Beyond the camera: What’s included in Riverside County’s $32.69M body camera deal

KESQ on September 5, 2026

Kiera McKinney

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ)- Riverside County has approved a $32.69 million agreement to upgrade more than 2,000 body-worn cameras used by sheriff’s deputies, but officials say the price tag covers much more than the cameras themselves.

The five-year agreement with Axon includes 2,086 body-worn cameras, along with unlimited cloud storage, supporting equipment and technology needed to manage the large amount of video deputies record.

Captain Steve Favero with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said deputies can record four, five or even six hours of footage in a day, making storage one of the major costs of operating the system.

“This contract is not just all cameras,” Favero said. “It’s actually the infrastructure behind it, the storage requirements and all of the supporting accessories.”

In previous contracts, Favero said the department would reach its storage limits and have to purchase additional space. Unlimited storage is included in the new agreement.

The department also says the initial 2,086 cameras will not be the only cameras deputies receive during the five-year contract.

Favero said body cameras have an average lifespan of about 30 months because of heavy daily use. Under the new agreement, the department expects to receive three generations of cameras over the life of the contract.

“It’s really not 2,000 cameras. It’s 6,000,” Favero said.

The agreement also includes new technology, including artificial intelligence that can transcribe recorded interactions and help deputies draft reports. Deputies will still be responsible for reviewing and editing those reports before submitting them.

Sheriff’s officials say the cameras also provide evidence for investigations and a record of interactions between deputies and the public.

“They do try to provide a little bit more transparency,” Lieutenant Deirdre Vickers, Public Information Officer said. “They help with investigations and evidence to our cases.”

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the agreement. It runs through August 2031 and will be paid for through the Sheriff’s Department budget rather than the county’s General Fund.

Riverside County has used Axon body cameras since 2021.

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Staying safe on roads during the holiday weekend

KESQ on September 5, 2026

Matthew Pearce

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) — In general, fatal car crashes spike on weekends, according to the National Safety Council. But that number increases during extended holiday weekends.

This year, the council anticipates between 375 and 496 fatal crashes will occur over the Labor Day weekend.

In an effort to keep you safe, News Channel 3 spoke with an expert to hear her tips for getting on the road this weekend — regardless of how far you’re traveling.

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Jefferson City police see an increase in vehicle break-ins and thefts

KMIZ on September 5, 2026

Euphenie Andre

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Police Department is warning residents about an increase in vehicle break-ins and thefts after several vehicles were reportedly entered this week, including one vehicle that was stolen.

The recent incidents have some residents raising questions about crime in the community and whether the city’s Flock cameras are being placed in the areas where they could be most useful.

On Friday, the Jefferson City Police Department shared surveillance video on its social media page showing a man attempting to enter vehicles in the 1700 block of Stadium Boulevard.

Police said they have received several reports of vehicles being entered, including one vehicle stolen from Mesa Avenue.

Chelsea Dyer and her family were among the victims this week. Dyer said she did not capture the intruders on her home surveillance cameras because the cameras had died. She discovered what happened when she was dropping her children off the next day.

“The vehicle was a complete disaster on the inside. Papers were thrown everywhere, and then some cash was missing.”

For residents who live in the area, the recent incidents are unusual.

Donna M. Ellis, a Jefferson City resident, said she has generally felt safe in the neighborhood.

“I would say up until this occurred, we have had no problems whatsoever of feeling anything other than totally safe in the area.”

Dyer said she was disappointed to see someone target other people’s property.

“It is sad to see that people feel the need to be just corrupt and destructive to other people’s properties. But I think ultimately we’re missing a complete focus in society that we really need to be focusing more on our higher power.”

Police are asking residents to check home security cameras, doorbell cameras and other surveillance footage for any suspicious people or activity during the overnight and early morning hours.

That includes the time frame between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.

The department is also reminding residents to lock their vehicles, remove valuables and avoid leaving keys or other items inside their cars.

Ellis said she follows most of those recommendations, except for locking her vehicle.

“I keep nothing in my car anybody could possibly want.” Ellis said. “Unless, of course, they go to Aldi’s and need a few quarters. I find it easier to not lock it so they can look and see there’s nothing they want.”

The recent break-ins are also raising questions about the city’s network of Flock cameras, including where they are located and whether they are helping in areas where crimes are being reported.

Less than a month ago, the Jefferson City Council renewed its contract with Flock Safety.

