State measles vaccination rates down for sixth straight year

KMIZ on September 3, 2026

Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is reporting a new low in measles vaccination rates as the common childhood illness resurges in other parts of the country.

The department reports that Missouri kindergartners from the 2025-2026 school year had an 89.5% measles vaccination rate, ranking Missouri 15th lowest in the nation, according to the CDC. At least 95% of the community must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity for measles.

The numbers were released in August.

DHSS also reports the rate has been in a steady decline. Prior reporting found that the vaccination rate for the 2020 to 2021 school year was at 92.6%. This decreased to 91.3% in 2022 and 90% in 2024. Eighth-grade rates also saw a drop from 97.6% in 2021 to 96.2% in this past school year.

Religious exemptions for vaccines have also jumped a full percent from 4.8% in 2024 to 5.5% for the 2025 school year.

Statewide immunization rates for polio have also dropped to 89.6% in the 2025 school year. However, the herd immunity rate for polio is 80%.

Many medical experts believe the decline is related to misinformation about vaccines that became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has questioned the safety of the combined measles-mumps-rubella vaccine given to American children.

The average vaccination rate in Mid-Missouri in the 2025 school year was 89.5%, with around a 5.8% exemption rate. The county with the highest vaccination rate locally is Cooper at around 96%; the lowest is Benton County at around 65%.

Last year, Missouri had six cases of measles. So far, five cases have been reported in 2026.

The CDC reports that symptoms begin two to three days after infection, starting with tiny white spots appearing inside the mouth. Rashes begin to form at three to five days. They typically start at the face or hairline and spread down the body; the child may also have a fever.

There is no antiviral treatment for measles, and the disease can last 10 to 14 days. The CDC also reports that around 1-in-5 unvaccinated people who have measles become hospitalized, while 1-in-20 children with measles gets pneumonia.

Families who may be underinsured or Medicaid-eligible may qualify for Missouri’s Vaccines for Children Program. Children in the program are able to receive free vaccines before their 19th birthday.

This is an ongoing story.

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Columbia man accused of abducting victim

KMIZ on September 3, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man was charged with multiple felonies on Thursday after he was accused kidnapping someone on Wednesday night.

Miles Edgar Hill II, 49, was charged with first-degree kidnapping, second-degree domestic assault and third-degree domestic assault. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond and a court date has not been scheduled.

Two probable cause statements were filed in the case. One states police were called at 6 a.m. for a report of an assault. Hill allegedly punched the victim in the head three times and then kicked them in their head twice, according to the statement. Police reported seeing multiple cuts on the victim.

In the second probable cause statement, police were called around 8 p.m. for an abduction call. A witness told police that the victim went his residence after the assault, the statement says. Hill then allegedly arrived at the witness’ residence, grabbed the victim, threw them in his truck, pinned them down and then drove east on East Old Plank Road, the statement says.

Hill’s vehicle was found two hours later at East New Haven Road and South Olivet Road and police found Hill with the victim, the statement says.

Hill allegedly denied taking the victim and the victim allegedly gave details that “contradicted” the witness’ statement, court documents say.

“While speaking with [the victim] I noted that [the victim] continually looked back towards the patrol car where Hill was detained,” the officer wrote in the probable cause statement. “Based on my training and experience, I know these behaviors commonly present in victims of severe domestic violence cases.”

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Roundabout construction at South Fairview, Chapel Hill roads begins Tuesday

KMIZ on September 3, 2026

Ryan Shiner

Editor’s note: The date has been corrected.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Contractors on Monday will begin building a roundabout at South Fairview and Chapel Hill roads in southwest Columbia, according to a Thursday press release from the city.

The project also includes stormwater improvement and sidewalk construction on the north side of the intersection.

Tuesday begins the first phase of the project, which will require lane restrictions on Chapel Hill Road and Handley Place, according to the release.

Phase 2 will require lane restrictions on South Fairview and Chapel Hill roads, while phases 3-5 will require the closure of South Fairview Road that is north of Chapel Hill Road. The start dates of phases 2-5 have not been determined, according to the release.

The release says Chapel Hill Road will stay open throughout the construction. Drivers should expect delays. The project is expected to cost $1.5 million and is being funded through the quarter-cent Capital Improvement Program.  

