Category: Uncategorized

Euphenie Andre

Three Republicans are competing in the August primary for Callaway County Presiding Commissioner. In contention is Rob Barnes, Larry Robinson and former Sheriff Clay Chism. ABC 17 News sat down one-on-one with each candidate to discuss their priorities for the county, the proposed data center in northern Callaway County, planning and zoning, government transparency, and why they believe they are the best choice for voters. Mike Conner is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

EUPHENIE ANDRE: Welcome, everybody, to ABC 17 News’ Your Voice, Your Vote segment for the Voters’ Guide of August 2026. I’m Euphenie Andre, and I’m here with Clay Chism. Thank you so much for being here tonight.

CLAY CHISM: My honor.

EUPHENIE ANDRE: Can you please introduce yourself and tell me what role you are running for?

CLAY CHISM: Yes, my name is Clay Chism, and I’m a Republican candidate for the August primary in the race for Callaway County Presiding Commissioner.

EUPHENIE ANDRE: Clay, it’s been a couple of years since you’ve been in the public eye. You were the former Callaway County sheriff for eight years. What does it mean to be back, and why have you decided to come back for another leadership role?

CLAY CHISM: My life has been spent in public service. I jokingly, but seriously, tell people that’s all I know. That’s where my heart is. I’ve always believed in giving back to the community. Anyway, decades ago, when I came out of college, I decided instead of going to the private sector, where there’s good money to be made, that I’d rather come back, serve the public, be a part of the community, and try to help the community any way I can.

EUPHENIE ANDRE: You were suspended in 2023 for drinking on duty and pleaded guilty to a DWI charge. Later, your peace officer license was revoked. What do you have to say about your actions during those years?

CLAY CHISM: I made mistakes. I don’t hide from it. I’ll speak kindly to anybody who asks. I have had several face-to-face conversations with people from all walks of life, all over the community. I tried to use my mistakes to better my life, and I’ve also used my mistakes to try to educate and help others in the community. Of course, I don’t publicize that, but I’m actually helping people in the community that struggle with some of the struggles I had.

EUPHENIE ANDRE: Going back to those years, specifically October 6, 2022, can you tell me about your mental state and what you were going through during that time?

CLAY CHISM: I just hit a bad point in my life, and again, mistakes were made. There’s nothing I could say that takes away from what happened. There’s other facts out there that weren’t publicized, but, you know what, I don’t tell those facts because I don’t want anyone to think I’m trying to make an excuse, so I just let it be and say I’m sorry. Mistakes were made, but I believe when you’re down, you get back up. It makes a better person, and I’m back.

EUPHENIE ANDRE: Do you think you have a drinking problem?

CLAY CHISM: I do not have a drinking problem, at all. I have not had a sip in over three years.

EUPHENIE ANDRE: Was it because of what happened back then is why you decided to go sober?

CLAY CHISM: Correct, and what a lot of people do not know, but I also publicly sought treatment. I actually was out of state for a while at a specialized facility, and I made things right.

EUPHENIE ANDRE: What do you say to those that may believe you cannot handle another leadership role?

CLAY CHISM: I understand concerns, but again, I feel like it’s made me a better person. I’ve learned from my mistakes. Fortunately, the City of Auxvasse gave me an opportunity here a couple years ago, and that has blossomed. I have excelled in that. I’ve enjoyed working with the community. I believe I’ve proven myself to many. I know there’s always going to be doubters, and I respect that.

EUPHENIE ANDRE: Turning it over, data centers are another large thing that is happening in Callaway County right now. There is a proposal of a data center going to be built in northern Callaway. What are your thoughts about that?

CLAY CHISM: Like a lot of concerned citizens, I’m trying to differentiate truth from propaganda and maybe false information. To this day, I am trying to figure out what is the truth. What are the facts? I worked in law enforcement for 23 years, where every scene you rolled up into, your mission was to gather the facts, and sometimes that took longer than others, and I’m still trying to gather facts. I’m trying to determine the truth from fiction, but it’s really hard also not having my eyes on whatever this plan is, for lack of better words, and I don’t mean it in a derogatory way towards any current officials. I don’t mean it that way, but this pie has been in the courthouse oven for a while, and they know what the intimate, minor, new details are, but the public doesn’t, and until that plan is actually introduced to where you can see those fine details, it’s really, really hard to gauge your thoughts.

