MAQUOKETA, Iowa (AP) —A 9-year-old boy who was camping at an Iowa state park with his parents and 6-year-old sister survived a shooting that killed the rest of his family.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety identified the victims as Tyler Schmidt, 42; his 42-year-old wife, Sarah Schmidt; and their 6-year-old daughter, Lula Schmidt, all of Cedar Falls, Iowa.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-shootings-iowa-13ccc3d47f39642da299278c604fbd8c">Their bodies were found in their tent early Friday</a>&nbsp;at the Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground, about 180 miles east of Des Moines.

Authorities said the suspected gunman, 23-year-old Anthony Sherwin, was found dead Friday in a wooded area of the park with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Department of Public Safety’s division of criminal investigation, told The Associated Press on Saturday that the motive for the attack was still unknown.

“We don’t know what led up to this, what precipitated it,” he said, adding that so far, “the investigation has not revealed any early interaction between the Schmidt family and him.”

Adam Morehouse, Sarah Schmidt's brother, said the family had no connection to Sherwin and he believed it was a “completely random act.”

Cedar Falls Mayor Rob Green, who said he is a neighbor of the Schmidts, posted on Facebook on Friday that the couple's 9-year-old son, Arlo, “survived the attack, and is safe.” The post did not say whether Arlo was in the tent or even at the campsite when the shootings happened, and the mayor told the AP he didn't have those details.

Morehouse confirmed Arlo was on the family's camping trip, but said he did not know exactly where the boy was at the time of the shooting or know specifics about how it unfolded.

“He is with family and he is OK, but I have not had any interaction with him,” Morehouse said Saturday. “As far as I know, he was uninjured physically.”

By Saturday evening, more than $75,000 had flowed into a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/arlo-schmidt">GoFundMe</a> page created for Arlo. The page, organized by a cousin, Beth Shapiro, said: “Arlo is a strong boy, surrounded by family and friends who are supporting him as best we can.” The<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/arlo-schmidt"> page says </a>the fund will help Arlo now, and help fund his future education.

The killings prompted the evacuation of the park and campground, including a children's summer camp. After the evacuations, Sherwin was the only person unaccounted for, Mortvedt said.

He said that during the course of the investigation, authorities learned Sherwin was armed and “that of course heightened our awareness.” Iowa allows people with permits to carry firearms virtually anywhere in the state. Officials did not say if Sherwin had a permit and provided no information about the firearm used to kill the Schmidts.

The Des Moines Register reported that Sherwin was from La Vista, Nebraska. La Vista Police Chief Bob Lausten told the newspaper that Sherwin lived in an apartment complex with his parents and had no history of criminal conduct.

Felicia Coe, 35, of Des Moines, was at the campground Friday morning with her boyfriend and his two sons, ages 11 and 16. She said the 16-year-old went out early to go running, and she was talking with someone at the park at about 6:30 a.m. when two park rangers dressed in helmets, vests and carrying what looked like automatic rifles told them to leave the campground.

More law enforcement and an ambulance showed up as Coe went to find her boyfriend's teenage son.

At the time, Coe did not know what happened. But she recalls seeing a little boy standing near the paramedics.

“He was in his pajamas. I distinctly remember he had one blue tennis shoe,” she said. She later saw a picture of the Schmidt family online and said she recognized the boy she saw as Arlo.

“He’s got this really cute, floppy-curly, moppy, strawberry-blond hair that’s really distinguishable,” Coe said. “He was in these super cute little pajamas, like a cotton T-shirt and shorts that matched. ... He was just standing there. He wasn’t crying. He wasn’t distraught. But he also wasn’t being comforted. He was just standing there by himself.”

She said the campers got little information about what happened and she began piecing it together on the drive home.

“It’s hard to be so grateful that it wasn’t your family, when you know that another family, is just being ripped apart — multiple families," she said.

Green, the Cedar Falls mayor, said Sarah Schmidt worked at the city's Public Library, which was closed Saturday.

“Like many of you just hearing the news, I’m devastated,” Green wrote on Facebook. “I knew Sarah well, and she &amp; her family were regular walkers here in the Sartori Park neighborhood. I was working with her this week on a public library tech presentation for 7/26.”

Morehouse said Tyler Schmidt's parents live in the Cedar Falls area, and Sarah Schmidt's family members are scattered around the country, but were heading to Iowa. He said Tyler and Sarah lived in Lawrence, Kansas, for a time, where Sarah worked at the University of Kansas. Tyler was an IT software engineer. At one point, he said, Sarah worked on a project about monarch butterflies, and the couple were huge Kansas Jayhawks fans.

In 2018, the Schmidts moved to Cedar Falls and had been active in the community ever since, Morehouse said. He said they loved the outdoors, and just got four pairs of snowshoes for Christmas.

“The best way to describe all four of them was the quintessential Midwestern family. They gave everybody everything they possibly could. They loved family ... They enjoyed the outdoors, enjoyed the hiking — and this is just a question mark of ‘Why that campground and that campsite on that night?’"

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658666100699.png" alt="&nbsp;Tyler and Sarah Schmidt lived in Lawrence, Kansas, for a time, where Sarah worked at the University of Kansas. Tyler was an IT software engineer.-Photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Tyler and Sarah Schmidt lived in Lawrence, Kansas, for a time, where Sarah worked at the University of Kansas. Tyler was an IT software engineer.-Photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>MAQUOKETA, Iowa (AP) —A 9-year-old boy who was camping at an Iowa state park with his parents and 6-year-old sister survived a shooting that killed the rest of his family.The Iowa Department of Public Safety identified the victims as Tyler Schmidt, 42; his 42-year-old wife, Sarah Schmidt; and their 6-year-old daughter, Lula Schmidt, all of Cedar Falls, Iowa.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-shootings-iowa-13ccc3d47f39642da299278c604fbd8c">Their bodies were found in their tent early Friday</a>&nbsp;at the Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground, about 180 miles east of Des Moines.Authorities said the suspected gunman, 23-year-old Anthony Sherwin, was found dead Friday in a wooded area of the park with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Department of Public Safety’s division of criminal investigation, told The Associated Press on Saturday that the motive for the attack was still unknown.“We don’t know what led up to this, what precipitated it,” he said, adding that so far, “the investigation has not revealed any early interaction between the Schmidt family and him.”Adam Morehouse, Sarah Schmidt's brother, said the family had no connection to Sherwin and he believed it was a “completely random act.”Cedar Falls Mayor Rob Green, who said he is a neighbor of the Schmidts, posted on Facebook on Friday that the couple's 9-year-old son, Arlo, “survived the attack, and is safe.” The post did not say whether Arlo was in the tent or even at the campsite when the shootings happened, and the mayor told the AP he didn't have those details.Morehouse confirmed Arlo was on the family's camping trip, but said he did not know exactly where the boy was at the time of the shooting or know specifics about how it unfolded.“He is with family and he is OK, but I have not had any interaction with him,” Morehouse said Saturday. “As far as I know, he was uninjured physically.”By Saturday evening, more than $75,000 had flowed into a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/arlo-schmidt">GoFundMe</a> page created for Arlo. The page, organized by a cousin, Beth Shapiro, said: “Arlo is a strong boy, surrounded by family and friends who are supporting him as best we can.” The<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/arlo-schmidt"> page says </a>the fund will help Arlo now, and help fund his future education.The killings prompted the evacuation of the park and campground, including a children's summer camp. After the evacuations, Sherwin was the only person unaccounted for, Mortvedt said.He said that during the course of the investigation, authorities learned Sherwin was armed and “that of course heightened our awareness.” Iowa allows people with permits to carry firearms virtually anywhere in the state. Officials did not say if Sherwin had a permit and provided no information about the firearm used to kill the Schmidts.The Des Moines Register reported that Sherwin was from La Vista, Nebraska. La Vista Police Chief Bob Lausten told the newspaper that Sherwin lived in an apartment complex with his parents and had no history of criminal conduct.Felicia Coe, 35, of Des Moines, was at the campground Friday morning with her boyfriend and his two sons, ages 11 and 16. She said the 16-year-old went out early to go running, and she was talking with someone at the park at about 6:30 a.m. when two park rangers dressed in helmets, vests and carrying what looked like automatic rifles told them to leave the campground.More law enforcement and an ambulance showed up as Coe went to find her boyfriend's teenage son.At the time, Coe did not know what happened. But she recalls seeing a little boy standing near the paramedics.“He was in his pajamas. I distinctly remember he had one blue tennis shoe,” she said. She later saw a picture of the Schmidt family online and said she recognized the boy she saw as Arlo.“He’s got this really cute, floppy-curly, moppy, strawberry-blond hair that’s really distinguishable,” Coe said. “He was in these super cute little pajamas, like a cotton T-shirt and shorts that matched. ... He was just standing there. He wasn’t crying. He wasn’t distraught. But he also wasn’t being comforted. He was just standing there by himself.”She said the campers got little information about what happened and she began piecing it together on the drive home.“It’s hard to be so grateful that it wasn’t your family, when you know that another family, is just being ripped apart — multiple families," she said.Green, the Cedar Falls mayor, said Sarah Schmidt worked at the city's Public Library, which was closed Saturday.“Like many of you just hearing the news, I’m devastated,” Green wrote on Facebook. “I knew Sarah well, and she &amp; her family were regular walkers here in the Sartori Park neighborhood. I was working with her this week on a public library tech presentation for 7/26.”Morehouse said Tyler Schmidt's parents live in the Cedar Falls area, and Sarah Schmidt's family members are scattered around the country, but were heading to Iowa. He said Tyler and Sarah lived in Lawrence, Kansas, for a time, where Sarah worked at the University of Kansas. Tyler was an IT software engineer. At one point, he said, Sarah worked on a project about monarch butterflies, and the couple were huge Kansas Jayhawks fans.In 2018, the Schmidts moved to Cedar Falls and had been active in the community ever since, Morehouse said. He said they loved the outdoors, and just got four pairs of snowshoes for Christmas.“The best way to describe all four of them was the quintessential Midwestern family. They gave everybody everything they possibly could. They loved family ... They enjoyed the outdoors, enjoyed the hiking — and this is just a question mark of ‘Why that campground and that campsite on that night?’"

