Hitt Road lane closure begins Thursday near Lincoln Road roundabout

KIFI on June 3, 2026

Par Kermani

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Drivers traveling on Hitt Road should expect traffic delays beginning Thursday as construction crews start work near the Lincoln Road roundabout.

According to a notice shared by the City of Idaho Falls, Knife River will begin utility installation and roadway improvements associated with the Riviera Park development on the northeast corner of Hitt Road, also known as 25th East, and Lincoln Road.

As part of the project, the outside northbound lane on Hitt Road north of the Lincoln Road roundabout will be closed. All lanes entering and traveling through the roundabout will remain open.

Drivers heading north from the roundabout should be prepared to merge into a single lane shortly after leaving the intersection. The lane closure will extend north to the Grand Peaks Medical area.

The work includes underground utility installation and roadway upgrades to support the new development.

Construction is expected to continue through the end of August, depending on weather and field conditions.

Drivers are encouraged to watch for crews and equipment, follow posted traffic signs and slow down while traveling through the construction zone.

City officials note the project is not being managed by the City of Idaho Falls. The city says it is sharing the information to help notify residents about upcoming traffic impacts.

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City of El Paso says it can’t ‘simply cancel’ agreement with Meta over proposed data center

KVIA on June 3, 2026

Armando Ramirez

UPDATE (June 3, 2026, 6:30 p.m.) — Mayor Renard Johnson says he understands residents’ concerns about the proposed Meta data center, but warned that canceling the project could trigger years of costly litigation that taxpayers may ultimately have to help fund.

“If we were to enter into any litigation with that particular company, and if the city were to lose, we would also have to pay their attorney fees,” the mayor said. “That would be a significant amount of money that would be borne by taxpayers.”

City officials say the City Council approved legally binding agreements for the project in 2023 and that Meta has since invested millions of dollars in its development.

District 6 City Representative Art Fierro, who voted in favor of the agreement in 2023, said he wants to review updated information from legal counsel before deciding whether to support efforts to terminate the contract.

“I’ll review the information from our legal counsel, our outside counsel, and then make my decision from there,” Fierro said.

Fierro said it is important for council members to receive a full briefing on the project before taking action.

The mayor said he shares concerns raised by residents about the potential environmental impact of the data center.

“I want to protect our natural resources, whether it’s water and our utilities,” he said.

At the same time, he said he does not want taxpayers to face a financial burden from legal challenges or send a message that the city does not honor its agreements.

“I’ve received calls from people wondering, ‘Are you now going to change my agreement and change the rules?'” the mayor said. “You don’t ever want your city to have that stigma that you’re not going to honor your deal. In business, we know that your handshake is your word.”

The City Council is scheduled to consider an item seeking to terminate the contract for the Meta data center during its meeting Tuesday.

UPDATE (June 3, 2026) — Residents have been asking the City of El Paso whether it can “simply cancel” the Meta agreement, the city’s manager and attorney said in a statement Wednesday.

“The answer is no,” the city said. “The project was approved through legally binding agreements adopted by the City Council in 2023. Since then, Meta has invested millions of dollars in land acquisition, planning, engineering, infrastructure, and construction based on those agreements. Construction is already underway.”

The city sent the following statement on behalf of the city manager and attorney:

“Because of those investments and contractual commitments, the City cannot simply decide to terminate the agreement. Any attempt to do so would likely result in significant legal challenges, and there is little reason to believe the company would voluntarily abandon a project after investing substantial resources in El Paso.

At its core, this is a matter of fiscal responsibility. The City has a duty to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars. Attempting to cancel a legally executed agreement would create substantial financial risk for residents while offering no assurance that the project would stop.

Taxpayers should also understand that legal costs associated with such an action are not currently budgeted. Any litigation would create new, unplanned expenses that would have to be funded by the public. Those costs could include outside legal counsel, expert witnesses, court costs, staff time, and potentially significant financial damages, including Meta’s legal fees, if the City were found to have violated its contractual obligations.

Just as important, filing or defending a lawsuit does not automatically stop a project. The City could find itself spending millions of taxpayer dollars on years of litigation while the project continues to move through the legal process.

The practical question is whether taxpayers should be asked to absorb potentially significant unbudgeted legal costs in an effort to undo agreements that were lawfully approved and relied upon by a company that has already invested millions of dollars in our community.

