Indigenous Fashion Show raises awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous persons

KIFI on December 1, 2025

CNN Newsource

Originally Published: 01 DEC 25 14:26 ET

By Allie Triepke

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    BOISE, Idaho (KIVI) — The first Indigenous fashion show in Boise is using style and storytelling to spotlight a crisis affecting communities across the country — Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP).

The sold-out event, presented by Your Voice Is Heard Foundation, brought together Native communities from across the Pacific Northwest to honor culture and raise awareness.

“So YVH Foundation was originally the YVH Fashion Show. I created it in 2019 after my assault was set to go in front of a grand jury… unfortunately for me, my case was dropped the day before, so I actually used it to create a fashion show for survivors to tell their story,” said Samantha Townsend, founder of YVH Foundation. Townsend is Acoma Pueblo and part of the Parrot tribe.

The foundation has grown into a full nonprofit, now turning its spotlight on MMIP and raising funds for the Indigenous Idaho Alliance. Townsend emphasized the ongoing need for awareness:

“Native people are 10 times more likely to fall victim to violent crimes. So we’re shedding light on that today,” said Townsend.

The event featured all Indigenous creators: models, performers, makeup artists, and designers.

One of the highlighted designers, Boise native Raynie Hunter, has been creating jewelry since 2018 and was showing her work at a live fashion event for the first time.

“I draw a lot of inspiration from color… I can be outside and see a really pretty tree that has a bunch of colors on it, and like I need to go home and make something in that color palette,” Hunter said.

Hunter, who is Shoshone Paiute, incorporates modern and contemporary design into her native bead, crystal, and shell jewelry. She owns Beadiful Vibes jewelry.

“I want women to feel like they can wear an everyday outfit like this but still rock a statement piece,” she said.

Organizers hope the show sparks more conversations and creates greater visibility for Indigenous communities whose stories are too often overlooked.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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Historic fiddle owned by Joseph Robidoux restored in new music exhibit at Robidoux Row Museum

News-Press NOW on December 1, 2025

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A newly-restored instrument once played by the founder of St. Joseph more than 150 years ago is revealing the storied history of music runs deeper than previously thought.

An artifact dating back to the earliest years of St. Joseph now sits on display at the Robidoux Row Museum as the crown jewel of its new music history exhibit: a fiddle roughly 150 years old, recently found to have been owned by Joseph Robidoux.

Like any new exhibit seeking to tell a unique story in history, it begins with a creative idea, or a discovery.

“I was walking around in Joseph’s bedroom, looking around, and I saw a fiddle sitting inside of a display case,” Robidoux Row Museum Director Megan Wyeth, a native of St. Joseph who took over the position in January, said. “It made me think, was Joseph a musician?”

A restored fiddle owned by Joseph Robidoux is shown at the Robidoux Row Museum in November.

Although the case was marked as Robidoux’s, the fur trader and founder of St. Joseph in 1843 wasn’t a well known musician, let alone a talented one as Wyeth would come to learn.

“I learned that he was invited to parties and weddings in hopes that he would play the fiddle,” she said, adding that little is documented about Robidoux’s musical abilities.

Hoping to learn more and preserve the item, Wyeth had the fiddle taken to Kansas City to an instrument repair specialist in Kansas City to restore it with the help of a local donation this November.

Not only was the item restored to a near-perfect condition, specialists were able to pinpoint a specific design feature — the way the neck attaches to the body — to date it to the 1850s when Robidoux was still alive in St. Joseph.

“I realized what was happening with Joseph Robidoux and his fiddle in the past, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh,'” she said. “It just took off from there because I’ve known that Saint Joe has very significant music history.”

With that, the music room was born.

A launchpad for Robidoux Row’s new exhibit

It was only fitting the founder of the city would help inspire the museum’s new exhibit on the history of local music, a result of weeks of work transforming a room located next to Robidoux’s bedroom.

Opened in late November with the help of Nancy Schmidt-Brunson with the Saint Joseph Symphony, the exhibit offers an in-depth look at an array of historic items and figures like Coleman Hawkins who have shaped the history of music, both locally and across the world.

This photo shows an area of the new music historic exhibit at the Robidoux Row Museum in St. Joseph.

“The whole idea of the music room is to celebrate the musical fabric of St. Joseph. I think of people who live near and even people who grew up here, like Megan and I did, don’t really realize the importance of music to the history of the city,” said Brunson-Schmidt, managing director of the Symphony and partner in the project.

