Bethany man seriously injured in crash

News-Press NOW on February 10, 2026

Leah Rainwater

MERCER COUNTY, Mo. (KQTV) — A 36-year-old man from Bethany, Missouri, was seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash Monday.

The crash occurred around 7:42 p.m. as the man, driving a 2024 Ford F150, was northbound on Egret Avenue, just four. miles east of Cainsville.

With the roadway being gravel, dust obstructed the driver’s vision, causing him to mis-calculate a curve in the roadway, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

The driver traveled off the roadway and struck a tree. The vehicle then continued through a field and came to rest on its wheels facing north.

According to the crash report, the driver was not wearing a seatbelt and was transported by North Missouri EMS to Harrison County Community Hospital.

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Local student wins 80th Annual Yuma County Spelling Bee

KYMA on February 10, 2026

Marcos Icahuate

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A local student won a spelling bee.

Centennial Middle School student Smriti earned first place, with Kamilah as runner up

Yuma County Schools Superintendent Tom Hurt joined in congratulating Smriti as the winner of the 80th Annual County Spelling Bee.

The winning word was concordance.

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Bay Area friends answer casting call, join Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show as bushes

CNN Newsource on February 10, 2026

By Sara Donchey

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — The bushes that surrounded global superstar Bad Bunny during his record-breaking Super Bowl halftime performance at Levi’s Stadium were indeed people in costume, and three Bay Area friends participated together after answering a vague casting call.

Humberto Martinez, who has experience working as a dancer, couldn’t resist the opportunity even though the casting call specified it was not a dancing role.

“I applied right away and I sent it to (my friend),” Martinez told CBS News Bay Area. “I sent it to the group chat. I sent it to hella people and said, ‘You need to do this.'”

This time, the plans left the group chat. Martinez, and his friends Ivan Pineda and Tara Lily, were cast into the roles. Strangely, however, landing the job itself did not turn out to be the biggest surprise.

The friends said they participated in multiple rehearsals before they were approached by members of the team and shown the costumes they would be wearing. They said the staff was recording them to capture their reactions, and when they emerged with a full-body bush costume, the friends said the staff was met with stunned silence.

“We were told that this would be talked about forever. And I was like, ‘Oh my God this is so exciting!’ We’re gonna be (dressed as) something that like that is so really crazy, like a movement. But it wasn’t,” Pineda said, laughing.

The bush, like much else in the performance, seemed to be a symbolic nod to sugarcane on the island of Puerto Rico where Bad Bunny grew up.

It turned out wearing the costume itself wasn’t easy. The friends estimate the item weighed between 45 and 50 pounds and said that many people were struggling to keep it on for hours at a time during dress rehearsals.

Still, they say the hardest part by far was keeping the performance and their role in it a secret from their other friends and family members until after the show was over. They even had to hand over their cell phones to keep the details of the show from getting out.

By the time the halftime performance was upon them, the friends said that the nerves were tempered by the fact that they had seen and practiced the show some 20 times.

Their focus was oftentimes on the crowd and watching their reaction as guests Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga emerged on stage.

Once the performance was over, viewers started posting about the halftime bushes, which suddenly seemed to sprout legs and shuffle off the field. Once the friends were able to share publicly, their social media posts documenting the experience instantly went viral.

They were stopped on the streets of San Francisco’s Castro several times Monday by viewers who recognized their grass-adorned arm pieces.

“They weren’t lying about us being talked about, but I didn’t expect to be like grass you know, but I would do it again,” Martinez said. “Put me back in.”

The bush performers said they were paid just under $19 an hour for their work, but said that the opportunity to participate meant more than money.

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.

Helping Hands of Yuma needs volunteers to help seniors

KYMA on February 10, 2026

Adrik Vargas

YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) – Helping Hands of Yuma says a shortage of volunteers is making it harder for seniors in the Foothills to get rides to important appointments.

The nonprofit provides free transportation to medical, legal and financial appointments for local seniors. Volunteers say the service is about more than rides, it’s also about building relationships and helping seniors stay independent.

Susan, a volunteer driver, says volunteering is a way to give back to the community while getting to know people and making new friends. She says working with seniors has helped her better understand their abilities and support their independence.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, about 25 volunteers helped provide rides. Today, Helping Hands of Yuma says that number has dropped to just 10 drivers. Because of the shortage, the organization says it can only provide about 20 rides per week, even though around 100 seniors are signed up for the service.

Executive Director Amy Obney says it is difficult to turn people away when they call for help. She says there is much more need than the organization can currently meet.

