SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a July 15, homicide have made an arrest.

Just before 7p.m. July 15, police&nbsp;were patrolling near the Central Park Community Center,&nbsp;1534 SW Clay Street, Topeka, when they located a suspicious vehicle. 

Further investigation of the vehicle led to the discovery of a deceased man later identified as 72-year-old Terry Keller, according to Assistant Topeka Police Chief Mike Cross. The following day police indicated Keller's death was a homicide.

&nbsp;As the result of a digital canvas of the neighborhood, police have identified a person of interest. On Wednesday, police arrested Wisdom Curls, 24 of Topeka and transferred him to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree;&nbsp;Intentional and premeditated, Aggravated Robbery and Criminal possession of a weapon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753373968639.png" alt="Curls photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Curls photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a July 15, homicide have made an arrest.Just before 7p.m. July 15, police&nbsp;were patrolling near the Central Park Community Center,&nbsp;1534 SW Clay Street, Topeka, when they located a suspicious vehicle. Further investigation of the vehicle led to the discovery of a deceased man later identified as 72-year-old Terry Keller, according to Assistant Topeka Police Chief Mike Cross. The following day police indicated Keller's death was a homicide.&nbsp;As the result of a digital canvas of the neighborhood, police have identified a person of interest. On Wednesday, police arrested Wisdom Curls, 24 of Topeka and transferred him to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree;&nbsp;Intentional and premeditated, Aggravated Robbery and Criminal possession of a weapon.

Police: 72-year-old  killed in Kansas armed robbery

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas basketball coach Bill Self had two stents inserted into his heart to treat blocked arteries Thursday at Lawrence Memorial Hospital after he felt “felt unwell and experienced some concerning symptoms.”

“The procedure went very well, and he is expected to make a full recovery,” the Kansas athletic department said in a statement. "He is in good spirits and expects to be released from the hospital soon.”

The 62-year-old Self directed the final practice of the summer session Thursday morning as he prepares for his 23rd seasons as head coach of the Jayhawks. He missed the 2023 Big 12 and NCAA tournaments because of a heart condition, getting a standard catheterization and having two stents inserted to help treat blocked arteries.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681311280126.jpeg" alt="Bill Self-Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Bill Self-Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas basketball coach Bill Self had two stents inserted into his heart to treat blocked arteries Thursday at Lawrence Memorial Hospital after he felt “felt unwell and experienced some concerning symptoms.”“The procedure went very well, and he is expected to make a full recovery,” the Kansas athletic department said in a statement. "He is in good spirits and expects to be released from the hospital soon.”The 62-year-old Self directed the final practice of the summer session Thursday morning as he prepares for his 23rd seasons as head coach of the Jayhawks. He missed the 2023 Big 12 and NCAA tournaments because of a heart condition, getting a standard catheterization and having two stents inserted to help treat blocked arteries.

KU basketball coach Bill Self has stents inserted to treat blocked arteries

BOURBON COUNTY&nbsp;–The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Fort Scott Police Department arrested a Fort Scott man for alleged child sex crimes.

&nbsp;Just after&nbsp; 1 p.m. on Wednesday, KBI agents and the Fort Scott Police Department arrested 24-year-old Micheal Olkowski, of Fort Scott. Olkowski on requested charges of sexual exploitation of a child and aggravated internet trading in child pornography after a search warrant was conducted at 920 W. Park Avenue in Fort Scott, according to a media release from the KBI.

The KBI Child Victims Unit began investigating after multiple cyber tips were received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in July.

Following the arrest, Olkowski was booked into the Bourbon County Jail.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME.&nbsp;Anonymous tips can be submitted online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery" target="_blank">www.kbi.ks.gov/sar</a>.

&nbsp;The case is expected to be prosecuted by the Bourbon County Attorney’s Office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753387895744.png" alt="Olkowski photo Bourbon Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Olkowski photo Bourbon Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>BOURBON COUNTY&nbsp;–The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Fort Scott Police Department arrested a Fort Scott man for alleged child sex crimes.&nbsp;Just after&nbsp; 1 p.m. on Wednesday, KBI agents and the Fort Scott Police Department arrested 24-year-old Micheal Olkowski, of Fort Scott. Olkowski on requested charges of sexual exploitation of a child and aggravated internet trading in child pornography after a search warrant was conducted at 920 W. Park Avenue in Fort Scott, according to a media release from the KBI.The KBI Child Victims Unit began investigating after multiple cyber tips were received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in July.Following the arrest, Olkowski was booked into the Bourbon County Jail.&nbsp;&nbsp;Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME.&nbsp;Anonymous tips can be submitted online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery" target="_blank">www.kbi.ks.gov/sar</a>.&nbsp;The case is expected to be prosecuted by the Bourbon County Attorney’s Office.

