Category: Uncategorized

Gavin Nguyen

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – One of the most popular pistol brands in the world will be much harder to purchase for California gun owners next year.

Assembly Bill 1127, signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 10th, will ban the sale of firearms that include a cruciform trigger bar. It’s a key component within the trigger mechanism in Glock handguns.

According to the bill, licensed firearms dealers would not be able to sell any handgun that uses this component after July 1st, 2026. Legislators argued guns that use the cruciform trigger bar can easily be illegally modified to turn it into a fully-automatic firearm – in which multiple rounds can be fired with a single pull of the trigger.

Golden State Armory, a gun store in Thousand Palms, said sales of Glocks will still be possible between people who already own them. But for stores like Golden State Armory, new sales will be blocked by the law.

Kent Miller, the owner, said the bill will likely result in sales ahead of the ban, but worries that taking away a hugely popular firearm from his inventory will hurt his business in the long run.

“Come next year as a small business… you tell a grocery store you can’t sell milk and eggs anymore, how well are they going to do?” asked Miller.

Several gun rights groups, including the National Rifle Association and Firearms Policy Coalition, are challenging the state’s latest gun control law in court. The groups argue that AB 1127 violates the Second and Fourteenth Amendments by outlawing one of the most popular and commonly owned handgun platforms in America.

John Commerford, Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, called the ban “an outrageous attempt to suppress the constitutional rights of California gun owners.“ 

Commerford said, “Once again, they are attempting to violate landmark Supreme Court decisions and disarm law-abiding citizens by banning some of the most commonly owned handguns in America. This flagrant violation of rights cannot, and will not, go unchecked.”

Miller also said he thinks the move will do little to stop violent crime.

Coming up tonight on KESQ, you’ll hear from experts on the ban. Stay with us for the latest.

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Charles Christian

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A new nonprofit in St. Joseph is partnering with other local organizations to provide resources for those in need of support.

The Unforgotten Project, a newly registered nonprofit in St. Joseph, hopes to provide advocacy, recovery support and educational resources to those in need, according to its mission statement.

Kristin Contreras and Kenneth Rodriguez, co-founders of the Unforgotten Project, said they both bring nonprofit experience, empathy and lived experience to this project.

“There is a lot of lived experience between the two of us,” Contreras said. “I came from a father who was an alcoholic and I was raised by a strong-willed single mother. I also lost my teenage son to a fentanyl overdose.”

When the two of them began looking for ways to reach out to others who have suffered losses and setbacks leading to addiction, they felt like a nonprofit would be a bridge that directly provides resources and facilitates partnerships in the community.

For Rodriguez, the idea started with a concept of what he calls ‘one good day.’

“Sometimes in the midst of a hard life or a hard time making bad choices, you forget that there can be good days,” Rodriguez said. “When people come along and do something positive for you, it can begin to bring hope again.”

Rodriguez said his own troubles with the law and addiction during his teens and early 20s showed him how desperate the cycle of crime and addiction can make someone. Now in his 40s, he said that he and Contreras can bring both experience and empathy to people in need.

Contreras, who also works with St. Joseph Youth Alliance, said being able to understand the needs of those who are struggling and have an awareness of local resources, allows the Unforgotten Project to make much needed connections for people who often feel unheard and forgotten.

In the near future, the Unforgotten Project plans to increase its online presence, which has grown to over 200 followers in less than two months. The organization also hopes to find meaningful ways to assist those who need with things like NARCAN and connections to addiction counseling.

For more information, visit the Unforgotten Project on Facebook.

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Mitchell Kaminski

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Gov. Mike Kehoe signed an executive order on Monday declaring a drought alert in Missouri.

The executive order gives state agencies the authority to direct resources to communities and farmers struggling with dry conditions. The order, which runs through Dec. 1, covers 85 counties experiencing moderate, severe, or extreme drought.

“This executive order allows our state agencies to step in and direct resources to those struggling with the consequences of drought, while allowing for vigilant monitoring of conditions over the next few months,” Kehoe said in a press release. “While much of our state is anticipating rainfall this week, we expect drought conditions to continue impacting agriculture and waterway navigation.”

Kehoe also urged Missourians to report local conditions to help state and federal partners understand the impact.

Across the state, farmers are feeling the effects of the dry summer. Andy Clay, a seventh-generation farmer who grows corn and soybeans near Jamestown, said this year has been especially challenging.

