Columbia Public Works tackles snowfall Saturday

KMIZ on January 25, 2026

Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Public Works snow crews are working to keep roads clear as a snowstorm coats downtown roads, making travel difficult Saturday.

The snow stalled for a few hours, but picked back up Saturday evening. The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather team expects snowfall to pick up during the night and taper off Sunday afternoon.

Columbia’s snow crews are made up of 28 people who are working 12-hour shifts until the weather calms down. Crews will be treating and monitoring the roads potentially through Sunday afternoon.

Engineering and Operations Manager of Columbia Public Works, Richard Stone said plowing is the main goal because salt is ineffective in temperatures below 15 degrees.

“We can use it (salt) a little bit for traction, and if we overblast an area, it could be effective for a short period of location, so if it’s an intersection we’re trying to address,” Stone said.

Stone said that as snowfall lightens on Sunday, crews will start salting and immediately plowing the roads to avoid refreezing the melted snow.

An ABC 17 News reporter drove around on Saturday afternoon in downtown Columbia and on the University of Missouri Campus. The reporter noted roads with packed snow and car tracks.

Columbia resident Mikiah Hunt said she drove from St. Louis to Columbia on Saturday morning, and the roads looked OK, but she decided to walk with a friend instead of driving around downtown.

“The roads were pretty much good and cleared for the most part, but the north side of town when I was dropping off a friend, was pretty rough,” Hunt said. “That’s why we’re walking, we’re just keeping it tight to where we live.” 

The city also said in a press release that recycling pickup will be canceled for Monday, and the regular schedule will resume Tuesday.

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Mink Creek Nordic Center Hosts Potato Cup Cross Country Ski Races

KIFI on January 25, 2026

Hadley Bodell

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – This morning was the annual Potato Cup: a variety of cross country ski races hosted at the East Fork Mink Creek Nordic Center outside of Pocatello. Racers traveled from around the region to participate in the races.

Participants under 18 years old can race in a 3K, while other cross country skiers can sign up for a 5K, 10K or 15K race. The races began over 20 years ago. Race Director Valerie Gill told us she remembers racing as a kid back in 2005. Now, she directs and participates in the Potato Cup every year.

The event serves as a fundraiser for the Pocatello Cross Country Ski Foundation, which is a local non-profit that puts on cross country ski events. They host races and ski potlucks every other Wednesday at the yurt at the nordic center. They also work with the City of Pocatello to keep the trails groomed.

“The Potato Cup is always hard, but always a little nerve wracking,” said Gill. “Some years we have a lot of snow and there’s no nerves, but this year has been a real white knuckler right up until last week. I thought we were going to have to cancel the race as soon as last Monday.”

The organizers were relieved that snow was coming down during the races today and provided enough for the trails. The lap at the nordic center is 5K and features plenty of uphills and downhills to challenge the skiers.

Some years, the Potato Cup draws up to 65 racers. This year, there were between 40-50 competitors. Because of the addition of the children’s 3K race, there is a large age range of skiers.

“I know we had one kid here that just learned how to skate today,” said Gill. “He did his first skating on the race course which I thought was awesome.”

The Potato Cup is a freestyle race, which means they accept both skate and classic skiers. Gill says this is because they want everyone to come and feel welcome. The winners of each race also won various prizes.

For more information about events at the nordic center, visit pokyxc.org.

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Local Cub Scouts enjoy friendly competition at Pinewood Derby

KTVZ on January 25, 2026

Spencer Sacks

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A local pack of Cub Scouts held their annual Pinewood Derby on Saturday.

The Pinewood Derby is a classic Scouting event that goes back decades, and this year was no different.

Held at Audi of Bend, the Cub Scouts got to be a part of the annual tradition. One parent of a racer even built a Pinewood Derby car himself when he was a kid.

Pack Committee Chair Scott Edwards told KTVZ News, “I think they love that they get to create something. They love the competition. I think it’s being able to compare everything—compare their cars to one another, compare their speeds. You can hear them in the background, super excited. You know, we’ve been running this for 45 minutes, and they’re still really into it.”

Several of the kids got to see their cars race multiple times down the track, letting them compete in a friendly competition to see who could build the best car.

So what did the kids enjoy most?

“Racing the cars,” River, a Cub Scout, told KTVZ News. “Just watching them go down. I think it’s really satisfying.”

Another Cub Scout, Amelia, told KTVZ, “Yeah, it was really fun. I did it for the most part with my grandpa. He’s a real genius.”

Westley said his favorite part was “probably getting first and second place.”

The kids all had smiles on their faces as they enjoyed the Saturday afternoon event with friends, family, and fast cars.

This is just step one, as the Kendall Auto Group, which hosted the event, hopes the kids will take their talents to the Soap Box Derby later this year.

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Mount Bachelor’s avalanche dogs: Ensuring safety on the slopes

KTVZ on January 25, 2026

Spencer Sacks

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Avalanches are not only dangerous, but they can be life-threatening.

That’s why ski resorts take the utmost precautions to ensure guest safety.

Part of that protection comes from adorable — and intelligent — dogs.

