Canutillo ISD approves lower tax rate

KVIA on September 23, 2026

Joseph Montero

CANUTILLO, Texas (KVIA) — Tuesday, the Canutillo Independent School District Board of Trustees approved a lower tax rate for the 2026-27 school year.

The rate is slightly lower than last year. CISD said the average homeowner within the district will pay about $11 less in school taxes than last year.

According to the district, the calculation considered the homestead exemption voters approved last November.

“We are pleased to be able to remain good stewards of the taxpayers’ money in our efforts to provide our students with aworld-class education,” said Board President Sergio Martinez. 

The district has a nearly $65.7 million budget for the upcoming year.

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Greening project opportunities available in Imperial County

KYMA on September 23, 2026

Lynette Niebla

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Communities who are looking to plant trees or expand parks have a new opportunity to secure funding.

A request for proposals is currently open for urban greening projects across the region.

Funding is available for initiatives like planting trees, adding shrubs or developing new green spaces.

Local leaders are specifically encouraging applications from northern communities, including Brawley, Westmorland and Calipatria.

“There’s a tool in there that helps you identify what plants are gonna go in and that does a calculation on how much carbon upkeep it can trap,” said Ismael Garcia, Project Manager for the Imperial County Air Pollution Control District. “So it doesn’t reduce emissions, but it does reduce the effects in the community so that will help with all of that.”

The application window closes on October 30. For more details and application instructions, click here.

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Community Organizes To Help Beloved Santa Maria Fitness Instructor’s Cancer Diagnosis With Upcoming ‘Movement For Mary’ 5k Event

KEYT on September 23, 2026

Jarrod Zinn

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – A large community movement has rapidly evolved out of efforts from a small group of fitness class attendees in Santa Maria.

Central Coast fitness trainer Mary Bigelow is known for the spin class she teaches at the Santa Maria YMCA.

Just months ago, she was diagnosed with cancer.

Now people in her spin class have organized the Movement For Mary 5K event.

“We basically have a board now of people putting this together,” says Christina Landeros, Movement For Mary 5K organizer. “But what I will say is supporting and loving Mary Bigelow is the easiest part of my day.”

Bigelow has worked as a fitness trainer on the Central Coast for more than 20 years.

“Mary was just automatically like, so magnetic,” says Sawyer Coffey, a spin class attendee from Santa Maria. “And she just shone so bright as a person. It just felt so empowering to do with Mary. She had little inspirational moments where she would tell us, you know, something motivational to keep us going.”

Her roles have included spin instructor, strength trainer, CrossFit coach, personal trainer and nutrition coach.

She is married, a mother of three and a grandmother to a baby girl, Nora.

“She’s right there alongside us doing stuff with us,” says Lauren Black, another spin class attendee from Santa Maria. “I think when she says, ‘show up for yourself,’ to give yourself grace. And think about your why. A lot of the times when she’s up there in spin, she’ll say, ‘Who are you showing up for? Let this be your time’.”

Bigelow had to visit the ER in April for an unrelated issue that led to an emergency surgery where they discovered a tumor on her pancreas.

Her doctors say the cancer was found early and is still at an operable stage.

“I think when she got the news, it shook all of us to just be more present to something she always says during all her classes is, ‘You get to do this, you don’t have to’,” says Tara Van Fleet, a spin class attendee from Orcutt. “And I think that just kind of, like hit a lot harder.”

Following the diagnosis, Bigelow connected with a specialist at Stanford and immediately began chemotherapy to prepare for surgery.

“So we wanted to give back to her as much as she has done for us and show up for her in a way,” says Black.

Bigelow’s medical plan includes ongoing treatments, frequent trips to Stanford, major surgery, recovery and additional chemotherapy.

The 5k walk and run event was organized to help ease the financial demands of her medical treatment and recovery for her and her family.

“It is so easy to get people on board when I mention her name,” says Landeros. “I just have to mention who she is and that this is for her and what she’s going through. And people just… ‘I’m in, I’m in, I’m in’.”

The event will include food vendors, bounce houses, even a raffle contest.