EUPHENIE ANDRE: Would you say that you are in support of data centers?

CLAY CHISM: I understand the concerns, but what I can tell you, and I have been very, very vocal about this for months now, is I do not approve of the major-tax abatements, and there’s no secret. There’s absolutely no secret at all. That’s one of the key elements for the data centers are looking to end up, is where they can get major-tax abatements. I’m not totally against tax incentives for certain programs. There’s been long-standing tax incentives for different types of businesses or industry, but to hear of these data centers pushing 70, 80, 90% tax abatement, that’s a real kick in the gut to a lot of Callaway County citizens, especially small business owners. Callaway County has a lot of small businesses, and a lot are established businesses. They’ve grown their business through blood, sweat, and tears. They weather the bad times, and they try to make the best out of the good times, but never once they got a dime off their tax bill. They never got a penny off, and they never asked either. They just expected to pay their fair share of their tax assessment, so it’s really a kick in the gut to a lot of citizens to hear of a corporation coming in and getting a major, huge tax break. It is not sitting well with a lot of Callaway County residents.

EUPHENIE ANDRE: What are your thoughts of Callaway County’s planning and zoning rules? Because some say, due to the lack thereof, is why they decided to build a data center in the county.

CLAY CHISM: Yes, and I’ve been very clear about this too. Overall, I am not a proponent of planning and zoning, and Callaway County citizens, overall, from corner to corner of the county, continue to this day, I hear every week out on the campaign trail, that they do not want planning and zoning. A lot of people in Callaway County will willingly say we don’t want to turn Callaway County into Boone County, and what a lot of citizens have to understand is living in an area. Let’s just say the area the data center, where all of a sudden there may be, maybe we should have planning and zoning. Well, legally, you cannot pass planning and zoning for one neighborhood, one business, one area. It’s the whole county, and Callaway County is 842 square miles. It’s the fifth-largest land county in the state of Missouri, so to plan and zone one issue that may be occurring in a 2 square mile area, that now affects everyone else in the other 840 square miles, and we have approximately 30,000 citizens who live in rural, unincorporated Callaway County. They don’t want planning and zoning. I hear it every week. They are not in favor. They do not want a Boone County in Callaway County. No disrespect, but I just cannot support planning and zoning, and again, I think it has to be, people just have to realize it’s all or none. You can’t plan and zone one business, one area, one farm, one landowner. It just doesn’t work that way. Planning and zoning one area punishes everybody, literally everybody, in rural Callaway County, and I just can’t support that.

EUPHENIE ANDRE: What solution do you think there is, though, for maybe down the future, people want to create another data center in north Callaway? What would you do?

CLAY CHISM: In what regard?

EUPHENIE ANDRE: Because you’re against planning and zoning, so what if another corporation wants to build another data center because the rules of planning and zoning are still loose? What solution do you think, even though there’s a data center right now, what rules can be set to say, hey, you just can’t come here and build this?

CLAY CHISM: I would revert back to my first statement and my first stance that has not deviated at all. If you can try to cut the snake off at the tail, or you can cut the snake off at the head, and I just do not agree with the 75, 80, 85% tax abatement. So I guess if you say I’m against data centers, that could be observed, but it’s not necessarily that I’m against the infrastructure because I’m still trying to learn what does that infrastructure really consist of, but I just cannot agree with a 75, 80, 90% tax break. But with that said, I am very, very well aware that January 1, when whoever the presiding commissioner may be, that this is already going to be a done deal. So, in all honesty, whoever the new presiding commissioner is, it’s just going to have to embrace whatever decisions have been made. So my thought in life is, if I’m fortunate enough to be the presiding commissioner of Callaway County, whatever decisions have been made, I’m going to have to embrace those decisions and then try to make the best of it and help the county any way I can.

EUPHENIE ANDRE: The county did have an open house yesterday on the data center and informed people of what’s going on, so let’s fast forward. If you were to be elected, how are you going to handle that when it is going to be built?

