Grove to remain dry despite infrastructure repairs

KIFI on April 30, 2026

Par Kermani

Blackfoot (KIFI) — Just days after water began flowing back into Jensen Grove, a new state-ordered cutoff has stopped the city from filling the popular recreation area.

Mayor Scott Stufflebeam said the city was notified by the Snake River Valley Irrigation District that Idaho has curtailed water rights based on priority dates.

“Anything prior to 1898… Blackfoot water rights are 1900,” Stufflebeam said. “So what that basically says is that we can no longer fill Jensen’s Grove because we don’t have the water rights to do it.”

Idaho follows the prior appropriation system, which gives priority to older, or “senior,” water rights during times of shortage. When supplies are limited or in a drought year, newer, or “junior,” rights can be reduced or cut off to prioritize senior holders.

Stufflebeam said the timing of this year’s cutoff is earlier than expected.

“The idea was we’d make it through June and into July, and then the cutoffs would happen,” he said. “This year… April. We don’t even have a chance to fill the lake.”

The announcement comes after the city recently completed repairs to a dike that was damaged during last year’s high spring runoff. The project was designed to restore the system that diverts water from the Snake River, under I15 and into Jensen Grove.

Despite the improvements, the cutoff means the city cannot use the infrastructure to fill the pond this season.

“We’ve got the infrastructure now. We built it, we paid for it, but we can’t go ahead and fill it because of that issue,” Stufflebeam said.

The change is already affecting planned events at the park.

“We had a triathlon planned… that will now become a biathlon,” Stufflebeam said. “It’s an unfortunate event, but it’s one that we knew could have come. Given the drought this year, we just didn’t expect it this early.”

Some water may still be visible in the area due to excess flows in nearby canal systems, but this is expected to disappear as temperatures rise and irrigation demand increases.

Residents say the development is disappointing, but understandable.

“I think it’s sad, but I can understand,” said Therese Tominaga, a Blackfoot resident. “Farmers need it, especially this year.”

Tominaga said Jensen Grove is an integral part of the community, serving as a venue for recreation, gatherings, and events.

“It looks so attractive when the water is in the pond,” she said. “It’s a good place for the community to hold events.”

Stufflebeam said while the outcome is disappointing, the city supports the decision to prioritize agricultural water use.

“We need to support our farmers,” he said. “Let’s make sure they can at least have a chance to grow crops.”

He added that the work completed this year will still benefit the city in the future if water conditions improve.

“We did everything we could,” Stufflebeam said. “Mother Nature gets to have final say, and evidently she said, not this year.”

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Meet the candidates for Bonneville County Coroner: Shante Sanchez faces Tim Schuijt

KIFI on April 29, 2026

David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Voters heard from two candidates for Bonneville County Coroner at a Greater Idaho Falls Chamber debate yesterday at Compass Academy.

Incumbent Shante Sanchez has been serving as the Bonneville County Coroner since she was appointed in December 2024. Challenger Tim Schuijt is a Family Nurse Pracitioner and a former Emergency Room nurse with experience at hundreds of death scenes.

Tim Schuijt: “This office requires something very specific – a deep medical understanding paired with genuine compassion for families during their worst moments. Determining when an autopsy is truly needed for understanding of how the human body works, how diseases progress, and how trauma presents., as well as how medical history fits the whole narrative.”

Shante Sanchez: “My background is rooted in the science of death investigation and the complexities of human behavior. With a master’s degree in forensic psychology and national certification as medical legal death investigator and a former deputy coroner, I spent my career at the intersection of public safety and mental health.”

Sanchez is certified in Medicolegal Death Investigation and is completing the process to be an American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigator.

Tim Schuijt is endorsed by former Bonneville County Coroner Rick Taylor and Dr. Joseph Anderson, an emergency room physician and former deputy coroner.

For more information you can visit the candidates’ websites at www.timforbonnevillecountycoroner.com and Sanchez’s bio at her official site www.bonnevillecountyidaho.gov/page/staff-bios.

Tim Schuijt and Shante Sanchez are facing off in the race for coroner in Bonneville County.

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1 dead in Highway 63 crash involving ambulance

KMIZ on April 29, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

One person is dead and others are injured after a crash Wednesday on Highway 63 near Sturgeon.

According to the crash report, the accident happened at 5:39 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of McComas Road and Highway 63.