Since September 2025, the Jefferson City Police Department has operated 21 Flock automated license plate readers throughout the city. According to previous reporting, the new agreement runs through May 14, 2027, and will cost the city $51,000.

Ellis said she supports the use of Flock cameras.

“I’m all for getting criminals off the street, and that is a tool they can use. They just don’t need to abuse it,”

Dyer said she has mixed feelings about increased surveillance.

“I feel indifferent.” Dyer said. “I think there’s going to be pros and con to more surevillance,”

The DeFlock map shows over 40 cameras in the Jefferson City area, with a high concentration downtown. According to the map, there is no Flock camera installed near Mesa Ave.

Zederic Crawford, a Jefferson City resident, questioned whether the cameras are being placed in the areas where they are needed most.

“Pretty obvious that those are high black crime areas or high black traffic areas and homeless,” Crawford said. “That’s probably why they’re going to put them downtown because of the homeless to keep an eye on them. I don’t think it’s a security tool to fight crime I think it’s more of monitoring.”

Crawford said he believes additional cameras could be useful in other parts of the city.

“There needs to be more in the shopping malls and shopping centers,” he said. “Where there are no cameras at all. At least one Flock camera should be there. It would probably solve the Eric Spencer case.”

Crawford also said residents should have a voice in deciding where the cameras are installed.

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the Hyundai Elantra, Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata were among the vehicles most frequently stolen in the United States last year.

ABC 17 reached out to the Jefferson City Police Department for a year-in-review of its use of Flock cameras, including how often the technology has helped with investigations and whether the department plans to add or relocate cameras.

The department has not yet responded.

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Congressional candidates Onder, Brattin seek to overturn Missouri Supreme Court map decision

KMIZ on September 5, 2026

Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Supreme Court decided that a referendum challenging the 2025 “Missouri FIRST” map will go on the November ballot. That decision also means the general election must be held under the old map passed in 2022.

At least two lawsuits have been filed challenging parts of this decision and take it from the state’s highest court to federal court. Attorney General Catherine Hanaway filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court, and she asks Justice Brett Kavanaugh to stay the decision and allow the November election to be held under the 2025 map.

In a separate lawsuit, U.S. Rep. Bob Onder, state Sen. Rick Brattin and two Missouri voters have sued the Secretary of State in the Eastern District of Missouri. This lawsuit seeks to change which map is used in November. Both lawmakers would represent different locations based on the map.

“When you put in all this blood, sweat, tears, the time, all of this campaigning, yeah, it’s really disenfranchising when you’ve done all that, and those people have believed in you and trusted you and cast their vote for you, to then say they’re going to go to the ballot box and be voting in a completely different district,” Brattin said.

Onder is running again for District 3, and Brattin is running for District 5 — which is currently held by Democrat Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. They claim the old map hurts their chances of winning because they campaigned in a different district geographically.

“Under von Glahn, they must now run in the general election in districts which include many voters to whom they did not campaign in the primary,” attorney Marc Ellinger wrote in court documents.

Ellinger argues that the referendum on congressional redistricting violates the U.S. Constitution, the election clause and the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause.

The voters Pat Thomas and Debra Havens argue they are harmed by using the 2022 map in the November election because they already voted under the old map.

“Thomas and Havens wish to vote in the general election in the Fifth Congressional district as they did in the primary but must now educate themselves about new candidates and issues because they are forced to vote in the general election for the Third Congressional district and for nominees whom they was not given a chance to vote for or against,” Ellinger wrote.

The group is suing Secretary Denny Hoskins because he administers the election process, including the maps.

People Not Politicians, the group backing the referendum, will need to defend the ballot measure at the U.S. Supreme Court, too.

“It won’t take SCOTUS that long to understand that this case is not in their purview, is inappropriate to be there and dismiss it,” executive director Richard von Glahn said.

Justice Kavanaugh has asked People Not Politicians to file a response to the state’s appeal and request to stay the decision by Monday at 11 a.m.

In December, the state filed a lawsuit against the group in federal court with Judge Zachary Bluestone, who dismissed the case because the federal court didn’t have jurisdiction over the lawsuit dealing with state law.

Brattin said he is confident that the state will prevail at the Supreme Court.

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Huge rat infestation at Sacramento County house spreads to neighboring homes; residents demand help

CNN Newsource on September 5, 2026

By Madisen Keavy

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    SACRAMENTO, California (KPIX) — A Sacramento County neighborhood is calling for county intervention for a home overrun by rats. The property has an active code enforcement case for overgrown vegetation and neighbors have reported the property for rodents multiple times.

