Here are the current cancellations and submitted to Hutch Post.&nbsp; To submit a cancellation, please send an email to <a href="mailto:hutchpost@eaglemedia.com">hutchpost@eaglemedia.com</a>.&nbsp;

<a href="https://eaglepost.netlify.app/dashboard/hutch/posts/5008cda3-3e87-4169-a064-a84877914989">LINK:&nbsp;Winter Weather: How to submit closures, delays, and cancellations</a>

Buhler MB Church - No Sunday services Buhler Mennonite South Church - No Sunday services Calvary Baptist Church, McPherson - No Sunday services Canton Community Church - No Sunday Services Cheney Community Church - No Sunday Services Countryside Covenant Church, McPherson - 11 a.m. service only Eastwood Church of Christ - Online services only Emanuel Lutheran Church - No Sunday services Faith United Methodist Church, Hutchinson - Closed, online services only First Baptist Church, Hutchinson - No Sunday services First Church of God - No Sunday services First Church of Nazarene, Newton - No Sunday Services First Congregational Church, Hutchinson - No Sunday services First Mennonite Church, Halstead - No Sunday services First Mennonite Church, Newton - No Sunday services First Presbyterian Church, Hutchinson - No Sunday services First Presbyterian Church, Newton - No Sunday services First Presbyterian Church, McPherson - No Sunday services First Southern Baptist Church - No Sunday services First United Methodist Church, Hutchinson - Online services only First United Methodist Church, Newton - No Sunday services First United Methodist Church, Sterling - No Sunday services Full Gospel Church - No Sunday services Galva Christian Church - No Sunday services Galva Community Church - No Sunday services Grace Lutheran Church, Lyons - No Sunday services Hope Church - No Sunday services Journey at McPherson - No Sunday services Journey at South Hutch - No Sunday services Kingman Christian Church - No Sunday services Koerner Heights Church, Newton - Online services only Living Grace Church, Inman - No Sunday services McPherson Church of the Nazarene - No Sunday services Mitchell Chapel United Methodist Church - No Sunday services Morningstar Baptist Church, McPherson - No Sunday services Mount Hope Bible Fellowship - No Sunday services New Covenant Presbyterian Church - No Sunday services New Gottland Covenant Church, McPherson - No Sunday services New Life Assembly of God, Newton - No Sunday services New Life Christian Church, Hutchinson - No Sunday services New Life Foursquare Church, McPherson - No Sunday services Newton Bible Church - 10:30 a.m. service only Newton Christian Church - No Sunday services - Online service at 10 a.m. Newton Grace Community Church - 10:45 a.m. service only Newton Shalom Mennonite Church - No Sunday services Nickerson United Methodist Church - No Sunday services Park Place Christian Church - No Sunday services or activities Partridge Community Church - No Sunday services Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church, Burrton - No Sunday services Pratt Church of Christ - No Sunday services Pratt Friends Church - No Sunday services Pratt Presbyterian Church - No Sunday services Salt City Cowboy Church, South Hutchinson - No Sunday services Soul Winner's Mission Church - Online only South Hutchinson United Methodist Church - No Sunday services St. Matthew's Episcopal Church - Online services only Stafford United Methodist Church - No Sunday services Sylvia Church of Christ - No Sunday services Tabor Mennonite Church, Newton - No Sunday services Temple Baptist Church - Services canceled Trinity United Methodist Church, Hutchinson - No Sunday services Trinity Heights United Methodist Church, Newton - No Sunday services Union Valley Bible Church - No Sunday service

American Legion Post #68 - Post closed American Legion Riders Chili Feed - Canceled Christian Soup Ministry, Hutchinson - Closed Dillon Nature Center trails/grounds and Visitor Center - Closed TEFAP commodities distribution - Postponed to Feb. 1

USD 267 Renwick - No classes USD 268 Cheney - Closed USD 311 Pretty Prairie -&nbsp;2-hour delay; no AM-only Pre-K sessions USD 312 Haven - Closed USD 313 Buhler - Classes canceled USD 373 Newton - Classes canceled USD 419 Canton Galva - No classes or activities USD 423 Moundridge - Closed USD 439 Sedgwick - Closed

Moundridge Senior Center - Closed Monday Women for Kansas - Hutchinson Area Chapter meeting - Canceled&nbsp;

Closings and cancellations

Just six weeks after finishing high school, Brian Walker wasn’t aiming for a high-powered job. He worked full-time at a gas station, living week to week, until a surprise phone call changed his path.

That call brought him to a flour mill and into an industry most people only think about when they buy bread. On a recent episode of the&nbsp;Wheat’s On Your Mind&nbsp;podcast, Walker talked with host Aaron Harries and Kansas Wheat CEO Justin Gilpin about the key moments in his 45-year milling career and what the wheat industry is really like.

Walker’s first job at Seaboard Allied Milling in Kansas City, Missouri, had an official title, assistant quality control manager, but the labor was hard and hands-on. He managed sample cans, moved samples through the lab and learned how wheat quality could affect everything from flour performance to baking consistency.

