Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity awarded $5.065 million for affordable homes

KTVZ on October 3, 2026

Gregory Deffenbaugh

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity was awarded $5.065 million in state LIFT Homeownership funding today to support the construction of 33 permanently affordable homes in Bend, Ore.

The homes will be built on surplus land provided through a partnership with Bend-La Pine Schools.

The funding was approved by the Oregon Housing Stability Council for two separate developments: Stone Creek Commons and Skyline Crossing.

Twenty-five of the planned units will receive direct support from LIFT funding to serve households earning 80% or less of the Area Median Income.

Stone Creek Commons, located next to Silver Rail Elementary School in southeast Bend, recently celebrated a groundbreaking. The development will feature 18 duplex-style townhomes, with 10 homes serving households earning 80% or less of the Area Median Income and eight homes designated for households earning up to 120% of the Area Median Income.

Skyline Crossing will add 15 detached cottage homes on surplus school district land near Summit High School. All 15 homes will serve households earning 80% or less of the Area Median Income. Bend-La Pine Schools employees will receive preference during the initial homebuyer application period for both developments.

The partnership developed from ongoing workforce recruitment challenges facing the school district. Steven Cook, superintendent of Bend-La Pine Schools, explained that housing costs created obstacles for incoming staff. “This is a conversation that started maybe five years ago,” Cook said. “We were struggling. We had some staff that we’d offered jobs to who couldn’t make it work financially. They just could not find housing in the area. And we said, ‘We’ve got to figure out a way to be part of the solution.’”

Bend CEO Carly Colgan-Redmond Habitat for Humanity, noted that combining public funds with community support addresses the regional housing gap. “This is exactly the kind of investment that makes affordable homeownership possible in a market like Bend,” Colgan said. “Bend-La Pine Schools brought land to the table, the state is providing critical LIFT funding and our community helps us close the remaining gap. Together, we’re creating homeownership opportunities that working households can actually afford.”

Market data underlines the financial pressure on local workers. According to the City of Bend’s 2025 State of Housing Report, a household needed an annual income of more than $204,000 to afford the average home sold in Bend. A typical Habitat buyer earning below 80% of the Area Median Income earns roughly $25 to $30 an hour. Under Habitat’s purchasing model, buyers purchase homes with affordable mortgages based on income and no down payment, resulting in monthly mortgage payments between $1,500 and $2,000.

Both developments will utilize a community land trust model to preserve long-term affordability for future buyers. The structures are planned to meet Earth Advantage Platinum standards, incorporating solar panels and energy-efficiency features to maintain low monthly utility costs. The LIFT Homeownership program is administered by Oregon Housing and Community Services using state bond funding.

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Crossroads Mission to spend 24 hours outside for World Homeless Day

KYMA on October 3, 2026

Adrik Vargas

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Crossroads Mission is spending 24 hours outside this month to raise awareness about homelessness in Yuma.

On October 10, staff members will set up camp outside the organization’s new Center of Hope, behind Green Trees Grocery Outlet.

They’ll arrive at 6 a.m. and stay there for 24 hours, regardless of the weather.

Greg Culver with Crossroads Mission says the event is meant to help people pay more attention to Yuma’s homeless population.

“We’ve got a pretty large population, and a lot of people…they just drive by and don’t really recognize them,” Culver said.

Last year, the event took place in rainy weather, but Culver says staff still stayed outside for the full 24 hours.

Crossroads Mission hopes the event leads to more awareness, conversations and people looking for ways to help.

People can stop by the Center of Hope during the event to show their support.

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New law restricts sex offenders’ eligibility for ‘Elderly Parole Program’

KESQ on October 3, 2026

City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Individuals convicted of serious sex crimes will no longer automatically qualify for consideration of early release from state prison under California’s “Elderly Parole Program” after they’ve turned 50 years old, following amendments to the program signed into law by the governor this week.

The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office took the lead in mustering support for Assembly Bill 2727, introduced by Assemblywoman Stephanie Nguyen, D-Elk Grove, which received the governor’s signature Wednesday.

The pain of victims of sexual offenses continues well after their perpetrator is convicted and incarcerated,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Ivy Fitzpatrick said. “AB 2727 reflects that reality and acts as a safeguard for Californians.”

Prior to AB 2727, any prison inmate over 50 years old who had been incarcerated a minimum of 20 straight years could apply for release under the Elderly Parole Program. With passage of the new law, however, inmates convicted of forcible rape, sodomy, aggravated sexual assault of a minor and similar offenses will now have to reach the age of 65 and have served at least 25 consecutive years in prison before he or she can ask to be considered for elderly parole, prosecutors said.

