BOURBON COUNTY—Two juveniles were injured in an accident just before 11:30a.m. Sunday in Bourbon County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Polaris Razor driven by 13-year-old Landon Greenway of Bronson was southbound on Kansas 3 Highway a mile and a half north of Bronson.

The passenger side tires dropped off of the southbound edge of the highway. The driver overcorrected and the ATV overturned.

EMS transported Greenway to Children's Mercy in Kansas City and an 8-year-old passenger to&nbsp;Via Christi in Fort Scott.&nbsp;&nbsp;

BOURBON COUNTY—Two juveniles were injured in an accident just before 11:30a.m. Sunday in Bourbon County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Polaris Razor driven by 13-year-old Landon Greenway of Bronson was southbound on Kansas 3 Highway a mile and a half north of Bronson.The passenger side tires dropped off of the southbound edge of the highway. The driver overcorrected and the ATV overturned.EMS transported Greenway to Children's Mercy in Kansas City and an 8-year-old passenger to&nbsp;Via Christi in Fort Scott.&nbsp;&nbsp;

13, 8-year-old Kan. boys hospitalized after ATV overturns

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden continues to “improve significantly” despite a lingering sore throat from his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boris-johnson-biden-covid-health-government-and-politics-fec6b4a56384b1f2bf7582aecb46aa36">coronavirus infection</a>, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Update-7.24.pdf">an update Sunday</a>&nbsp;from his doctor.

“The president is responding to therapy as expected,” wrote Dr. Kevin O’Connor in his latest note. Biden has been taking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-pfizer-medication-f5f65e7e61d6aa9c7dfa193053e8878a">Paxlovid</a>, an antiviral drug that helps reduce the chance of severe illness.

O’Connor wrote that Biden still has a sore throat, though other symptoms, including a cough, runny nose and body aches, “have diminished considerably."

Biden tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday morning. O'Connor said Saturday that the president likely became infected with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-united-states-pandemics-72462053f8d60fd548cf34377864100b">highly contagious variant, known as BA.5</a>, that is spreading throughout the country, and Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said Sunday, “It is the BA.5 variant.”

"Thank goodness our vaccines and therapeutics work well against it, which is why I think the president's doing well," Jha told CBS' “Face the Nation."

Jha also gave a positive update on the president's health.

“I checked in with his team late last night. He was feeling well. He had a good day yesterday,” Jha said.

That variant 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. It is believed responsible for the vast majority of coronavirus cases in the country. 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 Paxlovid after becoming infected.

The White House has not released any photos or video of Biden since Friday, when the media watched him participate in a virtual meeting with economic advisers.

Jha pledged that the White House would keep giving updates on the president's condition and whether he might have long-term symptoms.

“We think it’s really important for the American people to know how well their president is doing,” he said.

“Obviously if he has persistent symptoms, obviously if any of them interfere with his ability to carry out his duties, we will disclose that early and often with the American people. But I suspect that this is going to be a course of COVID that we've seen in many Americans who have ben fully vaccinated, double boosted, getting treated with those tools in hand,” Jha said. "The president’s been doing well and we’re going to expect that he's going to continue to do so.’’

Biden's press secretary has said 17 people, including members of the president's senior staff and at least one member of Congress, were determined to have been in close contact with Biden when he might have been contagious. None has tested positive so far, Jha said on “Fox News Sunday.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658710265970.png" alt="Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said, "The White House would keep giving updates on the president's condition and whether he might have long-term symptoms." />
 <figcaption>Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said, "The White House would keep giving updates on the president's condition and whether he might have long-term symptoms.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden continues to “improve significantly” despite a lingering sore throat from his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boris-johnson-biden-covid-health-government-and-politics-fec6b4a56384b1f2bf7582aecb46aa36">coronavirus infection</a>, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Update-7.24.pdf">an update Sunday</a>&nbsp;from his doctor.“The president is responding to therapy as expected,” wrote Dr. Kevin O’Connor in his latest note. Biden has been taking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-pfizer-medication-f5f65e7e61d6aa9c7dfa193053e8878a">Paxlovid</a>, an antiviral drug that helps reduce the chance of severe illness.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658710001474.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>O’Connor wrote that Biden still has a sore throat, though other symptoms, including a cough, runny nose and body aches, “have diminished considerably."Biden tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday morning. O'Connor said Saturday that the president likely became infected with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-united-states-pandemics-72462053f8d60fd548cf34377864100b">highly contagious variant, known as BA.5</a>, that is spreading throughout the country, and Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said Sunday, “It is the BA.5 variant.”"Thank goodness our vaccines and therapeutics work well against it, which is why I think the president's doing well," Jha told CBS' “Face the Nation."Jha also gave a positive update on the president's health.“I checked in with his team late last night. He was feeling well. He had a good day yesterday,” Jha said.That variant 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. It is believed responsible for the vast majority of coronavirus cases in the country. 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 Paxlovid after becoming infected.The White House has not released any photos or video of Biden since Friday, when the media watched him participate in a virtual meeting with economic advisers.Jha pledged that the White House would keep giving updates on the president's condition and whether he might have long-term symptoms.“We think it’s really important for the American people to know how well their president is doing,” he said.“Obviously if he has persistent symptoms, obviously if any of them interfere with his ability to carry out his duties, we will disclose that early and often with the American people. But I suspect that this is going to be a course of COVID that we've seen in many Americans who have ben fully vaccinated, double boosted, getting treated with those tools in hand,” Jha said. "The president’s been doing well and we’re going to expect that he's going to continue to do so.’’Biden's press secretary has said 17 people, including members of the president's senior staff and at least one member of Congress, were determined to have been in close contact with Biden when he might have been contagious. None has tested positive so far, Jha said on “Fox News Sunday.”

White House: Biden doing well due to 4 COVID vaccine doses

OTTAWA COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on multiple charges.

Earlier this month, the United State's attorney indicted 26-year-old Jonathan Bonilla, 26, on three counts of possession of counterfeit currency.&nbsp; The U.S. Secret Service is investigating the case. 

In April, authorities arrested Bonilla on requested charges of Burglary, criminal possession of a firearm, unlawful use of a financial card along with parole and probation violations. He is being held without bond in Harvey County, according to online jail records.&nbsp; He had a previous conviction for burglary, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections and an arrest in Ottawa County.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657998047338.png" alt="Bonilla photo Sedgwick County." />
 <figcaption>Bonilla photo Sedgwick County.</figcaption>
 </figure>OTTAWA COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on multiple charges.Earlier this month, the United State's attorney indicted 26-year-old Jonathan Bonilla, 26, on three counts of possession of counterfeit currency.&nbsp; The U.S. Secret Service is investigating the case. In April, authorities arrested Bonilla on requested charges of Burglary, criminal possession of a firearm, unlawful use of a financial card along with parole and probation violations. He is being held without bond in Harvey County, according to online jail records.&nbsp; He had a previous conviction for burglary, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections and an arrest in Ottawa County.

