By MIKE COURSON <a href="https://greatbendpost.com/">Great Bend Post</a>

GREAT BEND — Each 
September, Kansas is witness to one of the most impressive migrations in
 all of nature. Millions of monarch butterflies, weighing less than a 
gram but still able to travel up to 30 miles an hour, travel through the
 Midwest on the way from Canada to Mexico. The annual migration, which 
includes between three and five generations of butterflies, is a natural
 phenomenon.

University of Kansas Professor Chip Taylor studies 
monarchs and founded Monarch Watch. The Kansas Wetlands Education Center
 at Cheyenne Bottoms has participated in the organization's monarch 
tagging program each year since its inception.

"Kansas is
 monarch central because Chip Taylor is one of the top monarch 
researchers in the world," said Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks 
Educator Pam Martin. "What he's determining is how the migration works, 
what's happening and why, so we can stabilize the migration." 

Now
 the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has 
placed the monarch butterfly on its "red list" as an endangered species.
 Unlike the U.S. Endangered Species List, the IUCN list carries no legal
 weight, but it does indicate great peril for the species.

"The 
monarch goes through three countries: Canada, the United States, and 
Mexico," said Martin. "Those three countries have an agreement to 
promote the monarch butterfly and save habitat. That's the big one. 
Habitat loss is major. By planting native and planting milkweed, you're 
helping to mitigate some of that habitat loss."

IUCN estimates 
monarch numbers have declined between 22 percent and 72 percent over the
 past decade, depending on the measurement method. Numbers may be down 
by as much as 85 or 95 percent east of the Rockies over the last 30 
years. Along with loss of habitat, climate change and pesticide use are 
two other possible factors in declining numbers.

"It's 
everything," said Martin. "It's a perfect storm. In a way, they're an 
indicator species. Monarch butterflies are beautiful and they're 
wonderful - they're one of my favorite insects. But they're not the only
 insect this is happening to. We're losing bumble bee species and other 
pollinator species. They call it the 'insect apocalypse.'"

Martin 
said there are things people can do to help boost monarch numbers, 
namely planting native wildflowers and limiting pesticide use. Milkweed 
is the most important native plant as it is the monarch's only 
caterpillar host plant.

Not only are monarchs a beautiful 
component of nature, but as pollinators that travel across the borders 
of three countries and many more states, their survival is essential to 
many ecosystems. 

"The fact that they can migrate over 2,000 
miles, and do this with the information stored in their heads, is 
unbelievable," Martin said. "It would be devastating to lose that 
migration behavior. It's a wonder of the natural world."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658763799966.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON <a href="https://greatbendpost.com/">Great Bend Post</a>GREAT BEND — Each 
September, Kansas is witness to one of the most impressive migrations in
 all of nature. Millions of monarch butterflies, weighing less than a 
gram but still able to travel up to 30 miles an hour, travel through the
 Midwest on the way from Canada to Mexico. The annual migration, which 
includes between three and five generations of butterflies, is a natural
 phenomenon.University of Kansas Professor Chip Taylor studies 
monarchs and founded Monarch Watch. The Kansas Wetlands Education Center
 at Cheyenne Bottoms has participated in the organization's monarch 
tagging program each year since its inception."Kansas is
 monarch central because Chip Taylor is one of the top monarch 
researchers in the world," said Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks 
Educator Pam Martin. "What he's determining is how the migration works, 
what's happening and why, so we can stabilize the migration." Now
 the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has 
placed the monarch butterfly on its "red list" as an endangered species.
 Unlike the U.S. Endangered Species List, the IUCN list carries no legal
 weight, but it does indicate great peril for the species."The 
monarch goes through three countries: Canada, the United States, and 
Mexico," said Martin. "Those three countries have an agreement to 
promote the monarch butterfly and save habitat. That's the big one. 
Habitat loss is major. By planting native and planting milkweed, you're 
helping to mitigate some of that habitat loss."IUCN estimates 
monarch numbers have declined between 22 percent and 72 percent over the
 past decade, depending on the measurement method. Numbers may be down 
by as much as 85 or 95 percent east of the Rockies over the last 30 
years. Along with loss of habitat, climate change and pesticide use are 
two other possible factors in declining numbers."It's 
everything," said Martin. "It's a perfect storm. In a way, they're an 
indicator species. Monarch butterflies are beautiful and they're 
wonderful - they're one of my favorite insects. But they're not the only
 insect this is happening to. We're losing bumble bee species and other 
pollinator species. They call it the 'insect apocalypse.'"Martin 
said there are things people can do to help boost monarch numbers, 
namely planting native wildflowers and limiting pesticide use. Milkweed 
is the most important native plant as it is the monarch's only 
caterpillar host plant.Not only are monarchs a beautiful 
component of nature, but as pollinators that travel across the borders 
of three countries and many more states, their survival is essential to 
many ecosystems. "The fact that they can migrate over 2,000 
miles, and do this with the information stored in their heads, is 
unbelievable," Martin said. "It would be devastating to lose that 
migration behavior. It's a wonder of the natural world."