Parents fatally shot at state park had lived in Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden likely contracted a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-united-states-pandemics-72462053f8d60fd548cf34377864100b">highly contagious variant</a>&nbsp;of the coronavirus spreading rapidly through the United States, and now has body aches and a sore throat since his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boris-johnson-biden-covid-health-government-and-politics-fec6b4a56384b1f2bf7582aecb46aa36">positive test</a>, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Update-7.23.pdf">an update from his doctor</a>&nbsp;on Saturday.

The variant, known as BA.5, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-rochelle-walensky-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-government-politics-0bd2ccf19f1c27379f312b9edf5f3634">an offshoot of the omicron strain</a>&nbsp;that emerged late last year, and it's believed to be responsible for the vast majority of coronavirus cases in the country.

Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician, wrote in his latest update on Biden's condition that Biden's earlier symptoms, including a runny nose and a cough, have become “less troublesome.” O'Connor's earlier notes did not mention the sore throat or body aches.

Biden's vital signs, such as blood pressure and respiratory rate, “remain entirely normal,” and his oxygen saturation levels are “excellent” with “no shortness of breath at all," the doctor wrote.

O'Connor said the results of the preliminary sequencing that indicated the BA.5 variant do not affect Biden's treatment plan “in any way.”

Biden tested positive for the virus on Thursday morning. He has been isolating in the White House residence since then. Administration officials have emphasized that his symptoms are mild because he has received four vaccine doses, and he started taking the antiviral drug&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-pfizer-medication-f5f65e7e61d6aa9c7dfa193053e8878a">Paxlovid</a>&nbsp;after becoming infected.

During a virtual meeting with economic advisers on Friday, Biden was hoarse but insisted, “I feel much better than I sound.”

In his previous update on Biden’s health, O’Connor said the president had an elevated temperature of 99.4 F on Thursday evening, but it returned to normal after taking Tylenol.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden likely contracted a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-united-states-pandemics-72462053f8d60fd548cf34377864100b">highly contagious variant</a>&nbsp;of the coronavirus spreading rapidly through the United States, and now has body aches and a sore throat since his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boris-johnson-biden-covid-health-government-and-politics-fec6b4a56384b1f2bf7582aecb46aa36">positive test</a>, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Update-7.23.pdf">an update from his doctor</a>&nbsp;on Saturday.The variant, known as BA.5, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-rochelle-walensky-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-government-politics-0bd2ccf19f1c27379f312b9edf5f3634">an offshoot of the omicron strain</a>&nbsp;that emerged late last year, and it's believed to be responsible for the vast majority of coronavirus cases in the country.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658606557016.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician, wrote in his latest update on Biden's condition that Biden's earlier symptoms, including a runny nose and a cough, have become “less troublesome.” O'Connor's earlier notes did not mention the sore throat or body aches.Biden's vital signs, such as blood pressure and respiratory rate, “remain entirely normal,” and his oxygen saturation levels are “excellent” with “no shortness of breath at all," the doctor wrote.O'Connor said the results of the preliminary sequencing that indicated the BA.5 variant do not affect Biden's treatment plan “in any way.”Biden tested positive for the virus on Thursday morning. He has been isolating in the White House residence since then. Administration officials have emphasized that his symptoms are mild because he has received four vaccine doses, and he started taking the antiviral drug&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-pfizer-medication-f5f65e7e61d6aa9c7dfa193053e8878a">Paxlovid</a>&nbsp;after becoming infected.During a virtual meeting with economic advisers on Friday, Biden was hoarse but insisted, “I feel much better than I sound.”In his previous update on Biden’s health, O’Connor said the president had an elevated temperature of 99.4 F on Thursday evening, but it returned to normal after taking Tylenol.

Biden's doctor: President has highly contagious COVID strain

KANSAS CITY (AP) — When long-haul trucker Deb LaBree sets out on the road to deliver pharmaceuticals, she has strategies to hold down costs. She avoids the West Coast and the Northeast, where diesel prices are highest. She organizes her delivery route to minimize “deadheading” — driving an empty truck in between deliveries.

And if a customer’s load is too far away or they can’t pay more for fuel? She turns the job down.

“It breaks my heart because I either have to say, ‘No, I can’t afford to,’ or ’I can, but you’re going to have to pay some of my fuel to get me there,' ” LaBree said. “I hate doing both of those things because it’s not the customer’s fault. It’s not our fault.”

The price of diesel fuel has skyrocketed in recent months — much more even than regular gasoline — especially after Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Moscow's attack led numerous nations to spurn Russian fuel, removing from the market a major source of oil, the main component of diesel fuel, and driving prices drastically up.

For months, motorists have felt the pain of high gasoline prices. Many may not know that they're also absorbing the impact of much costlier diesel fuel. That's because the goods consumers buy — from cereal and orange juice to Amazon deliveries of diapers — are delivered by trucks, trains or ships that run on diesel. Those inflated prices are then passed on from company to company until they reach consumers in the form of costlier goods.

“People pay less attention to diesel prices because people aren’t going to the pump and using it,” said Matt Smith, lead oil analyst at Kpler, a research firm. “But diesel has a more far-reaching impact and is already having a real big impact across the economy.”

Diesel fuel was averaging $5.52 a gallon nationally Tuesday — up a scorching 68% from a year ago, when it was selling for just $3.28. By comparison, a gallon of regular gasoline is averaging $4.50, up 42% from a year ago.

High gasoline prices have eased somewhat in recent weeks. But diesel has remained chronically high, with American refineries operating near capacity. Unless prices ease, the ripple effects of high diesel fuel could worsen because the costs are deterring some truck companies from accepting jobs unless they can persuade their customers to pay more for fuel.

“There will be more logistical shortages,” said Phil Verleger, a longtime energy economist. “Americans will find more empty shelves and higher prices.”

If they're not rejecting jobs, many truckers are choosing lighter loads or working longer hours to make up for money lost on fuel, according to interviews with truckers and industry executives. Farmers harvesting hay and planting corn with diesel-fired tractors are absorbing a financial hit. Delivery companies are installing their own fueling pumps to cut costs. Ultimately, consumers are left bearing the burden.

“If you’re a farmer, then your energy costs are higher, and therefore it’s costing more to produce grain, and that’s pushing the price of grain up, and that’s pushing the price of food up,” said Smith, the analyst at Kpler.

Even more than gasoline, high diesel prices are magnifying the costs of goods because the delivery cost has risen so much. Consumer prices soared 9.1% in June compared with 12 months earlier, the government reported last week. The fuel oil portion of the consumer price index nearly doubled from the same time last year.

“Those energy costs are working their way into products, all manner of different consumer products,” Smith noted.

One reason why diesel prices haven't yet declined as gasoline has is that OPEC nations have slowed their supply of oil, and Middle East oil typically produces more diesel fuel than, say, parts of Texas do. Another factor is that China has reduced its diesel exports, presumably to help achieve its net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goals.

And within the United States, refineries that produce diesel from crude oil are essentially maxed out. The nation has 11 fewer refineries operating today than before the pandemic, according to the American Petroleum Institute. One refinery that had served the East Coast closed after an explosion in 2019 and never re-opened. And some refineries in California are closed for retrofitting to process renewable fuel.

“We use a lot of diesel, probably more than what these refineries can produce,” said Bob Costello, chief economist of the American Trucking Associations.

President Joe Biden's visit last week to Saudi Arabia was intended, in part, to encourage OPEC to produce more oil, which would mean more diesel fuel globally. Though no major deal was announced, Prince&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-africa-israel-iran-ba943ceaceb78d17cf50c64511ba6db4">Mohammed bin Salman hinted that Saudi Arabia could potentially produce more oil</a>.

But expecting OPEC to export more oil during high-demand summer months might be unrealistic, said Amy Myers Jaffe, an energy expert at Tufts University.

“The important thing," she said, "is to make sure that our allies, together with OPEC, don’t decrease any flows to the market at any junction, especially if we have some kind of disruption.”

Even if American oil and gas producers increase production, tough challenges would remain — namely, finding additional refinery space and then enough pipeline capacity to transport any additional diesel.

In the meantime, some truckers are struggling to adjust while keeping goods moving. Sherri Brumbaugh, who runs a fleet of 90 trucks as head of Garner Trucking, has installed more fuel pumps on-site in Findlay, Ohio, because she can obtain diesel more cheaply than her truckers can on the road.

She also monitors where her drivers are buying fuel to make sure they're making wise decisions. And she tries to absorb the higher fuel costs herself as much as possible.

But “at some point," she said, “you’ve got to go to the customer and say, ‘I’ve got to increase this rate.' ”

Brumbaugh declined to say how much she's raised rates on her customers, which range from bottled beverage companies to dishwasher manufacturers.

Lately, she said, there’s been less retail freight to haul. “It may be an indication of a recession,” she said. “I hope not.”

Cargo Transporters, which runs 470 trucks and 1,800 trailers, raised its rates, too, and has been turning down some jobs to Florida, where trucks often must return without a load, said Shawn Brown, a company executive. When there's no cargo on a truck, no one pays the trucking company. But the driver still has to be paid, and fuel is still burned.

“When that trailer’s not loaded and there’s no revenue being generated and a mile is run, we’re eating that,” Brown said.

UPS and FedEx have more than doubled their fuel surcharges on ground deliveries year-over-year, according to calculations by Cowen Research and AFS Logistics.

Farmers also face higher costs. But they can't easily raise prices, because they often don’t control the price of their goods. Milk and grain prices, for example, are set by the market.