“Mary is used to being a woman who pours out love to others,” says Landeros. “And so having all of this attention and having everyone pouring into her is definitely something that feels super foreign to her. But she deserves it. So we’re just forcing it on her at this point. So, you know, she just has to deal with all of our love.”

The Movement For Mary 5K is scheduled for Sunday October 4th here at Waller Park with the start and finish line just in front of the Santa Maria Valley YMCA.

Raffle donations are being accepted until a couple days prior, but signing up to participate is open until the day of the event.

To sign up or find out how to make any kind of donation, start by clicking here to visit the Movement For Mary 5K Instagram page.

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Idaho Falls toddler earns Guinness World Record

KIFI on September 23, 2026

Kaelyn Blessinger

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Local toddler Bootsey Darrington has just earned a Guinness World Record for being the youngest person to visit every Disney Theme Park. The award was not planned by the family, simply a lucky coincidence as they travelled the world for her mother’s job.

“I will be completely honest, it was not a purposeful attempt to gain this world record,” Jess Darrington, Bootsey’s mom and long-time travel blogger, said. “Throughout the course of the last several years, we’ve just happened to be in places that a Disney is present for my job and work assignments.”

Jess had been a travel blogger for years as part of her career. When she had children, some people thought she wouldn’t be able to go on these adventures anymore. But she had a different idea.

“The whole goal when I created my second page, when my baby was born, was to help parents feel confident to get out of the house with their babies,” Jess said.

Jess began her travel blogs, where.is.briggs (TikTok) or whereisbriggs (Instagram) as a way to prove to other parents traveling is possible. Her goal is to share all of the tips and tricks she’s learned from her travels with other parents.

“I’m not going to beat around the bush. It’s definitely more challenging traveling with little babies and toddlers on airplanes, especially those long haul flights,” Jess said. “But the memories that we’ve made have been absolutely worth the long flights.”

Although there are some who question whether or not young children should even have these adventures because they will forget them, having these experiences could help with a child’s development. And, at the end of the day, the parents can keep these memories with them.

“I will say the memories that my husband and I have made, I hope to remember them forever,” Jess said.

Some advice on traveling with your toddlers from where.is.briggs and from many online parents is to:

Pack a variety of snacks Bring different forms of entertainment Toys Games A tablet with pre-downloaded shows Coloring books Pack extra clothes, diapers, wipes, and medicine Don’t worry about judgement Toddlers and babies cry, make noises, throw fits; people will understand

You can find more travel hacks at where.is.briggs or whereisbriggs.

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Search crews scour Custer County for overdue hunter

KIFI on September 23, 2026

Seth Ratliff

CUSTER COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — A multi-agency search and rescue operation is underway for an overdue hunter in Custer County.

The Custer County Sheriff’s Office reported missing hunter Kelly King on Tuesday after he failed to return from a trip in the Morgan Creek and Gooseberry areas. King was last seen driving an all-terrain vehicle, which deputies shared a photo of on Facebook.

Courtesy: Custer County Sheriff-Idaho

The search intensified Wednesday morning as the Idaho National Guard, Civil Air Patrol, and Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit provided aircraft, ATV, and UTV teams to sweep the area from above and on the ground.

Authorities are directing the public to steer clear of the search area to avoid disrupting the search and to preserve any tracks that may belong to King.

Anyone with information regarding Kelly King’s whereabouts or who may have seen his vehicle in the Morgan Creek or Gooseberry areas is urged to contact the Custer County Sheriff’s Office.

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Jurors deadlock in trial of man accused of repeatedly raping girl

KESQ on September 23, 2026

City News Service

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Prosecutors were undecided today as to whether to retry an Indio man who allegedly sexually abused a girl repeatedly, following a jury deadlock in deliberations regarding multiple rape allegations.

After two days of deliberations, an Indio jury on Tuesday afternoon informed Riverside County Superior Court Judge James Hawkins that it was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on five of 11 charges against Miguel Pedrero Tzompantzi, 40.

