Texas NAACP to Hold 89th Annual State Convention in El Paso

KVIA on October 1, 2026

Nichole Gomez

El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)-The Texas NAACP is set to host its 89th Annual State Convention from October 1st to 3rd at the Hotel Paso Del Norte in El Paso, drawing leaders, members, and advocates from across the state. The convention aims to advance health, education, voting rights, historic preservation, and economic opportunity for all Texans, especially as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary.

Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe emphasized the urgency of the moment, stating, “This year’s convention is about more than a gathering — it is about strengthening the work we do every day across Texas.” Bledsoe noted that the theme, “Our Fight is Your Fight: United We Build the Beloved Community,” reflects ongoing challenges to civil rights and the need for strong community alliances.

A highlight of the event will be a keynote address from Hon. Leon W. Russell, chair of the NAACP National Board of Directors. The convention’s programming will include sessions on policy, advocacy, economic development, and community engagement. Special attention will be given to active-duty military, veterans, and young leaders.

“Young people are ready to work, ready to fight and ready to lead, and we need all hands on deck to meet this moment,” said Skylahr Mimms, president of the Texas NAACP Youth & College Division, encouraging youth participation.

The Texas NAACP invites organizations and individuals to participate in the convention. Registration and further details are available at Texas-naacp.org.

For additional information, contact Lonzo Kerr at lkerrnaacp@gmail.com or (512) 985-9151.

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FEMA Delivers $9 Million to Help Fire and First Responder Organizations in Oregon, Idaho and Washington

KTVZ on October 1, 2026

Brody Morgan

Bend, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded more than $9 million in grant funding this week to fire departments and first responder organizations across Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

The funding is designed to help local organizations obtain the staff, equipment and operational support needed for emergency response and firefighter safety. The latest awards bring the total fire grant funding provided to Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington this year to more than $23 million. Across the United States, FEMA has distributed $648 million through its three fire grant programs this year.

FEMA is administering the funds through its Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response program, which provides financial support to hire firefighters as well as assist with recruitment and retention. FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton emphasized the role of first responders in community resilience. “Firefighters and other first responders are everyday heroes, helping their neighbors and communities when they need it most,” Hamilton said. “Through this grant funding, FEMA is building the capability of these local organizations to respond to disasters and emergencies. By empowering fire departments to get the staff, training and equipment they need, FEMA is strengthening the resilience of American communities nationwide.”

In Washington, three fire agencies received grant allocations this week. South Kitsap Fire and Rescue in Port Orchard and Spokane County Fire District nine in Mead each received more than $1.7 million. Additionally, North Whidbey Fire and Rescue in Oak Harbor received $1 million.

In Idaho, the Boise Fire Department in Boise was awarded more than $2.3 million. In Oregon, two agencies received funding, with the Scio Rural Fire District in Scio and the Umatilla Rural Fire Protection District in Umatilla each securing more than $1.1 million.

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Free ‘Cool Science Festival’ returns with experiments from hot plates to hot dogs

KRDO on October 1, 2026

Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The 17th annual “Cool Science Festival” kicks off Saturday at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS) with Carnival Day, featuring over 100 hands-on activities and experiments.

“There’s a lot to learn very, very quickly, and you start to get lost in all the information. Going and showing people cool science brings back the wonder,” said UCCS student and presenter Josh Pappas.

The carnival starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. Both parking and admission are free. Professional cool scientists will lead demonstrations and host science magic shows. The Space Foundation Discovery Center will bring their robots in addition to rockets, telescopes, slime, live animals and more.

After the carnival, Cool Science will host dozens of events across the Pikes Peak Region and Pueblo. Most are free, while a select few have a small fee to cover overhead costs. You can find a full calendar of events here. You can pre-register by clicking on the event you are interested in.

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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Jefferson Central Fire & EMS District begins offering advanced life support ambulance services in Jefferson County

KIFI on October 1, 2026

Danielle Mullenix

RIGBY, Idaho (KIFI) — Emergency medical services in parts of Jefferson County are getting an upgrade.

Central Fire District is now offering advanced life support, or ALS, ambulance services, adding two fully stocked ALS ambulances to its emergency response system.

The new service begins after decades of the Idaho Falls Fire Department being the only provider of ALS ambulance services for the Jefferson County area.

ALS Ambulance Celebrations in Rigby earlier Thursday morning

Central Fire District previously operated a basic life support, or BLS, ambulance out of its Rigby station.

BLS care can include basic airway management, patient movement, and other medical assistance. The level of service does not provide the same advanced medications and interventions available through ALS.