The project was met with pushback from residents when it was announced in 2023.

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Blind Music Therapist Helps Those With Disabilities Find Their Voice in Santa Barbara

KEYT on September 3, 2026

Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – For participants in ArtLabbé Academy’s music therapy program, the weekly gathering offers more than a chance to sing.

“It’s special to me because it makes me feel relaxed,” participant Lynnette Fryklund shared.

“Everybody gets together and sings and has a fun time,” participant Matthew Torp added.

Leading the group is Meghan Downing, a music therapist who is legally blind.

Downing was nine years old when she was diagnosed with Stargardt disease, a progressive retinal condition that eventually took much of her sight.

“I’ve been blind for about fifteen years,” Downing recalled. “At nine years old it’s hard to process that you’re going to be blind for the rest of your life.”

Music became a way forward.

Downing began playing violin at four and later learned piano, guitar and voice before attending Berklee College of Music.

“It’s really amazing to see how music can kind of transcend words, transcend disability,” Downing shared. “It’s really special to be able to see how music can make someone come alive.”

Her own experience with blindness now shapes the way she works with people who have developmental disabilities.

“I think it allows me to connect with people on a different level,” Downing explained. “Not rely on my eyes, but rely on the music.”

ArtLabbé founder Nathaniel Grotenhuis created the academy around the belief that everyone deserves opportunities to create and connect.

“Everyone has inherent worth, not because of your intellect, not because of your physical body, because you’re a spiritual being,” Grotenhuis shared.

The organization has expanded rapidly. In less than a year, ArtLabbé has grown to more than 140 weekly participants across 12 classrooms and organizations.

A recent art competition also gave participants another opportunity to put their creativity in the spotlight.

“We are hustling right now because we’re trying to offer as many classes as we can because we really believe this is a big mission,” Grotenhuis explained.

For Downing, that mission is closely connected to the challenges she has faced herself.

“Rise above the challenges, acknowledge the challenges, but at the end of the day, don’t let them bring you down.”

For this Santa Barbara group, music is creating a place where everyone can participate, and every voice can be heard.

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Santa Maria schedules town hall meetings for proposed sale tax increase

KEYT on September 3, 2026

Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – The City of Santa Maria has scheduled a series of town hall meetings to help inform the public about a proposed sales tax increase that will appear on the upcoming November General Election.

Measure C is a half-cent local sales tax initiative that will help fund a variety of services.

If Measure C is approved by Santa Maria voters, the local sales tax rate would increase from 8.75% to 9.25%.

According to the City, the additional sales tax revenue will help repair and maintain roads, streets, and sidewalks, including pothole repairs, maintain and improve parks and community facilities, maintain public access and operating hours at the library and community facilities, including the Paul Nelson Aquatic Center, and fund recreational and educational programs for youth, adults, and seniors.

“We are faced with a budget deficit, a structural deficit,” Santa Maria City Manager David Rowlands said in an earlier interview with News Channel 3-12. “The City Council made a phenomenal job reducing our structural deficit from $25 million down to $13 million so far. So we’re doing our part right now. So right now we’re really hoping to work together with our residents to get this sales tax approved.”

To help voters better understand the measure, a series of four town hall meetings are now set over the next month.

During the one-hour gatherings, residents will have an opportunity to hear from City representatives and also participate in a question-and-answer session.

All meetings will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the following community locations:

Monday, Sept. 14 — Grogan Community Center Monday, Sept. 21 — Edwards Community Center Monday, Sept. 28 — Minami Community Center Monday, Oct. 5 — Shepard Hall, Santa Maria Public Library

Spanish interpretation services will be available during these meetings.

For more information about Measure C, click here to visit the City of Santa Maria website.

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New App Provides Resources To Caregivers of Neurodegenerative Patients on the Central Coast

KEYT on September 3, 2026

Jarrod Zinn

A new app is getting the attention of local caregivers for patients of neurodegenerative diseases, which can help lead “from care to cure.”

The Peter Cohen Foundation introduced an app recently called EverythingALS.

“Named after Peter, my husband,” says Indu Navar, EverythingALS founder and app developer. “We have over 24 pharma companies who have partnered with us, about 15 clinics and institutions have partnered with us, and I work with about 7000 ALS families from 60 countries.”

