The Wichita Eagle
Wichita under ‘extreme cold watch’ for weekend winter storm
Wichita is now under an “extreme cold watch” for the winter storm that is forecast to hit Friday and could impact the southern half of Kansas all the way to the east coast. It is also expected to bring 5-10 inches of snow. Crews in Wichita started...
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10 most common driving mistakes that lead to citations
Mistakes behind the wheel happen to nearly everyone. But even a small driving mishap can end up costing you hundreds of dollars. Each year, Wichita police write thousands of traffic citations for everything from blowing through red lights and school...
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What to expect in this year’s high-stakes Kansas politics
The course of Kansas politics will be shaped for years to come by the decisions voters will make in 2026, from selecting a new governor to weighing Republican lawmakers’ proposal for overhauling how Kansas Supreme Court justices are chosen. U.S. Sen....
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Wichita unlikely to get water plant this year, official says
Wichita’s public works and utilities director shared bad news at the City Council’s first meeting of 2026: Wichita likely won’t have a new water plant this year. The $574 million project was originally scheduled to be complete in September 2024. The...
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Iran fears new US attack as protests grip nation
At least 19 protesters in Iran have been killed over the last eight days of unrest, including three teens. Protests and strikes in Iran began on Dec. 28 against the falling currency rate and inflation. President Donald Trump has warned that the...
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Wichita, Genesis reach settlement in Ice Center lawsuit
The city of Wichita has reached a settlement with Genesis Health Clubs over a publicprivate partnership that went sour at the Wichita Ice Center. Genesis is set to pay $200,000 to the city and will end its $1.8 million counterclaim if the City Council...
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Beef a bright spot as farmers face uncertain prices in 2026
Many farmers are entering 2026 in a tight spot. Crop growers in the Midwest and Great Plains are grappling with low crop prices. Scott Irwin, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign agricultural economist, said there’s been a stretch of general...
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Bodies of National Guard soldiers killed in Syria return home
The remains of two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed in an ambush in Syria arrived at the Iowa National Guard base in Des Moines, with funeral services for both scheduled for this weekend. The bodies of Staff Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard and Staff...
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MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Children enjoy watching the model train while waiting to visit with Santa at Botanica’s Illuminations.
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Wichita City Council approves pilot project to narrow Douglas
the city’s latest effort to put Wichitans on a road diet, the City Council on Tuesday voted 6-1 to approve a sixmonth pilot project to test narrowing Douglas to three lanes — one in each direction plus a turn lane — from Washington to Grove. “I think...
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Wichita council approves election on 1% sales tax
The Wichita City Council gave unanimous final approval Tuesday to hold a 1% city sales tax election on March 3 despite lingering unanswered questions and a failed attempt to separate $850 million in projects into separate ballot questions. The...
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Wichita council approves special election on sales tax
The Wichita City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to hold a special election for an added 1% sales tax on all retail purchases in the city — including groceries. The election will be March 3 and will cost $150,000. The council approved holding the...
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Wichita community center reopening honors city’s 100th mayor
Nearly every seat in the new two-court gymnasium at the Carl G. Brewer Community Center was full Saturday morning. Where friends and family members weren’t sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, strollers, baby carriers, walkers and canes filled in the gaps....
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Schartz found greatest victory after 43 years of heartbreak
The clock was still running, but the suspense was long gone. With Kapaun Mt. Carmel pounding Bishop Miege in the fourth quarter of the Class 4A state championship game, head coach Weston Schartz did something he had never allowed himself to do in 43...
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‘Most qualified’: Marstall is Wichita’s next city manager
Dennis Marstall will become Wichita’s next city manager, following the city council’s approval of his employment contract Tuesday. Marstall will begin with the city on Dec. 31. “His experiences both in local government in city and county, from small...
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Voters could see sales tax on ballot in March
Wichitans may be asked to vote on a one-percent city sales tax on a March special election ballot to fund an $850 million proposal. Wichita Forward, a non-profit coalition, called on the city Tuesday to levy the sales tax to fund public safety,...
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Thanksgivings past, Wichita flocked to Thompson Turkey Farm
Today, Wichitans typically buy their Thanksgiving turkeys at the supermarket. But in the 1950s and 1960s, thousands of locals would drive out to a turkey farm on North Hillside, commune with the farm’s gobbling waddlers, then pick out the bird they...
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City manager finalists lay out different visions for Wichita
Wichita’s three finalists for city manager offered different visions for city government Tuesday night at a press conference followed by a public forum. The City Council will ultimately decide who gets the job. But the public and reporters got to ask...
