Man pleads guilty to 3 felonies in March 2025 downtown Columbia shooting

KMIZ on January 7, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man pleaded guilty to three felonies in connection with a shooting that occurred last spring in downtown Columbia.

Steven Harris, 46, of Columbia, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action and stealing a gun. He is being held at the Boone County Jail and awaits sentencing on at 9 a.m.  Tuesday, Feb. 17.

He was accused of firing shots at a vehicle with a stolen gun on March 30 near the intersection of Ninth and Walnut streets. Court documents in previous reporting say a blue Chevrolet Tahoe hit Harris and he chased the vehicle before firing shots.

Officers reportedly found several shell casings and wrote in court documents that Harris dropped the gun when he was instructed by police.

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Buzzard’s Next Court Date Set, Sheriff’s Gag Order Maintained

KEYT on January 7, 2026

Jarrod Zinn

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – The Lompoc division of Santa Barbara Superior Court was standing room only this morning for a hearing in the murder case against Ashlee Buzzard.

The crowd witnessed what turned out to be a quick procedural hearing.

Many of the seats were filled with family members of the late 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, reporters and media representatives, as well as spectators from the Vandenberg Village neighborhood where she lived with her mother Ashlee.

40-year-old Ashlee Buzzard is accused of shooting and killing Melodee in October, leaving her body on a remote Utah roadside.

Ashlee pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder on December 26th.

“I don’t know what to expect anymore,” says Lilly Denes, Melodee’s paternal grandmother.

Many of the spectators expressed hopes that the court would move quickly on this case.

“But we need to do something about it, fast,” says Denes. “This is taking so long. Her courts are going to go probably over and over. I don’t know. This is the first time we have seen anything like this.”

Judge Stephen Dunkle has maintained the gag order against Santa Barbara County Sheriffs for now.

Buzzard’s next court date is January 21st for a hearing on a defense motion.

Her public defender is Adrian Galvan, but it’s unclear if he will continue to represent her.

“She didn’t want to look at me,” says Denes. “She knew where I was. She went straight. I always been in the front. No, I don’t know. I don’t know. What’s going through your mind that she did what she did.”

Melodee’s paternal grandmother Lilly Denes works with your news channel, and she says Melodee’s entire family—including Ashlee’s mother—is hurting.

“She is hurting,” says Denes. “She sent me a message, ‘God help us,’ she put in my message, and I said yes. So I’m sure she’s hurting the same as I am, but she’s hurting for her daughter. I’m hurting for my grandbaby. My family is huge. And they—every time that you guys interview me, they’re ready. Everybody is involved.”

The family is beginning some preparations to lay Melodee to rest, but no date has been set for any services.

Denes says if anyone does feel inclined to donate to the family, to please make sure they’re donating to the GoFundMe created by Dee Dee Moreno.

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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Controversial Frank Bogert statue to be moved to Village Green in downtown Palm Springs

KESQ on January 7, 2026

Athena Jreij

Update 1/8/25

The statue of Frank Bogert will be moved to Village Green in downtown Palm Springs.

The Palm Springs Public Arts Commission approved the move Thursday after a nearly two-hour discussion.

The commission asked that a subcommittee work with the Palm Springs Historical Society to add an educational component regarding the controversial history related to the sculpture.

Some public commenters had suggested moving the statue to Bogert Trail, but commissioners noted that it is private land.

Original Report 1/7/25

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A controversial statue of former Palm Springs mayor, Frank Bogert, could have a new home this year. 

The statue was removed from Palm Springs City Hall in 2022 after a recommendation from the Human Rights Commission in 2021, as the city reckoned with the mayor’s alleged role in evicting Section 14 victims from a plot of land owned by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.

This Thursday, the Public Arts Commission will consider rehoming the statue at the Village Green in the Palm Springs Historical Society, where several chairpersons have requested it be placed permanently.

Section 14 survivors have argued against the relocation, saying Bogert’s statue glorifies a painful part of their history.

