Bend’s ‘Parkside Place’ aims to bring more affordable housing to Central Oregon

KTVZ on April 8, 2026

Triton Notary

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) A new housing development aimed at improving affordability in Central Oregon is now underway.

Hayden Homes held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its latest subdivision, Parkside Place, located in east Bend just off Highway 20. The project is designed to provide more affordable housing options in a region facing ongoing demand.

Parkside Place is part of a pilot program created by the state of Oregon in 2016. As part of that effort, the city agreed to expand its urban growth boundary with the condition that 30 percent of new construction would be designated as affordable housing.

Hayden Homes is exceeding that requirement, committing 40 percent of the homes in the Parkside Place development to be affordable.

The company worked alongside state and county lawmakers to bring the project to life.

“Like, no one person, no one entity can solve the housing crisis,” said Craig Smith, Chief Operating Officer of Hayden Homes. “And it’s really about a bunch of people coming together, all from different perspectives and with different resources to create an opportunity.”

Once complete, the subdivision will include 346 homes. According to project leaders, people are expected to begin moving into completed homes within weeks.

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There’s Good News: Bend students turn weather lesson into a sing-along surprise

KTVZ on April 8, 2026

John Carroll

Today Chief Meteorologist John Carroll had fun visiting Seven Peaks School in Bend. The kindergarten class were very well behaved and asked several questions about the weather. They performed a song for the camera called “What’s the Weather” that had some very good choreography.

Next month they are planning to do a presentation about “weather across the world” where the students will wear the appropriate clothing for the assigned region as well as give the forecast for that part of the world.

John read “The Adventure of Robbie the Raindrop” which is about the water cycle.

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Oregon Hunters Association receives $50k to combat a ‘misleading’ petition

KTVZ on April 8, 2026

KOBI

This article was written by Maximus Osburn with KOBI-5:

OREGON – The Oregon Hunters Association received $50,000 to combat a ballot initiative that would effectively criminalize hunting, fishing and more in Oregon.

IP28, the People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions (PEACE Act), intends to remove many of the current exemptions from Oregon’s animal cruelty laws. It argues that Oregonians can choose alternate ways to meet our needs without reliance on abuse.

The Oregon Hunters Association (OHA) say this would be damaging to many Oregonians’ way of life. It received $50,000 from the National Shooting Sports Foundation to combat IP28. They intend to use the funds by educating the public through commercials, websites, ads and more. Executive Director at the OHA, Todd Adkins said,

“They mislead folks who sign it. They say, ‘we want to end animal cruelty.’ They don’t tell you what they’re actually after and that’s essentially the way of life all of us have come to know and love here in Oregon, it’s just part of our culture, it’s just part of everyday living. There won’t be any of us who aren’t negatively impacted by this if it passes.”

IP28 needs 117,000 signatures verified by July before it can qualify for the November ballot. The official website’s last update puts the number of signatures at over 102,000. NBC5 reached out to those behind IP28 for more information but haven’t heard back.

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Three multi-car crashes send nine people to hospital

KEYT on April 8, 2026

Caleb Nguyen

GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) – Three multi-car crashes sent nine people to the hospital with minor to moderate injuries around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

The first crash involved five cars on the southbound 101 freeway between Fairview and Patterson, while the second came in the same location, involving two cars, according to the SBCFD.

The third crash involved four cars between Patterson and Turnpike and injured two people, according to the SBCFD.

The first two crashes sent seven people to the hospital and the California Highway Patrol reduced the southbound 101 to just one lane, according to the SBCFD.

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Santa Barbara City Council Directs Staff to Formulate Rent Stabilization Ordinance

KEYT on April 8, 2026

Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – At Tuesday’s meeting, Santa Barbara City Council Members passed a number of motions directing staff to create a rent stabilization ordinance.

The first motion passed 4-to-3 , limiting rent increases to one time in a 12-month period, based on 60 percent of the consumer percentage index with a maximum of 3 percent or whichever is lower.

Wendy Santamaria made the motion that is considered a low rent cap formula.

Another motion passed 4-to-3 applies exemptions only when mandated by state law.