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‘Time to come home’: Joe Walsh on VetsAid concert in Wichita
Joe Walsh said the previous eight VetsAid concerts – benefit performances for military veterans and their families – were just a warmup for the ninth edition, in his hometown of Wichita. “I don’t know. We probably should have done it sooner,” the...
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FULL MOON OVER KANSAS
The full moon rises behind the Basilica of St. Fidelis, also known as the Cathedral of the Plains, in Victoria on Wednesday night. The November full moon is known as the Beaver Moon, as it occurs at the same time of year beavers tend to take shelter in...
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Powerful vice president was war advocate, Washington insider
Richard B. Cheney, the former vice president of the United States who was the architect of the nation’s longest war as he plotted President George W. Bush’s thunderous global response to the 9/11 terror attacks, has died. Vexed by heart trouble for...
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FRIGHT NIGHT
Catherine and Clay Heidel have decorated their College Hill home at 120 N. Broadview for Halloween for the past 10 years. Each year is a different theme using baby dolls. Broadview is a popular street to visit on Halloween and they’ve had as many as...
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Food Bank, others seek donations as SNAP funds expire
With Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients set to lose benefits beginning in November, the Kansas Food Bank, as well as other food pantries across Sedgwick County, are preparing to help a greater number of residents facing food...
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Council rejects renter protections, works to update codes
A split Wichita City Council rejected proposals Tuesday to protect tenants from income discrimination and to establish a registry of landlords with serial housing code violations. The proposed ordinances were defeated 4-3 after hours of passionate...
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Vance lands in Israel as US tries to shore up Gaza truce
Vice President JD Vance arrived in Israel on Tuesday for meetings with the country’s leaders, as the Trump administration rushes to shore up the hard-won, fragile ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip. Israel and Hamas agreed this month to a truce in their...
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Ex-Marion chief says he’s not guilty in text message case
The former Kansas police chief who orchestrated a newspaper raid of the Marion County Record pleaded not guilty Wednesday to illegally ordering a witness to delete text messages between them in the weeks surrounding the Aug. 11, 2023 search...
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Without a deal, US troops likely to miss shutdown paycheck
The financial impacts of the government shutdown are set to escalate this week, even as Senate Republicans and Democrats show no signs of breaking the stalemate over health care policies at the heart of the fight. Without a deal, military troops would...
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Israel-Hamas deal paves way for Gaza ceasefire
Israel and Hamas on Thursday edged closer to ending their devastating two-year war, agreeing on the initial terms of a deal that could pave the way to an imminent ceasefire and bringing relief to the families of Israeli hostages and to 2 million...
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National Guard troops expected soon in Chicago
Hundreds of National Guard troops were expected soon in the Chicago area, after a night when rainy skies dampened protests, immigrant neighborhoods hunkered down and tensions rose between Presideployment dent Donald Trump and Illinois Gov. JB...
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Sedgwick County to consolidate two tag offices into one
Sedgwick County will now have only one tag office after approval from Sedgwick County commissioners at their Wednesday meeting. County Treasurer Brandi Baily announced her intent to consolidate the county’s two tag offices into one last week. “Moving...
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Trump’s UK visit shifts from pomp to politics and investment
President Donald Trump and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled a new technology partnership at a business roundtable Thursday, where they were joined by executives highlighting efforts to deepen ties on artificial intelligence and digital...
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Israel launches ground offensive in Gaza City
The Israeli military said Tuesday that it had launched a ground incursion into Gaza City overnight, embarking on a risky operation to take control of a key urban area even as hundreds of thousands of Palestinian residents remain there. The ground...
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In public and in private, New York marks 9/11 anniversary
At 14 minutes to 9 on Thursday morning, for thousands of people in New York City and across the region, time stopped, and silence descended, filled by memories of another balmy blue-sky morning two dozen years ago. Then, on a memorial plaza near the...
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Wichita intends to crack down on illegal dumping
Wichita is increasing fines — and adding more investigative tools, like cameras — to crack down on illegal dumping. Illegal dumping has been an issue in parts of the city for several years and has cost it $1.5 million for cleanup since 2018, according...
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Kansas State Fair concert ticket sales are hot
If early ticket sales for this year’s Kansas State Fair grandstand are any indication — and they usually are — it’s going to be a good 2025, says general manager Bryan Schulz. Speaking just after Labor Day, Schulz said that the fair was sitting at...
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Scaffolding begins project to replace aging cathedral domes
For more than 100 years, the copper domes of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception have greeted parishioners and visitors, signaling the sacred space from afar and establishing the church as a Wichita landmark. Now, the final resting place of...
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Marshall praises Trump but acknowledges harm to businesses
U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall told Wichita business leaders that President Donald Trump could consider a path toward amnesty for certain undocumented workers in Kansas after the 2026 midterm elections. And he acknowledged that tariffs are hurting small...
