Colorado State Rep. calls for more education after racist picture shared from Harrison High School

KRDO on May 9, 2026

Michael Logerwell

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – The controversy around a racist photo taken by students at Harrison High School is reaching the statehouse.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Harrison High students disciplined for photo that classmates claim showed racial slur

“I just sat back in my chair, and my mouth just dropped open. Like, what in the actual heck is going on here?” Colorado Springs Representative Regina English told KRDO13.

Representative English was shocked when a parent sent her the image of Harrison High School students holding up balloons arranged to spell the n-word, with one letter missing. She said she then went to her colleagues in the house, and they all shared the same response: shock.

Then on Thursday, the representative went to social media.

However, on Wednesday, School District 2 Leaders responded to the incident publicly.

In an email sent to Harrison Families, Superintendent Dr. Wendy Birhanzel wrote to families in an email, “Hate speech, racial slurs, and any form of discrimination have no place at Harrison High School,” and added, “In addition to discipline, the school is taking steps to ensure this becomes a learning opportunity. We are committed to reinforcing expectations around respect and inclusion, and will engage students in restorative practices to help build understanding, empathy, and accountability.”

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Chris Page agreed to an on-camera interview with KRDO13 earlier in the week.

“Whether they intended it one way or another, it was taken a different way. And so, it’s our responsibility to make sure we not only educate those students, but we find a way and a plan to move forward effectively,” Dr. Paige said on Wednesday.

KRDO13 asked Rep. English if she thought the district’s announcement that the students are being held accountable went far enough.

“Well, like I said, there’s always going to be room for growth. There’s always space, an opportunity to do more,” Rep. English responded.

She said it starts with the bullet points she posted on her social media:

A full public acknowledgment of the racial harm caused

Transparent accountability measures

A public community meeting with district leadership

Meaningful restorative participation from the students involved

Concrete action to address racial climate and student safety within the district

“I just think we need to create, like I said, ways and opportunities to come together as a collective and have conversations about what harm looks like to each other and how we can really treat each other with dignity and respect,” Rep. English said.

On Friday, School District 2 pushed back on the social media stir, in response to accusations they leadership didn’t do enough.

“Earlier this week, we did provide an interview with KRDO to address the situation and share the information we were able to under FERPA laws. Right now, our focus is on supporting the school community and continuing to work through the matter internally, so we are not scheduling additional interviews today.

We understand there has been ongoing discussion on social media, including commentary from Representative English and other individuals who may not have seen the full reporting or complete context of the situation. Our priority remains addressing the matter thoughtfully, factually, and in a way that supports students and staff. To be clear, the school and the district have never suggested that the country of Niger played a role in the situation, and the students are being held accountable for their behavior. 

If there are any significant updates we can share, we will provide additional information at the appropriate time. We appreciate your understanding.”

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The Discovery Canyon boys volleyball team took on Eaglecrest in the state tournament

KRDO on May 9, 2026

Rob Namnoum

The Discovery Canyon boys volleyball team lost to Eaglecrest on Friday three games to none.

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MU students react to heavy police presence at ‘Stop Day’ celebrations

KMIZ on May 9, 2026

Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

University of Missouri students celebrated “Stop Day” on Friday, but many said an increased police presence changed the atmosphere of the annual tradition.

Reading Day, colloquially known as Stop Day, is intended to give students a day off from classes before finals week begins; though it has also become associated with large gatherings and parties around Columbia’s East Campus neighborhood.

For the second straight year, the Columbia Police Department and the University of Missouri Police Department increased enforcement tied to Columbia’s nuisance ordinance.

Earlier this week, officers distributed flyers warning residents about nuisance party violations, while the department also posted reminders on social media about enforcement related to underage drinking, trespassing, open containers and peace disturbances.

CPD told ABC 17 News that officers were also focused on keeping pedestrians from blocking streets so that traffic, especially emergency first responders, could travel through East Campus safely.

