Joe’s Gulch Fire grows to 62 acres

KIFI on June 20, 2025

Abi Martin

CUSTER COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — Firefighters are still working to contain the Joe’s Gulch fire in Custer County, just north of Stanley. The fire has now grown to about 62 acres — up from just 10 to 15 acres on Thursday. However, fire crews in the area have reportedly continued to make good progress with suppression efforts throughout the day, Friday. 

Officials are asking the public to avoid the area.

They are also reminding everyone: “If you fly a drone, crews can’t fly aircraft in, which can delay critical firefighting efforts.”

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Massive Data Leak – 16 Billion Credentials and Passwords

KIFI on June 20, 2025

Doug Long

Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a leak of approximately 16 billion login credentials, exposing the passwords in the largest leak ever reported. Researchers with Cybernews were the first to discover and report on the leak. In the last two days, multiple source,s including Forbes and TechRadar, have confirmed their report.

Researchers are calling this “Weaponizable intelligence at scale.” Which means the leak isn’t static, but that cybercriminals are actively distributing and monetizing from the information.

“This is not just a leak – it’s a blueprint for mass exploitation. With over 16 billion login records exposed, cybercriminals now have unprecedented access to personal credentials that can be used for account takeover, identity theft, and highly targeted phishing,” said researchers.

What was leaked? Emails, usernames, passwords, login URLs, session tokens, authentication paths, patterns of behavior, and the exact backdoors that keep your accounts open.

If you use email, social media, online banking, cloud storage, delivery apps, subscriptions, or even just a mobile phone — you are compromised. This is not some elite hack targeting CEOs and politicians. This is everyone.

Act now! Change and protect your passwords

These steps should be taken as soon as possible.

Chang every password. Email, banking, cloud storage, social media, everything. Start with what matters most. Use long, unique, complex combinations.

No password is truly “hack proof,” but a strong password significantly reduces risk. Cybersecurity experts, including NIST and CISA, recommend a minimum of 12 characters for robust security. Longer passwords, ideally 16 characters or more, are even better, as they increase complexity and resistance to brute-force attacks.

Key Points

Use a password manager: Stop using browser-saved logins. They can be stolen in milliseconds. Get encrypted storage. Protect every key. Tools like Bitwarden or 1Password can generate and store long, unique passwords securely.

Length over complexity: A longer password (e.g., a passphrase like “sunsetmountainblueberry”) is more secure than a short, complex one (e.g., “P@ssw0rd!”).

Avoid common patterns: Don’t use predictable words, phrases, or personal info (e.g., birthdays, names).

Randomization helps: Use a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols, or better yet, a random string generated by a password manager.

Enable 2FA: 2 Factor Authentication – Enable this immediately. Pair a strong password with two-factor authentication for added protection. This is a firewall you can control.

Alert your circle. This isn’t just about you. If your contact gets hacked, so do you. Mobilize your family. Your teams. Your networks.

For more information on creating a passkey on Facebook, click HERE.

For more information on creating a passkey on Apple devices, click HERE.

For more information on creating a passkey for Google accounts of devices, click HERE.

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New evidence leads to Barry Morphew’s arrest in the alleged murder of his wife

KRDO on June 20, 2025

Celeste Springer

Officials held a press conference with the latest updates on Friday evening. You can watch above.

CHAFFEE COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – Barry Morphew, the Salida man accused of killing his wife, Suzanne, in 2020 has been indicted and charged with first-degree murder, the 12th Judicial District Attorney’s Office has confirmed.

On May 10, 2020, Morphew supposedly went on a bike ride in Chaffee County and never returned. A neighbor reported her missing, and her bike and helmet were eventually found along the side of the road the day she disappeared.

A year after her disappearance, her husband, Barry, was arrested and charged with murder – but the case was dismissed in 2022.

The case faced a tumultuous journey, with accounts from those involved saying it was botched due to the actions of Linda Stanley, the prosecutor on the case, who was later disbarred. Morphew’s defense said that Stanley’s team hid evidence from the defense.