Kansas felon accused of using counterfeit cash

By JACOB PELLINEN <a href="https://theconversation.com/silent-subtle-and-unseen-how-seizures-happen-and-why-theyre-hard-to-diagnose-184740">The Conversation</a>

The dramatic and incapacitating nature of seizures is reflected in 
the word itself, which derives from the Greek “to take hold” – like an 
invisible force suddenly grasping someone and controlling their body. 
This sense of an unknown force has driven many superstitions and 
misrepresentations of seizures throughout history.

Over the past century, the public’s understanding of seizures has 
been gleaned mostly from depictions in movies and television, which are 
often as disturbing as they are inaccurate. While these dramatic 
representations intensify visual storytelling, they frequently 
perpetuate stigma and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1528-1157.1999.tb00836.x">understate the complexity of seizures</a>.

The truth is, seizures are far more varied than what you see in 
popular culture. Instead, they are often subtle, silent and unseen.

<a href="https://som.ucdenver.edu/Profiles/Faculty/iframeProfile/30305">As a neurologist</a>
 who focuses on the comprehensive care of people who experience 
seizures, I subspecialize in the treatment of those with epilepsy. That 
includes identifying and improving gaps in epilepsy care. Research shows
 there are many.

A seizure is caused by sudden uncontrolled <a href="https://www.cureepilepsy.org/for-patients/understanding/basics/what-is-seizure/?">electrical activity from a group of neurons</a>.
 This hyperactivity overwhelms the brain’s normal tendency to suppress 
such abnormal activity on both a cellular and network level.

Not all seizures are indicative of epilepsy. An otherwise normal 
brain may experience seizures during alcohol withdrawal. Seizure-like 
events may also occur with an acute decrease in blood flow, which can 
cause fainting.  

Seizures associated with epilepsy, on the other hand, are <a href="https://www.epilepsydiagnosis.org/">unprovoked and often very difficult to predict</a>.
 A broad spectrum of underlying abnormalities can all lead to the 
development of epileptic seizures, including brain tumors, infections, 
strokes, traumatic brain injury, autoimmune conditions, developmental 
abnormalities and genetic predispositions.

Approximately 1 in 10 people <a href="https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.40.8.1163">will experience a seizure</a> during their lifetime. But only those with a risk of recurrent unprovoked seizures are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/epi.13670">considered to have epilepsy</a>, which represents about <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1528-1157.1993.TB02586.X">1 in 26 people</a>

Because of the wide variety of symptoms, substantial <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-021-01161-8">delays to diagnosis and treatment</a> can happen. When unrecognized and untreated, seizures worsen over time and lead to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.10.020">decreased quality of life</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/epi.16707">cognitive impairments</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1528-1157.1995.tb01660.x">injuries, including motor vehicle accidents</a>, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awt117">sometimes death</a>.

The irony is, much of the suffering is unnecessary. Most people with epilepsy <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1528-1167.2009.02481.x">can be seizure-free</a> through the use of an inexpensive medication.

Regardless of the cause, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1528-1167.2009.02481.x">focal seizures</a>
 are the most common type found in adults. This seizure type arises from
 hyperactivation of a confined brain region. For instance, a seizure 
arising from the left motor cortex of the brain may result in shaking of
 the right arm. A seizure arising from the visual cortex may cause a 
person to see flashes of light or other strange visual phenomena.

The most common brain region for focal seizures to arise is one of 
the temporal lobes, of which there are two – one on either side of the 
brain. These lobes serve many functions and are involved in vocal, 
auditory and visual processing, as well as emotions and memory. This is 
why seizures arising from these areas can lead to a variety of unusual 
symptoms.

Frequently, focal temporal lobe seizures are relatively subtle, 
particularly to witnesses. Sometimes they are comprised of purely 
unusual internal sensations such as sudden intense fear, a sudden sense 
of déjà vu or possibly a strong odor. Until a seizure spreads to involve
 more areas of the brain, it may not cause loss of consciousness or 
convulsions.

Because untreated seizures become more frequent and severe over time,
 it is not uncommon for epilepsy to begin with these relatively subtle 
focal seizures, then worsen as the seizures begin to involve more brain 
tissue, and eventually progress to convulsions.

A patient of mine described having strange symptoms for over a decade
 – symptoms he had not discussed before with me or anyone else. He 
described recurrent, sudden-onset euphoric sensations, which progressed 
to an inability to speak for one to two minutes. A bystander would think
 he was just staring into space. Over the years, these sensations 
increased in frequency. They eventually became more severe and led to 
loss of consciousness. 

After the patient began an anti-seizure medication regimen, the 
sensations went away, and he reported improvements in both memory and 
cognition. Fortunately, he did not experience physical injury, or worse,
 before his evaluation. But many people are not so lucky.

Recent studies have confirmed that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/epi4.12443">delays in diagnosis are common</a>
 among people who have epilepsy. Undoubtedly, this is because the early 
subtle and unusual symptoms are not well recognized by patients, 
families or medical professionals.

<a href="http://www.humanepilepsyproject.org/">The Human Epilepsy Project</a>
 is a large, multinational prospective study that followed nearly 500 
people with newly treated focal epilepsy for five years. I was among the
 researchers who analyzed the study’s data, and we found a striking 
diagnostic delay among many participants. Many of them experienced 
seizures for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/epi.16707">several months or even several years before diagnosis</a>.

From those first seizures to the diagnosis, half the participants 
experienced injuries; 5% had car accidents attributable to seizures. 
Extrapolating this data to the general population suggests that every 
year in the U.S., over 1,800 motor vehicle accidents are due to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/epi.16707">undiagnosed subtle focal seizures</a>. With a timely diagnosis, these accidents are potentially preventable.

However, even those evaluated for seizures don’t always receive the 
correct diagnosis or treatment. Nearly two-thirds of those participating
 in the Human Epilepsy Project sought an initial seizure evaluation in 
an emergency department. About 90% were there only after their first 
convulsive seizure – that is, after the seizure spread and now involved 
the full brain. 

But leading up to that first convulsive seizure, nearly half of 
participants had been experiencing nonmotor focal seizures, which went 
largely unrecognized. For that reason, many people who could have been 
diagnosed with epilepsy and started on treatment <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/acem.14114">were not</a>.

As it stands now, about 200,000 U.S. adults <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1528-1167.2008.01443.x">seek evaluation at a hospital’s emergency department</a>
 for a first lifetime seizure every year. Often, they are diagnosed with
 epilepsy at that time or shortly thereafter. Poor recognition of subtle
 seizures bears significant consequences for individuals, communities 
and the health care system. Improving our understanding of the diverse 
ways seizures arise and affect lives will help us close the gap and 
lessen the consequences.