Many students said they noticed a larger law enforcement presence throughout the day.

“Today I would say it hasn’t been horrible. I mean, you walk past a couple [of officers], and they’re just trying to let everybody have a good time,” MU junior Cashville Kavanaugh said. “I feel like this year a little bit more, it is trying to just keep everybody safe. But we did just see some parties get broken up.”

Others believed the enforcement efforts went too far.

“Last year was the worst police presence I saw. The year before… this is still worse than that,” MU senior Matthew McKeen said. “And I get it. There are medical emergencies, there are people drinking alcohol in inappropriate manners far beyond their limits, and I think there’s risk associated with that and there are concerns with what initially were ambulances. But I mean, as you can see, the streets are completely clear. There’s no hindrance to traffic at all at this point. It really does feel like they are just trying to break up parties.”

McKeen also argued the increased police activity hurt one of the few events that brings students from different groups together.

“I feel like this is a direct attack on the students by [UM System President] Mun Choi,” McKeen said. “I feel like he’s trying to break up the one time of year where people from all sides, all over the university, as opposed to, usually, people are kind of in their cliques, fraternity, sorority, their clubs, their majors. This is the one time of year where everybody’s kind of in the same spot. It kind of feels like they’re attacking that unity that we have as a campus.”

Several students said they expected the additional enforcement after officers distributed flyers throughout East Campus earlier in the week.

“The last couple of years, you know, they’ve been harping down on it,” senior Charles Winkelbauer said. “They went round earlier this week and left some fliers on our door. So we knew it was kind of expected. It’s just a real shame, you know, I mean, kids look forward to this all year, all semester, and the cops have to shut it down. It’s just kind of unfortunate.”

Winklebauer said officers also broke up a gathering at his house.

“We usually have a huge party here every single year, and it’s just in the backyard so it’s like nothing, not a huge deal,” Winklebauer said. “But they came and shut it down real quickly. And there’s only about 25-to-50 people here when years pass, there’s been multiple hundreds. So it’s kind of a shame.”

Senior James Murray said the increased enforcement appears to have changed how students approach Stop Day celebrations.

“It used to be like 11a.m./noon. It would be jumping over here,” Murray said. “This house, specifically 1500 University, used to be the big party house. Just with the police presence this year, last year, it really didn’t get a crowd on each campus till I would say 2 [o’clock] or 3.”

Murray also described officers and city officials going door-to-door earlier in the week.

“Earlier this week they were passing out fliers, two police officers and then a City of Columbia Representative went house to house on his campus, passing out fliers advising people not to have nuisance parties,” Murray said. “’Keep it under 10 people. Only residents of the house can be actually in the yard.’”

Other students said they saw parties shut down during the day.

“We did see one [party] get broken up pretty bad like there’s like a couple of probably a hundred or so people getting pulled out of a house because they’re just kicking them out,” Logan Flint said. “They’re like, ‘That’s no good. No go.’ It kind of sucks.”

“We have a Start Day and Stop Day that just only happens twice a year,” MU junior Adam Davis said. “We’ve got to be able to just let the college kids enjoy it.”

Still, not every student opposed the increased police presence.

“They’re trying to keep it safe,” junior Aidan Winlker said. “Crime has been on a high recently, especially in the downtown area, so it’s valid they are trying to keep it safe, try to keep it contained.”

Senior Sophia Nittenger said she believes police resources could be better spent elsewhere in Columbia.

“I respect the police here in Columbia and what they do is they do a lot of great things here in Columbia,” Nittenger said. “I think that underage drinking is something that should be enforced. There are a lot of other problems here in Columbia, such as the homeless population that need a lot of help and rehabilitation here. I know a lot of women deal with cat calling and such on the streets of Columbia, which is really uncomfortable. There are a lot of other problems I think the police should be focusing on.”

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Volunteers, law enforcement search conservation area for missing Randolph County teen

KMIZ on May 9, 2026

Euphenie Andre

RANDOLPH COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Law enforcement officers and volunteers spent Friday searching for a missing Randolph County teenager in a massive conservation area southeast of Higbee.