One unique musical fact about St. Joseph: Katherine Kennicott Davis, born in 1892 in St. Joseph and prominently displayed at the museum, was the writer of the beloved Christmas song “The Little Drummer Boy.” in 1941.

It’s one of the many ties to music that Schmidt-Brunson and Wyeth hope will inspire and open the public’s eyes to how prominent St. Joseph’s music history truly is.

Within the exhibit is a large number of items donated by the Symphony after being kept inside their Downtown building for years, including a historic baton from Karl Winkler, director of the Rosenblatt Band, one of the first musical organizations to perform in Saint Joseph as early as 1868.

A baton owned by Karl Winkler is shown on display at the St. Joseph music history exhibit at the Robidoux Row Museum in November in St. Joseph.

A poster and various conductor items are displayed inside a case at the Robidoux Row Museum in St. Joseph.

Other historic items on display include a pump piano and a pair of gold epaulets over a 100 years old from the Rosenblatt Band.

“Nobody ever gets to see these items, all of this history of music in St. Joe. It’s exciting to know and I’m so grateful to Megan for really making my dream come true and sharing that with the general public. This is so important for people to know,” Brunson-Schmidt said.

She said a perfect example is the recently-discovered connection between music and Joseph Robidoux, something she was unaware of until now despite growing up in the city as a passionate musical performer.

Now, the museum, the St. Joseph Historical Society and SJ Symphony are planning to celebrate the sound of the historic instrument in front of the community.

“We’re thinking of ideas of how we can get this fiddle played so that people can hear it in a concert. With a smaller orchestra maybe, really let that instrument speak the way that it did when Joseph Robidoux played it. What a moment that would be to hear.”

The museum is already planning future phases focusing on the history of the Saint Joseph Symphony and some of its most talented performers. The Symphony has an abundance of artifacts not included in the current display.

“I want people to understand and see how broad of a range our music history is and how it’s reached all over the world. We have several musicians on the wall here that have reached the world and in so many different ways with so much talent and incredible skill,” Wyeth said.

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World AIDS Day events set for Palm Springs, Riverside

KESQ on December 1, 2025

City News Service

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Monday is World AIDS Day and organizations in Riverside County will mark today’s 37th annual event highlighting the fight against HIV/AIDS.

DAP Health will commemorate World AIDS Day with a community program and special displays including an AIDS Memorial Quilt Display, which will be exhibited Monday through Friday at DAP Health Sunrise at 1695 North Sunrise Way in Palm Springs, along with a Palm Springs AIDS Memorial Sculpture Model by local artist Phillip K. Smith III.   

A community program and candlelight vigil will also be held Monday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at DAP Health Sunrise, and a reception will be held at Blackbook at 315 E. Arenas Road in Palm Springs from 7-8 p.m. with complimentary hors d’oeuvres.

On Tuesday, DAP Health will partner with Philadelphia’s Mazzoni Center for a virtual World AIDS Day event via Zoom. Additional information on the events is available at daphealth.org/world-aids-day-at dap-health-december-1-2025/.

Also Tuesday, TruEvolution will host a World AIDS Day Walk in Riverside to honor those affected by HIV, one day after the 37th annual World AIDS Day.

TruEvolution’s walk is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, with attendees expected to gather at 3933 Mission Inn Ave., Suite 102. Following the walk, TruEvolution will host an event on its campus at 3839 Brockton Ave. that will include food, festivities, informative talks and performances.

“Expect a warm, welcoming atmosphere where community members, advocates, and allies gather to raise awareness, share stories, and celebrate resilience,” event organizers said. More information and tickets for the event can be found at eventbrite.com/e/hosted-by-truevolution-world-aids-day-tickets-1975339653077.  

In collaboration with Riverside University Health System, TruEvolution will also be offering free flu & jynneos monkeypox and smallpox vaccines at the Brockton Avenue campus from 1-5 p.m. Tuesday. No appointments are necessary.

TruEvolution is based in Riverside and serves the Inland Empire with HIV care, prevention services, behavioral health, therapy, support groups and more.

World AIDS Day originated at the 1988 United Nations World Summit of Ministers of Health on Programs for AIDS Prevention, which is recognized each year on Dec. 1. Each year, the Joint Nations Program on HIV/AIDS unites the efforts of agencies, governments, nonprofit organizations, community groups and others around the globe to join a campaign around specific themes related to AIDS.  