Helping Hands of Yuma says people who cannot drive can still help in other ways. Volunteer opportunities include office help, assisting with donations, helping at fundraisers, making friendly phone calls, and writing notes of encouragement to seniors.

The organization says even volunteering one day a week can make a difference.

People who want to volunteer as drivers can contact Helping Hands of Yuma by phone at 928-305-9974, by email at helpinghandsaobney@gmail.com, or online at helpingyuma.org.

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El Paso County releases this year’s preliminary paving list. Here are some of the highlights.

KRDO on February 10, 2026

Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — Officials plan to repave more than 40 roads and perform other types of surface treatments on another 160, in the recently-released proposed version of the 2026 paving list.

Joshua Palmer, the county’s head engineer, said the focus will continue to be on preservation — investing more resources to keep already-good roads in that same condition, and reducing the number of roads in poor condition that require more expensive rebuilds.

One example of preservation will happen on the eastern end of Constitution Avenue, covering 1.5 miles between Marksheffel Road and the Colorado Springs city limits, a block east of Tutt Boulevard.

Concerning asphalt paving, two of the four longest stretches are in the Hanover area, south of Fountain; that’s where crews will continue repairing roads damaged by age and weather extremes a year ago.

KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior provided extensive coverage of the situation.

Four miles of Hanover Road, between Meridian and Old Pueblo roads, will be repaved, as well as an equal length of Myers Road, between Finch and Squirrel Creek roads.

The first step in road repair is using a rubberized material to seal cracks in the pavement; the longest such project this year is nearly six miles of Falcon Highway, between Curtis and JD Johnson roads.

A future step involves a variety of sealing techniques, such as a chip seal — in which crews apply small rocks over a tar-like substance that hardens and extends the life of a road until it needs repaving.

Those materials can be applied separately or mixed in other versions, such as a cape seal or slurry seal, and extend the life of a road up to ten years before repaving is required.

Workers placed a double chip seal on the heaviest-damaged section of Myers Road after last year’s damage.

The longest stretch of chip seal work will be five miles of Ellicott Highway, between Judge Orr and Big Springs roads.

County commissioners still have to finalize approving the list, but Commissioner Chairwoman Carrie Geitner expressed her support

To see the county’s 2026 paving list, visit: https://www.agendasuite.org/iip/elpaso/file/getfile/52146.

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He opened a coffee shop as a love letter to his late girlfriend. Now, he’s helping others heal too

CNN Newsource on February 10, 2026

By KABC Staff

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    LONG BEACH, California (KABC) — A Long Beach coffee shop is serving more than drinks.

At Reinne’s Place, owner Tommy Le believes each cup is an opportunity to help customers heal – and to honor the woman who inspired the café.

Le opened the shop in memory of his late girlfriend, Reinne Lim, who was killed in October 2022 in a wrong-way crash on the 5 Freeway in Tustin.

An alleged drunk driver struck their car head-on, leaving Le critically injured.

“These 30 seconds do matter,” Le said. “I’m sometimes someone’s first interaction for the day. How can I make an impact on their day – just that day – and continue to do that every single day.”

Reinne’s Place currently operates as a long-term coffee residency inside Open Gallery, located a few minutes from the brand’s flagship location.

Le still remembers the night of the crash vividly.

“I remember seeing the lights coming and I think in that moment, I think anyone almost freezes,” he said. “I think my first reaction was to just grab her.”

Though his physical injuries have healed in the three years since, Le said he continues to mourn the loss of Lim.

At the café, customers are encouraged to leave “Reinne Checks” – handwritten messages dedicated to loved ones who have passed away or who remain part of their lives.

“They all hold their own story, but I think it showed people when you’re looking at this whole wall of ‘Reinne Checks’ or you look at this whole stack of ‘Reinne Checks’ is that we all have a lot more in common than we think we do,” Le said.

The coffee shop has also become a hub for local causes.

Earlier this month, Reinne’s Place raised nearly $1,000 for Oralé, an organization advocating for immigration rights, during the ICE Out rallies.

“It was one of our busiest days on record,” Le said. “The community showed up that day. We were able to raise almost $1,000 for Oralé, which was a beautiful thing.”

Le hopes Reinne’s Place will eventually become a permanent community space.

He said the residency will continue to operate until the shop’s brick-and-mortar location opens in early spring.

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.

Brawley man shot and killed on I Street

KYMA on February 10, 2026

Dillon Fuhrman

BRAWLEY, Calif. (KYMA) – The Brawley Police Department (BPD) is investigating a shooting which left one man dead.

According to a post on Facebook, the shooting happened in the area of I Street before 7:00 a.m. Sunday.

BPD says when officers arrived, they found an unresponsive man with multiple gunshot wounds to the torso.