“Things were great starting off this year,” Clay said. “We got some of our crop planted before the wet spring began, and then the rains continued through June and early July. But by mid-July, they just shut off and we entered what they call a flash drought, where we didn’t receive any rain until this past Thursday, any measurable rain to do anything good. Unfortunately, our cattle pastures had already died off or burnt up in lesser quality areas, and it’s been the same with some of our later planted soybeans.”

Clay said the drought will result in lower crop yields.

“We didn’t receive any measurable rain during August and then obviously had typical August temperatures,” Clay said.  “So there’s a lot of soybeans out here that are going to have really small beans  and fewer beans per pod.” 

Despite the challenges, Clay said market factors and input costs will play a bigger role than weather in next year’s decisions.

“Mother Nature is always in control,” he said. “This year’s weather doesn’t always affect next year’s decision-making. The biggest thing affecting decision-making is input prices, how they continue to rise.”

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, about 5 million Missourians live in areas currently experiencing drought, up 17% from last week. August was the state’s third driest since 1895, with just 1.07 inches of rain compared with the average 2.64 inches. Still, rainfall from January through August totaled 29.52 inches, 1.5 inches above normal.

Adding to the stress is the trade war with China, once America’s top soybean customer, which hasn’t placed a single order.

On April 2, President Donald Trump levied a 34% tariff on all Chinese goods. Two days later, China responded with a retaliatory tariff on all US imports. 

The retaliatory tariffs have placed U.S soybean farmers at a 20% disadvantage compared to South American competitors. As a result, China has begun buying soybeans from Brazil, which shipped nearly 16 million tons of soybeans to China in March, its largest monthly volume ever. 

“It’s coming back to demand.  We’ve got to continue to look for markets that want to utilize the soybean prices. But with lower yields you typically would see increased prices. Clay said. “Unfortunately, next year, if things continue on the pace it is going  next year,  a lot of the commodity farmers are going to really start feeling  the effects of this.” 

Clay added that farmers are at the mercy of the elements and the market.

“We can’t control Mother Nature. We’re always at the hands of if she’s going to let us win or suffer,” he said.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The future of urgent care for local pet owners is moving toward the finish line in north St. Joseph.

Construction on the new North Pointe Veterinary Clinic at 5423 N. Pointe Drive is expected to be complete in December, officials with contractor Lehr Construction confirmed to News-Press NOW.

The family-owned clinic will open shortly after in January once construction concludes, helping cover a growing need among local pet owners for urgent care services.

The highly anticipated clinic will be located between the new Hilton and My Place hotels on North Village Drive. News-Press NOW previously reported that the clinic is not expected to be open 24 hours a day

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Safety is a top priority in many industries, especially those that utilize construction and utility tools.

In order to showcase the latest tools and equipment in said industries, Missouri American Water hosted the “Show Me Safety” Fair at St. Joseph’s Civic Arena. Over 200 attendees representing 29 communities were present, with interactive exhibits and training being available.

“The education part of it is something people don’t know they need,” ROS Office Furniture Project Manager Mike Kolich said. “For instance, if they have a person that does construction out in the field and comes in and does paperwork, they have to have a chair that can fit both of those needs and be safe.”

Training was also included to earn 5.5 hours to be used for drinking water, distribution and wastewater certifications.

Johnathan Accardo, an event vendor with UAG Water, noted some of the benefits that the equipment he sells offers to customers.

“I represent five different manufacturers and I have high max repair products,” Accardo said. “Some of the equipment I offer includes vessel meters, pit lids and rings, CCI for casing spacers and sealed pipe stands. These are things that any of our customers can use in their field.”

More information on the fair visit Missouri American Water’s Facebook Page

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María García

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Nearly 4,800 Southern California Edison customers lost power today in Desert Hot Springs following lightning strikes and storm conditions. Power was restored to most customers by 2:30 p.m.

The outage happened after two incidents impacts power lines and poles.

The first scene is near Palm Drive and Dillon Road, where power lines are down and a power pole is reportedly on fire. A second incident was reported on Cahuilla Avenue and Cactus Drive where power lines are also believed to be down.

A large outage was reported at about 9:30 a.m., leaving 4,635 customers without electricity in the areas of Granada and Hacienda avenues.

Stay with News Channel 3 for any new updates.

