How Central Oregonians can help Spokane wildfire recovery — and prepare for the next disaster

KTVZ on August 4, 2026

Campbell Porter

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Nearly 65,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in Washington state as wildfires cause widespread destruction. The American Red Cross is currently coordinating relief efforts and requesting local support to assist those displaced by the fires.

The organization is accepting monetary donations and blood to support ongoing disaster relief operations. Community members can also volunteer for training to serve as responders for future emergency situations.

Morgan Schmidt, executive director of the Red Cross for Central and Eastern Oregon, said that local resources are being used to support the crisis in Washington state. Schmidt noted that the region is reciprocating the help it received from other areas during previous fire seasons.

“We are sending people just like we’ve had people from across the country come to help us this wildfire season,” Schmidt said. “Same thing will be happening up in Washington state. And the more folks we can have locally as those responders, the better.”

To prepare for potential evacuations locally, the organization recommends that residents assemble a go-bag. This kit should contain enough supplies for each person to spend at least 72 hours away from their home.

Residents are also encouraged to organize and identify the location of valuable documents so they can be retrieved quickly. Safety officials suggest signing up for emergency alerts from the local sheriff and downloading the Red Cross emergency app for real-time notifications.

The Red Cross also provides evacuation preparedness courses for the community. These programs are free of charge and businesses can contact the organization to arrange specific training for their staff members.

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Local content creator launches podcast and support group to help those facing trauma

KYMA on August 4, 2026

Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A local content creator is using her platform to help people facing trauma and mental health struggles.

Her name is Bailey Ray, also known as Red. She recently launched a podcast called “Who Asked Red,” where she shares her own experiences as a survivor of domestic and childhood abuse.

She says opening up about her story is one way she hopes to support others going through similar struggles.

“I want to be an advocate, not only for myself and for my children, but for others, because others deserve to be listened to, and they should not be silenced in any shape or form. As a survivor, my goal is to just be there for someone,” Ray, who is also with the Rising With Red Foundation, said.

Ray has also started a free, in-person support group that meets every Saturday at North End Coffee House. The group is for adults 18 and older. She says having a community support group is critical for Yuma right now.

“I created this resource, this free group, because for those people who can’t get professional help, I’m not a professional, but I want to listen to you and help you. And if I can provide you with resources, I want to do that for you,” Ray said.

Ray launched the group to bridge the gap between mental healing and physical resilience. She says she wants to make sure no one in Yuma has to navigate trauma, recovery, and relationships alone.

“My message is, even if you’re not ready to talk, just come and listen. You can have a voice and express yourself, and do not be scared to talk, because there’s someone out there who needs to hear your story,” Ray said.

Her podcast, “Who Asked Red,” can be found on YouTube and Spotify.

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NMSU athlete who missed court tried to get into US for trial, his agency says

KVIA on August 4, 2026

Rishi Oza

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — According to his agency and his father, Deshawndre Washington was trying to get into the U.S. from Lebanon for his hazing case trial in Las Cruces Monday, but was held up due to the military conflict in the Middle East. He used to play for New Mexico State University.

Washington has been playing in the Middle East for the past two seasons and currently is playing for a team called Sagesse Sports Club based in Lebanon. He played in a playoff game Monday while the trial was supposed to start.

Washington’s agency told ABC-7 that they submitted paperwork before the trial started with statements from both Lebanese officials and the U.S. Embassy stating that he couldn’t travel due to security concerns.

They also told ABC-7 Washington wanted to be in Las Cruces for the trial to prove his innocence. ABC-7 also spoke with Washington’s father, Sean Wright.

Wright said Washington is still trying to get back into the U.S. and isn’t trying to hide from anything.

“Deshawndre’s coming back to the United States. Deshawndre never intended not to come back to the United States,” said Wright. “Deshawndre has always intended to be here to be in front of the judge. He’s never not been. He’s always been. We’re not on no run. We haven’t ran.”

Washington is facing 15 felony charges.

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Jefferson City Council approves parking rate changes

KMIZ on August 4, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Parking rates in Jefferson City will change during the course of four years after the Jefferson City Council approved changes during its meeting on Monday night.

The council approved the measure with a 7-2 vote. Among several of the changes made was adding Juneteenth as a day for holiday parking exemptions.

