5 deaths reported on Missouri roads over New Year’s holiday weekend

KMIZ on January 6, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Five people were killed in traffic crashes on state roads over the New Year’s holiday weekend, according to a Monday press release from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The release says the “counting period” lasted from 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31-11:59 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 4.

This year, there were 87 people injured in 187 crashes, while 112 were arrested for driving while intoxicated. In the 2025-25 holiday period, there was one person killed and 118 injured in 264 crashes, the release says.

MSHP made a note that the New Year’s Day counting period varies each year, depending on which day of the week the holiday falls. Since the holiday fell on a Thursday, the counting period lasted 4.25 days this year, compared to last year when it fell on a Wednesday and lasted 1.25 days.

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82-year-old driver killed in rollover crash into Salmon River

KIFI on January 6, 2026

Seth Ratliff

SALMON, Idaho (KIFI) — An 82-year-old Salmon man is dead after a rollover crash along the icy roads on US 93 in Lemhi County on Monday.

According to the Idaho State Police, the crash occurred at 9:45 AM on January 5. The 82-year-old was driving northbound on US 93 in a 1999 GMC Sierra pickup when he lost control on the icy roads. The pickup went off the north side of the road, overturning into the Salmon River.

The 82-year-old driver succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The crash is under investigation by the ISP.

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Selected BLM lands temporarily restricted for Parker 400 race

KYMA on January 6, 2026

Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lake Havasu Field Office announced it will temporarily close and restrict select public lands next week for the 2026 Parker 400 off-road race.

“The closures apply to the BLM managed public lands between the Shea Road and Parker Airport…that block right out there is where we hold those races,” said BLM public affairs specialist Jason Vanbuskirk.

The areas will be restricted all week long from next Monday, January 12 at 11:59 p.m. through Sunday, January 18.

“The event is actually the 14th through the 17th. The extra days are up front to give us time to make sure there are no campers or users in the area and to get our signage up. And then the final extra day is to get the signage down for infrastructure afterwards,” said Vanbuskirk.

BLM says the restrictions are to keep the public safe. Restricted and closed areas will be marked at key access points with signs, fencing, or barriers.

If you’d like to attend the races and watch, you can find designated spectator viewing areas near Shea Road.

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Longtime Public Works employee Steve Kendall honored with key to the city for 38-year career

News-Press NOW on January 6, 2026

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A stalwart of St. Joseph’s Public Works Department was honored Monday with a prestigious key to the city for a dedicated career of service spanning nearly four decades.

Steve Kendall, a veteran city employee with 38 years of experience working in St. Joseph’s Public Works and Street Maintenance department, was honored with a key to the city by Mayor John Josendale and City Councilmembers during Monday’s City Council meeting, paying tribute to the man first hired back in 1988.

Steve Kendall is pictured during an interview with News-Press NOW in May.

Kendall, a senior field supervisor with the department, oversees a key position supervising and coordinating with pothole patchers who make their way across 440 miles of streets in St. Joseph, among other responsibilities.

Kendall also assists with the city’s snow removal operations and training of new snowplow operators.

Kendall has come a long way from his early days in the department when he first started off as a temp before earning his stripes in various roles, moving from custodian to laborer before being promoted to operator, senior work leader and then supervisor.

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North Columbia duplex fire accidentally started in clothes dryer; cat dies, kittens not found

KMIZ on January 6, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A fire that occurred Monday morning at a duplex in northern Columbia was ruled accidental, according to a press release from the Columbia Fire Department.  

The release says the fire in the 2800 block of North Willowbrook Drive was started in a clothes dryer.

A cat died in the fire and two kittens “are currently unaccounted for,” according to the release. Two people were evaluated for injuries at the scene, but declined medical treatment or transportation to a hospital, according to the release.

Firefighters were called at 7:56 a.m., arrived within four minutes and saw smoke and flames coming from the back of the building. The fire was found in the basement and the back of the home and was under control within 15 minutes, according to the release.

