Latest news with #Fox10Phoenix
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
One of the nation's largest egg producers has lost 95% of its chickens to bird flu. It could spell price hikes
Arizona's largest egg producer has lost 95 percent of its chickens due to the bird flu, signaling a potential price increase for eggs. On Monday, the Arizona Department of Agriculture announced a third commercial farm had tested positive for bird flu in Maricopa County. At the same time, Hickman's Egg Ranch, which is Arizona's largest egg producer and one of the nation's top 20 producers, has had to destroy the chickens at three of its four farms due to the bird flu. "All of our layer flocks have been on the west side of town, have been determined to be positive. We're in the act of depopulating those farms and removing the chickens and trying to start the cleanup process," Glenn Hickman, the president and CEO of Hickman's Egg Ranch, told Fox 10 Phoenix. Hickman expressed his frustration at the three-year-long flu forcing him to destroy egg-laying chickens. "You know, since this outbreak started in February of 2022, we've lost 170 million birds and that's just got to stop," he said. According to Hickman, it will take 20 months to fully repopulate his farms. The company is trying to get by in the meantime with help from other farms. "Thankfully, we have some other farmers that we are cooperative with, and some of those have had some extra eggs. So we've been able to kind of reshift and reprioritize where those eggs are going," he said. While egg prices have been lowering around the country since they spiked earlier this year, a supply chain expert told Fox 10 Phoenix that there is a chance that egg prices in Arizona will increase. "Hickman's supplies about 80 percent of Arizona's egg production. You are reducing about 80 percent of Arizona's supply chain from about 2.2 billion to 450 million eggs," Hitendra Chaturvedi, an Arizona State University Professor of Practice for the department of supply chain management told the broadcaster. Hickman disagreed, and said the impact of losing his chickens on the market will be "pretty nominal." Arizona's egg struggles are playing out as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is singing President Donald Trump's praises for a reduction in egg prices. She blamed the spike in egg prices on former President Joe Biden's administration. "I remember my very first briefing, I was asked about the cost of eggs, the reporter tried to insinuate this administration was at fault, even though he had only been here for a few days or weeks," Leavitt said. "It was a result of the previous administration's terrible polices and in record time, this president has fixed that problem he inherited from Joe Biden, and prices have dropped 61 percent since this president took office." According to Trading Economics data, white, large shell eggs are around $2.52 per dozen nationally. On January 21, the same carton would have cost approximately $6.49, nationally. According to analysts at Clarify Capital, the price drop is partially a result of Americans buying fewer eggs due to their spike in prices — thus creating more supply — and a lull in new bird flu cases. Reuters also reported in April that the U.S. has increased its egg imports from Turkey, Brazil, and South Korea to help bolster supply and bring down prices. Since the outbreak began in 2022, the bird flu has affects more than 166 million birds, including 127 million egg laying birds.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Mystery as 'beautiful' teen friends found dead in forest just days into holiday
Friends Pandora Kjolsrud, 18, and Evan Clark, 17, were found dead in a national forest in the US state of Arizona just five days into their summer holiday, police have said Two teenagers were mysteriously found shot dead in a national forest just days into their summer holiday this week. The bodies of Pandora Kjolsrud, 18, and Evan Clark, 17, were discovered in the Tonto National Forest near Mount Ord in Arizona, US, on the morning of May 27. Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez from Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said police are treating their deaths as "suspicious" and an investigation is ongoing. The teens suffered fatal gunshot wounds and their deaths - dated May 26 - are listed as homicides. No suspect information has been released as of yet. Pandora and Evan were friends and attended Arcadia High School in Phoenix, which is located around 64 miles from the forest where they were found dead. Friends of the two victims have created a memorial near Mount Ord, where they would watch the sunset together, according to local reports. Meanwhile, their loved ones have paid tribute to the tragic teens, with Evan's mother, Sandra Sweeney, saying: "This last week, Evan was taken from me, and my level of grief feels insurmountable. I find myself at a complete loss to imagine a life without him. It is a small comfort to share some things about this boy who was on his way to becoming a wonderful young man." In a tribute posted on GoFundMe, the heartbroken woman described her son as "funny, bright, kind and entrepreneurial" and said he was "an old soul who was sensitive and loving." The mum added: "Evan wrote me letters, the last of which he gave me on Mother's Day that was so touching it made me both laugh and cry. He was special. He deserved a long life." Pandora was described on a GoFundMe page as "a beautiful human being and a bright light in this world who loved every single person she met and had a unique ability to make every person feel special." According to the fundraiser, the young woman loved music and enjoyed playing violin, cello and guitar. She enjoyed spending time outdoors, doing activities like camping, horseback riding, kayaking and hiking with friends and family. Her grieving mother said she was heartbroken since learning about her daughter's death. "Rest in peace my beautiful girl," she wrote on Facebook. The mysterious circumstances of the pair's deaths have left the local community in disbelief with a person describing the tragedy as "shocking and really sad", according to Fox 10 Phoenix. Another said: "It's really scary that it's just so close to home and then their family. That's the next thing you think about. It's like, what are they going through? What happened to them? Are they going to get answers?" A third added: "It's unbelievable. Very distressing. Very distressing, because they're so young, their lives haven't even begun yet." One more said: "It really makes me worry because I have nieces and nephews that age that something could happen to them."
