Team USA Opening Ceremony sweaters made using Central Oregon wool, celebration planned in Bend

KTVZ on January 29, 2026

Kelsey Merison

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Shaniko Wool Company, located in the small town of Shaniko, Oregon, just north of Antelope, has been honored once again with an Olympics spotlight.

The company recently provided wool to be used in Ralph Lauren’s Team USA Opening Ceremony sweaters for the 2026 Winter Olympics. This is the fourth time in the past decade that the company’s wool has been used in Team USA gear.

Shaniko Wool Company, established in 1871, was the first in the world to receive Responsible Wool Standard certification.

On Friday, February 6th during Downtown Bend’s First Friday, a celebration of Shaniko Wool Company is taking place at Wool Town Bend (115 NW Minnesota Avenue).

The event will feature an educational display about Shaniko Wool Company, a large selection of locally produced yarn (including two custom patriotic colorways), and a rare in-person viewing of the Olympic sweater made with Shaniko wool.

Click here to learn more about Shaniko Wool Company.

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St. Joseph broadcaster retires after 45 year career

News-Press NOW on January 29, 2026

Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Chances are, if you turn on your radio in the Northwest Missouri or Northeast Kansas area, you’ll have heard the voice of Brent Martin. 

Martin is one of the voices behind the radio station KFEQ and has been in broadcasting for 45 years. 

Martin started his broadcasting at the University of Central Missouri’s college radio station, where he fell in love with broadcasting the news.

“News is my passion, and I love what I do,” said Brent Martin.

Martin’s professional career would begin at KOKO in Warrensburg, Missouri, becoming news director while finishing his journalism degree. 

In 1984, Martin would find himself at KFEQ  in St. Joseph, Missouri, as a news reporter and broadcaster, and would call this place home.

“Saint Joseph is special to me, I came here, met my wife here. The church family that I had here at Frederick Boulevard Baptist Church was very important to me. It really helped me in my growth as a Christian and my growth in Christ,” said Martin.

In 1993, Martin would cover the Missouri flood. The coverage of the flood earned KFEQ awards from the Missouri Broadcasters Association and the Radio and Television News Directors Association.

Martin’s work would open new doors for his career path that would have him move around and leave KFEQ in 1995.

Eventually, Martin would find himself as news director at Nebraska Radio Network from 2011 to 2019. The stint ended after the closure of the network, leaving Martin with the choice to come back to a place he called home. 

“When we had the opportunity to bring Brent in, a comparison was made of a big news person, and they said, If you can get this person, why wouldn’t you go for them,” said KFEQ Operations Manager Travis Dodge.

This past December 31st, Martin had finished his final broadcast and was surprised by United States House Representative Sam Graves, who presented him with a congressional record.

“Whether I get into the congressional record or not, get into the congressional record matters little. The work was good, and I enjoyed it; it was a fulfilling career,” said Martin.

Martin has looked back on his career in broadcasting, and there is one thing that he will miss the most.

“I, you know, everybody talks about people, and the people you do miss, and I think the day-to-day just come in doing, you know, the newscast. It’s kind of ingrained in me. I think I’ll miss that. I’ll miss the audience and the people I worked with here,” said Martin.

Now, if you turn on your radio in the Northwest Missouri or Northeast Kansas area, Martin’s voice won’t be there, but his legacy will.

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No injuries reported in Boone County fire; cause under investigation

KMIZ on January 29, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

No one was injured after a fire on Wednesday damaged a Boone County home and garage, according to the Boone County Fire Protection District.

A garage caught fire in the 7500 block of South Hill Creek Road in Boone County, just south of Columbia. The cause is under investigation and the homeowner was able to safely get his pets out of the home while calling for first responders, according to a social media post from BCFPD.

Firefighters were able to stop the fire from spreading to the living areas of the home.

“Firefighters identified extension into the attic space on the second story and completed several hours of salvage and overhaul, removing ceiling and insulation to ensure the fire had not spread further,” the post says.

The road was shut down while first responders worked.

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FIT FURRY FRIENDS: New mobile dog fitness service opens in Bend

KTVZ on January 29, 2026

Kelsey Merison

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Dog owners, this one’s for you! There’s a new business in town that’s focused on fitness for your furry friend.

Bend Barks & Rec, a locally-owned mobile dog fitness service proudly based in Bend, was created to support dogs and their people through safe, structured, and convenient exercise–regardless of weather, schedules, or physical limitations.

It brings a state-of-the-art, climate-controlled mobile dog gym directly to clients’ homes or workplaces, offering customized 30-minute fitness sessions using non-motorized slatmills designed specifically for dogs.

You can learn more at bendbarksandrec.com.