What ALS changes:

The new ALS ambulances give crews additional tools to treat patients experiencing serious medical emergencies.

Those capabilities include:

Advanced airway management Cardiac assistance Additional medications Pain medication Treatment for serious emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes

Roger Anderson, Chairman of the Jefferson Central EMS District, described the transition as “another level of an ability to save lives.”

For context of the advancement, Anderson gave an example of what type of situation can be remedied:

“Let’s say you had a heart attack *yesterday in Jefferson County and you needed some life-saving drugs,” Jefferson said. “[Previously] we had to wait for Idaho Falls to get here because we weren’t licensed to provide that service to them. But today we’ll be able to get there in a shorter amount of time and be able to administer those life saving drugs and procedures in a quicker, in a quicker time frame.”

For the EMS and Fire district, this celebration has been years in the making.

“We’re just so excited. I mean, this is just such a big, big deal,” Anderson said. “It’s the culmination of a lot of work and the patience of residents of Jefferson County to get to this point. And so, today’s just kind of that starting point: It’s kind of the ending point of one era and the starting point of a new era.”

Central Fire District now has two ALS ambulances operating within the district.

“We’ll be able to do airways, more IVs, TCA, some of the things that will help save lives on traumas,” Anderson said.

The ambulances will cover the Central and Roberts areas, while other departments will provide backup as needed: Idaho Falls Fire Department will now serve as a backup for ALS ambulance services, while Madison Fire Department will provide backup for the Northside.

Air Idaho Rescue also attended the launch of the new ALS service.

The transition also includes additional medical personnel. One ambulance currently has a chase medic, while medic students are assisting with the new service. The chase medic is expected to eventually transition into a ride assistant role.

The new ambulance service is part of the emergency response system involving the Jefferson Central Ambulance District, Central Fire District, and quick response units, or QRUs.

Ambulance service in Jefferson County began expanding in 2022, when Central Fire District began providing BLS ambulance services from its Rigby station.

The Roberts Fire District and residents within the district also had the opportunity to vote on ambulance services.

What’s next?

Central Fire District leaders say the next goal is to establish an ambulance service in the Ririe area, continuing the expansion of emergency medical response throughout Jefferson County.

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Changes to SNAP benefits begin Oct. 1 for millions of Americans: What to know

KVIA on October 1, 2026

ABC News

5 million Americans, including over 1 million children, lost benefits this year.

By Molly Nagle and Elizabeth Schulze

Major changes are coming on Oct. 1 for the tens of millions of Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for food assistance from the federal government.

In the short term, most families will see a slight bump in their monthly payments to help afford groceries. But in the coming months, households will face stricter eligibility requirements and changes to how the benefits are administered that could ultimately result in far fewer benefits.

An estimated five million Americans — including more than 1 million children — have already lost SNAP assistance over the past year as part of President Donald Trump’s signature tax and spending law, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Short-term boost in benefits

Every year on Oct. 1, the federal government adjusts its monthly SNAP benefits to account for inflation. These cost-of-living adjustments apply across all states.

For a typical single-person household in one of 48 states (not including Alaska or Hawaii), checks will go from a maximum of $298 to $306 per month. That’s an extra $8 monthly.

For a family of four, checks will go from $994 to $1,023 per month. That’s an extra $29 per month, or $348 per year.

These inflation adjustments are intended to help families keep up with the rising cost of food. Grocery prices are up 2.2% in the past year.

Big funding changes

While these adjustments will help alleviate some cost pressures for current SNAP recipients, a major overhaul to the program is resulting in fewer people receiving benefits.

As part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” states are required to pay for a larger share of SNAP administrative costs while the federal government pays less. Now, states will be required to cover 75% of those administrative costs — a 25% increase. This change takes effect Oct. 1 and will leave states with millions of dollars of additional costs to cover. 

Additional cost shifts are also looming for states. Starting in 2027, states with a SNAP recipient error rate above 6% would also be on the hook for funding a portion of SNAP benefits themselves — expected to cost states hundreds of millions of dollars extra per year.

In anticipation of these sweeping changes, some states are already seeing a big drop in SNAP enrollment.

According to an analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Arizona, Florida and Louisiana were some of the states that saw the biggest change in participation, with Arizona seeing its numbers cut nearly in half. 

Changing eligibility requirements

The Republican-backed law has already imposed stricter requirements on SNAP recipients. 

Under the law, work requirements apply to able-bodied adults without dependents aged 18 to 64, up from the previous age limit of 54. 

The law also changed work requirements for families responsible for a dependent. Now, families with children age 14 and older are no longer eligible for an exemption from those work requirements. 