The schedule was even tougher than the work itself. Walker said he had to be there whenever the mill was running, even on weekends. In his first weeks, the mill shipped flour overseas in 140-pound jute bags and Walker worked six straight weeks without a day off, earning $4 an hour.

The job was demanding, but it gave Walker a close look at the wheat supply chain. Early on, he learned about crop surveys, wheat types and baking tests, building the skills that later took him to a 20-week course at the American Institute of Baking in Manhattan.

As Walker moved through jobs at Seaboard, Cargill, Ardent Mills, and Miller Milling, he watched the industry change through consolidation. He saw the early 1980s as a turning point, when more companies were bought out and competition became more strategic.

The changes went beyond new owners. Walker explained that consolidation also changed how people talked about crop quality. Millers used to meet and share information, but that became less common.

“All the millers would come openly talk about the crop, talk about the quality, where the issues were, where the opportunities were,” Walker said. “By the time 85, 86 rolled around… it became clear that… the work that you did on the crop, you kept to yourself and you used that as a competitive edge for your company.”

As the baking industry modernized, Walker said the pace and pressure increased. Big commercial bakeries ran longer and faster, needing more consistent wheat. At the same time, bakers started using new ingredients, moving away from potassium bromate to such as enzymes, which changed how they kept dough strong and loaves high quality.

These pressures affected farmers, too. Walker said that better wheat varieties, disease control, and new breeding tools helped the industry keep milling quality steady, especially as food safety issues like fusarium head blight and vomitoxin became bigger concerns.

Now living in Minnesota, Walker is still active in the wheat industry. He works with the National Wheat Foundation, stays involved with the Wheat Quality Council, and consults for U.S. Wheat Associates, which keeps him connected to both American farmers and flour customers around the world.

At the end of the episode, Walker shared the most important lesson since his early days in the mill: show up, work hard, and stay involved.

“You got to be willing to work. And you need to work hard,” Walker said. “Be involved… it’s a people business.”

Wheat quality and flour milling: Lessons from Brian Walker

Seven months from now, on August 6, 2026, Kansas voters will see on their primary ballots an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://legiscan.com/KS/text/SCR1611/2025">amendment to the state constitution</a>&nbsp;that they can vote “yes” or “no” on:

The citizens of Kansas who are qualified electors shall elect the justices of the supreme court. The rules applicable for such elections and the designation of position numbers shall be provided by law.

The supporters of this amendment—primarily the Republican caucus in the Kansas legislature, as they were the ones who pushed to get the amendment on the ballot, but also conservative organizations like Americans for Prosperity and the Kansas Policy Institute—insist that their aim,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/committees/ctte_s_fed_st_1/documents/testimony/20250225_02.pdf">in the words of Senate President Ty Masterson</a>, is to “shine the light of democracy” on the selection of state Supreme Court justices, a process that is currently, “veiled by a commission.”

Kansans love the idea of transparency and choice, at least in principle. But when it comes to extending that idea to the judiciary, this claim sometimes confuses people. Since those who serve as justices on the U.S. Supreme Court are, like every judge on the federal level, appointed for life rather than elected, it seems perfectly normal to many to see the judicial branch as entirely apolitical, so much so that I occasionally have students who are first-time voters ask worryingly as to why retention votes for state judges show up on their ballots. (When I tell them that Thomas Jefferson, responding to the unavoidably political nature of some Supreme Court decisions, was sympathetic to the idea that the House of Representatives should elect the justices rather than the president appointing them, they get even more perplexed.)

In truth, once one embraces the idea of a supposedly independent judiciary to interpret the law, every system for determining who will serve as those judges is a complicated compromise.

Kansas’s system for state judges is not unique, but it is a relatively rare combination of merit (nomination by a judicial commission, appointment by governor) and voting (elections to stay in office at the end of one’s term). It’s an approach shared, in one form or another, by 17 other states. Not that straightforward elections are employed by all the rest; only 21 states allow voters to choose their state Supreme Court justices directly. Ultimately, the methods of choosing justices, on any court level,&nbsp;vary greatly from state to state—and there is&nbsp;no clear evidence that one method is always better&nbsp;in terms of judicial trust, fairness, and accountability than any other.

Former Kansas Chief Justice Lawton Nuss is one of those who has&nbsp;criticized the amendment, calling the election of state Supreme Court justices a “really bad idea.” He is joined by numerous state organizations, many of which point out that the arguments for the amendment made by the Republican majority in Topeka often just focused on electing judges who would overturn past rulings on abortion and education, rather than principled concerns about democracy.

I would just add that it’s important to note that the amendment says nothing about the “rules” of the “elections” that “shall be provided by law.” Most of the states that hold elections for their state justices require those elections to be nonpartisan. Others require them to be held by district throughout the state. Without any such language, one should probably assume that whatever elections emerge from the amendment will be state-wide, majority-driven, and partisan. Something to keep in mind before next summer’s vote.

Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics at Friends University in Wichita, KS

Insight Kansas: State Supreme Court justices, and how to choose them

As winter approaches, it’s important to recognize the health risks that come with freezing temperatures and winter weather. While weather can vary across the state, preparing for a strong cold front is especially important for rural areas where access to healthcare facilities and emergency services may be impeded.

One of the most common winter health concerns is respiratory illness, including coronavirus, influenza (flu), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). According to Johns Hopkins physician Michael Albert, every year 5% to 20% of Americans will catch the flu, and 60,000 to 160,000 older adults are hospitalized with RSV. This is in addition to COVID-19 variants which are contagious and tend to occur in waves. 

These illnesses often spike during the winter months for several reasons. According to the Mayo Clinic Minute, these illnesses often spike during winter months as people spend more time indoors, allowing viruses to spread more quickly. Cold, dry air&nbsp;also allows respiratory droplets to stay airborne longer, while the cilia (hairlike projections in the&nbsp;upper respiratory tract that help clear out germs) do not function as well in dry, cold conditions.

Fortunately, there are several simple ways to reduce the risk of infection. Regular handwashing is&nbsp;one of the most important steps, especially after being in public spaces. Cleaning and sanitizing&nbsp;frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs, countertops, and phones can also help&nbsp;limit spread. 

Staying up to date on recommended vaccinations each year provides added protection, particularly for older adults and those with chronic conditions. Covering coughs and sneezes, avoiding close contact when sick, and staying home when you have symptoms (such as&nbsp;cough, sore throat, or fever) can help protect family members, coworkers, and the broader community.

Cold-related illnesses are another important winter health concern. Hypothermia occurs when the&nbsp;body loses heat faster than it can produce it, and can happen during prolonged outdoor exposure, power outages, or when homes are not adequately heated. Warning signs include uncontrollable&nbsp;shivering, confusion, slurred speech, and extreme fatigue. 

There’s also frostbite which&nbsp;occurs when skin and underlying tissues freeze, most often affecting fingers, toes, ears, and&nbsp;nose. Early signs include numbness, tingling, and pale or waxy skin. To reduce risk of both illnesses, dress in layers, keep clothing dry, cover exposed skin, limit time outdoors during extreme&nbsp;cold, and check on neighbors, especially older adults, during severe weather.

Lastly, winter can impact mental health. Shorter days, reduced sunlight, and increased isolation, especially&nbsp;in rural areas, can contribute to low mood, anxiety, or symptoms of seasonal depression. Some easy ways to protect your mental health include staying connected with friends&nbsp;and family, maintaining daily routines, and spending time outdoors when weather allows.

You can also reach out to local resources or healthcare providers if symptoms persist. As&nbsp;a community, we all play a role in staying safe and healthy during the winter. Checking in on neighbors, preparing homes, and taking simple preventive steps can make a huge difference.

Midwestern winters can be challenging, but with awareness and preparation many winter related&nbsp;health risks can be reduced.

Shelby Coons is a second-year medical student at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. She graduated from Field Kindley High School in Coffeyville, KS in 2020, and the University of Kansas in 2024. Growing up in a small town inspired her passion for serving rural and underserved communities.

Winter health Risks: What to know and how to stay safe

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Recent obituaries and service times

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Local fire officials are urging residents to take a few minutes to review home fire safety practices, noting that most residential fires are preventable with basic precautions.

According to fire safety data highlighted during Community Risk Reduction Week, cooking remains the leading cause of home fires. Firefighters stress the importance of staying in the kitchen when frying, grilling, boiling, or broiling food and keeping flammable items away from stovetops. In the event of a grease fire, residents are reminded to slide a lid over the pan and turn off the heat — never use water, which can cause flames to spread rapidly.

Heating equipment is another major risk, particularly during the winter months. Nationwide, tens of thousands of heating-related fires occur each year, resulting in hundreds of deaths and more than a billion dollars in property damage. Safety officials recommend keeping heaters and fireplaces at least three feet away from anything that can burn and turning off space heaters before leaving home or going to sleep.

Electrical issues also remain a top cause of house fires. Residents are encouraged to replace damaged cords, avoid overloading outlets and power strips, and never plug space heaters into extension cords.

Working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are considered one of the most effective fire safety measures. Nearly 60 percent of fire-related deaths occur in homes without functioning alarms. Fire officials advise testing alarms monthly, changing batteries regularly, and installing alarms in bedrooms and hallways.

As part of a “Home Fire Risk Reset,” residents are encouraged to spend just 10 minutes reviewing safety steps, including testing smoke alarms, maintaining a three-foot safety zone around heat sources, ensuring someone stays in the kitchen when cooking, plugging space heaters directly into wall outlets, and practicing a home escape plan with at least two exits from every room.

Fire officials say these simple actions can significantly reduce the risk of fire and help protect lives, property, and families.

Fire safety reminder highlights common home fire causes

ARLINGTON, Kan. — Firefighters battled extreme cold and challenging conditions Saturday afternoon while responding to a structure fire in Arlington.

At approximately 12:55 p.m. units from Reno County Fire District 1 were dispatched to a reported structure fire in the 200 block of South Vine Street.

