Medical emergency kills driver of box truck hauling for Postal Service

KMIZ on August 19, 2026

Matthew Sanders

ASHLAND, Mo. (KMIZ)

A box truck that was hauling items for the U.S. Postal Service crashed near Ashland on Wednesday after the driver suffered a medical emergency, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The truck went off the Route H on-ramp from Highway 63, between Ashland and Columbia Regional Airport. The medical emergency, which troopers didn’t specify, was the cause of death, not the crash, said MSHP Sgt. Gentry Pemberton.

An MSHP spokesman told ABC 17 News in an email that the driver is from California, Missouri, and next-of-kin have been notified.

A tow truck was on the scene to move the box truck.

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Santa Barbara Unified School District Welcomes Students Back to School

KEYT on August 19, 2026

Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Students across the Santa Barbara Unified School District returned to class Wednesday, marking the end of summer break and the start of a new school year.

Santa Barbara High School was filled with first-day energy as students found their classrooms, reconnected with friends and met their new teachers.

“I’m really excited for football games and then also getting out of classes and having new people in my classes,” student Jacqueline Durling said. “It’s super exciting.”

The first day brought a mix of familiar faces, new classmates and hopes for the year ahead.

“My hope for this year is probably to get good grades and do well in our volleyball season and just have a good community for school,” Durling said.

Student Bea Flagiello is looking forward to meeting people and learning more about her teachers.

“Meet people and learn new things about my new teachers, maybe get to know a few classmates,” Flagiello said.

Teachers also spent the day getting to know their new classes and helping students settle into a new routine.

“First day of school, it’s going great,” Santa Barbara High School teacher Miranda Jue said. “This is the second class of the day. They’re really great. I love that our admin has been really present on campus too, which is really nice for the students to see.”

Beyond the nerves and excitement, the focus is on creating a welcoming campus where students feel comfortable and ready to learn.

“I feel very settled as a teacher,” one teacher said. “I feel like we have a great group of students and love seeing all the incredible faces that are passing through my door.”

The first day marks a fresh start and the beginning of another school year across Santa Barbara Unified.

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SLO County shares details on ppcoming general election

KEYT on August 19, 2026

Dave Alley

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – The San Luis Obispo County Elections Office held a media event Wednesday morning to help provide the community with important updates and developments about the upcoming General Election on Nov. 3. 2026.

During the one-hour event at the San Luis Obispo County Elections Center inside the Katcho Achadjian Government Center, County-Clerk Recorder Elaina Cano provided insight on what voters can expect when ballots arrive in a few weeks.

Cano provided information on a number of election-related topics, including what will be on the ballot and what changes have been made to the ballot itself, updated processing and counting timelines and ongoing voter registration projects.

Other subjects discussed were updated U.S. Postal Service changes, changes with voting at the polls and combating misinformation and communication logistics.

The upcoming General Election will provide voters with a very full ballot that includes several different races, including at the local and statewide level.

In San Luis Obispo County, there will be a number of elections for local school districts, community services districts and special districts, in addition to offices that include candidates advancing from the top-two June Primary Election, including seats for the U.S. House of Representatives, State Assembly, and statewide constitutional offices.

Three San Luis Obispo County seats that were up for election during the June Primary Election will not be on the November since they were decided by voters and do not require a runoff.

Those include the District Two Supervisors seat that was won by Jim Dantona, the District Four Supervisor seat won by Jimmy Paulding and the County Clerk-Recorder position won by Cano.

Voter registration remains open until 15 days before Election Day. The deadline this year for voter registration is on Oct. 19, 2026.

Eligible San Luis Obispo County residents who are not yet registered, or who need to update an existing registration (such as a name or address change), can do so at registertovote.ca.gov.

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Oregon reports 93% of SNAP recipients qualify for work rule exemptions

KTVZ on August 19, 2026

Adrielle Hasara

Bend, ORE. (KTVZ) — Most Oregonians subject to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program work or activity rules qualify for an exemption, according to state officials.

The Oregon Department of Human Services announced that 93% of individuals currently subject to the requirements meet exemption criteria and the agency is urging recipients to review their status to maintain their food benefits.

Expanded federal rules that took effect in July 2025 increased the number of people required to fulfill monthly activity requirements. Under these guidelines, adults ages 18 to 64 without a child under age 14 in their SNAP household generally must complete 80 hours of work or qualifying activities each month unless they qualify for an exemption or live in a waived region.