This year’s campaign is “Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response.”  

Last week, the U.S. State Department directed employees and grant recipients not to use federal dollars to observe World AIDS Day.

“An awareness day is not a strategy. Under the leadership of President Trump, the State Department is working directly with foreign governments to save lives and increase their responsibility and burden sharing,” according to a statement from State Department spokesman Tommy Piggott to the New York Times.  

“This World AIDS Day reminds us that the fight against HIV is far from over,” Terri Ford, chief of global advocacy and policy for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, said in a statement. “Millions of people still facebarriers to testing, treatment, and ongoing care, while stigma and high drug prices put lifesaving tools out of reach.”  

“Governments and communities must work together to ensure progress is equitable for everyone living with or affected by HIV,” Ford added.

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Suspect in Columbia standoff charged with 10 felonies

KMIZ on December 1, 2025

Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man arrested early Sunday after a standoff in south Columbia was charged Monday with 10 felonies, including armed criminal action.

Rodquel Jones, 21, of Columbia, was charged with six counts of first-degree harassment and one count each of unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action, resisting arrest and stealing a gun, according to online court records.

Columbia police began their investigation Saturday night after Jones’ mother and other family members who were gathered together for Thanksgiving weekend reported Jones making shooting threats via a video call and other messages, according to a probable cause statement.

Officers returned to the residence on Lighthouse Court in Columbia after dispatchers received multiple shots-fired calls, the statement says. When police then went to Jones’ Sieville Avenue residence, they heard a gun rack slide as if someone was loading a weapon, the statement says.

Jones then allegedly told officers he wasn’t coming out. A SWAT team later searched the residence and arrested Jones after about six hours.

Police say they found a gun in the residence that had been stolen from one of Jones’ relatives.

Jones remained in the Boone County Jail on Monday afternoon on no bond. An initial court hearing was set for Monday afternoon.

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Amanda Seyfried to receive Desert Palm Achievement Award at Palm Springs Film Fest

KESQ on December 1, 2025

Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Amanda Seyfried will receive the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress at the 2026 Palm Springs International Film Awards, organizers announced on Monday.

Seyfried is being honored for her performance in The Testament of Ann Lee.

The Film Awards will take place on January 3, 2026, at the Palm Springs  Convention Center, with the festival running January 2-12, 2026. The event will be presented by Kering and sponsored by Entertainment Tonight.

Check Out Our Film Festival Section for More Announcements

“In The Testament of Ann Lee, Amanda Seyfried delivers a masterful performance—one that is haunting  in its emotional intensity and profoundly human in its truth,” said Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh  Chandi. “Across her remarkable career, she has continued to evolve, take bold risks, and elevate every  story she inhabits. We are honored to present her with the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress.”

From award-winning writer-director Mona Fastvold (The World to Come, The Brutalist) comes the  extraordinary true legend of Ann Lee, founder of the devotional sect known as the Shakers. Academy  Award nominee Amanda Seyfried stars as the Shaker’s irrepressible leader, who preached gender and  social equality and was revered by her followers. The Testament of Ann Lee captures the ecstasy and  agony of her quest to build a utopia, featuring more than a dozen traditional Shaker hymns reimagined as  rapturous movements with choreography by Celia Rowlson-Hall (Vox Lux) and original songs and score by  Academy Award winner Daniel Blumberg (The Brutalist).

The cast also includes Thomasin Mckenzie, Lewis  Pullman, Stacy Martin, Matthew Beard, Scott Handy, Viola Prettejohn, Jamie Bogyo, David Cale, Tim Blake  Nelson, and Christopher Abbott.

Seyfried received both Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for her portrayal of Marion Davies in David Fincher’s critically acclaimed Mank. Notably, for her portrayal of Elizabeth  Holmes in Hulu’s The Dropout, Seyfried won an Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Critics’ Choice Award as well as a selection to the TIME 100 list for 2022.

Her other film and TV credits include Seven Veils, Chloe, Long Bright River, The Crowded Room, Things Heard & Seen, A Mouthful of Air, Mamma Mia!, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, First Reformed, Lovelace, Les Miserables, Dear John, Jennifer’s Body,  While We’re Young, Ted 2, A Millions Ways to Die in the West, In Time, Letters to Juliet, Mean Girls, Nine  Lives, Big Love, and Alpha Dog.