“It’s costing us more for freight to get things delivered to the farm, and it’s costing more to haul things away,” said David Fisher, a dairy farmer in Madrid, New York, who is president of the New York Farm Bureau, which lobbies governments on behalf of farmers. “We’re planting crops and harvesting crops, and the cost of those are going to be higher, but we don’t know if we can recoup those costs.”

To burn less fuel, he's considered skipping a tillage pass, a maneuver whereby a tractor manipulates soil to enhance crop growth. But doing so would risk having fewer crops to harvest.

A year ago, Fisher was spending $8,000 a week on fuel. This year, he said, the figure reached around $20,000.

“Everybody I talk to has quite a bit of anxiety over these fuel prices,” Fisher said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-barack-obama-holidays-221ce44407c35e38cd8007e77095eeb4">Biden has called on Congress and states</a>&nbsp;to suspend their gasoline or diesel taxes for a few months to help alleviate pain for drivers, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-biden-united-states-holidays-prices-2136d5702ed4665f083940a23257299d">Congress appears unwilling</a>&nbsp;to enact a tax holiday. Some states temporarily suspended some taxes on diesel and other motor fuels.

With high diesel prices persisting, LaBree and her husband are working more hours to manage costs. They used to stay on the road for four days and come home to Missouri for three. Now, she said, “we have to stay out for five — sometimes six — days to make up for what we’ve lost from fuel."

“Most truckers like to think of ourselves as, we’re serving our country, moving goods around to keep America going,” LaBree said. “But at what point are we doing it for free? I can’t run a business that way.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619813986023.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — When long-haul trucker Deb LaBree sets out on the road to deliver pharmaceuticals, she has strategies to hold down costs. She avoids the West Coast and the Northeast, where diesel prices are highest. She organizes her delivery route to minimize “deadheading” — driving an empty truck in between deliveries.And if a customer’s load is too far away or they can’t pay more for fuel? She turns the job down.“It breaks my heart because I either have to say, ‘No, I can’t afford to,’ or ’I can, but you’re going to have to pay some of my fuel to get me there,' ” LaBree said. “I hate doing both of those things because it’s not the customer’s fault. It’s not our fault.”The price of diesel fuel has skyrocketed in recent months — much more even than regular gasoline — especially after Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Moscow's attack led numerous nations to spurn Russian fuel, removing from the market a major source of oil, the main component of diesel fuel, and driving prices drastically up.For months, motorists have felt the pain of high gasoline prices. Many may not know that they're also absorbing the impact of much costlier diesel fuel. That's because the goods consumers buy — from cereal and orange juice to Amazon deliveries of diapers — are delivered by trucks, trains or ships that run on diesel. Those inflated prices are then passed on from company to company until they reach consumers in the form of costlier goods.“People pay less attention to diesel prices because people aren’t going to the pump and using it,” said Matt Smith, lead oil analyst at Kpler, a research firm. “But diesel has a more far-reaching impact and is already having a real big impact across the economy.”Diesel fuel was averaging $5.52 a gallon nationally Tuesday — up a scorching 68% from a year ago, when it was selling for just $3.28. By comparison, a gallon of regular gasoline is averaging $4.50, up 42% from a year ago.High gasoline prices have eased somewhat in recent weeks. But diesel has remained chronically high, with American refineries operating near capacity. Unless prices ease, the ripple effects of high diesel fuel could worsen because the costs are deterring some truck companies from accepting jobs unless they can persuade their customers to pay more for fuel.“There will be more logistical shortages,” said Phil Verleger, a longtime energy economist. “Americans will find more empty shelves and higher prices.”If they're not rejecting jobs, many truckers are choosing lighter loads or working longer hours to make up for money lost on fuel, according to interviews with truckers and industry executives. Farmers harvesting hay and planting corn with diesel-fired tractors are absorbing a financial hit. Delivery companies are installing their own fueling pumps to cut costs. Ultimately, consumers are left bearing the burden.“If you’re a farmer, then your energy costs are higher, and therefore it’s costing more to produce grain, and that’s pushing the price of grain up, and that’s pushing the price of food up,” said Smith, the analyst at Kpler.Even more than gasoline, high diesel prices are magnifying the costs of goods because the delivery cost has risen so much. Consumer prices soared 9.1% in June compared with 12 months earlier, the government reported last week. The fuel oil portion of the consumer price index nearly doubled from the same time last year.“Those energy costs are working their way into products, all manner of different consumer products,” Smith noted.One reason why diesel prices haven't yet declined as gasoline has is that OPEC nations have slowed their supply of oil, and Middle East oil typically produces more diesel fuel than, say, parts of Texas do. Another factor is that China has reduced its diesel exports, presumably to help achieve its net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goals.And within the United States, refineries that produce diesel from crude oil are essentially maxed out. The nation has 11 fewer refineries operating today than before the pandemic, according to the American Petroleum Institute. One refinery that had served the East Coast closed after an explosion in 2019 and never re-opened. And some refineries in California are closed for retrofitting to process renewable fuel.“We use a lot of diesel, probably more than what these refineries can produce,” said Bob Costello, chief economist of the American Trucking Associations.President Joe Biden's visit last week to Saudi Arabia was intended, in part, to encourage OPEC to produce more oil, which would mean more diesel fuel globally. Though no major deal was announced, Prince&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-africa-israel-iran-ba943ceaceb78d17cf50c64511ba6db4">Mohammed bin Salman hinted that Saudi Arabia could potentially produce more oil</a>.But expecting OPEC to export more oil during high-demand summer months might be unrealistic, said Amy Myers Jaffe, an energy expert at Tufts University.“The important thing," she said, "is to make sure that our allies, together with OPEC, don’t decrease any flows to the market at any junction, especially if we have some kind of disruption.”Even if American oil and gas producers increase production, tough challenges would remain — namely, finding additional refinery space and then enough pipeline capacity to transport any additional diesel.In the meantime, some truckers are struggling to adjust while keeping goods moving. Sherri Brumbaugh, who runs a fleet of 90 trucks as head of Garner Trucking, has installed more fuel pumps on-site in Findlay, Ohio, because she can obtain diesel more cheaply than her truckers can on the road.She also monitors where her drivers are buying fuel to make sure they're making wise decisions. And she tries to absorb the higher fuel costs herself as much as possible.But “at some point," she said, “you’ve got to go to the customer and say, ‘I’ve got to increase this rate.' ”Brumbaugh declined to say how much she's raised rates on her customers, which range from bottled beverage companies to dishwasher manufacturers.Lately, she said, there’s been less retail freight to haul. “It may be an indication of a recession,” she said. “I hope not.”Cargo Transporters, which runs 470 trucks and 1,800 trailers, raised its rates, too, and has been turning down some jobs to Florida, where trucks often must return without a load, said Shawn Brown, a company executive. When there's no cargo on a truck, no one pays the trucking company. But the driver still has to be paid, and fuel is still burned.“When that trailer’s not loaded and there’s no revenue being generated and a mile is run, we’re eating that,” Brown said.UPS and FedEx have more than doubled their fuel surcharges on ground deliveries year-over-year, according to calculations by Cowen Research and AFS Logistics.Farmers also face higher costs. But they can't easily raise prices, because they often don’t control the price of their goods. Milk and grain prices, for example, are set by the market.“It’s costing us more for freight to get things delivered to the farm, and it’s costing more to haul things away,” said David Fisher, a dairy farmer in Madrid, New York, who is president of the New York Farm Bureau, which lobbies governments on behalf of farmers. “We’re planting crops and harvesting crops, and the cost of those are going to be higher, but we don’t know if we can recoup those costs.”To burn less fuel, he's considered skipping a tillage pass, a maneuver whereby a tractor manipulates soil to enhance crop growth. But doing so would risk having fewer crops to harvest.A year ago, Fisher was spending $8,000 a week on fuel. This year, he said, the figure reached around $20,000.“Everybody I talk to has quite a bit of anxiety over these fuel prices,” Fisher said.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-barack-obama-holidays-221ce44407c35e38cd8007e77095eeb4">Biden has called on Congress and states</a>&nbsp;to suspend their gasoline or diesel taxes for a few months to help alleviate pain for drivers, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-biden-united-states-holidays-prices-2136d5702ed4665f083940a23257299d">Congress appears unwilling</a>&nbsp;to enact a tax holiday. Some states temporarily suspended some taxes on diesel and other motor fuels.With high diesel prices persisting, LaBree and her husband are working more hours to manage costs. They used to stay on the road for four days and come home to Missouri for three. Now, she said, “we have to stay out for five — sometimes six — days to make up for what we’ve lost from fuel."“Most truckers like to think of ourselves as, we’re serving our country, moving goods around to keep America going,” LaBree said. “But at what point are we doing it for free? I can’t run a business that way.”

Sky-high diesel prices squeeze truckers, farmers, consumers

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said the task for his successor could be difficult if the abortion regulation amendment on the ballot August 2 does not pass.

"If think if Value Them Both were to not pass, it is likely that we will see additional legal challenges brought against existing Kansas law that governs the provision of abortion in the state," Schmidt said. "There already are at least two pending lawsuits, one challenging what is often colloquially called dismemberment abortion, a particular procedure often performed in the second trimester. There's another lawsuit pending that challenges certain health and safety standards for clinics that are currently in Kansas law. I suspect that we'll see more of those challenges in the event Value Them Both were not to pass. That's why supporters, they are able to say, I believe accurately, what is at risk here is the preservation of existing laws related to abortion."

Schmidt, of course, in his official capacity, was the attorney of record for the state of Kansas in the Hodes case whose decision currently holds regarding abortion regulation in the state.

"I think the voters of Kansas are going to show us the path forward on this subject by how they decide the Value Them Both question on August 2nd," Schmidt said. "I think, the right thing to do for anybody in a public policy role is to watch what happens with the voters and then listen very carefully to the message that they send. There are obviously people with very strongly held views on all sides of this issue. One thing that I think is certain, is that, in this post-Roe world, it's going to be necessary for people to work in good faith with each other to try to find whatever the right balance is, state by state, in terms of regulation of the abortion industry."