@krdo__13 Today, Barry Morphew was indicted by a grand jury in the case of his wife’s alleged murder. Morphew was accused once before, but the case was dropped following a legal battle. More than a year after charges were dropped, investigators found Suzanne Morphew’s body, and what they say is new evidence. With this latest indictment, the case is able to move to trial. Read more on the KRDO website. #colorado #coloradosprings #salida #morphew #suzannemorphew ♬ original sound – KRDO13

Though the case was dismissed, it was known that it could be retried if new evidence came to light. Suzanne’s remains were later found in 2023, leaving many to wonder if the break in the case would allow for it to head to court once again.

When her body was found, the coroner determined Morphew died by “homicide by unspecified means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine (BAM) intoxication,” – three drugs commonly used as animal sedatives.

Now, over two years later, new information tied to those sedatives has led Morphew to be charged once again for her murder.

According to an indictment, law enforcement located a locked gun safe in the Morphew residence, which held a tranquilizer rifle. Investigators also discovered packages of darts in the safe, and found a needle cap for one of those darts in the Morphews’ dryer.

After Suzanne’s autopsy confirmed the presence of the chemical mixture BAM in her system, investigators obtained records for those with BAM prescriptions in the area where the Morphews lived, as well as in the area where her body was found.

Those records showed that at the time Suzanne disappeared, just one private citizen living in that area of the state had access to the chemical mixture – Barry Morphew.

According to the indictment, Morphew had obtained and filled several BAM prescriptions just months before moving to Colorado. BAM is only sold by one company in the U.S. and can only be obtained by prescription from a veterinarian, and agencies enforce tight regulations to monitor the chemical’s prescription and use, the indictment reads.

Read the full indictment here.

Friends of Suzanne tell KRDO13 they’ve waited for this indictment, but say the details are hard to read.

“It was pretty horrid to read that that was found in her body, because that’s a pretty slow death. It wasn’t easy,” Tisha Leewaye said.

According to the 12th Judicial District Grand Jury, Barry Morphew was taken into custody in Arizona on June 20, 2025. Prosecutors plan to extradite him to Colorado.

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THE MILITARY FAMILY: Baby Shower for military members far from support system

KRDO on June 20, 2025

Heather Skold

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Bringing home a baby is one of the most intimidating experiences in one’s life. Doing so without friends and family nearby only magnifies the feeling. 

One non-profit recognizes the need for support within the military community and fulfills that mission in tangible ways. 

Operation Homefront served more than 75 new and expecting moms through the Star Spangled Babies Shower, giving them many of the necessities: diapers, bottles, wipes, onesies — and even cribs, courtesy of Delta Airlines. 

For one young couple, Faith and Isael Del Nodal, the anticipation is palpable. 

“We’ve only been in Colorado a year now, and we don’t have any friends or family nearby, so this has been super helpful to get stuff for the baby,” said Faith, who is due in October.  Her husband, Isael, is due to deploy in July.  She says the prospect of having a newborn while her husband is gone is a lot to prepare for.

“I’m really excited, but super nervous, too.”

The event is spearheaded by those who have also had to bring home a baby without family nearby. 

“I have been a military spouse for over 20 years.  My husband was in the Marine Corps.  And I never had a baby shower with any of my children. I always had them away from home, and I know how that feels,” said Bridgette Sanchez, Star Spangled Babies Program Manager.

Operation Homefront says it has provided baby supplies to more than 21,000 military new and expecting moms since 2008 for families with deployed, wounded, junior, and mid-grade service members.

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Fiesta Ranchera Brings Spirit of Old Spanish Days to Goleta

KEYT on June 20, 2025

Ryder Christ

GOLETA, Calif. — Old Spanish Days kicked off its first of many events of the season with Fiesta Ranchera, an annual celebration blending local culture, cuisine, and community spirit.

About 450 people gathered at the historic Stow House grounds for an evening filled with music, dancing, and flavors from across the Central Coast. Attendees sampled appetizers, wine, and beer from local restaurants, wineries, and breweries, all while enjoying high-energy performances by the 2025 Spirit of Fiesta, Natalia Trevino, and Junior Spirit, Victoria Placencia, who dazzled the crowd in colorful attire.