CLAY CHISM: Handle which?

EUPHENIE ANDRE: The data center is being built. How are you going to reassure citizens of what’s going on and keep it transparent with them?

CLAY CHISM: OK, sorry. I wasn’t sure where you were tracking with that. I think that the issue needs to be made public as soon as it can be. Of course, there are legal standards, and I understand those, but I do think as soon as it can be made public, this could possibly be in the works. Citizens need to be aware and educated, and again, I appreciate the open house last night. I was there. I felt like it went very well. I heard a lot of citizens who were very complimentary, who said whether we agree or disagree, we appreciate the opportunity, the opportunity to learn. So I think we just have to repeat that.

EUPHENIE ANDRE: What opportunities do you believe the county will benefit from having a data center?

CLAY CHISM: Again, I’m trying to figure that out myself. I’ve heard from credible sources that potentially, if Caruso does come to an agreement with the county, they’re going to support some needs of the county, but again, I can’t confirm that because I don’t have my eyes on the plan, and I don’t have my ears in those meetings, so I look forward to learning and being able to make a more educated decision.

EUPHENIE ANDRE: If you are elected, what will be your top three priorities?

CLAY CHISM: The role of the commission is actually very specific, and there’s a lot of misconceptions out there as to what the county commission has control over or is part of. At the end of the day, the No. 1 responsibility of the county commission is the fiscal responsibility of the county. That is the No. 1 every day job. The commission does have direct oversight of some county departments, such as County Road, Bridge, County Health and Joint Communications Center, the Emergency Management. So obviously, being that the commission does have direct control over those offices on a daily basis, I would certainly immediately be working with those administrators to keep a good grasp on what’s working, what’s not, obviously looking for operational efficiencies. I’ve been around government long enough that I know how this works. There’s a trickle down when you have federal cuts, then you have state budget cuts, and then the next thing you know you have local budget cuts, and there is state money coming into local departments. So I can see there being some cuts coming. Being a seasoned veteran government official who dealt with the largest part of the county budget for eight years, I understand that there could be some harder times ahead and that we definitely need to be looking at efficiencies while making sure the citizens are receiving the best service they can.

EUPHENIE ANDRE: What cuts are you seeing?

CLAY CHISM: I don’t see any specific cuts. There is transportation money that comes through grants. There’s health department money, health department grant money, that comes through grants. Anytime you have a trickle down or anytime you have cuts starting up there’s always a trickle down, so again, just being fiscally responsible, which is the everyday number one responsibility of the commission. I just want to get a really good grasp on the budget and the efficiencies and making sure the county stays in a stable position so if there ever is a downfall in money coming from other agencies, or there’s a downfall in tax revenue, or there’s some type of downfall, that the county can get through the struggles.

EUPHENIE ANDRE: Why should voters choose you over your opponents?

CLAY CHISM: Why should voters choose you over your opponents? I revert back to a question. I usually get asked about, you know, why are you the best candidate, and I always say I’m not the best candidate. I think it’s egotistical to say I’m the best. I think every candidate has their pros and cons. I had nothing but respect for Mr. Robinson and Mr. Barnes. We each bring things to the table. I’m not going to say I’m the best. That’s egotistical. I would say that I bring 25 years of government experience, mostly with the county, most recently with the city. I’ve worked in the private sector as well. I actually work two jobs right now, so I work full-time in the private sector, but I’ve had part-time jobs in the private sector throughout the years as well. I understand life from the private sector as well. I believe I bring a lot of experience as far as public and private sector experience to the government or the courthouse, and I just understand the needs of the county. I’ve worked in the trenches of Callaway County for 23 years. I mean, we have 820 miles of county-maintained road. That’s not including state-maintained roads. The county has 120 miles of road in the inventory, and working from corner to corner of the county, I think I have a good understanding of the needs and, more importantly, the wishes of the citizens. I think a lot of elected officials forget is once I get elected, it’s not necessarily what they think. They have to represent the citizens, and I respect the citizens. I mean, again, that goes back to my planning and zoning answer. The citizens continuously make it clear to me, to this day, they do not want planning and zoning, so I respect that.

