The Food Bank of Reno County held a grand opening at its new location on Thursday morning.

The organization is now operating at 921 E. 4th Ave., Suite A, in Hutchinson, where individuals and families can visit during designated hours to receive food assistance.

Clients can now stop by during regular operating hours to shop for food and household essentials.

The Food Bank is closed on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Staff encourage residents with questions to call the Food Bank of Reno County at 620-665-4076.

The move and updated service model are aimed at improving accessibility for Reno County residents facing food insecurity, allowing clients to receive assistance more easily during the week.

Food Bank of Reno County holds grand opening at new location

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — One person suffered a minor burn in a house fire Thursday afternoon in the 400 block of Justice Street, according to the Hutchinson Fire Department.

Firefighters were dispatched at 12:30 p.m. to a reported structure fire and found a small fire at the rear of the home when crews arrived.

The fire produced smoke throughout the house, but firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze and then cleared smoke from the residence.

One occupant was treated at the scene for a minor burn to a hand and was released, the fire department said.

Firefighters remained at the scene for a short time to clean equipment and investigate the cause.

The Hutchinson Fire Department said it was assisted by Reno County Emergency Dispatch, Reno County EMS, the Hutchinson Police Department and the Hutchinson Street Department.&nbsp;

One treated after Hutchinson house fire on Justice Street

SEDGWICK COUNTY -&nbsp;Tyrone Carter, 55, of Newton, was killed and a 21-year-old Wichita man was critically injured Wednesday night after a vehicle-pedestrian crash in south Wichita, according to the Wichita Police Department.

Just before 10p.m., police were dispatched to the 1200 block of South Topeka for a report of a vehicle crash and a man lying in the street. When they arrived, officers found a white Ford Focus that had collided with a parked vehicle. The 21-year-old driver was located inside the car and was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.

Carter was found lying in the roadway and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Wichita Police Department’s Critical Accident Team responded and is leading the investigation. Preliminary information indicates the driver was traveling south on Topeka when he struck Carter who was walking in the roadway, before crashing into a parked vehicle.

The driver was admitted to the hospital under police watch and custody. Upon release, he will be booked on a charge of second-degree murder.

Alcohol and speed are believed to be contributing factors.

Police: Alcohol a factor in crash that killed Kansas man

HARVEY COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 9a.m. Thursday in Harvey County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Ford F600 driven by&nbsp;Andrew Tyler Williams Andrew, 30, Vallley Center, was westbound on U.S. 50 one half mile east of Ridge Road. The driver had a medical emergency. The vehicle traveled off the roadway, through a KDOT fence and came to a stop in a field.

EMS transported the driver to Newton Medical Center. A passenger was not injured. Both were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas man had a medical emergency before truck crash

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — An unusually mild winter has led to an early and active tick season in Kansas, prompting veterinarians to urge pet owners to begin prevention measures sooner than normal.

Dr. Jon Austin of Hutchinson Small Animal Hospital said ticks have been especially active since early February, weeks earlier than many Kansas pet owners typically expect.

“Once the nights stop freezing, they come out,” Austin said. “The people that live in the sand hills to the north, where they’re really prevalent, have been seeing them since early February.”

Austin said a hard freeze, with temperatures near 18 degrees, could temporarily reduce tick activity, but he said the warm winter has allowed pests to emerge sooner and in greater numbers.

“Anyone who’s born and raised here like I was knows this is not a normal winter,” Austin said. “We’ve had way too many beautiful days, way too many 60- and 70-degree days through this winter. That’s wonderful for us, but it doesn’t let the normal cycles of nature happen the way they should.”

He said extended cold stretches typically help control weeds and insects, benefiting both people and pets. Without that cold, Kansas conditions can begin to resemble southern states where fleas and ticks remain active year-round.

“When we have this warm weather, we begin to start to have environments a whole lot more like South Texas or Louisiana, the places where we have fleas and ticks year-round,” Austin said.

Austin said older over-the-counter flea and tick products may no longer be as effective because pests can develop resistance over time. He encouraged owners to consult veterinarians about newer prescription options, including oral medications, topicals and longer-lasting injectables.