Kansas man accused of internet trading in child porn

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed a bill Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pbs-npr-budget-cuts-trump-republicans-b0044285659ab708e23eb2dc2f3eabfa">canceling about $9 billion</a>&nbsp;that had been approved for public broadcasting and foreign aid as Republicans look to lock in cuts to programs targeted by the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency.

The bulk of the spending being clawed back is for foreign assistance programs. About $1.1 billion was destined for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pbs-npr-public-broadcasting-funding-cuts-d5bf43d4a103f8b0c92cbb3080d9e44b">Corporation for Public Broadcasting</a>, which finances NPR and PBS, though most of that money is distributed to more than 1,500 local public radio and television stations around the country.

The White House had billed the legislation as a test case for Congress and said more such rescission packages would be on the way.

Some Republicans were uncomfortable with the cuts, yet supported them anyway, wary of crossing Trump or upsetting his agenda. Democrats unanimously rejected the cuts but were powerless to stop them.

The White House says the public media system is politically biased and an unnecessary expense. Conservatives particularly directed their ire at NPR and PBS. Lawmakers with large rural constituencies voiced grave concern about what the cuts to public broadcasting could mean for some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/native-american-radio-stations-cuts-7c2b6d8750a103107a679bb657402f1b">local public stations</a>&nbsp;in their state. Some stations will have to close, they warned.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said the stations are “not just your news — it is your tsunami alert, it is your landslide alert, it is your volcano alert.”

On the foreign aid cuts, the White House argued that they would incentivize other nations to step up and do more to respond to humanitarian crises and that the rescissions best served the American taxpayer.

Democrats argued that the Republican administration’s animus toward foreign aid programs would hurt America’s standing in the world and create a vacuum for China to fill. They also expressed concerns that the cuts would have deadly consequences for many of the world’s most impoverished people.

“With these cuts, we will cause death, spread disease and deepen starvation across the planet,” said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752606245570.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed a bill Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pbs-npr-budget-cuts-trump-republicans-b0044285659ab708e23eb2dc2f3eabfa">canceling about $9 billion</a>&nbsp;that had been approved for public broadcasting and foreign aid as Republicans look to lock in cuts to programs targeted by the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753391323277.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748356793271.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The bulk of the spending being clawed back is for foreign assistance programs. About $1.1 billion was destined for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pbs-npr-public-broadcasting-funding-cuts-d5bf43d4a103f8b0c92cbb3080d9e44b">Corporation for Public Broadcasting</a>, which finances NPR and PBS, though most of that money is distributed to more than 1,500 local public radio and television stations around the country.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746181587274.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>The White House had billed the legislation as a test case for Congress and said more such rescission packages would be on the way.Some Republicans were uncomfortable with the cuts, yet supported them anyway, wary of crossing Trump or upsetting his agenda. Democrats unanimously rejected the cuts but were powerless to stop them.The White House says the public media system is politically biased and an unnecessary expense. Conservatives particularly directed their ire at NPR and PBS. Lawmakers with large rural constituencies voiced grave concern about what the cuts to public broadcasting could mean for some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/native-american-radio-stations-cuts-7c2b6d8750a103107a679bb657402f1b">local public stations</a>&nbsp;in their state. Some stations will have to close, they warned.Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said the stations are “not just your news — it is your tsunami alert, it is your landslide alert, it is your volcano alert.”On the foreign aid cuts, the White House argued that they would incentivize other nations to step up and do more to respond to humanitarian crises and that the rescissions best served the American taxpayer.Democrats argued that the Republican administration’s animus toward foreign aid programs would hurt America’s standing in the world and create a vacuum for China to fill. They also expressed concerns that the cuts would have deadly consequences for many of the world’s most impoverished people.“With these cuts, we will cause death, spread disease and deepen starvation across the planet,” said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii.

President Trump signs bill to cancel funding for NPR, PBS

NEW YORK (AP) — Two-time Grammy Award-winning musician&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c617bed75b01421dac0bb68424756775">Chuck Mangione,</a>&nbsp;who achieved international success in 1977 with his jazz-flavored single “Feels So Good” and later became a voice actor on the animated TV comedy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-mike-judge-ap-top-news-tv-b110858783619ab165efe1373c584f0a">“King of the Hill,”</a>&nbsp;has died. He was 84.