Seyfried will next star in The Housemaid, a psychological thriller from  Lionsgate based on Freida McFadden’s New York Times-bestselling novel. The film is set for release Dec. 19, 2025. 

Seyfried joins this year’s previously announced honorees Michael B. Jordan (Icon Award), Leonardo  DiCaprio (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor), Ethan Hawke (Career Achievement Award), Adam  Sandler (Chairman’s Award), Hamnet director Chloé Zhao as well as actors Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal(Vanguard Award) and Sentimental Value cast members Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, and Elle Fanning (International Star Award).

Last year’s recipient of the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress was Angelina Jolie for her performance in Maria. Past honorees also include Emma Stone, Cate Blanchett, Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Jessica Chastain, Olivia Colman, Marion Cotillard, Viola Davis, Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman, Charlize Theron and Renée Zellweger, who all went on to receive an  Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

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MSHP shares suggestions for safe driving with winter weather impacts

News-Press NOW on December 1, 2025

Leah Rainwater

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KQTV) — As portions of Missouri continue to see snowfall, the Missouri State Highway Patrol shares safe driving practices as drivers hit the roadways.

MSHP said drivers need to pay attention to weather conditions and make smart decisions regarding travel. Motorists are able to check road conditions on MoDOT’s Road Condition Map.

If traveling, motorists are encouraged to follow certain safety behaviors:

Make sure the vehicle is completely clean of snow

Lower your driving speed if it is snowing or raining and the roads are wet or icy

Do not use cruise control if rain or snow is present

Be aware of elevated roadways, such as bridges or ramps, which may freeze faster

Drivers need to leave at least five seconds between their vehicle and the vehicle in front of them

Use headlights to increase visibility

Missouri law states, if windshield wipers are being used, headlights must be on.

MSHP also suggests keeping fuel tanks at least half full, as well as placing battery booster cables, blankets, extra coats, gloves, water, non-perishable food, an ice scraper, a first aid kit, flashlight, small shovel and a bag of sand or cat litter in the trunk of the vehicle being driven.

Motorists can reach the Patrol emergency line by dialing *55 on a cellular phone. The nearest troop headquarters will receive the call and will be available to assist drivers.

MSHP said to avoid using cell phones while driving and to park vehicles off the roadway or in a parking lot before placing a call.

Highway Patrol also said to remember to buckle up, pay attention, be courteous and obey all traffic laws. When weather conditions make driving hazardous, drive only when necessary.

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City of El Centro to host Christmas Tree Lighting and Street Fair

KYMA on December 1, 2025

Dillon Fuhrman

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – The City of El Centro announced they are hosting their annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Street Fair later this week.

According to a press release, the event is taking place Friday, December 5, at Fire Station No. 3, located at 1910 Waterman Avenue, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Courtesy: City of El Centro

Courtesy: City of El Centro

During the event, the City says there will be food vendors, live entertainment and music, cookie decorating and an appearance from Santa Claus himself.

“Our Christmas Tree Lighting has grown into one of El Centro’s most cherished traditions,” said El Centro Mayor Sonia Carter. “This event brings our community together to celebrate the spirit of joy, kindness, and unity that defines our city. We look forward to welcoming residents of all ages for a night of holiday magic.”

Courtesy: City of El Centro

Courtesy: City of El Centro

In addition, the band TABU will serve as the main headlining band during the fair. The band, according to their website, is from Orange County that specializes in a variety of music, such as Latin, Reggaeton, Pop and Disco.

To learn more about the annual event, read the press release, written in English and Spanish, below.

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Two-week project to improve left turns near two shopping centers begins Monday in Falcon

KRDO on December 1, 2025

Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — The snow that fell overnight Sunday didn’t delay a project to make upgrades to a pair of left-turn lanes between two shopping areas along a busy road in Falcon.

Officials have closed the northbound turn lane into a Walmart shopping center, and the southbound turn lane into a McDonald’s business area, on Meridian Road, just south of Woodmen Road.

County officials issued a release about the project last week, without providing specifics of the work being done.

Improving accessibility along county roads was stated in the release as the general reason for the project.

One improvement could be to replace lane makers that have worn off the pavement over time and traffic.

McLaughlin Road, Rolling Thunder Way, Foxtail Meadow Lane, and Meridian Market View (through the Walmart shopping center) are the recommended detours.