“How does a mayor oversee a city without having some type of input on burning down a community?The harm was devastating. Reinstalling the statue sends a very painful message that our suffering is secondary to nostalgia,” Pearl Devers, the president of Section 14 Survivors and Descendants said.

Not all agree however. Gordon and Stacey Winn, Palm Springs residents, say they believe the former mayor’s legacy should be honored.

“I saw that his star is here, so it’s really appropriate. It’s a good place for him. I mean, I know people have mixed feelings, but he’s an important part of our history,” they said.

The Friends of Frank Bogert have also supported the relocation, while refuting claims that Bogert played a role in Section 14’s mass displacement. The group believes Bogert worked with leaders in the Black community to find alternative homes and place eviction moratoriums.

Former Palm Springs Mayor Lisa Middleton oversaw the statue debate and recommended it be placed at the Village Green.

“When you look here at, the Village Green and the historical society, the buildings and the history that we have going back no a hundred years for us in Palm Springs, that focus on that history is right here,” Middleton said.

Survivors disagree, with Devers saying they have no objections to placing the statue in a museum with context, but it doesn’t belong in the public eye.

The Public Arts Commission is slated to decide the future of the statue Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

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ICSO finds human leg in the Salton City area

KYMA on January 7, 2026

Dillon Fuhrman

SALTON CITY, Calif. (KYMA) – The Imperial County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO) is asking the public’s help after they found a human leg in the Salton City area last month.

According to a post on Facebook, deputies responded to the area at around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, December 21, 2025.

Upon arrival, ICSO says deputies found a human leg, and says their Investigations division took over “after the remains were secured.”

After that, ICSO says their deputies and investigators conducted an extensive search, both on foot and in the air, of the area to find any additional evidence or information, but as of now, they did not find any additional remains nor evidence.

In addition, ICSO says the remains have yet to be identified, and says their investigators “are working to determine the circumstances surrounding how they came to be at the location.”

The investigation remains ongoing, but ICSO is asking for anyone who is aware of someone who has recently gone missing, or if anyone knows someone who was traveling through or visiting the Salton City area, but never heard from them since, to call ICSO at (442) 265-2052.

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Upcoming News Channel 3-12 MLK Day of Service Blood Drive looking to help boost local supplies

KEYT on January 7, 2026

Dave Alley

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – The 8th Annual News Channel 3-11-12 MLK Day of Service Blood Drive will be held later this month in an effort to help boost local supply levels.

The yearly event is held in partnership with Vitalant and is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 19, 2026 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo.

“Supplies definitely are low,” said Beau Mercurio, Vitalant Account Manager. “Especially now, just because of the weather. We’ve had a lot of blood drives canceled in the community due to the weather and that’s really hurt our numbers and our stock levels for the blood and blood products, so we definitely are in a high need for blood right now. We definitely need all hands on deck for blood donors.”

For the first six years of the event, the blood drive was held in Vitalant blood centers. However, last year the drive moved to the Elks Lodge sites in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo.

Once again this year, the blood drive will take place in the same three Elks Lodge locations.

“They stepped up,” said Mercurio. “It just didn’t make sense anymore in the center because we were growing and it’s really neat that the Elks has stepped up to host this drive. This is open to the public. Anybody and everybody in our community can come out there and donate.”

Vitalant points out that one donation of blood may save up to three lives, highlighting the impact donors have on the community.

“Just keep in mind that every two seconds somebody is needing blood, there is a transfusion happening,” said Mercurio. “One out of seven patients that walks in a hospital is going to need a transfusion. Just one pint of blood can help save three lives. It’s that important you’re saving lives with that blood donation.”

To learn more about the 8th Annual News Channel MLK Day of Service Blood Drive, or to schedule an appointment, click here.

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Cathedral City PD holds active shooter, mass casualty training for officers

KESQ on January 7, 2026

Kendall Flynn

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif (KESQ) – The Cathedral City Police Department is holding active shooter and mass casualty trainings for officers near James Workman Middle School on Wednesday and Thursday. CCPD Police Commander Andrew Diaz said the trainings continue to grow in importance.

