By <a href="mailto:sean.boston@eaglemedia.com">SEAN BOSTON</a> Hutch Post

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Wiley Elementary School third grade teacher Kyle Welliver has been named the Allen Samuels Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Teacher of the Month for November, recognized for her commitment to students, her classroom leadership in USD 308.

The person who nominated Welliver praised her as, “the absolute best at the 3 most important things…instruction, relationships, classroom management. Her students and families love her. She is highly respected by her peers! Kyle is humble and takes great pride in her call to service! If you’re looking for a teacher worthy of this award who embodies all the good things about teaching and leaving… Kyle is the person! It’s an honor to work alongside her each day!”

Welliver is in her 20th year of teaching, spanning time in Iowa and Kansas.

 “I’ve been teaching for, gosh, this is I have to count them up, my 20th year, and that’s between I lived in Iowa for nine years, and then I taught at Morgan as a PE teacher for nine years before we moved to Iowa,” she said. “Then I taught the whole time I was there, and then I’ve been back here for, this is my second year back in Hutch.”

She said she always knew teaching was her calling. 

“I can’t imagine myself doing anything else,” Welliver said. “My grandma was a teacher. My aunt is a teacher. And like I grew up playing school with my sister and my friends. That’s like the first thing we would play. And I just, I can’t imagine what else I would have done as a career. It just that’s what I’ve always loved.”

“I’m comfortable with 308 and I really enjoy it there,” she said. She recalled that her Kansas teaching license arrived the same day she learned of job openings at Wiley. “It was literally the day my Kansas license came in the mail… and my friend texted me, and she’s like, ‘You’re going to come work at Wiley next year.’… So that was perfect, because that’s really, I can’t imagine teaching anywhere else.”

Welliver said this school year has been one of her best. “It’s been really great. I have such a sweet class,” she said. “This class just fell in a routine so quickly this year that we have just been able to, you know, do a lot of things this year because they fell into such a great routine so quickly.”

She said Wiley’s culture is what makes the school special. 

“The students, the staff, are amazing… the people there are so genuine and so kind and like you just feel comfortable instantly.”

Her Teacher of the Month celebration, which included pizza donated by Pizza Hut and ice cream sundaes donated by Braum’s, came as a complete shock. 

“Oh, my goodness, that was the biggest surprise,” she said. “I never, in my wildest dreams, would ever expect something like that… I still don’t have the right words to say, like, what a surprise it was.”

“They thought it was the coolest thing ever,” Welliver said. 

One student repeated in awe that the award honored a teacher “in all of Reno County.” “They loved every moment of that, too,” she said. “They’re my biggest fans. They’re my biggest cheerleaders. That’s for sure.”

For Welliver, the reward is the relationship she builds with each child. “Just building those relationships with them,” she said. “I feel like I know them so well… watching them grow and learn throughout the year is amazing as well.”

Wiley Elementary’s Welliver named Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month

<a href="https://www.kansasbeefexpo.com/" target="_blank">Kansas Beef Expo</a>&nbsp;• 8 a.m.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kansas State Fairgrounds&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.hutchpl.org/event/holiday-activity-night/" target="_blank">Holiday Activity Night</a>&nbsp;• 5 to 8 p.m.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Hutchinson Public Library, 901 North Main&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.hutchpl.org/event/bad-art-night-ugly-sweater-party/#rsvp-now" target="_blank">Bad Art Night – Ugly Sweater Party</a>&nbsp;• 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Hutchinson Public Library, 901 North Main&nbsp;