The squeezing out of moderate Republicans from the legislature since the beginning of Gov. Sam Brownback's tenure to now and the dominance of the Republican party overall legislatively in Kansas would seem to indicate that the good faith balance may not be easy to reach.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583409290272.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said the task for his successor could be difficult if the abortion regulation amendment on the ballot August 2 does not pass."If think if Value Them Both were to not pass, it is likely that we will see additional legal challenges brought against existing Kansas law that governs the provision of abortion in the state," Schmidt said. "There already are at least two pending lawsuits, one challenging what is often colloquially called dismemberment abortion, a particular procedure often performed in the second trimester. There's another lawsuit pending that challenges certain health and safety standards for clinics that are currently in Kansas law. I suspect that we'll see more of those challenges in the event Value Them Both were not to pass. That's why supporters, they are able to say, I believe accurately, what is at risk here is the preservation of existing laws related to abortion."Schmidt, of course, in his official capacity, was the attorney of record for the state of Kansas in the Hodes case whose decision currently holds regarding abortion regulation in the state."I think the voters of Kansas are going to show us the path forward on this subject by how they decide the Value Them Both question on August 2nd," Schmidt said. "I think, the right thing to do for anybody in a public policy role is to watch what happens with the voters and then listen very carefully to the message that they send. There are obviously people with very strongly held views on all sides of this issue. One thing that I think is certain, is that, in this post-Roe world, it's going to be necessary for people to work in good faith with each other to try to find whatever the right balance is, state by state, in terms of regulation of the abortion industry."The squeezing out of moderate Republicans from the legislature since the beginning of Gov. Sam Brownback's tenure to now and the dominance of the Republican party overall legislatively in Kansas would seem to indicate that the good faith balance may not be easy to reach.

Schmidt: Next AG may have defense to play if Value Them Both fails

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged criminal threat after an arrest&nbsp;

Sheriff patrol deputies were conducting surveillance in an attempt to locate 45-year-old Dahlkestiere D. Eichelberger of Topeka regarding a criminal threat investigation, according Deputy Abigail Christian.

Shortly before 6p.m. Friday, Sheriff Brian Hill and deputies located Eichelberger walking in the Walmart parking lot at 2600 NW Rochester Road. 

Deputies took Eichelberger taken into custody without incident just before he entered the store.

Eichelberger was in possession of a short barrel semi-automatic rifle and ammunition. The rifle was on a sling, concealed under his clothing.

A subsequent search warrant was conducted on Eichelberger’s residence in the 3400 block of NW Country Lane.

Eichelberger was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of felony criminal threat. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658578802399.png" alt="Eichelberger-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Eichelberger-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged criminal threat after an arrest&nbsp;Sheriff patrol deputies were conducting surveillance in an attempt to locate 45-year-old Dahlkestiere D. Eichelberger of Topeka regarding a criminal threat investigation, according Deputy Abigail Christian.Shortly before 6p.m. Friday, Sheriff Brian Hill and deputies located Eichelberger walking in the Walmart parking lot at 2600 NW Rochester Road. Deputies took Eichelberger taken into custody without incident just before he entered the store.Eichelberger was in possession of a short barrel semi-automatic rifle and ammunition. The rifle was on a sling, concealed under his clothing.A subsequent search warrant was conducted on Eichelberger’s residence in the 3400 block of NW Country Lane.Eichelberger was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of felony criminal threat.

Criminal threat: Man caught with rifle in Kan. store parking lot 

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series of attempted ATM thefts in the Wichita area.

At 4:00 a.m. June 16, surveillance video from an ATM in the 4100 block of E. Harry in Wichita shows a suspect approaching and using a prybar to attempt to gain access to the ATM, according to Officer Trevor Macy.

The suspect failed to get any money, but caused significant damage to the machine.

The same suspect is involved in at least three other cases – one on June 15th, at approximately 1:30 a.m. in the 2000 block of N Webb and one on the 16, around 2:00 a.m. in the 11000 block of E. Harry and another&nbsp; around 3:00 a.m. that day in the 4800 block of E. Douglas.

The suspect has a similar means of accessing machines in each case. He has been seen wearing a black Nike hoodie with matching Nike sweats, black shoes, and a black mask. He uses a long blue prybar to gain access to machines. He also wears a red drawstring backpack and has a tattoo on his left forearm. He has been spotted driving a newer model Silver Toyota Tacoma quad-cab pickup truck.

Anyone with information on the suspect should contact police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658508555167.png" alt="Image Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Image Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series of attempted ATM thefts in the Wichita area.At 4:00 a.m. June 16, surveillance video from an ATM in the 4100 block of E. Harry in Wichita shows a suspect approaching and using a prybar to attempt to gain access to the ATM, according to Officer Trevor Macy.The suspect failed to get any money, but caused significant damage to the machine.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/colz4qWb2IA?start=144" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The same suspect is involved in at least three other cases – one on June 15th, at approximately 1:30 a.m. in the 2000 block of N Webb and one on the 16, around 2:00 a.m. in the 11000 block of E. Harry and another&nbsp; around 3:00 a.m. that day in the 4800 block of E. Douglas.The suspect has a similar means of accessing machines in each case. He has been seen wearing a black Nike hoodie with matching Nike sweats, black shoes, and a black mask. He uses a long blue prybar to gain access to machines. He also wears a red drawstring backpack and has a tattoo on his left forearm. He has been spotted driving a newer model Silver Toyota Tacoma quad-cab pickup truck.Anyone with information on the suspect should contact police.

🎥Police: Man observed in 4 attempted Kan. ATM thefts

BRANSON, Mo. (AP) — An employee of Silver Dollar City near Branson has died from head injuries while working at the park, federal officials said.

The employee was hospitalized Wednesday with “head injuries allegedly sustained during maintenance and testing of a rollercoaster,” said Rhonda Burke, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Labor.

The person was declared dead with blunt force trauma on Thursday, the Springfield News-Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/2022/07/22/silver-dollar-city-employee-death-blunt-force-head-trauma-branson-missouri-amusement-park/10130426002/">reported</a>.

The park did not release the person's name. The person worked at the park since 2017 in maintenance and construction.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an investigation into the death on Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658452685543.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BRANSON, Mo. (AP) — An employee of Silver Dollar City near Branson has died from head injuries while working at the park, federal officials said.The employee was hospitalized Wednesday with “head injuries allegedly sustained during maintenance and testing of a rollercoaster,” said Rhonda Burke, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Labor.The person was declared dead with blunt force trauma on Thursday, the Springfield News-Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/2022/07/22/silver-dollar-city-employee-death-blunt-force-head-trauma-branson-missouri-amusement-park/10130426002/">reported</a>.No one else at the park was injured.The park did not release the person's name. The person worked at the park since 2017 in maintenance and construction.The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an investigation into the death on Friday.-----------

Feds update details on employee death at Silver Dollar City

By HUASCAR MEDINA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/07/23/kansas-exhibit-unites-worlds-of-artistry-and-family-into-a-big-hearted-whole/">Courtesy Kansas Reflector</a>

“Making It Work” is currently on display at the <a target="_blank" href="https://lawrenceartscenter.org/">Lawrence Arts Center</a>.
 The exhibit takes a deeper look into the generative processes of 
artists as parents and how familial bonds inform their work.&nbsp; The featured artists include <a target="_blank" href="https://pilaraguero.com/">Pilar Agüero-Esparza</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://albertoaguilar.org/">Alberto Aguilar</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.christadonner.com/">Christa Donner</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.lisehallerbaggesen.org/">Lise Haller Baggesen</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cararomerophotography.com/home">Cara Romero</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="http://blacklunchtable.com/about/founders/">Jina Valentine</a>.

The show “brings together six 
contemporary U.S. artists who are artists and parents who make that 
relationship visible in their work,” said Maria Velasco, a professor at the University of Kansas’ <a target="_blank" href="https://art.ku.edu/">Department of Visual Art</a>, along with being a mother and artist herself.
 “It is part of their dynamic, their conception and their making. So 
from that point of view, it is really unique. Because we’re used to 
having to choose between one or the other. The culture tells us that you
 must be one or the other. That if you are a good parent you can’t be a 
good artist and if you are a good artist you can’t be a parent. So you 
really have to challenge that belief. And still deal with the 
difficulties in existing in that kind of juncture.”&nbsp;

The show was co-curated by Velasco and Rachel Epp Buller, professor of visual arts and design at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bethelks.edu/">Bethel College</a>.&nbsp;

When asked about the artists chosen, 
Velasco said that, “For us, from the beginning, the choice was based on 
what we call generative practices, which are ways in which we look at 
processes, collaboration, conversations, activities that may take place 
normally internally, in terms of the making of the work, but also with 
the existing community.&nbsp;

“We were looking at how those 
processes materialize into some kind of work. It’s not so much the 
old-fashioned way of making work, where you are thinking about an object
 on the wall that is self contained. This is looking at how we make work
 from a different platform to begin with.”

Featured artist Agüero-Esparza presents a
 wall installation with three-dimensional elements in acrylic and wood 
titled: “Multicultural Crayon: White, Apricot, Peach, Tan, Mahogany, 
Burnt Sienna, Sepia, Black — What Color Are You?” This piece converses 
with another piece, “Dance &amp; Conversations: Castings” Both include 
casts of her daughter’s feet at different ages. At age 10, the 
conversation is about skin tone. The artist uses a crayon skin tone 
color palette to have discussions about race.&nbsp;

This conversation began with her 
daughter coming home after school, asking why people don’t identify with
 the peach color that most white people consider skin color. Agüero-Esparza also connects this work with her upbringing in Mexico. Her family had a shoe shop that made huaraches. The tint of the leather strands are represented in the base of the casted feet, dancing at age 17.&nbsp;

“Since an early age, she (Agüero-Esparza) has
 been involved in seeing and being a part of that process,” Velasco 
said. “That process is stripes of leather that are tinted in different 
forms and has carried that stylistic choice in her work. The story 
behind this work is intergenerational. A story she is having with her 
parents and her daughter. When you become a parent that lineage becomes 
so apparent.”&nbsp;

Donner’s interactive piece, “A Portal
 Is Opening,” is also an intergenerational work in which the viewer is 
projected into the future. It has a QR code and map that will send you 
to a spot in South Park by a bench, where you can listen to a letter 
that a child from 2226 telling us about extinction and species that have
 disappeared.