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New California car-buying rules take effect, adding protections for consumers

KESQ on October 1, 2026

Kiera McKinney

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ)- New rules are changing the car-buying process in California, with new protections aimed at giving buyers a clearer picture of what they are paying before they sign.

The California Combating Auto Retail Scams Act, or CARS Act, took effect Oct. 1.

Under the new law, dealers must be more upfront about a vehicle’s total price. Optional add-ons, such as warranties, GAP coverage or theft protection, must also be clearly disclosed as optional before a buyer signs.

Dan Jessup, executive manager of Jessup Auto Plaza, said transparency is one of the biggest changes buyers will notice.

“The biggest disparity has been a lack of transparency. When a consumer sees a price of a vehicle online and then may approach the vehicle in person or via email or on the phone, only to find out the price online is different than what they’re getting quoted,” Jessup said.

Another major change applies to qualifying used cars valued at $50,000 or less.

Buyers now have three days to cancel the deal for any reason. The vehicle must still meet mileage and condition requirements when it is returned, and a restocking fee may apply.

For local driver Nayeli Fonseca, having that option brings some peace of mind.

“I feel like it gives me like an ease of mind. Like, if anything, I change my mind, or I feel like, oh, this car doesn’t feel right for me, it gives me an ease to be able to come back and look at another option,” Fonseca said.

Fonseca said clearer pricing could also help take some of the uncertainty out of buying a car.

“It’s one of the worries that you have going in buying a car. Like, oh, they advertise it at 30-thousand, and then you walk out and you get, oh, it’s actually 35,” she said.

The new rules apply to licensed California dealers selling or leasing qualifying vehicles. Buyers can find additional information about the CARS Act through the California DMV.

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Historic Homers: El Paso company’s baseball bat used in epic MLB feat

KVIA on October 1, 2026

Rosemary Garcia

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — When employees at Overfly Sports crafted a baseball bat for St. Louis Cardinals rookie Joshua Báez earlier this year, they never thought he would go on to accomplish the unimaginable!

Overfly Sports is a custom bat-making company that’s based in El Paso. It manufactures more tan 30,000 baseball bats every year for players in the major and minor leagues.

It has locations in the United States and Mexico. The majority are made in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, while a smaller percentage is produced in El Paso.

The shop has made custom baseball bats for Báez for six years throughout his time in the minor leagues.

When it was his turn to debut in the majors, he wanted a special engraving on his bat.

“We engraved major league debut on the knob. And that one bat, one bat, was sent to him about two weeks prior to his debut. So he held on to it and was saving it for that day,” Kurt Gross, owner of Overfly Sports, said.

Gross never imagined Báez’s baseball bat would be in the national spotlight!

During a thrilling game against the Chicago Cubs, the 23-year-old went on to make history. Báez became the first player in MLB history to hit three homers in his first three at-bats.

The family was at dinner when the game unfolded as text messages started trickling in.

“Our group chat within the company started blowing up,” Gross said.

The accomplishment is one the Gross family still can’t fully comprehend.

“I mean, it was amazing to see that come to fruition. To see him succeed the way that he did in a historic manner in his debut was beyond anyone’s imagination,” Gross added.

“We couldn’t really believe it. Like, it was kind of like, is this is this fake? It’s almost—I mean, the odds of that are unreal,” added Will Gross, an employee at Overfly Sports.

While the specific baseball bat Báez used was manufactured in the Mexican facility, Overfly Sports is proud to say it played a small part in making history happen.

“We’re proud to be making major league bats here in El Paso; that’s something that we don’t take for granted. We love telling everybody that we’re here and we’re from El Paso, and it’s just a little bit of history that’s made in Major League Baseball. But we’re proud to say that it was done here in El Paso,” Kurt said.

Báez’s thrilling rookie season came to a premature end thanks to an injury. Kurt said Báez’s baseball bat won’t be going to the Hall of Fame because the player decided to keep it.

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Dan Rayfield and 20 states sue to block Trump administration’s pollution rollback

KTVZ on October 1, 2026

Adrielle Hasara

Bend, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed a lawsuit today against the Trump administration challenging the repeal of federal limits on power plant pollution. The legal action opposes the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to dismantle 2024 regulations that required coal- and gas-fired power plants to reduce carbon emissions.

Rayfield filed the lawsuit alongside attorneys general from 19 other states, the District of Columbia, the governor of Pennsylvania and municipal leaders from New York City, Chicago and Denver.

