Good morning and welcome to Kid News, I'm Kim, today's Tuesday, October 11th, 2022.

And we begin with a new king of the pumpkin patch, at least in the U.S.

Just last week, a New York State gourd tipped the scales at 2,554 pounds to set a new national

Guinness record.

But that honor only lasted until yesterday, when a monster from Minnesota weighed in at 2,560

pounds.

And horticulture teacher Travis Geinger knew he had a big one when he towed it from his

upper Midwest hometown, all the way to California for the annual half moon bay pumpkin wayoff.

He named his super squash Maverick and sweated out every bump on the 2,000 mile, 35 hour road

trip.

Pre-way in, he wrote to his Facebook friends, whatever happens when loser draw, I think

this will be the pumpkin I hang my hat up with.

Now Travis can hang up his hat with a big victory, a new national record, and $23,000

in prize money.

Fun fact, when the half moon bay contest began in 1974, winning pumpkins barely topped 100

pounds.

These days, much more attention is paid to the seeds and the entire growing process.

Get out the tissues and chicken noodle soup flu season could be a doozy this year.

According to US News and World Report, experts worry that because the last two flu seasons

were mild and fewer people got the flu vaccine, low levels of immunity will make this year's

season more severe.

Add to that, the relaxation of COVID measures like mask wearing and social distancing, and

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