Endangered monarch butterflies no stranger to Kansas skies

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent attack in southwest Kansas.

Just before 7p.m. July 20, police were dispatched to the 1700 block of Windy View Drive in Garden City for an Aggravated Battery, according to a media release.

 Upon arrival, Officers located a man lying in the parking lot with a head injury. 

The investigation revealed that the man was walking with his two children to their residence when he was approached by another man carrying a handgun. 

The suspect, identified as Isaac Salas, 21, Garden City, KS, allegedly pointed the handgun at the man before a physical altercation occurred in the presence of the children. 

Salas allegedly kicked and struck the man with the handgun several times before fleeing the scene. The man was transported to St. Catherine Hospital for treatment of his injuries. Witnesses saw Salas running westbound before getting into a vehicle and leaving the area.

Officers observed the vehicle in the 2800 block of Fleming Street and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. Salas refused to stop, and a brief vehicle pursuit ensued, after which Officers believed Salas returned to his residence. 

A search warrant was obtained and served by the Garden City/Finney County SWAT team at 407 W. Chestnut Street. Inside the residence, evidence of the crime was located. With assistance from the Finney County Sheriff’s Office and Kansas Highway Patrol, traffic was diverted from the area for approximately five hours.

Just after 8p.m. July 21, police arrested Salas on requested charges of&nbsp;Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Child Endangerment, Interference with LEO, Flee and Elude; Reckless Driving&nbsp; and Various Traffic Charges

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658516059883.png" alt="Salas photo Finney Co." />
 <figcaption>Salas photo Finney Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent attack in southwest Kansas.Just before 7p.m. July 20, police were dispatched to the 1700 block of Windy View Drive in Garden City for an Aggravated Battery, according to a media release. Upon arrival, Officers located a man lying in the parking lot with a head injury. The investigation revealed that the man was walking with his two children to their residence when he was approached by another man carrying a handgun. The suspect, identified as Isaac Salas, 21, Garden City, KS, allegedly pointed the handgun at the man before a physical altercation occurred in the presence of the children. Salas allegedly kicked and struck the man with the handgun several times before fleeing the scene. The man was transported to St. Catherine Hospital for treatment of his injuries. Witnesses saw Salas running westbound before getting into a vehicle and leaving the area.Officers observed the vehicle in the 2800 block of Fleming Street and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. Salas refused to stop, and a brief vehicle pursuit ensued, after which Officers believed Salas returned to his residence. A search warrant was obtained and served by the Garden City/Finney County SWAT team at 407 W. Chestnut Street. Inside the residence, evidence of the crime was located. With assistance from the Finney County Sheriff’s Office and Kansas Highway Patrol, traffic was diverted from the area for approximately five hours.Just after 8p.m. July 21, police arrested Salas on requested charges of&nbsp;Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Child Endangerment, Interference with LEO, Flee and Elude; Reckless Driving&nbsp; and Various Traffic Charges

Kan. man jailed for alleged violent attack in front of children

An Oregon, Missouri man drowned in the Missouri River this weekend
after coming to the aid of his brother.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports 18-year-old Alexander
Harris attempted to assist another swimmer identified as his brother in the Missouri River, but went
under and didn’t resurface.