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John Palminteri

CARPINTERIA, Calif. (KEYT) – An easy way for the public to help with beach clean ups in Carpinteria has come together with an idea from a 14-year-old Carpinteria resident, Elias Sprague.

He is spending part of his summer in Junior Lifeguards as part of his love of the ocean and waterfront, but before the summer started, he worked with the city on the effort he hopes other kids and families join in on. City leaders say there is a growing interest among local youth and families in environmental stewardship and this is one of the ways they can take part either as an individual or with others.

Sprague is working with Carpinteria Beautiful and Relic Coastal Collaborative.

On the side of the Ash Avenue lifeguard tower there is a special rack with yellow baskets for a grab-and-go process. Nearby there is a special trash to toss the debris or small items that were picked up.

Recently Sprague was with the group Tidy Seas and fellow Junior Lifeguards for a cleanup that is a part of that program. His effort is throughout the year.

City leaders say it is a beneficial addition to the beach access point where some residents come and walk daily, often at day break. They can be the first to do a clean up sweep.

Sprague described the process in front of a stack of six baskets. “This is a way people pick up a basket like this and pick up trash and dump it in a dumpster right over there,” he said. Some of the items found Tuesday included plastic lids, cups, a sock, a discarded toy, and many remnants from illegal fireworks from the 4th of July.

Carpinteria Environmental Program Specialist Tatianna Suriel, “instead of saying maybe  that is a great idea we can think about it, we said how can we make this happen?” It included permits and approvals that came through with the city of a fast track.

When you are done, there is a QR code for you to comment on your trash pick up effort.”You write in what  you picked up,  thoughts about the station and ideas to improve it . We just want as much data about it as possible,” said Sprague.

He is also working with Santa Barbara County Supervisor Roy Lee, a former City Councilman, on expanding the basket locations to other areas of the South Coast. Another possible nearby location is at Linden Ave. which gives access to the state beach site to the east, often filled to capacity during the summer months.

The Carpinteria City beach is also known as “The World’s Safest Beach.”

The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.

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Gabrielle Lopez

UPDATE (June 12, 2026) — The County of El Paso sent an updated list of cooling centers Friday:

Agua Dulce Community Center – 15371 Kentwood Ave. (Horizon)

Fabens Community Center – 201 NW Camp St. (Fabens)

Canutillo Community Center – 7351 Bosque Rd. (Canutillo)

La Fe Montana Vista Community and Resource Center, 14618 Greg Dr. (El Paso)

These cooling centers will open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for June 19 and July 3-4 for the holidays, the county said.

For a list of cooling centers in the Las Cruces area, click here.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — As El Paso is expected to reach triple-digit temperatures this week, the city announced public cooling centers to protect residents from heat-related risks.

Cooling centers provide indoor air conditioning, according to the city. They help protect the community from heat-related illnesses and injuries.

The city said infants, children, older adults, pregnant women and people with medical conditions are especially vulnerable to heat exhaustion, heat stroke and other illnesses. Symptoms include heavy sweating, nausea, muscle cramps, dizziness and a weak pulse. The city said in severe cases, people can become unconsciousness.

Some recreation centers will open as cooling centers Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. These locations won’t be open on Sundays:

Valle Bajo (7380 Alameda)

Marty Robbins (11600 Vista Del Sol)

Galatzan (650 Wallenberg)

Nations Tobin (8831 Railroad)

Some of the city’s public libraries will also provide air conditioning. Their hours are Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday 1-6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Armijo Library (620 E. 7th)

Clardy Fox (5515 Robert Alva)

Dorris Van Doren (551 Redd)

Esperanza Moreno (12480 Pebble Hills)

Irving Schwartz (1865 Dean Martin)

Jose Cisneros/Cielo Vista (1300 Hawkins)

Judge Marquez (610 N. Yarbrough)

Main Library (501 N. Oregon)

Memorial Park (3200 Copper)

Richard Burges (9600 Dyer Ste. C)

Sergio Troncoso (9321 Alameda)

Westside (125 Belvidere)

The city said only the Main Library will be open Sundays from 1-6 p.m.