“These provisions ensure that parole eligibility better reflects both the gravity of the underlying offense and the ongoing risk to the community,” according to the D.A.’s office.

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Potential ‘Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus’ could bring 25,000 jobs … and additional nuclear waste to Idaho

KIFI on October 3, 2026

David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho is in the running for a proposed Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus that could double the size of Idaho National Laboratory’s workforce. But some are concerned about requirements that the state store more spent nuclear fuel as part of a potential agreement.

If selected, the project would have monumental implications for the state of Idaho.

The U.S. Department of Energy says the campus “has the potential to create about 25,000 new jobs, attract up to $50 billion in capital investment and generate up to $10 billion in state and local tax revenue.”

Local News 8 interviewed both candidates in the State Senate District 33 race to hear their perspectives over the issue.

State Senator Dave Lent, (R)-Idaho Falls, is one of 46 Idaho lawmakers who signed an August 17 letter expressing support for the project.

The project would cover the entire life cycle of nuclear fuel –  including fuel development, nuclear reactors, reprocessing fuel, interim storage and potentially long-term fuel storage, he said.

“They’re primarily offering tens of thousands of jobs, essentially,” Lent said. “If you think about what’s involved with this … we’ve got to get this word out to our youth and say, ‘Hey, there are literally thousands of thousands of potential high-paying great jobs coming to our inner-mountain area.”

He clarified that technological advancements ensure the project could be implemented while maintaing the safety of people and the environment as the top priorities.

“We have some nonnegotiables here. Those are, number one, we will protect our people and the people of the state of Idaho. Number two, we will protect our environment,” Lent said. “That’s where we start and end all these discussions. We believe and I believe, having worked and been around this industry for many, many years, that we have evolved to the point where we can confidently stand up and say we can handle these projects safely and that will be a great benefit to our area.”

Democratic candidate Jan Brown served as a special assistant to Governor John Evans on natural resources and nuclear waste from 1985-1986. She is concerned about the federal government’s ‘carrot-stick’ approach to provide funding in exchange for storing nuclear waste.

“The discussion is that you would get a third of the nation’s waste coming into the state,” Brown said.

She questioned the “aggressive timeline” of the proposal, stating, “There are conditions with this agreement so far that I don’t particularly like, and I think we should have a much more scientific approach looking at which states actually are the best places for ultimate disposal of some radioactive waste. You know, the half lives are over 200,000-year half life. There are certain radionuclides that simply have to be isolated for hundreds and thousands of years, right? So we need to be far more acute in our thinking on what belongs here in Idaho, meaning our our lab and its expertise.”

Gov. Brad Little told the Idaho Capital Sun last week that “disposing spent fuel over the aquifer in Idaho is a nonstarter.”

Currently, six states are in the running to land the Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus. Idaho is competing against Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana and West Virginia.

The Department of Energy is expected to announced three host states by the end of this year.

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AgTech formally appeals land lease cancellation

KYMA on October 3, 2026

Jalen Fong

YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) – The ongoing legal battle between AgTech LLC and the Arizona State Land Department took another turn late Friday afternoon.

The company said it has formally appealed the decision to cancel five agricultural leases on state trust land.

The appeal is the latest challenge to the cancellations.

AgTech‘s appeal challenged the legal basis for the cancellations and argues the state failed to follow the rules.

The company has been under the microscope in the last year after several locals expressed concerns about their biosolids operation, and question how it could potentially harm the community.

AgTech has defended it’s operation, saying even the state has recognized the agricultural benefits of biosolids.

We’ll continue to follow this story and provide you with the latest details as soon as they become available, and online at KYMA.com.

To learn more about the formal appeal, see attached file below.

AgTech Notice of Appeal FINALDownload

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National ‘Data Center Revolt’ bus tour stops in Imperial following major legal victory

KYMA on October 3, 2026

Lynette Niebla

IMPERIAL, Calif. (KYMA) – A high-profile courtroom battle over Big Tech infrastructure has put the Imperial Valley in the national spotlight, drawing a cross-country bus tour to the region following a major legal victory for local residents.

The “Data Center Revolt Tour,” spearheaded by the conservative grassroots organization Humans First, made a major stop at Imperial’s Eager Park on Friday.

The tour, which spans 35 cities across 27 states and covers more than 7,500 miles, is traveling the country to protest large-scale hyperscale data center developments.

Tour organizers stated that Imperial is a historic and highly unique milestone on their route because it represents a community that successfully fought back and won.

The controversy stems from a proposal by a Huntington Beach developer to build a nearly one-million-square-foot, 330-megawatt hyperscale data center on county land directly adjacent to the Victoria Ranch neighborhood.

Local residents quickly formed an advocacy group called “NIMBY Imperial,” gathering more than 3,400 petition signatures in opposition.