The patrol reports Harris and the other boy were swimming
in the Missouri River Saturday afternoon about a half mile north of Payne’s
Landing in Holt County.

A Facebook post from the family stated Harris kept his younger brother afloat until his mother could save him. The Holt County Coroner pronounced Harris dead at the scene.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostAn Oregon, Missouri man drowned in the Missouri River this weekend
after coming to the aid of his brother.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ftyson.r.harris%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02G1VtBsrr2HsgNtiKGozaCxrzM44BJnm9xoCEBd83yMf1gDCrhxMiBiX9LcasqywFl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="524" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports 18-year-old Alexander
Harris attempted to assist another swimmer identified as his brother in the Missouri River, but went
under and didn’t resurface.The patrol reports Harris and the other boy were swimming
in the Missouri River Saturday afternoon about a half mile north of Payne’s
Landing in Holt County.A Facebook post from the family stated Harris kept his younger brother afloat until his mother could save him. The Holt County Coroner pronounced Harris dead at the scene.

Teen drowns while saving his brother in Missouri River

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a major security breach at the Sedgwick County Jail and have&nbsp; identified a connection with an uprising at the Lansing Correctional Facility that sent one prisoner to the hospital and left at least three corrections employees injured.

On July 17, authorities at the Sedgwick County jail learned that inmates had removed a pipe from a&nbsp; sink&nbsp; in a day room. They used the pipe to pound on a window in a cell to create a fist sized hole in the window, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter.

The inmates later lowered a sheet through the hole to a person outside the jail who was contacted through the facility's phone system. That person delivered&nbsp; cell phones and marijuana to the inmates.

&nbsp;Through additional investigation, the sheriff's office learned the inmates expected three more deliveries that day. The deliveries included the introduction of a handgun into the jail, according to Easter.

Investigators also learned that almost twenty shanks, or improvised weapons, had been created inside the jail this month. Much of the activity was in conjunction with violence that prompted the lockdown of the Lansing Correctional Facility on July 15, according to Easter. 

The incident sent a prisoner to the hospital. Three corrections employees were injured. Two leaders of a gang at&nbsp;Lansing, the state's largest and oldest prison for adult men, used to be in the Sedgwick County Jail.

Several inmates, affiliated with the same gang and still housed in Sedgwick County were planning similar violence, according to Easter.

While investigating the incident in Sedgwick County, the on-duty deputy in that area of the jail observed inmates break the window, bring the contraband into the facility and didn't stop it or inform anyone it occurred. He also did not give investigators the full story about the incident when confronted about it, according to Easter.&nbsp;

After further investigation of the jail deputy identified as 22-year-old Dustin Burnett of Maize was arrested and on Friday was charged with two counts of official misconduct, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. Both are felonies.&nbsp; Burnett had been employed by the jail since January and was terminated upon his arrest.

On Wednesday, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office conducted a mass search of the entire 1,226 bed Adult Detention Facility after receiving creditable information about the contraband being introduced to the facility.​ A team comprised of 169 members of the Sheriff’s Office took over six hours to complete the search.

During the search deputies found fentanyl pills, shanks or items that could be made into dangerous weapons, a handcuff key, possible K2 and a butane lighter.

Also during the search,&nbsp;a medical emergency occurred in one of the housing units where an inmate was found unresponsive in the housing unit gymnasium.​ Medical staff responded quickly and was able to revive the inmate after administering four doses of Narcan.​ As a precaution the inmate was transported to a local area hospital for treatment, but has since been returned to the Detention Facility.​

While the inmate was being treated in the housing unit he was found in possession of the six pills believed to be fentanyl. ​ The 26-year-old white male is being held on Aggravated Assault, Criminal Poss of a Firearm, Flee and Elude Law Enforcement and Drug Charges​