“The products that were the first generation of the good products, like Frontline, those products still work, but they only work for about a week,” Austin said. “They don’t work for a month anymore.”

Austin said veterinarians now have options that last from one month to three months, and an injectable product introduced late last year can provide protection for up to a year.

Tick-borne disease remains a concern in Kansas, he said, though Lyme disease is not the most common diagnosis seen in dogs locally. Austin said his clinic more frequently finds ehrlichia, a tick-borne illness that can damage the liver and kidneys if left untreated.

“We certainly see more ehrlichia than we do Lyme disease,” Austin said. “Thankfully, it’s treatable. If you don’t treat it, it can be a slow-burn disease.”

Austin said his clinic tests dogs annually for heartworm and four common tick-borne illnesses, including Lyme disease, ehrlichia, anaplasmosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

He said the best defense is consistent annual veterinary care, blood testing and reliable preventatives.

“Heartworm prevention, flea and tick control, and your animal won’t have any issues,” Austin said. “Go see your veterinarian every year, get that physical, get that blood test, and then use the good preventatives.”

Beyond tick concerns, Austin said his clinic has also seen an unusual increase in gastrointestinal illness in both dogs and cats over the past several months, with cases involving unexplained vomiting and diarrhea.

“This has been kind of an unusual last four months,” Austin said. “We’ve just seen a heightened frequency of kind of unknown vomiting and diarrhea for dogs and cats.”

He said most pets recover with supportive care, including fluids and nausea control, though some cases have been severe enough to involve bloody stools. Parvovirus tests have been negative, leaving the cause uncertain.

Austin also used the radio appearance to remind pet owners about broader responsibilities, including pet-proofing homes, grooming long-haired animals appropriately, spaying and neutering pets, and planning for long-term care.

“It’s a lifetime commitment,” Austin said. “It changes your daily schedule. It requires time every day to address the needs of that animal, just like if you were having a child.”

Austin, who has practiced alongside his father at the East 30th Avenue clinic, also said veterinary medicine remains a strong career path, especially in rural Kansas, where both veterinarians and veterinary technicians are in short supply.

He said scholarship and loan-forgiveness programs can help students willing to serve in underserved rural communities.

“It’s a wonderful profession. It’s an honorable profession,” Austin said. “We need more people to do it.”

Mild winter fuels early tick season in Kansas

Residents across central and south central Kansas are being urged to avoid outdoor burning Thursday as the National Weather Service in Wichita has issued a Red Flag Warning for extreme grassland fire danger.

The warning will be in effect from noon until 8 p.m. Thursday, when weather conditions are expected to create a high risk for rapidly spreading wildfires.

Forecasters say southwest winds of 25 to 35 miles per hour, with gusts reaching up to 45 mph, combined with relative humidity levels dropping as low as 20 percent, will create dangerous fire conditions across the region.

Under these conditions, any fires that start could spread quickly and behave erratically, making them difficult for firefighters to control.

A Red Flag Warning indicates that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring or expected to develop soon. The combination of strong winds, dry air and warm temperatures can allow fires to grow rapidly, especially in dry grassland areas common across Kansas.

Officials are urging residents to avoid outdoor burning and activities that could spark a fire, such as burning brush, welding outdoors or discarding cigarettes improperly.

Red Flag Warning issued

Hutchinson and Reno County residents are reporting fraudulent text messages and phone calls claiming they owe money for traffic tickets. Many of these messages falsely identify the sender as the “Kansas Department of Motor Vehicles,” a court, or another government-related agency. These messages are scams.

At this time, the messages being reported do not specifically reference Hutchinson Municipal Court or other local courts; however, our Municipal Court has received numerous calls from residents asking whether the messages are legitimate. If you receive a similar text message or phone call, do not respond. If it is a call, hang up immediately.