CBS News Sacramento was contacted by a neighbor who lives right next door to the rat-infested home with concerns that the rodents were beyond a nuisance but a legitimate health hazard.

Augusto Pineda bought his home in the Vintage Meadows area of Sacramento County, near Lambay Way, a year ago. He’s spent most of the time battling the rodents coming from his neighbor’s property.

Pineda said he removed bushes, trees, and any vegetation that would attract rats. He’s put out traps and attempted to fill rat holes in his yard, dug by the rodents. His backyard fence has been destroyed by rodents and he is unable to spend time in the backyard because of the vermin.

“Today, I picked up six dead rats. Yesterday was another five. Day before, maybe, like, three or four. It’s just a consistent thing,” Pineda said.

From Pineda’s backyard he can see rats climbing from the trees in his neighbor’s yard to the roof then inside the home. He says that he’s seen “at least 100” rats at one time from his backyard on the ground, to the fence, to the trees.

Pineda estimates there are at least 1,000 rats in the vicinity and they’re spreading. Neighbors four doors away told CBS News Sacramento they’ve found dead rats in their backyard and running out from underneath vehicles parked in the driveway.

Outside Pineda’s home on Friday, rodents ran back and forth from underneath vehicles parked nearby up to the roof of the home at the center of the complaints, getting inside through visible holes in the roof. At times, multiple rats were visible inside the home through a window.

“I want to come outside. I want to be able to throw a ball. I want to be able to sunbathe, and I can’t,” said Pineda. “I want to, you know, make my grass nice, and I can’t because the rats are digging holes. Dying on it.”

On Friday, Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputies conducted a wellness check at the home, but no one was there. CBS News Sacramento contacted the homeowner about the rodent concerns, but did not receive a reply.

Sacramento County officials confirm there is an active code enforcement case at the property for overgrown grass/vegetation.

Pineda says sharing his daily battle with the next-door rat infestation is a last effort to fix it — the problem isn’t a nuisance, but a health hazard.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Grandmother beaten with baseball bat after helping stranger, suspect wanted

CNN Newsource on September 5, 2026

By Matthew Rodriguez, Lauren Pozen

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    CRESTLINE, California (KCAL, KCBS) — A Crestline grandmother was nearly beaten to death with a metal baseball bat after she helped a stranger who claimed he had just been robbed.

Described as a kind-hearted woman who always tried to help others, Therese Garcia welcomed Erik Eduardo Navarro, 26, into her home after he told the 71-year-old grandmother that someone had stolen all of his belongings while he was camping and that he had an upcoming job interview at a nearby hardware store.

Family members said Garcia cooked for him every night and believed that he had just fallen on hard times and needed help. Her opinion of Navarro changed after several days when he became demanding and slowly took over her home.

“He was there a total of six days, and he started, kind of making demands,” daughter Abbie Garcia said. “He wasn’t really helping with any of the things that he agreed to in the beginning.”

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office said Garcia asked Navarro to leave her home. Garcia’s family said Navarro waited until she was asleep at night before ruthlessly beating her with a metal baseball bat.

“That night, when she was sleeping on the couch, he just started beating her with a metal baseball bat,” Abbie Garcia said.

Relatives said Navarro beat Garcia for hours, taking breaks when she lost consciousness and hit her every time she woke up.

“He just kept beating her until he finally thought she was dead,” Abbie Garcia said.

Garcia’s family said he ran off with her phone, credit cards, keys and e-bike before deputies arrived.

After neighbors asked for a welfare check, deputies found Garcia on Aug. 25 with significant injuries to her hands and face, to the point where she could not clearly see. Her family believes Garcia would have bled to death if her neighbors hadn’t asked for help.

Garcia has been in the hospital ever since. Her family said she vomited blood for days and had multiple broken bones in her arm, hand and face. Doctors treated her for a traumatic brain injury, brain bleed and multiple deep lacerations that required extensive stitches.

While still in excruciating pain, Garcia’s condition has stabilized over the past week, but her family still doesn’t know how long it will take for her to recover. The 71-year-old may need facial surgery once her swelling subsides.

Without health insurance, Garcia’s family set up a GoFundMe to help pay the already mounting hospital bills, the cost of the possible surgery and any follow-up care.

Deputies are still searching for Navarro. Abbie Garcia said her family is terrified that Navarro will hurt someone else.