Jessica Amaya Hoffman, director of the SNAP program at the Oregon Department of Human Services, urged residents to report any recent life updates that might alter their requirements.

“A change in your life can change whether SNAP work or activity rules apply to you,” Hoffman said. “You may have started caring for someone, experienced a health change or begun a new job or training program. Contact us before assuming you have to meet the requirements. We’ll listen, explain your options and help you take the next step.”

Exemption criteria cover a range of personal and medical situations. Individuals may qualify if they are pregnant, physically or mentally unable to work, already working enough hours, enrolled in a qualifying education or training program, living in an exempt county or waived Tribal land, or responsible for caring for another person.

To help recipients verify their status, the department offers a Report of Exemptions, Paid or Unpaid Work, or Good Cause form. Staff members can review circumstances, clarify documentation requirements, process reported changes and connect recipients to WorkSource Oregon and other employment resources. The agency sends a counting month notice to individuals who do not meet the monthly activity hours and do not hold an exemption.

The department is hosting a virtual media availability today from 1 to 1:20 p.m. to address questions regarding work rules and exemptions, with a video recording scheduled to be published online following the event.

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AI can see your food- But can it count it?

KESQ on August 19, 2026

Kiera McKinney

THOUSAND PALMS, CALIF. (KESQ)- Recent research presented at the American Society for Nutrition meeting shows that popular photo-based AI food-tracking apps underestimate meal calories by 250 to 345 calories and miss about 30 grams of fat per meal, which amounts to roughly one-third of a meal’s actual energy content.

Silvia Delgado, a registered dietitian with Kaiser Permanente, explained that caloric discrepancies can influence health outcomes. “The truth is this,” Delgado said. “You know, these apps, they might be off by 200 or 300 calories. It can make a difference.” However, Delgado noted that the margin of error should not deter people from logging their food, as tracking tools help users recognize eating habits and make healthier choices.

Valley resident Kain Ducusin uses the Cal AI application to monitor his daily intake. Ducusin noted that he has learned to double-check the application’s automated entries to ensure accurate records.

“If I put in one egg, sometimes it shows up as two and it gives me double the protein, calories, everything,” Ducusin said. “So you just gotta go and like just fix that stuff.”

Delgado urged users to concentrate on overall nutritional balance. “I want people to really focus on the quality as well …the antioxidants, phytonutrients, the fiber, those things that are really going to help our overall health,” Delgado said.

For individuals managing chronic health conditions, dietary priorities can vary. Delgado noted that for someone with diabetes, tracking carbohydrates and their direct impact on blood sugar levels is often more critical than counting calories alone, adding that consulting a dietitian can help individuals determine which specific nutrients to monitor.

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MyNetDiary: Best clean design with an ad-free basic tier and verified food labels.

Noom: Best for behavioral coaching, color-coded food systems, and weight-loss psychology.

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Art, interaction help kids overcome mental health challenges

KVIA on August 19, 2026

Hillary Floren

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) –When it comes to kids, mental health and social participation are deeply connected. Some local young people are getting help with socialization and making friends, thanks to UTEP Occupational Therapy doctoral student Desirae Gomez. She partnered with La Mente Behavioral Health as part of her OT Capstone project.

Every week, kids currently being treated at La Mente can gather in a special room to paint, journal, or take part in activities like cupcake wars. They think it’s fun – but it’s actually much more. In this environment, without diagnoses or labels, they begin opening up to others while they create. She provides the art supplies and the safe space.

“I’ll leave less glitter on the table so they have to interact and say, ‘can i borrow the glitter?’ Just get that interaction together,” Gomez says. In the past few weeks, she’s noticed the children are opening up and conversing more. There are more smiles. And more kids! What started as a group of four has already grown to 36. That’s more glitter, glue and art supplies for Gomez to buy, but she doesn’t mind at all.

La Mente employee Alexandra Zuniga agrees. She says this program compliments the work they do every day. She calls it a success, and something their clients can count on.

“Having a support system is super important and can help you in life, no matter the struggles you’re facing. A lot of times the kids who come in have low self esteem so connecting with others increases their joy and happiness.” For more information on La Mente, and how to get your child involved, click here: https://lamentehealth.com/

Desirae Gomez says after she completes the program, she will stay in the mental health field. She says emotions effect people’s everyday life and seeing that children struggle with that, she wants to continue to find ways to help and improve their lives.