“Since 1999 and Columbine, training and police response to these kinds of incidents has completely, turned around,” Diaz said. “As we get new officers coming into the police department, we want to train them up, not to mention keeping our, tenured officers also their skills sharp.” 

Officers are split into four-hour training groups to work through different scenarios and tactics, followed by a debrief of how the training went. Officials said the lectures and real-life scenarios are essential to stimulating the officers into making a decision and acting.

“The primary focus is for them to understand that when they’re responding to an incident like this is that they’re prepared to show up and engage right away,” Diaz said. “That means entering the facility, looking for the suspect and stopping them before they continue their killing. Ultimately, our goal is to save as many lives as possible.”

At locations, like the school, officers are immersed in a high pressure scenario with loudspeakers, blanks in firearms and role players. Each factor challenges the way an officer reacts in the moment and changes his next move.

“When we introduce those training needs and we introduce blanks, the loud noise areas that are unknown to them, buildings, hallways, classrooms, the role players, especially when they’re coming out,” Diaz said.

He went on to say, “The ones that are designed to be victims, they’re reaching out to the officers, sometimes pulling on their pant legs, asking them for help. Well, the officer, based on the training, knows that they can’t stop and render aid. They have to continue moving towards the sound of the gunfire to find the suspect and stop them.”

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from CCPD on the importance of these trainings in event of critical situations in the Coachella Valley.

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Recent Rain Damage Disrupts Travel Plans for Central Coast Train Passengers

KEYT on January 7, 2026

John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – A major washout on the Gaviota coast from recent rains has put the brakes on AMTRAK and Union Pacific trains.

The Amtrak Alerts message to passengers went out Tuesday and reads:

Temporary Track Closure January 6

Due to weather-related track damage, Pacific Surfliner service between Goleta Station and San Luis Obispo station is temporarily suspended. Amtrak Connection buses offer riders an alternative route to Santa Barbara station while Union Pacific repairs the rails and ensures passenger safety. More updates to come.

The area was hit hard with rain Saturday causing mudslides and a full freeway shutdown in the same general area.

A Union Pacific heavy equipment operator on the tracks Tuesday lost control of his machinery in the area of the landslide and failing track site. The driver was not seriously hurt but taken to Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara by AMR.

The tracks were immediately closed. Passengers onboard a train were delayed and eventually rerouted back to a station to get on a bus to Santa Barbara.

From there, those going south could continue.

One passenger said in all it was an eight-hour delay for his day.

More information about travel alerts can be found at Amtrak

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HNB National Bank and Kearney Trust Company jointly announce merger

News-Press NOW on January 7, 2026

Cameron Montemayor

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story has been changed for clarification.

John Zimmer, President and CEO of HNB Bancorp, Inc. (“HNB”) and HNB National Bank (“HNB Bank”), jointly announced with Keith Doss, Chairman of Kearney Trust Company (“Kearney”), a subsidiary of Trustco Bankshares, Inc. (“Trustco”), that the two financial institutions have executed an Agreement of Merger and Plan of Reorganization (the “Agreement”). The Agreement provides for the merger of Trustco with and into HNB and the merger of Kearney Trust Company with and into HNB Bank.

Keith Doss, Chairman of Kearney Trust Company, indicated this merger will allow us to better serve our community. “After thoughtful consideration and with a continued commitment to our customers and community, Kearney Trust Company today announced an agreement to join HNB National Bank, a well-established financial institution with expanded resources and services. This partnership positions our bank to continue its community-focused mission while bringing additional benefits to the people and businesses we serve.” Doss said.

For generations, Kearney Trust Company has been proud to support local families, farmers, and small businesses with personal service and local decision-making. By partnering with HNB, our customers will gain access to a broader range of financial products and services, including enhanced digital banking tools, expanded lending capabilities, and additional financial planning resources—while maintaining the hometown service they expect.

“Partnering with HNB allows us to preserve our local relationships and values while providing greater convenience, technology, and most importantly, long-term stability for those who trust us with their financial needs,” said Scott Middleton, President of Kearney Trust Company.