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The School Buzz: Impressive Colorado Springs senior offered more than $1 million in cumulative scholarships

KRDO on January 29, 2026

Josh Helmuth

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Coltin Bridgmon is a senior at The Colorado Springs School with a million reasons he knows he’s going to a top university.

Bridgmon has so many scholarship offers (from 13 different schools and counting) that the cumulative amount exceeds $1 million. And the reason schools want him is more than just about his grades.

Teachers and counselors at The Colorado Springs School say Coltin has been named the Kodiak Male Athlete of the Year; he’s won the National Honor Society Character Award; and he has more than 200 hours of community service club recognition. Mr. Takacs, his math teacher, also said Coltin is the top math student in the school simply because of his hard work.

He’s the whole package.

Coltin hasn’t yet chosen which school he will attend in the fall. But he did say he’s considering studying to become an aerospace engineer or a teacher.

Is there someone remarkable at your school? Email us! SchoolBuzz@KRDO.com.

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Two men seriously hurt in Montgomery County crash

KMIZ on January 29, 2026

Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two men were seriously hurt after a crash just after 4 p.m., in Montgomery County Wednesday, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

The report states, a 28-year-old St. Clair man was driving 2015 Toyota Tundra south on Highway 19 south of Loutre Bend Road with a 60-year-old Owensville man. The driver failed to navigate a curve, went off the right side of the road into an embankment and hit several trees before coming to a stop.

The Owensville man was thrown from the truck and was taken to University Hospital by ambulance with serious injuries. The St. Clair man also suffered serious injuries and was taken by ambulance to Mercy Hospital in Washington, Mo.

Neither men were wearing seatbelts. The Toyota was totaled.

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Tooele couple recounts hearing loud explosion, escaping flames

CNN Newsource on January 29, 2026

By Shelby Lofton

Click here for updates on this story

    TOOELE (KSL) — A fire destroyed a Tooele couple’s home and took the life of one of their pets Friday night.

It happened about 6 p.m.

“We were actually just getting ready to eat a roast,” homeowner Brittany Johnson said. “Our fire alarms started to go off, which sometimes they randomly do that anyway, which is a little inconvenient, but, if we shower, hot water is running too long, they just kind of go off and do their own thing.”

She said they didn’t rush to get up because their smoke alarms have a history of being sensitive.

Johnson said she tried to fan the smoke alarm, but it didn’t work. That’s when they rounded up their cats and five dogs.

“We felt an insane explosion,” Johnson said. “I lost my hearing for probably about two minutes. Everything was very muffled. I remember my husband screaming my name.”

Smoke was coming from their swamp cooler.

They ran outside to safety with their pets.

Johnson said several fire trucks came to her house, and she remembers they spent 12 hours looking over every corner of her home.

“There was for sure a very large explosion,” she said. “Personally, my guess is faulty wiring, but investigators from insurance should be coming out sometime this week.”

Firefighters haven’t shared the official cause.

They did find one of the Johnsons’ pets inside, border collie-Aussie mix, Kenzie. Johnson said she died from smoke inhalation.

“I’m pretty sure she did come out when we were out, when we were trying to gather all of the animals out,” Johnson said. “Unfortunately, she was kind of skittish, and she actually had, ironically, in that room that we saw the flames firsthand, she actually had a little closet area that she would go and hide.”

The Johnsons said Brittany’s clothing, furniture and so much more is destroyed. It could be nine to 12 months before they’re back home.

“Just to see everything that you’ve built, the first quarter of our lives is just, it’s gone,” Johnson said.

They’re intent on staying in Tooele, where they run Coffee Barn and where they have a community.

“There has been multiple businesses, even some of our competitors have come out and donated a proceeds of their sales to us,” Johnson said. “We’ve never felt alone in this, not once.”

The Johnsons’ family members set up a GoFundMe* to help them with expenses.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KSL verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Palisades Fire victims told they had to pay for new fire hydrant in order to rebuild

CNN Newsource on January 29, 2026

By Josh Haskell

Click here for updates on this story

    PACIFIC PALISADES, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — As if losing your home of 34 years wasn’t bad enough, the rebuilding process for Pacific Palisades residents Chris and Jeff Spitz has been anything but smooth.

“Fire department came back and said, ‘Well, before we approve this permit, we need a new hydrant to be put in because you guys are more than twice the legal limit from the closest fire hydrant. And please contact LADWP to get a cost estimate for what you’ll have to pay to build and install this new hydrant,'” Jeff Spitz recalled.

“It was so shocking that I was nauseated by it because our insurance certainly wouldn’t have covered that,” said Chris Spitz.

The Spitzs felt they were being punished for wanting to rebuild. Adding to the confusion, this hydrant issue didn’t come up for their neighbors who built new homes within the last ten years before the fire.