“I truly believe he will kill somebody if he’s not caught,” she said.

San Bernardino County investigators urged anyone with information about the case or Navarro’s whereabouts to call the Twin Peak Station at (909) 336-0660. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call or text “REPORT” to We-Tip at (844) 909-3006.

Tips can also be submitted to deputies through the department’s website: mobile.catapultems.com/sbcsd/Sites.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Pool contractor sentenced to 5 years after leaving families’ backyards in ruin

CNN Newsource on September 5, 2026

By Jennifer Mayerle

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    MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A pool contractor at the center of a WCCO investigation, who promised a pool but never delivered, will spend five years in federal prison.

On Thursday, the judge handed down a higher sentence for Charles Workman than the recommended range. U.S. Marshals took him out of court in handcuffs to begin serving his sentence right away.

Workman was ordered to pay more than $1.1 million in restitution to victims.

This all started four years ago when families contacted WCCO saying Workman took their money but left their backyards in ruin.

The indictment for wire fraud says Workman spent some of what people paid him on child support, at the casino and on a horse and saddle.

“We were seen, we were heard. Finally, to hear it validated from a trusted source that like this was calculated deception. It was routine. It was repetitive, it wasn’t us being naive. None of that kind of stuff,” said Kyle Swenson.

In court, Workman choked up, admitting he thought he could fix this, and he was wrong.

Victims told the judge of the stress, anxiety, broken trust, savings drained and family dreams dashed.

“And it keeps me up at night. It still does, and it probably forever will,” said Swenson.

Judge Michael Davis called Workman’s crimes egregious.

“The judge looked him in the eye after we gave our impact statements, and after he sentenced him, and the judge said ‘I don’t believe you. I think you’re a very skilled manipulator.’ Called him a sociopath,” said Cassie Fisher.

The victims say they are grateful there is finally accountability.

“Physically feels better. Mentally, we’ll have some relief. But I mean, it will, it’ll carry with us, unfortunately. But we’re smiling,” said Swenson.

After he finishes his sentence, Workman will face an additional three years probation. He has 14 days to appeal.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Mother charged with murder of 2-year-old son in Illinois was invested in Clancy trial: prosecutors

CNN Newsource on September 5, 2026

By Elyssa Kaufman, Jermont Terry, Sara Tenenbaum

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    FRANKFORT, Illinois (WBBM) — A mother has been charged with murder after her 2-year-old child was killed inside a home in Frankfort, Illinois.

Police said Corie Walsh, 38, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder.

Police said Walsh is in custody and was in the hospital for medical treatment. Friday afternoon she was transferred to the Will County Adult Detention Facility ahead of her detention hearing.

Court documents have revealed unsettling and disturbing details about the toddler’s death.

Frankfort police said officers were called to the home in the 22700 block of Brook Stone Court around 4 p.m. Tuesday after a 17-year-old neighbor called 911 for help.

When they arrived, officers found a 2-year-old being given CPR by the teenager. The toddler was taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

According to court records, the neighbor found the boy “hanging in the basement on a device from a rafter” and it was determined he “died from asphyxia.”

The court records also said “one other child, an infant, was present in the home at the time and unharmed.” Walsh, the documents say, was found in an upstairs bathtub in a pool of blood with “cuts to her wrists and thighs.”

Two other kids came home from school around the time police arrived. Their father was out of state at the time.

According to the court documents, Walsh told officers “she did this to her baby because he was a ‘devil’ and the ‘anti-Christ'” and even gave details of how she killed her son. Prosecutors say Walsh had “become very invested in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial.”

The Clancy trial ended Friday when the judge declared a mistrial after jurors remained deadlocked on a verdict. Prosecutors said Walsh was in a group text talking about the Lindsay Clancy murder case just hours before killing her son, while the jury was still deliberating. CBS Legal Analyst Irv Miller said those messages are key.

“That will be exhibit A by the prosecutors, it will be first thing said in opening statement, the first piece of evidence they introduce and last thing they say in closing argument that’s how important that is,” he said.

Prosecutors say Walsh planned out this murder, but Walsh’s attorney said in part in a statement, “It is also a tragedy that Corie herself was experiencing a psychotic episode at the time this happened. It is our hope that through a thorough presentation and investigation of the facts, that all of us will come to see this heartbreak for what it is.”

“You don’t want jurors who are so familiar with the Clancy case that will use that either for or against the defendant in Will County,” Miller said.