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/d6a0fe1c-8224-4de1-9f46-3c6f643a6f10" target="_blank">Central Christian School Christmas Concert ‘The King of Love and Light’</a>&nbsp;• 7 p.m.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Central Christian School, 1910 East 30th&nbsp;Avenue&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/826457803049862/826457806383195/?active_tab=about" target="_blank">Murder in the Mine – Holiday Edition</a>&nbsp;• 5 p.m.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Strataca, 3650 East G Avenue&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.hutchinsonzoo.org/163/Nights-Before-Christmas" target="_blank">Nights Before Christmas</a>&nbsp;• 6 to 9 p.m.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Hutchinson Zoo, 6 Emerson Loop, Carey Park&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.hutchinsonfox.com/events/prairie-nutcracker" target="_blank">Prairie&nbsp;Nutcracker</a>&nbsp;•&nbsp;7:30&nbsp;p.m.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Historic Fox Theater, 18 East First&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.hutchpl.org/event/childrens-chess-club-10/2025-12-13/" target="_blank">Children’s Chess Club</a>&nbsp;• 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Hutchinson Public Library, 901 North Main&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1730359674296713" target="_blank">Salty Cycles Biker Bazaar</a>&nbsp;• 10&nbsp;a.m.&nbsp;to 2 p.m.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Salty Cycles, 129 East Sherman&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/826457803049862/826457806383195/?active_tab=about" target="_blank">Murder in the Mine – Holiday Edition</a>&nbsp;• 5 p.m.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Strataca, 3650 East G Avenue&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.hutchinsonzoo.org/163/Nights-Before-Christmas" target="_blank">Nights Before Christmas</a>&nbsp;• 6 to 9 p.m.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Hutchinson Zoo, 6 Emerson Loop, Carey Park&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.hutchinsonfox.com/events/prairie-nutcracker" target="_blank">Prairie&nbsp;Nutcracker</a>&nbsp;•&nbsp;7:30 p.m.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Historic Fox Theater, 18 East First&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.kansasbeefexpo.com/" target="_blank">Kansas Beef Expo</a>&nbsp;• 9 a.m.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kansas State Fairgrounds&nbsp;

&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hutchinsonfox.com/events/prairie-nutcracker" target="_blank">Prairie&nbsp;Nutcracker</a>&nbsp;•&nbsp;3&nbsp;p.m.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Historic Fox Theater, 18 East First&nbsp;

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/d2b478da-3e3c-46ff-a78f-7c88b24a9cf4" target="_blank">50th&nbsp;Annual Stan Kenton Christmas Brass Concert</a>&nbsp;• 3 p.m.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Trinity United Methodist Church, 1602 North Main&nbsp;

Happenings Around Hutch • Dec. 11-14

Trinity United Methodist Church in Hutchinson will host the 50th anniversary Stan Kenton Brass Christmas Concert on Sunday, December 14 at 3 p.m. at 1602 North Main Street.

Trinity UMC to host 50th annual Stan Kenton Brass Christmas Concert

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. ——————————————&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Zane Cosme Mountain&nbsp;12/9/2025 12:03 PM Probation Violation

David Michael Keever 12/9/2025 3:065 PM&nbsp;Theft; Possess Stolen Property; $1,500 to $24,999,&nbsp;Criminal Damage to Property; Without consent; $1,000 to $24,999, Failure to Appear,&nbsp;Criminal Trespass; Posted or Locked Premises,&nbsp;Criminal Damage to Property; Without consent; $1,000 to $24,999,&nbsp;Burglary; Non-dwelling for felony, theft, dv, sex

Joseph William Richards 12/9/2025 4:00 PM&nbsp;In Transit From-To Other Agency

Jalen Ryan Jones 12/9/2025 6:30 PM Failure to Appear

Kayla Ora Nicole Titus 12/9/2025 6:44 PM Failure to Appear

Amanda Jean Mayfield 12/9/2025 9:17 PM Failure to Appear&nbsp;

Shane Allen&nbsp;Knoffloch 12/10/2025 12:22 AM&nbsp;Battery; Phys contact rude/insult/angry manner

Jeremy Lee Roberts 12/10/2025 12:25 AM&nbsp;Viol protection order; Pre-trial order



Daily Bookings 

Central Christian School invites the public to their Christmas program on Dec. 11.&nbsp; The program entitled "The King of Love and Light" will be performed by students of all grade levels, kindergarten through 12th grade.

Families, friends, and community members are invited to enjoy what promises to be a meaningful night of music and seasonal spirit.

Doors will open at 6:30 a.m. with the program beginning at 7 p.m.

“We can’t wait to share this joyful celebration of the season,” school officials said.&nbsp;

Central Christian to hold Christmas Concert on Dec. 11

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Three Day Outlook

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Recent obituaries and service times

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Three Trinity Catholic Junior Senior High School seniors are encouraging fellow Reno County students to consider Kansas Boys State, calling the weeklong leadership and government immersion program one of the most impactful experiences of their high-school careers.