For more information on UTEP’s Occupational Therapy doctoral program, click here: https://www.utep.edu/chs/ot/

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City of Socorro to join El Paso Transit Authority, continues free microtransit service

KVIA on August 19, 2026

Carpio Griego

SOCORRO, Texas (KVIA) — The City of Socorro agreed to rejoin the El Paso Transit Authority (ETA). Starting Oct. 1, Socorro will operate and maintain its ¡ávanzando! microtransit services, El Paso County said.

On July 29, the ETA Board of Directors authorized the proposal to operate and maintain the ¡ávanzando! services. The Socorro City Council accepted and agreed to join the ETA Aug. 6.

The transit service will expand to connect Socorro, San Elizario and Clint, the county said. Passengers can ride for free and use ETA amenities such as bike racks, Wi-Fi, and the ETA app.

Through the subcontractor Transdev, ETA will operate ¡ávanzando! seven days a week. From Monday-Friday, the service will run from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Saturday-Sunday, it will run between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., the county said.

The county said Socorro will contribute $5,165 for regional transit access and $253,000 for the operation and maintenance of ¡ávanzando!

A program City of Socorro Mayor Rudy Cruz Jr said was made out of necessity to serve the people of his community.

“I represent a very underserved population, the transportation services from the past were not going to pick up the elderly woman at her front door that needed to go pick up her prescriptions,” Cruz said. “They weren’t going to pick her up to take her to her doctor’s appointments. We’ve created that, the City of Socorro created a system that’s going to cater to the needs of our residents, especially with a large elderly population.”

Something one Socorro resident, Ivette Jurado, said she has not used herself but said it is still something that is good for the community.

“That is very good for here for the community,” Jurado said. “Because I have gone through that way before I got my vehicle. We only had busses that were run down around Socorro and up Horizon and down, which that was a shuttle some time back and I know personally that a lot of people had a hard time with that personally for transportation. Even people that have disabilities as myself.”

Jurado also said even if taxes did have to be raised to pay for it, she thinks it would be an expense worth paying for.

“Yes, it is and I talk from personal experience,” Jurado said. “We all don’t have jobs, especially right now how everything’s happening with the government and everything. We have struggles so yes it would be great for a lot of people to have that help.”

Cruz feels after one year of the City of Socorro running the service independently it’s been a success, keeping it under budget which City Manager Adriana Rodarte told ABC-7 was $220,000.

“Yeah, it is successful. It is, however, very, very new and it’s premature because we’ve never operated a transportation service here for our residents,” Cruz said. “Especially for a city of our size, we do pack a punch and we do have just sophisticated people working in our offices that are continuously monitoring the trends, to allow us to make better decisions as a council as a whole, make better money decisions for our residents.”

Decisions Cruz said will make sure the expansion like this will not cause any increase in taxes for Socorro residents to pay and said he’s willing to look for ‘any untapped resource’ to avoid any raising of taxes.

“This is at no cost to our our residents, we’re not raising taxes for this,” Cruz said. “This is a service that we wanted to create and provide for our residents and any untapped resource that we haven’t found. We’re going to continue looking for them.”

Socorro will assign two vehicles to ETA for operation and maintenance. The county said ETA will provide administrative support and assist with planning for future bus shelters and anchor stations.

“In the past year, Socorro ¡ávanzando! carried 6,896 passenger trips which shows that transit iscatching on in Socorro and we look forward to ETA taking our microtransit service to the next level,”stated Alejandra Valadez, the City’s Development Director and ETA Board Member.

In 2025, El Paso County commissioners voted to end transit service within Socorro on ETA’s recommendation. The City of Socorro completed its ¡ávanzando! replacement plan July 2025.

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Houston Style Magazine Is Proud to Support the Houston Business Journal’s 2026 Women Who Mean Business Awards

CNN Newsource on August 19, 2026

By Francis Page Jr.

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    August 19, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — Houston has never been short on women who know how to turn vision into velocity. This fall, many of those leaders will share one room when the Houston Business Journal presents its 2026 Women Who Mean Business Awards, and Houston Style Magazine is proud to support a celebration that recognizes achievement while reminding the next generation what leadership can look like.

The luncheon takes place Thursday, October 15, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hilton Americas-Houston, 1600 Lamar Street in Downtown Houston. HBJ has named 76 honorees spanning nine industry categories — Energy, Finance, Healthcare, Hospitality/Restaurants/Retailing, Law, Nonprofit, Professional Services, Real Estate and Construction, and Other — plus its Women to Watch category for leaders with 10 years or less in their industries.