The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office said Kayla Huff, 16, has been missing since Wednesday. Investigators focused Friday’s search efforts on the Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area, where dozens of volunteers joined deputies in hopes of finding clues connected to her disappearance.

Randolph County Sheriff Andy Boggs told ABC 17 News that despite searching throughout the day, crews did not find Huff or any major evidence connected to the case.

Across Randolph County, flyers with Huff’s photo have been posted in store windows and along roadways as the community searches for answers. The poster describes Huff as 5 feet, 7 inches with long-braided hair. Flyers say she was last seen Wednesday walking in her Moberly neighborhood with a male.

Boggs later wrote in a press release that Huff was last seen with a 17-year-old Columbia resident.

“Reports from the community and family indicated Kayla was in the Rudolph Bennitt Conservation Area, in southern Randolph County and northern Howard County,” Boggs wrote in the release. “A multi-jurisdictional search was held on today’s date. Law enforcement officers from the area, with the help of volunteers, scoured the area, with nothing located.”

Volunteers Natalee Kirkendoll, Julie Plaster and Jennifer Mixon spent nearly eight hours searching the area for Huff. Kirkendoll said when volunteers arrived Friday morning, law enforcement provided only limited details about the investigation as crews prepared to begin the search.

According to volunteers, about 50 people joined the effort early in the morning, with others arriving throughout the day as they became available.

“We got the call last night off of Facebook, and they needed equine volunteer searches,” Kirkendoll said. “So we all congregated at the lake this morning at 8 (a.m.) and waited for direction from the sheriff and the conservation office.”

The conservation area covers more than 3,500 acres and stretches across parts of Randolph, Boone and Howard counties.

Boggs could not comment on the circumstance of Huff’s disappearance. Boggs said another search effort will likely be organized once investigators gather more information in the case. Authorities are also asking for additional volunteers to assist in the search.

“The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, Moberly Police Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control and many other agencies are currently investigating Kayla’s disappearance,” Boggs’ Friday evening press release says. “To maintain the integrity of this investigation and provide respect and privacy to Kayla’s loved ones, no further information will be released at this time.”

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Warm Springs community benefits from over 40 energy efficiency projects

KTVZ on May 9, 2026

Spencer Sacks

WARM SPRINGS, Ore. (KTVZ) — Energy Trust of Oregon has partnered with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs over the last two years to complete more than 40 energy upgrade projects. These initiatives aim to address energy needs across the Warm Springs community, including improvements at High Lookee Lodge and the Warm Springs Fire and Safety Building.

The partnership has invested over $90,000 into the High Lookee Lodge and the Fire and Safety Building alone. Both buildings are projected to save $13,800 annually in energy costs as a result of the upgrades. Tribal land operates with distinct requirements compared to counties and cities, encompassing both energy efficiency and energy enterprise, where power is sold to surrounding communities.

Carina Miller, tribal government stakeholder relations for Energy Trust of Oregon, highlighted the particular nature of the community. Miller emphasized the necessity to anticipate higher energy needs and external factors that impact communities, especially those in rural Oregon.

“I mean, this is a reservation and so it’s a very unique community,” Miller said. “We need to be able to anticipate for higher energy needs and some of these things that are going to impact our communities regardless. But here in rural Oregon, on the reservations, there are different and unique needs that ETO is learning how to fill those gaps.”

The Warm Springs Fire and Safety Building serves a dual purpose, functioning as both a fire station and a medical clinic for community members seeking treatment. Before the upgrades, Fire Chief Scott Spaulding, with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, noted that the facility’s old lighting system resulted in dimly lit rooms, which contributed to anxiety for patients. Spaulding stated the new lighting significantly improved visibility for both staff and patients.

“So when the new lighting came in, it completely made it brighter. And the crews can see the patients better and the patient can see the crew better,” Spaulding said.