Parking rates will change between September 2026-September 2030 to a two-tiered system that will increase rates city-wide to $1, city documents say. It would then eventually rise to $2.10 in designated “premium areas” and $1.10 outside those areas by 2030.

The changes come Sept. 1 of each year.  

Some premium areas include the 300 and 400 blocks of West Main Street, 100 block of West Capitol Avenue, 100 block of East Capitol Avenue, the 200 and 300 blocks of West High Street, 200 and 300 blocks of Broadway Street and the 100-300 blocks of Jefferson Street, meeting documents say.

Monthly parking lot rental rates also increase through 2030 between $6 and $14 per month, depending on the lot. Changes are expected to increase annual revenue by $435,000 by its third year.

2026-08-03 packetDownload

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Palm Springs man dies while still seeking answers on husband’s death

KESQ on August 4, 2026

Karen Devine

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A suspicious death in the desert is now reigniting questions tonight about another mysterious death and a man behind bars for targeting gay men.

Dan Mulcahey’s body was found near Palm Springs last week after being reported missing for days.

When News Channel 3 learned his identity, we recognized him as the man who spent years seeking justice for his husband, Darrin Tharp. That’s when we began digging again.

Mulcahey told News Channel 3 in 2023 he did not believe his husband’s death was an accidental overdose; he believed someone else was involved. At the time, his only evidence was a visitor sign-in sheet showing a name of “Issac” who arrived at Tharp’s home at 11:27 p.m. on April 15, 2023.

“I don’t understand why I can’t have a police report. I still have no idea who found him, what time, who called the police, who called the ambulance, who was here, and that’s all I wanted to know,” Mulcahey said in 2023.

The coroner’s report obtained by News Channel 3 confirms the alias used was that of Hakan Isik.

The coroner’s report states he was with Tharp and also called 9-1-1. Isik told investigators he found Tharp unresponsive in bed after the two had sexual relations. He also said they had used methamphetamine that morning. The coroner ruled Tharp died from acute methamphetamine intoxication, with heart disease as a contributing factor.

We never had the opportunity to discuss those findings with Mulcahey but continued asking why Tharp’s death had not resulted in charges against Isik.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said the case was submitted to the district attorney in December of 2023, eight months after Tharp died. The D.A.’s office told us it returned the case to the Sheriff’s department in January of 2025 for further investigation.

Prosecutors said Isik’s sex-crimes case is moving forward and a separate case could still be filed if investigators recommend additional charges.

The Sheriff’s Department now confirms the investigation remains ongoing-and now an investigation into the suspicious death of Dan Mulcahey, but is it connected or a coincidence?

This after years of heartbreak. Dan Mulcahey appeared to be turning the page. He’d moved into a new home in Palm Springs, neighbors telling News Channel 3 he was furnishing it, appeared to be settling in— and were shocked to learn of his death.

Isik remains jailed awaiting trial. His next court date is November 3 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. He faces eight felony sexual assault charges and four misdemeanor counts involving seven alleged victims — most of whom met him online for sex.

Darrin Tharp never had the opportunity to explain what happened that night. Dan Mulcahey spent the final years of his life fighting for answers.

We will continue pressing law enforcement for those answers.

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Country singer Skip Ewing performs new music at Local News 8

KIFI on August 4, 2026

Par Kermani

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Country singer-songwriter Skip Ewing stopped by Local News 8 at Noon to perform music from his latest album, “Dragonfly,” ahead of a performance in eastern Idaho.

Ewing has written songs for some of country music’s biggest names, including Willie Nelson and Kenny Chesney, but he is also a performer with a music career of his own.

After years in Nashville, Ewing put down roots in Wyoming, where he wrote his latest album, “Dragonfly.”

During his visit to Local News 8, Ewing performed two songs from the album and talked about his latest music.

Fans will also have a chance to hear Ewing perform live Monday night at the Bannock County Fairgrounds in Downey.

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Teton County community members discuss Teton Pass safety concerns and solutions

KIFI on August 4, 2026

Maile Sipraseuth

WILSON, Wyo. (KIFI) — Community members will gather Monday evening to discuss safety concerns on Teton Pass as crashes along the mountain highway continue to be a concern for drivers.

