Dillon Fuhrman
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Locals across Yuma County are invited to attend a celebration and memorial for Herb Townsend.
The event is taking place Sunday, August 30, 2026, at Fraternal Order of Eagles Lodge #398, located 255 S. First Avenue, at 1:30 p.m.
During the event, there will be a service by Masons at around 2:30 p.m., with a dinner following after the service.
The event will go until 5:30 p.m.
Sutton Parker
COLUMBIA MO. (KMIZ)
The Salvation Army hosted its annual fan drive on Thursday, giving away 190 free fans to the public.
The group said the donation was a community effort, with partners at the Westlake ACE Hardware donating the fans to the Salvation Army for distribution. The drive comes as temperatures have started to rise across Mid-Missouri, with air temperatures remaining in the low-90s throughout the rest of this week and the heat index eclipsing 100 degrees.
Nancy Powers, a core officer with the Salvation Army, said the goal of Tuesday’s event was to be able to help people stay cool in the summer heat.
“What we are folks that maybe don’t have air conditioning or maybe can’t afford to turn on their air conditioning, really need in these hot, hot days some air moving around,” Powers said.
Powers noted for many residents, the fear of a high utility bill outweighs the discomfort of the heat.
“A lot of folks don’t dare turn air conditioning on because they just can’t cover that expense, or they may just have air conditioning in that one room,” Power said.
Powers added that Tuesday’s drive was critical, as utility and rent assistance are in high demand.
“Utility and rent assistants are iis in high demand, and most agencies are either out or running very low on these kinds of assistance,” she said.
Earlier this year, the City of Columbia ran out of its $800,000 assistance fund that goes to help people pay for their utility bills. While the city ran out, other organizations like the Central Missouri Community Action Group have other resources to help bridge the gap.
Specifically, the initiative provides struggling families with up to $300 per season to help with seasonal energy costs. Even with the extra money, Brooke Eskridge, the Director of Family & Community Services, said that it may not be enough to fully cover all expenses.
Eskridge added a growing number of people maxing out assistance funds, adding the group can only pay for people’s utility bills after all other expenses are paid off.
“We can’t pay any non-electrical charges, so people have to pay their trash and sewer, and then we can pledge on the electric portion of it. If that’s $310, then they have to pay the $10 before we can pay the $300,” she said.
When it comes to what other resources are available, Eskridge said that the CMCA also has a team of people who are ready to help.
“We have what are called public family success coaches here at CMCA, and those are individuals who can work closely with a family that is willing to sit down and go through their situation. Oftentimes when we call on their behalf, we can get a bit further,” she said.
Officials at the Salvation Army said if you are struggling to pay utility bills, the best way is to get ahead and reach out to the utility companies.
They add that companies are willing to put people on budgets or payment plans, adding that you should seek assistance early rather than wait for the bills to pile up.
Additionally, the Salvation Army says that all of their facilities operate as cooling centers for individuals who might not have air conditioning to come and cool down in their buildings.
Gabrielle Lopez
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — As more health information is stored online, an El Paso nonprofit received a $200,000 grant Tuesday to create a lesson plan to teach people how to manage their health information.
Texas Mutual Insurance Company and its health affiliate, Texicare, gave Borderplex Connect the grant.
The El Paso Community Foundation said internet access in El Paso and the Borderland area is uneven. Just in the county, 28% of households earning less than $20,000 don’t have an internet subscription due to cost or connection barriers.
As some of the healthcare people access is online, such as digital appointments and patient portals, EPCF said not having access can limit how people track their care and costs.
Additionally, not everyone understands how to use the internet or modern technology.
With the grant money, Texicare’s CEO, Meredith Duncan, said the nonprofit can teach people how to manage their health information responsibly.
“These programs help teach people how to use technology, how to access their health information and how to make sure they are doing it in a safe way,” said Duncan.
According to a news release, the program will teach people how to use patient portals, set up digital appointments (also known as telehealth) and avoid scams.