John and Jacob Lindstrom and Sam Vogel visited the studio this week to discuss their experience at the 2025 session of Kansas Boys State, a program of the American Legion that brings together hundreds of incoming juniors and seniors from across Kansas for a hands-on simulation of state and local government.

The students described the program as both intense and energizing. Over the course of a week, attendees are assigned to fictional cities and counties, campaign for leadership roles, debate policy, pass budgets, run departments, and operate a full mock government—complete with legislatures, courts, and administrative agencies.

“It’s a government simulation, but it’s also so much more,” said John Lindstrom. “You’re split into towns and counties, you elect leaders, and then you start running a government. You’re creating ordinances, debating ideas, fixing problems, and watching how your decisions impact the simulation. It was incredibly detailed.”

For many, the scale of the experience was the biggest surprise. The students said they arrived expecting a small camp, only to find more than 200 participants representing communities from across Kansas.

“There was a huge, diverse group of kids,” said Vogel. “You’re working with people you’ve never met, from every corner of the state. That alone pushed me out of my comfort zone in a big way.”

Days at Boys State were highly structured, beginning with morning assemblies and flag-raising before launching into a full schedule of meetings, legislative sessions, simulation activities, and collaborative work. Participants also competed in county athletic challenges and took part in evening events.

John Lindstrom served as a city commissioner, managing a fictional city with his peers. “We were up early, and every morning immediately impacted the simulation—writing ordinances, debating issues, and making real decisions,” he said. “You learn very quickly how important teamwork and communication are.”

All three students said the leadership lessons have stuck with them well into their senior year. They’ve applied the communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills gained at Boys State in classes, group projects, and even college applications.

“It taught me how to effectively express ideas, persuade people, and stand out,” Jacob said. “Seeing other students who were really good at it helped me learn from them.”

Boys State’s realistic election process—including party caucuses, speeches, and debates—was especially eye-opening.

“It does model that election process.” Jacob Lindstrom said. “If you’re interested in politics, this is the place to go. Even if you’re not, it teaches leadership in a way that’s hard to get anywhere else.”

While none of the students declared a firm path toward public office, each said the experience broadened their perspective on both government and leadership.

“It made me realize leadership isn’t just one person out front,” John Lindstrom said. “It’s a collaborative effort. You have roles, responsibilities, and people relying on you. That changed how I see leadership going forward.”

Jacob Lindstrom added that the program gave him a deeper appreciation for how complex Kansas government truly is. “There are so many departments and moving parts. Every decision affects someone.”

Despite the political setting, all three stressed that Boys State is not only for those pursuing government careers.

“You don’t have to want to be a politician to benefit,” Vogel said. “It’s one of the best leadership camps you can attend.”

Applications for the 2025 Kansas Boys State program are now open. High-school juniors across Reno County are encouraged to contact their school counselors or visit the Kansas Boys State website for details.

Trinity Catholic seniors share leadership lessons, insights from Kansas Boys State

Christopher	Miguel	Hutchins-Hernandez	12/8/2025 5:26&nbsp;AM	Poss of marijuana,				Use or Possess with Intent to use Drug Paraphernalia into Human Body,				Possession of a Firearm Under the Influence,				Theft; Possession of Stolen Firearm; less than $25,000,				Criminal Trespass; Posted or Locked Premises,				Possession of opiate, narcotic, or certain stimulant

Troy	Powell	Ottinger	12/8/2025 12:42&nbsp;PM	Failure to Appear

Justin	Roy	Holmquist	12/8/2025 4:09&nbsp;PM	Sodomy; AGGRAVATED; Non-Consensual, overcome by Force or Fear

Dale	Ray	Robinson	12/8/2025 11:11&nbsp;PM	Interference with Law Enforcement; Obstruct, Resist, Oppose; Felony Case, Execution of a Felony Warrant,				Criminal Restraint,				Probation Violation

Timothy	William	Bohannan	12/9/2025 12:00&nbsp;AM	Viol protection order; Tribal order

Heather	T	Scheer	12/9/2025 3:18&nbsp;AM	Criminal Trespass; Defiance of Order

Tahjinae	L	Caldcleught	12/9/2025 3:40&nbsp;AM	Failure to Appear

Daily Bookings

Startup Hutch will host its Small Town, Big Ideas entrepreneurship workshop in Buhler on Tuesday, Dec. 16, offering a free, hands-on training opportunity for anyone looking to start or grow a small business. The workshop runs from 4 to 7 p.m. at the 1888 Room on North Main.