It facilitates a combination of real-time research, partnerships, and AI-assisted pathfinding for caregivers of patients with qualifying disorders.

“We have different brands, which is EverythingALS, we have EverythingALZ now, focused on Alzheimer’s,” says Navar. “What I see is that people have a continuum. A lot of people who have had ALS also have dementia.”

Patients with conditions like dementia and ALS lose capacity for basic functions and require caregivers.

Those caregivers are sometimes family members without medical training.

“I got involved in this literally because in ’98, when I came back home to assist my aging parents,” says Deneice Tell, a retired psychiatric technician and IHSS caregiver. “So I did that until they passed away. And that was probably a 15 year journey with my parents.”

For new caregivers, it can be difficult to know where to start, let alone how to get everyone from the doctors to the pharmacists and everyone in between, all on the same page.

“People want to know, how do you get somewhere?” says Tell. “That’s life, communication and information. You can’t put a price tag on that.”

Bay area researcher and developer Indu Navar had to care for her husband who passed away in 2019 from ALS.

That experience led her to develop the app.

“We’re kind of the transformers in between taking the data, converting into insights,” says Navar. “You can do a lot more, faster, because we’re all in this flywheel.”

Navar says the app has the potential to expand to other conditions.

“What a wonderful tool,” says Tell. “Instead of me basically biting my fingernails, trying to ride around or figure it out myself, when it’s already there. So we can make wise decisions.”

For more information, clicking this link leads to the EverythingALS home page.

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$5.2 million Sunland Park paving project set for Sept. 10

KVIA on September 3, 2026

Gabrielle Lopez

SUNLAND PARK, N.M. (KVIA) — A roadway project will start on NM 273 in Sunland Park on Sept. 10, the New Mexico Department of Transportation said.

The $5.2 million investment will span five miles of NM 273. NMDOT said it will include milling and repaving of the existing road. Crews will remove the existing asphalt and replace it with new pavement.

Drivers should expect to see construction Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to NMDOT. An anticipated completion date has been set for Nov. 30.

Construction will close one lane, NMDOT said. Drivers should plan for extra travel time.

“This investment in the Sunland Park community will help preserve an important transportation corridor while providing safer, smoother, and more reliable travel for residents, businesses, and visitors,” NMDOT said.

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Fall harvest underway as Central Oregon farmers prepare for changing season

KTVZ on September 3, 2026

Lance Campbell

CENTRAL OREGON — From early heat and limited water to fields still producing strawberries and pumpkins, harvest season is telling a different story from one Central Oregon farm to the next.

At Sakari Farms, farm manager Sam Schreiner said this growing season has been tougher than most. Heat arrived early and persisted, while water availability remained a concern as the farm planned its crops.

“Overall, this has been a tougher year than others because, number one, the heat started early this season and didn’t stop for a while,” Schreiner said.

But those challenges weren’t unexpected.

Schreiner said the farm went into the growing season planning around the possibility of limited water, including scaling back some plantings. Sakari Farms was also designed with resilience in mind, using irrigation options that help the farm respond to conditions including heat, smoke and ash.

“We had all this in mind at the beginning of the season and cut some of our plantings back because we knew we would run out of water,” Schreiner said.

Despite the challenges, Schreiner said the planning helped the farm make it through the season and produce successful crops.

Just a short distance away, the growing season has looked different at Well Rooted Produce.

Crop manager Scott Maricle said the farm is fortunate to be in the Swalley Irrigation District and has had plenty of water this season.

That has translated into what Maricle described as a bountiful harvest of melons, tomatoes, sweet corn and pumpkins.

“We really can’t complain about this year at all,” Maricle said.

And the harvest isn’t over.

Well Rooted is preparing for pumpkin season, while strawberries are still coming out of the field. Maricle said the berries could continue producing until colder weather finally brings the season to an end.

The experiences at the two farms highlight how much growing conditions can vary across Central Oregon. For some growers, this season required adapting to heat and limited resources. For others, water availability helped produce an abundant harvest.

Either way, farmers are now taking stock of what made it through the growing season — and turning their attention toward fall.

