Boone County Commission to hold public hearing on proposed tax for new jail

KMIZ on May 15, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Boone County Commissioner will hold its first read for its proposed public safety sales tax during a public hearing next week.

The meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Boone County Commission Chambers in the government center on East Walnut Street.  

A Thursday press release from the county says the sheriff’s office is requesting to place a three-eighths center sales tax on the Aug. 4 ballot to build a new jail.

The sheriff’s office had floated the idea earlier this month when the City of Columbia was discussing to place its own 1% public safety sales tax on the same ballot. The final certification date for the Aug. 4 election is May 26.

“Doe to the high number of court orders requiring defendants to be held in the Boone County Jail, coupled with limited space in the current jail, Boone County is consistently housing more detainees in out-of-county jails than in the Boone County Jail,” the press release says.

The county claims the cost of housing inmates in other jails has climbed over the years, with it costing $499,000 in 2022 to more than $2.5 million in 2025, the release claims. It also states more than $1 million has been spent housing detainees outside of the county during the first quarter of 2026.

The new jail would take four years to build and could house 570 inmates, according to the release.

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Seagull Fire ignites in Jefferson County

KTVZ on May 15, 2026

Spencer Sacks

Jefferson County, Ore. (KTVZ) — A new wildfire, dubbed the Seagull fire, has ignited in Jefferson County near Warm Springs, and is currently listed as a one-acre blaze according to the National Interagency Fire Center. They report it started at 4:16 PM.

As the fire situation evolves, KTVZ will continue to provide the latest updates on this developing story.

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El Paso breaks ground to make Pueblo Viejo Park shine brighter

KVIA on May 14, 2026

Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — You can expect Pueblo Viejo Park to shine brighter soon. Thursday, the City of El Paso held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Sun City Lights program at the Lower Valley park.

The groundbreaking ceremony featured dances honoring the Mission Valley cultural heritage. City officials asked local students to hand-paint the shovels used in the ceremony.

The decorative project will make it easier to enjoy the park when it’s dark, the city said. The project investment totaled $1.29 million from a previous quality of life project. The city said the park will get:

New benches and sidewalks

A new rock wall sign

New landscaping

Illuminated paths

Interactive motion-sensor lighting

City Representative Lily Limón said, “It’s gonna have a lush area, lots of bushes, lots of flowers, some trees. It’s gonna be almost like a little oasis, a little heaven, a little piece of heaven.”

Rep. Limón also said the improved park will encourage families and kids to take a break from screens and enjoy their neighborhood park.

An opening ceremony is expected to happen in the fall, Rep. Limón said.

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Moberly man accused of attempted carjacking now charged in federal court

KMIZ on May 14, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Moberly man who was accused of trying to carjack a woman at the Jefferson City airport last month has been charged in federal court.  

Brian Koch, 28, is accused of trying to pose as a police officer before pulling out a gun and a machete at a woman in a vehicle on April 28.

Court documents in previous reporting say Koch was allegedly found by police with a knife, a fake plastic badge and a needle with methamphetamine, the statement says. Police eventually found a machete at the airport.

Koch allegedly told the victim he was a law enforcement officer and needed a ride.  The victim allegedly told him that she needed proof that he was an officer and Koch pulled out the weapons, previous reporting says. Koch tried to get in the victim’s vehicle but she drove away, the statement says.

After he was detained, Koch allegedly told officers that larvae were eating his brain, court documents say.

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High Schoolers tackle CEI’s first Ag Tech Robotics Challenge

KIFI on May 14, 2026

Stephanie Lucas

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The College of Eastern Idaho hosted its first Ag Tech Robotics Challenge on Thursday, May 14, bringing together high school students from Hansen, Aberdeen, and Driggs for a hands-on competition.

Organized in partnership with the University of Idaho Extension, the free event focused on agriculture technology, coding, and problem-solving.

Four teams from Hansen, Aberdeen, and Driggs high schools competed to program AgXRP robots to complete simulated agricultural challenges. These challenges involved sensors, data collection, and decision-making systems used in modern agriculture.

The competition was created as part of CEI’s ongoing efforts to build awareness around its future Agriculture Technology program. This program is planned to launch in Fall 2027 inside the Battelle Energy Alliance Future Tech Building in partnership with Frontier Credit Union.

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Your Vote, Your Voice: Secretary McGrane urges Idahoans to hit the polls for Tuesday’s Primary

KIFI on May 14, 2026

Kaelyn Blessinger

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — With Tuesday’s primary election fast approaching, Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane is aiming to remind and educate voters of the importance of Idaho’s primaries. Speaking to the Idaho Falls City Club on Thursday, it was noted that only about 30% of Idaho’s 2 million residents typically participate in the primary process, which means the entire election is typically up to roughly 600,000 voters.