Additionally, health workers can use an educational series to train others on using digital health portals.
Ryan Shiner
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Missouri saw an increase in the turnover and vacancy rates for nurses in 2025, according to data provided by the Missouri Hospital Association.
A report shows the nursing turnover rate was at 18.9% in 2025, compared to 16.1% in 2024, bucking a four-year downward trend. The vacancy rate also increased 10.9% in 2025 compared to 10.1% in 2024. The vacancy rate also was seeing a downward trend the same four years.
Central Missouri has the highest turnover rate in the state for the registered nurse workforce at 28.8%. West Central Missouri is second with 22.1%, while the Northeast region is 21.1%. Mid-Missouri’s vacancy rate sits at 9.7%
Overall for the healthcare workforce, the state saw a 23.7% turnover rate, which is 1.5% higher than 2024. The vacancy rate sits at 10.1%, which increased from 9.7%.
Stephanie Lucas
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Legislature passed more than 350 laws during its 2026 session, bringing sweeping changes to everything from transportation to school AI policies. The vast majority of these laws officially take effect tomorrow, July 1.
Local News 8 has compiled the following breakdown of the most talked-about laws going into effect tomorrow.
House Bill 752 – Restricting restroom/lockeroom access by biological sex
Commonly known as the “bathroom bill,” House Bill 752 makes it a crime to knowingly use a restroom, changing room, or locker room that does not align with a person’s biological sex. However, earlier this month, a judge issued a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking a section of the law regarding single-use restrooms and multi-use restrooms where no single-use option is available. The rest of the law will take effect on July 1.
RELATED: Federal Judge halts Idaho law enforcing restroom access by biological sex
House Bill 664 – Semi-Truck Speed Limits
A new law allowing semi trucks to travel the freeway at 80 miles per hour goes into effect in Idaho on July 1. House Bill 644 states semi-trucks can travel at the same speed as passenger vehicles on interstate highway – up to 80 mph when the posted speed allows it. The bill’s text claims, “Research has shown that speed variance (differences in speed between vehicles) causes more accidents than absolute speed, with a 10 mph difference creating as much as a 227% increase in interactions. When variances in speed occur at excessive speeds, such as on interstate highways, the severity of crashes increases dramatically.”
RELATED: Speeding up: Semi trucks in Idaho can travel at 80 miles per hour starting July 1
Senate Bill 1227 – AI in K-12 Education
This bill addresses the rapid rise of AI in K-12 education, directing the State Department of Education to build a statewide framework for responsible AI use. Additionally, local school districts and public charter schools must now adopt formal policies governing how both students and staff can use AI tools.
House Bill 516 – Teachers Union Restrictions
This law heavily restricts how teachers’ unions interact with school district resources. It prohibits unions from using a school district’s payroll system to automatically deduct member dues, holding union meetings on district property, and bars teachers from using paid leave for legislative advocacy.
House Bill 895 – Data Center Water Restrictions
This law places restrictions on future data centers to be designed for the non-consumptive use of water, or uses water for such purposes from a municipal water district, or water and sewer district system, to “help ensure that Idaho’s limited water rights resources will continue to be available for existing uses, such as agriculture and industry.”
House Bill 538 – Protection for Short-Term Rentals
Starting July 1st, local governments face new limits on how heavily they can regulate short-term rentals like Airbnbs and Vrbos. The law aims to protect “the private property rights of Idaho homeowners by ensuring the right to rent their property is maintained.”
RELATED: Idaho Senate passes bill limiting local regulations on short-term rentals
House Bill 37 & House Bill 803: Firing Squad Executions
Passed in 2025 but officially taking effect July 1, HB 37 establishes a firing squad as Idaho’s primary method of execution. A companion law passed in 2026, HB 803, ensures that the identities of all firing squad members will remain strictly anonymous.