Jacob Pellinen is an Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658510248230.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By JACOB PELLINEN <a href="https://theconversation.com/silent-subtle-and-unseen-how-seizures-happen-and-why-theyre-hard-to-diagnose-184740">The Conversation</a>The dramatic and incapacitating nature of seizures is reflected in 
the word itself, which derives from the Greek “to take hold” – like an 
invisible force suddenly grasping someone and controlling their body. 
This sense of an unknown force has driven many superstitions and 
misrepresentations of seizures throughout history.Over the past century, the public’s understanding of seizures has 
been gleaned mostly from depictions in movies and television, which are 
often as disturbing as they are inaccurate. While these dramatic 
representations intensify visual storytelling, they frequently 
perpetuate stigma and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1528-1157.1999.tb00836.x">understate the complexity of seizures</a>. The truth is, seizures are far more varied than what you see in 
popular culture. Instead, they are often subtle, silent and unseen.<a href="https://som.ucdenver.edu/Profiles/Faculty/iframeProfile/30305">As a neurologist</a>
 who focuses on the comprehensive care of people who experience 
seizures, I subspecialize in the treatment of those with epilepsy. That 
includes identifying and improving gaps in epilepsy care. Research shows
 there are many.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PG12JfJJW9U"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Why seizures occur</h2>A seizure is caused by sudden uncontrolled <a href="https://www.cureepilepsy.org/for-patients/understanding/basics/what-is-seizure/?">electrical activity from a group of neurons</a>.
 This hyperactivity overwhelms the brain’s normal tendency to suppress 
such abnormal activity on both a cellular and network level. Not all seizures are indicative of epilepsy. An otherwise normal 
brain may experience seizures during alcohol withdrawal. Seizure-like 
events may also occur with an acute decrease in blood flow, which can 
cause fainting. Seizures associated with epilepsy, on the other hand, are <a href="https://www.epilepsydiagnosis.org/">unprovoked and often very difficult to predict</a>.
 A broad spectrum of underlying abnormalities can all lead to the 
development of epileptic seizures, including brain tumors, infections, 
strokes, traumatic brain injury, autoimmune conditions, developmental 
abnormalities and genetic predispositions.<h2>Seizures are not uncommon</h2>Approximately 1 in 10 people <a href="https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.40.8.1163">will experience a seizure</a> during their lifetime. But only those with a risk of recurrent unprovoked seizures are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/epi.13670">considered to have epilepsy</a>, which represents about <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1528-1157.1993.TB02586.X">1 in 26 people</a>Because of the wide variety of symptoms, substantial <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-021-01161-8">delays to diagnosis and treatment</a> can happen. When unrecognized and untreated, seizures worsen over time and lead to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.10.020">decreased quality of life</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/epi.16707">cognitive impairments</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1528-1157.1995.tb01660.x">injuries, including motor vehicle accidents</a>, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awt117">sometimes death</a>. The irony is, much of the suffering is unnecessary. Most people with epilepsy <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1528-1167.2009.02481.x">can be seizure-free</a> through the use of an inexpensive medication.<h2>Focal seizures</h2>Regardless of the cause, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1528-1167.2009.02481.x">focal seizures</a>
 are the most common type found in adults. This seizure type arises from
 hyperactivation of a confined brain region. For instance, a seizure 
arising from the left motor cortex of the brain may result in shaking of
 the right arm. A seizure arising from the visual cortex may cause a 
person to see flashes of light or other strange visual phenomena. The most common brain region for focal seizures to arise is one of 
the temporal lobes, of which there are two – one on either side of the 
brain. These lobes serve many functions and are involved in vocal, 
auditory and visual processing, as well as emotions and memory. This is 
why seizures arising from these areas can lead to a variety of unusual 
symptoms.Frequently, focal temporal lobe seizures are relatively subtle, 
particularly to witnesses. Sometimes they are comprised of purely 
unusual internal sensations such as sudden intense fear, a sudden sense 
of déjà vu or possibly a strong odor. Until a seizure spreads to involve
 more areas of the brain, it may not cause loss of consciousness or 
convulsions.Because untreated seizures become more frequent and severe over time,
 it is not uncommon for epilepsy to begin with these relatively subtle 
focal seizures, then worsen as the seizures begin to involve more brain 
tissue, and eventually progress to convulsions.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W_uXaXwVQ4c"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Delays in diagnosis</h2>A patient of mine described having strange symptoms for over a decade
 – symptoms he had not discussed before with me or anyone else. He 
described recurrent, sudden-onset euphoric sensations, which progressed 
to an inability to speak for one to two minutes. A bystander would think
 he was just staring into space. Over the years, these sensations 
increased in frequency. They eventually became more severe and led to 
loss of consciousness. After the patient began an anti-seizure medication regimen, the 
sensations went away, and he reported improvements in both memory and 
cognition. Fortunately, he did not experience physical injury, or worse,
 before his evaluation. But many people are not so lucky.Recent studies have confirmed that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/epi4.12443">delays in diagnosis are common</a>
 among people who have epilepsy. Undoubtedly, this is because the early 
subtle and unusual symptoms are not well recognized by patients, 
families or medical professionals. <h2>A revealing study</h2><a href="http://www.humanepilepsyproject.org/">The Human Epilepsy Project</a>
 is a large, multinational prospective study that followed nearly 500 
people with newly treated focal epilepsy for five years. I was among the
 researchers who analyzed the study’s data, and we found a striking 
diagnostic delay among many participants. Many of them experienced 
seizures for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/epi.16707">several months or even several years before diagnosis</a>. From those first seizures to the diagnosis, half the participants 
experienced injuries; 5% had car accidents attributable to seizures. 
Extrapolating this data to the general population suggests that every 
year in the U.S., over 1,800 motor vehicle accidents are due to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/epi.16707">undiagnosed subtle focal seizures</a>. With a timely diagnosis, these accidents are potentially preventable.However, even those evaluated for seizures don’t always receive the 
correct diagnosis or treatment. Nearly two-thirds of those participating
 in the Human Epilepsy Project sought an initial seizure evaluation in 
an emergency department. About 90% were there only after their first 
convulsive seizure – that is, after the seizure spread and now involved 
the full brain. But leading up to that first convulsive seizure, nearly half of 
participants had been experiencing nonmotor focal seizures, which went 
largely unrecognized. For that reason, many people who could have been 
diagnosed with epilepsy and started on treatment <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/acem.14114">were not</a>. As it stands now, about 200,000 U.S. adults <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1528-1167.2008.01443.x">seek evaluation at a hospital’s emergency department</a>
 for a first lifetime seizure every year. Often, they are diagnosed with
 epilepsy at that time or shortly thereafter. Poor recognition of subtle
 seizures bears significant consequences for individuals, communities 
and the health care system. Improving our understanding of the diverse 
ways seizures arise and affect lives will help us close the gap and 
lessen the consequences.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/184740/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1"></iframe></div>Jacob Pellinen is an Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Silent, subtle, unseen:How seizures happen, why they’re hard to diagnose

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect and three teens in connection with a high speed chase in a reported stolen 2010 Ford Escape.

Just after 8:30p.m. July 20, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center&nbsp;received notification that the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) was in pursuit of a stolen vehicle, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

Shawnee County deputies assisted KHP near 24 Highway and North Kansas Avenue. As that pursuit entered neighborhoods, that pursuit was terminated.

Shortly after, the stolen SUV was located again near NW Goodyear Road and 24 Highway. Deputies attempted to stop the stolen vehicle, the driver refused, initiating a subsequent pursuit. The suspect left 24 Highway and proceeded northbound onto NW Goodyear Road. At NW 25th Street, the suspect made a U-turn and continued southbound towards 24 Highway. The suspect continued eastbound on 24 Highway then southbound on NW Topeka Boulevard. 

At NW Studer Street, the suspect vehicle struck a concrete curb and Toyota RAV4 and suffered a flat tire which led to the end of the pursuit near NW Paramore Street.