Mangione died at his home in Rochester, New York, on Tuesday in his sleep, said his attorney, Peter S. Matorin of Beldock Levine &amp; Hoffman LLP. The musician had been retired since 2015.

Perhaps his biggest hit — “Feels So Good” — is a staple on most smooth-jazz radio stations and has been called one of the most recognized melodies since “Michelle” by the Beatles. It hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the top of the Billboard adult contemporary chart.

“It identified for a lot of people a song with an artist, even though I had a pretty strong base audience that kept us out there touring as often as we wanted to, that song just topped out there and took it to a whole other level,” Mangione told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2008.

He followed that hit with “Give It All You Got,” commissioned for the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, and he performed it at the closing ceremony.

Mangione, a flugelhorn and trumpet player and jazz composer, released more than 30 albums during a career in which he built a sizable following after recording several albums, doing all the writing.

He won his first Grammy Award in 1977 for his album “Bellavia,” which was named in honor of his mother. Another album, “Friends and Love,” was also Grammy-nominated, and he earned a best original score Golden Globe nomination and a second Grammy for the movie “The Children of Sanchez.”

Mangione introduced himself to a new audience when he appeared on the first several seasons of “King of the Hill,” appearing as a commercial spokesman for Mega Lo Mart, where “shopping feels so good.”

Mangione, brother of jazz pianist Gap Mangione, with whom he partnered in The Jazz Brothers, started his career as a bebop jazz musician heavily inspired by Dizzy Gillespie.

“He also was one of the first musicians I saw who had a rapport with the audience by just telling the audience what he was going to play and who was in his band,” Mangione told the Post-Gazette.

Mangione earned a bachelor's degree from the Eastman School of Music — where he would eventually return as director of the school’s jazz ensemble — and left home to play with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.

He donated his signature brown felt hat and the score of his Grammy-winning single “Feels So Good,” as well as albums, songbooks and other ephemera from his long and illustrious career to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in 2009.

FILE - In this June 18, 2006 file photo, Chuck Mangione performs during the Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Lucas Jackson, file)

DateJul 24, 2025 12:34 PMHeadlineObit-Chuck MangioneSourceAPNotesFILE PHOTORestrictionsEds: UPDATES: Updates Media.Use informationUse of this content is for editorial purposes only. For inquiries regarding non-editorial uses, contact your licensing representative.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753397092755.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Two-time Grammy Award-winning musician&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c617bed75b01421dac0bb68424756775">Chuck Mangione,</a>&nbsp;who achieved international success in 1977 with his jazz-flavored single “Feels So Good” and later became a voice actor on the animated TV comedy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-mike-judge-ap-top-news-tv-b110858783619ab165efe1373c584f0a">“King of the Hill,”</a>&nbsp;has died. He was 84.Mangione died at his home in Rochester, New York, on Tuesday in his sleep, said his attorney, Peter S. Matorin of Beldock Levine &amp; Hoffman LLP. The musician had been retired since 2015.Perhaps his biggest hit — “Feels So Good” — is a staple on most smooth-jazz radio stations and has been called one of the most recognized melodies since “Michelle” by the Beatles. It hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the top of the Billboard adult contemporary chart.“It identified for a lot of people a song with an artist, even though I had a pretty strong base audience that kept us out there touring as often as we wanted to, that song just topped out there and took it to a whole other level,” Mangione told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2008.He followed that hit with “Give It All You Got,” commissioned for the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, and he performed it at the closing ceremony.Mangione, a flugelhorn and trumpet player and jazz composer, released more than 30 albums during a career in which he built a sizable following after recording several albums, doing all the writing.He won his first Grammy Award in 1977 for his album “Bellavia,” which was named in honor of his mother. Another album, “Friends and Love,” was also Grammy-nominated, and he earned a best original score Golden Globe nomination and a second Grammy for the movie “The Children of Sanchez.”Mangione introduced himself to a new audience when he appeared on the first several seasons of “King of the Hill,” appearing as a commercial spokesman for Mega Lo Mart, where “shopping feels so good.”Mangione, brother of jazz pianist Gap Mangione, with whom he partnered in The Jazz Brothers, started his career as a bebop jazz musician heavily inspired by Dizzy Gillespie.“He also was one of the first musicians I saw who had a rapport with the audience by just telling the audience what he was going to play and who was in his band,” Mangione told the Post-Gazette.Mangione earned a bachelor's degree from the Eastman School of Music — where he would eventually return as director of the school’s jazz ensemble — and left home to play with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.He donated his signature brown felt hat and the score of his Grammy-winning single “Feels So Good,” as well as albums, songbooks and other ephemera from his long and illustrious career to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in 2009.Slide 1 of 3PreviousNextFILE - In this June 18, 2006 file photo, Chuck Mangione performs during the Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Lucas Jackson, file)<h2>Photo Details&nbsp;(1&nbsp;of&nbsp;3)</h2>DateJul 24, 2025 12:34 PMHeadlineObit-Chuck MangioneSourceAPNotesFILE PHOTORestrictionsEds: UPDATES: Updates Media.Use informationUse of this content is for editorial purposes only. For inquiries regarding non-editorial uses, contact your licensing representative.