Residents should be especially cautious of any message that creates urgency, threatens arrest, suspension of a driver’s license, a warrant, or increased fines if payment is not made right away. Government agencies and courts do not demand immediate payment by text message, and they do not require payment through gift cards, cryptocurrency, peer-to-peer payment apps, or “click-to-pay” links sent via unsolicited messages. Do not click any links or open attachments. Never provide personal or financial information such as your date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license number, bank information, or card numbers in response to an unexpected message.

Hutch Police warn of fraudulent texts and phone calls

Here’s the latest booking activity from the Reno County Jail. This information is provided by the Reno County Sheriff’s Office and is not criminal history. The Hutch Post assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, or completeness, of this information. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. ——————————————

Todd	James	Lloyd		3/11/2026 10:11&nbsp;AM	In Transit From-To Other Agency

Roy	Allen	Crosson		3/11/2026 8:41&nbsp;AM	Lewd and lascivious; Exposing to person =&gt;16,					Harassment by Telephone; Calling to harass or threaten

Simon	Matthew	Hernandez		3/11/2026 12:22&nbsp;PM	Criminal Threat; with Intent to Terrorize or cause Evacuation,					Domestic Battery; Knowing or Reckless Bodily Harm (1st conviction),					Battery; Knowing/recklessly causing bodily harm,					Interfere w/ LEO; unknown circumstance,					Criminal Trespass; Posted or Locked Premises,					Disorderly Conduct; Fighting words or noisy conduct,					Poss of marijuana; 2 or more prior convictions,					Use or Possess with Intent to use Drug Paraphernalia into Human Body

William	Arthur	McMurry	Jr	3/11/2026 3:39&nbsp;PM	Probation Violation

Gayle	Lee	Benitez		3/11/2026 3:52&nbsp;PM	Interfere w/ LEO; unknown circ; felony

David		Villarreal		3/11/2026 6:02&nbsp;PM	Probation Violation

Samuel	Clyde	Martin		3/11/2026 6:57&nbsp;PM	Distr heroin/certain stim/fent;3.5 - &lt;100grams,					Drugs; Arrange sale/purchase of controlled substance using a communication facility,					Distrib heroin/certain stim/fentanyl; &gt;100grams,					Drugs; Arrange sale/purchase of controlled substance using a communication facility,					Distr heroin/certain stim/fent;3.5 - &lt;100grams,					Drugs; Arrange sale/purchase of controlled substance using a communication facility

Daily Bookings

Hutch Post, in partnership with Steve Harmon and the Conard-Harmon Collection, is proud to present Throwback Thursday. Enjoy a weekly release from Steve Harmon as he presents the "Hutch - Then &amp; Now Collection."

STEVE HARMON Hutch Post Contributor

Today's "Throwback Thursday Collection" takes us to the 100 block of North Halstead on the east side.

In 1908, a group of investors came together to form the Western Straw Products Co. with a capital stock of $100,000. It was born on May, 17, 1909. The first photo shows the original plant in a split view in 1910.

From 1909 to 1913, the company struggled.

In 1913, Emerson Carey took over the plant and named it the Hutchinson Boxboard &amp; Paper Co.  Emerson placed his son Charles Carey as plant manager.

In 1919, they added wallboard products to the line and renamed the company Carey Fibre Products. The second photo is a 1920's aerial showing the plant with all the straw bales out front.

The third photo is a 1930 aerial showing how the plant had grown.

In 1931, nine companies came together to form the Central Fibre Products Co. The fourth photo shows the plant during that era in 1957.

The fifth photo shows the plant about 1950 with their signage of Atlas &amp; Bison Wallboard.

In 1959, the company went public and the Packaging Corporation of America bought the plant.

In 1983, one of Packaging Corp's largest customers, Republic Gypsum, purchased the plant.

Then, in 2001, the Sonoco Corporation purchased the Republic Paperboard Group. The sixth photo shows the Sonoco plant during that time frame.

In 2023, Sonoco closed the facility, and dismantled and scrapped the equipment so no competitor could use it. The seventh photo shows the property today at 100 N. Halstead, sitting idle, and now owned by Murdock Properties L.L.C. out of Park City.

To purchase a photo print, contact:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:sharmon5@cox.net">sharmon5@cox.net</a>.