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Jeanette Bent

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) — The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced Tuesday that Taylor Fresh Foods is voluntarily recalling its Taylor Farms Honey Balsamic Salad Kit 6/8.3oz. because it may contain undeclared sesame and soy allergens.

The company says that people who may have an allergy or severe sensitivity to sesame and soy may have a risk of serious to life-threatening allergic reactions if the products are consumed.

According to the FDA, individual packets of dressing and toppings that were supplied by Latitude 36 Foods, LLC. and included in Taylor Farms salad kits, incorrectly included Asian Sesame Ginger dressing rather than the intended Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing.

This, the FDA says, can lead to undeclared sesame and soy allergens in some Taylor Farms Honey Balsamic Salad Kits.

The kits in question were recalled in 25 states — including California, according to the FDA — and include code dates starting with “TFRS” and a “Best If Used By” date up to and including September 4, 2025.

The FDA saying that the product code can be found in the upper right-hand corner of the packaging.

Consumers who have the recalled salad kit should discard it immediately and not consume the salad, according to the FDA. Refunds are available at the location of purchase.

There have been no illnesses reported to Taylor Farms in connection with the recalled product, and this recall does not apply to any other Taylor Farms products or brands.

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Karina Bazarte

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – The father accused of leaving his toddler unattended in a vehicle resulting in the child’s death in El Centro is now out on bond.

The father of the two-year-old victim, Jose Hernandez, posted a $35,000 bond on Saturday and is now out of custody.

Hernandez, 37, made his first court appearance after missing three court hearings due to medical reasons.

During the arraignment, the Imperial County District Attorney’s Office suggested the suspect should wear a GPS due to his connections to another country, but that was denied by the judge.

The DA also requested a criminal protective order for another child of Hernandez.

“The people were asking for a criminal protective order because we wanted to ensure not only the integrity of the investigation but to protect the other minor who is still under his care,” said Jessica Moreno with the D.A.’s Office.

The judged denied that order.

Although Hernandez is out on bond, he must follow some conditions.

“He has to report to the probation department twice a week in person, he cannot leave the state of California without prior approval from the court, and he has to abide by the conditions of a good order,” said Moreno.

Hernandez is currently facing charges of involuntary manslaughter and child abuse resulting in death. The D.A. has also added a special allegation of causing great bodily injury.

We spoke to Hernandez and his attorney and they said they won’t be commenting at this time.

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Rebecca Evans

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Law enforcement ramped up DUI enforcement Saturday night, joining a national effort to stop impaired drivers before tragedy strikes

The effort, known as Saturation Saturday, is a partnership between law enforcement agencies and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to increase enforcement and public awareness about the dangers of impaired driving. 

According to MADD, someone is killed or injured in a drunk driving crash every 85 seconds in the United States.

Saturation Saturday began eight years ago and now includes more than 260 law enforcement departments across 16 states and Puerto Rico. 

Prosecutors joined officers on ride-alongs to observe how DUI stops are handled in real time.

While arrests are sometimes part of the outcome, Sgt. Zeamer said the goal is to prevent crashes altogether.

In Missouri, impaired driving remains a serious issue. It accounts for 18 percent of traffic fatalities statewide, according to the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety. Impaired driving includes not only alcohol use, but also drug use, including prescription medications and marijuana.

According to the coalition, “drug-related fatalities have steadily increased over the last 10 years.”

Law enforcement and traffic safety advocates say efforts like Saturation Saturday are about more than citations and arrests; they’re about changing behavior and saving lives.

According to a Facebook post made by the Buchanan County Missouri Sheriff, their departments statistics for the night were 61 traffic stops, 2 warrant arrests, and 3 DWI arrests.

The St. Joseph Police Department reported that officers conducted 48 traffic stops during Saturation Weekend. Seven vehicles refused to stop, while officers issued 19 citations and 29 warnings for various traffic violations. In addition, two people were arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated and two others were taken into custody on outstanding warrants.

“MADD Saturation Weekend is about more than statistics, it’s about saving lives,” Police Chief Paul Luster said in the release. “Every impaired driver we take off the road represents a potential tragedy prevented. Our officers remain committed to making our streets safer for everyone.”

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Two suspects are behind bars after they were caught driving a vehicle stolen out of Riverside, California, but that’s not all police found in the car.