Jazz legend Chuck Mangione, known for 'Feels So Good,' dies at 84

NEW YORK (AP) — About 3.6 million hoses are under recall across the U.S. because hundreds have burst while being used, resulting in at least 29 injuries, including reports of temporarily impaired hearing.

The recall covers a range of HydroTech-branded, 5/8-inch “Expandable Burst-Proof Hoses” that were sold at major retailers — including, Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot and Target — for garden, lawn care, car washing and other uses between January 2021 and April 2025.

The company&nbsp;<a href="https://hydrotechproducts.com/pages/voluntaryrecallfaq">said</a>&nbsp;the hoses can burst if the interior, plastic strain relief “breaks or becomes fully unthreaded.”

According to a Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Winston-Products-Recalls-5-8-Inch-HydroTech-Expandable-Burst-Proof-Hoses-Due-to-Risk-of-Impact-Hazard-and-Temporarily-Impaired-Hearing">notice</a>&nbsp;from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the recalled hoses pose potential impact and hearing hazards because they can burst unexpectedly. Winston Products, which imported the hoses, has received at least 222 bursting reports to date — resulting in 29 injuries, “including one bone bruise, two sprains and five reports of temporarily impaired hearing from the sound of the hose bursting," the CPSC notes.

Consumers in possession of the recalled hoses are urged to stop using them immediately. If the hoses were purchased at Ace Hardware, Do It Best, Home Depot or Walmart, Thursday's recall notice adds, consumers can bring them into those stores to return the product for a full refund. Other impacted shoppers should contact Winston Products to&nbsp;<a href="https://hydrotechproducts.com/recall">initiate a claim online</a>.

The hoses under recall were sold in various lengths and colors, but can be identified by date code markings and product names listed in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Winston-Products-Recalls-5-8-Inch-HydroTech-Expandable-Burst-Proof-Hoses-Due-to-Risk-of-Impact-Hazard-and-Temporarily-Impaired-Hearing">Thursday's notice</a>. The recall only covers “HydroTech 5/8-inch Expandable Burst-Proof Hoses” made on or before August 31, 2024.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753380204342.png" alt="Photo&nbsp;Consumer Product Safety Commission" />
 <figcaption>Photo&nbsp;Consumer Product Safety Commission</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — About 3.6 million hoses are under recall across the U.S. because hundreds have burst while being used, resulting in at least 29 injuries, including reports of temporarily impaired hearing.The recall covers a range of HydroTech-branded, 5/8-inch “Expandable Burst-Proof Hoses” that were sold at major retailers — including, Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot and Target — for garden, lawn care, car washing and other uses between January 2021 and April 2025.The company&nbsp;<a href="https://hydrotechproducts.com/pages/voluntaryrecallfaq">said</a>&nbsp;the hoses can burst if the interior, plastic strain relief “breaks or becomes fully unthreaded.”According to a Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Winston-Products-Recalls-5-8-Inch-HydroTech-Expandable-Burst-Proof-Hoses-Due-to-Risk-of-Impact-Hazard-and-Temporarily-Impaired-Hearing">notice</a>&nbsp;from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the recalled hoses pose potential impact and hearing hazards because they can burst unexpectedly. Winston Products, which imported the hoses, has received at least 222 bursting reports to date — resulting in 29 injuries, “including one bone bruise, two sprains and five reports of temporarily impaired hearing from the sound of the hose bursting," the CPSC notes.Consumers in possession of the recalled hoses are urged to stop using them immediately. If the hoses were purchased at Ace Hardware, Do It Best, Home Depot or Walmart, Thursday's recall notice adds, consumers can bring them into those stores to return the product for a full refund. Other impacted shoppers should contact Winston Products to&nbsp;<a href="https://hydrotechproducts.com/recall">initiate a claim online</a>.The hoses under recall were sold in various lengths and colors, but can be identified by date code markings and product names listed in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Winston-Products-Recalls-5-8-Inch-HydroTech-Expandable-Burst-Proof-Hoses-Due-to-Risk-of-Impact-Hazard-and-Temporarily-Impaired-Hearing">Thursday's notice</a>. The recall only covers “HydroTech 5/8-inch Expandable Burst-Proof Hoses” made on or before August 31, 2024.