With support from the Hutchinson Community Foundation’s Fund for Reno County, Startup Hutch is expanding its outreach by bringing training and business resources directly into surrounding communities, including Haven, Pretty Prairie, Buhler, and Nickerson.

Attendees will learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, explore legal and financial steps for launching a business, gain practical marketing and operational strategies, and connect with local business resources. The session will also feature insights from a guest entrepreneur and provide time for networking.

The workshop is free, but registration is encouraged. More information is available at StartupHutch.com or by calling 620-665-3319.

StartUp Hutch to host 'Small Town, Big Ideas' workshop in Buhler

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans announced Tuesday they will hold a vote on their own health care proposal later this week to counter a Democratic bill that would extend enhanced tax credits for Affordable Care Act marketplace plans for three more years.

<a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/health_care_freedom_for_patients_act.pdf">Click here to read</a> the bill

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/health_care_freedom_for_patients_act.pdf" target="_blank">32-page GOP bill</a>&nbsp;would not address the expiring ACA marketplace tax credits but would send payments to certain Americans through Health Savings Accounts to cover some of the cost of health care.&nbsp;

Neither measure has the 60 votes needed to advance under that chamber’s rules. That would leave the ACA marketplace subsidies to expire at the end of the year and dramatically spike the cost of health insurance for the millions of people enrolled in those plans.&nbsp;

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Democrats’ bill to simply extend the enhanced ACA marketplace tax credits to offset the costs Americans pay for that insurance was unacceptable.&nbsp;

“The way that the program is structured, the money goes straight to the insurance companies,” Thune said. “And the way that we think this ought to work is you ought to come up with a way in which you can deliver the benefit to the patients and not to the insurance companies.”

Thune said the Democratic bill lacks an income cap for ACA marketplace tax credits and allows $0 premiums for health insurance plans — guaranteeing the measure will fail.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, of New York, called the GOP proposal a “nonstarter” that would lead to “junk insurance.” He said the only way to avoid a dramatic increase in health insurance costs next year is to extend the enhanced ACA tax credits.&nbsp;

“Their phony proposal is dead on arrival,” Schumer said. “The bill not only fails to extend the tax credits, it increases costs, adds tons of new abortion restrictions for women, expands junk fees and permanently funds cost-sharing reductions.”

Senate Republicans have debated for weeks whether to hold a vote on a GOP plan to show the party has something to offer toward reducing health care costs. Thune promised Democrats a vote on a health care bill of their choosing in exchange for votes to end the government shutdown.&nbsp;

Schumer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/health-subsidies-would-continue-3-years-under-dem-bill-be-voted-us-senate" target="_blank">announced last week</a>&nbsp;that Democrats would hold the vote on a three-year extension of the enhanced ACA tax credits as they exist now.&nbsp;

Several GOP senators, including Maine’s Susan Collins and Ohio’s Bernie Moreno, have released plans that would include an extension of the expiring tax credits while beginning to transition away from those subsidies.&nbsp;

But Republican leaders ultimately decided to hold a vote on a proposal released earlier this week by Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho.&nbsp;

The Cassidy-Crapo legislation would have the Department of Health and Human Services deposit money into Health Savings Accounts for people enrolled in bronze or catastrophic health insurance plans purchased on the ACA marketplace in 2026 or 2027, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/health_care_freedom_for_patients_act_one-pager.pdf" target="_blank">a summary</a>&nbsp;of the bill.&nbsp;

Health Savings Accounts are tax-advantaged savings accounts that consumers can use to pay for medical expenses that are not otherwise reimbursed. They are not health insurance products.