The repealed rules targeted power plants, which account for roughly a quarter of all carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. The coalition argues that the EPA violated federal law by eliminating the limits without adequately calculating the climate and public health costs, rendering the decision arbitrary and capricious.

Oregon Rayfield emphasized the regional environmental and health consequences driving the legal challenge. “Oregonians know what a changing climate looks like. We’ve lived through the heat dome and summers where the smoke was so thick our kids couldn’t play outside,” Rayfield said. “Pollution doesn’t stop at state lines and power plants are one of the biggest sources of it. The law requires EPA to do something about that. Instead, the Trump Administration is letting the biggest polluters off the hook and leaving families to pay the price.”

The lawsuit details several public health and economic risks associated with increased carbon emissions. According to the filing, higher pollution levels lead to more frequent heat waves and severe weather events, including heavy flooding and wildfire smoke. These conditions disproportionately impact low-income communities, older adults and children while increasing recovery expenses for local governments.

Separately, the coalition issued a formal notice of intent to sue the EPA over its failure to regulate existing natural gas power plants. Although the agency set emission standards for new gas plants more than a decade ago, it has never established similar rules for existing facilities, including high-demand “peaker” plants, as required under the Clean Air Act.

The lawsuit asks the federal court to overturn the repeal and reinstate the 2024 emission regulations for power plants. The states’ formal notice gives the EPA required lead time before the coalition files its separate lawsuit regarding existing gas-fired facilities.

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ASU head hockey coach placed on leave after player’s collapse during practice

CNN Newsource on October 1, 2026

By Ford Hatchett

Click here for updates on this story

    TEMPE, Arizona (KNXV) — Arizona State University’s head hockey coach Greg Powers has been placed on leave amid an investigation into the collapse of an athlete during an outdoor practice this summer.

Matthew Mayich, a 21-year-old St. Louis Blues NHL draft pick from Ontario, collapsed during an off-ice workout at Sun Angel Stadium on Aug. 20, 2026. He has been in a coma for 41 days.

The National Collegiate Hockey Conference released a statement Wednesday, saying Head Coach Greg Powers would be placed on leave following the incident.

“The concerns raised by student-athletes deserve to be heard and thoroughly reviewed. We will not prejudge the findings of that review. Hockey matters deeply to our conference, but the well-being of our student-athletes matters more,” the NCHC said in a statement.

Mayich family attorney Rob Carey told ABC15 more action should be taken.

“On day one, we asked ASU to put the coaching staff on leave. That’s a basic, routine step. Putting Powers on leave while his best friend of the last decade stays in charge of the locker room doesn’t solve the problem. If ASU won’t remove him, even just to err on the side of player safety, then the interim head coach it has promised should have the authority to remove anyone who poses a risk of retaliation against these players,” Carey wrote.

Powers sent this statement to ABC15:

“Matthew and his family remain foremost in my thoughts and prayers. What happened to Matthew has deeply affected everyone in our program, and I continue to hope for strength and healing for him and his family. I support the University’s decision to place me on administrative leave while the circumstances surrounding the August 20 workout are reviewed. I believe this will allow the review to proceed thoroughly, independently and without distraction. I intend to cooperate fully and want a process that Matthew, our players, their families and the broader ASU community can have confidence in. I respect our players’ right to speak openly and honestly about their experiences, and I want every player to feel completely free to participate candidly in the review. I care deeply about these young men and their well-being, and I will respect whatever they choose to share through that process. I always have and always will care deeply about this team, this program and the people in it. For now, the players deserve the opportunity to focus on one another, on Matthew and on the season ahead. I will support them from a distance while the facts are carefully examined and the process moves forward.”

Lawmakers are also weighing in.

Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) writing “What happened to Matthew Mayich is devastating. I’ve been thinking about him and his family. They deserve answers, as do his teammates who came forward with their concerns despite the risk to their careers. For that to happen there must be a full, independent investigation so that no athlete faces this again.”

Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) also releasing a statement reading “The circumstances surrounding what happened to Matthew Mayich are deeply disturbing. There are many questions about why young athletes like Matthew were pushed through an intense workout in the Arizona heat, with players now alleging that Matthew was not given an opportunity to drink water before he collapsed and suffered a catastrophic brain injury. If those allegations are true, that is unacceptable. An independent investigation must determine what happened and whether basic safety protocols were ignored. Matthew Mayich and his family deserve answers, and I’m with them in my thoughts and support during this difficult time.”

Powers is the only head coach ASU has had since promoting to NCAA Division I in 2015-2016. Assistant coach Mike Corbett will lead the team in their season opening games at Lindenwood University this weekend. ASU says an interim coach will be named soon.

