Health inspector sees repeat violations at KFC in Columbia

KMIZ on February 20, 2026

Josie Anglin

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The KFC restaurant on Clark Lane is at risk of getting fined by Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services.

A health inspection report shows a health inspector saw two violations at the fast food restaurant during a routine inspection on Monday. The inspector wrote that employees were stacking pans and trays after they were washed, when they were supposed to be air-dried. This caused water to be trapped. The inspector also said the pans and trays were not being properly cleaned and were visibly soiled.

The inspection report says a health inspector went back to check on the violations Thursday. The pots and pans were being dried correctly, but they were still not being properly cleaned.

The inspection report says that if the problem is not fixed by Tuesday, KFC could be fined.

Attempts to reach the restaurant by phone were not successful.

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Sedalia man accused of making threats at children’s dance practice, putting ‘curse’ on parents

KMIZ on February 20, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Sedalia man has been charged with a felony after authorities claim he made threats at parents during a children’s dance practice Tuesday at Convention Hall in Liberty Park.

Justin McIlroy was charged on Thursday with second-degree making a terroristic threat. He is being held at the Pettis County Jail.

The probable cause statement says Sedalia police were called at 5:20 p.m. Tuesday for a report of a man threatening parents. Someone who arrived at the hall to open the class saw McIlroy in the vestibule of the building while he was “swinging at things that were not there, chanting and playing music off his phone at the loudest it could go,” the statement says.

McIlroy allegedly was yelling at parents while the young children were going up the stairs in the building, the statement says. He allegedly made threats and tried to put a “curse on” people in the area, the statement says. A father of one of the children told McIlroy to leave because the youth, parents and instructors were “uncomfortable” with McIlroy being there, the statement says.

McIlroy allegedly threatened to “blow up the building” as he left, the statement says.

Police found him near the pond of the park and McIlroy allegedly threatened to kill the officer before he was detained.

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Indio taco shop supporting local family impacted by house fire

KESQ on February 20, 2026

Athena Jreij

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – After an Indio family lost everything in a house fire last week, one local business has stepped up to provide donations.

Taqueria Mazatlan, located at 83598 Indio Boulevard, is providing a place for customers to donate in the shop.

For owner Carlos Lopez, the fire hit a sore spot, after his own business burnt down last year.

“Oh I remember when the same thing happened to me and my business. So I was like, ‘Oh I know how it feels.’ So I send a message to them and, invite them to go eat, make them feel a little bit special,” Lopez said.

It’s one of several doors that has opened for the Garcia family after News Channel 3’s story. A family member told News Channel 3 they have now connected with the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission to receive housing for the next month and future rental assistance.

Now, Lopez is calling on other business owners to support their local customers in trying times.

“I was trying to invite, because I know a lot of them, food vendors, restaurant owners, and, I wanted to invite them to help.”

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THE MILITARY FAMILY: National Museum of WWII Aviation aims to expand reach for future generations

KRDO on February 20, 2026

Heather Skold

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo (KRDO) — There’s a big expansion afoot, and it promises to double the existing space of the National Museum of World War II Aviation in Colorado Springs.

In fact, when this phase of construction is finished this August, it will boast 80,000 square feet of space to allow visitors to touch history; even more aircraft will be added to the current 30 planes, all of which are able to take flight.

One might think that with such a lineup of airworthy examples, patrons would be kept at a distance to preserve the planes’ longevity. 

“There’s not a rope in the place,” said Bill Klaers, President & CEO of the National Museum of WWII Aviation.  “When you bring kids out here, and they walk around, and you can go over in the bomb bay of a B25 and put your head up inside it and look inside it, it’s a ‘wow’ factor.  It’s all about inspiring kids into aviation careers.”

Outside the existing hangar, huge footings outline the new hangar, which will mirror the existing one.  Aircraft will be able to taxi right from the runway shared with the Colorado Springs Airport into the larger space. 

Leaders hope that partnerships with the Smithsonian and National Parks Foundation will allow for traveling exhibits to increase the museum’s footprint even more. 

A final phase, for which funding has yet to begin, will boast a third building with a cafeteria, event space, and educational floor. Renderings show a west-facing glass wall with a full view of Pikes Peak. 

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Road project in Rancho Mirage prompts lane closures

KESQ on February 20, 2026

City News Service

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) – A road project designed to reduce windblown sand and improve traffic safety in Rancho Mirage will start Monday, prompting lane closures on some routes.  

The Ramon Road Widening and Sand Fence Installation project will take place along Ramon Road between Los Alamos Road and Bob Hope Drive, with construction anticipated to be completed by early May.   