ACA marketplace enrollees who select a bronze or catastrophic plan and make up to 700% of the federal poverty level would receive $1,000 annually if they are between the ages of 18 and 49 and $1,500 per year if they are between the ages of 50 and 64.&nbsp;

That would set a threshold of $109,550 in annual income for one person, or $225,050 for a family of four, according to the 2025&nbsp;<a href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/dd73d4f00d8a819d10b2fdb70d254f7b/detailed-guidelines-2025.pdf" target="_blank">federal poverty guidelines</a>. The numbers are somewhat higher for residents of Alaska and Hawaii.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The funding could not go toward abortion access or gender transitions, according to the Republican bill summary.&nbsp;

Cassidy and Crapo outlined how their proposal would work during afternoon floor speeches, where they also aired their grievances with how the Affordable Care Act has affected Americans’ health care costs.&nbsp;

Crapo rebuked Democrats for establishing the enhanced ACA marketplace tax credits during the coronavirus pandemic and scheduling them to sunset at the end of this year.&nbsp;

“The pattern has become clear: Democrats respond to rising premiums by throwing taxpayer dollars at the problem,” Crapo said. “Their supposedly short-term fixes only drive premiums higher and make the problem harder to solve. Leaving us with apparently no choice other than to do the same thing again and again and again.”

The GOP plan, he said, was modeled off President Donald Trump’s request to send funding directly to Americans to spend on their health care.&nbsp;

“Families can use that money to cover costs not handled by their insurance policy without having to wait for insurance companies to approve their treatment decisions,” Crapo said. “Because families want the best value for their money, they will seek out the most appropriate treatment. Over time this will result in lower health care costs as providers compete for patients.”

Cassidy said the bill would not subsidize health insurance premiums but would help some Americans pay for doctor exams, dentist visits, glasses and prescriptions.&nbsp;

Once eligible ACA marketplace enrollees receive that funding in their Health Savings Accounts, he said, they will shop around for better prices, including on x-rays, which are often used to determine if someone has broken a bone.&nbsp;

“She’s going to say, ‘Wait a second, the x-ray is $150 here and $500 there. I’m going to where it’s cheaper, not more expensive,’” Cassidy said, giving an example. “And I can tell you when that begins to happen, the people who are more expensive begin to lower their price.”

Read the bill: US Senate GOP  health care plan fails to extend premium subsidies

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just before 10:30p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to the 3100 block of Kensington, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. 911 received a call to the location asking for help.

First responders contacted people in the area that heard the sound of a disturbance followed by what they thought was possible gunfire.&nbsp;Officers checked the area and located a man unresponsive on the ground next to a residence.&nbsp;

Officers rendered aid and called for EMS. EMS took over treatment and declared the victim deceased at the scene, according to Becchina.

Preliminary investigation indicates the victim appears to have been shot. Investigation further appears the victim had an interaction at the location with unknown suspect(s) that led to gunfire striking the victim.&nbsp;

Homicide detectives were at the scene and investigating this case as a homicide. Police released no additional details early Wednesday.

Homicide: Man found dead outside Kansas City home

LONDON (AP) — Writer Sophie Kinsella, whose effervescent rom-com “Confessions of a Shopaholic” sparked a millions-selling series, died Wednesday, her family said. She was 55 and had been diagnosed with brain cancer.

The family said in a statement on Kinsella's Instagram account that "she died peacefully, with her final days filled with her true loves: family and music and warmth and Christmas and joy.

“We can’t imagine what life will be like without her radiance and love of life,” the family said.

Kinsella, who also published under her real name, Madeleine Wickham, announced in April 2024 that she had been diagnosed more than a year earlier with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

“I did not share this before because I wanted to make sure that my children were able to hear and process the news in privacy and adapt to our ’new normal,'" she said at the time.

Kinsella published 10 “Shopaholic” novels starting in 2000 with “The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic,” titled “Confessions of a Shopaholic” in the United States, as well as other fiction. Her books have sold more than 45 million copies worldwide and have been translated into dozens of languages.

Kinsella did not grow up intending to be a writer. One of three girls born to teachers in London, she played piano and violin as a child and also composed music.