The public meeting was organized in response to a growing number of crashes on the pass in recent years. The event will give residents and commuters an opportunity to share their experiences, voice concerns and suggest ways to improve safety on one of the region’s busiest mountain routes.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Teton Pass averaged 68 crashes a year from 2016 to 2020, including eight fatal crashes during that period.

Representatives from the Wyoming Highway Patrol and the Wyoming Department of Transportation will attend the meeting to hear directly from the public and answer questions about current safety efforts and potential improvements.

“We hear complaints of people saying ‘there’s this vehicle traveling after this hour,’ and ‘we want to see more enforcement. We want to see more rules,’ and those are all things we’re listening for because we want people to understand that this is their road as well. We want them to feel safe traveling it,” Arron Healy with the Wyoming Highway Patrol said.

Healy said hearing directly from the people who drive Teton Pass is key to improving safety.

“It’s been put on by the community. We love to go out and have community engagement and listen to what our community travelers are telling us about, especially when it comes to a certain road,” Healy said.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to make sure their vehicles are in good working order before heading over Teton Pass and to slow down, stay alert and eliminate distractions while traveling.

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Idaho Falls counseling center works to improve access to mental health care

KIFI on August 4, 2026

Kaelyn Blessinger

RIGBY, Idaho (KIFI) — As Idaho continues to rank among the states with the poorest access to mental health care, one local counseling center hopes its new location will help meet the growing need for services in eastern Idaho.

According to Mental Health America, Idaho and Wyoming rank 48th and 47th, respectively, for access to mental health care, placing both states near the bottom of the national rankings.

Despite those challenges, Harmony Counseling Center recently celebrated the opening of its new office on 17th Street in Idaho Falls, expanding its ability to provide counseling services to people of all ages.

“We do play therapy with little kids and all the way up to their parents, grandparents,” said Timmie John, LCSW, therapist and owner of Harmony Counseling Center. “There really is a need all the way through life for counseling and therapy services.”

The center offers therapy for children, adults and families, with staff members emphasizing that mental health support can be beneficial at every stage of life.

Therapists say many people experience increased stress from major life events, including moving, losing a job or coping with grief and other personal challenges. They hope to reduce the stigma surrounding counseling by encouraging people to seek help when they need it.

“We all have difficult times, griefs, losses, experiences that are trying and push us to the extent of what we’re able to do,” John said. “That’s very human. Sometimes in our society, there’s a little bit of a stigma about receiving help — that if we receive help, there’s something wrong with us. I would like to advocate that if someone comes to counseling, it’s a beautiful thing. It is an opportunity to heal. It’s an opportunity to grow, to get support and a better life.”

Counselors also stressed that there is no age limit on personal growth or healing, saying therapy can be effective for people throughout their lives.

“If someone said they were too old for therapy, that says to me that they think there’s not a lot of hope for change,” John said. “But I do believe that there’s always hope for change. When you have a clinician that’s trained and has the ability to connect, has empathy and builds a good therapeutic relationship, anybody can change.”

Counselors at Harmony encourage anyone experiencing anxiety, stress or other emotional challenges to reach out to a licensed mental health provider rather than struggling alone.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, for immediate support.

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Brawley PD equip seniors with tools to fight back against sophisticated fraud schemes

KYMA on August 4, 2026

Lynette Niebla

BRAWLEY, Calif. (KYMA) – Scammers are getting stronger, smarter, and far more skillful, leaving local seniors vulnerable to fraud, especially in a rapidly changing world dominated by artificial intelligence (AI).

To combat this rising threat in the Imperial Valley, the Brawley Police Department’s (BPD) Crime Prevention Unit hosted a scam awareness seminar at the Brawley Senior Center.

The event served as a critical guide for seniors, families, and caregivers on how to identify modern digital traps and protect their personal savings.

According to local officials, proximity to the border and easily accessible public information make local elderly residents prime targets for international and domestic fraudsters.

“I think because we live close to the border that they target these elderly people,” said Cassandra Carlos, Crime Prevention Coordinator for BPD. “And it’s like we told them: A lot of their information, their name, their phone numbers, it’s all public information.”

Carlos warns that bad actors routinely scrape public databases and social media profiles to harvest names, addresses, and family connections.

Con artists then weave those real-world facts with advanced AI technology to clone the exact voices, pictures, and videos of loved ones.