The City’s responsibility is to protect taxpayers from unnecessary financial exposure and ensure public resources remain focused on core priorities such as public safety, streets, parks, infrastructure, and other essential services—not on costly and uncertain litigation.”

UPDATE (3:43 p.m.) — The office of Representative Lily Limón confirmed with ABC-7 that Rep. Limón is working with Rep. Acevedo on the action item that would direct the city manager and attorney to start negotiations to terminate the contract with Meta Platforms, Inc.

“This item is being brought forward in light of significant public concerns regarding utility affordability, water resources, environmental impacts, infrastructure burdens, transparency, contractual enforceability, governmental immunity and whether the projected public benefits of the project are adequate,” Rep. Limón’s office said.

Her office said the item will be presented June 9 at the next City Council meeting.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — El Paso City Representative Josh Acevedo has announced that he will propose an item during the next City Council meeting, seeking to terminate the contract for the Meta data center in Northeast El Paso.

The proposed item will allow the City to end the Chapter 380 Economic Development Program Agreement with Wurldwide LLC and their parent company, Meta Platforms Inc.

“We have heard loud and clear from the community on this issue and now is the time to break the contract agreement with Meta,” Representative Acevedo said. “This hyperscale data center will drain our region’s water resources and bring further pollution to the area with its gas-powered electrical plant.”

The City of El Paso held six community meetings to solicit feedback on a proposed data center policyframework, where residents voiced their concerns regarding the data center.

“As residents of a desert community, the value of our water and air far outweigh any revenues the City would collect or possibly lose from this major data center,” Representative Acevedo added. “With a massive data center planned for Fort Bliss and one in neighboring Doña Ana County, we cannot afford to put our community’s health and natural resources at risk. Action must be taken now.”

KVIA ABC-7 has previously reported on the construction of data centers in the Borderland, including the Meta data center in Northeast El Paso.

This is a developing story, once more information is provided we will update you on air and online.

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Deputies charge ‘Top Ten Most Wanted’ fugitive with aggravated robbery

KVIA on June 3, 2026

Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Deputies arrested a 22-year-old man after he was wanted in connection with an aggravated robbery charge, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.

On Monday, deputies received information about Justin Ray Chavez’ location. They found him on the 12300 block of Campo Bello Drive off Camino De La Rosa Road in San Elizario.

EPCSO said Chavez surrendered and went into custody. The sheriff’s office booked him into the county detention facility on an aggravated robbery charge without bond.

Chavez was recently on the Crime Stoppers of El Paso’s “Top Ten Most Wanted” list, EPCSO said.

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Train fire near Deschutes River Woods highlights value of defensible space

KTVZ on June 3, 2026

Kelsey Merison

(UPDATE – 6/3/26: vegetation mitigation helped stop the spread of the fire)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A locomotive fire Tuesday afternoon near Deschutes River Woods could have sparked a much larger wildfire, but officials say years of vegetation mitigation work in the neighborhood helped keep the incident contained.

Bend Fire & Rescue responded around 3:15 p.m. Tuesday to reports of flames coming from the lead locomotive of a BNSF train just south of Baker Road, near the eastern edge of the Deschutes River Woods subdivision. Nine-one-one callers from Morningstar School and BNSF reported fire coming from the braking system housed on top of the locomotive.

Fire crews arrived to find smoke and flames on the locomotive. Fire extinguishers and water were used to extinguish the fire quickly. No injuries were reported, and no cargo or other locomotives were threatened.

The engineers on board were heading north on BNSF’s line from Klamath Falls when they felt a jolt before seeing smoke. They stopped the train before entering town to prevent blocking traffic lanes and to avoid a brush fire taking off. The train came to rest in an area where a fire break had been created by previous wildfire mitigation efforts.

Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki said a 2024 grant allowed Deschutes River Woods and Bend Fire Department to mechanically mow vegetation in the area between Cheyenne Road and China Hat Road, near the railroad tracks.

“Keeps the vegetation low. So if it had spread, it would have been easy to put out. It also gave our firefighters a nice, safe spot to operate from in this locomotive fire,” Derlacki said.

The cleared area provided a safe working zone for firefighters and reduced the risk that the train fire could spread to the neighborhood.