After life-saving measures were performed, BPD says the man was then taken to Pioneers Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

BPD says the man has been identified as a 43-year-old resident of Brawley, and says the investigation is ongoing.

If anyone has information regarding the case, call BPD at (760) 344-2111.

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Man marks 25 years of hosting ‘Jeopardy!’ tournaments for students while battling cancer

CNN Newsource on February 10, 2026

By Leanne Suter

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    LONG BEACH, California (KABC) — Who is Jim Birge? That is the “Jeopardy!” answer to the game show’s number one fan. He has been hosting “Jeopardy!” tournaments for Long Beach middle schoolers for 25 years, something he created when his wife was a teacher.

“I just had this idea, and I took it to the principal, and we ran with it. That was back in 2001,” said Birge. “This is our 25th consecutive year.”

His love for the classic game show began when he was a boy. His sister-in-law appeared on the show several times, and later, his brother-in-law played the trumpet in the signature theme song.

“It made me feel dumb, and I wanted to be smarter, you know, that type of thing. Because you do watch and go, ‘How do they answer these?’ and you just try,” he said.

And behind his enthusiasm is late “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek’s dedication to the game despite battling pancreatic cancer. His connection to the late host grew even deeper with his own diagnosis.

“I found out in October that I have pancreatic cancer. Inoperable, that type of thing. It would have been easy to just stop, but [I’m] kind of inspired by Alex,” Birge said.

Despite the grueling treatments, the 78-year-old is fighting to host as many tournaments at competing schools as he can until the final round.

“To get to June, our Tournament of Champions, there’s absolutely no way this would have happened… if it wasn’t for my crew and my family,” Birge said with tears in his eyes.

Birge’s ultimate dream would be for the tournament to go statewide or even national. But for now, he hopes to find someone to take over the tournament in Long Beach.

“I may have given it up when I found this out, but I wanted to finish a full quarter of a century,” he said.

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.

Illinois couple loses $11,000 in check washing scheme they traced to local post office

CNN Newsource on February 10, 2026

By Marissa Sulek

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    LOMBARD, Illinois (WBBM) — A Lombard couple is out thousands of dollars after they wrote two checks, not even close to that amount.

They said they’re victims of a check washing scheme, and believe it is taking place at their local post office.

Therese Scarlati collected during her own investigation, collecting every sheet of paper, starting with those two checks.

Therese sent a $165 check to her insurance company. Her husband wrote this $64 check for the water bill — both mailed on the same day, yet somehow the amounts were both changed.

Her husband’s was cashed for $5,700 in storage fees, while Therese’s check was cashed for $5,200 for a snow plow rental.

“Well, I don’t think there has been enough snow for $5,200!” she said.

In total, they could be out $11,000. But both checks were made out to the same unknown name — Q’shawn Jackson.

Therese said she got a call from Bank of America flagging her check for fraud.

“Right away I knew, no, I did not write that,” she said.

Therese was told that a person with the Bank of America mobile app was trying to cash the washed checks.

“I’ve been in electronic security for over 20-some years,” she said.

And with her background, she started to backtrack, starting with her mailman.

“He gave us some awareness of the post office issues,” she said.

Therese said she came to the Lombard post office to do her own investigation and asked to see the back room. She said when she got there, she was taken by surprise.

“There was no cameras in the back area to watch how they are handling in the back,” she said.

Therese also wrote a post on Facebook, and dozens commented, saying they had similar issues at the Lombard post office in the last few months.

She is confident she will get the money back since it’s federally insured. As for Q’shawn Jackson, she’s skeptical.

“I don’t think they’ll catch him. I think it’s a bigger ring and there’s a lot more to it,” she said.

Therese hopes her situation will make others in the area aware, and from now on, she plans to write checks with permanent ink so it doesn’t happen again.

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.

Mississippi attorney general announces donation of Ring cameras to aid domestic violence survivors

CNN Newsource on February 10, 2026

By Kyndall Jones

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    JACKSON, Mississippi (WAPT) — The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office has announced a partnership with Amazon and the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence to donate 1,000 Ring cameras to service providers assisting domestic violence survivors in the state.

Attorney General Lynn Fitch said an average of 24 people every minute are victims of violence from their intimate partners, and 51% of women in Mississippi will experience domestic violence.

“Many times they do have a protection order and they are trying to stay away from their abusers,” Fitch said. “If their abuser now comes onto the property, then again you create an environment where at least law enforcement will be notified. You do have some protection measures — you do have the video and it’s very important for these individuals,” Fitch said.

The Ring cameras will go directly to victims.

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.