“The AI, it’s pretty real,” Carlos stressed. “A lot of what we said to the class was, ‘Hey, call and verify whether it’s the Social Security, IID, or the IRS. Call and verify before you send the funds.'”

The seminar highlighted multiple rising scams currently plaguing the region, including fake text messages regarding overdue out-of-town toll road tickets, fraudulent package deliveries (claiming to be from FedEx or USPS), bank account locking notices, and romance scams.

One of the most emotionally devastating tactics remains the “family emergency scam.” A fraudster calls pretending to be a grandchild or relative, weaponizing a manufactured crisis, such as a severe car accident, an immediate medical emergency, or an impending arrest, to demand secrecy and an urgent cash transfer.

Law enforcement officials noted that scammers always use emotion first, implementing a sense of urgency, trust, and secrecy to prevent victims from thinking clearly.

Major warning signs of a scam include:

Urgent Demands for Immediate Payment: Requests for gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or cash shipping.

Threats of Severe Consequence: Threats of immediate arrest, hefty fines, or physical harm to family members if you do not cooperate.

Inquiries for Sensitive Data: Asking directly for passwords, Social Security numbers, or banking details.

Demands for Secrecy: Telling victims to keep the situation a secret and instructing them not to contact family or local police.

A frequent trick involves callers manipulating their caller ID data to read “IRS,” “Social Security,” or “Police Department.” Authorities want residents to know that legitimate government bodies will never operate this way.

“The police department, the sheriff’s office, or even the IRS won’t call you to ask you for your personal information, and it’s important that they know that,” Carlos explained.

Agencies like the IRS or Social Security Administration will always correspond through official postal mail first, and even received letters should be independently verified before acting. If your phone screens an incoming call as “Scam Likely,” the safest action is to not answer.

BPD advises everyone to implement a simple three-step defensive rule when dealing with suspicious communications:

Stop: Do not answer high-pressure demands with immediate payment.

Think: Ask yourself, “Does this situation make logical sense?”

Verify: Hang up immediately. Call the agency or relative back using a trusted, verified telephone number you already know is real.

To easily defeat AI voice-cloning in family emergency scams, authorities recommend families establish a unique, private family code word that only real family members would know.

Additionally, if an individual receives a high-pressure call, they can utilize a safety script: “I do not handle money or personal information over the phone. I will verify this.”

If you have already fallen victim to a scam or mistakenly shared sensitive banking details, time is of the essence to minimize financial damage.

“There are certain websites and numbers you guys can call to report if you already fell for the scam, but the main important thing is that you verify it and don’t send money. Don’t click on any links,” Carlos said.

If a transaction has already occurred, scammers can drain assets with terrifying speed. “They are able to take the funds out immediately,” Carlos warned. “I’ve had people like within minutes of doing the transaction that the gift card was already at zero.”

Emergency Steps for Scam Victims:

Contact Your Bank: Immediately call your financial institution to freeze your accounts, report fraudulent transactions, and lock credit cards.

Alert Local Police: File an official police report with local law enforcement.

Confide in a Trusted Person: Tell a family member or trusted friend what happened so they can support you through the recovery steps.

Moving forward, Brawley authorities urge the entire Imperial Valley community to remember four vital words: Stop. Verify. Report. Share.

Even if you did not lose money, reporting the encounter helps law enforcement track active fraud rings. Suspicious, unsolicited text messages can be reported at any time by forwarding the text message to the wireless safety number 7726 (SPAM). In any immediate emergency situation, always dial 911.

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Decades-old murder case can proceed, arraignment set for next week

KMIZ on August 4, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The judge in an appeals case wrote in a Friday decision that a decades-old murder case that has been reinstated may proceed as scheduled.

William “Chris” Niemet, of Fulton, is charged with first-degree murder in a 1991 death of his classmate in Russellville.

Judge Emily Fretwell had dismissed his charge last month, but Attorney General Catherine Hanaway filed an appeal that kept Fretwell “from taking further action” in the case, unless Fretwell vacated the order. 

Fretwell then vacated her order and an arraignment was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11.

A petition in the appeal was denied on Friday and ruled moot since Fretwell vacated the order as requested.

Niemet is accused of killing Greg Jones in April 1991 in Russellville. Jones was 14. Niemet also would have been 14 at the time. Niemet was charged in 2020 with first-degree murder. The trial has been delayed multiple times.

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