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Fed official to sue over firing, asserting Trump abused power
A day after President Donald Trump said he would remove Lisa Cook from her position on the Federal Reserve Board, her lawyer said Tuesday that she would sue to challenge the dismissal, arguing that the president had “no authority” to order such a...
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Wichita’s permanent water restrictions start Sept. 15
Every-other-day watering restrictions will soon be a reality for Wichita water customers. The Wichita City Council voted for an early end to the once-a-week watering schedule in its drought response plan and approved permanent outdoor watering...
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Basketball coach Fiegel retires after 4 decades, 6 state titles
The office was nearly bare, its walls once lined with framed photos, quotes and mementos from a career that spanned four decades, 623 wins and six state championships. Only one relic remained on Mitch Fiegel’s desk: a letter from Dean Smith. Typed...
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In a shocker of a meeting, WaterWalk woes get spotlight
For anyone in Wichita or beyond who has been disappointed in the public-private partnership known as the WaterWalk development downtown and the almost $44 million the community has poured into it, Tuesday’s City Council meeting was for you. There were...
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How much money have Wichita City Council candidates raised?
Candidate Joseph Shepard has far outraised his opponents leading up to the Aug. 5 primary for the open Wichita City Council seat in District 1, according to the latest campaign finance filings. Shepard has raised $39,683 since he announced his...
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Long drives to doctors can put Western Kansans health at risk
A little red car trudges through dirt roads and dodges potholes before it zooms down the highway. In the car is Isabel Yara and her daughter. Yara spent most of the early morning getting her daughter ready for a doctor’s appointment. But Yara lives in...
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Wichita considers permanent water restrictions for residents
Wichita residents are likely to continue to face mandatory water conservation efforts even after drought conditions improve. The Wichita City Council will hear a plan Aug. 19 that allows alternate days for outdoor watering. “We recognize limiting...
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Johnson cuts short House session to avoid Epstein files vote
Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday announced he was cutting short the week’s legislative business and sending the House home early for the summer on Wednesday to avoid having to hold votes on releasing files related to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey...
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Council vote clears way for demolition of Crown Uptown
Though several Wichita City Council members strongly urged him not to, the council cleared the way Tuesday for Crown Uptown Theatre owner Mike Brown to demolish the 97-year-old building if he chooses to. The council failed to approve a motion that...
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US weapons ready to ship in deal to supply Ukraine via NATO
Patriot air defense systems, missiles and ammunition are among the American-made weapons NATO allies will buy under an arms deal brokered with President Donald Trump to help Ukraine defend itself from Russian attacks. Nearly all of the weapons are...
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Sedgwick County proposed budget: taxes and key changes
Sedgwick County property owners may see a reduction in their property tax mill levy as part of the county’s proposed budget. The $624.7 million recommended budget would lower the county mill to 27.881 mills from 28.659. It’s too soon to say whether...
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Texas flood deaths exceed 100 with toll expected to rise
More than 100 people have been confirmed dead in floods that tore through central Texas over the weekend, marking a grim milestone as searchers used boats, dogs and drones to locate victims and authorities debated whether anything more could have been...
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Meet Wichita barber ‘Keyo,’ the go-to Thunder barber
Before the Oklahoma City Thunder cut down nets as NBA champions, several of the team’s prominent players called on a Wichita native to do the cutting. After spending years as the barber for countless players on the Wichita State men’s basketball team,...
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Top Senate official rules against key parts of policy bill
A top Senate official on Thursday rejected a slew of major provisions in Republicans’ sweeping domestic policy bill, sending party leaders rushing to find other ways to help offset the massive cost of the legislation a week before the July 4 deadline...
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Trump lashes out at Israel, Iran as fragile truce is tested
President Donald Trump lashed out at Israel and Iran on Tuesday for launching attacks after he had announced a ceasefire, highlighting the fragility of the deal that seeks to end 12 days of deadly fighting. In expletive-laced remarks to reporters,...
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Storms bring 3-inch hail, downed trees, power outages
More than 10,000 homes and businesses in Wichita were without power as of 11:50 a.m. Wednesday after storms throughout the day Tuesday hit south-central Kansas, bringing hail up to 3 inches and wind gusts around 80 mph. The storm knocked down trees...
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Thousands lose power as severe storm moves through area
moving through south-central Kansas Tuesday morning caused wind damage, flash flooding and power outages across the region, including in Wichita. The National Weather Service recorded a 101 mph wind gust at 4:22 a.m. at the Eisenhower National Airport...
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Mounted police disperse LA protest as demonstrations spread
Demonstrators expressing anger with the Trump administration’s immigration raids squared off Wednesday night with police in Seattle, Las Vewaved gas, Spokane, Washington, and Los Angeles, where officers dispersed a crowd before an overnight curfew took...
