DETROIT (FOX 2) – A federal judge has temporarily blocked the federal government from suspending food assistance during the shutdown, ruling that the USDA must continue issuing SNAP benefits using contingency funds. 

However, that doesn’t mean benefits will resume immediately.

Local perspective:

Mayor Duggan has authorized $1.75 million in emergency food aid if SNAP is shut down.

But who knows how far that will go?

FOX 2 was at Forgotten Harvest in Oak Park, where they’re operating under the assumption it will take a while for those benefits to resume.

1.4 million people in Michigan depend on SNAP, and the impact could be far-reaching. 

What they’re saying:

Here’s what Forgotten Harvest and Capuchin Soup Kitchen have to say:

“We’re operating as if SNAP benefits aren’t being loaded. We want to make sure there’s no gap for neighbors who need to feed their families. We’re encouraged to continue making sure people are fed,” said Forgotten Harvest COO Sheila Marshall.

Here’s the reality: the next few weeks will be in limbo.

What’s next:

The contingency money is $5.8 billion from the USDA, and more money could come from a separate allocation known as Section 32.

It’s time to buy candy for Halloween. But now with tariffs and inflation, experts believe your dollar will not stretch as much as it usually does.

“Prices are very, very high this year,” one shopper said.

One of the main items’ more expensive this Halloween is chocolate because of fewer cocoa powder crops overseas.

“Cocoa beans are grown out of the United States. Chocolate itself has gone up another percentage because of the tariffs, which kind of hurts it,” said Steve Sikora, who owns “The Bulk Store” in Taylor, Michigan.

Sikora says he buys thousands of pounds in products. This year, he noticed a change.

“The price itself gets raised, or some of my wholesalers add a line, tariff charge.  And they’re charging us additionally,” he said.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, candy and chewing gum prices are up nearly 10% over the last year. While the extra tariff charge is in effect, Steve is doing what he can to help his customers.

“We haven’t raised our prices because of it. We’re just biting our lip waiting for it to go away. Because you hate to have to charge your customers more,” Sikora said.

Financial website FinanceBuzz looked at the price of bags of candy in 2020 vs today. It found that prices have shot up almost 80%. Experts say one way to save money is to find deals.

“I’m going to guess places like Miejer and Target are going to have sales coming up, because they want to get rid of it. So there might be sales even coming up on Halloween day,” said Jeff Rightmer, supply chain management professor at Wayne State University.

Last year, Americans spent over $7 billion on Halloween chocolate and candy. That’s a 2.2% increase from 2023, according to the National Confectioners Association.

Experts tell CBS News Detroit that, through it all, sales of chocolate and candy this Halloween season are expected to grow roughly 3%.

“If you tend to go away from the non-chocolate things… like gummy worms or stuff like that. The prices haven’t increased as much. Inflation has certainly kicked some of that up. But as far as chocolate goes, that’s what you’re seeing the biggest increase in,” Rightmer said.

MUNISING, Mich. – A 65-year-old Michigan woman allegedly left her home in the middle of the night and never returned.

Now, more than two months after she was last seen, police are continuing to search for her.

Starla Goings was last seen in Munising on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025.

Her daughter, Steffanie Goings, and her husband, Anthony Owens, told NBC’s News that they live in Orlando, but would talk to Starla every couple of days.

The couple said they last spoke to Starla in the afternoon on Aug. 15.

It was a normal conversation, and Starla told them that she was at the State Fair in Escanaba, according to NBC News. They haven’t heard from her since that day.

Two days later, after reaching out to some of Starla’s friends, they discovered that no one had talked to Starla all weekend.

That’s when the Alger County Sheriff’s Office received a call for a welfare check on Starla, which was carried out in the evening on Sunday, Aug. 17.

Alger County Sheriff Todd Brock told NBC News that Starla was last seen by her husband at around midnight on Aug. 15. She allegedly told her husband she was leaving, and then left the home.

Her car was located about 3.5 miles from her home on Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025.

On Sept. 11, 2025, Anthony made a post on the Munising Informed Facebook page saying that they knew Starla made it home from the fair, but had no other information to provide.

Then, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, Steffanie made a post on that same community page, referencing a report that authorities were searching Starla’s property, and said they didn’t know what police were doing at the house or if they had found anything.

“When we know something, we will share what we can, but right now we need time and space to process and grieve,” Steffanie said in the post. “Please respect that.”

On Wednesday, Oct. 29, the sheriff’s office confirmed to Local 4 that a search had been conducted at the property, but didn’t provide any additional details.

The investigation is ongoing.

Starla is 65, 5′4″ and 160 pounds, with bright white hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information about Starla’s disappearance is asked to contact the Alger County Sheriff’s Office at 906-387-7030.