Beyond air conditioning, residents should stay hydrated with non-sugary, non-alcoholic fluids, the city said. Lightweight, light-colored clothes can also help you stay cool.

The city also urged residents to set up a buddy system to check on neighbors, co-workers or family members who are at greater risk for heat-related illnesses.

The Extreme Weather Task Force is also accepting fan donations at all El Paso and Horizon City fire stations. If residents need a fan, they can call 211 to see if they’re eligible.

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Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Yuma City Council is considering adopting an ordinance to place Proposition 436 on the ballot in November.

Proposition 436 asks voters to approve a $30 million permanent base adjustment to the city’s expense base.

“It’s really just to adjust our permanent base adjustment to our annual expenditure money. In basic terms, the AEL is a set spending framework that was adopted in 1980 and it really sets a limit to how much a city or town can spend,” a city representative said.

Most cities in Arizona have adjusted their AEL, but Yuma is one of six cities that has not yet.

“We are kind of at the point where it’s time to adjust the spending limit. The AEL is like having a bank account where you had 1000s dollars, but I have an ATM limit and I can only pull out a max amount and that’s what we’re really looking at. We aren’t going to generate new revenue or taxes,” the city said.

A permanent base adjustment would not increase taxes, increase new revenue, or create new fees.

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Kelsey Merison

SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) — Sisters High School students will be awarded $385,250 in scholarships during Sisters GRO’s annual Senior Celebration this Wednesday evening at Sisters High School, all thanks to generous community donations.

This year marks a significant milestone for Sisters GRO, an independent nonprofit founded in 2008. The organization is distributing a record $385,250 in scholarships, an increase of $30,000 from last year. These scholarships, totaling 152 individual awards for 68 graduating seniors, support a wide range of post-graduation paths including community college, four-year universities and trade schools.

Sisters GRO has now surpassed $3.4 million in total scholarships awarded since its inception. The minimum award amount for scholarships has also increased from $500 to $1,500 this year.

Tim Ross, chair of the Sisters GRO Board of Directors, emphasized the impact of the scholarships. “Lives will be changed this Wednesday evening,” Ross said. “Every single applicant will receive meaningful support for their future educational plans.”

The awards are funded by local nonprofits, private donors, and area businesses. Students are pursuing fields ranging from aviation and culinary arts to science, education and the skilled trades.

Executive Director Regan Roberts highlighted the community’s commitment. “The generosity of the Sisters community is truly remarkable,” Roberts said. “This level of support reflects a deep commitment to education and to helping local students pursue their dreams.”

The Senior Celebration begins at 7 p.m. at Sisters High School, located at 1700 W. McKinney Butte Road. This year also sees the launch of a new Endowed Scholarship Fund and the introduction of eight new scholarships.

Following the ceremony, a reception will be held, allowing students and their families to connect with the donors who fund these scholarships.

To learn more about Sisters GRO, click here.

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Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A family is sharing their story of frustration with KRDO13 in hopes of making a change in the triage process or response for struggling children at the Children’s Hospital. The Fickas family detailed their account of a recent experience while waiting to be admitted to the emergency room.

Camille is 16 months old. Her mother, Sarah Fickas, says Camille, or Millie, was just recently diagnosed with sleep apnea after a sleep study. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, is a condition where breathing either diminishes or stops during sleep.

“So she had her oxygen prescribed for over a year and then got off in February, like mid-February, when her results came back,” said Sarah Fickas.

First ER visit

On March 6, Fickas took Camille to the ER after she said she had been vomiting.

“I just want to make sure she’s not dehydrated or anything. So we brought her in on Friday, and we waited for however long. She wasn’t bad at all that day. I was just wanting to check on her. So I wasn’t worried about waiting. When we went to a room, they were giving her a bag of fluids, and she fell asleep. And on their monitor, she was sitting around, like, 87 to 89. And they want kids, like, above 89, to be off oxygen. So they sent her home with a sleep oxygen order. So we came back home with oxygen again,” explained Fickas.