Throwback Thursday is brought to you by:

<a href="https://www.hutchchamber.com/">Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce</a> <a href="https://underkansas.org/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_KHt9Zeq_QIVwRPUAR3CTwTSEAAYASAAEgJDJPD_BwE">STRATACA Kansas Underground Salt Museum</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/anchorinnhutch">Anchor Inn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Anchorawayhutch/">Anchor Away</a>

📷 Throwback Thursday: 100 N. Halstead - Vol. 165

The Reno County Commission voted Wednesday to approve a job incentive request from Superior Boiler Works following a second review of the proposal.

Commissioners previously denied authorization of a letter of intent for the incentive at an earlier meeting, but the item was brought back to the agenda after commissioners requested another look at the request.

The company is seeking incentives under the county’s job incentive policy as it plans to create up to 100 new jobs. Under the program, businesses that create positions paying more than $21 per hour may qualify for an incentive of $1,500 per job.

County staff noted that funds are already budgeted within the county’s economic development incentive line item for projects like this.

The letter of intent allows the county and company to begin working on a formal development agreement, which will be brought back to commissioners for final approval at a future meeting.

Commissioners also discussed the need to review and potentially update the county’s job incentive program, noting the policy has been adjusted before and may need additional revisions to reflect current workforce and economic conditions.

During public comment, Hutchinson resident Don Rogers spoke in support of the request, noting Superior Boiler’s long history in the community and its role as a neighbor near the airport.

“We spend a lot of time trying to attract businesses we don’t know a lot about,” Rogers said. “Superior has been here for decades and has expanded, cleaned up the area and been a good neighbor.”

Rogers also pointed to the company’s community involvement, including a recent project in which the company helped replace a boiler at the historic Fox Theatre.

Superior Boiler President and CEO Don Whitman also addressed the commission, thanking members for reconsidering the proposal and highlighting the company’s hiring efforts.

Whitman said the company recently held a job fair and hired 39 local employees with an average starting wage of about $24 per hour. He also noted the company provides full insurance benefits for employees and their families.

“Employees are important to us,” Whitman said. “It’s important for us to grow this business and make Hutch proud of us.”

Commissioners debated the role of incentives, with some members expressing concerns about providing taxpayer dollars to private businesses, especially when some county employees earn less than the wages required for the incentive program.

Others said maintaining competitive incentives is important to help retain and expand local employers and prevent businesses from relocating to other communities.

Ultimately, the commission approved the incentive through a motion that limits the use of multiple incentives for a single job position, ensuring that one job cannot qualify for more than one incentive.

Commissioners also directed county administration to review the current job incentive policy and bring back potential updates for consideration at a future meeting.

County Commission approves job incentive for Superior Boiler

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Three-day Outlook

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed a broad bill on Thursday to make U.S. housing more accessible and affordable, a rare bipartisan effort in Congress to address a growing national problem.

The bill, which passed 89-10, would reduce regulations, regulate corporate investors and expand how housing dollars can be used to build affordable homes and rentals. It will now head back to the House, which passed a similar bill earlier this year.

“There is growing demand for affordable housing in rural communities in Kansas and across the country, underscoring the importance of practical and innovative solutions to help meet that need,”&nbsp;said Sen. Moran.&nbsp;“This legislation will streamline rural housing programs, reduce unnecessary bureaucratic barriers and help expand access to affordable housing for rural families. I urge the House of Representatives to pass this legislation and send it to the President to be signed into law so we can continue to strengthen rural America and improve access to affordable housing.”

“We have a housing shortage all across America,” said Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who worked with Republicans to win overwhelming support from both parties for the legislation. “We need more housing of every kind. More housing for first-time home buyers, more housing for renters, more housing for seniors, more housing for people with disabilities, more rural housing, more urban housing, more, more, and more."

The legislation, she said, "will help drive down prices.”

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C., led the effort with Warren. He said ahead of the vote that the Senate would “do what so many people failed to do in this legislative body for the last few decades, and that is pass consequential legislation that makes it easier to become a homeowner.”

