Marine veteran still missing two years after vanishing near El Paso area

KVIA on September 1, 2026

Mia Tricarico

ANTHONY, N.M. (KVIA) — A Marine’s family has been seeking answers for his whereabouts. Juan Merlos left his hometown of Houston two years ago, and his family is asking the Borderland community if they may have seen him.

Merlos left Houston on Aug. 20, 2024, at 4:59 p.m., his family said. His truck, a blue Chervrolet Silverado, was last seen on the I-10 near Mile Marker 161, which is close to Anthony, Texas, and New Mexico. Police said a license plate leader in Anthony, New Mexico, caught his license plate.

He was last seen in Love’s Travel Stop. A worker watched Juan drive away and noted he drove toward a motel across the street.

Police also learned Juan made two phone calls to his friends in Los Angeles that he planned to visit. The calls weren’t answered, and he didn’t leave a message. Both friends tried calling him back, but were sent straight to voicemail.

AT&T, Merlos’ phone provider, said his phone last had service on Aug. 21. His phone eighter died, powered off or had its SIM card removed.

Merlos was 36 years old when he disappeared. His sister, Jackie, told ABC-7 he served in the Marines for six years and moved to Houston to be closer to family.

Jackie said Juan isn’t the type of person to leave without notice, and he even had a trip planned for the week after he left Houston. She said he was almost like a father to her, on top of being a brother.

“He was the protector of the family. He was a big brother of five,” his 13-year-old nephew, Eli, said. “He was like a father to me, too.”

ABC-7 asked Eli if he often finds himself thinking about his uncle.

“When I see a picture of him, I think of him, I miss him. I just don’t think about it that much because I don’t want to you know, tear up,” he said.

Jackie and Eli told ABC-7 they had plans with Juan the weekend of his disappearance.

His family said Merlos was diagnosed with PTSD after he returned from Iraq.

Right before Merlos’ disappearance, his family was already navigating tremendous loss and uncertainty. Just weeks earlier, they had lost a family member, while another had been diagnosed with kidney cancer.

ABC-7 went to the Loves gas station in Anthony where Juan was last seen. ABC-7 spoke to the police and Chief Hernandez who have been working on the search. They declined an interview.

However, Juan’s hometown of Montgomery County outside of Houston still has an active case.

They sent ABC-7 a statement that said,” The investigation into the disappearance of Juan “John” Merlos is still currently active. Detectives have followed up on multiple tips related to possible sightings in El Paso, Texas and New Mexico, and have identified transactions that occurred in those geographic areas on financial accounts that are linked to Mr. Merlos.  Detectives have also searched National Law Enforcement Databases monthly since Mr. Merlos went missing, and continue to do so. Detectives communicate with counterparts in other areas of the state and country on a regular basis when investigating cases that move across jurisdictional lines.”

If you have any information, the family asks you to contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s office immediately.

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State Fair admission free on Tuesday with donation of two canned goods

KRDO on September 1, 2026

Bradley Davis

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – It’s “Two Can Tuesday” at the Colorado State Fair, where fairgoers can forgo the $15 admission fee with a donation of two canned goods.

The donations benefit the Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado. It’s the fourth year the fair has partnered with Care and Share for Two Can Tuesday. Care and Share CEO Nate Springer said the event brought in over 10,000 pounds of food last year.

“Two cans is the minimum. Hey, look in your cabinet, look at all the canned food that you’re not going to eat, and just bring that to us at the state fair!” Springer said.

Springer said the word has spread year after year, and Two Can Tuesday has grown foot traffic on the fairgrounds.

“Tuesday is a really popular day at the state fair now because of the Two Can Tuesday. I think it benefits everyone,” Springer said.

Springer said the partnership with the State Fair helps prevent hunger in the immediate region. He said all the canned goods will stay in Pueblo County.

Two Can Tuesday is valid during full fair hours today, from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Final admission is around 10 p.m.

Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.

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Riverside County supervisors approve $18.2 million increase to sheriff’s body camera contract

KESQ on September 1, 2026

Garrett Hottle

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) The Riverside County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 Tuesday to add more than $18.2 million to the sheriff’s office contract with Axon Enterprise Inc. for body-worn cameras, nearly tripling the total value of the agreement.