A sudden drop in oxygen levels

This is why she says that on March 7, they put Camille’s pulse oximeter, better known as a pulse ox, on her to monitor her blood oxygen saturation.

“About five minutes into her having the monitor on, the monitor red alerted, which is when it dips below 80 because they should still be on oxygen like 80 to 89, but it doesn’t red alert, you’re just supposed to like be monitoring periodically at that point. But when it goes into red alerts, that’s like a medical emergency. So she red-alerted awake at 78, which has never happened because she’s only ever needed oxygen at night,” said Fickas.

She says she turned off the alarm, but it went off again within minutes as Camille’s oxygen levels dropped to 75. They say they called the Children’s Hospital triage and were directed to call 911.

An ambulance arrived, and paramedics turned Camille’s oxygen up to a whole liter, four times what she was prescribed, said Fickas. However, due to cost concerns, Fickas said they declined an ambulance and drove Camille to the ER.

Second ER visit

“We got to children’s at 11:00. Exactly. And when I checked her in, I told them what happened, they triaged her while she was on oxygen, back to a quarter liter. We turned her down to her baseline so they could triage her. They gave her a hospital pulse ox. And we went to sit down in the waiting area, and it was packed. All the chairs were filled up. Most kids were, like, throwing up or having a cough. Similar to what it sounded like when she was coughing. She [Camille] was one of the littlest ones there,” recounted Fickas.

When they sat down, Fickas says Camille’s oxygen levels plummeted, and her chest started retracting while breathing.

“She was immediately in the low 80s, and she was horribly retracting, like, working so hard, harder than I’ve ever seen her work to breathe,” said Fickas.

Fickas ran back up to the front to tell hospital staff. She says they came out and bumped Camille’s oxygen up to half a liter, but Camille was still retracting.

“So I went and got them again, and somebody came and turned her up to a whole liter and then told me that that’s the highest they were willing to turn her up to in the waiting room,” Fickas said.

Fickas said even at the full liter of oxygen, Camille’s chest was still retracting as she worked to breathe. Fickas tells KRDO13 she understands people need to be seen in order of urgency based on their condition. Despite this, Fickas said she felt that her daughter’s condition was life-threatening.

“I had like five or six parents that were there that same night reach out to me saying they were watching her and they like, couldn’t believe that they weren’t seeing her [Camille] helping her,” said Fickas.

Repeated pleas for help

Fickas said she repeatedly went to the front and pleaded to hospital staff, saying that her daughter is struggling, asking if she could be seen. Camille’s mother said they kept saying it’s based on who has the worst symptoms and that they don’t get to choose up front.

Fickas said she started to feel guilt for not taking her daughter to the ambulance. She says when she asked hospital staff, they said even if you brought her in the ambulance, you’d still have the same wait.

Finally seen after nearly eight hours

Fickas tells KRDO13 that after seven hours and fifty minutes, her daughter was taken back to be seen. She says the doctors were apologetic, telling her that Camille should never have waited this long in her condition.

“At that point, the doctor came in, and I’m not kidding. He looked at her for one second. He turned her from one liter to three liters and admitted her immediately, and ordered a chest X-ray, where we found out her right lung was partially collapsed and there was a lot of junk in both of her lungs. About 30 minutes after the X-ray, we were back in the room, and they started her on high flow oxygen therapy at ten liters in the waiting room,” said Fickas.

Camille’s mom says she was shocked that the medical professionals had to bump up Camille’s oxygen to ten liters to maintain her breathing. She said Camille was working so hard, but once she reached 10 liters, she started to look more comfortable.

“Well, about an hour into that, she started working hard again, and they turned her up to a 12,” recounted Fickas.

Fickas says after two hours, they weaned Camille back down to 10 liters.

From waiting room to possible ICU

“They told us if she couldn’t maintain a 10 for two hours, we had to admit her to the PICU, the pediatric ICU, instead of the normal hospital room that they had assigned to her when she got admitted,” recounted Fickas, “I want to know how we went from my daughter being told she’s fine over and over again in the waiting room to a possible ICU admissions within hours.”

She says that made it even more frustrating to hear from the doctors how serious her daughter’s condition was.