Despite the bipartisan vote in the Senate and a shared eagerness to pass the legislation ahead of the midterm elections, It’s unclear whether the House will take up the bill again — or if President Donald Trump will sign it.

Trump has backed the legislation through the bipartisan negotiations, but he has also slowed its momentum with a declaration last weekend that he won’t sign any new measures unless Congress passes legislation that would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-save-america-act-congress-voting-midterms-e4223827fff131d9b8f0afabccd56325">require voters to show proof of citizenship</a>&nbsp;and end most mail-in balloting. The Senate is expected to begin consideration of that bill next week, but it is unlikely to pass as all Democrats oppose it.

At the same time, House leaders have indicated that they are unlikely to accept the Senate version of the housing legislation and have suggested they could launch a formal conference process to negotiate a final deal between the chambers — a process that could take months.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said ahead of the bill’s passage that conference negotiations are a possibility, “but obviously the quickest way to do this would be to pick up the Senate bill and pass it.”

If the White House wants that to happen, he said, “they’ll probably have to make that argument to House leadership.”

House Financial Services Chairman French Hill, R-Ark., said in a statement that Senate passage is “an important step” but added that, “it is critical we get the details right and mitigate some of the concerns raised by House members with the Senate bill.”

Both Republicans and Democrats have embraced the legislation as there has been a national shortage of home construction and as prices have climbed faster than incomes. The bill would give local governments more power on housing issues, allow banks to invest more in affordable housing and lift limits on the number of public housing units that can receive private financing through Section 8 funding to rehabilitate properties.

“You’ve got many provisions in this bill that stop treating the U.S. like one single housing market and start giving local leaders the tools they need to fix their unique regional puzzle,” said Peter Carroll with Cotality, a company that tracks housing data.

The bill aims to make homebuilding easier by streamlining some regulations that require environmental reviews and inspections. It also lifts a limit on a grant for emergency shelter beds and street homelessness outreach.

As many affordable housing developers are leaning on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3d-printing-homes-manufactured-modular-housing-crisis-b61a54e0caee09f221b859fd99b18a43">manufactured and modular homes</a>&nbsp;that can be transported to areas that need housing, the legislation also would eliminate the requirement that they have to be built on a permanent chassis, reducing costs and making them easier to build and design.

One of the more contested provisions of the bill would bar institutional investors from buying single-family homes — a top priority for Trump.

The bill defines such investors as any that directly or indirectly own 350 or more single-family homes. Investors of any size would not be required to sell single-family homes bought before the date that the bill becomes a law.

They would still be allowed to buy or build single-family homes if they rent them out, but would be required to sell them to an individual homebuyer after seven years.

Trump has pushed the ban as he has been under pressure to address&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-high-prices-inflation-angry-voters-e6e65165deaf9dfc8dbb986f43b1a61a">voters’ concerns about affordability</a>&nbsp;ahead of the midterm elections. “People live in homes, not corporations,” Trump said in a social media post in January, calling on Congress to act.

Critics of the bill’s limits on large institutional investors say it will lead to less rental housing inventory and higher rents as landlords face less competition. At the same time, it’s unclear how a ban that targets institutional investors that own 350 or more single-family homes would meaningfully reduce competition that ordinary homebuyers may face when they shop for a home.

The U.S. housing market has been in a slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows.

Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes have been hovering close to a 4-million annual pace now going back to 2023 — well short of the 5.2-million annual pace that’s historically been the norm. They slowed last year to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-d14d4f80bb90d6031292d1f0c377d708">a 30-year low and</a>&nbsp;have remained sluggish so far this year, declining in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-c284d47896979530871c1660b0e05ca6">January</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-29d84f7fa22d4b8ccc2d2906e9e58618">February</a>&nbsp;versus a year earlier.

A sharp run-up in home prices, especially in the early years of this decade, and a chronic shortage of homes nationally worsened by years of below-average home construction have left many aspiring homeowners priced out of the market.

Meanwhile, while the median U.S. monthly rent has been declining for more than two years, it was still 15.2% higher in January than it was at the start of 2020, according to data from Realtor.com.