There were 22 firefighters at the scene.

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Lompoc Fire Department tackle structure fire

KEYT on January 6, 2026

Caleb Nguyen

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – The Lompoc Fire Department prevented any injuries after a structure fire at the 200 block of West Chestnut Ave. just before 6:30 a.m. Monday morning.

Lompoc City Police noticed heavy smoke and flames before the LFD arrived to put the fire out at the single-family home.

The LFD started from the outside of the home and knocked the fire down before it spread to other homes in the area, just after 7:30 a.m.

The LFD received help from Lompoc City Police, Santa Barbara County Fire Department, Vandenberg Space Force Base Fire and the Regional Fire Communication Center.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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Warehouse in Yuma will be cleaned of almost four million pounds of electronic waste

KYMA on January 5, 2026

Joaquin Hight

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is leading a cleanup effort at a warehouse in Yuma.

The warehouse, located on East 24th Street, has housed 3.92 million pounds of waste created by a glass recycling company from 2012 to 2013, known as Down Management LLC, or Atlan Recycling Corporation, and abandoned TV screens with big vacuum tubes called cathode ray tubes (CRT).

The glass and parts from these devices hold several hazardous materials, mainly lead.

The EPA and the Yuma Community Food Bank want the community to know that the food at the bank has been held completely separate from the waste.

The bank was made aware of the waste in August of 2025 and reached out to the United States Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), looking for resources to get rid of the materials.

In the back corner of the warehouse, entirely separate from the food bank, a glass recycling company kept these devices, which are described as box projection monitors.

Since the discovery of the materials, the food bank has been trying to raise awareness of the issue and have it resolved.

The EPA says that the waste has some heavy metals in it, and that they can’t handle it like normal waste, that they have to be careful with it. They estimate the cleaning process will take about two months. After this cleaning process, the bank will be able to expand to allow for more storage space.

“Just know that when we show up, it means that you’re safe. You know, you’re in good hands. We have a great crew, very experienced.” said Celeste McCoy, Federal On-Scene Coordinator, EPA.

Operations at the food bank will continue regularly, and the food will remain clean and safe, especially during the cleanup process.

The process begins with sealing the room with a layer of large plastic sheets with a vacuum seal, installing air monitoring and sampling devices inside and outside the work area, and removing waste in covered boxes from the back entrance.

From there, they will clean all surfaces from floor to ceiling, and will replace the insulation in the room as well.

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Snowmobiler rescued after crash at Togwotee Pass

KIFI on January 5, 2026

News Team

TETON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — A 42-year-old snowmobiler is recovering this week following a high-stakes backcountry rescue on Friday, Jan. 2.

At 11:40 a.m., Teton County Dispatch received a Garmin SOS alert from a snowmobiling party. The group reported that a member of their party had crashed, injuring his leg. The injured man’s current condition has not been released.

Teton County Search and Rescue (TCSAR) immediately mobilized a helicopter crew to the rugged pass. While the flight team arrived and airlifted him to an awaiting Jackson Hole Fire/EMS ambulance near Togwotee Mountain Lodge, three TCSAR volunteers remained behind in the field.

However, the weather took a turn for the worse, grounding the helicopter, leaving the three volunteers stranded in the field. To bring their teammates home, TCSAR’s snowmobile team launched a secondary mission, navigating a grueling 22-mile round trip through the backcountry to extract the remaining volunteers. All teams were out of the field by 6 p.m., completing the mission in 6 hours and 20 minutes, says TCSAR.

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From flowers to decor, stores gear up for Valentine’s Day

News-Press NOW on January 5, 2026

Prajukta Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Stores around St. Joseph are shifting from one holiday to the next, as they make room for Valentine’s Day.

According to Stacey Fisher, owner of Garden Gate Flowers, Valentine’s Day is considered the “Super Bowl” of the floral industry.  

She explained that florists often debate which holiday is their biggest, with the title usually going back and forth between Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.  