“The event was started for the 1997 Old Spanish Days Presidente Tim Taylor to bring Fiesta to Goleta. It was about 185 years ago, when California was under Spanish rule. There was a period of hospitality, dance, music,” said this year’s El Presidente, Fritz Olenberger. “Those folks knew how to put on a party.”

Olenberger also introduced Julie Romero Hathaway of Carpinteria, who was selected by the Native Daughters of the Golden West Reina Del Mar Parlor 126 as this year’s Saint Barbara.

Old Spanish Days officially kicks off on the steps of the Old Mission Santa Barbara with La Fiesta Pequeña. KEYT will broadcast the colorful, historical program, which includes traditional songs and dance, beginning at 8 p.m. The event is free to the public. The next morning at 10 a.m., the community is invited to celebrate a Catholic Mass at the Mission for La Misa del Presidente.

On Friday, KEYT will broadcast El Desfile Histórico starting at noon. Horses and floats depicting the history of Santa Barbara will travel down Cabrillo Boulevard from Castillo Street to Calle Puerto Vallarta.

For the first time in 67 years, Old Spanish Days will not host its Rodeo and Stock Horse Show at Earl Warren Showgrounds. Instead, the rodeo will take place at the Santa Ynez Valley Equestrian Center during Fiesta weekend, August 1–3, with all rodeo performances free to the public. A ticketed barbecue and dance is scheduled for Saturday night.

That same weekend, the Earl Warren Showgrounds will host its own Fiesta event, Santa Barbara Rodeo Days, featuring three PRCA-sanctioned performances, including bull riding, saddle bronc riding, barrel racing, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, and mutton busting for kids. A Fiesta-themed carnival with free admission will include rides, food vendors, live entertainment, and a mercado.

Also new this year, a carnival will take place on the field at the Downtown Club on Canon Perdido Street. This site was formerly part of the collective Boys & Girls Club in the county and is now rebranding. The club has been part of the community since 1938.

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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Over 50 foster families sign up to take in dogs after CMHS wrote space-based euthanasia was possible

KMIZ on June 20, 2025

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Central Missouri Humane Society in Columbia wrote that it could kill dogs for space reasons for the first time in more than 10 years.

CMHS wrote on its social media that it started Friday with no kennels available “and desperately need dogs to leave in order to avoid making space-based euthanasia decisions at the end of the day.”

CMHS closes at 6 p.m. CMHS is a no-kill shelter, which it typically means a shelter has a live-release rate of 90% or more. The shelter wrote in a Facebook comment that it currently has a 95% live release rate.

A link to the adoption process can be found here, while a foster application can be found here.

CMHS updated its post at 5:24 p.m. saying that more than 50 foster families have signed and freed up several kennels.

“At this time, we are likely looking for unicorn homes to help our more particular pups find placement. A unicorn home is going to be one without kids, cats, or dogs,” the post says. “We can always use foster homes, so please continue to sign up. However, at this time, non-unicorn homes may have a harder time finding the right pup for their situation. Thank you all again, we are incredibly grateful”

Check back for updates.

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Columbia faces risk of government clawbacks because of DEI

KMIZ on June 20, 2025

Keriana Gamboa

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Trump administration could declare the City of Columbia in violation of a federal executive order targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, city leaders say.

Such a determination could result in the suspension of federal funding, termination of existing contracts and demands for repayment of previously awarded federal funds.

Fifth Ward Councilman Don Waterman said roughly $50 million in federal grants could be at risk.

“Some grants that we’ve previously received that we’ve already spent — they could come and ask for some of that back. It’s what’s called a clawback,” Waterman said.

“We are not able to say what grants specifically we might be required to pay back at this time,” city grant administrator Rachel Volmert wrote in response to questions. “This is an unprecedented situation, and the way the federal government is going to respond is not entirely clear … We are continuously evaluating how to continue providing services as cuts occur, and will keep customers or patients who may be impacted informed on any changes.”

If enforced, the move could leave taxpayers responsible for covering the budget gap.

The City’s Director of Finance said the matter has not been formally discussed at this time.

If the government chooses to stop funding, one of the first agencies to feel the effects would be the Columbia and Boone County Public Health and Human Services.

Almost $9 million in federal grant money goes toward the city’s health and Economic Development departments.

