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Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Friday that he expects President Donald Trump's tariffs to raise inflation and lower growth, and indicated that the central bank won't move on interest rates until it gets a clearer picture on the ultimate impacts. In a speech delivered before business journalists in Arlington, Va., Powell said the Fed faces a "highly uncertain outlook" because of the new reciprocal levies the president announced Wednesday. Though he said the economy currently looks strong, he stressed the threat that tariffs pose and indicated that the Fed will be focused on keeping inflation in check. Source: Bonds

Should Wichita’s mayor have more power? Or should an unelected city manager continue to be the city’s most powerful official? As it stands, the mayor is the only official elected citywide. But she has no executive powers and can’t enact her agenda without the support of three other council members, who represent smaller districts. The city manager, who is appointed by the council, prepares the budget, chooses department heads and manages the daily operations of the city government. Source: Wichita Kansas Local News, Crime & More |

The upcoming Rural Living Resource Fair will seek to connect community members with experts and resources designed for rural living, including a range of local vendors. The event, hosted by K-State Research and Extension Douglas County, is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 12 at the county fairgrounds. It’s free and open to all, and no registration is required. Local experts will be present to speak on topics such as zoning and codes; well and pond management; prairie, wildlife and woodland management; brush clearing and noxious weed control; land preservation and more, according to a news release announcing the [...]

Five of the six southwest Kansas counties reporting measles cases have seen kindergarten vaccination rates drop, one showing a 24 percentage point dip over a four-year period. Vaccination rates are one focus of many Kansas county health officers and medical experts as they work to educate against misinformation about vaccines in the hopes of staving off a growing measles outbreak. As of April 2, Kansas has 24 confirmed measles cases in Grant, Gray, Haskell, Kiowa, Morton and Stevens counties, with one case added in the past week. Source: Wichita Kansas Local News, Crime & More |

Gov. Laura Kelly on Friday signed a bill that's intended to create a better climate for keeping hundreds millions of dollars invested in Kansas banks. The legislation adopts a new strategy to encourage local governments to deposit their funds in banks based in Kansas. The bill is intended to ensure taxpayer dollars are invested in local communities, increase economic activity in the state, and provide Kansans access to additional capital to finance investments in their home, business, or community. Source: Sunflower State Journal

For the first time since 2013, population growth patterns in Johnson County have necessitated a change in the boundary lines that determine which areas, municipalities and neighborhoods county commissioners represent. Commissioners kicked off the redistricting process Thursday with an introductory meeting with an official from HaystaqDNA, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm that specializes in political marketing and redistricting. New maps are required when the county’s district populations become out of balance, which generally means there is at least a 10% deviation between them, said Haystaq President Anrdrew Drechsler. Source: Johnson County Post

The Holcomb Police Department has announced the creation of the Holcomb Police Explorer Post # 2011, a program designed to engage local youth interested in law enforcement careers. Recruitment for the program will began Friday at Holcomb High School. The Explorer Post will offer students hands-on learning experiences, mentorship from officers, and opportunities to develop leadership skills while gaining insight into police work. Source: Garden City Telegram

Investors pulled money out of municipal bond funds in March, as widespread uncertainty around President Trump’s policies mixed with concerns that the securities funding most of the country’s infrastructure could lose their tax-exempt status. Borrowing costs for local governments are now ticking higher as municipal bond supply increases while demand weakens, making it more expensive for local governments to finance public works. Source: WSJ.com: Markets

A decade ago, backyard chickens were more a niche for part-time farmers and urban hipsters. But the Covid-19 pandemic—and more recently, a spike in egg prices—has sent Americans flocking for their own poultry. There were 11 million households with backyard chickens in 2024, up from 5.8 million in 2018, according to the American Pet Products Association. Even U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins recently jumped in, saying she wants to help Americans save money by making it easier to raise their own egg-layers. Source: WSJ.com: Lifestyle

The Kansas Department of Commerce today announced the launch of a new round of Rural Mural funding to support the creation of projects in rural Kansas communities. The total amount of funding available is $125,000. “Public art is a powerful tool for rural revitalization and bringing vitality and prosperity to all regions of our state,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “The Kelly-Toland administration fully supports investments that improve the attractiveness of our smaller communities, engage residents and visitors alike, and help stimulate the local economy.”  The funding initiative from the Office of Rural Prosperity (ORP) aims to activate vacant [...]