That breadth matters. This class reflects Houston’s wide-ranging leadership landscape: executives, entrepreneurs, educators, attorneys, healthcare leaders, civic professionals, builders, innovators and emerging voices. Among the honorees are Nell Reed of Chevron, Erica Giwa of Legacy Community Health, Hannah McNair of the Houston Texans, Frances Villagran-Glover of Houston City College Southeast, Tammi Wallace of the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce and Anjelika Stephens of Bartlett Cocke General Contractors. Different lanes, one common denominator: impact.

This year’s theme, “Petals & Power,” is an especially fitting Houston combination — elegance with horsepower. HBJ describes the celebration as one recognizing grace, resilience and leadership while honoring women who inspire change and leave lasting marks on Houston’s business community.

The awards also carry growing historical significance. HBJ launched its inaugural Women Who Mean Business awards in 2016. A decade later, the program remains a prominent platform for recognizing women whose accomplishments stretch beyond boardrooms into community service and civic leadership.

One of this year’s defining moments will be the presentation of the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award to Houston City College Chancellor Margaret Ford Fisher, Ed.D. Ford Fisher joined HCC in 1985 and became the institution’s ninth chancellor in 2024. Houston City College says she leads a seven-college organization serving nearly 100,000 students annually across 22 Greater Houston locations. Her career includes two decades as president of HCC Northeast College and leadership of HCC Online College, where she helped establish more than 60 fully online degrees and 70 hybrid programs.

Her recognition gives the event an added layer of meaning: leadership is not simply about reaching the top; it is about widening the staircase for others.

The 2026 honorees will also appear in a special section of HBJ’s October 16 weekly edition. For attendees, however, October 15 is about being present — applauding achievement, building relationships and perhaps meeting the next collaborator, mentor, client or community partner over lunch.

Houston Style Magazine encourages businesses, organizations and professionals to gather their teams and reserve seats while tickets and table packages remain available. HBJ’s current event page includes individual event registration and several table-package opportunities.

Because when Houston celebrates women who build companies, strengthen institutions and move communities forward, everyone gets a clearer view of the city’s future.

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REGISTER / PURCHASE TICKETS: 2026 Women Who Mean Business Awards MEET THE 2026 HONOREES: HBJ’s Women Who Mean Business Honoree Announcement LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT — DR. MARGARET FORD FISHER: Houston City College — Lifetime Achievement Award

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.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
4096658446

Texas Southern University Names Corey Lowery Men’s Basketball Head Coach

CNN Newsource on August 19, 2026

By Francis Page Jr.

Click here for updates on this story

    August 19, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — HOUSTON — August 19, 2026 — Texas Southern University basketball has never been shy about big expectations. At a program where championships, postseason pressure and March Madness have become part of the vocabulary, the Tigers have now handed the whistle to a coach whose résumé suggests he knows exactly what winning sounds like.

Texas Southern University announced Corey Lowery as its new head men’s basketball coach, bringing to Houston a veteran leader with 27 years of coaching experience, 13 seasons as a collegiate head coach and a 266-73 collegiate head-coaching record.

The appointment opens a new chapter for one of the nation’s most recognizable HBCU basketball programs — and it comes as Texas Southern approaches its centennial celebration in 2027.

“Coach Lowery has won at every level and every stop of his career,” TSU President J.W. Crawford III said in announcing the hire. “Beyond constructing winning rosters and producing on the court, he is a maker of men off the court.”

That last part may prove every bit as important as the win column.

Lowery arrives from Seton Hall University, where he spent four seasons as an assistant under Shaheen Holloway. During his tenure, the Pirates’ staff produced 42 victories in its first two seasons — a Seton Hall record for a new staff — before capturing the 2024 NIT National Championship.

But Lowery’s résumé stretches well beyond the Big East.

At Lincoln University, one of America’s historic HBCUs, Lowery transformed expectations. In his first full season, Lincoln finished second in the CIAA Northern Division after being projected 10th in the preseason. The turnaround earned Lowery CIAA Coach of the Year, while Zahrion Blue was named CIAA Player of the Year. Lowery was also selected to coach in the inaugural HBCU All-Star Game.