She told author-publisher Zibby Owens on her podcast, “Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books,” that the idea of writing never crossed her mind. “It wasn’t my childhood ambition. I wasn’t the child walking around saying, ‘I’m going to write a novel one day.’”

Kinsella enrolled at Oxford University to study music but switched to the politics, philosophy and economics program after one year.

While at college, she met musician Henry Wickham and fell in love. The couple had four sons and a daughter.

After graduating, Kinsella began working as a financial journalist and spent her commute reading. The idea to write fiction herself began to take shape on the train, and she worked on her first novel during her lunch hours.

She published her first novel, ”The Tennis Party,” in 1995, as Madeleine Wickham. Soon after, she left her journalism job to focus on writing. Six other books, including “The Gatecrasher” and “Sleeping Arrangements,” followed.

An otherwise normal shopping excursion sparked the idea for writing her first “Shopaholic” novel

“I remember looking around me and thinking... “We all shop... We talk about it. We do it. We rejoice in it. We make bad decisions. Why hasn’t anybody written about this?” Kinsella said in 2019 on “The Sunday Salon with Alice-Azania Jarvis” podcast.

Kinsella created a story about Becky Bloomwood, a 20-something financial journalist in debt from a shopping habit she can’t (or won’t) kick. The novel contained hilarious back-and-forth correspondence with bill collectors and banks, where she would make excuses for late payments. Kinsella said those letters were one of the most fun bits to write.

There was also a love story with a handsome businessman whom Becky met while on assignment. She went on to marry and have a mini-shopaholic daughter in future books.

The humorous tone of “Confessions of a Shopaholic” was a change from her earlier books, so she decided to submit it to her publishers under a pen name. Her middle name was Sophie and Kinsella was her mother’s maiden name.

The publishers said yes, and “Shopaholic” was published in 2000 under her pseudonym. The novel, blending humor with a cautionary tale about getting in over your head with debt, was an immediate success.

Kinsella said Becky was a modern everywoman whose behavior was "what you wouldn’t do yourself, but maybe you would if you were in absolute extreme circumstances. And that’s what she finds herself in all the time.”

Bloomwood's further adventures followed in books including “Shopaholic Takes Manhattan,” “Shopaholic Ties the Knot” and “Shopaholic &amp; Sister.”

Along with “Bridget Jones” author Helen Fielding and others, Kinsella’s work was often branded “chick lit” by the media. She told the AP in 2004 she didn’t mind the label, interpreting it as signaling a book that is "fun, entertaining and might just have a happy ending.”

“Just because you are interested in frivolous things doesn’t mean that you can’t be bright and have great ideas and the rest of it," she said.

The first two “Shopaholic” books were adapted into the 2009 film “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” starring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy.

Kinsella also wrote “The Undomestic Goddess”, “Remember Me?” and “Twenties Girl.” A young adult novel, “Finding Audrey,” was released in 2015, followed by the children’s book series “My Mummy Fairy and Me.”

Her novel “Can You Keep a Secret?” was adapted into a 2019 film starring Alexandra Daddario and Tyler Hoechlin. Her last novel was “The Burnout,” released in 2023.

In November 2022, after experiencing symptoms including memory loss, headaches and balance troubles, Kinsella was diagnosed with glioblastoma, for which there is no cure. She kept the news private until April 2024. In an interview with TV personality Robin Roberts aired a few months later, Kinsella said she was focused on living in the moment.

“I’ve already lasted more than the average. That’s how we get through. We hope,” she said.

After her diagnosis, she wrote a novella, “What Does It Feel Like,” about a woman with five children who has brain cancer.

“I thought people might be curious to know what it’s like to go through this,” Kinsella told Roberts. “I hope it’s full of optimism and love most of all.”

Araminta Whitley and Marina de Pass, Kinsella’s agents at The Soho Agency, said the writer “had a rare gift for creating emotionally resonant protagonists and stories that spoke to, and entertained, readers wherever they were in the world and whatever challenges they faced.”

Bill Scott-Kerr, her publisher at Transworld, said Kinsella leaves behind “a unique voice, an unquenchable spirit, a goodness of intent and a body of work that will continue to inspire us to reach higher and be better, just like so many of her characters.”

