Highway 97 vehicle vs. pedestrian crash under investigation near Madras

KTVZ on January 12, 2026

Tracee Tuesday

MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) — A vehicle-versus-pedestrian crash along U.S. Highway 97 near Falcon Lane in Madras is under investigation. Authorities say the incident happened Saturday, along the busy highway corridor through Jefferson County.

According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, a vehicle struck a pedestrian on Highway 97, prompting an emergency response and initial investigation at the scene. Officials have not yet released information on the pedestrian’s condition, and it is not known if there were any injuries or fatalities connected to the crash.

Oregon State Police have since taken over as the lead investigative agency. This remains an open investigation, and troopers are working to determine what led up to the collision, including any possible contributing factors.

KTVZ News has reached out to Oregon State Police by phone and email for additional details, including any updates on those involved and whether the highway was closed or restricted. As of Sunday evening, no further information has been released.

Drivers in the area may see an increased law enforcement presence as the investigation continues. Anyone who was in the area of Highway 97 and Falcon Lane around the time of the crash and witnessed the incident is encouraged to contact law enforcement, if they have not already done so.

This is a developing story. As more details are confirmed by investigators, we will provide updates on air and online.

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Sunriver Resort’s 30th annual Gingerbread Junction raises record $6,100 for Habitat for Humanity

KTVZ on January 12, 2026

KTVZ – News Team

SUNRIVER, Ore. (KTVZ) — Sunriver Resort’s beloved Gingerbread Junction competition celebrated a major milestone in December, marking its 30th year with record-breaking success. The annual event raised $6,100 for Habitat for Humanity La Pine Sunriver — the most ever since the event’s inception.

A check presentation took place on January 5, with Sunriver Resort representatives handing the donation to Kim Gammond, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity La Pine Sunriver.

“Sunriver Resort’s 30th annual Gingerbread Junction truly showcased the creativity and generosity of our community,” said Josh Willis, VP of Operations at Sunriver Resort. “Thanks to the incredible efforts of our participants, we raised more than $6,000 for Habitat for Humanity La Pine Sunriver. These funds will directly support the cosnstruction of homes that strengthen our local community. We sincerely appreciate everyone who helped make this year’s Gingerbread Junction such a memorable and meaningful event.”

This year’s competition also saw the highest number of votes ever cast — 9,097 total, underscoring the community’s growing enthusiasm for the festive fundraiser.

An adored Sunriver holiday tradition, Gingerbread Junction invites participants to purchase “mini lots,” with all proceeds directed to Habitat for Humanity’s homebuilding efforts in southern Deschutes County. Participants — including families, local businesses, and students from preschool through high school — design and build elaborate gingerbread structures that remain on display throughout the holiday season.

Organizers say the event continues to foster creativity, generosity, and community connection — hallmarks that have made Gingerbread Junction a highlight of Central Oregon’s holiday celebrations for three decades.

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Palm Springs International Film Festival screens free family-friendly films

KESQ on January 12, 2026

Daniella Lake

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs International Film Festival is hosting “Family Day,” where local families can watch kid-friendly films and also enjoy fun activities, all for free.

Screenings of “Zootopia 2,” “Arco” and “Kpop Demon Hunters” will take place at the Mary Pickford Theater in Cathedral City. The Cathedral City Community Amphitheater will have activities, face painting, local food trucks and more.

The event runs from 12 to 4 p.m.

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Missouri sees spike in human trafficking cases

KMIZ on January 12, 2026

Euphenie Andre

EDITOR’S NOTE: A photo has been removed from this story because it was not directly related to the subject matter.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Sunday marked National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and the Missouri Department of Transportation is using not only Sunday, but the entire month of January to help educate the public about how traffickers operate and how to recognize the warning signs.

Missouri saw a rise in human trafficking cases in 2024, according to data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

“With the numbers continuing to increase in Missouri, it’s important that we equip our employees with the knowledge of what to look for and what to do if they suspect human trafficking is occurring,” MoDOT Director Ed Hassinger said in a press release.

According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, Missouri has averaged more than 240 human trafficking cases per year from 2020 through 2024. In 2024 alone, the state recorded 272 cases, the highest total since 2020, when 270 cases were reported.

The state sits at the center of the country, with major interstates, rail lines and thousands of trucks moving through every day, making it a key transportation hub and a prime target for traffickers.

Isaac McIntosh, a military veteran and current truck driver, stopped at Midway Travel Plaza Sunday afternoon while traveling from North Carolina to Colorado. McIntosh has been trucking for the past eight years and said he has never witnessed anything suspicious at truck stops.

“I haven’t. I hear about it online,” McIntosh said. “I don’t wish to see it, and I hope it doesn’t happen at all.”