He added that the enhanced environment positively impacts patient care.

“They come in. I think that the the warmth, the feeling of the building helps out with patient care,” Spaulding said. “I think it’s all around better experience.”

The High Lookee Lodge, a 26-year-old facility, also saw substantial benefits from the energy improvements. Fay Hurtado, director of High Lookee Lodge, shared that the upgrades notably improved visibility for the elders. Hurtado explained that dim lighting can be challenging for those with impaired vision.

“The energy upgrade was awesome. The elders were able to see,” Hurtado said. She further commented, “It’s a lot better. Dim light is sometimes hard on some that, can’t see very well. So the upgrades brought a lot of light to our facility.”

This partnership marks an initial phase for both the Warm Springs community and Energy Trust of Oregon, as they hope to continue expanding services throughout the Tribe.

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Cyber collapse: Idaho State University disables access to Canvas for security concerns

KIFI on May 8, 2026

David Pace

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho colleges and universities are still reeling from the impact of a massive cyberattack that hit schools around the country just as classes are finishing up critical work. Students were locked out of their Canvas accounts, unable to take final exams or access critical campus systems.

One day after the crippling cyberattack took down the premier learning platforms across America, Idaho State University (ISU) continues not to use the Canvas learning management system (LMS) due to security concerns.

“This is like a huge drawback and a huge setback because even though some exams were canceled and they said some grades would not be counted, we still do not know how the grades are going to come out,” said Mary Chamda, a sophomore studying computer science.

Authorities are still assessing the damage of the hostile takedown of the learning system, in which ShinyHunters hacked into the system and compromised student information.

“We know that it took down Instructure’s Canvas instance for thousands of institutions, including virtually all the institutions in the state of Idaho, as well as Idaho State University,” said ISU Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Adam Bradford. “Other than that, Canvas has been working to restore accessibility, but at this point in time, that’s a very dynamic situation.”

The Canvas system includes students’ course materials, tests or quizzes, assignments, and grading.

“The nature of the data that was compromised was not financial – Social Security numbers, bank accounts, [or] those types of things. It was demographic data – names, physical addresses, things like this,” Bradford said.

More than 8,000 institutions and 30 million people use Canvas worldwide – including students at Boise State, Brigham Young University-Idaho, College of Eastern Idaho, and University of Idaho.

ISU still advises students not to log in, accept messages, or open links from Canvas and has disabled access to the platform.

“I’m hopeful that it gets resolved quickly, but it does concern me that information might be just floating out there that I was hoping would be confidential and private, ” said James Cannon, an MBA graduate, completing his education on Saturday.

All finals planned for after the cyberattack occurred on Thursday at noon have been canceled at ISU and won’t be rescheduled.

“What we wanted to ensure was a fairness and equitable treatment for all of our students. That was really important to us,” Bradford said. “We did not want the collapse of the LMS system and Canvas’ inaccessibility to negatively impact our students – in terms of their final grades or their ability to complete the semester in any way.”

In spite of the attack, Idaho State University continues to press forward towards graduation on Saturday.

“We’re going to put all this aside. We are going to go over to Holt Arena, and we are going to graduate our students,” Bradford said. “That is going to be absolutely fantastic!”

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Man who shot himself after chase, shootings had just been released on probation

KMIZ on May 8, 2026

Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The man accused of shooting two of his family members, leading a police chase and shooting at law enforcement before shooting himself on Thursday finished a 120-day shock incarceration program with the Department of Corrections about a week before the shooting.

According to the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, 32-year-old Steven Swanson allegedly shot two people at a home in northern Boone County on Thursday afternoon. A 35-year-old man was pronounced dead and a 65-year-old woman had serious injuries in the 5100 block of North Douglas Drive.

Swanson then fled the scene, leading a police chase on Highway 63. Law enforcement eventually stopped Swanson’s Ford Bronco, and Swanson fired a shot at a Missouri State Highway Patrol car before he shot and killed himself, law enforcement says. The medical examiner will determine Swanson’s cause of death.