During a majority of the motions Eric Friedman, Mayor Randy Rowse, and Mike Jordan abstained rather than voting ‘no’ because the initial ‘no’ vote prevented them from voting on other items linked to the first votes.

Another motion passed by council addresses capitol improvements – limiting them to habitability and tenant protections.

All of the motions were inspired by the consultants presentation of rent stabilization ordinance components.

Santamaria also made a motion that Kristen Sneddon seconded to have an independent officer involved in appeals.

Kristen Sneddon said it has taken nine years to get these votes.

The council chamber was packed for the 5:00pm meeting for comment.

They also heard consultants, hired by the city, update the council on more than a dozen rent stabilization options.

The marathon meeting happened one day after Santa Barbara landlords filed a lawsuit challenging a temporary rent freeze.

Attorney Barry Cappello of Cappello & Noel is representing property owners in the lawsuit.

During public comments, Cappello said he used to be the city’s attorney and suggested the city listen to their attorney and hire another to avoid more lawsuits.

Cappello said without an exception mechanism the temporary rent freeze is unconstitutional.

If the city of Santa Barbara sets the temporary rent freeze aside Cappello said they would happily drop the suit.

“If they don’t get it resolved,” said Capello, “take it off the law, they are going to wind up paying hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars.”

Before motions were made dozens of renters shared their experiences and pleaded with the county to address affordability.

Mom & Pop landlords spoke out, too.

Landlord Nick Gonzales said blanket ordinances can have unintended consequences.

“Lets focus where we need to focus and that is in the lower and moderate income households and not give a policy that may give people with very high incomes a subsidy from someone with a very low income because that is the reality with a lot of the mom and pops,” said Gonzales.

Tenant Rick Morse believes people can meet in the middle.

“I would like to see the city of Santa Barbara establish a registry that would create incentives for landlords to create long term tenancies, so they won’t raise the rent or raise it at a nominal rate and be compensated in some way,” said Morse.

The council meeting wrapped up around 10:30 p.m.

Mayor Rowse called it a very long meeting with a lot of public input.

“Clearly, I am not in favor of the result as was true of my colleagues Jordan and Friedman, I believe we have made things really complicated in town and I think we really doubled down on that tonight so we will see how it comes out,” said Rowse. “We had to abstain from a lot of votes because the first vote precluded us from participating in the rest of the item.”

The staff has plenty of work to do before bringing a plan back.

WendySanta Maria said the council will likely see the results of the votes in late June or July.

“Today, I am feeling great about seeing the community come together we saw tenants good faith property owners, faith leaders, service workers, we saw all sectors of the community come together to voice one clear message that we need rent stabilization now and we need decisive action now,” said Santamaria. “I am feeling encouraged by how the community has come together to get this done.”

Stanley Tzankov, the co-founder of Santa Barbara Tenants Union stayed until the last vote.

“This is huge to see the momentum finally building and what is broadley popular and painfully overdue, but we need a strong rent cap and rent board and rental registry because we need to see that the city cares for our people,” said Tzankov.

The city could have a comprehensive rent stabilization program in place by next year.

For more detailed information visit https://santabarbaraca.gov

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El Paso woman sues Uber after alleged violent, terrifying ride with her children

KVIA on April 8, 2026

Heriberto Perez Lara

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — A newly filed lawsuit in El Paso County accuses Uber Technologies, Inc. and one of its drivers of false imprisonment, assault, and gross negligence after a ride reportedly spiraled into a violent confrontation, leaving a mother and her two young children traumatized.

According to court filings, plaintiff Cynthia Sarabia, acting individually and on behalf of her two minor children, alleges that an Uber driver refused to let the family exit the car, drove recklessly at nearly 90 miles per hour on Interstate 10, and ultimately struck the mother and one of her children during a heated confrontation at a gas station in East El Paso.

The petition, filed April 1 in the 205th District Court of El Paso County, details what Sarabia’s attorneys describe as a “terrifying sequence of events that escalated into unlawful restraint and physical violence.”