He added that his training to drive trucks did not include specific instruction on human trafficking.

“I do see it [human trafficking awareness] at the pilots. When you go to certain truck stops they’ll have signs up there in the bathrooms that state if you see human trafficking, or some signs of human trafficking, to report it to somebody inside,” Mcintosh said.

David Byler, a truck driver with two years of experience, said he has seen an incident firsthand.

“There have been a few instances. Nothing that I could definitely pinpoint, but there also was–police showed up shortly afterwards, so someone had called it in.” Byler said.

Byler noted that truck stops are much safer now.

” In the past, there was a lot more illicit activity at truck stops. Now, there are so many cameras around there’s so much more awareness on the subject and there’s always someone watching you,” Byler said.

Byler said his training included extensive instructions on human trafficking.

“We were given multiple hours of video that we had to watch on human trafficking awareness. We were given pamphlets on it,” Byler said.

MoDOT said human trafficking often happens in places people see every day, including rest stops, gas stations, hotels and restaurants. Over a four-year period, hotline data shows the most common locations connected to sex trafficking cases were homes, hotels, pornography-related operations and massage businesses.

Truck stops were involved in only 9 cases over a four-year period in Missouri.

In 2024, the National Human Trafficking Hotline recorded:

191 cases of sex trafficking

42 cases of labor trafficking

15 cases involving both sex and labor trafficking

2023:

188 cases of sex trafficking

19 cases of labor trafficking

19 cases involving both sex and labor trafficking

2022:

179 cases of sex trafficking

29 cases of labor trafficking

14 cases involving both sex and labor trafficking

2021:

210 cases of sex trafficking

15 cases of labor trafficking

6 cases involving both sex and labor trafficking

2020:

231 cases of sex trafficking

10 cases of labor trafficking

10 cases involving both sex and labor trafficking

From 2020 through 2023, adults made up the majority of trafficking victims, with children not far behind. However, the number of cases involving children dropped in 2024 compared to previous years.

Since the National Human Trafficking Hotline began collecting data in 2007, women have been the most commonly trafficked gender in Missouri.

According to MoDOT, potential warning signs of trafficking include:

Physical abuse or injuries

Branding or tattooing

Not having control of money or identification

Avoiding eye contact or appearing fearful

Not being allowed to speak for themselves

Missouri has seen 2,281 human trafficking cases reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline since 2007, affecting 4,453 victims. Nationally, there were more than 12,000 human trafficking cases in 2024 involving nearly 22,000 victims.

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ICE detainee dies at JFK Memorial Hospital in Indio

KESQ on January 12, 2026

Athena Jreij

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A 68-year-old undocumented migrant in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody died at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio on January 6, federal officials say.

Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz, an undocumented migrant from Honduras, was admitted to JFK Memorial for heart-related health issues.

According to ICE, Yanez was transferred to the medical unit for chest pain at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility and then transported to El Regional Medical Center on January 4. Yanez was then medically evacuated by helicopter to JFK Memorial for a higher level of care, where he was pronounced dead despite medical intervention.

Officials say Yanez was taken into ICE custody on November 16, 2025 during an operation in Newark, New Jersey, and was being held pending removal proceedings.

This is a developing story. Stick with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage.

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Missouri bill eyes tuition help for dependents of servicemembers killed in active duty

News-Press NOW on January 12, 2026

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A central Missouri senator is proposing legislation this session to support children, stepchildren and spouses of disabled veterans and servicemembers killed in active duty through a new college tuition assistance program.

A first reading was held Wednesday for legislation sponsored by Sen. Travis Fitzwater (R-Holts Summit) which seeks to create the “Missouri Disabled Veterans’ Dependents Tuition Waiver” program to provide college tuition waivers for children, stepchildren, and spouses of certain veterans.

Waivers would available for eligible dependents of members of the Armed Forces who died on active duty, died of a service-connected disability, died after discharge from the military as a result of injury or illness, is rated as permanently and totally disabled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or is classified as missing in action or a prisoner of war.

Senate Bill No. 1048 covers any state college or university or public community college receiving appropriations from the state for operating expenses, with tuition awards going as high as what the University of Missouri-Columbia charges a Missouri resident, which is $15,548 to $19,516 for 12 to 18 credit hours. The bill does not specifically list coverage for housing and dining fees.

A tuition waiver would be valid for one degree, diploma, or certificate from a community college and one baccalaureate degree from a state college or university. The legislation, which

Children and stepchildren of veterans must be under 26 years old to qualify, unless the dependent serves on active duty with the Armed Forces of the United States, in which case the eligibility period can be extended by five years to the person’s 31st birthday.

The Missouri Veterans Commission would work with the Coordinating Board for Higher Education to implement the provisions of the act, including establishing the application process and certifying future applicants.