“For us its definitely Valentine’s Day, so we start planning Valentine’s Day months in advance. We use flower wholesalers, and my pre-sale order I had were around Halloween and Thanksgiving,” Fisher said.  

Fisher said the first step in preparation is deciding the overall look for the holiday. The team meets to choose color schemes, which then determines the types of flowers they order.  

She emphasized that extensive planning happens behind the scenes to manage costs and to ensure customers are not overcharged. 

“We try to make things look flawless, and we always try to do all the work behind the scenes so things for the customers look easy and simple because we don’t want people to stress out while buying flowers,” Fisher said.  

As local Downtown stores continue to set up Valentine’s Day displays, some retailers, such as Hobby Lobby, already have decorations available for early shoppers.  

Hobby Lobby Co-Manager Madelyn Helton said the store began putting out Valentine’s Day items about two weeks ago.  

She noted that this year’s rush has been slower compared to last year, when customers were calling before Christmas to ask about Valentine’s merchandise.  

“Corporate sends us our schedule for when we put things out, and then we just implement it. It does depend on the sales of the item, so depending on how quickly we sell the stuff, then we have room for setting the new stuff,” Helton said.  

Helton said Valentine’s Day items will still be available for about two weeks after the holiday, though they won’t be displayed in the main seasonal section and may instead be found in clearance areas.  

She reminded shoppers that Hobby Lobby is a seasonal store, which means items are stocked well in advance to give customers plenty of time to plan their gifts.  

“It happened on Christmas, but we literally… we had people come in on Christmas Eve at 5:30, which was when we were closing to get Christmas stuff for the next day, so Valentine’s Day will be the exact same thing,” Helton added.  

Helton encouraged customers to shop early, noting that popular items often sell out quickly.  

Both Fisher and Helton agreed that while seasonal displays may seem simple, there is significant planning and responsibility behind the scenes to make the shopping experience smooth and enjoyable for customers. 

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158 Idaho Schools awarded USDA grants for fresh fruit and vegetable program

KIFI on January 5, 2026

News Release

The following is a news release from the Idaho Department of Education:

BOSIE, Idaho (KIFI) — Students at 158 schools across Idaho will have the opportunity to explore a wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetable options at no cost to the student or school with federal, state-administered grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP).

The FFVP provides participating elementary schools with a wide selection of fresh fruit and vegetables during the school day, many of which they might not encounter in their regular diets. FFVP service takes place outside of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program mealtimes, meaning they’re served in addition to those programs’ fruit and vegetable offerings, helping to spotlight healthy foods as a standalone snack to explore and enjoy. 

Under the National School Lunch Act, schools with the highest enrollment of students identified for free and reduced-cost meals are given priority for participation. This ensures that the program benefits children who may have fewer chances to integrate fresh fruits and vegetables into their everyday diets.

Schools were awarded grants through a competitive application process. The grant period ran from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, and all grant awards were contingent on available USDA funds.

These Idaho elementary schools received Fresh Fruit and Vegetable grants for the 2025-2026 school year:

School District
School Name
Total Award

American Falls S.D.   #381
Hillcrest Elementary School
$22,283.72

American Falls S.D.   #381
J.R. Simplot Elementary School
$24,610.82

Basin S.D.   #072
Basin Schools
$10,789.27

Blaine County S.D.   #61
Alturas Elementary School
$31,451.08

Blaine County S.D.   #61
Bellevue Elementary School
$13,892.07

Blaine County S.D.   #61
Hailey Elementary School
$17,417.97

Bliss S.D.   #234
Bliss School
$4,654.19

Boise S. D.   #001
Garfield Elementary School
$15,725.54

Boise S. D.   #001
Grace Jordan Elementary School
$27,995.69

Boise S. D.   #001
Hawthorne Elementary School
$16,289.68

Boise S. D.   #001
Hillcrest Elementary School
$20,802.84

Boise S. D.   #001
Horizon Elementary School
$30,675.38

Boise S. D.   #001
Jefferson Elementary School
$16,289.68

Boise S. D.   #001
Koelsch Elementary School
$22,354.24

Boise S. D.   #001
Morley Nelson Elementary School
$26,585.33

Boise S. D.   #001
Taft Elementary School
$21,296.47

Boise S. D.   #001
Whitney Elementary School
$32,861.44

Boise S. D.   #001
Whittier Elementary School
$34,624.39

Bonneville Jt. S.D.   #93
Bridgewater Elementary School
$34,271.80

Bonneville Jt. S.D.   #93
Fairview Elementary School
$20,520.77

Bonneville Jt. S.D.   #93
Falls Valley Elementary School
$27,784.13

Bonneville Jt. S.D.   #93
Hillview Elementary School
$28,982.94

Bonneville Jt. S.D.   #93
Summit Hills Elementary School
$33,637.14

Bonneville Jt. S.D.   #93
Tiebreaker Elementary School
$26,726.36

Bonneville Jt. S.D.   #93
Ucon Elementary School
$30,745.89

Boundary County S.D.   #101
Boundary County Junior High School*
$8,462.17

Boundary County S.D.   #101
Mount Hall Elementary School
$9,237.87

Boundary County S.D.   #101
Naples Elementary School
$5,077.30

Boundary County S.D.   #101
Valley View Elementary School
$24,681.34

Bruneau-Grand View Jt. SD #365
Bruneau Elementary School
$2,186.06

Bruneau-Grand View Jt. SD #365
Grand View Elementary School
$6,134.37

Buhl S.D.   #412
Popplewell Elementary School
$36,810.45

Caldwell S.D.   #132
Jefferson Middle School*
$53,664.28

Caldwell S.D.   #132
Lewis & Clark Elementary School
$21,578.54

Caldwell S.D.   #132
Sacajawea Elementary School
$25,739.11

Caldwell S.D.   #132
Van Buren Elementary School
$31,733.15

Caldwell S.D.   #132
Washington Elementary School
$34,694.91

Caldwell S.D.   #132
Wilson Elementary School
$24,822.37

Cambridge S.D.   #432
Cambridge Elementary School
$4,442.64

Cassia County Jt. S.D.   #151
Dworshak Elementary School
$28,418.80

Cassia County Jt. S.D.   #151
Oakley Schools
$13,398.44

Cassia County Jt. S.D.   #151
White Pine Elementary School
$36,810.45

Castleford S.D.   #417
Castleford School
$10,718.75

Challis S.D.   #181
Challis Elementary School
$11,494.45

Clark County S.D.   #161
Clark County Schools (Lindy Ross Elementary)
$3,384.87

Council S.D.  #13
Council Elementary School
$10,084.09

Culdesac Jt. S.D.   #342
Culdesac School
$4,865.75

Dietrich S.D.   #314
Dietrich School
$5,359.38

Emmett S.D.   #221
Butte View Elementary School
$16,007.61

Emmett S.D.   #221
Kenneth Carberry Intermediate School
$27,008.43

Emmett S.D.   #221
Shadow Butte Elementary School
$27,008.43

Emmett S.D.   #221
Sweet-Montour Elementary School
$2,750.21

Firth S.D.   #059
A W Johnson Elementary School
$17,417.97

Fruitland S.D.   #373
Fruitland Elementary School
