Fire at San Jose home displaces 6 and injures multiple people, including firefighter

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Brandon Downs

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — A fire at a single-story home in San Jose has left six people displaced and three people injured, fire crews said Sunday evening.

The San Jose Fire Department responded to Endfield Way, located off Story Road near S White Road, for a second-alarm fire at a one-story single-family home.

The fire caused major damage to the home and an adjacent home sustained exterior heat damage and internal smoke damage.

Fire crews said one firefighter and two residents were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The residents self-transported and the firefighter was taken to a hospital by fire personnel. Crews added that a dog died.

The American Red Cross is assisting the people displaced by the fire.

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California almond farmers prepping for rain during critical blooming weeksNews investigation finds

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Charlie Lapastora

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    SACRAMENTO (KOVR) — With rain forecasted this week, it could impact almond farming during their crucial blooming season over the next few weeks.

CBS Sacramento spoke with almond farmer Mike Weststeyn on Wednesday and followed up with him on Sunday before potential rain on the horizon. Mike farms 700 acres of almond trees throughout San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties with his son, Erik.

Almonds make up a $5 billion industry in California and that triples with the economic output and ripple effect, according to UC Agricultural Issues Center director Daniel A. Sumner. In San Joaquin County, it’s the second largest crop.

“That’s how we make a living,” Mike said. “We’re producing those and that’s what we’re trying to sell, those, as in if we don’t have a crop to sell, that’s hard on the bottom line. If we don’t have a crop to sell, yeah, not making money.”

That is why these next few weeks of the almond blooming season, which will end around March 1, are crucial for farmers like Mike, his son Erik, and the more than 7,000 almond farmers throughout the state, who make up 80% of the world’s almond production.

“It’s really a critical time, even after bloom, and that nut starts to grow, it’ll shed this outside covering, and it’ll be sitting there, like with this little green nut, was really sensitive to frost at that stage. If we get a frost, any temperate down below 32 degrees, that will freeze that little nut there and it’ll fall off,” Mike said. “It’s not going to bloom again. You’re going to have to wait again until next year.”

With rain in the forecast this week, farmers are putting fungicide sprays on trees before the rain to hold it over until there’s clear skies again.

“The last couple nights you could hear the sprayers running out in the orchards. Lot of guys have been doing that, getting everything covered, so it gets a fungicide treatment on before the rain, so it will hold until we can get back in the orchards after the rain,” Mike said.

Mike is expecting, with the rain, that California won’t get a bumper crop, which would be between 2,500 and 3,000 pounds an acre. He says it may be a little less than that. If that’s the case, he’s hoping almond prices will go up to help the bottom line.

Since CBS Sacramento spoke with Mike on Wednesday, he gave an update on how the crops have been since then – and what he’s expecting this week.

“The last couple days have been really good,” Mike said. “The bees have been out, buds are pollinated. We’ve had pretty decent weather, looks like there’s some rain coming in tonight, so yeah, maybe the next couple of days, the bees are going to be hold up in their house and not too much pollinating going on. But, we’ll see if the weather clears up by Thursday and they’ll get back to work after that. Maybe a little hit on the crop but hopefully not too big of a hit. That’s what we’re hoping for.”

But whether or not this weather affects their crop, for Mike, he’s just grateful he gets to farm through this with his son.

“Having the opportunity to be with him every day, I get the phone calls, I always have somebody to talk to,” Mike said. “It’s different for me, my dad passed away when I was just graduating from college and I never had the opportunity to really farm with my dad. So, this is, it is special, have a kid that wants to farm and is willing to learn and is good at doing that stuff, it’s really special.”

Erik graduated from UC Davis in 2024 with an ag systems management degree and came back home.

“Could’ve gone some other places and made some more money, but the dream of growing the family business and the hope to keep that going for generations and someday pass it down to my kids really was the main draw,” Erik said.

Erik also got married recently and his wife works in the ag finance industry. Mike and his wife, Amy, enjoy having them around, making home-cooked meals, and Mike said Amy especially is looking forward to having grandkids. Mike said his daughter works in Sacramento at the Blue Diamond office. Almonds are very much a part of this family, as Mike grew up on an almond farm with his dad farming it at a property near where they are today in Ripon.