At 9pm, the driver, Dominic Romano Gale Clark, 19, of Kansas City, Kan., was taken into custody. The black 2010 Ford Escape was stolen out of the City of Topeka. 

Clark was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of felony flee and elude, three counts of aggravated endangering a child, possession of stolen property, reckless driving, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, speeding, operating a vehicle without a valid license and failure to maintain a single lane. Three 17-year-old passengers were also in the vehicle.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658486843846.png" alt="Clark photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Clark photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect and three teens in connection with a high speed chase in a reported stolen 2010 Ford Escape.Just after 8:30p.m. July 20, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center&nbsp;received notification that the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) was in pursuit of a stolen vehicle, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.Shawnee County deputies assisted KHP near 24 Highway and North Kansas Avenue. As that pursuit entered neighborhoods, that pursuit was terminated.Shortly after, the stolen SUV was located again near NW Goodyear Road and 24 Highway. Deputies attempted to stop the stolen vehicle, the driver refused, initiating a subsequent pursuit. The suspect left 24 Highway and proceeded northbound onto NW Goodyear Road. At NW 25th Street, the suspect made a U-turn and continued southbound towards 24 Highway. The suspect continued eastbound on 24 Highway then southbound on NW Topeka Boulevard. At NW Studer Street, the suspect vehicle struck a concrete curb and Toyota RAV4 and suffered a flat tire which led to the end of the pursuit near NW Paramore Street.At 9pm, the driver, Dominic Romano Gale Clark, 19, of Kansas City, Kan., was taken into custody. The black 2010 Ford Escape was stolen out of the City of Topeka. Clark was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of felony flee and elude, three counts of aggravated endangering a child, possession of stolen property, reckless driving, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, speeding, operating a vehicle without a valid license and failure to maintain a single lane. Three 17-year-old passengers were also in the vehicle.

Kansas man captured after high-speed chase in stolen SUV

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' top elections official violated the state's open records law when he had office computer software altered so that it could no longer produce data sought by a voting-rights advocate, the state Court of Appeals ruled Friday.

The decision directed a trial court judge to order Secretary of State Scott Schwab to reverse the software change in the state's voter registration system so that it can again produce a statewide report on provisional ballots. Voters receive provisional ballots if they don’t appear to be registered, fail to present required identification or try to vote at the wrong polling place. Their ballots are set aside to be reviewed later by local officials, who determine whether they will be counted.

Davis Hammett is founder of the voting-rights group Loud Light, which helps voters fix issues that led them to cast provisional ballots so that their votes are counted. It also researches voting-rights issues and lobbies the Legislature.

Hammett first sought the information after the 2018 general election, then again repeatedly in 2020. Schwab's office provided it free of charge until the fall of 2020, when Schwab had the vendor maintaining the voter registration system&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-government-and-politics-elections-lawsuits-software-e8c0013f40f64bcb39747317ec256c2e">turn off the feature</a>&nbsp;that produces the reports.

“The report feature may have been of no use to the Secretary but it was useful to Hammet and the public,” Judge Stephen Hill wrote for the three-member appeals panel. “And that is the point of open public records."

Concerns from voting-rights advocates about how provisional and mail-in ballots are handled grew during the tenure of Schwab's predecessor, conservative Republican Kris Kobach, an advocate of strict voter ID laws. In 2016, Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-elections-a369ae2a8087463abddd85990270806c">threw out at least three times as many</a>&nbsp;ballots as similarly sized states.

A political outcry over hundreds of discarded mail-in ballots statewide in the 2018 primary — when Kobach won the GOP nomination for governor by 343 votes — led to a 2019 law requiring election officials to notify voters before their mail-in ballots are thrown out because of problems with signatures.

While Hammet praised Friday's ruling and predicted it will help others seeking state documents, he said it was frustrating to have to go to court to get records that help his group pinpoint potential problems in how provisional ballots are handled.

“It helps us create better state laws,” Hammet said. “We were shut off from doing that.”

Schwab is running in the Aug. 2 Republican primary against a challenger from his right who promotes baseless election fraud theories and accuses Schwab of not being transparent. A Schwab spokesperson said in email that his office was reviewing the decision.

The secretary of state argued in 2019 that provisional ballot reports contained confidential information and were not public records. Hammet sued him, and District Judge Teresa Watson in Shawnee County declared the reports public records. Schwab turned reports over to Hammet multiple times.

The secretary of state had the voter registration system's software altered in September 2020. When Hammett requested another report about three weeks later, Schwab's office suggested he get the data from the vendor — at a cost of $522.

When Hammet sued Schwab again,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-voting-rights-elections-voting-lawsuits-1d70389224a8e0accff00568623690f7">Watson sided with Schwab</a>&nbsp;and declared that the ability to produce the report was not a public record itself.

But the Court of Appeals panel said the change didn't result from a software upgrade or malfunction and Schwab was “choosing to conceal rather than reveal public records.”

While Schwab has discretion in running his office, the appeals panel said, “Public officials must also respect the public policy formulated by the Legislature.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596032048786.png" alt="Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab -photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab -photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' top elections official violated the state's open records law when he had office computer software altered so that it could no longer produce data sought by a voting-rights advocate, the state Court of Appeals ruled Friday.The decision directed a trial court judge to order Secretary of State Scott Schwab to reverse the software change in the state's voter registration system so that it can again produce a statewide report on provisional ballots. Voters receive provisional ballots if they don’t appear to be registered, fail to present required identification or try to vote at the wrong polling place. Their ballots are set aside to be reviewed later by local officials, who determine whether they will be counted.Davis Hammett is founder of the voting-rights group Loud Light, which helps voters fix issues that led them to cast provisional ballots so that their votes are counted. It also researches voting-rights issues and lobbies the Legislature.Hammett first sought the information after the 2018 general election, then again repeatedly in 2020. Schwab's office provided it free of charge until the fall of 2020, when Schwab had the vendor maintaining the voter registration system&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-government-and-politics-elections-lawsuits-software-e8c0013f40f64bcb39747317ec256c2e">turn off the feature</a>&nbsp;that produces the reports.“The report feature may have been of no use to the Secretary but it was useful to Hammet and the public,” Judge Stephen Hill wrote for the three-member appeals panel. “And that is the point of open public records."Concerns from voting-rights advocates about how provisional and mail-in ballots are handled grew during the tenure of Schwab's predecessor, conservative Republican Kris Kobach, an advocate of strict voter ID laws. In 2016, Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-elections-a369ae2a8087463abddd85990270806c">threw out at least three times as many</a>&nbsp;ballots as similarly sized states.A political outcry over hundreds of discarded mail-in ballots statewide in the 2018 primary — when Kobach won the GOP nomination for governor by 343 votes — led to a 2019 law requiring election officials to notify voters before their mail-in ballots are thrown out because of problems with signatures.While Hammet praised Friday's ruling and predicted it will help others seeking state documents, he said it was frustrating to have to go to court to get records that help his group pinpoint potential problems in how provisional ballots are handled.“It helps us create better state laws,” Hammet said. “We were shut off from doing that.”Schwab is running in the Aug. 2 Republican primary against a challenger from his right who promotes baseless election fraud theories and accuses Schwab of not being transparent. A Schwab spokesperson said in email that his office was reviewing the decision.The secretary of state argued in 2019 that provisional ballot reports contained confidential information and were not public records. Hammet sued him, and District Judge Teresa Watson in Shawnee County declared the reports public records. Schwab turned reports over to Hammet multiple times.The secretary of state had the voter registration system's software altered in September 2020. When Hammett requested another report about three weeks later, Schwab's office suggested he get the data from the vendor — at a cost of $522.When Hammet sued Schwab again,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-voting-rights-elections-voting-lawsuits-1d70389224a8e0accff00568623690f7">Watson sided with Schwab</a>&nbsp;and declared that the ability to produce the report was not a public record itself.But the Court of Appeals panel said the change didn't result from a software upgrade or malfunction and Schwab was “choosing to conceal rather than reveal public records.”While Schwab has discretion in running his office, the appeals panel said, “Public officials must also respect the public policy formulated by the Legislature.”