The bill does not specify how much in state funding would be appropriated each year for waivers.

Any student who receives a waiver would also be ineligible for any other state-funded veteran-dependent tuition grant, waiver, or scholarship, such as the Wartime Veteran’s Survivors Grant Program or the Survivors of Vietnam Veterans Scholarship Program.

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Proposed Missouri bill would require ICE agents to identify themselves if passed

KMIZ on January 11, 2026

Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Missouri bill could force Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the state to identify themselves, if passed. The bill’s introduction follows a deadly shooting in Minneapolis involving an ICE agent and a civilian.

Rep. Ray Reed (D-St. Louis) introduced the bill Wednesday where it received a first reading on the opening day of the 2026 legislative session. If passed, it would require ICE agents to refrain from wearing masks or helmets that could obstruct the person’s identity, according to the bill language.

The bill excludes medical masks, like the ones used during the COVID-19 pandemic or masks that are used to avoid breathing in toxic chemicals.

If an agent violates these rules, that person could be subject to a class A misdemeanor, which is punishable with up to a year in jail and could come with up to $2,000 in fines.

“Across our country, people are now fearful when federal agents operate in plain clothes, without clear identification, and without accountability,” Reed said in a press release.

He also posted on Facebook after the deadly Minnesota shooting.

“In moments like this, we can’t give in to fear or let ourselves be divided. We should demand transparency and accountability while staying peaceful, looking out for one another, and keeping our neighbors safe. That is why I filed legislation to unmask ICE agents working in our state,” Reed wrote.

Protests and vigils were held across the nation Saturday and Sunday for Renee Nicole Reed, the Minneapolis woman killed by an ICE agent, with some in mid-Missouri.

Protesters in Jefferson City called out ICE brutality Saturday, with many people expressing their dislike of the Trump Administration’s crackdown on immigration.

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Palm Springs International Film Festival honorees attend Golden Globes

KESQ on January 11, 2026

Shay Lawson

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Films, actors and directors honored at the 2026 Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) are emerging as top contenders at the Golden Globes Awards.

Marty Supreme actor Timothée Chalamet, who received the Spotlight Actor of the Year Award, won best performance by a male actor in a motion picture – Musical or Comedy.

Rose Byrne, who earned the Breakthrough Performance Award for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, won the best performance by a female actor in a motion picture – Musical or Comedy.

Taking home one of the biggest awards of the night, Hamnet, for best motion picture: Drama.

The cast accepted the Vanguard Award in Palm Springs.

Sinners, the vampire drama featuring Michael B. Jordan that received the Icon Award, won the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement award.

Some of this year’s film nominees, whose film, actors or directors were also honored at the PSIFF, include:

Sinners

Frankenstein

Hamnet

Sentimental Value

One Battle After Another

Marty Supreme

Blue Moon

Amanda Seyfried, Adam Sandler, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Hudson and Rose Byrne are among the actors nominated for Golden Globes who were also honored at the PSIFF.

In past years, PSIFF honorees have gone on to secure Golden Globes and Academy Awards wins.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage as the awards begin.

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Gabby’s Family Child Care LLC open for business

KYMA on January 11, 2026

Paul Vozzella

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Parents are getting a new childcare option in Yuma as Gabby’s Family Child Care LLC had its grand opening this weekend.

The grand opening was in coordination with Arizona Western College’s Small Business Development Center.

The childcare center offers toddler and preschool programs with certified and experienced staff, along with DES programs for ages one to 12.

“We are so excited because this center isn’t just about childcare. It’s about the community. We want to create a place where the children feel like a home and the parents feel very confident leaving the most important people with us,” said Francisca Gabriella Torres, the owner of Gabby’s Family Care LLC.

Gabby’s Family Child Care LLC is located on W. Eighth Street and is now enrolling.

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Mostly Muffins renamed to Desert Buzz Cafe

KYMA on January 11, 2026

Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A local coffee shop in Yuma not only has a new name, but is undergoing an extensive renovation.

Mostly Muffins has been rebranded as Desert Buzz Cafe, and was temporarily closed earlier this month as they are revamping the cafe.

According to Courtney Fisher-Sellers, the owner of Desert Buzz Cafe, the rebranding was due to the expiration of an agreement to use the Mostly Muffins name and its recipes.

Fisher-Sellers also shared other factors as to why they’re rebranding the cafe saying, “We’ve been through a lot…and we’ve been able to give back so much to our community because of the community we have. And I didn’t want to lose that. I wanted to keep that same spirit going forward and just keep the giving going.”

The cafe will reopen Monday at 5:30 a.m., but Fisher-Sellers says they will host an official grand re-opening in the coming weeks.

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