&nbsp;“This is a conversation on 
sustainability and how unaware we are of the damage that we are 
creating. The fact that our children will inherit that world and life 
doesn’t stop when we stop. Having kids makes that more obvious than 
ever.” Velasco said. “We are connecting with a child from the future. It
 makes obvious these political issues in a poetic way. The piece is 
narrated by the daughter of the artist. It is a way of collaborating 
with your kids.”&nbsp;

Velasco continued: “It is not just a 
sentimental or cute thing. You are having a conversation with a 
legitimate human being that is a small person, because of course, it’s 
cute because kids are cute, but that is not what the point is. But when 
you are engaged as a parent who is also an artist, and you are having 
conversations with your kids that are very serious like this one about 
race, sustainability or others.”

Another conversation presented in the show addresses racial violence against Black men. It’s titled “Testimony.”

Valentine was inspired by her 
inability to process the news about the shooting deaths of young Black 
men. The piece is difficult to absorb. It includes excerpts of news 
reports about the deaths of Black sons. You can only read a little bit 
at a time. In this work, Valentine used an ink that eats the paper away.
 Possibly she’s commenting about erasure, whitewashing, or an attempt to
 remove a reality that should not have taken place. Perhaps she is 
facilitating time being pressed forward, to a point where these stories 
may not exist.&nbsp;

Baggesens describes her work 
“Mothernism” as “a nomadic tent camp, audio installation and a book 
dedicated to staking out and making speakable the “mother-shaped hole in
 contemporary art discourse.”&nbsp;

In this created space, you can listen
 to music and read books that Baggesens has selected. The place projects
 a sense of sanctuary, contemplation and isolation all at once.&nbsp;

The familial bonds displayed 
throughout this show magnify the works of all these artists. Each one 
creates simultaneously as an artist and parent. There is no delineation 
in the work that has to be done and the conversations that need to be 
had. Creating art that addresses issues affecting both parents and 
children is not only good parenting, but important artistry. “Making it 
work” exemplifies the power of artists as parents with real profundity.&nbsp;

“Making It Work” will run until July 
30. A curator’s INSIGHT Art Talk will occur July 28, at 7 p.m.. This 
will include a presentation of Epp Buller’s book “<a target="_blank" href="https://demeterpress.org/books/inappropriate-bodies-art-design-and-maternity/">Inappropriate Bodies: Art, Design, Maternity”</a> and the first local screening of Velasco’s award-winning documentary “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mariavelascostudio.com/all-of-me-artistsmothers">All of Me: Artists+Mothers</a>.”

A closing reception will be held July 29 at the Lawrence Arts Center from 5 to 9 p.m.

Huascar Media — the Kansas poet laureate — is a poet, writer, and performer who lives in Topeka. He works as a freelance copywriter and as the literary editor for seveneightfive magazine, publishing stories that spotlight literary and artistic events in northeast Kansas. His poems can be found in his collection "How to Hang the Moon" and "Un Mango Grows in Kansas." He is the winner of ARTSConnect’s 2018 Arty Award for Literary Art.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658602054729.png" alt="“Dance &amp; Conversations: Castings” by Pilar Agüero-Esparza (front) and “Testimony” by Jina Valentine are both part of the “Making It Work” exhibit currently on display at the Lawrence Arts Center. (Huascar Medina/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>“Dance &amp; Conversations: Castings” by Pilar Agüero-Esparza (front) and “Testimony” by Jina Valentine are both part of the “Making It Work” exhibit currently on display at the Lawrence Arts Center. (Huascar Medina/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By HUASCAR MEDINA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/07/23/kansas-exhibit-unites-worlds-of-artistry-and-family-into-a-big-hearted-whole/">Courtesy Kansas Reflector</a>“Making It Work” is currently on display at the <a target="_blank" href="https://lawrenceartscenter.org/">Lawrence Arts Center</a>.
 The exhibit takes a deeper look into the generative processes of 
artists as parents and how familial bonds inform their work.&nbsp; The featured artists include <a target="_blank" href="https://pilaraguero.com/">Pilar Agüero-Esparza</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://albertoaguilar.org/">Alberto Aguilar</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.christadonner.com/">Christa Donner</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.lisehallerbaggesen.org/">Lise Haller Baggesen</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cararomerophotography.com/home">Cara Romero</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="http://blacklunchtable.com/about/founders/">Jina Valentine</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The show “brings together six 
contemporary U.S. artists who are artists and parents who make that 
relationship visible in their work,” said Maria Velasco, a professor at the University of Kansas’ <a target="_blank" href="https://art.ku.edu/">Department of Visual Art</a>, along with being a mother and artist herself.
 “It is part of their dynamic, their conception and their making. So 
from that point of view, it is really unique. Because we’re used to 
having to choose between one or the other. The culture tells us that you
 must be one or the other. That if you are a good parent you can’t be a 
good artist and if you are a good artist you can’t be a parent. So you 
really have to challenge that belief. And still deal with the 
difficulties in existing in that kind of juncture.”&nbsp;The show was co-curated by Velasco and Rachel Epp Buller, professor of visual arts and design at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bethelks.edu/">Bethel College</a>.&nbsp;When asked about the artists chosen, 
Velasco said that, “For us, from the beginning, the choice was based on 
what we call generative practices, which are ways in which we look at 
processes, collaboration, conversations, activities that may take place 
normally internally, in terms of the making of the work, but also with 
the existing community.&nbsp;“We were looking at how those 
processes materialize into some kind of work. It’s not so much the 
old-fashioned way of making work, where you are thinking about an object
 on the wall that is self contained. This is looking at how we make work
 from a different platform to begin with.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658602124523.jpeg" alt="In this closeup from “Testimony,” by Jina Valentine, you can see how excerpts from newspapers are written in an iron gall ink that eats away at the paper. (Huascar Medina/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>In this closeup from “Testimony,” by Jina Valentine, you can see how excerpts from newspapers are written in an iron gall ink that eats away at the paper. (Huascar Medina/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Featured artist Agüero-Esparza presents a
 wall installation with three-dimensional elements in acrylic and wood 
titled: “Multicultural Crayon: White, Apricot, Peach, Tan, Mahogany, 
Burnt Sienna, Sepia, Black — What Color Are You?” This piece converses 
with another piece, “Dance &amp; Conversations: Castings” Both include 
casts of her daughter’s feet at different ages. At age 10, the 
conversation is about skin tone. The artist uses a crayon skin tone 
color palette to have discussions about race.&nbsp;This conversation began with her 
daughter coming home after school, asking why people don’t identify with
 the peach color that most white people consider skin color. Agüero-Esparza also connects this work with her upbringing in Mexico. Her family had a shoe shop that made huaraches. The tint of the leather strands are represented in the base of the casted feet, dancing at age 17.&nbsp;“Since an early age, she (Agüero-Esparza) has
 been involved in seeing and being a part of that process,” Velasco 
said. “That process is stripes of leather that are tinted in different 
forms and has carried that stylistic choice in her work. The story 
behind this work is intergenerational. A story she is having with her 
parents and her daughter. When you become a parent that lineage becomes 
so apparent.”&nbsp;Donner’s interactive piece, “A Portal
 Is Opening,” is also an intergenerational work in which the viewer is 
projected into the future. It has a QR code and map that will send you 
to a spot in South Park by a bench, where you can listen to a letter 
that a child from 2226 telling us about extinction and species that have
 disappeared.&nbsp;“This is a conversation on 
sustainability and how unaware we are of the damage that we are 
creating. The fact that our children will inherit that world and life 
doesn’t stop when we stop. Having kids makes that more obvious than 
ever.” Velasco said. “We are connecting with a child from the future. It
 makes obvious these political issues in a poetic way. The piece is 
narrated by the daughter of the artist. It is a way of collaborating 
with your kids.”&nbsp;Velasco continued: “It is not just a 
sentimental or cute thing. You are having a conversation with a 
legitimate human being that is a small person, because of course, it’s 
cute because kids are cute, but that is not what the point is. But when 
you are engaged as a parent who is also an artist, and you are having 
conversations with your kids that are very serious like this one about 
race, sustainability or others.”Another conversation presented in the show addresses racial violence against Black men. It’s titled “Testimony.”Valentine was inspired by her 
inability to process the news about the shooting deaths of young Black 
men. The piece is difficult to absorb. It includes excerpts of news 
reports about the deaths of Black sons. You can only read a little bit 
at a time. In this work, Valentine used an ink that eats the paper away.
 Possibly she’s commenting about erasure, whitewashing, or an attempt to
 remove a reality that should not have taken place. Perhaps she is 
facilitating time being pressed forward, to a point where these stories 
may not exist.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658602157042.png" alt=" “Mothernism,” by Lise Haller Baggesen, includes a nomadic tent camp, audio installation and a book. (Huascar Medina/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> “Mothernism,” by Lise Haller Baggesen, includes a nomadic tent camp, audio installation and a book. (Huascar Medina/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Baggesens describes her work 
“Mothernism” as “a nomadic tent camp, audio installation and a book 
dedicated to staking out and making speakable the “mother-shaped hole in
 contemporary art discourse.”&nbsp;In this created space, you can listen
 to music and read books that Baggesens has selected. The place projects
 a sense of sanctuary, contemplation and isolation all at once.&nbsp;The familial bonds displayed 
throughout this show magnify the works of all these artists. Each one 
creates simultaneously as an artist and parent. There is no delineation 
in the work that has to be done and the conversations that need to be 
had. Creating art that addresses issues affecting both parents and 
children is not only good parenting, but important artistry. “Making it 
work” exemplifies the power of artists as parents with real profundity.&nbsp;“Making It Work” will run until July 
30. A curator’s INSIGHT Art Talk will occur July 28, at 7 p.m.. This 
will include a presentation of Epp Buller’s book “<a target="_blank" href="https://demeterpress.org/books/inappropriate-bodies-art-design-and-maternity/">Inappropriate Bodies: Art, Design, Maternity”</a> and the first local screening of Velasco’s award-winning documentary “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mariavelascostudio.com/all-of-me-artistsmothers">All of Me: Artists+Mothers</a>.”A closing reception will be held July 29 at the Lawrence Arts Center from 5 to 9 p.m.Huascar Media — the Kansas poet laureate — is a poet, writer, and performer who lives in Topeka. He works as a freelance copywriter and as the literary editor for seveneightfive magazine, publishing stories that spotlight literary and artistic events in northeast Kansas. His poems can be found in his collection "How to Hang the Moon" and "Un Mango Grows in Kansas." He is the winner of ARTSConnect’s 2018 Arty Award for Literary Art.