Watch the video above for KTVZ’s Lance Campbell’s full report from the fields.

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Deschutes County sheriff reports growth in youth mentoring program

KTVZ on September 3, 2026

Adrielle Hasara

Bend, Ore. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office released annual report highlights today for the Central Oregon Partnerships for Youth program, showing continued growth in mentoring relationships for children with justice-involved family members.

Based in Bend, Ore., the COPY program formed 16 new mentor matches and supported 34 total active matches during the 2025–2026 reporting period.

COPY is a community-based mentoring initiative established by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office to assist youth whose parents or caregivers are involved in the criminal justice system. The program pairs youth with trained volunteer mentors who offer guidance, encouragement and consistent positive relationships.

During the reporting period, volunteer mentors provided more than 2,700 hours of contact with participating youth. Additionally, 29 participants attended program training sessions. Out of the 16 new mentor matches established during the year, 14 remain active.

Deschutes County Sheriff Ty Rupert emphasized the community impact of the program’s volunteers. “Every day, our COPY volunteers make a real difference in the lives of young people in Deschutes County,” Rupert said. “Their commitment is an investment in stronger families and a stronger community.”

Bob Moore serves as the project coordinator for the COPY program. Moore noted the importance of volunteer commitment in supporting youth. “This work simply wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of our volunteers,” Moore said. “Their time, energy and compassion directly impact the confidence and resilience these kids carry forward.”

The COPY program will host its next fall mentor training on Saturday, Sept. 26.

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DAP Health expanding Palm Springs campus to increase access to care

KESQ on September 3, 2026

Kiera McKinney

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — A major expansion is underway at DAP Health’s Sunrise Campus in Palm Springs, with new and renovated spaces expected to expand health care services for patients across the Coachella Valley.

Construction on the multi-phase project began in May and includes a new campus entrance, expanded laboratory services, a new women’s health clinic and an expanded pharmacy. DAP Health says the goal is to make it easier for patients to receive several types of care in one place while also preparing the campus for growing demand.

The first phase includes a new northwest entrance and a new Labcorp facility with its own waiting area. The addition will connect to the existing 100 Suites corridor and dental clinic, with upgrades also being made to water, sewer, electrical and data systems throughout the area.

Another major part of the project focuses on women’s health. An existing space is being transformed into a new OB-GYN clinic with updated exam rooms, improved accessibility and a layout designed to allow providers to serve more patients. Plans call for the clinic to be approximately 3,500 square feet and include seven exam rooms.

DAP Health says the expanded space will help the organization increase staffing and appointments. The project also includes an expanded retail pharmacy with a drive-through window, allowing patients to pick up prescriptions without leaving their vehicles. DAP Health says the feature could be especially helpful for patients with mobility challenges and during the Coachella Valley’s hottest months.

“This will be the new entrance to DAP Health,” said Rob Carroll, DAP Health’s director of facilities. On the pharmacy drive-through, Carroll said, “It’s wonderful for elderly people that can’t get out of their car when it’s hot outside. They can have the drive-through. It helps them immensely, and they can stay in the air conditioning and go.”

The Sunrise Campus currently provides services including primary and family care, dental care, HIV and infectious disease treatment, mental health services, lab services and sexual wellness care. DAP Health says it serves roughly 80,000 patients across 25 clinics stretching from the Coachella Valley to San Diego.

The expansion is part of DAP Health’s $8 million Vision Forward campaign, which also includes upgrades to Vista Sunrise One, housing for people living with HIV. The units are about 17 years old and need updates including stairwell repairs, exterior paint and HVAC improvements.

“The campaign, all total, is $8 million. And we are at the halfway point right now, which is great. We have some amazing momentum,” said Chris Kiser, DAP Health’s chief philanthropy officer.

Kiser said the expansion will help DAP Health continue increasing access to care as demand grows.

“It’s a win-win for this community in that we’re advancing health care on this campus, and we’re providing access to care to people who normally wouldn’t receive it,” Kiser said.

DAP Health says services will continue during construction, although patients and visitors may notice temporary entrances, construction fencing and changes to traffic patterns around the campus.

The new women’s health clinic is expected to be completed in March 2027, with the larger campus construction expected to wrap up in May.

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