And almonds need the bees. With two beehives per acre on their property, Mike also calls these bees “vitally important” to their operation. If there’s rain or temperatures below 50 degrees, the bees can’t fly. If the bees can’t fly, they can’t pollinate, and there’s no crop. But, they’ve been able to fly and pollinate these last few days and they’re hoping that after the rain, they can still get a good crop.

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Video shows San Bernardino County jewelry store employee fighting back during robbery

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Dean Fioresi, Lauren Pozen

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — Dramatic video shows the moments when a Montclair jewelry store employee fights back during a robbery last week.

It happened on Thursday, Feb. 12, at around 7:45 p.m. at Fast-Fix Jewelry and Watch Repairs, located in the 2000 block of E. Montclair Plaza Lane, according to the Montclair Police Department.

Investigators say that the suspect entered the store holding a small bag, which he put down before walking back out of the door. The suspect then “looked around outside the business” before going back inside and walking to the rear of a glass jewelry display case inside, where the employee was standing.

He allegedly pulled a handgun from his jacket and began demanding that the woman open the jewelry case.

“The suspect raised the gun toward the employee multiple times and used a flashlight in his other hand to push the employee,” the Montclair police release said. “The suspect shattered the glass case with the gun and attempted to grab items from the case, but was pushed out of the business by the employee.”

The employee, who wished to only be identified as Alin, said that she was scared but overcome with anger when she fought back.

“He said, ‘Don’t scream. Don’t anything, just open the case,'” Alin recalled. “I said, ‘What?’ I said, ‘Go, come back, go,’ and push him. He said, ‘No, just calm down.'”

She says that before running off, the suspect shocked her lower body with a stun gun. He grabbed a few items and took off, she says.

Despite being shaken, Alin says she was uninjured in the incident. She says that for her, it was personal because it’s more than a job to her.

“It’s my brother’s store, you know,” she said.

The store owner says that among the stolen items were gold pieces, watches, diamond rings, gold chains and bracelets, all of which combine for thousands of dollars of loss.

“When you have a jewelry store, you feel like you are targeted in these kind of places, to be honest,” the store owner, who wished to remain anonymous, said. “Especially with gold prices soaring so high, now you become a really target.”

He says that this is the second time that his store has been hit by a thief and is hopeful that state laws can be changed to protect store employees and customers.

“I don’t want to have that kind of feeling where every customer comes in wearing a hoodie and put on sunglasses and I have to now tell them, ‘Get your sunglasses off, get your hoodie off, get your cap off.’ Is that the way that we should be working?”

Police say that as the suspect ran from the store, another person hit him with a chair to try and slow him down, but the suspect was able to continue running and was last seen heading west through the mall.

A gun recovered at the scene was found to be an unloaded and inoperable BB gun, according to police.

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.

This Colorado city has been put on drought watch and implemented a burn ban following dry weather

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Sarah Horbacewicz

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — One city in Colorado has entered an official drought watch as dry conditions continue this winter.

The city council shared their desire to be proactive and asked residents to voluntarily limit water use where they can as the dry conditions continue. This also comes as North Metro Fire Rescue, which services Broomfield, put a level 2 burn ban into effect on Sunday.

Now, Broomfield residents like Susanne Eck are closely watching the weather and their water use. “Everybody is just aware of how we’re in a drought right now. We haven’t had the snowfall that we’ve needed,” Eck said.

In order to conserve water and save money on a rising water bill, last year, Eck converted her front yard to a “zero-scape” design. This means that instead of grass, her yard is landscaped with rocks, mulch, and a tree or two that requires less water.

“Water is a limited resource, and with people moving into Colorado, it’s just strained the system a lot. And so we decided we do our part to try and reduce our water footprint,” Eck said, while noting her water bill has gone down by a third this year.

This dry season isn’t just impacting water use in Broomfield, but putting firefighters on high alert as North Metro Fire put a Level Two Burn Ban in place Sunday. This means no open flames outdoors, restricting any barbequing, and being vigilant about any cigarettes or other flammable materials outside.

North Metro Fire Public Information Officer Katie Converse says the dry weather is also keeping firefighters on high alert, explaining, “We’re seeing more red flag days and more level two burn bans this year because of the dryness, and we’ve upped our staffing, and we’ve sort of changed our tactics.”