Upon arrival, crews found smoke coming from the attic and active fire located in a bathroom. Firefighters initiated an aggressive interior attack; however, multiple ceiling layers inside the home made it difficult to access the fire in the attic space. During suppression efforts, crews were forced to evacuate the structure due to a roof collapse.

The home sustained extensive damage as a result of the fire.

Reno County EMS was on scene providing rehabilitation services to firefighters. No injuries were reported.

Firefighting efforts were further complicated by bitterly cold conditions. Temperatures at the time of the fire were around 5 degrees, with a negative wind chill causing equipment to freeze.

The American Red Cross responded to assist the occupants displaced by the fire. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Firefighters battle fire, elements in Saturday fire

HARVEY COUNTY —Emergency crews responded to a child stuck in a hole at Sand Creek Station on Saturday, according to a social media report from Newton Fire and EMS.

On arrival, just the fingertips of a 15-year-old boy were visible at ground level. The child was rescued from the hole and transported to the local hospital in stable condition for evaluation. 

He had been sledding with a friend, who notified a neighbor to call 911. Thanks to his quick thinking, this event had a positive outcome.

Newton emergency crews reported they did not measure the hole, but it was about 12 inches. The 15-year-old was released from the hospital, is home and was doing well.

New Fire and EMS reminded, "it is important to always have someone with you while sledding to call for help in the event of an emergency."

Kan. boy rescued from hole after sledding accident

Dear Dave, I’ve been listening to your radio show, and as a result I’ve decided I’m tired of living paycheck-to-paycheck and being broke all the time. I know Baby Step 1 is saving a beginner emergency find of $1,000. But do you recommend getting current on past due bills before starting the Baby Steps?

Dear Edward, I love it! When people decide to change their lives, and they talk about it the way you have, I know they’re serious about making something good happen. You’re sick and tired of being sick and tired, and you’re going to get control of your money and your life. Let’s get started!

First things first. Make sure you’re up to date with all the necessities. I’m talking about food, clothing, shelter, transportation and utilities. Next, either get current—or make payment arrangements—for any consumer debt you have, including credit cards. This doesn’t include your home, but we’ll get to that part in a minute. 

You’re spot-on with Baby Step 1. After that comes the debt snowball and Baby Step 2. Start paying off all debts, except your home, from smallest to largest. Once you’ve paid off this debt, you’ll be able to save more and increase your beginner emergency fund to a fully-funded emergency fund of three to six months of expenses pretty quickly. This is Baby Step 3.

At this point, you can really start planning for the future. In Baby Step 4, you’ll start investing 15 percent of your income for retirement. If you have kids, setting aside something to help them with college comes next in Baby Step 5. Baby Step 6 is a milestone. This is when you start throwing tons of cash at your mortgage, and pay off your home early. I told you we’d get back to this, didn’t I? 

But Edward, the real deal is Baby Step 7. Why? Because this is when all your hard work, discipline and wise financial decisions have put you in a place where you can build wealth like crazy. Not only that, you can give and help others by being outrageously generous. At this point, you’re securing your future and helping others in a big way.

Go make it happen, dude. Take control of your finances, your life and be a blessing to others!

You can hear Dave Ramsey, Monday through Friday evenings from 7 to 10 p.m. on KWBW, unless it is preempted by sports coverage.&nbsp;

Dave Says: Sick and tired of being sick and tired

 The City of Hutchinson is accepting applications for its Senior Citizen Low-Income Program for Water and Sewer, a utility assistance program designed to help eligible senior residents offset residential water and sewer costs.

City Council has set aside funding to provide credits on 2026 water bills. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until all available funds are allocated.

To qualify, applicants must have water or sewer service in their name, be 65 years of age or older by January 1, 2026, and use the service for residential purposes only. Household income must fall within Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) guidelines, defined as 150 percent of the federal poverty level. Participants are required to apply each year to remain eligible.

Residents who already have a current LIHEAP acceptance letter will find the application process simplified.

Approved applicants will receive a monthly credit toward the base water and sewer fees. For customers receiving both services, the credit totals $25.84 per month.

Applications can be completed securely online, and paper applications are also available through Utility Billing at City Hall. Applicants will receive a confirmation email once their submission has been processed.

City officials say the program reflects Hutchinson’s ongoing commitment to supporting senior residents and helping ensure essential water and sewer services remain affordable.

City offers senior citizen low income program for water and sewer

Due to the expected weather conditions on Saturday January 24th, all Greater Wichita YMCA branches will have revised facility hours 9 am- 4 pm.&nbsp;

All programs, group exercise, Kid Zone and sports games will be cancelled.&nbsp;

Sports Directors will follow up with coaches regarding rescheduling.

If you can’t make it to a branch tomorrow, The Y offers workouts and activities for the whole family on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://track.pstmrk.it/3s/ymca360.org%2Fhome/caxW/K_zCAQ/AQ/7ed4e51b-d6e1-4fe7-9bb6-2fed43796242/2/qQwZwfFCux">YMCA 360</a>.&nbsp;

YMCA reduces hours, activities for Saturday

DOUGAS COUNTY —It was supposed to be a traffic stop, but the driver didn’t – and ended up crashing into five parked cars and narrowly escaping serious injury of his own and that of his passenger, according to a social media report from police in Lawrence.