Jurors acquitted him of four counts of rape of a minor and convicted him of a misdemeanor charge of annoying a child. However, according to the District Attorney’s Office, the panel hung 11-1 in favor of convicting Tzompantzi of five remaining charges of rape of a minor.

Prosecutors had not decided Wednesday whether to seek a retrial. The judge tentatively scheduled a sentencing hearing for Oct. 14 at the Larson Justice Center. The DA’s Office may announce at that time, or before, if a retrial is planned.

The defendant is being held without bail at the Benoit Detention Center.

“This inexperienced child, who was at the will of an adult, was psychologically and physically abused for eight months,” Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Stevenson told jurors in her closing statement last week. “She was under his thumb.”

The prosecutor recalled how the then-16-year-old victim was entirely dependent on Tzompantzi, while her parents, both Mexican nationals, remained in their country.

Stevenson quoted the victim’s testimony when the young woman told the court, head down in grief, “I was scared of him. I didn’t know what to do.”

The alleged abuse began in October 2022 and continued until May 2023, by which time the victim was pregnant, Stevenson said.

Tzompantzi insisted that he and the then-teenager were in a relationship, according to testimony.

“His claims about this case from start to end are absolutely absurd,” the prosecutor told the jury.

An Indio Police Department arrest warrant declaration filed in 2023 alleged that the teen was threatened by her uncle, who reportedly told her that if she revealed what had been going on, “he would deny it and blame her for everything,” additionally asserting “no one wanted her, and that is why she was living with him.”

The allegations surfaced after the girl was seven months pregnant and had told her parents about the alleged assaults.

Deputy Public Defender Stephen Sadocha told jurors “it was a consensual relationship that turned sexual.”

“He was taking care of her — buying her food, taking her shopping,” the attorney said.

He questioned the legitimacy of the girl’s testimony and statements to law enforcement, arguing that there was one alleged instance when the victim initiated sexual contact with Tzompantzi in his car, parked outside a business.

“For eight months, there was no one suspicious about her behavior,” Sadocha said. “Not one person reported (anything) suspicious, not a teacher or a counselor.”

The attorney said there were “inconsistencies” in the girl’s descriptions of what Tzompantzi allegedly did, emphasizing the need for jurors to re-examine the circumstances before drawing any conclusions that could seal his client’s fate.

Tzompantzi has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

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A SPUD-TACULAR COMEBACK: Historic Spud Drive-In in Driggs set for major rebuild

KIFI on September 23, 2026

Maile Sipraseuth

DRIGGS, Idaho (KIFI)– The iconic Spud Drive-In has been closed since a 2022 windstorm destroyed its movie screen. Now, developers are moving forward with plans to rebuild the theater and transform the property into a larger entertainment destination.

Tom Hedges, an owner and developer with MD Spud, says crews could break ground as early as October 1, weather permitting, and the redevelopment will happen in phases.

“The first phase is prioritizing getting the theater back up and running for the community,” Hedges said.

The second phase will add a new concession and restaurant building, called Murphy’s Mountain Diner.

Developers also plan to add 10 overnight cabins on the back portion of the property, turning the Spud into what Hedges describes as a drive-in theater and resort.

The project is designed to keep some of the features longtime visitors remember while adding new amenities.

One of the biggest changes will be the construction of a new movie screen designed to better withstand Teton Valley’s weather.

“Under the new special use permit, we can use steel to build the structure for the screen. And so it will be fully wind proof, climate proof, blizzard proof. The actual front of the screen will be a wooden facade instead of a screen. So it will be, as burly as you can make build a drive in movie screen,” Hedges said.

The redevelopment has also brought concerns from nearby residents about noise.

“They’ve had a lot of quiet time over the last four years, which I’m sure they enjoyed,” Hedges said, “We’ve agreed to some conditions to do so, including making sure that we do a really good job of screening the theater, all around the property with both fencing and landscaping, big trees, and face the speakers downwards and centered.”

Hedges says the new and improved Spud Drive-In will be fully open by early to mid Summer 2028.

