XML : Magento Layout XML - Block on a page disappeared

I have an existing Magento template that has been working. Just after what seems to be an unrelated change - A new Category was added - a block of content disappeared. The content is pulled in using the Layout XML for the static page - home.

Here is the XML to add the block - it appears correct:

  <reference name="featured">     <block type="featuredproducts/listing"  name="featured_products"     as="featured_products" template="inchoo/block_featured_products.phtml">     </block>  </reference>    

*lines breaks were added for formating

and here is the block_featured_products.phtml that resides in the folder: /public_html/app/design/frontend/themename/themename/template/inchoo/

  <?php   /**   *   * @category   Inchoo   * @package    Inchoo Featured Products   * @author     Domagoj Potkoc, Inchoo Team <web@inchoo.net>   */  ?>  <?php if (($_products = $this->getProductCollection()) && $_products->getSize()): ?>    <div style="float: left;width: 522px;margin: 0 0 7px 0;height: 156px; background: url(<?php echo $this->getSkinUrl('images/featured_bg.png') ?>) no-repeat;">        <div class="title_box"><?php echo $this->__('Featured Product') ?></div>        <?php $i=0;$row=0; foreach ($_products->getItems() as $_product): ?>            <div style="width:100%;float:left;">          <div style="float: left; width: 160px; height: 120px;text-align: center;">              <p class="product-image">                  <a href="<?php echo $_product->getProductUrl() ?>" title="<?php echo $this->htmlEscape($_product->getName()) ?>"><img class="product-img" src="<?php echo $this->helper('catalog/image')->init($_product, 'small_image')->resize(120, 90) ?>" alt="<?php echo $this->htmlEscape($_product->getName()) ?>" /></a>              </p>          </div>          <style>          .regular-price .price {      color: #FFFFFF;      font-size: 18px;      font-weight: normal;  }  .price-box {      background: url("<?php echo $this->getSkinUrl('images/foronly.png') ?>") no-repeat 0 2px;      padding: 5px 0 10px 90px;  }  .col-3-layout .col-main {  min-height: 0px;  height:462px;  }  </style>          <div style="float: left; width: 300px; height: 120px;">                  <h5><a style="color: #FFFFFF;display: block;font-size: 18px;padding: 5px 0 0;text-decoration: none;" href="<?php echo $_product->getProductUrl() ?>" title="<?php echo $this->htmlEscape($_product->getName()) ?>)"><?php echo $this->htmlEscape($_product->getName()) ?></a></h5>                    <?php echo $this->getPriceHtml($_product, true, '-new') ?>                  <?php if($_product->isSaleable()): ?>                  <button type="button" class="form-button" onclick="setLocation('<?php echo $this->getAddToCartUrl($_product) ?>')"><span><span><?php echo $this->__('Add to Cart') ?></span></span></button>                  <?php else: ?>                  <div class="out-of-stock"><?php echo $this->__('Out of stock') ?></div>                  <?php endif; ?>                  <a style="color: #FFFFFF;font-size: 14px;padding: 0 0 0 8px;text-decoration: none;" href="<?php echo $_product->getProductUrl() ?>" title="<?php echo $this->htmlEscape($_product->getName()) ?>)">Get Product Details</a>          </div>                    </div>           <?php            break;           ?>      <?php endforeach; ?>    </div>  <?php endif; ?>    

Neither of the above had changed prior to the disappearing act.

I have tried to flush the cache, turn off the cache, and have verified the file exists. The theme is also in use - but Firebug shows no trace block_featured_products.phtml file.

Any ideas as to why a category addition would cause this goofiness? Other ideas on troubleshooting?