Court: Kansas election chief's software change violated law

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

His oil 
paintings come to life. Albert's Dan Branham has been painting wildlife 
scenes since childhood. Now the recognition is coming in. Branham's work
 was recently selected for the cover of 'The Upland Almanac,' a 
quarterly publication celebrating upland hunting tradition.

Branham
 grew up in Great Bend and attended Barton Community College on an art 
scholarship, but he said his experience is what gives him an artistic 
edge. 

"I grew up in the city of Great Bend, but I've 
always been infatuated with wildlife," he said. "The last six or seven 
years, I've really taken it more seriously and gotten more exposure. 
Stuff like this with the magazine keeps happening, so it's a good 
thing."

Along with the cover of 'Upland Almanac,' Branham was also selected 
as the artist for the Kansas Governor's One-Shot Turkey Hunt in 2018, 
2019, and 2021. Branham often works off photos of old farmsteads, but 
the wildlife creatures in the paintings are pure imagination.

"You
 hone your skills the older you get and the more you do it," he said. 
"Over the years, I've just gotten better and better. You just learn 
different techniques of how to make things more real looking, playing 
with colors and everything."

Branham posts his work on his website
 but was still surprised when the editor of the Vermont-based 'Almanac' 
contacted him about using one of his paintings for the Autumn 2022 
cover. He has since been contacted by a reader in Illinois.

"I had
 no idea it was published yet," Branham said. "I hadn't heard from them.
 I had a guy from Illinois wanting to know if I had prints for sale of 
that particular painting because he saw it in the magazine. That's kind 
of how I found out about it."

Learn more about Branham and see more of his work by <a href="https://www.branhamartstudio.com/">CLICKING HERE.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658330340138.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostHis oil 
paintings come to life. Albert's Dan Branham has been painting wildlife 
scenes since childhood. Now the recognition is coming in. Branham's work
 was recently selected for the cover of 'The Upland Almanac,' a 
quarterly publication celebrating upland hunting tradition.Branham
 grew up in Great Bend and attended Barton Community College on an art 
scholarship, but he said his experience is what gives him an artistic 
edge. "I grew up in the city of Great Bend, but I've 
always been infatuated with wildlife," he said. "The last six or seven 
years, I've really taken it more seriously and gotten more exposure. 
Stuff like this with the magazine keeps happening, so it's a good 
thing."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658250365113.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Along with the cover of 'Upland Almanac,' Branham was also selected 
as the artist for the Kansas Governor's One-Shot Turkey Hunt in 2018, 
2019, and 2021. Branham often works off photos of old farmsteads, but 
the wildlife creatures in the paintings are pure imagination."You
 hone your skills the older you get and the more you do it," he said. 
"Over the years, I've just gotten better and better. You just learn 
different techniques of how to make things more real looking, playing 
with colors and everything."Branham posts his work on his website
 but was still surprised when the editor of the Vermont-based 'Almanac' 
contacted him about using one of his paintings for the Autumn 2022 
cover. He has since been contacted by a reader in Illinois."I had
 no idea it was published yet," Branham said. "I hadn't heard from them.
 I had a guy from Illinois wanting to know if I had prints for sale of 
that particular painting because he saw it in the magazine. That's kind 
of how I found out about it."Learn more about Branham and see more of his work by <a href="https://www.branhamartstudio.com/">CLICKING HERE.</a>

Albert artist's work featured on the cover of 'The Upland Almanac'

WASHINGTON&nbsp;– A year after a new federal law aimed at fighting robocalls, the number of phone companies that have adopted the required technology has quadrupled and the volume of scam robocalls has dropped in half, according to a media release from&nbsp;<a href="https://uspirg.org/">U.S. PIRG an</a> advocate for the public interest.

Spam texts have increased more than tenfold as con artists and identity thieves find alternative ways to steal Americans’ personal information and money.

“Too often, we hear stories about elderly people who lose their life savings after responding to someone they think is from their bank,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://uspirgedfund.org/staff/usp/teresa-murray">Teresa Murray</a>, consumer watchdog with the U.S. PIRG Education Fund.&nbsp;”I’d like to see regulators, lawmakers and executives from phone companies explain to each family why they haven’t done more to help their grandma or grandpa.”

In a new report by U.S. PIRG Education Fund,&nbsp;<a href="https://uspirgedfund.org/blogs/blog/usf/ringing-our-fears">“Ringing in our Fears,”</a>&nbsp;Our analysis of the Federal Communications Commission’s robocall mitigation database of 7,514 voice providers nationwide shows:

The phone companies’ actions appear to be helping, but clearly, incomplete compliance has not solved our national robocall problem. The number of monthly scam robocalls has dropped from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/just-over-4-4-billion-robocalls-in-june-mark-11-monthly-increase-says-youmail-robocall-index-301327740.html?tc=eml_cleartime">2.1 billion</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-phones-received-almost-4-billion-robocalls-in-may-says-youmail-robocall-index-301563887.html">1.1 billion</a>&nbsp;in the year since the law took effect, according to a leading robocall-filtering company. While robocalls may be ringing in our ears less often, excessive robotexts are now ringing in our fears of being scammed: Spam texts have increased from 1 billion to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.robokiller.com/spam-text-insights">12 billion a month</a>&nbsp;in the last year.

“I’ve focused on scam robocalls for 15 years and can’t believe we haven’t made more progress,” Murray said. “The FCC approves new rules, Congress passes new laws, yet we still have more than a billion scam robocalls and 12 times as many robotexts a month. Americans deserve better enforcement, and corporations need to take their share of&nbsp;responsibility.”

The report offers reasons for short-term optimism, including the FCC targeting both “gateway” providers that funnel scam calls from overseas and smaller providers that originally were exempt from the law until June 2023, but now must comply. Still, more needs to be done, including allowing public access to “traceback” data that shows which companies originate or allow scam robocalls on their lines.

“Research shows that 80 percent of us generally don’t answer calls from an unknown number,” Murray said. “We rely on our phones, we pay good money for our phones, but it’s become a hassle to use our phones the way we want to -- to answer calls and texts. And the tales of people whose lives are wrecked by scam calls and texts are gut-wrenching. It needs to stop.”

