• A growing business birthed in Houston is expanding its workforce and buying a building to house its operation. Sun Solar LLC said it had already hired 15 of 30 new positions after the passage of tax reform. CEO Caleb Arthur told the Springfield Business Journal the new hires join about 100 employees. Additionally, Sun Solar spent $1 million to buy a 15,400 square foot facility for its headquarters at 2531 N. Patterson Ave. with plans to move in next month. The company also is facing a tariff placed on solar panels, the paper reported.
• Several Texas County residents won prizes in March in Missouri Lottery games: Michael Northrup, $1,315, Houston; Karen Becker, $2,150, Houston; Johnny Biram and Ronald Hale, $1,000 each, Licking; Bentley Alicia, Rachel Easter and Donnie Luton, $1,000, Cabool; and Kyle Williams, Bucyrus, $1,000.
• A recent report from USDA rated 77 percent of Missouri’s pastures in fair to very poor condition. Short hay supplies troubled cattle producers, with USDA reporting 36 percent of the state in short supply and another 9 percent in very short supply.
• Gas prices are getting pumped up to their highest level in years. The national average cost of gasoline is now its priciest since July 2015, nearly 1,000 days, rising to $2.68 per gallon according to GasBuddy. The sudden surge after a week of relative calm at the pump can be blamed on oil prices surging to nearly $67 per barrel, the highest level since 2014, on fears of military action in Syria and trade conflict with China.
• The generosity of friends and family was on display early Saturday morning after a storm struck at the Murray farm at Upton.
One can only imagine what a barn looked like on the property — nothing was left after it was destroyed the previous evening.