The amendment increases the contract from $11,520,821 to $29,725,728 and exercises all options under the agreement through Aug. 31, 2031, according to the board’s agenda. The item allows up to an additional $2,972,572 in compensation and is funded entirely through the sheriff’s budget.

Undersheriff Don Sharp told supervisors before the vote the cameras serve both deputies and the public.

“It actually is a transparency and accountability record that the public seems to be very appreciative of,” Sharp said.

Sharp also told the board the contract includes translation technology the department is testing but has not yet deployed. He said the feature would give a deputy “the opportunity to have a translation through the device” when speaking with someone in another language.

The item passed as part of the board’s regular meeting agenda.

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Laredo leaders visit El Paso to learn about water resources

KVIA on September 1, 2026

Carpio Griego

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Representatives from Laredo, Texas, came to El Paso to learn about El Paso’s water resources to reduce reliance on river water.

Part of the Laredo representatives’ visit to the Sun City includes a tour of the Fred Hervey Reclamation Plant in Northeast El Paso.

Laredo received grant funding to visit El Paso and other cities that have more than one water source.

One city council member told ABC-7 that the visitors plan to visit Tucson, Arizona. Laredo leaders plan to apply what they learned when they return.

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What is being done to make Coachella Valley roads safer for pedestrians?

KESQ on September 1, 2026

Raymond Kalra

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – As pedestrian deaths continue to raise concerns across the Coachella Valley, local cities are looking at more than just driver behavior when considering how to make roads safer.

Speed limits, street lighting, crosswalk placement and the design of intersections can all influence whether a driver has enough time to see and react to someone walking across the road.

Recent data shows the issue stretches across the valley. Palm Springs recorded 20 pedestrian deaths between 2021 and 2026, while Cathedral City recorded seven between 2022 and 2026. Other valley cities have also reported multiple pedestrian fatalities in recent years.

For people who regularly walk around the valley, those numbers reflect a concern they can feel on the road.

Rhondda Kerrpirbazari said she walks often but does not always feel confident that approaching drivers are paying attention.

“I do feel sometimes drivers aren’t really cognizant,” Kerrpirbazari said. “I walk a lot, so I’m very cognizant of drivers and where they are and pray that they stop or see us.”

She said darkness can make that concern even greater.

Kerrpirbazari pointed to limited street lighting in some areas of the valley and said people often walk later in the day during the hotter months, when temperatures begin to cool.

She also said she frequently notices distracted drivers and people looking at their phones while she walks.

Cathedral City targets intersections with crash history

Cathedral City is one of several valley cities working on infrastructure changes aimed at reducing pedestrian crashes.

City Engineer Armando Garcia Baldizzone said pedestrian safety has been a focus for the city for years. Since 2016, he said Cathedral City has secured roughly $9 million through state and federal programs for pedestrian safety improvements.

Those projects include high-visibility crosswalks, updated curb ramps, flashing beacons and upgrades to traffic signals.

“We are improving the intersections, like putting high visibility crosswalks, updating the curb ramps, installing flashing beacons,” Baldizzone said.

The city does not choose those locations at random.

Baldizzone said Cathedral City uses its local road safety plan to evaluate intersections, including crash history and other technical factors, before deciding where improvements could have the greatest impact. The city then seeks state or federal funding for qualifying projects.

Some of those improvements are already planned for areas residents may notice.

Baldizzone said the city plans a pedestrian crossing near Landau Elementary School, a new traffic signal at Cathedral Canyon Drive and Canyon Shores, and another major pedestrian crossing near Cathedral Canyon Drive and Ortega Road.

Lower speeds without slowing traffic

Cathedral City has also lowered speed limits on some roads as part of its effort to reduce crashes.

Baldizzone said the city has seen crashes decrease following those changes and said the lower limits have not significantly affected traffic flow.

“What we notice is that the accidents have been reduced,” Baldizzone said. “The reduction of the speed limit didn’t affect the traffic at all.”

Lowering the number on a speed-limit sign, however, represents only one tool cities can use.