“We didn’t just tear this down willy-nilly and say we want to build a brand-new house. This is just trying to come back,” said Chris.

The closest fire hydrant to the Spitz’s home is roughly 1,000 feet away. All of the homes in the neighborhood, especially the homes closer to the fire hydrant, burned in the Palisades Fire.

There are currently two fire hydrants near the Spitz’s home. One at Lombard Avenue and Via de Las Olas and one at Lombard Avenue and Friends Street.

“My level of outrage is through the roof. I really can’t imagine something much more insulting to someone who has lost their home… that they need to pay to put in a new fire hydrant,” said Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park.

Park represents Pacific Palisades and arranged a meeting with the Los Angeles Fire Department and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power last month to resolve this issue.

After being stalled in the rebuilding process for 11 weeks, the Spitzs were told by their councilwoman the issue had been resolved.

The LADWP tells Eyewitness News they will cover the cost of installing a new fire hydrant at the price tag of $35,000. During the Palisades Fire, LADWP says demand for water in the Palisades reached four times normal use, resulting in water pressure issues that prevented water from coming out of some hydrants.

“They’re aware fires happen here all the time. In all that time, nobody did anything about the fire hydrants,” said Chris Spitz.

The LADWP told Eyewitness News “placement of hydrants is determined by the LAFD” and that a future water mainline upgrade in the Spitz’s neighborhood “will increase the hydrant’s flow-rate.” Based on discussions with the LAFD, DWP doesn’t “anticipate that additional fire hydrants will be needed” in the Palisades, but if they are, who pays for “it will be determined on a case-by-case basis.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Child struck by Waymo near elementary school in Santa Monica

CNN Newsource on January 29, 2026

By KABC Staff

Click here for updates on this story

    SANTA MONICA, Calif. (KABC) — A child was hit and injured by a Waymo car near an elementary school in Santa Monica, an incident that has triggered an investigation.

It happened. Jan. 23 near Grant Elementary School on Pearl Street when the child “suddenly entered the roadway” from behind an SUV and right in front of the self-driving car’s path, according to a statement from Waymo.

The child suffered minor injuries.

Waymo says the car “braked hard” and slowed from 17 miles per hour to 6 miles per hour before hitting the child. The company says that’s faster than a human driver would have been able to brake.

The autonomous car company says it voluntarily contacted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is opening an investigation into the incident.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Future of Southmoor Drive in Fountain remains uncertain nearly six years after partial closure

KRDO on January 29, 2026

Scott Harrison

FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KRDO) — On Tuesday night, the City Council decided to take no action, for the present, on whether to reopen a neighborhood street segment that has been closed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Council updated the status of Southmoor Drive, where authorities closed several blocks along the middle of the two-mile street in April of 2020.

An erosion threat led to the closure.

The closed segment is on a bluff high above a bend in Fountain Creek, and severe erosion from heavy creek flows caused by unusually wet weather brought the steep drop-off only a few feet from the west edge of the street.

Last summer, the Fountain Creek Watershed District (FCWD) spent $7 million on a mitigation project to widen the creek banks, dissipate the force of heavy flows, and prevent the street from literally collapsing into the creek.

Now, there are mixed opinions among city leaders on whether the street is safe to reopen.

Todd Evans, deputy city manager for Fountain, advised caution.

“Those 100-year storms we had a few years ago — we had two, back-to-back — and even (with) those, (mitigation) may last through those, and then one gets (hit again) five years from now,” he said. “So, there’s really no engineering specs they can put to it, that say that this is absolutely, 100% guaranteed to work.”

Yet several neighbors who attended the Council meeting want the street reopened as soon as possible.

“I would like to see the road opened, due to the fact (of) easy access to all the businesses on the back side of Southmoor — because right now, we don’t have access,” said Gerald Whitten. “If I want to go to Walmart, I have to get on Highway 85/87 and fight the traffic.”

The American Legion Post 36 is located near the street closure.

“People come looking for The American Legion, they get on Waze, and it says to go down the north side of that way coming there,” said John Langley, a post commander. “And then they get there, and then it’s blocked off.”

The Council decided to revisit the issue at its late February meeting after first consulting with a citizens’ roadway group.

Evans said that the biggest obstacle to reopening the street is the high cost emphasizing that some repair options, such as repaving the street and installing guardrails along its western edge, would equal or exceed the city’s entire annual street maintenance budget.

“We also have to consider liability issues and other street priorities that we have,” he said.

To improve safety and traffic flow for drivers detouring at the south end of the closure, officials made changes to the intersection of Carson Boulevard and Highway 85/87 in 2004.

The changes included installing traffic signals and creating protected left turns to reduce crashes.

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