Just after 1:30a.m. Jan. 21, a&nbsp; patrol officer noticed a car run through a red light at a high rate of speed at 11th and Tennessee in Lawrence. The officer activated his lights, but the driver didn’t stop.  The car continued south on Tennessee at more than 50 miles per hour until he wasn’t able to navigate the lanes and swiped through five parked cars.

He crashed near 19th Street, got out, and ran. Officers caught up with him between nearby houses.  His passenger was trapped in the wreckage.  Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical responded to get the passenger out of the crumpled metal.  Both the driver and the passenger refused further medical treatment.

The 22-year-old driver, whose name was not released, was booked into the Douglas County Correctional Facility suspected of several crimes including Possession of Drugs, Possession of a Firearm under the Influence, Driving Under the Influence, Flee and Elude, and additional traffic violations.&nbsp;

Kan. driver left passenger in wreckage after police chase, crash

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a chase and arrest with a stolen vehicle.

Just before&nbsp;&nbsp;1:30 a.m. Jan. 22, a sheriff's deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a gray 2025 Ford SUV, that was recently reported stolen through the City of Topeka, near Interstate 70&nbsp; and SE Adams Street, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

 The driver refused to stop and initiated a pursuit. The vehicle pursuit ended in the 1900 block of South Kansas Avenue and the driver fled the scene on foot. A K-9 Unit located the suspect exiting a nearby creek and wooded area. He was taken into custody without further incident.

Joshua S. Bessette, 45, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Jail on requested charges of Flee or attempt to elude; operate a stolen vehicle, Possession of stolen property; value $25,000 to $100,000 and Interference with LEO; knowingly flee by means other than motor vehicle for felony case.

Sheriff's K9 helps track down Kansas stolen car suspect 

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — American rock climber Alex Honnold ascended the Taipei 101 skyscraper on Sunday without any ropes or protective equipment.

Cheers erupted from a street-level crowd as he reached the top of the spire of the 508-meter (1,667-foot) tower about 90 minutes after he started. Wearing a red short-sleeve shirt, Honnold waved his arms back and forth over his head.

“It was like what a view, it’s incredible, what a beautiful day,” he said afterward. “It was very windy, so I was like, don’t fall off the spire. I was trying to balance nicely. But it was, what an incredible position, what a beautiful way to see Taipei.”

Honnold, known for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/movies-travel-ff106c6b8ad54702bdcaab40988b0ad7">his ropeless ascent</a>&nbsp;up Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan, climbed up one corner of Taipei 101 using small L-shaped outcroppings as footholds. Periodically, he had to maneuver around and clamber up the sides of large ornamental structures that jut out from the tower, pulling himself up with his bare hands.

The building has 101 floors, with the hardest part being the 64 floors of the middle section — the “bamboo boxes” that give the building its signature look. Divided into eight, each segment has eight floors of steep, overhanging climbing followed by balconies, where he took short rests as he made his way upward.

Honnold's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alex-honnold-taipei-101-climb-netflix-0709f4d062923a09ff6da3786131fdd0">free solo climb of the iconic building</a>&nbsp;in Taiwan's capital city was broadcast live on Netflix with a 10-second delay. The ascent, originally scheduled for Saturday, was delayed for 24 hours due to rain.

Having a cheering crowd was unusual and a bit unnerving at first for Honnold, whose climbs are usually in remote areas.

“When I was leaving the ground, you're like oh it’s kind of intense, there’s so many people watching,” he said. “But then honestly, they’re all wishing me well. I mean basically it just makes the whole experience feel almost more festive, all these nice people are out supporting me and having a good time.”

The climb drew both excitement and concern over the ethical implications of attempting such a high-risk endeavor on live broadcast.

Honnold isn't the first climber to ascend Taipei 101, but he is the first to do so without a rope. French rock climber Alain Robert scaled the building on Christmas Day in 2004 as part of the grand opening of what was then the world’s tallest building.

Associated Press video journalist Taijing Wu and writer Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed.

American rock climber reaches top of Taipei 101 skyscraper without ropes

It’s been a year since a measles outbreak began in West Texas, and international health authorities say they will meet in April to determine if the U.S. has lost its measles-free designation.

Experts fear the vaccine-preventable virus has regained a foothold and that the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-loses-measles-elimination-status-1ac3a4bdc7546fac5d8e111bf5196e1e">may soon follow Canada</a>&nbsp;in losing the achievement of having eliminated it.

The reevaluation is largely symbolic and hinges on whether a single measles chain has spread uninterrupted within the U.S. for at least 12 months.

Public health scientists around the country are investigating whether the now-ended Texas outbreak is linked to active ones in Utah, Arizona and South Carolina. But doctors and scientists say the U.S. — and North America overall — has a measles problem, regardless of the decision.