Lane closures will be in effect for:   

— the westbound outside lane of Ramon Road from Bob Hope Drive to Los Alamos Road; and– the southbound outside lane of Bob Hope Drive from the Interstate 10 off-ramp to Ramon.

“By minimizing dust and easing congestion, the improvements support regional air quality efforts and enhance overall traffic operations,” officials said.

Motorists were encouraged to use alternate routes to avoid the work area.

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Family of woman who died from overdose in 2023 sues Columbia hotel

KMIZ on February 20, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The family of a woman who died from a fentanyl overdose in 2023 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against an extended stay hotel in Columbia.

The lawsuit was filed on Thursday in Boone County by Stacy Thomas, the mother of Brianna Surface. Surface, 21, died from an overdose on Aug. 7, 2023, at Suburban Extended Stay (Birch Hill Suites).

The petition lists Columbia Lodging LLC, its management company J&P Asset Management, the general manager Coretta Williams and Sugar Ray Hibbler.

Hibbler is described as a “frequent guest” at the extended stay. He pleaded guilty to abandoning a corpse in a criminal case related to the incident on June 7, 2024, and was sentenced to four years in prison. He is being held at Tipton Correctional Facility.

The petition accuses Columbia Lodging and J&P Asset Management of premises liability, negligent hiring and negligent retention, while J&P faces an additional count of negligent training. Hibbler is accused of battery and Williams was accused of negligence.

Previous reporting claims Hibbler left Surface dead in a hotle room on Aug. 8, 2023, and didn’t try to get help. The victim was found by hotel staff on Aug. 9, 2023.

The petition filed on Thursday claims Surface did not give consent to take fentanyl and that Hibbler was allowed to go into the hotel despite not being a guest.

The lawsuit makes claims the hotel had poor conditions and was a regular spot for criminal activity, alleging that 1,697 calls to emergency personnel were made there in the three years prior to Surface’s death.

“This was a tragic death that never should have happened. We are committed to finding justice for this young girl’s family. This hotel was a haven for drug trafficking in Columbia and must be held accountable,” a Friday statement from the plaintiff’s attorney John Shikles says.

The lawsuit also made claims that Hibbler was known by staff to partake in criminal activity at the location.

“Suburban Extended Stay staff would often point drug dealers and members of the public to the rooms used by Defendant Hibbler to traffic drugs, even going so far as to give unknown persons key cards to access the rooms utilized by Defendant Hibbler,” court documents say. “For years prior to Brianna’s death, Suburban Extend Stay employees frequently permitted Defendant Hibbler to pass through the lobby and bring members of the public to multiple rooms in the Suburban Extended Stay, including the room in which Brianna’s body was discovered.”

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Mass layoffs reported at Blackfoot’s Spudnik, Company releases letter confirming job cuts

KIFI on February 20, 2026

Ariel Jensen

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) — One of Idaho’s most prominent agricultural manufacturers is cutting back its workforce. In a letter posted to the official Spudnik Facebook page, the company confirmed it is reducing its workforce in response to low commodity prices and rising input costs that have “created sustained challenges across agriculture.”

While the company’s official statement did not specify the number of positions eliminated, a source close to the company told Local News 8 that approximately 100 employees were let go. The layoffs reportedly affected multiple departments across the Blackfoot-based company.

In the letter, which began circulating on social media Friday afternoon, leadership pointed to a cooling market as the primary driver for the reduction.

Courtesy, Spudnik via Facebook

“Over the past decade, we grew significantly to meet customer demand and support the farmers who rely on our equipment,” states the letter. “Recently, however, low commodity prices and rising input costs have created sustained challenges across agriculture, reducing purchasing activity and overall demand. Based on current conditions, we expect 2026 to remain difficult for the industry.”

The manufacturer stated it is cutting factory output to “protect the long-term strength of the company,” which has been a staple of the Idaho potato industry since 1958.

The company does say its Human Resources team is available to mitigate the impact on affected families.

“Our Human Resources team is available to assist affected employees with resume support, unemployment guidance, and benefits transitions,” states the letter. “We are grateful to our employees, customers, and the community for their continued trust since 1958.”

Local News 8 has reached out to Spudnik’s leadership and HR department for further clarification on the exact number of local jobs lost. While the company has not yet returned calls for a formal interview, local reports suggest several affected workers are preparing to speak out regarding the sudden nature of the announcement.

We will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.

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Lake of the Ozarks mansion fire caused by propane leak

KMIZ on February 20, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A mansion at the Lake of the Ozarks that was destroyed by a fire in December was likely caused by a propane leak, according to a Missouri State Fire Marshal report.