Kramon reported from Atlanta and Veiga reported from Los Angeles.

Senate passes Kan. U.S. Senator's housing bill to improve access, affordability

NEW YORK (AP) — With no clear end in sight, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-march-12-2026-oil-prices-90e17dbf7354d1e9428994ab2a036506">war with Iran</a>&nbsp;sent oil prices back to $100 per barrel on Thursday, and stocks sank worldwide.

The S&amp;P 500 fell 1.5% and resumed its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-stock-markets-iran-war-458890210407eb0cba85c7e1a684c890">sharp swings</a>&nbsp;following a couple days of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-oil-iran-trump-9015cbc7db4569fddd124659acfcaf86">relative calm</a>. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 739 points, or 1.6%, and the Nasdaq composite lost 1.8%.

The center of action was again the oil market, where the price of a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 9.2% to settle at $100.46. Worries are worsening that the war could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-war-hormuz-oil-shipping-49a1901c35cf2507830776a29706cf98">block the production of oil</a>&nbsp;in the Persian Gulf for a long time and cause a debilitating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-war-oil-prices-gasoline-economy-consumers-a5b47c09f83406adf2a00616382003f6">surge of inflation</a>&nbsp;for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-war-trump-economy-oil-gas-66806b02a000235f1979e591279b6554">global economy</a>.

Iran’s new supreme leader released his first statement Thursday since succeeding his late father, saying his country would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/iran-war-israel-trump-03-12-2026">keep up attacks</a>&nbsp;on Gulf Arab neighbors and use the effective closure of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/strait-hormuz-iran-energy-war-5b60e82ef2fc68e2b43aa570a32404dd">Strait of Hormuz</a>&nbsp;as leverage against the United States and Israel. A fifth of the world’s oil typically sails through the strait, and oil producers in the region are cutting production because their crude has nowhere to go.

Countries around the world are trying to make up for that, and the International Energy Agency said Wednesday that its members would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-oil-europe-reserve-release-eaf0cf9988cd7e06f0dc2a8ee800762e">release a record amount of oil</a>, 400 million barrels, from stockpiles built for such emergencies.

But such moves are short-term fixes, and they do not clear the long-term risks. Analysts have said that if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, oil prices could jump to $150.

To be sure, the U.S. stock market has a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/investors-iran-war-stock-market-panic-c4aaaec1ed1055f45f401cc5d7be59ec">history of bouncing back</a>&nbsp;relatively quickly from military conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, as long as oil prices don’t stay too high for too long. Even with all the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-iran-oil-trump-c9a42448cbc7afc35e959dd444614aa0">up-</a>&nbsp;and-&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-oil-iran-1f7bf89b783a9ba731f4b25564bf80f8">down</a>&nbsp;swings of the last couple weeks, many rocking markets&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-oil-gold-iran-trump-25fd9bfa1b20549a6cbbdee61b2ea05f">hour to hour</a>, the S&amp;P 500 is just 4.4% below its all-time high set in January.

What’s made this jump for oil prices frightening is not only the degree — prices jumped near $120 this week to their highest level since 2022 — but that they’re occurring during an uncertain time for the economy.

Last month’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-unemployment-economy-inflation-trump-tariffs-075a0d33e0794b7c93b9b8a7302dab98">hiring by U.S. employers was surprisingly weak</a>, which raised worries about a possible worst-case scenario for the economy called “stagflation.” That’s where economic growth stagnates while inflation remains high, and it’s a miserable mix that the Federal Reserve has no good tools to fix.

A more encouraging signal arrived Thursday. A report said that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unemployment-benefits-jobless-claims-layoffs-labor-7d7482b3fe6d8a3957b9abf386c66019">number of U.S. workers applying for unemployment benefits</a>&nbsp;inched lower last week. That’s a sign that layoffs are potentially remaining low around the country.

Dollar General, meanwhile, reported better profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. But the retailer with relatively low prices, whose customers often have the least cushion to absorb higher gasoline prices, gave forecasts for revenue this upcoming year that indicated a potential slowdown in growth. Its stock fell 6.1%.