Converse says they are also expecting to have a Red Flag Day later this week and want to make sure residents are taking burn bans seriously.

“Especially on these warm days as we see the wind kick up, which it’s supposed to later this week, folks need to be really careful with any sparks or flames outside, and be sure to sign up for their emergency alerts,” Converse said.

Both the drought watch and the burn ban are precautionary measures as the Broomfield community works to best prepare for dry weather and winds this winter.

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Colorado community prepares for wildfires with new firefighting drones

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Christa Swanson

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — Firefighters in Colorado have been looking for new and better ways to prepare for wildfires as the fire season has extended year-round.

The Aspen Fire Department now has a new drone strike team to help combat wildfires. The fire department reports that the five drones are autonomous and equipped with sensors that enable them to avoid obstacles. They also include heat-detection and infrared capabilities.

The drones have the same capacity as a medium-sized brush truck, capable of carrying 20 gallons of water plus 80 gallons of foam.

AFD said it has been working on the plan to procure the drones all year, and they signed the contract on Thursday. Fire Chief Jacob Andersen says they expect to receive the new drones in July, but it will take time to obtain approval for flight over federal lands.

The drones can also be controlled by a pilot. During the demo in Colorado, a pilot at a controller company in California flew the drone. Andersen says the department is already training its staff to use them.

“My priority is the safety of our community here in Aspen — our residents, our visitors, our firefighters, and the unique beauty we call home,” said Andersen. “Advances in semi-autonomous suppression and other wildfire technologies give us powerful new tools to make that happen. The best tools for what we do are built with firefighters in mind, and when they are, it shows. We welcome any innovation that helps us protect lives, property, and the landscape we’re entrusted to defend.”

The department said the drones cost between $5,000 and $6,000 each and were funded by private donors.

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94-year-old Korean War veteran finally receives Purple Heart after nearly 70 years

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Ryan Gamboa

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    Kansas (KSHB) — A 94-year-old Korean War veteran from Johnson County, Kansas, finally received his Purple Heart medal after nearly seven decades of waiting.

Rex Comley, a retired U.S. Marine Corps veteran, was officially recognized as a Purple Heart recipient on his military paperwork but had never actually received the physical medal for his service and sacrifice between 1951 and 1953.

“It’s something I didn’t know I had coming,” Comley told KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa. “But I knew that I never got caught up with the Purple Heart, even though I was entitled to one.”

During his acceptance speech, Comley remembered those he served with.

“I remember the good times, I don’t remember the bad time, but I remember a lot of the fellas I was with that didn’t make it back,” Comley said.

The medal oversight was discovered during a conversation between Comley and Don Puchalla, the father of a Gold Star Marine and chaplain with the Lenexa Marine Corps League.

Puchalla said a Marine hat he was wearing sparked the chat, with their bond deepening when he shared his son was killed in action serving as a Marine.

One of the many war stories Comley shared sparked a fire in Puchalla.

“When he told me he got wounded and how he got wounded, I said, ‘Oh, you’re a Purple Heart recipient,'” Puchalla said. “And he said, ‘Well, on my paperwork I am, but I never received it.”

Puchalla believes the mistake was likely a clerical error from the Korean War era. With 50,000 service members wounded during the conflict, administrative mistakes involving typewriters and paperwork were likely the cause of Comley’s sacrifice going unrecognized for decades.

“Think about 1952-53, typewriters, papers, clerks, a lot of Marines, Army, all branches in Korea,” Puchalla said. “There was like 50,000 wounded, paper trails get lost. At least it did follow him on his military paperwork from exiting the Marine Corps, so it was official; he just never got the award.”

With help from multiple veterans organizations, Comley finally received his long-overdue Purple Heart in a ceremony attended by family and fellow veterans on Sunday.

The moment was especially meaningful for Comley’s grandson, Shaun Comley, a retired Air Force veteran who served 24 years.

“He’s part of one of the last truly great generations. And to see that recognition, the Purple Heart… It’s not an award that any military member sets out to earn, but he did,” Shaun Comley said. “It’s just close to my heart. It’s him, it’s who he was.

“With me serving, it touches home. It definitely means a lot. He didn’t ask for recognition. He’ll never raise his hand and say, ‘Look at what I did.’ For people to take time out of their day and for the country to pin that medal on his chest, it’s amazing.”