The lawsuit states that on July 29, 2025, Sarabia and her two children entered an Uber ordered by someone else’s account. From the beginning of the trip, Sarabia claims, she noticed that one of the children’s seat belts was broken. When she alerted the driver, he allegedly ignored her and soon began driving erratically, “swerving” and “accelerating to speeds approaching 90 miles per hour.”

Despite repeated pleas to slow down or stop, the driver allegedly refused. Sarabia asserts that the driver told her the family could not exit “unless she canceled the trip through the Uber app,” effectively trapping them in the moving vehicle. Sarabia says she did not control the Uber account used to book the ride and therefore could not terminate it herself.

The situation came to a halt when the driver briefly pulled over on the shoulder of I-10, yelling at them to get out in an unsafe location before continuing to drive to a Murphy USA gas station on Gateway West Boulevard.

According to the complaint, the confrontation turned violent: the Uber driver allegedly struck Sarabia and then scratched one of the minor children. Sarabia says she used pepper spray in self-defense before the driver fled, allegedly throwing an unknown liquid at her as he drove off.

Police responded to the scene, taking statements and recording the family’s account that the driver refused to let them leave and physically attacked them.

Beyond the driver’s conduct, the lawsuit sharply criticizes Uber’s platform design and safety protocols, accusing the company of enabling the situation by giving drivers too much control over the passenger’s ability to end trips.

The petition argues that Uber “failed to implement reasonable safeguards” to prevent rides from continuing under unsafe conditions and did not offer passengers, particularly those not holding the account, an “effective, real-time mechanism to immediately terminate a ride and compel a safe stop.”

Sarabia’s attorneys further contend that Uber was negligent in hiring, retention, training, and supervision, alleging that the company did not properly screen or instruct drivers on how to handle safety complaints, respond to passenger requests to stop, or transport minor children.

The lawsuit also accuses Uber of both direct negligence and vicarious liability, claiming the driver was acting within the scope of Uber’s business and under its operational control via its platform and policies.

“This lawsuit raises a lot of questions about public safety and we’re going to address that through this lawsuit with the safety expectations that riders can come to expect when they need to get off a car, such as an Uber,” said attorney David E. Saucedo. “The legal process will allow us to get certain questions answered, such as what is the training process of drivers when someone needs to get off? What happens when there’s a real-time emergency? How does a rider get off the car, right? And what other processes and vetting processes do these drivers, does Uber undertake with these drivers? And these are questions that are going to be answered during the legal process.”

Plaintiffs bring several causes of action, including:

Assault and battery against the driver for striking Sarabia and one child

False imprisonment for allegedly refusing to allow the family to leave

Negligence and gross negligence against both defendants for reckless behavior and failure to ensure passenger safety

Direct negligence and negligent supervision against Uber for unsafe platform design and lack of proper training or intervention protocols

The family seeks more than $1 million in damages, alleging physical injury, emotional trauma, and ongoing anxiety—particularly among the children, who reportedly remain fearful of car rides since the incident. The petition also requests exemplary (punitive) damages for what the plaintiffs describe as “extreme risk” and “conscious indifference” to passenger safety.

“Our goal here is to make sure that we understand why it happened and, more importantly, that it doesn’t happen again, not just here in El Paso, but everywhere,” said attorney Saucedo. “At the end of the day, any El Pasoan should be able to get in an Uber and safely exit the Uber; that’s it, that’s how it works and that’s how it should be done.”

According to attorney Saucedo, who represents Cynthia Sarabia, they hope to find out exactly what happened and how it happened to avoid and prevent it from happening again.

“The gas station is where the ride ended, but where the nightmare, to a certain extent, ended, but really began because of the suffering that she’s had and all that,” Saucedo added.

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Jorge Luis Jijon-Lagara arrested for attempted murder and stalking

KEYT on April 8, 2026

Caleb Nguyen

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested Jorge Luis Jijon-Lagara connected to an attempted murder and stalking investigation.

SBCSO deputies followed a 911 call to the 1100 block of Via Regina on March 25 and found an adult male victim who had been stabbed multiple times after Jijon-Lagara fled.