Transportation safety research has found that lower speed limits can become more effective when cities combine them with infrastructure changes and enforcement strategies. Road width, crossing distance, lighting and the placement of crosswalks can all influence how quickly drivers travel and how easily they see pedestrians.

New lighting coming to Cathedral City intersections

Lighting has become another major part of Cathedral City’s current work.

Baldizzone said the city is upgrading all 49 of its signalized intersections as part of one project.

The work includes upgrades to traffic signal equipment as well as new LED safety lighting designed to improve visibility around intersections.

“The new LED lights are going to be installed,” Baldizzone said. “So there’s going to be more lighting at the intersection for safety.”

The city expects to complete that project by October.

Nighttime visibility is particularly important in pedestrian safety. Nationally, a large majority of pedestrian deaths happen after dark. In the Coachella Valley, long stretches of roadway can also have relatively limited lighting compared with more densely developed areas.

For Cathedral City, Baldizzone said the work will continue beyond the projects currently under construction.

Engineers plan to continue reviewing crash data and individual intersections to determine where future improvements should go.

The goal, he said, is to create safer routes regardless of whether someone is driving, riding a bicycle or walking.

For pedestrians like Kerrpirbazari, the changes come down to something even simpler: making sure the person behind the wheel sees the person crossing the road before it is too late.

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Authorities Investigate Death in Cabazon

KESQ on September 1, 2026

City News Service

CABAZON (CNS) – Authorities are investigating the death of a person who was found along a roadway in Cabazon last weekend.

Deputies responded to a report of a possible deceased subject at 3:44 p.m. Sunday in the area of Railroad Avenue and Main Street, according to Lt. Deirdre Vickers of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Arriving deputies found a person along the roadway who was pronounced dead at the scene.The Riverside County Coroner’s Bureau responded to the scene. The identity of the deceased was withheld pending notification of next of kin.

No further information was immediately available.

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Run Internacional 10k returns to El Paso, Juarez April 4

KVIA on September 1, 2026

Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Run Internacional: The U.S.-Mexico 10k will return to the Borderland April 4, 2027. Monday, the El Paso Community Foundation revealed plans for the eighth edition of the binational race.

Due to popular demand, EPCF said the next race will expand its capacity to 5,000 runners. Registration opens Oct. 24 at noon.

The International 10k route will weave through Downtown El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, crossing the Stanton-Lerdo International Bridge.

Runners will pass by local landmarks, including the Plaza Theatre in El Paso and Placa de Juan Gabriel in Juarez.

Runners will cross the finish line at the Paso del Norte International Bridge.

EPCF said the race will start at 8 a.m.

See the 10k route below.

8th Inter_10K Run Map 4×5 Aug26 PRINT_3509820585782529311Download

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Utah judge rules Tyler Robinson will stand trial for killing Charlie Kirk

KIFI on September 1, 2026

Curtis Jackson

PROVO, Utah (KIFI) — 23-year-old Tyler Robinson will stand trial for the killing of Charlie Kirk following a preliminary hearing, a Utah judge ruled today.

Judge Tony Graf ruled that Robinson will proceed to trial on all counts, including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, tampering with a witness, and violent offense committed in the presence of a child, according to CNN.

The charges stem from a shooting last September during a Turning Point USA event hosted on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem.

At Tuesday’s hearing, prosecutors presented four main forms of evidence against Robinson during the preliminary hearing: video evidence, DNA evidence, text messages to a romantic partner, and comments posted on the social media platform Discord.

Outlining the state’s case, Deputy Utah County Attorney Ryan McBride emphasized the danger posed to the public during the event.

“Robinson shot and killed Kirk because he disagreed with him, and he did it by firing a high-powered rifle into a group of thousands who surrounded Charlie Kirk,” McBride said.

Defense attorneys pushed back strongly against the prosecution’s claims. “There’s nothing in this evidence showing that there was a great risk, that someone else was going to be killed,” said defense attorney Staci Visser.

Robinson’s defense also characterized much of the state’s evidence as narrative “speculation.”

