The painting on the north wall of the Cozy Inn has been in suspended animation since November of 2023 – that’s when Salina city officials told owner Steve Howard that his mural was really a billboard.

Fast forward to this week when a federal court ruled that the City of Salina violated the First Amendment by ordering the Cozy Inn to stop painting its UFO-themed mural.

Howard joined in on the KSAL Morning News Extra to unpack the story behind the artwork and some of the misconceptions that have been suggested over the past two years.

For now, Howard says he is going to let the waves of the legal ruling calm down before more paint is applied to the mural.

“I’m sitting back waiting for this tidal wave to go by,” he said. “It depends on how big a tsunami this is – I got to get down to the ripple effect.”

Attorneys for the Kansas Justice Institute, who have been representing Howard’s case, say it marks a legal victory for the Cozy Inn and free speech advocates.

Listen to the full interview here.