HydroTech hoses recalled after hundreds burst; 29 people injured

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — High temperatures this week drew a caution from the regional organization that ensures reliability of the power grid and led Evergy to ask some customers to conserve energy usage.

The Southwest Power Pool is one of nine regional transmission organizations approved by federal regulators to support reliable power supplies and infrastructure. SPP works with energy companies to make sure that when customers set their thermostat, they&nbsp; soon hear the answering hum of the air conditioner.

SPP issued a low-level weather advisory for Tuesday through Thursday, warning of hot weather, said spokeswoman Meghan Sever.

“This is because of the high temperatures, and while it does include Kansas, a weather advisory does not require the public to conserve energy,” she said.

Such a situation isn’t unusual during hot Kansas summers. In fact, Kansas City meteorologist Joe Lauria vented on Facebook that people are using “extreme” too often in describing weather.

“What used to be an ‘excessive’ heat warning has been replaced with the phrase ‘extreme,’ ” he wrote. “I can sort of get behind that in the ‘extreme’ sense IF something extreme was going to happen, but what’s ahead, at least into Monday is NORMAL HEAT. 90-95° days are NORMAL for us in the hottest part of the year. We average around 40 days/year of 90°+ days, and YES they’re supposed to be humid and YES we’re supposed to have heat indices 100°-105°+ seemingly every day.”

This week was initially supposed to see temps spike over 100 degrees. Still, even with staying in the 90s across the state, the load on the power grid gets intense.

On Wednesday, Evergy reached out to residential and business customers that signed up to be part of its demand response program to manage that load.

That program asks willing customers to curtail their energy load, said Evergy spokeswoman Courtney Lewis.

“Business customers may participate in a variety of ways, which may&nbsp;include turning off lights, changing their production process, increasing temperature at their facilities, or using back-up generation,” she said in an email.

Washburn University, a large-load user, sent a campuswide email telling staff to adapt building temperatures.

An email from Lori Hutchinson, executive director of strategic communications and marketing, asked Washburn staff in most campus buildings to turn up thermostats from 74 to 80 degrees between 2 and 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Washburn participates in Evergy’s Generation Substitution Service, a special tariff for larger customers in Evergy’s Kansas Central territory, Lewis said.

Those customers are willing to switch to back-up generation when Evergy asks them, she said.

Evergy works with customers willing to adapt their energy use during high-use times, and customers receive a break in their rates,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.evergy.com/ways-to-save/incentives-link/demand-response" target="_blank">the company’s website said</a>.

“It’s been interesting — a lot of the largest customers have not been motivated by the demand response piece, notwithstanding the potential rate benefits for them,” said David Campbell, Evergy president and CEO, in a Monday Kansas Corporation Commission hearing. “I’m sure that will be a dialogue that continues over time.”

Campbell said the number of times that Evergy needs to call on customers to interrupt their energy usage is low, although the program does require flexibility.

“I think that the range of opportunities of large customers bringing solutions to be more proactive in how you think about demand-response is a way that we can meet the moment historically,” he said.

The summer seasonal forecast this year showed a 40-60% chance of higher temperatures than usual across the SPP territory, Sever said. The organization uses various tools and systems to mitigate risk.