Sophie Kinsella, bestselling ‘Shopaholic’ author, dies at 55

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military flew a pair of fighter jets over the Gulf of Venezuela on Tuesday in what appears to be the closest American warplanes have come to the South American country’s airspace since the start of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">Trump administration’s pressure campaign</a>.

Public flight tracking websites showed a pair of U.S. Navy F/A-18 fighter jets fly over the Gulf — a body of water bounded by Venezuela and only about 150 miles at its widest point — and spend more than 30 minutes flying over water. A U.S. defense official confirmed that a pair of jets conducted a “routine training flight” in the area.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations, could not say if the jets were armed but noted that they stayed in international airspace during their flight.

The official likened the training flight to previous exercises that were aimed at showing the reach of U.S. planes and said the move was not meant to be provocative.

The military has previously sent B-52 Stratofortress and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-maduro-supersonic-bombers-03b246ca6cf7ed9fa6d39e1f716b1754">B-1 Lancer bombers</a>&nbsp;to the region, but those planes flew up to and along the coast of Venezuela. There was no indication that those aircraft ever flew as close to the country’s territory as the F/A-18 fighter jets on Tuesday.

The flights are the latest action the U.S. military has taken as it has built up its largest presence in the region in decades and launched a series of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hegseth-pentagon-drug-boats-pacific-35a60ce3bc018e5f66c18b2d18b49c35">deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats</a>&nbsp;in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. President Donald Trump says&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-maduro-colombia-petro-boats-559a73dbfcbdc9245494f441be1aad39">land attacks are coming soon</a>&nbsp;but has not offered any details on location.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has insisted the real purpose of the U.S. military operations is to force him from office.

The Trump administration is facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-pete-hegseth-venezuela-9f46a5f074b5b3c979ee41082949b196">increasing scrutiny from lawmakers</a>&nbsp;over the boat strike campaign, which has killed at least 87 people in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-petro-colombia-drugs-us-aid-c3955b2ce351737119920741178e0567">22 known strikes</a>&nbsp;since early September, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-strike-video-footage-boat-caribbean-3cf2ca9cbe4523978e935b99c2979caa">a follow-up strike that killed two survivors</a>&nbsp;clinging to the wreckage of a boat after the first hit.

Lawmakers are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/defense-bill-ndaa-boat-strikes-video-152bef4ad429ae2c62937daeea2235a4">demanding to get unedited video</a>&nbsp;from the strikes, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told congressional leaders Tuesday he was still weighing whether to release it. Hegseth provided a classified briefing for congressional leaders alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other top national security officials.

The same day, Adm. Alvin Holsey, who will be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alvin-holsey-southern-command-boat-strikes-venezuela-7cf34c822b56945129baf7f0d2635f95">retiring from U.S. Southern Command</a>&nbsp;in this week, spoke separately with the Republican chairman and ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maduro-drugs-venezuela-911-hegseth-3db3aafed492556bb9ca7de855c4849e">justified the attacks</a>&nbsp;as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and asserted the U.S. is engaged in an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-armed-conflict-cb57804807e55a00ace60ad5f4d4f24d">“armed conflict” with drug cartels</a>.

Flightradar24, one of the websites that allowed the public to see the jets flying in real time, said the planes were the most tracked flights on its site at the time.

US military flies fighter jets over the Gulf of Venezuela

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/rod-mcguirk">ROD MCGUIRK</a>

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/anthony-albanese">Anthony Albanese</a>&nbsp;welcomed a world-first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-children-f92aae52b59a6ded4d931856051f4e06">social media ban</a>&nbsp;for children younger than 16 that took effect Wednesday as families taking back power from tech giants but warned the implementation would be difficult.

Many children posted farewell messages, while parents reported distraught children discovering they’d been shut out of platforms as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-children-1abadf5445418c8c14f5f68cf76b38d0">landmark law</a>&nbsp;took effect. Some young children reported fooling the platforms’ age estimation technology by drawing on facial hair. Parents and older siblings are also expected to help some children circumvent the restrictions.