The ceremony represents more than just recognition for one veteran’s service, according to Puchalla.

“For Rex, it wasn’t so much getting the medal, it’s more about recognizing your sacrifice. You did something that very few people will do and understand,” Puchalla said. “He left high school to do this. That takes love of country, and I think it’s important they finally realize, get that warm feeling that what they did was not in vain, not forgotten.”

After finally receiving recognition for his service, Comley remains humble about his sacrifice.

“To me, I think about the guys that went way above and beyond the duty, that got medals like the Bronze Star, Silver Stars, Medal of Honor. Those are the actual heroes,” Comley said.

When asked if the medal makes him a hero, Comley responded, “No, I don’t at all. It makes me think I was at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

At 94, Comley continues to live a full life with his wife of 65 years, whom he credits for keeping him on track throughout their marriage.

“I have a lot of fun. I’ve had a good life,” Comley said.

The ceremony highlights the ongoing efforts to ensure all veterans receive the honors they’ve earned through their service to the country, particularly as the Korean War generation ages.

“We don’t know what hard times are; they know what hard times are,” Puchalla said. “They gave up all their careers, their school, to go take care of the country.”

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KSHB’s editorial team 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.

2 women killed, 2 others shot in early Sunday nightclub shooting in Kansas City, Missouri

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Lauren Wolfe

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KSHB) — Two women were killed, and two other victims were injured in a nightclub shooting early Sunday morning on Southwest Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri.

Police say just after 2 a.m., Jackson County sheriff’s deputies were in the area of W. 28th Street and Southwest Boulevard working off duty for a nightclub when they heard the sound of gunfire inside the bar.

When officers arrived, they found three adult female shooting victims.

Paramedics declared one of the women deceased on the scene.

The two other women were transported to a nearby hospital, where one of the women died from her injuries. The other woman was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Police identified the deceased women as Eboni Silas, 29, and Tishauna Ballard, 24.

A fourth shooting victim — a male — arrived at a hospital via private vehicle, per police. He is said to be in critical condition.

Preliminary information indicates the victims had an interaction inside the bar that led to shots being fired.

No suspects have been taken into custody.

Police are asking for anyone who has not spoken with officers but was at the business at the time of the shooting to call detectives at 816-234-5043 or submit an anonymous tip via 816-474-8477.

The club Blvd Nights posted on social media the shooting did not happen at Blvd Nights but at a neighboring venue.

A memorial was later left for the victims outside Status Nightclub.

This is a developing story and may be updated. — If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.

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.

Milwaukee church offers unique museum tour for Black History Month

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Pavlina Osta

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    MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — A church in northwest Milwaukee is honoring black history in America with a new museum.

“At one time we weren’t even able to sit in the front of the bus, at one time we were only able to drink fountains that read ‘for colored people only’, at one time we weren’t able to enter the front door,” said Michelle Pitts-Luckett, Overseer at Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church.

Luckett says she started the exhibit to remind and educate her fellow members at Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church.

“There’s a lot in our history that lives today and carries us through our future. Today we have come so far, and I refuse as an individual to allow our history to be erased,” said Luckett.

Luckett says she wants people how far black history and culture has come over the years.

“I would hope people would allow this to resonate in their hearts their minds and souls when you can just sit and know where you can from it will take you where you need to go,” said Luckett.

While members of the church read the signs before they head into service, Luckett, says she wants younger generations to know what their ancestors had to fight for.

“We have some schools that will be coming in. I would hope that its very educational and then I would hope that they understand where we have come from and not just that but learn to respect who they are,” said Luckett.

Charlotta Pritchett is the principal of Assata High School; she says her students will be seeing the museum on a school assignment.

“I was just so overwhelmed it almost brought tears to my eyes. It reminded me of a mini–African American history museum similar to the one in Washington D.C.

It takes me back to the generation of where our forefathers and founders, the Harriet Tubmans, Martin Luther Kings the Rosa Parks these are individual that our students were not aware of,” said Pritchett.

Luckett says as the kids walk through the exhibit, she hopes it inspires them.

“When you see it, you know where we have come from and where we are going,” said Luckett.

She says she wants to find a place to display the exhibit so it’s up beyond Black History Month.