Local health department officials say they remain optimistic that funding won’t dry up. But state officials, who administer many federal grants, don’t have answers. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Senior Services told ABC 17 News on Friday that the department is unsure whether some federal grants that are frozen will be released.

The local Department of Public Health and Human Services receives federal funding across five key service areas: women’s and children’s health, violence prevention, mental health and substance use treatment, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, and a range of additional public health programs.

The department’s funding loss for the 2025 fiscal year would be $5.4 million if grants remain frozen.

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Fulton man accused of killing Russellville classmate asks for case to be dismissed

KMIZ on June 20, 2025

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Fulton man who is accused of killing his classmate in 1991 has asked for his case to be dismissed.

William “Chris” Niemet, of Fulton, is accused of killing his classmate, Greg Jones, in April 1991 in Russellville. Jones was 14. Niemet also would have been 14 at the time. Niemet was charged in 2020 with first-degree murder.

The trial has been delayed multiple times.

Niemet’s lawyer filed a motion for dismissal with prejudice on Wednesday over an accusation of a lack of evidence.

The motion claims that there is no date or location listed for the victim’s death and alleges there’s no weapon or ammunition traced to the crime.

A hearing will be held on Wednesday, June 25.

A pretrial conference is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Jan. 16, 2026; while a trial is set for 9 a.m. Jan. 20, 2026.

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Man charged with statutory rape in Morgan County; woman accused of endangering child

KMIZ on June 20, 2025

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two people have been charged with felonies after a man allegedly raped a teenager in Morgan County.

Trevaughn Jones, 29, of Independence, was charged with two counts of second-degree statutory rape and one count of second-degree statutory sodomy. He is being held at the Morgan County Jail on a $100,000 bond.

Kayla Arnone, 38, of Excelsior Springs, was charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. She is being held at the Morgan County Jail on a $50,000 bond. Arraignments for both people are scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday.  

According to the probable cause statement, deputies were called to a residence after Arnone claimed her roommate assaulted her. She then allegedly told deputies that Jones, the roommate and a 15-year-old girl left the area and that Jones was in a “sexual relationship” with the youth, the statement says.

Deputies found the two walking on Route WW and the girl allegedly denied the “relationship.” Jones allegedly admitted it to deputies and described multiple sexual encounters, the statement says.

Arnone allegedly told deputies that she thought Jones was 18, still thought the “relationship” was inappropriate, but didn’t tell law enforcement because she was unsure of the law, the statement says.

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Ryan Ferguson attorney seeking $1.3 million more in historic lawsuit judgment

KMIZ on June 20, 2025

Lucas Geisler

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

An attorney for Ryan Ferguson hopes to get $1 million more in his eight-figure lawsuit against an insurance company.

Attorney Michael Berry asked Cole County Judge Cotton Walker on Friday to add at least $1.3 million to the $43.8 million judgment he awarded on Monday. Berry said Walker did not properly add 129 days’ interest on the award.

A Cole County jury sided with Ferguson and six former Columbia police detectives in November in their lawsuit against Travelers Insurance. They claimed Travelers refused to pay out the remaining $2.9 million of a more than $11 million settlement Ferguson and the detectives inked over his reversed murder conviction for sports editor Kent Heitholt’s death in the Columbia Daily Tribune parking lot and decade-long incarceration. The jury awarded him $2.9 million in compensatory damages and $35 million in punitive damages.

Ferguson attorney Kathleen Zellner said the $43.8 million judgment and the money already collected from the settlement make the case the largest court award for a wrongful conviction in U.S. history.

Ryan Ferguson post judgement briefDownload

Walker determined the amount of annual interest added to the award from Jan. 16, 2008, to Feb. 7, 2025. Berry argued that interest should run through June 16’s final award, adding another 129 days, or $1.3 million more. That would also affect how much money Travelers would be expected to pay in post-judgment interest.

Berry also said he planned to challenge Walker’s cap on the total amount of punitive damages awarded. Walker applied a state law to the award that caps punitive damages in a lawsuit at five times the “net judgment,” or compensatory damages and prejudgment interest on compensatory damages.

Walker put that total at $24.2 million, less than the $35 million the jury called for.

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