RELATED: Idaho DOC releases detailed firing squad execution protocols ahead of July 1 transition
House Bill 681: No Statute of Limitations for Child Abuse
This law removes the statute of limitations for two major offenses: aggravated lewd conduct with a child and the production of child sexually exploitative material. Prosecutors can now bring charges against perpetrators at any point in time, no matter how many years have passed since the crime.
House Bill 696: Prison Staff Sexual Misconduct
This legislation amends and expands the state’s legal definition of prohibited sexual contact between correctional staff and inmates. The changes are designed to eliminate legal loopholes and make it easier to prosecute prison workers accused of sexually abusing incarcerated individuals. The legislation was in response to InvestigateWest’s reporting that found few Idaho prison workers accused of sexually abusing incarcerated women were ever charged.
City News Service
RIVERSIDE (CNS) – Legislation backed by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office to prevent potentially violent criminal offenders from exploiting courts’ mental health treatment allowances by using claims of psychiatric disorders to avoid incarceration is now enshrined in state law.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed Assembly Bill 46, introduced by Assemblywoman Stephanie Nguyen, D-Sacramento, and sponsored by the California District Attorneys’ Association. It was immediately chaptered by the Office of the Secretary of State, becoming part of the state’s statutory scheme.
“Our office was proud to stand with the coalition of public safety advocates that worked for years to advance these important reforms,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Ivy Fitzpatrick said, adding that AB 46’s provisions will “better protect victims, support treatment and enhance public safety.”
Earlier this year, Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin emphasized the need for changes to state law “after repeated tragic cases in which dangerous defendants committed new violent crimes while on mental health diversion.”
Diversion is permitted under Penal Code section 1001.36, which provides criteria for when an offender is eligible for mental health treatment in lieu of jail or prison. In recent years, a high volume of cases, ofteninvolving violence, have been removed from the criminal adjudication process in Riverside County and assigned to diversion.
The main requirement for judicial approval of diversion generally consists of affidavits from at least one mental health specialist affirming the defendant has a psychological disorder that likely contributed to perpetration of the crime. Additionally, the defendant, through his or her attorney, is supposed to submit a specific plan for treatment of the disorder, usually involving therapy.
However, even without a treatment plan, some judges have been subject to appellate review and invalidation of their decisions to reject diversion, according to supporters of AB 46.
The bill established a new standard that must be met before pretrial diversion can be permitted: “The defendant will not pose a substantial and undue risk to the physical safety of another person, if treated in the community” and out of custody.
Judges will now be free to consult with prosecutors, defense attorneys, victims, as well as scrutinize a defendant’s criminal history, before making a decision on whether to grant psychiatric treatment.
In a 2024 case out of San Diego County, a judge attempted to squash diversion for a repeat criminal offender, Jeanette Sarmiento, who tried to rob a person but used a post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis and other factors to argue that mental health diversion was a viable option in lieu of standardcriminal adjudication. But she did not come forward with a specific treatment plan. The California District Attorneys’ Association cited the case as an example of excessive leniency favoring an offender.
“The record showed that the defendant `for many years has been under the care of a psychiatrist or other physician and has been treated for PTSD and depression or has been offered treatment, and despite such treatment or offers, she continued to abuse methamphetamine and to commit crimes,”’ the CDAA stated.
The judge’s cancellation of diversion led the defendant to appeal, culminating in the state Court of Appeals for the Fourth District, a jurisdiction that includes Riverside County, countermanding the lower court judge’s decision and permitting Sarmiento to proceed with a non-specific diversion plan.
The CDAA cited multiple instances in which defendants placed in diversion had failed to curb their criminal conduct, sometimes with fatal results.
In Sacramento County, a defendant who perpetrated two takeover robberies in 2024 was nonetheless granted diversion, only to fatally stab a 40- year-old man, apparently without provocation, the organization said.
In Orange County, a defendant who served seven years behind bars for assault with a deadly weapon stabbed a pedestrian with a machete for no reason. After he was later granted diversion in that case disposed in Orange County Superior Court, “he absconded from his treatment program and stabbed another bystander 34 times with a box cutter in Los Angeles,” the CDAA said. That victim survived.