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Marcus family celebrates 90 years of movies and memories in Wisconsin

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Montse Ricossa

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    Wisconsin (WDJT) — Movies have been around for well over a century, bringing families together and making memories. In Wisconsin, the Marcus family is behind one of the nation’s largest movie chains.

90 years later, they remain committed to their original values and making movie magic. It all started in Ripon, Wisconsin back in 1935 with Ben Marcus. His grandson, Greg Marcus, is now the face of the company as chairman, president, and chief executive officer of The Marcus Corporation.

“He converted this department store to a movie theater, which we still have to this day! It’s called the campus theater. It’s in Ripon. We call it the shrine” shared Greg. ‘The Shrine’ has brought in years of success — And that theater still stands alongside 78 others in 17 states! “I can’t tell you where theaters two through 20 are, but I can tell you where the first one is, because it’s important to remember where he came from” Greg said.

In the 1960’s, Ben Marcus started expanding, explained Greg, “He said, ‘I shouldn’t have all my eggs in one basket.’ And he started getting in the real estate business. And he got into the restaurant business.” After the restaurants, Ben started buying hotels too, “so at one point we had full-service hotels, and limited-service hotels, and restaurants and movie theaters,” shared Greg.

Some of those hotels include the Pfister and Saint Kate. That’s where you’ll be able to find Greg off the movie screen and behind a piano. He says playing the piano is a passion he’s had since childhood. “Jeff and I have been playing together for years there. And yeah, cocktail hour from 5:30 to 7:30 [on Tuesdays] is just fun to go do it, and it’s something different. And we have fun. And he carries me, because he’s a professional… it’s just sort of music to fill the room.”

When he’s not playing the piano or running The Marcus Corporation, you’ll find Greg as the final trailer before the movie starts playing at a Marcus Theatre. “I’m on at about minute 14. I know exactly when I’m on.” Greg said he likes to sneak in after his trailer, though his family prefers him to come in before, “because they can torture me because they like they know that it’s very hard for me to watch myself.” Nonetheless, he’s been a part of about 100 trailers over the last 14 years.

Greg said he didn’t “intend to be the face of the business,” but as Co-Chair for the nonprofit of United Way, when he was asked in 2012 to be in front of the camera, he said he would think about it and said he would do it “if I can have a little bit of fun.” He’s done just that – had fun with trailers and social media. Some videos on TikTok have even garnered millions of views!

“That started, and we said, ‘you know what? Something, something good is happening. And people … they seem to be reacting positively to it. I’m not sure anybody’s coming here to actually see me, but — it makes it feel local,” Greg shared.

Whether it’s filling a room with music or popcorn, Greg said they’re all amounting to memorable moments: “We’re in the business of making memories. That’s what we do in all of our businesses. If you think about the common theme, there really isn’t anything you leave with except maybe a full stomach full of popcorn.”

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Local surgeon, artist creates memorial for Shreveport Navy SEALs

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By KTBS staff

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    SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (KTBS) — When visitors walk along the Shreveport riverfront, they are encouraged to stop at a granite memorial honoring two Navy SEALs killed in action 15 years ago.

The tribute recognizes Rob Reeves and Jonas Kelsall, both Shreveport natives who died in August 2011 when their helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan.

The two SEALs were en route to rescue Army Rangers pinned down by Taliban fighters. Their deaths were part of a mission that remains one of the deadliest single-day losses for U.S. special operations forces. Today, their legacy is etched in stone overlooking the Red River.

Reeves and Kelsall grew up in Shreveport, where they swam in the river, played on local ballfields and excelled at Caddo Magnet High School. After graduation, both men joined the U.S. Navy and earned the elite SEAL designation. Friends and family describe them as among “the best we have.” Determined that their story would not fade, a group of supporters rallied to create a permanent memorial in their honor.

Leading that effort was retired cardiovascular surgeon and artist Jim Ciaravella, a Vietnam-era veteran who once served at Andersen Air Force Base. Ciaravella said he felt called to act after Kelsall, whom he knew through his son, was killed in action.

“I wanted to do something,” he said. “I can paint and I can sculpt.”

What followed was a community-wide effort, with vendors donating materials and services to ensure the granite monument reflected the excellence of the men it honors.

The memorial includes the Navy SEAL ethos, beginning with the words: “When in times of war there is a special need for a special breed of man,” now permanently engraved for future generations.

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