According to the release, the county has scheduled 15 days to complete the project — weather permitting.

It’s the area’s second road project this year.

In August, crews reconstructed and paved Foxtail Meadow, behind the Walmart and between Woodmen and Rolling Thunder, to include the Rolling Thunder/Foxtail Meadow intersection.

That led some neighbors to ask why the county didn’t keep an earlier promise to perform the same work on the remaining 3/4-mile of Rolling Thunder, which currently has many pothole patches.

The county responded by saying that it would consider adding that segment to next year’s paving list.

Denni Offord sent an email to KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior after the story aired, expressing displeasure with the project:

“The only way the county can improve traffic and Safety at the Walmart intersection in Falcon is with a light (traffic signal). That is the original intersection of 2007. It is so dangerous from all directions. The county just adds more and more developments and cars, and doesn’t care.”

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Bend’s Miller Elementary School cancels a second day of classes after fire linked to lithium battery

KTVZ on December 1, 2025

KTVZ – News Team

(Update: Tuesday classes also canceled, letter from principal)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A fire at Miller Elementary School in Bend on Sunday night caused significant damage to a custodial workshop but was contained by the school’s sprinkler system. Monday’s classes were canceled for a cleanup, and word came later that Tuesday classes also are canceled for that work.

Bend Fire & Rescue crews responded to the school around 9 p.m. after reports of a fire near the gymnasium. Firefighters found the sprinkler system already activated in the custodian’s workshop area, which helped stop the flames from spreading beyond the room, Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki said.

Investigators determined the fire started in a cabinet where a lithium battery had been stored. The blaze caused severe damage to the workshop.

Firefighters remained on scene for about an hour to clear smoke and water from the area. The principal of Miller Elementary and Bend-La Pine Schools staff assisted crews in damage control efforts.

Principal Jennifer Johnson said in an email to families Monday morning that “water on the gym floor and the custodial office is being cleaned up, and the custodial office sustained damage that will make it inoperable today.”

As a result, she said, school was canceled Monday “to continue clean-up and assess any further damage. Crews are working to ventilate the building using fans and blowers to reduce the odor.”

Johnson added, “Thank you for your understanding and patience.”

Later Monday, Bend-La Pine Schools spokesman Scott Maben told KTVZ News that families had just been informed the closure would last a second day, “as we complete the cleanup and air quality testing.”

The National Fire Protection Association reminds the public to store lithium batteries at room temperature and away from flammable materials, use only batteries and chargers designed for each specific device, and they warn the public not to keep charging the device or device battery after it is fully charged.

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Local shoppers report disappointment over Cyber Monday deals as experts urge caution when buying online

KESQ on December 1, 2025

Gavin Nguyen

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – Cyber Monday is here, and shoppers in the Coachella Valley are in search of deals.

Many are likely shopping for gifts, but popular items made outside of the United States – like certain toys, video game consoles, clothing, and more – are being driven up by tariffs, according to research done by Mastercard’s Economics Institute (MEI).

Most shoppers we spoke with today said they either skipped out on Cyber Monday shopping online or found less deals than they had hoped.

One shopper, Melanie Albanese, said she searched Amazon for deals. “I found a few good deals, not as much as I was hoping for.”

She added that her husband worked for the railroad company and that he has seen unusually low shipping and freight volume, which she said indicated deals were likely not as good as years past.

As prices rise and more consumers look for bigger deals, cybersecurity experts urge caution when you click. They say if the deal is too good to be true, it likely isn’t real. They also urge people to slow down when clicking on what appear to be real emails – but turn out to be fake.

Matt Disher, President of Southwest Networks, is an expert in that field. He urges his clients to slow down, and instead of taking any action (i.e. clicking on links) within the email, head to the source.

For example, a fake Amazon email may ask you to click on a link that will make you input your log-in information onto a fake website.

“A lot of times they’re going to redirect you and then it’ll look just like this website, but it’s a fake one,” he explained. “They’re going to play what’s called man in the middle, so they’re going to intercept any thing you type in. So when you log into your account, your password, the bad guys will actually intercept that that information and then they’ll log in later.”

As holiday spending continues to ramp up (generally from November through January), Disher said these attacks become more common.

“Just always be diligent, always be be on the lookout for things. And again, slow down. Think before you click.”

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