In Stanislaus County, a defendant granted diversion in a neighboring jurisdiction after he admitted carjacking a senior went on to use his vehicle to run over and kill his girlfriend — whom he was charged with assaulting on several prior occasions, according to the CDAA.
Defendants who complete diversion programs can still have their offenses expunged from criminal records.
Par Kermani
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho Falls residents are being encouraged to celebrate Independence Day by helping local families facing food insecurity.
The City of Idaho Falls and the Community Food Basket – Idaho Falls are partnering for an online giving campaign called “25,000 in 25 Hours,” with a goal of raising $25,000 to support the food bank’s services across eastern Idaho.
The fundraiser begins at noon on July 3 and continues through 1 p.m. on July 4. Donations can be made through the Community Food Basket’s Venmo account or website.
City officials say the campaign is part of local efforts to recognize America’s 250th anniversary while encouraging community members to give back.
“America 250 is a celebration of our nation’s history, but it’s also an opportunity to reflect on the values that continue to bring us together,” Mayor Lisa Burtenshaw said. “Whether you can give $2.50 or $2,500, every contribution is meaningful and will make a difference.”
According to the Community Food Basket, all money raised during the 25-hour campaign will go directly toward providing food assistance to individuals and families in eastern Idaho.
Executive Director Ariel Jackson said community donations are critical to meeting the growing need for food assistance.
“Even small donations can have a big impact — just $1 can be turned into $4.80 worth of food helping provide meals to families in our local community,” Jackson said.
The Community Food Basket relies on donations and community support throughout the year to stock its shelves and provide resources to local residents.
Donations can be made beginning July 3 through the Community Food Basket – Idaho Falls Venmo account or on the organization’s website.
Jessamyn Dodd
IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Imperial Valley has now certified the results of the June primary election with all ballots counted.
Imperial County Chief Public Defender Ben Salorio will be stepping down from the public defender’s office and into the judge’s chambers after winning the race for Imperial County Judge.
In the race for Congress, Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) is heading to the general election after taking the top spot. He will be running against Republican candidate Joe Males.
Imperial Irrigation District 1 incumbent Alex Cardenas held on to his seat, as did Division 5 Karin Eugenio.
“You know, This is our third term, we’re super excited about doing four more years at Imperial Irrigation District. Our voters spoke loud and clear,” Cardenas said in an interview with KYMA. “They’re looking for reliability, affordability, and they’re looking for us to maintain our Colorado River rights, protect our Colorado River rights.”
For many candidates, like Cardenas, the hard work and fun times are just beginning.
“We’re going to celebrate with our community. So, we have some events, outreach events planned. We don’t stop campaigning. We keep campaigning as long as we’re putting the community first,” Cardenas explained.
In the District 1 Imperial County Board of Supervisors race, Enrique “Kiki” Alvarado narrowly missed winning outright with 49% of the vote. He will advance to November and face Supervisor Jesus Escobar.
Imperial Mayor Ida Obeso-Martinez will go head-to-head with Jeff Gonzalez to lead California’s 36th Assembly District.
In a statement to KYMA, Obeso-Martinez wrote, “This campaign is about fighting for quality healthcare, protecting our water, creating good-paying jobs, and ensuring our region has a strong voice in Sacramento.”
Lynette Niebla
IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Local organizers are moving forward with plans to launch a new Imperial County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, promising to deliver critical resources, cross-border networking, and aggressive economic advocacy for regional entrepreneurs.
The initiative arrives at a challenging economic period for the valley, particularly in areas like Calexico, which currently lacks an active chamber of commerce and has seen a recent wave of small business closures.
The project is spearheaded by local businesswoman and publisher Ellie Burgueño. Drawing on years of experience with various valley chambers, Burgueño argues that traditional business groups focus too much on social events rather than tangible economic defense.
“I am a believer. I am a visionary, and I think things can get done when you get the support and the people involved that are willing to do the work,” Burgueño said.