Despite public outcry, the county’s Board of Supervisors initially approved the project in a 4-1 vote in April.

However, the opposition didn’t stop there. The City of Imperial and the Sierra Club filed lawsuits over the project’s environmental impacts.

By June, the county reversed course, unanimously enacting a construction moratorium on new data center projects.

The ultimate turning point came on September 9, when a judge ruled that the county had illegally shielded the developer from a mandatory environmental review, effectively throwing out the project’s approval.

The developer has since announced intentions to appeal the ruling.

While Humans First is a conservative organization, leadership emphasizes that the fight over utility infrastructure and agricultural land goes beyond traditional political lines.

“We have been watching from afar what the local residents have been doing here,” said Kylie Jane Kremer, Senior Advisor for Humans First. “We support that and want to show Imperial as an example to other communities…that when the American people stand together, there’s nothing that can stop them. Big Tech may have all this money, but they cannot defeat the will of the American people.”

Kremer stressed that the issue is inherently local, adding, “This isn’t really Republican or Democrat. It’s about people coming together and figuring out what’s best for their communities.”

Given the group’s conservative roots, organizers were asked about President Donald Trump’s historical support for technology and data infrastructure developments.

Group representatives noted they believe his perspective is shifting as environmental and community concerns become clearer.

“We kind of think the president is getting some better advice through the process,” said Tom Gaitens, Senior Advisor for Humans First. “He has worked his way to us, and I think his first focus was trying to bring jobs to those places. I think he’s now transitioning a little bit and saying, ‘You know, it’s not just the jobs…we have to protect those environmental issues.’ He sees that now. I see him aligning a lot more with us now than he was seven months ago.”

The Data Center Revolt Tour continues its 24-day journey across the United States, advocating for protections on farmland, water resources, and local municipal control.

For more information on the tour schedule or the organization’s platform, visit the official website.

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New CPD data shows crime fell overall during past year, but incidents downtown saw a sharp jump

KMIZ on October 3, 2026

Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Despite a slight decline in overall crime in Columbia during the past year, reported crime downtown increased sharply.

ABC 17 News obtained a copy of the “Downtown Columbia Crime Trends and Enforcement Strategies” report, which is set to be presented to the Columbia City Council on Monday during the city’s pre-council meeting.

The report compares crime from Sept. 16, 2025-Sept. 15, 2026, with the same period the previous year. The figures only include data from the Columbia Police Department and do not include crime reported by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Boone County Sheriff’s Office or University of Missouri Police Department.

CPD data shows crime decreased slightly across Columbia over the past year, while reported crime downtown increased by nearly 48%. Citywide, there were 8,629 reported crimes from Sept. 16, 2025, through Sept. 15, 2026, down 1.8% from 8,789 during the same period the previous year.

Downtown, however, reported crime increased from 520 incidents to 769, a 47.8% increase.

Violent crime

Violent crime decreased both citywide and downtown during the year-over-year comparison. CPD defines violent crime as robbery, rape, aggravated assault, murder and non-negligent manslaughter. 

Across Columbia, violent crime fell 6.8%, from 276 incidents to 257. Downtown, violent crime decreased from 22 incidents to 21.

The report also shows September 2025 had the highest number of violent crimes in a single month since 2023, with six incidents. The previous monthly high was five incidents, recorded in both August and October 2024.

So far in 2026, April saw the highest total of violent incidents with four. 

Calls for service and arrests

The report also projects an increase in calls for service in 2026.

Columbia recorded 13,128 calls for service in 2025, the highest total of the previous three years.

As of Sept. 15, 2026, CPD had recorded 9,055 calls for service. The department projects that number will reach 13,582 by the end of the year.

September also saw the most arrests of any month during the past three years, with 107. The previous monthly high was 97 arrests in October 2025.

Shots fired

There have been 898 shots-fired or shooting incidents reported across Columbia since 2019, according to the data. Of those, 44 occurred downtown.

Downtown recorded seven shooting incidents in both 2024 and 2025, the highest annual totals during that period. Citywide, 2021 had the largest number of shots-fired or shooting incidents with 154.

That number dropped to 80 in 2025. So far in 2026, there have been 42 incidents.

Downtown shooting incidents

The report also details seven shots-fired incidents reported downtown in 2024.

Several of the incidents occurred during the late-night or early-morning hours, with multiple shootings occurring along or near East Broadway. Some were preceded by fights or other disturbances, and several resulted in arrests or the recovery of firearms and shell casings.

One of the more-serious incidents occurred in May, when a woman was shot in the leg after a large fight near Ninth Street and Broadway. In November, three people were struck by gunfire near East Broadway, including two uninvolved bystanders. Two suspects were arrested in that case.