Burnett is scheduled for a return to court August 1, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658429257903.png" alt="Jail deputy Dustin Burnett made a first court appearance Friday and was charged with two counts of official misconduct -photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Jail deputy Dustin Burnett made a first court appearance Friday and was charged with two counts of official misconduct -photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a major security breach at the Sedgwick County Jail and have&nbsp; identified a connection with an uprising at the Lansing Correctional Facility that sent one prisoner to the hospital and left at least three corrections employees injured.On July 17, authorities at the Sedgwick County jail learned that inmates had removed a pipe from a&nbsp; sink&nbsp; in a day room. They used the pipe to pound on a window in a cell to create a fist sized hole in the window, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSedgwickCountySheriff%2Fvideos%2F5513627518658845%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=35" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The inmates later lowered a sheet through the hole to a person outside the jail who was contacted through the facility's phone system. That person delivered&nbsp; cell phones and marijuana to the inmates.&nbsp;Through additional investigation, the sheriff's office learned the inmates expected three more deliveries that day. The deliveries included the introduction of a handgun into the jail, according to Easter.Investigators also learned that almost twenty shanks, or improvised weapons, had been created inside the jail this month. Much of the activity was in conjunction with violence that prompted the lockdown of the Lansing Correctional Facility on July 15, according to Easter. The incident sent a prisoner to the hospital. Three corrections employees were injured. Two leaders of a gang at&nbsp;Lansing, the state's largest and oldest prison for adult men, used to be in the Sedgwick County Jail.Several inmates, affiliated with the same gang and still housed in Sedgwick County were planning similar violence, according to Easter.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658430002977.png" alt="Outlet cover sharpened into a shank​" />
 <figcaption>Outlet cover sharpened into a shank​</figcaption>
 </figure>While investigating the incident in Sedgwick County, the on-duty deputy in that area of the jail observed inmates break the window, bring the contraband into the facility and didn't stop it or inform anyone it occurred. He also did not give investigators the full story about the incident when confronted about it, according to Easter.&nbsp;After further investigation of the jail deputy identified as 22-year-old Dustin Burnett of Maize was arrested and on Friday was charged with two counts of official misconduct, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. Both are felonies.&nbsp; Burnett had been employed by the jail since January and was terminated upon his arrest.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658429970384.png" alt="Pen sharpened down into a shank" />
 <figcaption>Pen sharpened down into a shank</figcaption>
 </figure>On Wednesday, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office conducted a mass search of the entire 1,226 bed Adult Detention Facility after receiving creditable information about the contraband being introduced to the facility.​ A team comprised of 169 members of the Sheriff’s Office took over six hours to complete the search.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658430090733.png" alt="Suspected Fentanyl Laced Pills found during the search -photo Sedgwick Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Suspected Fentanyl Laced Pills found during the search -photo Sedgwick Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>During the search deputies found fentanyl pills, shanks or items that could be made into dangerous weapons, a handcuff key, possible K2 and a butane lighter.Also during the search,&nbsp;a medical emergency occurred in one of the housing units where an inmate was found unresponsive in the housing unit gymnasium.​ Medical staff responded quickly and was able to revive the inmate after administering four doses of Narcan.​ As a precaution the inmate was transported to a local area hospital for treatment, but has since been returned to the Detention Facility.​While the inmate was being treated in the housing unit he was found in possession of the six pills believed to be fentanyl. ​ The 26-year-old white male is being held on Aggravated Assault, Criminal Poss of a Firearm, Flee and Elude Law Enforcement and Drug Charges​Burnett is scheduled for a return to court August 1, according to the district attorney's office.

🎥Inmates planned violence similar to attack at Kansas prison

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal July 16 shooting continue asking the public for help to locate a Kansas felon.

Just after 9:30 p.m. July 16, police were dispatched to report of a shooting in the 900 Block of SW 8th Street in Topeka, according to Police LT Ronnie Connell.

First responders found 34-year-old&nbsp; Kirk Sexton suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The Topeka Police Department wants to speak with Emmanuel Rashad Walker, 35, of Topeka in reference to this homicide investigation.