The fire on Dec. 10 on Trillium Lane in Lake Ozark was ruled accidental in the report and was determined to be a $5 million loss.

The report says the outdoor kitchen of the home was identified as the “area of fire origin” and several propane lines were located. The homeowners had a 500-gallon buried propane tank that supplied heat to several areas of the home, the report says.

“The Missouri Propane Safety Commission was unable to perform a leak test due to the numerous gas lines and extensive damage throughout the house; therefore, the exact location from which the gas flow originated within the outdoor kitchen remains unknown,” the report says.

The report says a homeowner was using a smoker at the outdoor kitchen that morning and took food off around 11:30 a.m. The fire started with a loud explosion at 1:30 p.m., the report says.

The fire marshal wrote that windy conditions that day likely prevented the homeowners from being able to smell or detect the gas.

“The most probable cause of the fire is the ignition of escaped liquid propane gas from the residential gas supply system by heat or flame from the wood pellet smoker, which was positioned within the outdoor kitchen. This determination is based on witness statements, proximity of a competent ignition source, and the known behavior of LP gas in forming flammable mixtures when leaked. The cause classification is Accidental,” the report says.

Trillium Lane fire reportDownload

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Credit One Bank agrees to pay just over $10 Million to settle lawsuit

KESQ on February 20, 2026

City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Credit One Bank has agreed to pay just over $10 million to settle a civil consumer protection lawsuit alleging the company or its vendors made repeated, intrusive and harassing debt collection calls, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.  

The Nevada-based company — which did not admit wrongdoing — was ordered to pay $9 million in civil penalties and $1.2 million in investigative costs in connection with the judgment entered Thursday in Riverside County Superior Court in a lawsuit filed by the district attorney’s offices of Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego and Santa Clara counties.   

The settlement also requires the company to comply with state and federal law involving consumer debt collection, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.

The lawsuit alleged that Credit One had a policy that allowed its vendors to make eight calls per day along with an additional two calls per day under certain circumstances on overdue credit card accounts and that the calls could be placed on consecutive days.

“Credit card companies do not have the right to badger consumers and invade their privacy with non-stop phone calls to collect debt,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement announcing the settlement. “We are sending a strong message today that companies will not get away with harassing consumers in our state.”

The District Attorney’s Office said Credit One had previously been found liable by a federal jury in 2019 for violating the Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which allows debt collectors to make calls with frequency that is reasonable under the circumstances.

The case stemmed from an investigation by the California Debt Collection Task Force, a statewide law enforcement team composed of the district attorney’s offices of Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and Santa Clara counties

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Vandenberg Debuts ‘Mission Update’ Series At DeWees Center In Lompoc

KEYT on February 20, 2026

Jarrod Zinn

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – A new speaking series from Vandenberg Space Force Base launched in Lompoc this evening.

Launches won’t be slowing down, but the base is taking the issue of impacts very seriously.

The branding of this new free speaker series designated ‘Mission Update’ is different from previous public forums.

“This is just simply reaching out to our community as a responsible community partner and helping them understand the importance of what we’re doing on base,” says Col. James T. Horne Iii, Space Launch Delta 30 Commander.

Residents of the Central Coast as near to the base as Lompoc, as well as communities as far away as Ventura and Oxnard, have been raising concerns as Vandenberg ramps up the amount and frequency of their rocket launches.

“This is the most incredibly exciting time I’ve ever seen in my 25 years in uniform,” says Col. Horne. “As I mentioned, this is the second space race.”

Vandenberg has begun working with universities to conduct research on all impacts of rocket launches, as well as mitigation strategies.

“You know, when we started making, measurements of the ascent sonic boom, you know, in the Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, we really didn’t know what was happening at first,” says Kent Gee, professor at Brigham Young University.

The new series ‘Mission Update’ features Col. Horne and the lead researcher for the ECOBOOM study at Brigham Young University’s Physics Department, Kent Gee.

“We got in and really just said, well, let’s go deploy things in parts as fast as we can to start getting an understanding,” says Gee. “But we understand so much more than we did 18 months ago.”

The series provides insights into the base’s ongoing efforts at impact mitigation, in addition to the critical role the base plays in national security.

“I think we’re in for an exciting future,” says Col. Horne. “But with that comes growing pains. And as responsible actors in this environment, we just want to make sure that we’re doing our best to take care of our people in our community while protecting our nation.”

Upcoming sessions are planned in cities across Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and details will be provided for those events when they become available.

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