The report notes that investigations remained open in two of the seven 2024 incidents.

The same geographic pattern continued into 2025, with several incidents concentrated around Broadway, Walnut Street and Ninth Street. Seven shots-fired incidents were documented downtown that year, including multiple incidents near the intersections of Ninth and Walnut and in the 800 block of East Broadway.

Most of the 2025 incidents also occurred during overnight or early-morning hours. In June, an uninvolved bystander was struck by a stray round near East Walnut Street. Later that month, a downtown robbery escalated into a shooting that left the victim fatally wounded. In September, three people were shot in the 800 block of East Broadway, including one person who later died from her injuries. Officers also reported hearing another gunshot nearby while investigating that shooting.

So far in 2026, the report lists two downtown shots-fired incidents, both near Walnut Street. One occurred in August in the 800 block of East Walnut, where four shots were fired and a suspect was arrested with the gun. Another was reported in September near 705 East Walnut, with the suspect later identified and arrested.

Overall, the report shows repeated shots-fired incidents in the downtown area around Broadway, Walnut Street and Ninth Street, with many occurring during late-night or early-morning hours. However, the report’s incident data does not establish a single cause or explain why those areas have seen repeated shootings.

Downtown Crime Trends Council PresentationDownload

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Oswit Land Trust: Tree-trimming during fall, winter seasons reduces risk of disturbing wildlife

KESQ on October 3, 2026

City News Service

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A wildlife preservation nonprofit has advised Coachella Valley residents that today through January is the best time for trimming or removing trees, as the fall and winter seasons avoid peak bird- nesting season.

Tree-trimming during the warmer months of spring and summer can “unintentionally destroy nests, separate young birds from their parents or disturb bats using palms and other trees for shelter and raising their young,” according to Oswit Land Trust.

Throughout the region, palm trees provide shelter and sustenance for birds and other animals. Homeowners and landscapers often remove or trim the skirts off of the native California fan palm and the non-native Mexican fan palm, which provide shelter for birds and bats. Palms are also trimmed to eliminate flower and seed stalks, but those seeds provide valuable food for the wildlife.

Tamara Hedges, a board member for Oswit Land Trust and Desert Wildlife Center, expressed concerns about trimming during busy nesting season from February through September, saying in part, “Over the last six months, the Desert Wildlife Center saw many nestling and fledging patients who were displaced from their nests struggling to survive after their homes were destroyed by chainsaws and hedge trimmers. Baby rabbits and other small mammals were also injured, or even killed; their shady and cool safe havens destroyed just when they are most needed.”

The organization also emphasized that wildlife rely on all types of vegetation, including native trees, ornamental trees, shrubs and hedges for food and shelter and it highlighted the importance of postponing trimming or removal work if a bird nest is active.

“A relatively small change in how — and especially when — we maintain our landscapes can help protect the wildlife that share the Coachella Valley with us,” the organization said in a statement.

The nonprofit was critical of the Palm Springs City Council’s decision to remove skits on palm trees throughout the city earlier this year. The municipal trimming project involves targeting skirts of California fan palms and Mexican fan palms on the basis that it posed a risk to public heath.

“In addition to the physical danger of falling skirts — which can weigh anywhere from 1,000 to over 4,000 pounds — palm tree skirts harbor pests and rodents that pose significant public health risks,” city staff said in a statement earlier this year. “Roof rats are common nesters in palm tree skirts throughout Southern California. … Tree skirts also provide ideal habitat for cockroaches, which carry bacteria including E. coli and salmonella.”

OLT Executive Director Jane Garrison said in a statement at the time, “This is a massive removal of habitat versus trimming the trees 12 feet up from the bottom.”

The city project will be completed in phases over the next four years.

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Unattended death reported at El Paso County gas station

KVIA on October 3, 2026

Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — An unattended death was reported at a gas station on Horizon Boulevard Friday, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said.

EPCSO said it responded to the death at 2:47 p.m. at a Flying J gas station on Horizon Boulevard. The department said no foul play is suspected.

No other information is available.

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Special Traffic Investigators respond to crash in West El Paso that seriously injured 1

KVIA on October 3, 2026

Gabrielle Lopez

UPDATE: Members of the Special Traffic Investigation unit responded to a crash in west El Paso that left one person with serious injuries. The crash was reported just after 4:30 p.m. at Resler and Orizaba.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — A crash in West El Paso injured two people on Friday, according to the El Paso Fire Department. One person went to a hospital with serious injuries.

EPFD said a crash between two trucks happened on Resler Drive and Orizaba Avenue around 5:30 p.m.

One person declined transportation to the hospital, EPFD said.

(Courtesy: FitFam El Paso)

The El Paso Police Department took over the investigation.

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