A North Village Park van, driven by an 81-year-old Moberly man, made an improper left turn to enter the southbound lanes. A Linn County ambulance attempted to avoid hitting the van by changing lanes, but hit the van’s left side.

The 81-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

The 56-year-old ambulance driver from Brunswick, the 60-year-old passenger from Bevier and an 85-year-old patient from Marceline in the ambulance suffered moderate to minor injuries and were transported to University Hospital by ambulance.

The Linn County ambulance district confirmed in a Facebook post that one of its vehicles was involved in the crash. North Village Park is an organization based in Moberly that provides services for senior citizens and people with disabilities.

This is MSHP Troop F’s fifth fatality in April and 16th this year.

According to MoDOT, U.S. Route 63 at Route CC/Roy Barnes Road and Crofton Hall Road, both in northern Boone County, near Sturgeon, had experienced 14 crashes over the past five years, resulting in one fatality and four serious injuries.

Plans to add acceleration and deceleration lanes on southbound U.S. 63 to improve safety are currently in the planning and design phase.

Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesman Kyle Green confirmed to ABC 17 News that one person died in the crash. A post on Troop F’s X account said next of kin has been notified.

Boone County Joint Communications sent a notification at 5:46 p.m. stating that a vehicle crash occurred on northbound Highway 63 near East McComas Road.

Boone County Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Gale Blomenkamp told ABC 17 News in a text message that the crash involved a van and a Linn County Ambulance. He said CPR was in process at the scene and that four patients were reported.

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Community Food Basket of Idaho Falls Hosting Stapling Party to Prepare for Food Drive

KIFI on April 29, 2026

Dylan Carder

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)- Before the Community Food Basket of Idaho Falls can Stamp Out Hunger, it’s got to clamp down on getting the word out. The food basket is preparing for one of it’s biggest food drives of the year. This week, volunteers are gathering for what is being called a stapling party.

Community members are being invited to help staple postcards for the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive to grocery bags. The national food drive will be on Saturday May 9th. By stapling the grocery bags to the post cards, executive director Ariel Jackson hopes this will serve as a stronger reminder.

“If you just get a postcard, you might throw it away. You might think it was junk mail or something of that, that nature.”

The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is the second biggest food drive of the year for the Community Food Basket. It helps them stock up for the summer months, when demand increases.

“Kids are eating at home and food bills tend to triple,” explains Jackson. “This food drive allows us to stock up for when kids are home and out of school and parents are working.”

Jackson says the extra man power by holding the stapling party makes the job much easier.

“I have been doing this for 15 years, and it used to just be my husband and I at home folding and stapling, and folding and stapling. But we realized we needed 44,000 little cards with bags on them. It was just something we could not do on our own. We thought, let’s invite the community.”

The stapling party is being held this week at the food basket warehouse at 1895 N. Blvd in Idaho Falls from 5 pm to 7 pm. There is one more chance for people to come help out Thursday night, April 30.

Jackson invites anyone who wants to help to come out.

“We have the staplers, we have the staples, we have the bags. We just need the people.”

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Oneil Fire contained at 5 acres, resources to remain on scene

KTVZ on April 29, 2026

Spencer Sacks

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The forward progress of the Oneil Fire, located at the 4700 block of NE Oneil Way, was stopped at five acres as of 3:12 p.m. on Wednesday, according to Watch Duty. The incident occurred within both Crook and Deschutes counties.

Prior to the containment, incident command had requested an additional engine due to the fire spotting on one side. Regional Captain Justin Roberts initially reported a slow spreading field burn approaching a nearby highway, prompting requests for an additional unit and the closure of the westbound highway.

According to incident command, resources will remain committed to the scene for approximately an hour and a half. The request for an additional engine was made by incident command at 3:06 p.m. on April 29 due to the fire spotting on one side. Incident command also requested the closure of a westbound highway. Roberts, a regional captain, initially reported the slow spreading field burn at 2:57 p.m. on April 29, noting its approach to the highway.

Resources assigned to the Oneil Fire are expected to remain committed to the scene for approximately an hour and a half, as directed by incident command.

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YFD responds to fire near American Legion Post 19

KYMA on April 29, 2026

Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Fire Department (YFD) says they responded to a fire Tuesday morning.

According to a post on Facebook, the fire happened in the area of S. Virginia Drive, near American Legion Post 19.

Upon arrival, YFD says fire crews found smoke “coming from a storage shed on the property,” and said the fire was “caused by weeds being burned too close to the property with a propane torch and left unattended.”