WASHINGTON&nbsp;– A year after a new federal law aimed at fighting robocalls, the number of phone companies that have adopted the required technology has quadrupled and the volume of scam robocalls has dropped in half, according to a media release from&nbsp;<a href="https://uspirg.org/">U.S. PIRG an</a> advocate for the public interest. Spam texts have increased more than tenfold as con artists and identity thieves find alternative ways to steal Americans’ personal information and money.“Too often, we hear stories about elderly people who lose their life savings after responding to someone they think is from their bank,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://uspirgedfund.org/staff/usp/teresa-murray">Teresa Murray</a>, consumer watchdog with the U.S. PIRG Education Fund.&nbsp;”I’d like to see regulators, lawmakers and executives from phone companies explain to each family why they haven’t done more to help their grandma or grandpa.”In a new report by U.S. PIRG Education Fund,&nbsp;<a href="https://uspirgedfund.org/blogs/blog/usf/ringing-our-fears">“Ringing in our Fears,”</a>&nbsp;Our analysis of the Federal Communications Commission’s robocall mitigation database of 7,514 voice providers nationwide shows:<ul>
 <li>1,932 have installed the industry-standard STIR/SHAKEN technology, up from 536 companies last year.</li><li>1,518 have partially adopted the STIR/SHAKEN technology, up from 817 companies last year.</li><li>3,062 have not installed STIR/SHAKEN but claim to be using their own robocall mitigation system. That compares with 1,710 companies last year. The increase reflects companies that didn’t report their status last year.</li><li>1,002 claimed they’re exempt from the requirements, almost all because they’re intermediate providers that don’t originate or complete calls.</li>
 </ul>The phone companies’ actions appear to be helping, but clearly, incomplete compliance has not solved our national robocall problem. The number of monthly scam robocalls has dropped from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/just-over-4-4-billion-robocalls-in-june-mark-11-monthly-increase-says-youmail-robocall-index-301327740.html?tc=eml_cleartime">2.1 billion</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-phones-received-almost-4-billion-robocalls-in-may-says-youmail-robocall-index-301563887.html">1.1 billion</a>&nbsp;in the year since the law took effect, according to a leading robocall-filtering company. While robocalls may be ringing in our ears less often, excessive robotexts are now ringing in our fears of being scammed: Spam texts have increased from 1 billion to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.robokiller.com/spam-text-insights">12 billion a month</a>&nbsp;in the last year.“I’ve focused on scam robocalls for 15 years and can’t believe we haven’t made more progress,” Murray said. “The FCC approves new rules, Congress passes new laws, yet we still have more than a billion scam robocalls and 12 times as many robotexts a month. Americans deserve better enforcement, and corporations need to take their share of&nbsp;responsibility.”The report offers reasons for short-term optimism, including the FCC targeting both “gateway” providers that funnel scam calls from overseas and smaller providers that originally were exempt from the law until June 2023, but now must comply. Still, more needs to be done, including allowing public access to “traceback” data that shows which companies originate or allow scam robocalls on their lines.“Research shows that 80 percent of us generally don’t answer calls from an unknown number,” Murray said. “We rely on our phones, we pay good money for our phones, but it’s become a hassle to use our phones the way we want to -- to answer calls and texts. And the tales of people whose lives are wrecked by scam calls and texts are gut-wrenching. It needs to stop.”

Report: Robotexts skyrocket 1 year after federal law to fight robocalls

JOHNSON COUNTY (AP) —A school resource officer who shot and wounded a Kansas high school student after the student shot him four times won’t face charges because he believed his life was in danger, a prosecutor announced Friday.

Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe said school resource officer Erik Clark shot Jaylon Elmore at Olathe East High School after Elmore&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-kansas-city-kansas-7056bd0ef98014e6166d1db226b90da8">shot him four times</a>&nbsp;inside an assistant principal’s office on March 4.

An assistant principal, Kaleb Stoppel, was shot and wounded during the exchange, “most likely” by two bullets fired by Clark, Howe said in a report.

Clark and Stoppel were released from the hospital the same day. Elmore was hospitalized for weeks before he was jailed on $1 million bond on an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-education-school-shootings-robbery-kansas-city-33b40af0c849eb7db2accd234dbbb2b7">attempted capital murder charge</a>. He pleaded not guilty.

“(Clark) believed that he was going to die when Jaylon Elmore drew a handgun and began firing at him,” Howe said in the release. “He watched the muzzle flashes and felt the bullets impact his body. This was a sudden burst of deadly violence without provocation.”

According to the report, Elmore was taken to the assistant principal’s office after rumors circulated that he might have brought a gun to school. After Elmore refused to allow Stoppel to search his backpack, Clark was summoned to the office, Howe said.

When Elmore stood up and moved his backpack to his chest, Stoppel approached him. He heard shots being fired but did not see a weapon in Elmore’s hand until he tackled him, according to the report.

Another assistant principal in the room saw Elmore take a pistol from the backpack and fire at Clark, Howe said. She was not injured.

Elmore shot Clark at point blank range before the officer was able to draw his weapon and return fire, according to the report. With Elmore subdued, Clark began treating his injuries and instructed others on how to treat Elmore’s wounds.

Elmore and Clark each fired four shots. Clark was hit four times, including one bullet that destroyed a body worn camera on his chest. Elmore and Stoppel were both shot twice.

Elmore used a Polymer 80 9mm gun, which is a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-shootings-education-gun-politics-kansas-30b4539545d82d6fea59a006473e8c14">“ghost gun”</a>&nbsp;that can be made from a kit or individual parts often purchased online, the report said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646450835191.png" alt="Erik Clark-photo courtesy Olathe Police" />
 <figcaption>Erik Clark-photo courtesy Olathe Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY (AP) —A school resource officer who shot and wounded a Kansas high school student after the student shot him four times won’t face charges because he believed his life was in danger, a prosecutor announced Friday.Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe said school resource officer Erik Clark shot Jaylon Elmore at Olathe East High School after Elmore&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-kansas-city-kansas-7056bd0ef98014e6166d1db226b90da8">shot him four times</a>&nbsp;inside an assistant principal’s office on March 4.An assistant principal, Kaleb Stoppel, was shot and wounded during the exchange, “most likely” by two bullets fired by Clark, Howe said in a report.Clark and Stoppel were released from the hospital the same day. Elmore was hospitalized for weeks before he was jailed on $1 million bond on an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-education-school-shootings-robbery-kansas-city-33b40af0c849eb7db2accd234dbbb2b7">attempted capital murder charge</a>. He pleaded not guilty.“(Clark) believed that he was going to die when Jaylon Elmore drew a handgun and began firing at him,” Howe said in the release. “He watched the muzzle flashes and felt the bullets impact his body. This was a sudden burst of deadly violence without provocation.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652189950125.png" alt="Elmore-photo Johnson County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Elmore-photo Johnson County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>According to the report, Elmore was taken to the assistant principal’s office after rumors circulated that he might have brought a gun to school. After Elmore refused to allow Stoppel to search his backpack, Clark was summoned to the office, Howe said.When Elmore stood up and moved his backpack to his chest, Stoppel approached him. He heard shots being fired but did not see a weapon in Elmore’s hand until he tackled him, according to the report.Another assistant principal in the room saw Elmore take a pistol from the backpack and fire at Clark, Howe said. She was not injured.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646417385414.png" alt="Police on the scene of Olathe East High School Friday afternoon-photo courtesy KBMC -TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of Olathe East High School Friday afternoon-photo courtesy KBMC -TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Elmore shot Clark at point blank range before the officer was able to draw his weapon and return fire, according to the report. With Elmore subdued, Clark began treating his injuries and instructed others on how to treat Elmore’s wounds.Elmore and Clark each fired four shots. Clark was hit four times, including one bullet that destroyed a body worn camera on his chest. Elmore and Stoppel were both shot twice.Elmore used a Polymer 80 9mm gun, which is a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-shootings-education-gun-politics-kansas-30b4539545d82d6fea59a006473e8c14">“ghost gun”</a>&nbsp;that can be made from a kit or individual parts often purchased online, the report said.