Derlacki emphasized that mitigation efforts are especially critical in Deschutes River Woods due to limited access. The large neighborhood has two main entry points on the north end and only one emergency exit over the railroad tracks near the High Desert Museum.

“Being able to mitigate the fire, be able to keep it small and maintain the safety of the neighborhood is crucial down here,” he said.

BNSF stopped all north-south traffic in the area until the damaged locomotive could be removed and the train moved to a central Bend staging yard. Cheyenne Road was closed temporarily during the incident to allow firefighting hoses to be deployed to the locomotive.

The incident highlights a community effort led by the Deschutes River Woods neighborhood association, Bend Fire & Rescue, the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office and BNSF. The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office awarded a grant in 2024 to help reduce vegetation in and around the subdivision. Large areas of open land on both sides of the railroad tracks were mechanically mowed to remove overgrown brush and create a fire break along the eastern edge of the neighborhood.

“This is an example of where creating defensible space around your home and neighborhood can help protect your home from more than just wildfires,” officials said.

Locomotives create immense amounts of electricity to move heavy trains, and that same electricity makes fighting fires on them extremely dangerous,_bulk crews noted.

Residents in the area have mixed feelings about the vegetation. While fire officials praise the mowed areas for safety, one neighbor who spoke off camera said the trees and brush serve as a sound barrier between neighbors and the train tracks.

Learn more about creating defensible space on your property at bendoregon.gov/own-your-zone.

Reported 9:42 AM on 6/3/26

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Bend Fire & Rescue responded to a reported train fire on Tuesday, June 2nd around 3:15 p.m. just south of Baker Road near Deschutes River Woods. The fire originated in the lead locomotive’s braking system and no injuries were reported, according to the agency.

Engineers traveling north on BNSF’s line from Klamath Falls felt a jolt on the train before seeing smoke. They were able to quickly stop the train before entering town to prevent blocking traffic lanes and prevented a brush fire by coming to rest in an area where a fire break had been created by previous wildfire mitigation efforts. No cargo or other locomotives were threatened by the fire.

BNSF stopped all north and south traffic in the area until the damaged locomotive could be removed and the train could be moved to a central Bend staging yard. Cheyenne Road was closed for a time during the incident to allow firefighting hoses to be deployed to the locomotive.

This unique response highlighted the various aspects of firefighting that crews need to be prepared for. Locomotives create immense amounts of electricity to move the heavy trains and that same electricity makes fighting fires on them extremely dangerous.

The incident also highlighted a community effort in Deschutes River Woods led by the neighborhood association, Bend Fire & Rescue, the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office, and BNSF. A grant from the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office was awarded in 2024 to help reduce vegetation in and around the large subdivision.

Large areas of open land on both sides of the railroad tracks were mechanically mowed to remove overgrown brush. This created a fire break along the eastern edge of the neighborhood, which was done to prevent the spread of wildfire into or out of the neighborhood. The cleared area provided a safe working zone for firefighters and greatly reduced the risk that the fire in this train could have spread to the neighborhood.

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Polls closed on time in Imperial County

KYMA on June 3, 2026

Jessamyn Dodd

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – The California primary election may be over, but it was a long night of counting and verifying ballots at the Imperial County Registrar of Voters office.

The Imperial Valley Republican Committee was on hand to observe, citing the need for transparency and accuracy.

Sayrs Morris, the chairwoman of the committee, and the California GOP Secretary said they are confident with their endorsements, including Assembly member Jeff Gonzalez, who is running for re-election for California’s 36th District.

However, Imperial Mayor Ida Obeso-Martinez and former El Centro Mayor Tomas Oliva have also gained support in their bids for assembly.

The committee also endorsed Art Hodges, who if he won, would unseat incumbend Senator Steve Padilla.

In the race for U.S. House of Representatives, Republican Joe Males is going toe-to-toe with Congressman Raul Ruiz.

As far as poll watching, Morris said this is soething the committee does for every election.

“We’ve come at least the last six elections. We come and just watch as the election workers bring in all the ballots. It’ part of our voter integrity project And I can say in the last six years, everything in Imperial County has been real great,” Morris said.

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Better Business Bureau: How to know your tire’s age

KYMA on June 3, 2026

Jalen Fong

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Road trip planned? Thinking about buying new tires? Make sure they are new as there are reports of old tires being sold as new.