Walsh remains in custody at Will County Jail. Her first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 8.

The Illinois Department of Child and Family Services told CBS News Chicago they have not had prior contact with the family until Tuesday. The agency said they are now involved in the investigation.

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Good Samaritan honored for helping Staten Island man after lightning strike

CNN Newsource on September 5, 2026

By Kristie Keleshian

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    STATEN ISLAND, New York (WCBS) — A man on Staten Island survived a lightning strike last week, and Friday, the kind stranger who helped him was honored.

On Aug. 27, Thomas Fahmy was walking back to his car on Todt Hill Road in Castleton Corners after a dentist appointment. He was walking near a tree on the sidewalk when he says he saw a bright white flash.

Video from Stefanie Homan’s front door shows the lightning strike and Fahmy falling to the ground.

“The initial sensation throughout my body was numbing, tinglingness, and pain in both of my feet,” he said. “I was beginning to scream, ‘Help, help, help,’ because of just, I was so confused and I was so much in pain, and I was very scared that I would be struck by lightning again.”

Homan came to the door, and video shows Fahmy asking if he can come inside. Homan can be heard replying, “Sure, yes, please, God, come. Are you OK? I’m calling an ambulance for you.”

When she called 911, Homan says, operators told her there wasn’t much she could do to help him.

“They said, ‘No water, no food. He can’t touch water,'” she said.

Even so, Homan said she was happy she was able to offer him a place to calm down while he waited for first responders to arrive.

“Just a harrowing, crazy, miraculous, every type of feeling emotion you could feel,” Fahmy said.

Fahmy says he was in the hospital for about 12 hours, where he was examined and underwent a series of blood tests before being released.

On Friday, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, who Fahmy is a caseworker for, awarded Homan with a Certificate of Congressional Recognition.

“Just a harrowing, crazy, miraculous, every type of feeling emotion you could feel,” Fahmy said.

Fahmy says he was in the hospital for about 12 hours, where he was examined and underwent a series of blood tests before being released.

On Friday, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, who Fahmy is a caseworker for, awarded Homan with a Certificate of Congressional Recognition.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

UCSB results: Men’s soccer loses at Cornell

KEYT on September 5, 2026

Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) –

NCAA Men’s Soccer:

Cornell 2, UCSB 1: Senior All-American Connor Miller scored with less than four minutes to go, and for the second straight year the Cornell men’s soccer team beat UC Santa Barbara on a late goal, this time in a 2-1 win over the 21st-ranked Gauchos on Friday night at Berman Field. The Big Red improved to 2-0 on the year, while UCSB slipped to 1-1-2.

“I thought it was an excellent game. It didn’t seem like just our second game of the season – tt was almost played with postseason intensity,” said John Smith, the Dr. Daniel P. Wood Head Coach of Men’s Soccer “Quite often that happens when you play against a really good opponent. I thought we were fairly dominant in the first half – probbaly could have capitalized on some of the opportunities we created, but we didn’t. The second half was a bit more even, although I do think we outweighed them in terms of chances created. We rode our luck when they hit the bar, but two great goals, and overall, really an excellent performance against a very good team.”

After a long halftime delay to repair a light bank that went out at the break, Adam Schaban put Cornell ahead in the 47th minute, taking the ball away from a UC Santa Barbara defender and sliding home a left-footed shot off a cross from Andrew Miles on the right flank. It was Schaban’s second goal in as many games to open the season.

UC Santa Barbara answered in the 68th minute when Steinar Bjornsson curled a right-footed shot from 25 yards off an assist from Donovan Sessoms, tying the score at 1-1 and setting up Miller’s late heroics. The visitors had narrowly missed leveling the score after hitting the crossbar two minutes before finding the equalizer.

(Article courtesy of Cornell Athletics)

NCAA Men’s Water Polo

#13 UCSB 11, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 10: #13 UCSB 15, Fresno Pacific 5: The No. 13 UC Santa Barbara Men’s Water Polo team got its first taste of overtime on Friday, needing an extra seven minutes and change to knock off hosts Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 11-10, in the opening match of the Inland Empire Classic. Luigi Canepa scored the game-winner, one of three goals for him. Kai Ross also had a hat-trick on the day, leading the scoring in Santa Barbara’s afternoon rout of Fresno Pacific, 15-5. The center from Connecticut also picked up a goal in the morning action to finish the day with four.

(Article courtesy of UCSB Athletics)

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