Rather than relying purely on mixers and receptions, the new group intends to function actively as a legislative and economic lobby for small business owners.
The primary objective is to create local corporate synergy to ensure wealth is retained within the community.
“Money that is created here stays here,” Burgueño explained. “If you buy from each other, if you support each other, businesses are more likely to survive.”
To build a robust infrastructure, organizers are creating a board of directors comprised of seasoned business veterans, including specialists in cross-border trade.
One of the chamber’s primary goals will be mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs, helping them navigate complex local government bureaucracy in a fraction of the time. The group plans to offer guidance on:
Accelerating the business permit process
Sourcing capital and securing commercial loans
Navigating local government support programs
Accessing legal counsel and specialized corporate education
Securing lucrative state and federal government contracts
By pooling the collective knowledge of long-term business owners, Burgueño hopes to keep future startups from getting discouraged by initial operational barriers.
A unique component of the new chamber is its structural connection to broader regional and national business ecosystems.
By plugging local revenue into the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce network, valley merchants will gain access to corporate partnerships stretching from San Diego and Los Angeles to Yuma and Palm Springs.
This expansive framework is designed to specifically target the cross-border community, bolstering trade relations in the binational Cali-Baja region.
“We could do so much more for our business community and of course, not just locally in Imperial Valley, but across the border community that needs those services to learn more,” Burgueño said.
For existing business owners navigating the border economy, the new alliance represents a long-overdue safety net.
Manuel Guerrero, owner of Hope Cafe & Creperie, operates locations in El Centro, Calexico, and four establishments across the border in Mexicali. Despite running a successful enterprise for a decade, he emphasizes that finding reliable business guidance remains a massive hurdle.
“We need help here in the valley. From small businesses we do need a lot of help,” Guerrero said. “There’s no place where we can actually get information or get help with whatever things that we need.”
Guerrero notes that Calexico’s lack of an organized chamber has left independent storefronts to navigate recent economic downturns entirely on their own. He believes a dedicated local alliance will help isolated merchants cooperate rather than fight for survival.
“Places keep on closing. and for us in a super small community to have each other’s back, I think that’ll be very cool,” Guerrero added.
While local merchants look toward the future, Burgueño remains focused on turning the economic challenges of the region into a springboard for growth.
“I think it’s time,” Burgueño said. “We see that this place has everything needed to thrive. We see opportunity where others see challenge and barriers.”
Organizers are currently in the process of securing official non-profit status, finalizing the group’s legal bylaws, and scouting a permanent physical location within the county.
The chamber’s official website is expected to launch in the coming days. Once it’s live, local business owners can log on for updates, view initial resources, and explore upcoming membership opportunities.
Ryan Shiner
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Osage Beach’s Independence Day celebration has been postponed to July 11, the city announced in a Tuesday afternoon press release.
The city wrote that it has to reschedule its Heart of the Lake FreedomFest because “the City’s contracted pyrotechnics company was unable to fulfill its contractual obligation to provide the fireworks display on July 4th.”
Assistant City Administrator April White told ABC 17 News in an email that the company providing the fireworks – AM Pyrotechnics LLC from Buffalo, Missouri – “stopped communicating despite multiple efforts to reach them by phone, email, and text.”
The company allegedly confirmed on Tuesday they were not able to “execute the display.”
“We understand how much our residents and visitors have looked forward to this event and we sincerely apologize for the rescheduling inconvenience,” Parks and Recreation Manager Eric Gregory was quoted in the release. “Rather than canceling the celebration altogether, we felt it was important to reschedule so families can still enjoy an evening of community, entertainment, and a spectacular fireworks display celebrating our nation’s 250th year!”
The festival will take place from 3-9 p.m. July 11 at Osage Beach City Park, with a fireworks display starting at 9 p.m., the release says.
Two weeks ago, the city had announced that it was canceling the parade it had scheduled because of “feedback from the affected businesses and careful consideration of potential impact during this busy weekend in our community,” previous reporting shows.