YFD says the facility manager knocked down the fire prior to their arrival, and says firefighters checked the building to ensure the fire had not spread and there wasn’t any remaining hotspots.

No injuries were reported, and YFD is reminding the Yuma community to never leave open flames unattended, “especially near buildings or dry vegetation.”

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Marshall man charged with manslaughter in deadly Saline County crash

KMIZ on April 29, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man has been charged with three felonies, four misdemeanors and an infraction in a fatal crash that occurred Tuesday in Marshall.

Brent Reynolds, 42, of Marshall, was charged Wednesday in Saline County with first-degree involuntary manslaughter, two counts of armed criminal action, a count of second-degree assault, reckless driving, speeding, not stopping at a crosswalk, not having insurance and an infraction of not having plates.

Reynolds is being held at the Saline County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says a 2014 Ford Focus that was driven by Reynolds crashed into a Ford Bronco on South Odell Avenue. A 65-year-old Marshall woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

The speed limit was 25 miles per hour and Reynolds allegedly crashed the Ford Focus into the Ford Bronco at 110.6 miles per hour, troopers found from the Ford Focus’ electronic data recorder.

The crash caused the Ford Bronco to hit a retaining wall and a pedestrian, a 32-year-old Marshall man who was flown from the scene to a hospital, according to the statement.

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Columbia Utilities proposes a city-wide irrigation ordinance

KMIZ on April 29, 2026

Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

City of Columbia Utilities is proposing an irrigation ordinance to manage water use across the community. The department believes this move would also help to support ongoing commercial and residential growth in the area.

City utilities wrote on its BeHeard page that Columbia’s daily summer peak water demands can exceed 170% of winter water demands, with the highest hourly demand in the summer sitting at around 240% of the peak winter hourly demand. The utility is looking to have two public input meetings before bringing the ordinance to the City Council.

The proposed ordinance would stagger lawn watering to specific days and times, so users can reduce the peak demand on the water system. City officials believe it will also reduce the total amount of water used and allow lawn irrigation systems to operate more effectively within their designed parameters.

Watering schedules are based on physical property address and apply to residential and commercial customers using city water, according to city documents. Irrigation is permitted on the allowed watering day before 10 a.m. and after 7 p.m. for a maximum of 30 minutes per irrigation zone.

Even-numbered addresses would be able to use irrigation systems on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, odd-numbered addresses on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and common areas, mixed addresses or locations with no address can water Monday, Thursday and Saturday.

Exceptions to the ordinance, according to city documents, include:

Irrigation of land used for commercial agriculture.

Watering by hand using an attended hose.

Low-flow, low-pressure systems designed to distribute small amounts of water on or below the soil surface are allowed at any time necessary to meet needs.

Irrigation of new landscape is allowed at any time for the initial 30 days and every other day for the next 30 days for a total of one 60-day period.

Watering in of chemicals, including insecticides, pesticides, fertilizers, fungicides and herbicides, is allowed within 24 hours of application.

Irrigation systems may run up to 30 minutes at any time of day for irrigation system maintenance and repair purposes.

Watering for new plant material, such as flowers, trees and shrubs, on the day of planting.

Watering to preserve turf subject to heavy public use.

The use of recycled or reclaimed water is allowed anytime.

City of Columbia Utilities may grant a different exception from the required schedule under certain circumstances.

Any customer who purchases and installs an automatic landscape irrigation system shall properly install, maintain, and operate:

A water meter dedicated to landscape irrigation, which shall be separate and apart from the water meter serving non-irrigation needs of the property.

A backflow prevention device, installed at the point of connection between the landscape irrigation system and the city water system.

Technology that inhibits or interrupts operation of the system during periods of sufficient moisture or rainfall.

Consumers with irrigation systems installed prior to the effective date of the ordinance shall be subject to the ordinance requirements upon making neccessary repairs, upgrades or changes.

The first violation comes with a $50 fine, the second violation is $250 and the third violation includes a $350 fine with the customer subject to suspension or disconnection of water utility service for irrigation.

The City of Columbia Water Utility, Office of Neighborhood Services, Columbia Police Department and any other agent of the City authorized to will help enforce the ordinance.

Water pressure issues have been seen particularly in the southwest portion of the city in recent years, with boil advisories having been issued in the Thornbrook area. A water tower was expected to have been built by 2021, but a variety of issues, including discussions of where it could be built, have occurred in the past few years.

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