Some of Wall Street’s worst losses again hit companies with big fuel bills. Cruise-ship operator Carnival fell 7.9%, and United Airlines sank 4.6%.

Worries about the private-credit industry also continued to hurt the market. Investors have been pulling their money out of some funds and companies that have lent to businesses whose profits are under threat. Many of the worries are focused on business that may not pay back their loans because of competition from AI-powered rivals.

Morgan Stanley fell 4.1% after its North Haven Private Income Fund said it allowed investors to redeem 5% of its total shares instead of the nearly 11% they had requested. That 5% cap is the advertised limit.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 fell 103.18 points to 6,672.62. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 739.42 to 46,677.85, and the Nasdaq composite sank 404.16 to 22,311.98.

In stock markets abroad, indexes fell across Europe and Asia.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 1%, and France’s CAC 40 sank 0.7% for two of the world’s bigger moves.

In the bond market, Treasury yields continued to climb because of upward pressure from rising oil prices. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.26% from 4.21% late Wednesday and from just 3.97% before the war started.

Higher yields make all kinds of borrowing more expensive, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mortgage-rates-housing-interest-financing-home-a411c97f2ac6b5da22f3e6479944af66">mortgages</a>&nbsp;for potential U.S. homebuyers and bond offerings for companies looking to expand. They also push down on prices for all kinds of investments, from stocks to crypto.

Because of the spike for oil prices, traders have pushed back forecasts for when the Fed could resume its cuts to interest rates. President Donald Trump has been angrily calling for such cuts, which would give the economy and job market a boost but also potentially worsen inflation.

A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose 9.7% to settle at $95.73.

AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

Oil price jumps, stocks sink worldwide with no end in sight for Iran war

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jacob-fischler/">Jacob Fischler</a>

Passengers at a handful of airports this week waited in hours-long security lines as the government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security dragged on.

Though Transportation Security Administration officers are required by law to work during a lapse in funding, more than usual have been absent after receiving only a partial paycheck during the most recent pay period. TSA officers will miss an entire paycheck this weekend if the shutdown is still in effect then.&nbsp;

No end to the shutdown appeared imminent Wednesday, as the U.S. Senate rejected a bill that would have funded TSA and other agencies in DHS that are not related to immigration enforcement.

In the meantime, TSA officers are not being paid.&nbsp;

Most live paycheck-to-paycheck, said Johnny Jones, the secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 100, which represents TSA agents.

The lack of pay has contributed to absenteeism, Jones added. The union does not condone coordinated “sick-outs,” which are illegal.&nbsp;

But individual officers miss work for one of three reasons during a shutdown, he said: pre-planned time off, legitimate illness or personal emergencies, and those calling in sick but seeking other work to pay bills.

“If you’re normally receiving a paycheck, you wouldn’t have that third group,” he said.

Some of those who are working are going without lunch or making other sacrifices, Jones added. And he said two colleagues were evicted during the most recent shutdown last fall, which lasted for 43 days.

The U.S. war against Iran, which has an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trumps-iran-war-estimated-cost-billions-already-no-end-sight" target="_blank">estimated price</a>&nbsp;in the billions of dollars in just its first two weeks, has also driven resentment among TSA workers, Jones said.

“One of the things that I’ve heard from the colleagues is that, man, we got plenty of money to go fight wars and bomb Iran, but we can’t pay our own employees,” he said.

No exceptionally long wait times were reported Wednesday, but the previous few days saw several examples of snarled security lines.

Security lines&nbsp;<a href="http://houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/trending/article/government-shutdown-hobby-airport-21963811.php" target="_blank">topped three hours</a>&nbsp;at Houston’s William P. Hobby International Airport on Monday and Tuesday.&nbsp;

Lines at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport were up to two hours Monday and the airport’s social media drew a direct line to the shutdown.

“Due to impacts from the federal government’s partial shutdown, there continues to be a shortage of TSA workers at the security checkpoint … which is causing longer-than-average lines,” the airport’s X account&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/flyneworleans/status/2030952799811355119?s=20" target="_blank">posted</a>.