“This is the day when Australian families are taking back power from these big tech companies and they’re asserting the right of kids to be kids and for parents to have greater peace of mind,” Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

“This reform will change lives. For Australian kids ... allowing them to just have their childhood. For Australian parents, enabling them to have greater peace of mind. But also for the global community, who are looking at Australia and saying: well, if Australia can do it, why can’t we?” Albanese later told a gathering of reform supporters at his official Sydney residence, including parents who blame social media for a child’s suicide.

Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and Twitch face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32.9 million) from Wednesday if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove the accounts of Australian children younger than 16.

Australia to report by Christmas if social media ban is working

The ban will be enforced by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant. She said the platforms already had the technology and personal data about their users to enforce the age restriction with precision.

She would send the 10 targeted platforms on Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-children-95a75437398a652e1463fadc6a0b0225">notices demanding information</a>&nbsp;on how the age restriction was being implemented and how many accounts had been closed.

“We will provide information to the public before Christmas on how these age restrictions are being implemented and whether preliminarily we see them working,” Inman Grant said.

“The responses to these notices will form the baseline against which we will measure compliance,” she added.

Communications Minister Anika Wells said the age-restricted platforms “may not agree with the law and that’s their right — we don’t expect 100% universal support,” but that all had undertaken to comply with the Australian law. She said more than 200,000 TikTok accounts in Australia had already been deactivated by Wednesday.

Wells also warned young children who had so far evaded detection that they would eventually be caught. A child who used a virtual private network to appear to be in Norway would be caught out if they were routinely posting images of Australian beaches, Wells said.

“Just because they might have avoided it (detection) today doesn’t mean they will be able to avoid it in a week’s time or a month’s time because social media platforms have to go back and routinely check under-16 accounts,” Wells said.

“These social media platforms have so much data on us because we choose to give it to them because we like social media and because you’ve had your older brother scan their face for you today, which has bought you a bit of time, doesn’t mean that these accounts aren’t going to see you talking to other 14-year-olds tonight about the under-16 soccer carnival on weekend, about your upcoming school holidays and what your Year 10 teacher is next year,” she added.

Albanese said the implementation would be difficult and “won’t be perfect.”

“This is about, importantly, pushing back against big tech, saying that social media companies have a social responsibility,” he said.

Father of sextortion scam victim says social media ban is a start

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-young-children-c08c470b33f115fb07fc86874bf1b768">Wayne Holdsworth</a>, who became an age restriction advocate because his son Mac took his own life after falling victim to an online sextortion scam, described the new law as a start. Children must now be educated about online dangers before they turn 16.

“Our kids that we’ve lost haven’t died in vain because today they’ll be looking down very proud of the work that we’ve all done,” Holdsworth told the Sydney gathering.

Flossie Brodribb, a 12-year-old advocate for a social media ban for young children, told the gathering she hoped other countries would follow Australia’s lead.

“This ban is bold and brave and I believe it will help kids like me to grow up healthier, safer, kinder and more connected to the real world,” Flossie said.

Simone Clements said the social media ban would come at a financial cost to her 15-year-old twins Carlee and Hayden Clements. Carlee is an actor, model, dancer, singer and influencer. Her brother is an actor and model.

“I know that our situation is unique to our family because the kids are in the entertainment industry and social media goes hand-in-hand with the entertainment industry. We have used social media in the most positive way. And it’s a platform for them to basically show their portfolio, and … this is an income stream for the children,” the mother said.

Privacy commissioner unclear how social media will verify ages

Australia’s Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind said the platforms could potentially ask all account holders across the country to prove they were 16 or older.

The platforms’ age verification options were to ask for copies of identification documents, use a third party to apply age estimation technology to analyze an account holder’s face, or make inferences from data already available such has how long an account has been held, Kind said.

“There’s quite strong privacy protections in the legislation. They require social media platforms to delete any data they collect for the purpose of age assurance under this scheme and to not use it for secondary purposes unless they have individuals’ consent. And that’s a really strong and important safeguard,” Kind said.

The government has said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-chldren-banned-social-media-2bbc1f2921af4f008215c16d5e8b3506">requesting all account holders verify their ages</a>&nbsp;would not be a reasonable step, given the platforms already held sufficient personal data of most people to perform that task.

The platforms also cannot compel users to provide government-issued identification.

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