Prosecutor: Shooting at Kansas high school was justified

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Republicans have spent more than three decades making it as hard as possible to get an abortion in Kansas, and now that their chance to ban the procedure is in sight, they’re reluctant to tell voters whether that's their goal.

In the first statewide abortion referendum since the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overruled Roe vs. Wade,</a>&nbsp;Kansas voters will decide Aug. 2 on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/hcr5003_00_0000.pdf">a proposed change</a>&nbsp;to the state constitution that would clear the way for its Republican-controlled Legislature to more strictly regulate or ban abortion. Several other states are poised to vote on the issue later this year, and new fights loom where courts and governors are less conservative than legislatures.

But even as conservative lawmakers in nearby states such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/80bfa84a31cb449cb5a60e1a24d7f8a7">Missouri</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-texas-oklahoma-ad37e8db8a0f3fd9f4fcd215f8a3ed0a">Oklahoma</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-health-abortion-government-and-politics-ba02cd7c3f02b1eb5c87094257ee4db2">Texas</a>&nbsp;take pride in their near-total bans, abortion opponents in Kansas avoid giving direct answers about what new restrictions they'd support, and some deny they'd seek a total ban.

“You don’t want to get out over your skis and and, you know, say something and then it doesn’t even come to pass,” said Kansas House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican who opposes abortion and is poised to become House speaker next year.

It's part of a strategy to get conservative voters out to back the amendment while appealing to centrist voters who support restrictions but don't want a ban.

Both sides accuse the other of misleading voters.

“They intend to ban abortion in all cases,” said Anne Melia, 59, a former Republican who is now a Democrat and an environmental chemist who gave up a consulting job last year to focus on political activism. “Our law here could match something like what happened in Missouri with their trigger law that’s banned all abortion.”

If abortion opponents are successful, Kansas will be the fifth state to add language to its state constitution declaring that it doesn't grant the right to abortion. The other four — Tennessee in 2014, Alabama and West Virginia in 2018, and Louisiana in 2020 — ban most abortions.

Kentucky will vote in November on having its constitution declare that it doesn't protect abortion rights, and Republicans in Iowa and Pennsylvania are pursuing such initiatives. Meanwhile, Vermont will decide in November whether to add an abortion rights provision to its constitution, while abortion rights supporters in Colorado are aiming for a 2024 initiative.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-voting-rights-2022-midterm-elections-us-supreme-court-health-96575728b5ccc4664e0a38fe4884f1e4">In Michigan,</a>&nbsp;a ballot initiative likely is headed for a November vote on whether to enshrine abortion rights language in the state constitution. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also is asking the state’s highest court to strike down a 1931 abortion ban that has been dormant for five decades. Courts in at least 10 states are dealing with lawsuits over abortion.

“This is, I think, a really unsettling and troubling moment for American women and providers who treat American women,” Whitmer said.

In Kansas, spending in the campaign over its abortion question has topped $14 million, with backers spending about $8 million. Catholic dioceses and the Kansas Catholic Conference have contributed more than $4 million to the vote yes campaign. Abortion providers have contributed nearly $1.5 million to the vote no campaign, and the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a liberal Washington group, has kicked in $1.4 million.

Kansas currently bans most abortions at the 22nd week of pregnancy, imposes a 24-hour waiting period for patients and mandates parental notification for minors, among other things.

Kansans for Life, the state's most influential anti-abortion group, has for decades pushed the most restrictive abortion laws that would pass court muster or, when Democrats held the governor’s office, win the legislative supermajorities necessary to override vetoes.

Then in 2019 a law banning the most common second-trimester procedure was blocked by the Kansas Supreme Court,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">which ruled that</a>&nbsp;the state's constitution protects abortion rights. A law setting additional health regulations also is on hold, with a trial judge ruling in December that the state had no justification for rules applying only to abortion providers.

If voters say yes Aug. 2, those laws could take effect quickly. But lawmakers also would have the power to enact a law like the model proposed by the National Right to Life Committee that would ban all abortions except to save a woman's life.

“Kansas and Michigan will both serve as test cases on the power of Republican state legislatures to intervene in personal medical decisions,” said Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts. “And other states will be paying attention.”

Abortion opponents say talk of a ban is misleading. The real issue, they say, is that without a constitutional change, the laws currently being enforced might be erased, making Kansas a haven for unrestricted abortion.

“All eyes are here,” said Ella Witt, who directs student canvassers for the national Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group, whose website says its mission is to end abortion. “It’ll tell an important story of where maybe things are headed.”

The group brought in about 300 college students from 25 out-of-state campuses to knock on doors and talk to voters, investing $1.3 million.

One voter was Toni Sluga, a 74-year-old retired teacher who said the state’s highest court “usurped the power of the Legislature.”

“We just don’t want Kansas to become the abortion capital of the country,” she said.

Some scholars see that argument as dubious. Jeffrey Jackson, interim dean of the Washburn University law school in Topeka, and Stephen McAllister, a former Kansas solicitor general who represented the state in the case that led to the 2019 ruling, said some restrictions, such as the waiting period and parental notification, are likely to survive even if the amendment does not pass.

Abortion has been a defining political issue in Kansas since the anti-abortion “Summer of Mercy” protests outside the Wichita clinic of Dr. George Tiller in 1991. Tiller was among the few U.S. physicians known to do abortions late in pregnancies. An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/81cec18a40c94f808a315d005625e644">anti-abortion extremist</a>&nbsp;murdered him in 2009.

The protests energized abortion opponents, who began a long-term strategy of electing people who would vote with abortion in mind at every level of government. But even though Kansans have sent abortion-opposing majorities to the Statehouse, they regularly elect Democrats who support abortion rights as governor, like Laura Kelly in 2018.

Abortion opponents say how far they could go next year if the amendment passes depends on whether Kelly wins her tough reelection race. She has said adding anti-abortion language to the Kansas Constitution would “throw the state back into the Dark Ages.”

The presumed GOP nominee, state Attorney General Derek Schmidt, supports the ballot measure but will not say what he’d sign as governor. Top Republican lawmakers also are mum. An aide to Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita Republican, texted that Masterson “sees no value in prognosticating.”