“I genuinely believe they’re responsible for her lung collapsing because of how long they made her sit there, retracting, working. Honestly, it just makes me so upset. I feel like they caused so much more damage than help,” said Fickas.

Hospital response

We brought all of their concerns to the Children’s Hospital multiple times and received this response:

Children’s Hospital Colorado is still in the middle of respiratory season and experiencing longer wait times than normal. Our triage process is to care for every patient and their family based on their individual and unique needs and get the sickest kids in as quickly as possible. Children’s Hospital Colorado recognizes the importance of having specialized pediatric guidance available to parents and families, and we strive to see all patients in a timely manner. While wait times can vary during respiratory season, our teams always work diligently to evaluate the urgency of every patient in need. The Children’s Hospital Colorado Patient Relations team is available to address families’ needs and experiences while in our care.

– Children’s Hospital Colorado

Although not for pediatrics specifically, UCHealth confirmed to KRDO13 that it is also experiencing longer wait times due to the respiratory season. CommonSpirit is working on a response. This article will be updated with what we hear back.

UCHealth is committed to providing the best care to every patient we serve.

Currently, our hospitals in southern Colorado are seeing an increase in emergency department visits due to seasonal respiratory infections. Wait times vary depending on the severity of injury or illness of each patient along with how many patients are waiting to be seen.

In addition to emergency departments, UCHealth has several in-person urgent care locations throughout the Pikes Peak region, along with virtual urgent care available in Pueblo and across the state. Patients can schedule same-day urgent care and virtual urgent care appointments through the UCHealth app.

More information about virtual urgent care can be found here: Anyone in Colorado can access Virtual Urgent Care – UCHealth Today

– A UCHealth spokesperson

A call for change

Despite this, Fickas’ frustrations continue.

“How do you have a one-year-old girl sitting in the waiting room for eight hours and then admit her immediately with respiratory failure?” Camille’s mom wondered.

Fickas says she understands the wait when your child does not need to be taken back immediately.

“We’ve been there, and we’ve waited a long time, and, like, I’ve known that it’s okay to wait a long time because I’m like, okay, my kid, there’s obviously worse kids in here than my kids right now. But then, like times, like this, I’m like, okay, she needs to be seen, like, right now,” said Fickas.

She says by sharing this, she hopes there can be changes in triage to get patients in sooner. Fickas tells KRDO13 she feels as though had a doctor looked at her daughter, they would have immediately brought her daughter back.

After a few days in the hospital, Camille was sent home. She is still recovering from her partially collapsed lung and using oxygen at night, said Fickas.

The Fickas family has filed a grievance with the Children’s Hospital through patient advocates. While they haven’t decided anything yet, the Fickas family is also exploring their legal options.

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Paul Vozzella

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Residents across the Desert Southwest are preparing for a stretch of unusually high temperatures, with forecasts indicating that daily records could be broken as an early-season heat wave settles over the region.

In Yuma, the next week is expected to bring persistent heat across much of the desert landscape. The early arrival of such intense warmth has prompted both concern and resignation among residents who are familiar with the region’s extreme climate.

Some locals view the situation as part of the varying desert weather that happens naturally.

Andrew Segovia, a full-time resident, acknowledged the unusual timing but suggested that fluctuations are to be expected.

“It is warming up a little earlier than normal but that’s ebb and flow,” Segovia said.

Others say the transition from the mild winter season to extreme heat has felt particularly abrupt this year.

Jeff Waddell, who lives in the area year-round, noted that the cooler months seemed to pass quickly.

“We live here now full-time, so no, the winter time really didn’t exist too much,” Waddell said, describing what he felt was a noticeably short period of mild weather.

Not everyone is bothered by the early heat. For some seasonal residents who travel to the region specifically for its sunshine, the rising temperatures are welcome.

Gary Poole, who has been visiting the area for years during the winter months, said the warmth is exactly what he hopes for when he arrives.

“We come down here for the sun, so this is pretty good stuff,” Poole said.

Make sure to take proper precautions by staying hydrated, limiting prolonged exposure to the sun and taking frequent breaks indoors or in shaded areas during the hottest parts of the day.