With this in mind, McGrane stressed the importance of each vote. Addressing Idaho’s status as one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, McGrane emphasized that every vote makes a difference, including new Idahoans.

“Let’s say they got here a month ago, but they want to participate in the election,” said Secretary McGrane. “The good news is they still can. In Idaho, we have same day registration. So as long as you bring photo identification and proof of residence, you can show up to the polls and register.”

Newer voters should be prepared for specific party restrictions when they arrive at the polls. Because the primary is the process parties use to choose their final candidates for November, the rules vary by affiliation:

The Idaho Republican Primary: Closed. Only voters registered as Republicans may participate.

The Idaho Democratic Primary: Open. Voters of any party affiliation may request this ballot.

Unaffiliated Voters: Idahoans not belonging to a party may choose any ballot. However, to vote in the Republican primary, an unaffiliated voter must register as a Republican at the polling place.

The window for early voting is closing rapidly, with the state’s official primary day set for early next week. Voters will have until 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 14th to cast their ballot as part of early voting.

On election day, polls will open Tuesday, May 19, at 8:00 a.m. Idahoans could start to see the results of the election as early as 9:00 p.m.

Local News 8 will be monitoring the results closely and sharing them live on our voter resources page, HERE.

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Las Cruces Mayor’s Jazz Fest kicks off May 24

KVIA on May 14, 2026

Gabrielle Lopez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — Starting May 24, jazz music will play across Las Cruces every Sunday through August with the 2026 Mayor’s Jazz Fest.

The City of Las Cruces Parks & Recreation Department announced the lineup for this year’s Jazz Fest, which runs through Aug. 30.

The free music series will feature the Leo Tizer Band, which released a new album, “Amplify.” The city said the band’s album was recorded in Hollywood.

Special guest performers include Elliott Yamin, who competed in American Idol in 2006; Grammy winner Munyungo Jackson; and Anthony Crawford, who Rolling Stone named the 2022 Bassist of the Year, the city said.

The city said the first night of Jazz Fest starts May 24 at the Plaza de Las Cruces (100 N. Main St.) at 7 p.m. It did not announce other locations and times for the rest of the music series.

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Power restored for Boone Electric customers after outage

KMIZ on May 14, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Power has been restored for Boone Electric customers.

There were nearly 1,500 Boone Electric customers without power in an area just west of Columbia on Thursday evening, according to the Boone Electric outage map.

Outages were reported in a neighborhood near West Gillespie Bridge Road, while several more were reported near Vawter School Road.

A Boone Electric spokesman wrote in an email to ABC 17 News that the area lost power after a semi-truck hit a power pole. An estimated time for restoration was not available at 7:20 p.m., though an earlier estimate claimed it could have returned after 8 p.m.

Boone County Joint Communications sent a notification at 6 p.m. stating a semi-truck hit an electric pole on Route UU near Gillespie Bridge Road. The road will be closed while crews work.

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Camas Restaurant celebrates grand opening at Shoshone-Bannock Casino

KIFI on May 14, 2026

Hadley Bodell

FORT HALL, Idaho (KIFI) – If you’ve been looking for a local place to get wagyu beef and tender steak, you’re in luck. The Camas Restaurant held its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting on May 14, after a year of highly anticipated construction.

Previously, the casino held Camas Sports Bar and Grill, which opened in 2012. Calista Matsaw, CEO of Shoshone-Bannock Casino, said the inspiration for the renovation was to get something new and exciting to offer the patrons.

She said the team went through the process of elimination and decided Southeast Idaho was lacking in steakhouse options. “We’re partnering up with Snake River Farms, whose reach is far and wide,” Matsaw said. “We’re offering two options with wagyu beef, a ribeye and a New York strip, which are amazing.”

Matsaw also said the original plans didn’t flow as they were supposed to with the liquor licensing for the previous sports grill, which led to wasted space. At the new Camas Restaurant, there is a designated seated bar area as well as 30 additional seats.

The staff of the new restaurant are tribal members, which they say brings their culture and unique culinary talent to the menu items.

“Our chef will sometimes come out and talk to the tables about whatever it is, it could be a potato,” Matsaw said. “They’re so passionate about the food they’re cooking. You can tell they have a passion for the technique, and I feel like that is one of the most exciting things for people to look forward to with dining here.”

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Doña Ana Community College to offer drive-thru food pantries

KVIA on May 14, 2026

Gabrielle Lopez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — Doña Ana Community College will hold two free food pantries May 28, the school said Thursday.

The first drive-thru will start at 9:30 a.m. outside the DACC Espina Campus library (3400 S. Espina St.).

The second will start at 1:30 p.m. at the East Mesa Campus (2800 Sonoma Ranch Blvd.) in the parking lot across from the auditorium.

DACC said availability is on a first-come, first-served basis with cars taking priority. The school said the public is welcome to the food pantries.

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