Customers and staff can expect continuity in their day-to-day banking experience. There are no immediate changes planned to branch locations and our local staff. Familiar faces will remain in place and will continue to handle our customer’s financial needs.

Equally important, this partnership reinforces a shared commitment to community involvement. HNB shares our belief in supporting local schools, nonprofits, and civic organizations, and we look forward to continuing our community investment together.

“We are very excited to become part of the HNB family.” Said Scott Middleton, President and CEO of Kearney Trust Company. “This will provide enhanced services and capabilities to our customers and greater opportunities for our staff”.

Commenting on the transaction, HNB President John Zimmer stated: “We view this as a tremendous opportunity for both institutions. We both have a long history in community banking and we share a commitment to our customers, employees and communities. We are excited for the expanded opportunities in the communities served by Kearney.”

Kearney is a Missouri State-Chartered Depository Trust Company headquartered in Kearney, Missouri, with total assets of approximately $313 million, as of September 30, 2025.

HNB Bank is a National Banking Association headquartered in Hannibal, Missouri, with total assets of approximately $957 million as of September 30, 2025. HNB National Bank operates 15 branches throughout Northern Missouri including locations in St. Joseph, Savannah, Stanberry, Hannibal, Perry, Palmyra, Bowling Green, Louisiana, Monroe City, Wentzville and Troy.

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to be completed in the 2nd quarter of 2026.

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BLM conducting pile burning this week on Cline Buttes west of Redmond

KTVZ on January 7, 2026

KTVZ

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Bureau of Land Management fire crews began three days of prescribed pile burning operations Wednesday on the Cline Buttes west of Redmond, including about 670 acres of hand piles.

The BLM said the operations are expected to continue through Friday, as weather and site conditions allow. The burn area is located off Fryrear Road, east of Highway 20 and south of Highway 126.

The agency said the burns are designed to reduce hazardous fuels, protect nearby communities and restore native ecosystems, and are conducted under strict safety protocols and in coordination with the Oregon Department of Forestry’s smoke management plan.

“Prescribed fire is one of our most effective tools for reducing wildfire risk and improving habitat,” said Jona Ensley, assistant fire management officer. “By carefully planning and executing these burns, we’re helping protect communities and strengthen the health of our public lands.”

Smoke may be visible for several days after ignition and could settle overnight near residential areas. Residents are advised to close windows, limit outdoor activity, and drive cautiously in smoky conditions. No road closures are expected, but signage will be posted.

To view planned and active BLM burns across Oregon and Washington, visit Prescribed Fire | Bureau of Land Management

For more information, contact Prineville BLM at (541) 416-6700

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Brawley Head Coach Bert Esposito resigns after one year at the helm

KYMA on January 7, 2026

Morgan Feller

The Wildcats are on the hunt for a new head football coach after parting ways with Esposito

BRAWLEY, Calif. (KYMA) – The Brawley Wildcats are looking for another head coach after Burt Esposito resigned after one year on Friday December 19, 2025.

“Coach Esposito came from the Temecula area up in San Diego County,” said Brawley’s Athletic Director Billy Brewer. “He resigned to kind of get closer back to his family, and we appreciate that and appreciate his time here. We’re excited about where we go from here.”

After parting ways with Esposito, the search for a new coach began.

“We want a gentleman that can run the whole program, that means all three levels,” Brewer said. “We want somebody that’s a very true leader and that shows the leadership, the discipline.”

Because they are student-athletes, having a coach who can maximize both their academic and athletic potential is a priority, and the Wildcats are committed to bringing in someone who can do just that.

At the same time, the goal is to find a coach with a winning history who also fits seamlessly into the town’s football culture and values.

That confidence in the program’s direction is already in place.

“Brawley has a bright future and we’re not worried about our football program,” Brewer said. “We know we’ll get back on track and we have a bunch of kids that are lifting, and they’re already going and we got a great coaching staff within our ranks already that have been here 20, 25 years and so there’s consistency, and that is the key at this point.”

As the search for a new coach for 2026 continues, time will tell if Brawley made the right decision on their new leader once the football season continues.

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