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700 Marines deployed to LA after night of scattered protests
Hundreds of Marines were expected to take up positions in Los Angeles on Tuesday, joining National Guard troops there and sharpening an extraordinary confrontation between the White House and California leaders over the response to protests against the...
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New playground for kids of all abilities opens in south Wichita
The city of Wichita opened its first accessible playground on Wednesday, marking the first of a series of planned improvements to L.W. Clapp Memorial Park. At a ribbon-cutting late Wednesday morning, city leaders celebrated the opening of the...
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HOW MUCH RAIN?
Heavy rain Monday night and Tuesday on top of recent rains caused flooding in some areas in and around Wichita. Valley Center received 4.37 inches of rainfall over 12 hours, compared with just under an inch in Wichita, the National Weather Service...
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Riverfest opening weekend events that can’t be missed
The Wichita Riverfest is returning for its 53rd installment on Friday, and locals will continue their traditions of lining up for the Sundown parade, crowding in for Kennedy Plaza concerts and filling up on fried food court fare. This year, though,...
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Bringing generations together at the LIFE Center
With children’s shouts echoing off of playground equipment, the Logan Manor doesn’t look or sound like your typical nursing home. That’s because it’s also a school. This rural farm town, with a population of 436, recently welcomed nursing home...
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House passes domestic policy bill, overcoming resistance
The House early Thursday narrowly passed a wide-ranging bill to deliver President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda, after Speaker Mike Johnson put down several mini-rebellions in Republican ranks to muscle the legislation to its first major victory over...
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Tornadoes leave destruction in two Kansas towns
Authorities were cleaning up Monday after tornadoes struck two Kansas towns — Grinnell and Plevna — on Sunday. Grinnell, a city of just over 250 and 256 miles northwest of Wichita, was devastated, said Gove County Sheriff Shawn Mesch. “Trees are...
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Sedgwick County considers buying Envision building
Sedgwick County has taken its first step toward possibly moving county administration offices into the current Envision Building at 610 N. Main. County Commissioners approved a purchase agreement for the building, allowing the county to move forward...
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Supreme Court to weigh judges’ powers to stop Trump
The U.S. Supreme Court could soon curtail judges’ powers to rein in President Donald Trump. The court is set to hear arguments on Thursday in three cases consolidated under Trump v. CASA that challenge Trump’s executive order to end birthright...
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Vatican announces first US pope: Leo XIV
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States has been elected the new pope and has chosen the name Pope Leo XIV. Pope Leo XIV is the first U.S. pope and the second American pope after Pope Francis, who was from the South American nation of...
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7 killed, 26 hurt in escalating attacks by Russia, Ukraine
At least seven people were killed and 26 injured overnight Monday as Kyiv and Moscow traded attacks, authorities in both countries said. Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow for a second consecutive night, temporarily shutting all four of the capital’s...
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City, county plan to merge some parks and rec services
The city of Wichita and Sedgwick County are moving closer to consolidating some parks, recreation and cultural arts services, but not to the extent that some officials discussed last year. Residents would be able to make reservations for the county’s...
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Understanding county’s tornado sirens could save your life
Tornado season officially began this month, and chances are you might hear a tornado siren or two before July arrives. Kansas ranks as one of the top states for not only tornadoes, but general severe weather. On average, there are 84 tornadoes a year...
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Baby elephants Bomani and Kijani make their debut at the zoo
County Zoo’s elephant herd just got bigger, and cuter, with the arrival of two new calves. The older calf, Bomani, was born April 10 to mom Talia, and just four days later, firsttime mother Xolani delivered another male calf, Kijani. “All of the moms...
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First Latin American pontiff was voice for the marginalized
Pope Francis, who rose from modest means in Argentina to become the first Jesuit and Latin American pontiff, who clashed bitterly with traditionalists in his push for a more inclusive Roman Catholic Church, and who spoke out tirelessly for migrants,...
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NBC World Series to play championship game at Equity Bank Park
Since Katie Woods became the tournament director of the National Baseball Congress World Series, three questions have persisted. When will NBC games be played downtown? Can you bring back Baseball ‘Round the Clock? And can you bring the Alaska teams...
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China halts critical exports as trade war intensifies
China has suspended exports of a wide range of critical minerals and magnets, threatening to choke off supplies of components central to automakers, aerospace manufacturers, semiconductor companies and military contractors around the world. Shipments...
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Construction underway on new state mental health hospital
Construction on the new state-run psychiatric hospital near Meridian and MacArthur was already well underway Wednesday as local officials and others celebrated a step toward providing more beds for mental health treatment. “Hospitals have been at...
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