“It is really a question of semantics,” said Dr. Jonathan Temte, a Wisconsin family physician who helped certify the U.S. was measles-free in 2000. “The bottom line is the conditions are sufficient to allow this many cases to occur. And that gets back to de-emphasizing a safe and effective vaccine.”

Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 2,144 measles cases across 44 states —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-us-texas-mmr-vaccine-rfk-144ed193e13de675a750e52a505423e9">the most since 1991</a>&nbsp;— and nearly 50 separate outbreaks.

The problem has been years in the making, as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccination-rates-cdc-kindergarten-0d261546a130dc256735d7b1ff8c6a5f">fewer kids</a>&nbsp;get routine vaccines due to parental waivers, health care access issues and rampant disinformation. More recently, Trump administration health officials have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccine-safety-mmr-autism-rfk-hepatitis-20d3122d7a9a339cd8447a347bd49928">questioned</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-autism-vaccines-7b1890f626dd5921fafd00fdd1e6425a">sown doubt</a>&nbsp;about the established safety of vaccines at an unprecedented level while also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">defunding local efforts</a>&nbsp;to improve vaccination rates.

“The most important thing that we can do is to make sure the people who aren’t vaccinated get vaccinated,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of Brown University’s Pandemic Center. “We have not issued a clear enough message about that.”

A Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson said Thursday that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has consistently emphasized vaccines as the best way to prevent measles, adding that the CDC is responding to outbreaks and working to increase vaccination rates.

As of Thursday, the department said it doesn't have evidence that a single chain of measles has spread for a year.

There is little room for error in trying to stop measles. The virus is one of the most contagious, infecting 9 out of every 10 unvaccinated people exposed. Community-level protection takes a 95% vaccination rate. The current rate nationally is 92.5%, according to CDC data, but many communities fall far below that.

The patient in Texas’ first known case developed the telltale rash on Jan. 20, 2025, according to state health department data.

From there, the outbreak exploded. Officially, 762 people fell ill, most of them in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">rural Gaines County</a>, and two children died. Many more got sick and were never diagnosed: 182 potential measles cases among children in Gaines County went unconfirmed in March 2025 alone, state health officials said, a possible undercount of 44% in that county.

Such data gaps are common, though, making it especially hard to track outbreaks. Many people living in communities where the virus is spreading face health care barriers and distrust the government.

Contact tracing so many cases is also expensive, said behavioral scientist Noel Brewer, who chairs the U.S. committee that will finalize the data for international health officials. Research shows&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-health-departments-723baa2b92828b04092475f4763585a6">a single measles case</a>&nbsp;can cost public health departments&nbsp;<a href="https://publichealth.jhu.edu/ivac/2025/estimating-the-financial-costs-of-measles-outbreaks">tens of thousands of dollars</a>.

CDC data on measles is still among the best worldwide, Brewer said, but “the U.S. has changed its investment in public health, so we’re less able to do the case tracking that we used to do.”

But that's not always enough to say the outbreaks are connected. Genetically, the measles virus doesn't change as often as, say, flu.

“Within an outbreak, everybody is going to look the same,” said Justin Lessler, a University of North Carolina disease researcher.

The key question may then be how PAHO experts will navigate final data gaps, said Dr. Andrew Pavia, a Utah physician and longtime CDC consultant.

“My best guess is we will lose elimination status,” Pavia said. “The case for this not being continuous transmission is tenuous, and I think they are likely to err on the side of declaring it a loss of elimination status.”

Scientists have confirmed the same measles strain in Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, South Carolina, Canada, Mexico and several other North American countries, said Sebastian Oliel, a spokesperson for the Pan American Health Organization, which will make the final decision on U.S. measles elimination at an April 13 meeting.

Oliel said when there is a case of unknown origin in a country with ongoing local spread, “the most conservative approach is to consider the case part of the existing national transmission.”

PAHO will review Mexico's measles-free status alongside the U.S., Oliel said. That country's largest outbreak has roots in Texas. It started when an 8-year-old boy from Chihuahua state got sick after visiting family in Seminole, Texas. Since last February, 6,000 people have gotten sick in Mexico, and 21 have died in Chihuahua state.

But under PAHO's definition of elimination, borders matter. If, for example, the chain of measles that started in the U.S. spread to Mexico and then returned to the U.S. anew, it would be considered a new chain, experts said. Still, many experts call that standard outdated.

What's clear is that measles found ample fertile ground in the U.S. in 2025, infiltrating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-school-attendance-absences-0384199ace95b4088f60864ce9ec8315">schools</a>&nbsp;and day cares, churches, hospital waiting rooms and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-new-mexico-detention-facility-migrants-outbreak-c7f5897ebba85a59548d279c500adaea">a detention center</a>. New Mexico logged 100 cases and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">one adult died</a>. Kansas officials spent seven months trying to control an outbreak that sickened nearly 90 people across 10 counties. Ohio confirmed 40 cases. Montana, North Dakota and Wisconsin each had 36.

Now, more than 800 people have gotten sick across Utah, Arizona and South Carolina since late summer,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-south-carolina-utah-arizona-845643cd1342f1ce2ea01d11b74ee77b">with no end in sight</a>.