Previous reporting shows Swanson was accused of stabbing his brother in the leg in October 2025. He pleaded guilty in that case on Dec. 22 to third-degree assault. He was ordered to serve five years of probation and completed a shock program of 120 days with the Department of Corrections.

He also pleaded guilty to second-degree domestic assault in December. 

He was released April 30 and was ordered to serve five years of probation and on the condition that he attend alcohol treatment through the Department of Probation and Parole. He had a suspended sentence of seven years.

Boone County Prosecutor Roger Johnson couldn’t provide a specific comment on why Swanson received that sentence, but he was able to explain the program.

“With the 120-day shock program, if they successfully complete that and essentially don’t have violations while they’re in the Department of Corrections, they can, at the end of that time, come out and be on probation for the remainder of their sentence,” Johnson said.

He said there are a lot of reasons why a person could be given this sentence, but it’s hard to narrow down one reason without looking at the case details.

“It’s very fact specific, and it depends on the particulars of the case,” Johnson said. “It’s just a sentence that is available within the full possible universe of sentences that are available as a disposition in a criminal case.”

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Prosecutor confirms name of woman accused of stealing Randolph County patrol vehicle

KMIZ on May 8, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Randolph County Prosecutor Stephanie Luntsford on Friday confirmed the name of the woman accused of stealing a Randolph County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle on Thursday.

Alayna Mason, 20, of Moberly, was arrested on suspicion of stealing a motor vehicle, stealing a gun and escaping from custody. Luntsford said charges were not filed on Friday because the courts are closed for former President Harry Truman’s birthday.   

Several law enforcement agencies were seen Thursday near Lee and Morley streets after someone allegedly stole a patrol vehicle.

The Moberly Police Department wrote in a Thursday social media post that the suspect was in custody before the theft.  

Mason is currently being held at the Randolph County Jail without bond, according to jail records.

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Planned Power Outage to affect most of Teton Valley this Sunday

KIFI on May 8, 2026

Seth Ratliff

DRIGGS, Idaho (KIFI) — Fall River Electric is alerting Teton County residents to a planned power outage scheduled for this Sunday, May 10. The interruption is expected to affect most of the area, excluding Victor.

The outage will begin at 10:00 p.m. and is anticipated to last approximately two hours, allowing Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) crews to perform essential maintenance at the Targhee substation. The substation is co-owned by BPA and the Fall River Electric Cooperative.

For more information or to track outages in your area, click HERE.

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Greater Yuma Water Safety Alliance launches 2026 campaign focused on drowning prevention

KYMA on May 8, 2026

Moses Femino

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Great Yuma Water Safety Alliance, also known as GYWSA, is once again partnering with local organizations across Yuma County to promote water safety and drowning prevention ahead of the busy summer season.

The alliance officially launched its third water safety campaign this week, continuing a countywide effort focused on education, swim safety and emergency preparedness.

The campaign includes swim lesson scholarships, CPR training opportunities and community water safety education aimed at helping families stay safe around pools, canals and the Colorado River.

“We are a water community. I think sometimes we forget that because we’re also in the desert, but we are surrounded by water,” Jennifer Reichelt, the City of Yuma Deputy City Administrator, said. “Whether that’s the Colorado River, our city pools, pools in your neighborhood. We in Yuma grew up around the water.”

Organizers say the collaboration between healthcare providers, public agencies and local organizations has continued to grow over the last three years, helping expand the campaign’s reach throughout the community.

“This was the first time we all came together with really a cohesive message. And because of that, we’re able to really get the word out I think to a broader audience,” Reichelt said. “But we want to prevent drownings. I think that’s really the important thing. It’s important to remember, anyone can drown but really no one should.”

The alliance encourages residents to take advantage of available resources and safety programs throughout the summer months.

You can find out more about the Greater Yuma Water Safety Alliance and available water safety resources at their website.

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