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Modern Home cuts the ribbon on new Pocatello location

KIFI on September 23, 2026

Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – A beloved furniture store from Idaho Falls has officially expanded to Pocatello. On September 23, members of the Pocatello-Chubbuck Chamber of Commerce and employees and owners of Modern Home cut the ribbon on their new location.

Modern Home started ten years ago in Idaho Falls, when the Sparks family moved to Idaho. Owner Alan Sparks said they loved the colder weather and mountains of the area and opened their first Modern Home store in Idaho Falls.

The pinnacle of Modern Home is their family-oriented style of business. Sparks’ two sons operate the stores across the state. Sparks also mentioned the Bank of Commerce was essential in expanding to Pocatello, as was Construction Solutions.

Sparks Family cuts the ribbon on Pocatello Modern Home, September 23

“We looked at the numbers and realized there was a lot of people coming to Idaho Falls from Pocatello in our store shopping for furniture,” Sparks said. “There was just a lot of demand that we saw for what we think is a nice furniture store in Pocatello.”

When asked how he best describes his company, Sparks said, “It’s a family company.” The ability to expand to the Gate City was only possible because his son Danon and family were willing to manage the new location. “It’s key for us to be able to give really good service, and to have our family and sons as part owners and have people who really care about the business and the consumer in store is really important to us.”

After successfully running Sparks Furniture stores in Arizona, the owner said Modern Home better described the goal of the Idaho Falls and Pocatello stores.

“We’re trying to bring furniture that’s current, modern and fresh to style today,” Sparks said. “The entire store is tagged on sale for the grand opening. We also have a lot of stock, we’ve tried really hard to stock the product that we have now.”

Sparks also said there is custom order availability at the Pocatello location to change aspects of the pieces.

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Hector Cervantes running for Calipatria City Council

KYMA on September 23, 2026

Jessamyn Dodd

CALIPATRIA, Calif. (KYMA) – Hector Cervantes is running for a seat on Calipatria’s city council, hoping to fill one of two seats.

Cervantes owns two businesses and said he will support other local entrepreneurs, which will help bring more businesses and jobs to the city.

“So focusing trying to focus on bringing in here business, upgrades, you know, trying to make just the infrastructure upgrades bringing businesses to town,” Cervantes said.

Cervantes believes that the city council needs more unity, and by bringing everyone together, more can be accomplished.

“Get everybody on the same page. Or try to anyways get everybody on the same page or try to anyways. I know they’re five people up there. And not everybody thinks alike, but we need to roll in the same direction. And that’s what we need everybody to do,” Cervantes said.

Cervantes will face three other candidates on November 3.

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Flooding damage costs Doña Ana County family $35k

KVIA on September 23, 2026

Nina Gallegos

DONA ANA COUNTY, N.M. (KVIA) — Flooding across Dona Ana County brought up to three feet of floodwater to the Brazito neighborhood . For some residents, the pooling covered their only way out of their properties.

Just north of Vado, one Brazito resident told ABC-7 the flood didn’t just bring damage. It made her worried about her safety.

“If there’s an emergency, we only have one way in, one way out, and that’s the road we just came in on or what’s left of a road, the lake we came in on,” said Misty Skinner.

Skinner said she lived in Brazito for five years. While she’s seen flooding, she never dealt with as much as she did after this week’s rain.

ABC-7’s Nina Gallegos standing in three-foot-deep floodwater in the Brazito area.(Courtesy: KVIA)

“It has never been this way as far as we’ve lived here. We’ve lived here for five years now. And the last three rains is what really destroyed everything on our property,” she said.

A nearby dam nearly breached, and arroyos sent water directly into her backyard.

(Courtesy: KVIA)

Skinner said she loves her secluded property, but the cost of flooding is forcing her family to think about moving. With $35,000 of damaged equipment, she doesn’t know if her family will ever recover.

“We love this property and we love having nothing. I mean, the freedom to be able to just be us. And it feels like everything that we wanted is gone,” Skinner said.

Even after cleaning the damage from this week’s flooding, there’s a chance for more in the coming days.

ABC-7 reached out to Dona Ana County officials about what they’re doing to help residents like Skinner.

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