First responders immediately helped the stabbing victim until medical personnel took him to the hospital for serious injuries, according to the SBCSO.

SBCSO deputies then identified Jijon-Lagara from Goleta and conducted an extensive search of the surrounding neighborhoods on March 25 but could not find him.

Investigators determined that Jijon-Lagara stalked his ex-girlfriend who was in a relationship with the person he later stabbed, according to the SBCSO.

Detectives served both a search and an arrest warrant at the 200-block of Hillview Road in Goleta.

There, they took Jijon-Lagara into custody without incident and booked him into the Santa Barbara County Main Jail on felony charges, including attempted murder and stalking.

Jijon-Lagara is being held without bail and the stabbing victim is expected to recover, according to the SBCSO.

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Rodemeyer, Scheperle, Duckworth earn seats on Jefferson City Board of Education

KMIZ on April 8, 2026

Marie Moyer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Michelle Rodemeyer, Gretchen Duckworth and Kris Scheperle won the three open spots of the Jefferson City Board of Education on Tuesday over Cierra Griffin, Trent Vallandingham, Ryan Towner and James Kindred Sr.

“I’m excited to get to work,” Rodemeyer said. I’m honored by the trust our community has placed in me and I’m committed to serving the entire district and our teachers and support staff.”

“I just want to thank everyone in Jefferson City and Holt Summit that trusted me with your vote,” Duckworth said. “I’m going to continue to work hard for you, our students, our families and our community.”

Hot topics for the board have included teacher retention, rising expenses and student behavior. Candidates also have varying focuses ranging from AI use in classes to mental health support and student attendance.

April’s election follows the departure of President Erika Leonard in January and outgoing members Brad Bates, Scott Hovis and Suzanne Luther.

ABC 17 News reached out to all the candidates on Tuesday morning. Vallandingham, Towner, and Duckworth reported voting the morning of election day. Griffin and Duckworth cast their ballots during early voting the week prior.

Griffin, Duckworth and Rodemeyer are also hosting watch parties. Griffin’s takes place at Indigo Buffalo, Duckworth’s is at Towne Grill and Rodemeyer is hosting at West Main Pizza.

For more information on the Jefferson City Board of Education race, visit ABC 17’s Voter Guide.

Scheperle was unable to be reached for comment.

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ELECTION NIGHT UPDATES: Moberly School District bond issue prevails; sales tax passes

KMIZ on April 8, 2026

Matthew Sanders

CLICK HERE FOR FULL ELECTION RESULTS

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Voters in the Moberly School District approved an $11.5 million bond issue to improve facilities.

The issue was approved by a vote of 723-270 on Tuesday.

Randolph County voters also approved the extension of a countywide sales tax.

Boone County’s Southern Boone School District also approved a bond issue for construction and improvements.

“Our school district is incredibly grateful for the support of our community,” Superintendent Tim Roth said in a news release. “This vote reflects a shared commitment to maintaining safe, functional and well-maintained facilities for our students, staff and community. We appreciate everyone who took the time to learn about the proposal and participate in the election.”

Incumbents win Columbia Board of Education seats

Three incumbents easily won reelection to the Columbia Board of Education on Tuesday.

April Ferrao led the pack with 6,537 votes, followed by John Lyman with 6,218 and Paul Harper with 6,183.

Incumbent Don Waterman was defeated in the race for Ward 5 on the Columbia City Council by newcomer Christina Hartmann. Hartmann won 1,332 to 981.

Southern Boone School District voters approved a bond issue for construction and other costs 937-281. The three incumbents — Amy Marie Begemann, Chris Felmlee and Karen Kraus Bill, all won reelection to the school board.

Rodemeyer, Duckworth, Scheperle win JC Board of Education seats

A Callaway County woman has won a seat on the Jefferson City Board of Education, along with a former county commissioner and a state employee.

Michelle Rodemeyer of Holts Summit took the most votes in the seven-candidate race, getting 2,932. State employee Gretchen Duckworth came in second place with 2,284 and former commissioner Kris Scheperle received 2,217 votes. He nudged out Cierra Griffin, who had 2,198.