 Walker has previous convictions for aggravated assault in 2009 and for, obstruction and drug possession in 2019, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Emmanuel Rashad Walker should call police or 911.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658512386623.png" alt="&nbsp;Emmanuel Rashad Walker has previous convictions for aggravated assault, obstruction and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections -photo Topeka Police" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Emmanuel Rashad Walker has previous convictions for aggravated assault, obstruction and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections -photo Topeka Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal July 16 shooting continue asking the public for help to locate a Kansas felon.Just after 9:30 p.m. July 16, police were dispatched to report of a shooting in the 900 Block of SW 8th Street in Topeka, according to Police LT Ronnie Connell.First responders found 34-year-old&nbsp; Kirk Sexton suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.The Topeka Police Department wants to speak with Emmanuel Rashad Walker, 35, of Topeka in reference to this homicide investigation. Walker has previous convictions for aggravated assault in 2009 and for, obstruction and drug possession in 2019, according to the Kansas Department of CorrectionsAnyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Emmanuel Rashad Walker should call police or 911.

Police: Search continues for Kansas murder suspect

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

ELLIS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating 3 suspects after an armed robbery in Hays on Sunday.

&nbsp;Just after 10:30 a.m. officers received the first 911 call regarding an armed robbery at the Dollar General store at 1208 E. 27th street in Hays, according to a media release.

 The cashier reported a black male with a handgun robbed the store of money and left the building. The cashier reported that no one was injured. Officers responded to the scene and began searching the area. 

Through further investigation it was learned that there were three suspects that left the scene in a black Ford pickup truck with a topper. At 12:09 p.m. dispatch put out an Attempt to Locate (ATL) for the three suspects in a black Ford Ranger or mid-sized pickup with a topper and silver running boards, unknown tag. They were considered armed and dangerous.

A KHP Lieutenant located the suspect vehicle at the Sonic in Oakley, Kansas.

 The suspects fled and a vehicle pursuit ensued. During the pursuit, the suspect vehicle drove west bound in the east bound lane on Interstate 70 putting the public in harm’s way. The KHP Trooper performed a Tactical Vehicle Intervention (TVI) and both vehicles rolled trapping the trooper in his vehicle. The trooper sustained minor injuries. 

At 12:29 p.m. KHP took all three suspects into custody. The female suspect was taken to the hospital in Oakley for injuries sustained in the roll over. The two male suspects were transported to the Ellis County Jail and are being held for armed robbery. 

A member of the Hays Police Department Investigation Division responded to the scene to assist in processing the suspect vehicle and to collect evidence of the robbery. The firearm used in the robbery and other evidence were discarded from the suspect vehicle during the pursuit. These items were located along the highway and have been recovered. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658699443984.jpeg" alt="Hays police responded to a report of an armed robbery at 10:40 a.m. Sunday at the 27th Street Dollar General in Hays. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Hays police responded to a report of an armed robbery at 10:40 a.m. Sunday at the 27th Street Dollar General in Hays. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>ELLIS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating 3 suspects after an armed robbery in Hays on Sunday.&nbsp;Just after 10:30 a.m. officers received the first 911 call regarding an armed robbery at the Dollar General store at 1208 E. 27th street in Hays, according to a media release. The cashier reported a black male with a handgun robbed the store of money and left the building. The cashier reported that no one was injured. Officers responded to the scene and began searching the area. Through further investigation it was learned that there were three suspects that left the scene in a black Ford pickup truck with a topper. At 12:09 p.m. dispatch put out an Attempt to Locate (ATL) for the three suspects in a black Ford Ranger or mid-sized pickup with a topper and silver running boards, unknown tag. They were considered armed and dangerous.A KHP Lieutenant located the suspect vehicle at the Sonic in Oakley, Kansas. The suspects fled and a vehicle pursuit ensued. During the pursuit, the suspect vehicle drove west bound in the east bound lane on Interstate 70 putting the public in harm’s way. The KHP Trooper performed a Tactical Vehicle Intervention (TVI) and both vehicles rolled trapping the trooper in his vehicle. The trooper sustained minor injuries. At 12:29 p.m. KHP took all three suspects into custody. The female suspect was taken to the hospital in Oakley for injuries sustained in the roll over. The two male suspects were transported to the Ellis County Jail and are being held for armed robbery. A member of the Hays Police Department Investigation Division responded to the scene to assist in processing the suspect vehicle and to collect evidence of the robbery. The firearm used in the robbery and other evidence were discarded from the suspect vehicle during the pursuit. These items were located along the highway and have been recovered.

Armed robbery suspects captured after wrong-way I-70 crash

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

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

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.

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.