KS poet laureate: Exhibit unites worlds of artistry, family

Democrats offer help; GOP irritated by Pyle’s direction

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/07/22/pyle-pushes-ahead-with-hunt-for-5k-signatures-to-join-november-ballot-in-kansas-governors-race/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Independent governor 
candidate Dennis Pyle attended a Topeka gun show in a quest to gather 
some of the 5,000 petition signatures necessary to secure a spot on the 
November general election ballot.

The idea was to mine the assemblage of Second Amendment advocates for
 people open to Pyle’s decision to step away from the Republican Party 
to offer Kansas voters an alternative to presumptive GOP gubernatorial 
nominee Derek Schmidt. Pyle, a state senator from Hiawatha since 2005, 
would join Schmidt, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Libertarian Party 
nominee Seth Cordell on statewide ballots.

Pyle has until noon Aug. 1 — one day before the primary election — to
 accumulate sufficient signatures to qualify. His movements on the GOP’s
 right flank have drawn interest from Republicans and Democrats 
intrigued by the idea of Pyle being a wildcard in the three-month race 
to a finish Nov. 8.

His presence mirrors a belief among some Republicans that Schmidt 
didn’t possess sufficiently staunch conservative views they wanted in a 
governor candidate.

“We’re working hard and diligently on the petition drive and everyone will find out the results on August 1,” Pyle said.

Pyle wasn’t the only person looking for petition signatures at the 
July gun show. State Rep. Vic Miller, a Topeka Democrat, also worked the
 crowd for signatures that could be added to Pyle’s pile. Miller 
wouldn’t say how many he netted, but promised to turn over his signature
 sheets to the Pyle campaign.

“It was more than a one-person job given the traffic. It went well,” 
Miller said. “There were a lot of people who didn’t care for Derek 
Schmidt, because he’s pretty much a waffler. As opposed to Pyle, who is a
 man of principle. I like Dennis.”

The political sideshow at the firearm gathering brought together an 
unusual pairing, given Pyle’s persistently conservative approach in the 
Legislature and Miller’s dedication to Democratic politics in the 
Capitol. After Kelly was sworn into office as governor in 2019, Miller 
surrendered his House seat after selected by peers to complete the 
unexpired portion of Kelly’s Senate term. He later chose to return to 
House in 2021.

Larry Mzhickteno, who was a neighbor of Miller for more than a dozen 
years, said he was surprised to see Miller at the gun show. He said 
Miller was wearing a National Rifle Association hat and held a signature
 sheet with about 15 names on it. The goal of Miller and other Democrats
 was obvious, he said.

“I think they’re trying to divide the number of votes Schmidt can get,” Mzhickteno said. “He was being awfully sneaky about it.”

In a June announcement, Pyle said he was interested in entering the 
governor’s race to give voters of Kansas a diverse choice.&nbsp; He said he 
was a “God-loving American, devoted to the Constitution and protecting 
our children.”

Pyle’s appeal to voters could be important, especially if the Kelly 
and Schmidt race came down to the wire. In 2010, Pyle landed more than 
31,000 votes in a Republican primary loss to U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, who
 served Kansas’ 2nd District in Congress for a decade.

C.J. Grover, Schmidt’s campaign manager, said Kelly’s inability to 
defend her record as governor led her allies “under false pretenses to 
trick voters into adding a candidate to the ballot in hopes of splitting
 the vote enough to deliver her a win despite a majority of Kansans 
wanting a different governor.”

Shannon Pahls, executive director of the Kansas Republican Party, 
said acceptance by Pyle of petition signatures gathered by Miller or 
other Democrats would raise questions about Pyle’s adherence to 
conservative principles. She previously said a vote for Pyle in the 2022
 election should be considered a vote for Kelly.

“If Dennis Pyle has any integrity, he will reject all petition 
signatures gathered on his behalf by liberal Democrats helping Laura 
Kelly. The Kansas GOP calls on him to both reject them and make a public
 commitment that he will do so,” Pahls said.

Kansas Democratic Party spokesperson Emma O’Brien responded to Pyle’s
 announcement of interest in the governor’s race by suggesting his 
candidacy reflected Schmidt’s internal partisan problems and Kelly’s 
bipartisan work as a unifying leader.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658601918817.png" alt="Hiawatha Sen. Dennis Pyle is working to secure 5,000 petition signatures to qualify as an independent candidate for governor on the November ballot. He’s received petition help from a Democratic state representative, much to the irritation of the Kansas Republican Party. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Hiawatha Sen. Dennis Pyle is working to secure 5,000 petition signatures to qualify as an independent candidate for governor on the November ballot. He’s received petition help from a Democratic state representative, much to the irritation of the Kansas Republican Party. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Democrats offer help; GOP irritated by Pyle’s direction</h2>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/07/22/pyle-pushes-ahead-with-hunt-for-5k-signatures-to-join-november-ballot-in-kansas-governors-race/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Independent governor 
candidate Dennis Pyle attended a Topeka gun show in a quest to gather 
some of the 5,000 petition signatures necessary to secure a spot on the 
November general election ballot.The idea was to mine the assemblage of Second Amendment advocates for
 people open to Pyle’s decision to step away from the Republican Party 
to offer Kansas voters an alternative to presumptive GOP gubernatorial 
nominee Derek Schmidt. Pyle, a state senator from Hiawatha since 2005, 
would join Schmidt, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Libertarian Party 
nominee Seth Cordell on statewide ballots.Pyle has until noon Aug. 1 — one day before the primary election — to
 accumulate sufficient signatures to qualify. His movements on the GOP’s
 right flank have drawn interest from Republicans and Democrats 
intrigued by the idea of Pyle being a wildcard in the three-month race 
to a finish Nov. 8.His presence mirrors a belief among some Republicans that Schmidt 
didn’t possess sufficiently staunch conservative views they wanted in a 
governor candidate.“We’re working hard and diligently on the petition drive and everyone will find out the results on August 1,” Pyle said.Pyle wasn’t the only person looking for petition signatures at the 
July gun show. State Rep. Vic Miller, a Topeka Democrat, also worked the
 crowd for signatures that could be added to Pyle’s pile. Miller 
wouldn’t say how many he netted, but promised to turn over his signature
 sheets to the Pyle campaign.“It was more than a one-person job given the traffic. It went well,” 
Miller said. “There were a lot of people who didn’t care for Derek 
Schmidt, because he’s pretty much a waffler. As opposed to Pyle, who is a
 man of principle. I like Dennis.”The political sideshow at the firearm gathering brought together an 
unusual pairing, given Pyle’s persistently conservative approach in the 
Legislature and Miller’s dedication to Democratic politics in the 
Capitol. After Kelly was sworn into office as governor in 2019, Miller 
surrendered his House seat after selected by peers to complete the 
unexpired portion of Kelly’s Senate term. He later chose to return to 
House in 2021.Larry Mzhickteno, who was a neighbor of Miller for more than a dozen 
years, said he was surprised to see Miller at the gun show. He said 
Miller was wearing a National Rifle Association hat and held a signature
 sheet with about 15 names on it. The goal of Miller and other Democrats
 was obvious, he said.“I think they’re trying to divide the number of votes Schmidt can get,” Mzhickteno said. “He was being awfully sneaky about it.”In a June announcement, Pyle said he was interested in entering the 
governor’s race to give voters of Kansas a diverse choice.&nbsp; He said he 
was a “God-loving American, devoted to the Constitution and protecting 
our children.”Pyle’s appeal to voters could be important, especially if the Kelly 
and Schmidt race came down to the wire. In 2010, Pyle landed more than 
31,000 votes in a Republican primary loss to U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, who
 served Kansas’ 2nd District in Congress for a decade.C.J. Grover, Schmidt’s campaign manager, said Kelly’s inability to 
defend her record as governor led her allies “under false pretenses to 
trick voters into adding a candidate to the ballot in hopes of splitting
 the vote enough to deliver her a win despite a majority of Kansans 
wanting a different governor.”Shannon Pahls, executive director of the Kansas Republican Party, 
said acceptance by Pyle of petition signatures gathered by Miller or 
other Democrats would raise questions about Pyle’s adherence to 
conservative principles. She previously said a vote for Pyle in the 2022
 election should be considered a vote for Kelly.“If Dennis Pyle has any integrity, he will reject all petition 
signatures gathered on his behalf by liberal Democrats helping Laura 
Kelly. The Kansas GOP calls on him to both reject them and make a public
 commitment that he will do so,” Pahls said.Kansas Democratic Party spokesperson Emma O’Brien responded to Pyle’s
 announcement of interest in the governor’s race by suggesting his 
candidacy reflected Schmidt’s internal partisan problems and Kelly’s 
bipartisan work as a unifying leader.