The Callaway County Ambulance District won approval for its use tax.

In the Fulton Board of Education race, Joe Davis, Connie Epperson and Emily Omohundro won seats.

Incumbents enjoy commanding lead in Columbia Board of Education race

The three incumbents running for reelection to the Columbia Board of Education had a commanding lead with nearly half of the county’s precincts counted.

April Ferrao had the most votes with 3,779. John Lyman was second with 3,598 and Paul Harper had 3,576.

The incumbents were also winning in the Southern Boone Board of Education race.

The race for Columbia’s Fifth Ward city council seat shows challenger Christina Hartman with 800 votes over Don Waterman’s 642.

Full Cole County election results posted

A Holts Summit woman will bring Callaway County representation to the Jefferson City Board of Education.

Michelle Rodemeyer enjoyed a 500-vote lead over the next candidate with all of the Cole County precincts counted and only Callaway County precincts remaining. Rodemeyer also took the most votes in Holts Summit, inside and just outside the city limits.

Countywide, voters approved a capital improvement sales tax 4,842-1,391.

Rodemeyer wins Jefferson City Board of Education seat

A Holts Summit candidate has won a seat on the Jefferson City Board of Education with two-thirds of precincts counted,

Michelle Rodemeyer, a first-time candidate from Holts Summit, had 1,970 out of 9,586 cast, with 18 of 24 precincts reporting. The next highest total was Cierra Griffin at 1,536.

The capital improvement sales tax was cruising to passage, 3,173-903, with 20 of 29 precincts counted.

Mackenzie Job held a commanding lead for reelection in Jefferson City’s Ward 5, while Randy Hoselton held on against George Bacon in a tight race in Ward 1 in Jefferson City.

Boone County reports absentee ballot count

Boone County voters cast 1,524 absentee ballots in the April election, for a total of about 1.26% of the county’s total 120,780 voters.

Among those voters, each of the three incumbent Columbia Board of Education members — April Ferrao, John Lyman and Paul Harper — earned more than 900 votes, compared to challenger Keary Husain’s 422.

In the Southern Boone School District, absentee voters were overwhelmingly in favor of a large bond issue, while incumbents also led for the school board’s three seats.

Callaway County, Cole County posts absentee ballot numbers

The Callaway County Clerk’s Office posted absentee vote numbers about 15 minutes after the polls closed Tuesday, followed by Cole County about 15 minutes later.

Nearly 400 absentee ballots were cast, with 438 absentee votes cast in the Fulton Board of Education race. Connie Epperson and Emily Omohundro enjoyed large absentee tallies in that race, along with Joe Davis. Three seats are up for election.

On the county-wide ambulance use tax ballot question, 192 absentee ballots were marked yes compared to 131 “no” votes.

Cole County absentee voters cast 555 ballots out of nearly 55,000 registered voters. Michelle Rodemeyer and Cierra Griffin each received more than 200 votes.

Cole County absentee voters were also in favor of the county capital improvement sales tax.

Check back in for updates throughout the night.

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Woman charged with manslaughter faces wrongful death lawsuit

KMIZ on April 8, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman who was charged with manslaughter in a fatal crash from November is facing a wrongful death lawsuit in Boone County.

Kyshonda Williams, 30, was arrested last week in Tennessee on a warrant for the Boone County charges. She is charged with second-degree involuntary manslaughter, misdemeanor reckless driving and misdemeanor failure to yield in the death of Ethan Cash.

Cash, 25, was killed after Williams crashed a Dodge Charger into Cash’s motorcycle on Nov. 2 on South Range Line Street near Kennesaw Ridge Road, court documents say. The probable cause statement says Cash tried to avoid Williams as she turned left, but a collision occurred.

Williams was not listed on the Boone County Jail roster on Tuesday evening and an order extradite her from Shelby County, Tennessee was filed after her arrest by the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The wrongful death lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in Boone County by Cash’s mother and the mother of Cash’s child. The lawsuit accuses Williams of negligence causing a wrongful death.

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