Meet Shasta. She is a 5-year-old golden retriever and one of several avalanche dogs at Mount Bachelor.

She is a certified, highly trained professional.

But what does it take to become a certified avalanche dog?

“Yeah, they go through pretty extensive training. It’s a three- to four-year process to get a certified avalanche dog,” Mount Bachelor Patrol Supervisor Drew Clendenen told KTVZ.

“Those first six months are obedience — getting used to the sights and sounds of the mountain. And then you dive into the more structured, you know, different phases of avalanche dog training.”

While there has not been a lot of snow this year, Clendenen said crews continue to keep up with training.

They make sure to take advantage of the snow they do have and keep the dogs ready at a moment’s notice.

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Montreal man seriously injured in Miller County crash Saturday morning

KMIZ on January 25, 2026

Nia Hinson

MILLER COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Montreal man was seriously injured in a crash in Miller County early Saturday morning.

According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, the 23-year-old was driving a 2007 Ford F150 south near Forgotten Lane around 2 a.m. The report states the man failed to negotiate a curve– traveled off the right side of the road– overcorrected– and cross the center of the road. The truck then began to skid, the report says.

The truck then slid off the right side of the road and hit a tree.

The man was taken to Lake Regional Hospital with serious injuries. The report states he was not wearing a seatbelt when the crash occurred.

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Falcon 9 Rocket Launch Scheduled Sunday Morning from Vandenberg

KEYT on January 25, 2026

Alissa Orozco

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. (KEYT) – A launch is scheduled this weekend from Vandenberg Space Force Base for another SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket set to carry 25 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit.

The launch will take place Sunday, January 25th between 7:17 – 11:17 a.m. PT from Space Launch Complex 4 East.

Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

Folks can watch the mission launch starting five minutes before the launch on a live stream here, or on X @SpaceX.

The base says residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms.

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SLO County Crews Rescue Young Calf From Beach Cliff

KEYT on January 25, 2026

Alissa Orozco

HARMONY, Calif. (KEYT) – In a moo-tastic outcome, crews from San Luis Obispo County Fire rescued a 5-month-old calf stuck in a steep beach cliff off the Harmony Coastline.

Around 9:30am Saturday morning, crews made their way down the cliff to the calf, who is believed to have been there over a week after missing branding. The rancher’s dog was the one who found her.

The department says rescue teams used a technical rope system to safely raise the calf and rescuer.

She was given the name “Rock-Sand.”

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AWC receives $150,000 grant

KYMA on January 25, 2026

Paul Vozzella

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Arizona Western College’s (AWC) Small Business Development Center (SBDC) received a $150,000 grant awarded through a partnership between Avenir Financial Credit Union and the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco.

The funding will support the delivery of 20 no-cost, intensive bilingual workshops designed for adults and youth.

The workshops aim to strengthen small business formation, promote entrepreneurship, and encourage job creation throughout the community.

Crystal Mendoza, director of the SBDC, said the workshops are intended to help individuals who may be unsure where to begin when starting or growing a business.

“Sometimes we could potentially be unsure of where to start, where to go, and what resources to obtain,” Mendoza said. “These workshops will be able to help our community feel that they’re being supported.”

“One of my main responsibilities is making sure that we’re impactful in the community,” said Chris Bolin, Vice President of Avenir Impact and Engagement. “We recognized long ago that the best way to do that is to support organizations like the SBDC.”

AWC was selected for the grant from a pool of more than 400 applicants. This marks the second time the SBDC has received the award, further solidifying its role as a key resource for aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners in the region.

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OneAZ Credit Union opens main branch

KYMA on January 25, 2026

Paul Vozzella

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – OneAZ Credit Union’s main branch held its grand opening celebration with the bank company’s workers and local leaders.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the official opening of the new branch after OneAZ Credit Union acquired First Bank Yuma last year.

With the opening of the new location, OneAZ Credit Union aims to provide expanded banking products and services while reinforcing its long-term commitment to the Yuma community.

“It’s a commitment of products and services that are gonna help economic vitality in the community, help families of small businesses, and grow and navigate financial wealth, access to capital, and the ability to expand their financial well-being,” said Mike Boden, President and CEO of OneAZ Credit Union.

As part of its community-focused mission, OneAZ Bank also announced a $7,500 donation to Crossroads Mission, supporting the organization’s efforts to serve individuals and families in need throughout Yuma.

The newly opened branch is OneAZ Credit Union’s fourth location in Yuma, further expanding access to financial services and strengthening its role in the region’s economic development.

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Water at East Beach Now Safe for Visitors Following Month-Long Closure

KEYT on January 24, 2026

Alissa Orozco

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The ocean water at East Beach in Santa Barbara is now open for recreational use after a month-long water contact closure by the County of Santa Barbara Health.

Officials issued the closure on December 24th for areas 1/4-mile east to 1/8-mile west of the Mission Creek outfall following a sewage spillage after a pump bypass failure, dumping 4,500 gallons of untreated sewage during the holiday rainstorms.

An estimated 2,200 gallons made it into Mission Creek according to the County of Santa Barbara.

On Friday, the department announced ocean water quality tests have shown the area is now safe for recreational water use.

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