$39,490.14

Future Public Charter School, Inc.
Future Public School
$25,950.66

Glenns Ferry S.D.   #192
Glenns Ferry Schools
$11,847.04

Gooding Jt. S.D   #231
Gooding Elementary School
$33,143.51

Hagerman S.D.   #233
Hagerman Elementary School
$10,084.09

Hansen S.D.   #415
Hansen Schools
$11,423.93

Heritage Academy Inc.
Heritage Academy
$10,084.09

Heritage Community Charter School
HCCS
$25,245.48

Highland Joint S.D.   #305
Highland School
$6,346.63

Homedale S.D.  #370
Homedale Elementary School
$32,861.44

Homedale S.D.  #370
Homedale Middle School*
$14,667.77

Idaho Falls S.D.   #091
A H Bush Elementary School
$21,649.06

Idaho Falls S.D.   #091
Dora Erickson Elementary School
$29,899.68

Idaho Falls S.D.   #091
Ethel Boyes Elementary School
$36,457.86

Idaho Falls S.D.   #091
Hawthorne Elementary School
$21,084.91

Jefferson Jt. S.D.   #251
Harwood Elementary School
$29,688.12

Jefferson Jt. S.D.   #251
Roberts Elementary School
$12,693.26

Jerome S.D.   #261
Frontier Elementary School
$32,508.85

Jerome S.D.   #261
Horizon Elementary School
$29,406.05

Jerome S.D.   #261
Jefferson Elementary School
$29,829.16

Jerome S.D.   #261
Summit Elementary School
$31,521.59

Kamiah Jt. S.D.   #304
Kamiah Elementary/Middle Schools
$14,597.25

Kimberly S.D.   #414
Kimberly Elementary School
$29,829.16

Lake Pend Oreille S.D.   #084
Farmin Stidwell Elementary School
$33,637.14

Lake Pend Oreille S.D.   #084
Hope Elementary School
$7,968.55

Lake Pend Oreille S.D.   #084
Kootenai Elementary School
$26,091.70

Lake Pend Oreille S.D.   #084
Southside Elementary School
$11,494.45

Lakeland S.D.   #272
John Brown Elementary School
$26,021.18

Lakeland S.D.   #272
Spirit Lake Elementary School
$19,533.52

Lapwai S.D.   #341
Lapwai Elementary School
$15,302.43

Lapwai S.D.   #341
Lapwai Jr – Sr High School*
$2,397.62

Lewiston S.D.   #340
McGhee Elementary School
$17,841.08

Lewiston S.D.   #340
Webster Elementary School
$14,315.18

Mackay S.D.   #182
Mackay Schools
$8,109.58

Marsing Jt. S.D.   #363
Marsing Elementary School
$24,681.34

Meadows Valley S.D. #011
Meadows Valley School
$5,147.82

Minidoka County S.D.   #331
Acequia Elementary School
$17,770.56

Minidoka County S.D.   #331
East Minico Middle School*
$10,084.09

Minidoka County S.D.   #331
Heyburn Elementary School
$36,105.27

Minidoka County S.D.   #331
Paul Elementary School
$31,733.15

Minidoka County S.D.   #331
Rupert Elementary School
$42,945.53

Minidoka County S.D.   #331
West Minico Middle School*
$13,398.44

Moscow S.D.   #281
West Park Elementary School
$16,712.79

Mountain View S.D. #244
Clearwater Valley Elementary School
$8,462.17

Mountain View S.D. #244
Grangeville Elementary & Jr. High
$27,784.13

Nampa S.D.   #131
Central Elementary School
$25,809.63

Nampa S.D.   #131
Endeavor Elementary School
$41,535.16

Nampa S.D.   #131
FD Roosevelt Elementary School
$40,265.84

Nampa S.D.   #131
Iowa Elementary School
$33,355.06

Nampa S.D.   #131
Lake Ridge Elementary School
$38,643.92

Nampa S.D.   #131
New Horizon Elementary School
$40,759.47

Nampa S.D.   #131
Park Ridge Elementary School
$34,130.76

Nampa S.D.   #131
Ronald Reagan Elementary School
$42,875.01

Nampa S.D.   #131
Sherman Elementary School
$33,214.03

Nampa S.D.   #131
Willow Creek Elementary School
$42,592.94

New Plymouth S.D.   #372