Not only is it a waste of money, it can be dangerous. Manufacturers say you shouldn’t drive on tires six years or older. They degrade over time, even if they have not been used.

So how do you know when your tire was made? It’s written right on the tire. 

Look for the letters DOT, which means Department of Transportation. That’s followed by a series of letters and numbers. Check the last four numbers in the row. 

The first two numbers are the week the tire was manufactured, the last two are the year.   

Buying new or not, it’s worth taking the time to check your tires before heading out on some long trip. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has more information about tire safety and buying new tires HERE.

Before trusting any business, check out reviews, complaints and for trusted Accredited Businesses at BBB.org and visit BBB’s Scam Tracker. 

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Safe Haven baby boxes to be installed in Yuma County

KYMA on June 3, 2026

Marcos Icahuate

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A program to help surrendered babies will be implemented in Yuma.

Baby boxes will be installed in two different locations for parents to safely surrender their infant.

The program began after Baby Sonny was found abandoned in a trash can near a Yuma hotel on May 1, 2025.

The boxes are climate controlled and automatically notifies 911 when an infant is placed. Each location will be staffed 24/7.

The baby boxes will go live June 30.

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Cooling technology tested in Yuma fields could help farmers beat extreme heat

KYMA on June 3, 2026

Manoah Tuiasosopo

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A new agricultural technology being tested in Yuma could help farmers extend growing seasons and protect crops from the region’s increasingly intense desert heat.

At the University of Arizona Agricultural Research Station in Yuma, researchers are evaluating a large-scale evaporative cooling system designed to create a more controlled growing environment directly in open farm fields.

The system, developed by AtmoCooling, uses real-time monitoring to adjust temperature and humidity levels throughout the day.

The goal is to help stabilize conditions for crops that are especially vulnerable to heat stress, including broccoli and cabbage.

Paul Mahacek, CEO and co-founder of AtmoCooling, says the technology is designed to give farmers more flexibility in when and how they grow.

“What we’re gonna show here is that we can bring temperature and humidity back into a range where we can kind of grow what we want when we want here in Yuma,” Mahacek said during a demonstration at the research site.

Researchers say the system is intended to act as a protective buffer during extreme heat events, which are becoming more frequent in the Southwest.

High temperatures can lead to issues such as crop bolting, reduced yields, and shortened harvest windows.

Unlike traditional greenhouse systems, the technology is designed for open-field farming and works alongside existing agricultural equipment and irrigation methods.

Developers say this allows farmers to adopt the system without major infrastructure overhauls.

Company officials also say the system can be rapidly deployed when extreme heat is forecast, offering farmers a short-notice tool to protect crops during critical growing periods.

The Yuma trial builds on previous international deployments, including long-term use in desert agriculture projects in the Middle East, where similar systems have been used to reduce field temperatures under harsh conditions.

Researchers involved in the project say the Yuma testing phase will help determine how effectively the system can improve crop resilience and extend production cycles in one of the nation’s hottest growing regions.

If successful, the technology could offer growers across the Southwest a new way to adapt to rising temperatures while maintaining crop quality and yield.

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Yuma City Council learns stormwater update

KYMA on June 3, 2026

Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA)- The Yuma City Council members learned the stormwater going back into the Colorado River is safe during a meeting Tuesday night.

Every year, state and federal laws require a report on city stormwater quality. This is to ensure the water going back into the Colorado River is safe and has low selenium levels.

High levels can impact the environment and even hurt animals who depend on the river to survive.

Mayor Douglas Nicholls said, “We do storm water pollution protection plans which include not just part plans but processes and things that we can go through with maintenance or construction. We just manage the city and the run off this is the annual report that engineering gives to council to make it official.”

City engineers say they haven’t had any stormwater issues in over five years.

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Ticks are appearing more frequently as summer approaches

KYMA on June 3, 2026

Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Ticks are appearing more frequently as we head into the summer months.

Brown dog ticks are commonly found in Arizona and can live their entire lives indoors. The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) says there are ways to prevent ticks from gathering outside before they make their way into your home.

Jim Fredricks with NPMA said, “They will find their way into the cracks and crevices that can be in the house or on yard furniture, other places where they can hide. It’s a good idea to be doing an inspection or contact a professional so that they can come up with a plan to protect your home.”

If you come in contact with a tick or think you might have been bitten, consult your physician.

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