“2025 was the year of measles,” Brewer said. “Will 2026 be the year of rising or falling measles cases? Does it get worse or does it get better? No one knows the answer.”

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

US is on the verge of losing its measles elimination status

JERUSALEM (AP) — Several countries have said they will join U.S. President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-israel-ceasefire-netanyahu-trump-6a29026f0308ba3757c975810e2f90c4">Board of Peace</a>, while a few European&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mideast-wars-gaza-board-of-peace-trump-1-21-2026-2f0e063d03babbd3276f31289ba5f2a2">nations have declined their invitations</a>. Many have not yet responded to Trump’s invites.

Chaired by Trump, the board was originally envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the Gaza ceasefire plan. But the Trump administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-board-of-peace-gaza-un-b27d17190177041865c6827acd042e56">ambitions have since expanded</a>, with Trump extending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-trump-board-79586f87db667d61dbbd6a4e59dcb5cb">invitations to dozens of nations</a>&nbsp;and hinting at the board’s future role as conflict mediator.

A White House official has said about 30 countries were expected to join the board, without providing details, while about 50 had been invited.

Here is a tally by The Associated Press on what countries are joining, which are not and which are undecided.

Countries that have accepted invitations to join the board

Countries that will not join the board, at least for now

Countries that have been invited but remain noncommittal:

List of countries on Trump's Board of Peace and those that said no

KANSAS&nbsp; CITY– A Missouri woman was sentenced in federal court last week for her role in a wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud scheme that targeted the Missouri Lottery Commission and an area gas station, according to the United State's Attorney.

Amy Young, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas Harpool to 23 months imprisonment with the Bureau of Prisons based upon her prior guilty plea to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.

Young conspired with others to employ a scheme to purchase Missouri lottery tickets using stolen and fraudulent credit cards and credit card numbers at a Joplin, Mo., gas station.&nbsp; Young and her co-conspirators made $62,082.50 in fraudulent transactions at the gas station in July and August of 2022. These transactions included the purchase of Missouri Lottery tickets. The perpetrators would send other individuals to collect any cash prizes associated with the tickets. The group fraudulently claimed $54,248 in cash prizes from the Missouri Lottery Commission. The fraudulent cash prizes and credit card transactions totaled $116,330.50.

Prison: Woman purchased lottery tickets with stolen credit cards

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/alex-veiga">ALEX VEIGA</a>

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate ticked higher last week, but remains near its lowest level in more than three years.

The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate rose to 6.09% from 6.06% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the rate averaged 6.96%.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also rose this week. That average rate inched up to 5.44%, up from 5.38% last week. A year ago, it was at 6.16%, Freddie Mac said.

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-economy-inflation-jobs-442de589de9b99bb811f76e402b00948">interest rate policy decisions</a>&nbsp;to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation. They generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.

The 10-year yield was at 4.27% at midday Thursday, up from 4.17% a week ago.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-d14d4f80bb90d6031292d1f0c377d708">The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump dating back to 2022,</a>&nbsp;when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. The combination of higher mortgage rates, years of skyrocketing home prices and a chronic shortage of homes nationally following more than a decade of below-average home construction have left many aspiring homeowners priced out of the market. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes remained stuck last year at 30-year lows.

Uncertainty over the economy and job market are also keeping many would-be buyers on the sidelines.

Still, a pullback in mortgage rates that began late last summer helped give sales of existing U.S. homes a boost toward the end of last year. In December, sales jumped 5.1% from the previous month.

As mortgage rates have eased, more homeowners have sought to refinance their existing home loan to a lower rate.

Applications for mortgage refinancing loans jumped 20% last week from the previous week and accounted for nearly 62% of all home loan applications, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Applications for loans to buy a home rose 5%.

Economists generally expect mortgage rates to ease further this year, though most recent forecasts show the average rate on a 30-year mortgage remaining above 6%, about twice what it was six years ago.

Still, rates would have to drop considerably for homeowners, who bought or refinanced when mortgage rates hit rock bottom earlier this decade, to take on a new loan at a far higher rate.

Nearly 69% of U.S. homes with an outstanding mortgage have a fixed-rate of 5% or lower, and slightly more than half have a rate at or below 4%, according to Realtor.com.

Average US long-term mortgage rate edges higher

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/hannah-fingerhut">HANNAH FINGERHUT</a> Associated Press

Videos quickly emerged showing the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-4d1499fc5962ab880f3816259e04bdbf">fatal shooting of a Minneapolis protester</a>&nbsp;by a Border Patrol agent that has been widely denounced as a case of excessive force carried out by untrained federal officers. The administration says it was a case of an armed man provoking violence.

The Associated Press reviewed multiple bystander videos that show a Border Patrol agent shooting and killing 37-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc">Alex Pretti</a>&nbsp;after a roughly 30-second scuffle around 9 a.m. Saturday. The videos appear to contradict statements by the Trump administration, which said the shots were fired “defensively” against Pretti as he “approached” them with a gun.