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport also urged passengers to leave extra time to account for factors including “TSA staffing constraints.”

CBS News&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tsa-absences-double-shutdown-300-quit-airport-security-lines/" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;Wednesday that more than 300 TSA agents have left their jobs since the shutdown began. TSA officials did not respond to messages seeking confirmation of that figure.

The top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, Washington’s Patty Murray, sought unanimous consent Wednesday for the Senate to approve a bill that would fund all of DHS other than Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and the secretary’s office.

Sen. Katie Britt, an Alabama Republican who chairs the subcommittee on Homeland Security funding, objected.

Murray’s bill “would effectively defund our law enforcement officers that are charged with keeping Americans safe,” Britt said.

Each party blamed the other for the impasse, which has been unbreachable since the department’s funding lapsed Feb. 14.

Following the January fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by immigration officers in Minneapolis, Democrats are demanding changes to immigration agencies’ conduct as a condition of funding the department.

Republicans have said they are willing to negotiate the issue, but the parties disagree on what to do for the department, which also includes the Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in the meantime.

Republican leaders sought to pass a short-term continuing resolution to fund the entire department, but Democrats rejected it, saying it would allow the operation of immigration agencies without adding accountability measures.

“Right now, TSA agents are going without pay because Republicans and the White House have decided they would rather shut down all of DHS than pass some very basic reforms to rein in ICE and Border Patrol,” Murray said. “We also want TSA and FEMA funded, but we are not going to be blackmailed into cutting a blank check for ICE to get it done.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, of South Dakota, said Democrats have stopped negotiating on DHS funding in a bid to keep the issue alive for the November midterm elections.&nbsp;

“The American people are tired,” he said. “Lines get longer at the airports because TSA isn’t funded. The American people want us to do our jobs. Republicans are at the table. We’re ready to work toward a solution. Democrats have walked away.”

Jones, the AFGE member and TSA officer, declined to say which approach to short-term funding was preferable, but said it was Congress’ job to fund the federal government.

“We all swear the same oath to the same Constitution,” he said. “Now my job function is a little different than theirs, so they need to do theirs so I can do mine.”

Long security lines pop up at airports as TSA officers go without pay

SEDGWICK COUNTY.—A man jailed on federal crime allegations who was arrested after a chase and crash will return to court Thursday.

Erik Harper, 37, is scheduled to attend a preliminary hearing in Judge Rodger Woods, courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In December, Wichita police, with help from the Kansas Highway Patrol and the U.S. Marshals Service, arrested Harper who was wanted on federal and state warrants after a pursuit and crash.

Just after 2p.m. December 30, officers spotted Harper driving a stolen 2004 GMC Sierra near East Central Avenue and North Oliver Avenue in Wichita, according to a media release from police.

Harper was wanted on a federal warrant and a felony state warrant for aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault. Officers followed the truck and requested assistance from the KHP Air Support Unit.

A Kansas Highway Patrol unit equipped with a grappler attempted a traffic stop near East Central Avenue and North Edgemoor Street. The grappler was deployed to prevent the suspect vehicle from fleeing, but Harper escaped. Shortly afterward, the Haper's vehicle collided with a 2024 Subaru Impreza in the westbound lanes near the 6800 block of East Central Avenue.

Officers took Harper into custody at 4:53 p.m.

The Subaru’s occupants, a 72-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman, were taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

Harper was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail and later transferred to Butler County Jail. He was charged with robbery, eluding police and aggravated battery.

Preliminary hearing for Kan. man captured after chase, crash

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/12/29/kansan-returns-to-the-catholic-church-as-the-states-first-woman-priest/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas legislators’ lineup of property tax relief legislation could chip away at state and local revenue, but some see the proposals as course correction, making up for years of rising property taxes.

One bill would phase out Kansans’ property taxes in favor of added sales taxes, and another would exempt seniors from paying property taxes that go toward funding school districts.

But legislators, who have eagerly pursued tax relief legislation in recent years, were conflicted about the proposals.

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