Independent pushes forward on attempt to join Kan. governor race

WASHINGTON – President signed into law H.R. 8351, the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr8351/BILLS-117hr8351eh.pdf">“Formula Act</a>."&nbsp; The bipartisan bill that will help increase access to baby formula&nbsp; across the country, according to a statement from the White House.

The United States Senate unanimously passed <a href="https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr8351/BILLS-117hr8351eh.pdf">the bill</a>&nbsp; which removes import tariffs on baby formula and baby formula input products until the end of this year.&nbsp; The House of Representatives had previously modified and passed the bill July 15, resulting in Senate reconsideration.&nbsp;

Upon passage, the bills author Utah&nbsp;Senator. Lee said, “The FORMULA Act will be an incredible win for families and hungry babies nationwide."

"It will make meaningful headway that is desperately needed today. By suspending the tariff on formula imports, we are providing cheaper access to formulas to individual consumers and retailers alike.” Lee continued."&nbsp;

"This relief has been long overdue, particularly for Utahns, who have the largest families, the most children per capita, and the highest birth rate in the nation.”

The President thanked Senators Lee, Wyden, and Crapo, and Representatives Blumenauer, DelBene, Larsen, Kildee, Neal, and Brady. &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658501001435.png" alt="Despite a positive COVID test, President Biden signed the bill immediately-photo White House" />
 <figcaption>Despite a positive COVID test, President Biden signed the bill immediately-photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON – President signed into law H.R. 8351, the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr8351/BILLS-117hr8351eh.pdf">“Formula Act</a>."&nbsp; The bipartisan bill that will help increase access to baby formula&nbsp; across the country, according to a statement from the White House.The United States Senate unanimously passed <a href="https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr8351/BILLS-117hr8351eh.pdf">the bill</a>&nbsp; which removes import tariffs on baby formula and baby formula input products until the end of this year.&nbsp; The House of Representatives had previously modified and passed the bill July 15, resulting in Senate reconsideration.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658593825391.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Upon passage, the bills author Utah&nbsp;Senator. Lee said, “The FORMULA Act will be an incredible win for families and hungry babies nationwide.""It will make meaningful headway that is desperately needed today. By suspending the tariff on formula imports, we are providing cheaper access to formulas to individual consumers and retailers alike.” Lee continued."&nbsp;"This relief has been long overdue, particularly for Utahns, who have the largest families, the most children per capita, and the highest birth rate in the nation.”The President thanked Senators Lee, Wyden, and Crapo, and Representatives Blumenauer, DelBene, Larsen, Kildee, Neal, and Brady. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Biden signs baby formula act after unanimous Senate vote 

🎥 Docs: Coping with the heat and new help for autistic kids

ELLSWORTH COUNTY - Human remains found in rural Ellsworth County on Tuesday have been identified as those of a Salina man missing for more than a month.

On Tuesday, July 19, 2022, the Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a rural area in Ellsworth County for a report of a body being found in a field., according to a statement from the. Kansas Bureau of Investigation. 

The Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office responded and located human remains in an extreme state of decomposition. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation was notified and responded to investigate the scene.

On Thursday, an autopsy was performed, and the medical examiner determined the manner of death as a homicide.

On Friday, July 22, 2022, a forensic odontologist was able to compare the dental records of Nathan Philip Thompson and the deceased remains and confirm the body's identity as that of Thompson. Next of kin have been notified of these developments.

The case will be reclassified as a homicide, and the investigation is still ongoing. Anyone with information on the van and/or its driver is encouraged to contact the Salina Police Department, Crime Stoppers, or the Tip line below.

If you have had contact with Nathan Thompson since June 1, 2022, have information concerning his disappearance, or have information relative to the fire at 1635 Elgin please contact the Salina Police Department at 785-826-7210. You may also call Crimestoppers at 785-825-TIPS or make an online tip at: https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=950#. Tipsters may also contact the Salina Police Department at (785) 826-7210 and ask to speak to Detective Lemon, case 2022-17281.

In a statement released Saturday morning, the Salina Police Department reported that on Friday, "a forensic odontologist was able to compare the dental records of Nathan Philip Thompson and the deceased remains and confirm the body's identity as that of Thompson."

Additionally, based on the autopsy performed, the medical examiner has determined that Thompson's death was a homicide.

On June 18, Salina police announced that they were investigating the disappearance of Thompson, 44, who hadn't been seen in more than a week. In information released on June 18, police reported that on June 13, the Salina Fire Department responded to a trailer home fire at 1635 Elgin in west Salina. No one was in the trailer at the time the blaze was extinguished, however the fire was classified as an arson.

At the time of the fire, neighbors told police that Thompson had been living in the trailer, but had not been seen for approximately a week.

On June 22, Salina police released photos of a Chevrolet Express van that police believe was used in Thompson's disappearance. Salina police continue to seek information about the van.

"The Salina Police Department has the van in its possession. We are asking the public for any information they can provide with regards to the van since June 9th, 2022, especially any sightings in rural areas," the Salina Police Department noted in the June 22 statement.

If you have had contact with Nathan Thompson since June 1, 2022, have information concerning his disappearance or have information relative to the fire at 1635 Elgin please contact the Salina Police Department at 785-826-7210. You may also call Crimestoppers at 785-825-TIPS or make an online tip at:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=950#">https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=950#</a>. Tipsters may also contact the Salina Police Department at (785) 826-7210 and ask to speak to Detective Lemon, case 2022-17281.

ELLSWORTH COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating are investigating after human remains were found in rural Ellsworth County.

Just before 11:30a.m. on July 19, the Ellsworth County Sheriff's office asked the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to to assist them, according to KBI spokesperson Melissa Underwood.

The Crime Scene Response Team processed the scene where the body was found, and an autopsy was conducted. Authorities are are working to positively identify the deceased subject.&nbsp;

The KBI released no additional details. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655577117894.jpeg" alt="-Nathan Thompson-Photo Salina Police Department" />
 <figcaption>-Nathan Thompson-Photo Salina Police Department</figcaption>
 </figure>ELLSWORTH COUNTY - Human remains found in rural Ellsworth County on Tuesday have been identified as those of a Salina man missing for more than a month.On Tuesday, July 19, 2022, the Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a rural area in Ellsworth County for a report of a body being found in a field., according to a statement from the. Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office responded and located human remains in an extreme state of decomposition. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation was notified and responded to investigate the scene.On Thursday, an autopsy was performed, and the medical examiner determined the manner of death as a homicide.On Friday, July 22, 2022, a forensic odontologist was able to compare the dental records of Nathan Philip Thompson and the deceased remains and confirm the body's identity as that of Thompson. Next of kin have been notified of these developments.The case will be reclassified as a homicide, and the investigation is still ongoing. Anyone with information on the van and/or its driver is encouraged to contact the Salina Police Department, Crime Stoppers, or the Tip line below.If you have had contact with Nathan Thompson since June 1, 2022, have information concerning his disappearance, or have information relative to the fire at 1635 Elgin please contact the Salina Police Department at 785-826-7210. You may also call Crimestoppers at 785-825-TIPS or make an online tip at: https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=950#. Tipsters may also contact the Salina Police Department at (785) 826-7210 and ask to speak to Detective Lemon, case 2022-17281.-----ELLSWORTH COUNTY - Human remains found in rural Ellsworth County on Tuesday have been identified as those of a Salina man missing for more than a month.In a statement released Saturday morning, the Salina Police Department reported that on Friday, "a forensic odontologist was able to compare the dental records of Nathan Philip Thompson and the deceased remains and confirm the body's identity as that of Thompson."Additionally, based on the autopsy performed, the medical examiner has determined that Thompson's death was a homicide.On June 18, Salina police announced that they were investigating the disappearance of Thompson, 44, who hadn't been seen in more than a week. In information released on June 18, police reported that on June 13, the Salina Fire Department responded to a trailer home fire at 1635 Elgin in west Salina. No one was in the trailer at the time the blaze was extinguished, however the fire was classified as an arson.At the time of the fire, neighbors told police that Thompson had been living in the trailer, but had not been seen for approximately a week.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655917461520.png" alt="-The van believed to be connected to Thompson's disappearance and murder. Photos courtesy Salina Police Department" />
 <figcaption>-The van believed to be connected to Thompson's disappearance and murder. Photos courtesy Salina Police Department</figcaption>
 </figure>On June 22, Salina police released photos of a Chevrolet Express van that police believe was used in Thompson's disappearance. Salina police continue to seek information about the van."The Salina Police Department has the van in its possession. We are asking the public for any information they can provide with regards to the van since June 9th, 2022, especially any sightings in rural areas," the Salina Police Department noted in the June 22 statement.If you have had contact with Nathan Thompson since June 1, 2022, have information concerning his disappearance or have information relative to the fire at 1635 Elgin please contact the Salina Police Department at 785-826-7210. You may also call Crimestoppers at 785-825-TIPS or make an online tip at:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=950#">https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=950#</a>. Tipsters may also contact the Salina Police Department at (785) 826-7210 and ask to speak to Detective Lemon, case 2022-17281.------ELLSWORTH COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating are investigating after human remains were found in rural Ellsworth County.Just before 11:30a.m. on July 19, the Ellsworth County Sheriff's office asked the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to to assist them, according to KBI spokesperson Melissa Underwood.The Crime Scene Response Team processed the scene where the body was found, and an autopsy was conducted. Authorities are are working to positively identify the deceased subject.&nbsp;The KBI released no additional details. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

Homicide: Police ID remains found in rural Ellsworth County

LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-096f3625c4c14a18e2d5f813241d83bf">expanding monkeypox outbreak</a>&nbsp;in more than 70 countries is an “extraordinary” situation that now qualifies as a global emergency, a declaration Saturday that could spur further investment in treating the once-rare disease and worsen the scramble for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-animals-primates-european-union-853ed8fa9967823f7b24570d1e5b9a0e">scarce vaccines</a>.