In the videos, Pretti is seen with only a phone in his hand. None of the footage appears to show him with a weapon. During the scuffle, agents discovered that he was carrying a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, and they opened fire with several shots. Pretti was licensed to carry a concealed weapon.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who said he watched one of the videos, said he saw “more than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents, shooting him to death." Frey has said Minneapolis and St. Paul are being “invaded” by the administration's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-crackdown-51a05ca22098e07fa0499e59e49e6b22">largest immigration crackdown</a>, dubbed Operation Metro Surge.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti attacked officers, and Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino said Pretti wanted to do “maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” In posts on X, President Donald Trump’s deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, called Pretti "a would-be assassin.”

It was the second fatal shooting in Minneapolis by federal immigration authorities this month. The first, on Jan. 7, involved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-enforcement-shooting-crackdown-surge-173e00fa7388054e98c3b5b9417c1e5a">Renee Good</a>. It also was captured on videos and produced a similar schism among political leaders.

The shooting occurred when officers were pursuing a man in the country illegally wanted for domestic assault, Bovino said. Protesters routinely try to disrupt such operations, and they sounded high-pitched whistles, honked horns and yelled at officers.

Among them was Pretti. At one point, in a video obtained by AP, Pretti is standing in the street and holding up his phone. He is face-to-face with an officer in a tactical vest, who places his hand on Pretti and pushes him toward the sidewalk.

Pretti is talking to the officer, though it is not clear what he is saying.

The video shows protesters wandering in and out of the street as officers persist in trying to keep them at bay. One protester is put in handcuffs. Some officers are carrying pepper spray canisters.

Pretti comes in again when the video shows an officer wearing tactical gear shoving a protester. The protester, who is wearing a skirt over black tights and holding a water bottle, reaches out for Pretti.

The same officer shoves Pretti in his chest, leading Pretti and the other protester to stumble backward.

A different video then shows Pretti moving toward another protester, who falls over after being shoved by the same officer. Pretti moves between the protester and the officer, reaching his arms out toward the officer.

The officer deploys pepper spray, and Pretti raises his hand and turns his face. The officer grabs Pretti's hand to bring it behind his back, deploys the pepper spray canister again and then pushes Pretti away.

Seconds later, at least a half-dozen federal officers surround Pretti, who is wrestled to the ground and hit several times. Several agents try to bring Pretti’s arms behind his back, and he struggles.

Videos show an officer, who is hovering over the scuffle with his right hand on Pretti’s back, backs away from the group with what appears to be a gun in his right hand just before the first shot.

Someone shouts “gun, gun.” It is not clear if that’s a reference to the weapon authorities say Pretti had.

Videos do not clearly show who fired the first shot. In one video, seconds before the first shot, one officer reaches for his belt and appears to draw his gun. That same officer is seen with a gun to Pretti’s back as three more shots ring out. Pretti slumps to the ground. Videos show the officers backing away, some with guns drawn. More shots are fired.

The Department of Homeland Security said Pretti was shot after he “approached” Border Patrol officers with a gun. Officials did not say if Pretti brandished the weapon or kept it hidden.

An agency statement said officers fired “defensive shots” after Pretti “violently resisted” officers tried to disarm him.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz expressed dismay at the characterization.

“I’ve seen the videos, from several angles, and it’s sickening,” he said.

Trump weighed in on social media by lashing out Walz and Frey. Trump shared images of the gun that immigration officials said was recovered from Pretti and said “What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers?”

Videos show deadly Minneapolis shooting and political leaders reach different conclusions

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">Tim Carpenter</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas governor candidate Philip Sarnecki took to social media to chastise fellow Republicans for lack of action by the Kansas Legislature to redraw boundaries of the four U.S. House districts to disadvantage the state’s lone Democratic incumbent in Congress.

Sarnecki, a candidate for the Republican Party’s nomination, accused the GOP supermajority in the House and Senate of deciding to “forfeit” its part in a national congressional redistricting fight between states controlled by Republicans and those dominated by Democrats.

“Kansas Republicans have a supermajority and can pick up a Republican House seat if they redraw the map,” said Sarnecki, founder of RPS Financial Group. “They are choosing not to. While Democrats redraw congressional maps to gain power across the country, Topeka is standing down.”

Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican also running for governor, and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, worked during October to secure support from two-thirds of members in both chambers to allow a special legislative session to redraw congressional boundaries. Enough Republican senators signed a petition to trigger a special session, but not enough GOP House members agreed with a plan to bring lawmakers together in November 2025.

The objective would have been a map that made it difficult for U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, to win reelection to her seat in November 2026. The tentative scheme was to split Johnson County between two or three congressional districts, which would disperse that county’s voters into GOP-majority districts.

Traditionally, Kansas congressional maps were redrawn every decade to reflect population shifts documented by the U.S. Census. The current map was passed in 2022 after the Kansas GOP pledged to keep Johnson County in a single district.

Masterson and Hawkins said they were interested in working on maps during the 2026 regular session of the Legislature. Masterson said it would be a “top priority,” while Hawkins said it was the “right thing to do.”

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