Before Lincoln came an impressive junior-college run. At Essex County College, his Wolverines captured six consecutive regular-season conference championships, five straight region championships and made five consecutive NJCAA Division II Tournament appearances. His 2014 squad reached the national championship game, while Essex advanced to the Final Four in 2014 and 2016. At Middlesex County College, Lowery also produced three straight conference championships and a 2008 Elite Eight appearance.

In other words, Coach Lowery apparently does not collect frequent-flyer miles without collecting a few trophies along the way.

Now he inherits a Texas Southern program where the standard is already sky-high.

The Tigers own 14 SWAC regular-season championships, 11 SWAC Tournament titles, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances and the 1977 NAIA National Championship. In 2023, TSU became the first No. 8 seed to win the SWAC Tournament, completing a remarkable postseason run by defeating the tournament’s No. 1, No. 2 and No. 5 seeds.

That championship DNA is precisely what Lowery says attracted him to Houston.

“It is an absolute honor and privilege to be named the Head Men’s Basketball coach at Texas Southern University,” Lowery said. “Texas Southern is rooted in a proud tradition of winning championships… I will work tirelessly to serve and uphold the standard of excellence that already exists at Texas Southern University.”

And that standard extends beyond basketball.

For generations, Texas Southern University has represented Houston, HBCU excellence and opportunity, producing leaders while carrying the maroon and gray onto national stages. For Lowery, this is more than another coaching assignment. It is an opportunity to guide young men, build champions and take command of a program accustomed to hearing its name called when March arrives.

The next century of Texas Southern basketball is approaching. Coach Corey Lowery now has the ball.

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More information on TSU Sports, go to: tsusports.com

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.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
4096658446

Gaming machine suit dropped, Cole County judge rules in favor of state

KMIZ on August 19, 2026

Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The office of Attorney General Catherine Hanaway received a win Wednesday in the battle over gaming machines after a Cole County judge dropped a lawsuit against them. However, the group suing the office is ready to refile.

The suit was filed by the Missouri Licensing Advocacy Group at the end of June, with the group asking the judge for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to pause seizures of machines until a definition of gambling machines is determined.

Currently, during Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control inspections, any convenience store proprietor who operates a gaming machine is at risk of losing their liquor license. The ATC also considers “no chance gaming” or “gray” machines which pre-reveal the next outcome to the user free of charge against the law.

Missouri Licensing Advocacy Group argued that the state cannot make a blanket definition of what makes a gaming machine illegal, since gray machines often operate with different payouts and algorithms compared to a random number generator. They add that even the General Assembly had difficulty creating a definition for “gaming machines.”

“If the State’s position is that every machine with an electronic screen, customer payment, amusement value, and possible prize is automatically an illegal gambling device, then the State’s theory sweeps far beyond the machines now being targeted,” according to the lawsuit.

MOLAG’s goal was not for a judge to determine which gaming machines are or are not illegal, but instead to give all possible license violations due process.

“You’re the judge, you’re the jury, you’re the executioner, that’s another thing that we are fighting right here is that posture,” Samuel Trapp with MOLAG said. “One guy that has the power over your license  says ‘you’re breaking the law, and if you don’t, I’m going to take your license.’ What’s your choice?”

Trapp adds that some businesses who are a part of MOLAG had lost income and even had to shut down locations due to unplugging gaming machines.

“The label is these people are criminals, they’re not criminals, they’re business people and they’ve been in the business of this type of machine for a number of years,” Trapp said.

Ultimately, Judge Richard Green ruled in favor of the state’s motion to drop the case, claiming MOLAG’s argument had no standing since there was no local business owner whose liquor license was threatened or pulled.

“There’s a lot of people afraid to stand up, but if they come through MOLAG, we’re trying to make it where they don’t have to necessarily become a target and give their name, because targeting is real,” Trapp said.

MOLAG’s attorney, Travis Noble, later claimed Green saw the group’s argument, with the group now looking to refile with a key witness who has been affected.

Trapp adds that MOLAG plans to refile this week with several people willing to come forward by name.

The suit follows a sweep of lawsuits filed by the Attorney General’s office in February and March.

“Businesses that allow illegal gambling to operate under their roofs are making a deliberate choice to put profit over public safety,” Hanaway said in March. “My Office is committed to dismantling illegal gaming operations, ensuring they have no place in our communities. We will enforce the law and protect our neighborhoods in every county.”

At least two Mid-Missouri convenience store owners — Anthony Gier of Eldon and Keith Winscott of Ashland — have been charged criminally after video gambling machines were seized from their stores.

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