New Plymouth Elementary School
$28,418.80

North Valley Academy
North Valley Academy
$9,026.32

Orofino Jt. S.D.   #171
Orofino Elementary School
$24,540.30

Orofino Jt. S.D.   #171
Timberline Schools
$7,263.36

Parma S.D.   #137
Maxine Johnson Elementary School
$26,162.22

Parma S.D.   #137
West Wing
$11,776.52

Plummer-Worley Jt. S.D.   #044
Lakeside Elementary School
$11,423.93

Pocatello S.D. #025
Claude A. Wilcox Elementary School
$33,214.03

Pocatello S.D. #025
Jefferson Elementary School
$24,822.37

Pocatello S.D. #025
Rulon M Ellis Elementary School
$25,104.45

Pocatello S.D. #025
Tendoy Elementary School
$15,443.47

Potlatch S.D.   #285
Potlatch Elementary School
$16,642.27

Richfield S.D.   #316
Richfield School
$7,122.33

Salmon River S.D. #243
Riggins Elementary School
$4,654.19

Salmon S.D.   #291
Salmon Pioneer Primary School
$18,757.82

Shoshone S.D.   #312
Shoshone Elementary School
$16,360.20

Snake River S.D.   #052
Moreland Elementary School
$15,090.87

Snake River S.D.   #052
Riverside Elementary School
$18,052.64

Snake River S.D.   #052
Rockford Elementary School
$10,366.16

St. Maries Jt. S.D.   #041
Heyburn Elementary School
$22,354.24

St. Maries Jt. S.D.   #041
Upriver Elem-Jr. High School
$4,583.68

Swan Valley S.D.   #92
Swan Valley Elementary School
$2,468.13

Twin Falls S.D.   #411
Bickel Elementary School
$12,058.60

Twin Falls S.D.   #411
Harrison Elementary School
$23,482.53

Twin Falls S.D.   #411
I B Perrine Elementary School
$25,386.52

Twin Falls S.D.   #411
Lincoln Elementary School
$23,412.01

Twin Falls S.D.   #411
Morningside Elementary School
$29,053.46

Twin Falls S.D.   #411
Oregon Trail Elementary School
$34,201.28

Twin Falls S.D.   #411
Sawtooth Elementary School
$32,226.77

Valley S.D.   #262
Valley School
$14,315.18

Wallace S.D.   #393
Silver Hills Elementary School
$9,167.35

Weiser S.D.   #431
Park Intermediate School
$14,244.66

Weiser S.D.   #431
Pioneer Primary School
$26,655.84

Wendell S.D.   #232
Wendell Elementary School
$28,771.39

Wendell S.D.   #232
Wendell Middle School*
$12,975.33

West Ada S.D.   #002
Chief Joseph School of the Arts
$35,188.53

West Ada S.D.   #002
Desert Sage Elementary School
$31,874.18

West Ada S.D.   #002
Frontier Elementary School
$17,488.49

West Ada S.D.   #002
Joplin Elementary School
$17,065.38

West Ada S.D.   #002
McMillan Elementary School
$15,937.09

West Ada S.D.   #002
Meridian Elementary School
$31,803.67

West Ada S.D.   #002
River Valley Elementary School
$31,874.18

West Ada S.D.   #002
Silver Sage Elementary School
$17,276.94

West Ada S.D.   #002
Summerwind Elementary School
$25,950.66

West Ada S.D.   #002
Ustick Elementary School
$28,418.80

West Bonner County S.D. #083
Idaho Hill Elementary School
$9,167.35

West Bonner County S.D. #083
Priest River Elementary School
$23,200.46

West Jefferson S.D.   #253
Hamer Elementary School
$2,538.65

West Jefferson S.D.   #253
Terreton Elem – Jr High School*
$18,546.26

West Side S.D.   #202
Harold B Lee Elementary School
$23,412.01

For more information about Child Nutrition Programs at the Idaho State Department of Education, visit www.sde.idaho.gov. To learn more about the FFVP, visit https://www.sde.idaho.gov/about-us/departments/child-nutrition-programs/school-meal-programs/fresh-fruit-vegetable-program/.

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