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Teenagers found dead in Arizona forest, police launches investigation into 'suspicious' deaths
Two teenagers have been found shot dead in a remote part of the Tonto National Forest in Arizona, just days after their summer holidays began. Police are investigating their deaths as 'suspicious'. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The bodies of Pandora Kjolsrud, 18, and Evan Clark, 17, were discovered on the morning of May 27, near Mount Ord, a spot the two friends often watched sunsets at. They had both suffered fatal gunshot wounds, the Maricopa county sheriff's office said, quoted by the New York Post. 'At this time, the circumstances surrounding their deaths are being treated as suspicious,' said Sgt Joaquin Enriquez, speaking to Fox 10 Phoenix. The Maricopa county medical examiner has since confirmed both deaths as homicides, with the date of death listed as 26 May. Kjolsrud and Clark were students at Arcadia High School in Phoenix, around 64 miles southwest of the national forest. The tragic news has shaken the local community and left friends and family grieving the loss of two young lives. 'You just cherish all the memories and the laughs,' said Iara Rosales, Clark's coworker. 'His life was cut very short, and so was Pandora's. They were very young, and it was just so sudden and a tragedy that you wouldn't even imagine.' Friends of the teens created a makeshift memorial at their favourite spot near Mount Ord, laying flowers and tributes to the pair. Online fundraisers have also been set up to help their families cover costs for their celebrations of life. Kjolsrud was remembered by loved ones for her 'vivacious personality' and love for the outdoors. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'She was a beautiful human being and a bright light in this world who loved every single person she met and had a unique ability to make every person feel special,' family friend Kathryn Leonard wrote on GoFundMe. 'The outdoors is where she truly felt at home. She loved camping, horseback riding, kayaking and hiking with friends and family.' Her mother, Simone Kjolsrud, posted a heartbreaking message on Facebook, 'Rest in peace my beautiful girl,' adding that her heart was shattered into a million pieces. Clark's mother, Sandra Malibu Sweeney, described her son as an 'old soul' with a gentle heart. 'Evan Clark was my only child and my beloved son,' she wrote. 'This last week Evan was taken from me, and my level of grief feels insurmountable. I find myself at a complete loss to imagine a life without him. It is a small comfort to share some things about this boy who was on his way to becoming a wonderful man.' The tragedy has left hikers and locals shaken, with concerns being raised about safety in the national forest. 'If there's something going on in the area. I'm here with my child. I'd like to know if we're safe,' one resident told Fox 10. 'Obviously, respecting the families, but I would want to know how we can all be safe.'
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lowes Stores Closing for 24 Hours: Here's Why
Lowes stores across the nation will be closing for a full 24 hours on April 20. The reason? Lowe's chairman and CEO wants to show appreciation for the workers' "continued dedication to serving customers" by allowing them to spend the Easter holiday with their families. "I'm extremely proud of the commitment of our 300,000 associates who support our communities while providing excellent customer service not only in spring – but all year-round," said Marvin Ellison, according to Fox 10 Phoenix. "In recognition of our teams' continued hard work, we are pleased to provide a well-deserved day off so they can spend Easter with their loved ones." The stores are expected close at 10 p.m. local time on April 19 and won't reopen until 6 a.m. local time on April 21. This is the fourth year that Ellison has announced his decision to close all of the stores to allow workers to spend time with their families. He shared a similar statement back in 2023. "I'm extremely proud of the commitment of our 300,000 associates who support our communities while providing excellent customer service not only in spring – but all year-round. In recognition of our teams' continued hard work, we are pleased to provide a well-deserved day off so they can spend Easter with their loved ones," he said at the time. Lowes has also closed on other holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, but tends to be open on other holidays, including New Year's Day, Fourth of July, and Memorial Day. Ellison has been the CEO of Lowes for six years.