As we reported on Tuesday, the parents of Mayich released a statement calling for the removal of the coaching staff, including Head Coach Greg Powers, that ran the Aug. 20 workout that left their son in a coma, saying an independent investigation must be allowed to proceed without players fearing retaliation.

Seven anonymous players sent a letter to ASU President Michael Crow disputing the university’s official account of the workout and making similar demands. According to a letter to President Crow on Sept. 28, players allege the workout lasted more than 75 minutes, that Mayich never received water, that exercise was used as punishment, and that required safety equipment, including a cold-water immersion tub, was not on the field. The players asked Crow to place the coaching staff on administrative leave and appoint an interim coach pending an independent investigation.

ASU’s hockey season is set to open Friday at Lindenwood University.

“The NCHC supports Arizona State University’s decision to place Head Coach Greg Powers on leave while the circumstances surrounding Matthew Mayich’s trauma are examined. Our thoughts remain with Matthew, his family, and his teammates.

“The concerns raised by student-athletes deserve to be heard and thoroughly reviewed. We will not prejudge the findings of that review. Hockey matters deeply to our conference, but the well-being of our student-athletes matters more.

“The NCHC will remain in contact with ASU regarding its review and the steps being taken to support and protect its student-athletes.”

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.

In warning letter, VP Vance says Dems are ‘prepared to pour millions’ into Idaho to flip Risch seat

KIFI on October 1, 2026

Idaho Capital Sun

ByLaura Guido-September 30, 2026 6:02 pm

BOISE, Idaho (Idaho Capital Sun) — Many Idaho residents recently received a fundraising appeal in the mail from U.S. Vice President JD Vance to support Idaho’s longtime Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Risch in his campaign for reelection, claiming Democrats were “prepared to pour millions of dollars into Idaho” to defeat the incumbent in what Vance said is an “urgent national race.”

Independent candidate Todd Achilles, left, and incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Jim RischIndependent candidate Todd Achilles, left, and incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Risch. (Photos courtesy of the candidates)

The letter, dated “Thursday 3:29 p.m.,” emphasizes the political past of Risch’s opponent, Todd Achilles, who served as a Democratic state legislator in Idaho and donated to Democratic candidates before launching his independent U.S. Senate campaign.

Risch and Achilles will face each other in the Nov. 3 general election.

“They know that if they can flip Idaho – a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1974 – they can strike a major blow against President Trump’s agenda,” Vance said in the letter. “Idaho remains one of the most conservative states in America, but that is precisely why national Democrats believe they can catch Republicans sleeping.”  

In the letter, Vance wrote that Risch, who serves as the chairman of the U.S. Senate’s powerful Foreign Relations Committee, “has earned a position of influence that benefits every corner of the state, and we cannot afford to lose it.”

The vice president asks that the letter’s recipients donate their “most generous contributions of $3,500, $2,000, $1,000, $500, $250, or even $100,” while pointing to high-profile efforts to elect independent candidates in Montana and Nebraska as a warning.

Nebraska candidate Dan Osborn in 2024 came within about 7 points of Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Deb. Fischer with support from a Democratic super PAC, Politico reported. Osborn is running again this year.

Crispin Gravatt, communications director for Achilles’ campaign, confirmed the campaign had seen the letter. 

“This is proof to us and all Idahoans that Jim Risch knows he’s in trouble and the race is competitive – and that he’s willing to do anything to win except answer directly to the voters,” Gravatt wrote in a Wednesday email to the Idaho Capital Sun. “Jim hasn’t held a town hall one time in the 18 years he’s been in the Senate, and he won’t debate the issues facing voters this cycle, but he will have the Vice President send a letter on his behalf. He is scared of conversation but he will happily fund lies and attack ads online to distract from the fact that his policies have made life more expensive and challenging for working Idaho families.” 

Risch’s campaign manager Marc Kilmer told the Sun that it wasn’t unusual for top officials to weigh in on an election for a federal post. 

“Having senior party officials send fundraising appeals is common practice in Senate races around the country on both sides of the aisle in every election cycle,” Kilmer wrote in an email.

Vance’s office could not immediately be reached for comment. 

Fundraising reports for candidates seeking federal office won’t be available until Oct. 16

The Federal Election Commission requires quarterly reports on campaign fundraising and spending. The most recent data available runs through June 30, and the next report is due Oct. 15. 

As of the most recent FEC reports, the Achilles campaign had raised nearly $700,000, and spent about $500,000. 

For the 2025 to 2026 campaign cycle, Risch’s camp had collected more than $3.3 million. 

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