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Michael Coats

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Since the very start of KIFI’s 65 years of broadcasting, weather reports and forecasts have been a fixture of our live broadcasts.

From a simple map, podium, and pointer, the first weather reports on KIFI were fairly basic. More of a weather report than a forecast.

Bert Metcalfe (Circa 1966-1967)

Bill James (Circa 1960s)

John Haeberle (Circa 1966)

Former weathercaster and news anchor Steve Cannon says, “I would drive to the airport and get the upper air configuration and the radar chart. Draw it out on the board. When it came time, we had three studio cameras, as we do now, and the charts would be there and I say, the radar shows us… and the camera would go there. Then pan over to the upper air chart. Then back to me at the weather desk.”

Steve Cannon worked in eastern Idaho television for over 40 years, retiring from KIDK and KIFI in 2019

Long before computer graphics, on-air weather presenters needed some perfect penmanship

“I had five colors, black, green, blue, red, and something else…We had a big map, covered with plexiglass.” Cannon said. “I would take these vis-a-vis water soluble markers and draw everything. Then at the end of the weathercast, I had a bottle of Windex and paper towels. Spray it down, wipe it all down, go have my supper, come back and start all over.”

Today, we take computers and weather data for granted. A meteorologist can import layers of live and forecasted data instantly.

Cannon says when remembering the first weather computers, “It will do what? Oh yeah, it will chart this and that, it will do everything. I learned that first one, then the second generation came in, then the third generation, and then everyone added to each other. The animation you could use and the color pallets you could use, that was just amazing.”

Weather technology moves so fast these days, for example, since 2006 and since that time we have updated or completely changed weather computer systems at KIFI 9 times.

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Kelsey Merison

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Happening this Thursday, February 5th, a sweet night with a sweet impact!

You’re invited to join one of our incredible 21 Cares for Kids partners, Every Child Central Oregon, for a fundraising night at Hawkeye and Huckleberry in Bend.

The Sweet Soirée is an evening to celebrate community, connection, and the impact of Every Child’s shared work. You’ll hear stories from those whose lives have been touched by it’s mission, learn about the difference your support makes, enjoy live music, and can take part in a lively dessert dash—a fun competition for the most delectable treats around!

“We have a few tickets left for dinner, and then a couple left for dessert and dancing. It is a wonderful night where you get to come hear from the people that are impacted by the work, those that we see and serve, and learn more about us in a beautiful venue,” said Melissa Lovemark, the executive director of Every Child Central Oregon.

Before the main event, guests can choose to join the nonprofit for an optional family dinner catered by Hawkeye and Huckleberry from 5 to 7 p.m.

Come savor something sweet and make a difference that lasts.

Click here for the event details and ticket information.

Click here to learn more about Every Child Central Oregon.

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Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Two men were arrested early Tuesday morning in Pocatello on multiple charges of drug use and manufacturing.

The two men have been identified as 41-year-old David Fulton and 60-year-old Wadsworth Lothrop. Both men were booked into the Bannock County Jail on multiple charges.

Fulton has six charges in regards to drug trafficking of methamphetamine, posession of drug paraphernalia, grand theft, and manufacturing of methamphetamine.

Lothrop is also facing six charges of posession of a controlled substance, posession of drug paraphernalia and concealing or destroying evidence of posession.

Both men had warrants out for their arrest. The Pocatello Police Department said the case is now under investigation, and no further information will be released at this time.

They want to remind community members to be wary of suspicious activities in their neighborhoods and public areas.

“If you have a house and a car pulls up and stays there for two or three minutes and then leaves,” said Lieutenant Vanderschaaf, “it could be indicative of drug sales.”

They said watching for these short stops at houses and watching for anyone who doesn’t belong in the neighborhood is key to stopping the drug-related issues.

“If you do start seeing something like that in the neighborhood, just give us a call and report it and we’ll have our narcotics officers take a look at it,” Vanderschaaf said.

The Pocatello Police say that drug arrests are consistent with the usual activity this time of year. Community member reports are the easiest way to help stop the spread of illegal drug activity in the Pocatello community.

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