The vote in Kansas is on primary election day, which is expected to favor abortion opponents. Over the past 10 years, GOP voters have cast twice as many ballots as Democrats in Kansas primaries. But more than 12,000 people registered to vote in Kansas between April 1 and July 1, with a draft of the U.S. Supreme Court's opinion leaking in early May.

Troy Newman, president of the national anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, said once the amendment passes, the immediate priority will be to enforce the Kansas laws now on hold.

"Then we tighten up various restrictions, maybe abolish abortion altogether,” he added. “I think it’s not a bridge too far,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656082532826.png" alt="Photo Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Photo Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Republicans have spent more than three decades making it as hard as possible to get an abortion in Kansas, and now that their chance to ban the procedure is in sight, they’re reluctant to tell voters whether that's their goal.In the first statewide abortion referendum since the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overruled Roe vs. Wade,</a>&nbsp;Kansas voters will decide Aug. 2 on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/hcr5003_00_0000.pdf">a proposed change</a>&nbsp;to the state constitution that would clear the way for its Republican-controlled Legislature to more strictly regulate or ban abortion. Several other states are poised to vote on the issue later this year, and new fights loom where courts and governors are less conservative than legislatures.But even as conservative lawmakers in nearby states such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/80bfa84a31cb449cb5a60e1a24d7f8a7">Missouri</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-texas-oklahoma-ad37e8db8a0f3fd9f4fcd215f8a3ed0a">Oklahoma</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-health-abortion-government-and-politics-ba02cd7c3f02b1eb5c87094257ee4db2">Texas</a>&nbsp;take pride in their near-total bans, abortion opponents in Kansas avoid giving direct answers about what new restrictions they'd support, and some deny they'd seek a total ban.“You don’t want to get out over your skis and and, you know, say something and then it doesn’t even come to pass,” said Kansas House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican who opposes abortion and is poised to become House speaker next year.It's part of a strategy to get conservative voters out to back the amendment while appealing to centrist voters who support restrictions but don't want a ban.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656082391177.png" alt="Photo Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Photo Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>Both sides accuse the other of misleading voters.“They intend to ban abortion in all cases,” said Anne Melia, 59, a former Republican who is now a Democrat and an environmental chemist who gave up a consulting job last year to focus on political activism. “Our law here could match something like what happened in Missouri with their trigger law that’s banned all abortion.”If abortion opponents are successful, Kansas will be the fifth state to add language to its state constitution declaring that it doesn't grant the right to abortion. The other four — Tennessee in 2014, Alabama and West Virginia in 2018, and Louisiana in 2020 — ban most abortions.Kentucky will vote in November on having its constitution declare that it doesn't protect abortion rights, and Republicans in Iowa and Pennsylvania are pursuing such initiatives. Meanwhile, Vermont will decide in November whether to add an abortion rights provision to its constitution, while abortion rights supporters in Colorado are aiming for a 2024 initiative.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-voting-rights-2022-midterm-elections-us-supreme-court-health-96575728b5ccc4664e0a38fe4884f1e4">In Michigan,</a>&nbsp;a ballot initiative likely is headed for a November vote on whether to enshrine abortion rights language in the state constitution. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also is asking the state’s highest court to strike down a 1931 abortion ban that has been dormant for five decades. Courts in at least 10 states are dealing with lawsuits over abortion.“This is, I think, a really unsettling and troubling moment for American women and providers who treat American women,” Whitmer said.In Kansas, spending in the campaign over its abortion question has topped $14 million, with backers spending about $8 million. Catholic dioceses and the Kansas Catholic Conference have contributed more than $4 million to the vote yes campaign. Abortion providers have contributed nearly $1.5 million to the vote no campaign, and the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a liberal Washington group, has kicked in $1.4 million.Kansas currently bans most abortions at the 22nd week of pregnancy, imposes a 24-hour waiting period for patients and mandates parental notification for minors, among other things.Kansans for Life, the state's most influential anti-abortion group, has for decades pushed the most restrictive abortion laws that would pass court muster or, when Democrats held the governor’s office, win the legislative supermajorities necessary to override vetoes.Then in 2019 a law banning the most common second-trimester procedure was blocked by the Kansas Supreme Court,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">which ruled that</a>&nbsp;the state's constitution protects abortion rights. A law setting additional health regulations also is on hold, with a trial judge ruling in December that the state had no justification for rules applying only to abortion providers.If voters say yes Aug. 2, those laws could take effect quickly. But lawmakers also would have the power to enact a law like the model proposed by the National Right to Life Committee that would ban all abortions except to save a woman's life.“Kansas and Michigan will both serve as test cases on the power of Republican state legislatures to intervene in personal medical decisions,” said Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts. “And other states will be paying attention.”Abortion opponents say talk of a ban is misleading. The real issue, they say, is that without a constitutional change, the laws currently being enforced might be erased, making Kansas a haven for unrestricted abortion.“All eyes are here,” said Ella Witt, who directs student canvassers for the national Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group, whose website says its mission is to end abortion. “It’ll tell an important story of where maybe things are headed.”The group brought in about 300 college students from 25 out-of-state campuses to knock on doors and talk to voters, investing $1.3 million.One voter was Toni Sluga, a 74-year-old retired teacher who said the state’s highest court “usurped the power of the Legislature.”“We just don’t want Kansas to become the abortion capital of the country,” she said.Some scholars see that argument as dubious. Jeffrey Jackson, interim dean of the Washburn University law school in Topeka, and Stephen McAllister, a former Kansas solicitor general who represented the state in the case that led to the 2019 ruling, said some restrictions, such as the waiting period and parental notification, are likely to survive even if the amendment does not pass.Abortion has been a defining political issue in Kansas since the anti-abortion “Summer of Mercy” protests outside the Wichita clinic of Dr. George Tiller in 1991. Tiller was among the few U.S. physicians known to do abortions late in pregnancies. An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/81cec18a40c94f808a315d005625e644">anti-abortion extremist</a>&nbsp;murdered him in 2009.The protests energized abortion opponents, who began a long-term strategy of electing people who would vote with abortion in mind at every level of government. But even though Kansans have sent abortion-opposing majorities to the Statehouse, they regularly elect Democrats who support abortion rights as governor, like Laura Kelly in 2018.Abortion opponents say how far they could go next year if the amendment passes depends on whether Kelly wins her tough reelection race. She has said adding anti-abortion language to the Kansas Constitution would “throw the state back into the Dark Ages.”The presumed GOP nominee, state Attorney General Derek Schmidt, supports the ballot measure but will not say what he’d sign as governor. Top Republican lawmakers also are mum. An aide to Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita Republican, texted that Masterson “sees no value in prognosticating.”The vote in Kansas is on primary election day, which is expected to favor abortion opponents. Over the past 10 years, GOP voters have cast twice as many ballots as Democrats in Kansas primaries. But more than 12,000 people registered to vote in Kansas between April 1 and July 1, with a draft of the U.S. Supreme Court's opinion leaking in early May.Troy Newman, president of the national anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, said once the amendment passes, the immediate priority will be to enforce the Kansas laws now on hold."Then we tighten up various restrictions, maybe abolish abortion altogether,” he added. “I think it’s not a bridge too far,” he said.

Kansas vote could allow ban, but abortion foes mum on plans

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.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619813986023.png" alt="" />
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 </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.”