Following Judge Graf’s probable cause ruling, the case now moves toward a formal arraignment, where Robinson is expected to enter a plea. He has not yet formally entered a plea in court.

In a statement released to CNN, the Kirk family described the judge’s decision as an “important step in [their] family’s pursuit of justice”:

“Every step in this process carries the weight of all that Charlie’s murder has taken from his family, especially his children who will grow up without their father. We are grateful to all who have continued to pray for us, support us, and stand with us through a year of unimaginable grief.

As the next phase of the judicial process begins, our family remains united in our love for Charlie, our commitment to the pursuit of justice, and our prayer for a transparent and timely process.”

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Gov. Kotek proclaims September as Preparedness Month in Oregon

KTVZ on September 1, 2026

Adrielle Hasara

Bend, Ore. (KTVZ) — Gov. Tina Kotek has proclaimed September as Preparedness Month in Oregon, encouraging residents across the state to take steps to prepare their families and homes for natural disasters and emergencies.

The proclamation serves as a focal point for the Oregon Department of Emergency Management as it promotes emergency awareness across the state. Central to these efforts is OEM’s “Be two Weeks Ready” campaign, a multilingual toolkit designed to help households maintain self-sufficiency for at least two weeks following a major disaster.

OEM Director Erin McMahon emphasized the role of early planning in building local resilience.

“OEM remains committed to ensuring every Oregonian has access to the tools and resources they need to prepare for emergencies,” McMahon said. “Preparedness Month is a valuable reminder that we are stronger and more resilient when we plan ahead, practice safety and stay connected within our communities.”

Gov. Kotek’s proclamation emphasizes that federal, Tribal, state, local and private sector partners are working together to prevent and respond to disasters across Oregon. The proclamation also highlights that adequate disaster preparation is essential to public health and well-being, noted alongside ongoing community training and education efforts across the state.

OEM Community Preparedness Coordinator Kayla Thompson emphasized the importance of accessible public outreach in emergency planning.

“Community preparedness is strongest when people feel informed, supported and empowered,” Thompson said. “Our goal is to meet Oregonians where they are, provide accessible resources and encourage everyday steps that build resilience long before an emergency happens.”

As part of the initiative, OEM has scheduled several public preparedness events for October. The agency will host a free Ready Fair on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 3930 Fairview Industrial Dr. SE in Salem. The family-friendly event will feature expert-led information booths, an earthquake escape room, a shake simulator, food trucks and emergency go-bag raffles.

Oregonians are also encouraged to participate in the Great Oregon ShakeOut earthquake drill scheduled for Oct. 15, 2026, at 10:16 a.m. The following weekend, OEM will host the Great Oregon Camp-In from Oct. 16-18, 2026, allowing households to practice living without public utilities.

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Oregon announces $1.6 million in grant funds for recreational trails

KTVZ on September 1, 2026

Adrielle Hasara

Bend, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department announced Tuesday that applications are open for approximately $1.6 million in grant funds through the Recreational Trails Program for the 2026 cycle.

The program, which receives funding from the Federal Highway Administration and is administered by the state park department, supports projects to build, expand and restore public trails for both motorized and non-motorized use. Eligible applicants include local governments, park districts, state and federal agencies, tribal governments, public land managers and nonprofit organizations. Since its establishment in 1993, the program has supported more than 550 projects throughout Oregon.

The grant program operates on a reimbursement basis, delivering funds to recipients after project costs are spent. Successful applicants are required to provide a 20% match of the total project cost. Grant funds can be utilized for constructing new trails, restoring existing paths, building trailhead facilities, acquiring land or easements, purchasing trail maintenance equipment, conducting accessibility assessments, developing water trails and delivering safety and education initiatives.

An optional informational webinar is scheduled for Sept. 9 from 10 a.m. to noon to assist applicants with navigating the application process. Registration for the session is available online via Zoom and a recording will be made available on the program website following the live stream. First-time applicants are required to create an online account on the state grants website. Program details and application support are coordinated by Jodi Bellefeuille, Recreational Trails Program coordinator.

Interested applicants must submit a letter of intent form through oprdgrants.org by Sept. 30. Final grant applications must be submitted by Nov. 16.

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