<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/us-map.html">Click here for additional details</a> on monkeypox cases in the U.S.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the decision to issue the declaration despite a lack of consensus among members of WHO's emergency committee. It was the first time the chief of the U.N. health agency has taken such an action.

“In short, we have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly through new modes of transmission about which we understand too little and which meets the criteria in the international health regulations,” Tedros said.

“I know this has not been an easy or straightforward process and that there are divergent views among the members" of the committee, he added.

Although monkeypox has been established in parts of central and west Africa for decades, it was not known to spark large outbreaks beyond the continent or to spread widely among people until May, when authorities detected dozens of epidemics in Europe, North America and elsewhere.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-united-nations-epidemics-north-america-c5284aabf79d9ecb816975dc249abffd">Declaring a global emergency</a>&nbsp;means the monkeypox outbreak is an “extraordinary event” that could spill over into more countries and requires a coordinated global response. WHO previously declared emergencies for public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak, the Zika virus in Latin America in 2016 and the ongoing effort to eradicate polio.

The emergency declaration mostly serves as a plea to draw more global resources and attention to an outbreak. Past announcements had mixed impact, given that the U.N. health agency is largely powerless in getting countries to act.

Last month, WHO’s expert committee said the worldwide monkeypox outbreak did not yet amount to an international emergency, but the panel convened this week to reevaluate the situation.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in 74 countries since about May. To date, monkeypox deaths have only been reported in Africa, where a more dangerous version of the virus is spreading, mainly in Nigeria and Congo.

In Africa, monkeypox mainly spreads to people from infected wild animals like rodents, in limited outbreaks that typically have not crossed borders. In Europe, North America and elsewhere, however, monkeypox is spreading among people with no links to animals or recent travel to Africa.

WHO’s top monkeypox expert, Dr. Rosamund Lewis, said this week that 99% of all the monkeypox cases beyond Africa were in men and that of those, 98% involved men who have sex with men. Experts suspect the monkeypox outbreaks in Europe and North America were spread via sex at two raves in Belgium and Spain.

Michael Head, a senior research fellow in global health at Southampton University, said it was surprising WHO hadn’t already declared monkeypox a global emergency, explaining that the conditions were arguably met weeks ago.

Some experts have questioned whether such a declaration would help, arguing the disease isn’t severe enough to warrant the attention and that rich countries battling monkeypox already have the funds to do so; most people recover without needing medical attention, although the lesions may be painful.

“I think it would be better to be proactive and overreact to the problem instead of waiting to react when it’s too late," Head said. He added that WHO’s emergency declaration could help donors like the World Bank make funds available to stop the outbreaks both in the West and in Africa, where animals are the likely natural reservoir of monkeypox.

In the U.S., some experts have speculated whether monkeypox might be on the verge of becoming an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monkeypox-the-next-std-3266fd0ae451578c989605f430cd3897">entrenched sexually transmitted disease</a>&nbsp;in the country, like gonorrhea, herpes and HIV.

“The bottom line is we’ve seen a shift in the epidemiology of monkeypox where there’s now widespread, unexpected transmission,” said Dr. Albert Ko, a professor of public health and epidemiology at Yale University. “There are some genetic mutations in the virus that suggest why that may be happening, but we do need a globally-coordinated response to get it under control,” he said.

Ko called for testing to be immediately scaled up rapidly, saying that similar to the early days of COVID-19, that there were significant gaps in surveillance.

“The cases we are seeing are just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “The window has probably closed for us to quickly stop the outbreaks in Europe and the U.S., but it’s not too late to stop monkeypox from causing huge damage to poorer countries without the resources to handle it.”

In the U.S., some experts have speculated that monkeypox might become entrenched there as the newest sexually transmitted disease, with officials estimating that 1.5 million men are at high risk of being infected.

Dr. Placide Mbala, a virologist who directs the global health department at Congo’s Institute of National Biomedical Research, said he hoped any global efforts to stop monkeypox would be equitable. Although countries including Britain, Canada, Germany and the U.S. have ordered millions of vaccine doses, none have gone to Africa.

“The solution needs to be global,” Mbala said, adding that any vaccines sent to Africa would be used to target those at highest risk, like hunters in rural areas.

“Vaccination in the West might help stop the outbreak there, but there will still be cases in Africa,” he said. “Unless the problem is solved here, the risk to the rest of the world will remain.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658586348383.png" alt="CDC image July 22, 2022- Total confirmed monkeypox/orthopoxvirus cases: 2,891" />
 <figcaption>CDC image July 22, 2022- Total confirmed monkeypox/orthopoxvirus cases: 2,891</figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-096f3625c4c14a18e2d5f813241d83bf">expanding monkeypox outbreak</a>&nbsp;in more than 70 countries is an “extraordinary” situation that now qualifies as a global emergency, a declaration Saturday that could spur further investment in treating the once-rare disease and worsen the scramble for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-animals-primates-european-union-853ed8fa9967823f7b24570d1e5b9a0e">scarce vaccines</a>.<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/us-map.html">Click here for additional details</a> on monkeypox cases in the U.S.WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the decision to issue the declaration despite a lack of consensus among members of WHO's emergency committee. It was the first time the chief of the U.N. health agency has taken such an action.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 BREAKING: &quot;For all of these reasons, I have decided that the global <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/monkeypox?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#monkeypox</a> outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern.&quot;-<a href="https://twitter.com/DrTedros?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrTedros</a> <a href="https://t.co/qvmYX1ZBAL">pic.twitter.com/qvmYX1ZBAL</a>&mdash; World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) <a href="https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1550847224963371010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“In short, we have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly through new modes of transmission about which we understand too little and which meets the criteria in the international health regulations,” Tedros said.“I know this has not been an easy or straightforward process and that there are divergent views among the members" of the committee, he added.Although monkeypox has been established in parts of central and west Africa for decades, it was not known to spark large outbreaks beyond the continent or to spread widely among people until May, when authorities detected dozens of epidemics in Europe, North America and elsewhere.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-united-nations-epidemics-north-america-c5284aabf79d9ecb816975dc249abffd">Declaring a global emergency</a>&nbsp;means the monkeypox outbreak is an “extraordinary event” that could spill over into more countries and requires a coordinated global response. WHO previously declared emergencies for public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak, the Zika virus in Latin America in 2016 and the ongoing effort to eradicate polio.The emergency declaration mostly serves as a plea to draw more global resources and attention to an outbreak. Past announcements had mixed impact, given that the U.N. health agency is largely powerless in getting countries to act.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655678482994.png" alt="Monkeypox Photo Credit: NHS England High Consequence Infectious Diseases Network-CDC" />
 <figcaption>Monkeypox Photo Credit: NHS England High Consequence Infectious Diseases Network-CDC</figcaption>
 </figure>Last month, WHO’s expert committee said the worldwide monkeypox outbreak did not yet amount to an international emergency, but the panel convened this week to reevaluate the situation.According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in 74 countries since about May. To date, monkeypox deaths have only been reported in Africa, where a more dangerous version of the virus is spreading, mainly in Nigeria and Congo.In Africa, monkeypox mainly spreads to people from infected wild animals like rodents, in limited outbreaks that typically have not crossed borders. In Europe, North America and elsewhere, however, monkeypox is spreading among people with no links to animals or recent travel to Africa.WHO’s top monkeypox expert, Dr. Rosamund Lewis, said this week that 99% of all the monkeypox cases beyond Africa were in men and that of those, 98% involved men who have sex with men. Experts suspect the monkeypox outbreaks in Europe and North America were spread via sex at two raves in Belgium and Spain.Michael Head, a senior research fellow in global health at Southampton University, said it was surprising WHO hadn’t already declared monkeypox a global emergency, explaining that the conditions were arguably met weeks ago.Some experts have questioned whether such a declaration would help, arguing the disease isn’t severe enough to warrant the attention and that rich countries battling monkeypox already have the funds to do so; most people recover without needing medical attention, although the lesions may be painful.“I think it would be better to be proactive and overreact to the problem instead of waiting to react when it’s too late," Head said. He added that WHO’s emergency declaration could help donors like the World Bank make funds available to stop the outbreaks both in the West and in Africa, where animals are the likely natural reservoir of monkeypox.In the U.S., some experts have speculated whether monkeypox might be on the verge of becoming an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monkeypox-the-next-std-3266fd0ae451578c989605f430cd3897">entrenched sexually transmitted disease</a>&nbsp;in the country, like gonorrhea, herpes and HIV.“The bottom line is we’ve seen a shift in the epidemiology of monkeypox where there’s now widespread, unexpected transmission,” said Dr. Albert Ko, a professor of public health and epidemiology at Yale University. “There are some genetic mutations in the virus that suggest why that may be happening, but we do need a globally-coordinated response to get it under control,” he said.Ko called for testing to be immediately scaled up rapidly, saying that similar to the early days of COVID-19, that there were significant gaps in surveillance.“The cases we are seeing are just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “The window has probably closed for us to quickly stop the outbreaks in Europe and the U.S., but it’s not too late to stop monkeypox from causing huge damage to poorer countries without the resources to handle it.”In the U.S., some experts have speculated that monkeypox might become entrenched there as the newest sexually transmitted disease, with officials estimating that 1.5 million men are at high risk of being infected.Dr. Placide Mbala, a virologist who directs the global health department at Congo’s Institute of National Biomedical Research, said he hoped any global efforts to stop monkeypox would be equitable. Although countries including Britain, Canada, Germany and the U.S. have ordered millions of vaccine doses, none have gone to Africa.“The solution needs to be global,” Mbala said, adding that any vaccines sent to Africa would be used to target those at highest risk, like hunters in rural areas.“Vaccination in the West might help stop the outbreak there, but there will still be cases in Africa,” he said. “Unless the problem is solved here, the risk to the rest of the world will remain.”