“Under different scenarios, like when we experience higher-than-normal temperatures that drive increased load, we may call on generating units to commit to run earlier or more often than usual, delay planned outages, import energy from neighboring systems or tap into available reserves, depending on the severity and duration of events affecting energy reliability,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753388788309.jpeg" alt=" Staff in Southwest Power Pool’s coordination center continuously monitor the power grid, weather conditions and other factors that affect the delivery of electricity. (Southwest Power Pool)" />
 <figcaption> Staff in Southwest Power Pool’s coordination center continuously monitor the power grid, weather conditions and other factors that affect the delivery of electricity. (Southwest Power Pool)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — High temperatures this week drew a caution from the regional organization that ensures reliability of the power grid and led Evergy to ask some customers to conserve energy usage.The Southwest Power Pool is one of nine regional transmission organizations approved by federal regulators to support reliable power supplies and infrastructure. SPP works with energy companies to make sure that when customers set their thermostat, they&nbsp; soon hear the answering hum of the air conditioner.SPP issued a low-level weather advisory for Tuesday through Thursday, warning of hot weather, said spokeswoman Meghan Sever.“This is because of the high temperatures, and while it does include Kansas, a weather advisory does not require the public to conserve energy,” she said.Such a situation isn’t unusual during hot Kansas summers. In fact, Kansas City meteorologist Joe Lauria vented on Facebook that people are using “extreme” too often in describing weather.“What used to be an ‘excessive’ heat warning has been replaced with the phrase ‘extreme,’ ” he wrote. “I can sort of get behind that in the ‘extreme’ sense IF something extreme was going to happen, but what’s ahead, at least into Monday is NORMAL HEAT. 90-95° days are NORMAL for us in the hottest part of the year. We average around 40 days/year of 90°+ days, and YES they’re supposed to be humid and YES we’re supposed to have heat indices 100°-105°+ seemingly every day.”This week was initially supposed to see temps spike over 100 degrees. Still, even with staying in the 90s across the state, the load on the power grid gets intense.On Wednesday, Evergy reached out to residential and business customers that signed up to be part of its demand response program to manage that load.That program asks willing customers to curtail their energy load, said Evergy spokeswoman Courtney Lewis.“Business customers may participate in a variety of ways, which may&nbsp;include turning off lights, changing their production process, increasing temperature at their facilities, or using back-up generation,” she said in an email.Washburn University, a large-load user, sent a campuswide email telling staff to adapt building temperatures.An email from Lori Hutchinson, executive director of strategic communications and marketing, asked Washburn staff in most campus buildings to turn up thermostats from 74 to 80 degrees between 2 and 6 p.m. Wednesday.Washburn participates in Evergy’s Generation Substitution Service, a special tariff for larger customers in Evergy’s Kansas Central territory, Lewis said.Those customers are willing to switch to back-up generation when Evergy asks them, she said.Evergy works with customers willing to adapt their energy use during high-use times, and customers receive a break in their rates,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.evergy.com/ways-to-save/incentives-link/demand-response" target="_blank">the company’s website said</a>.“It’s been interesting — a lot of the largest customers have not been motivated by the demand response piece, notwithstanding the potential rate benefits for them,” said David Campbell, Evergy president and CEO, in a Monday Kansas Corporation Commission hearing. “I’m sure that will be a dialogue that continues over time.”Campbell said the number of times that Evergy needs to call on customers to interrupt their energy usage is low, although the program does require flexibility.“I think that the range of opportunities of large customers bringing solutions to be more proactive in how you think about demand-response is a way that we can meet the moment historically,” he said.The summer seasonal forecast this year showed a 40-60% chance of higher temperatures than usual across the SPP territory, Sever said. The organization uses various tools and systems to mitigate risk.“Under different scenarios, like when we experience higher-than-normal temperatures that drive increased load, we may call on generating units to commit to run earlier or more often than usual, delay planned outages, import energy from neighboring systems or tap into available reserves, depending on the severity and duration of events affecting energy reliability,” she said.

Hot weather leads to power grid impacts, requests for some Kansas customers to conserve energy

TOPEKA —The Kansas Department of Health on Wednesday reported just three new cases of measles over the past week in the state for a total of 90 cases in 11 counties and eight hospitalizations. All but three of the cases are connected, and most are in Gray County.

On July 4, the&nbsp; KDHE reported a measles exposure that occurred at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita&nbsp;so individuals can take steps to protect their health and help prevent further spread.&nbsp;There is no risk of measles exposure outside&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;specific unit,&nbsp;dates and times&nbsp;listed. Individuals who were not in the affected&nbsp;unit&nbsp;during that&nbsp;time, including those in other parts of the hospital or its departments,&nbsp;are&nbsp;not&nbsp;considered exposed.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports health officials in Colorado say the state's measles outbreak is over, and the U.S. added just 10 confirmed cases&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-us-texas-mmr-vaccine-rfk-144ed193e13de675a750e52a505423e9">nationally</a>&nbsp;in the last week.

Wednesday's national case count stood at 1,319, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Earlier this month, the U.S. passed the total count for 2019, when the country almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.

A vast majority of this year's cases are from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">Texas,</a>&nbsp;where a major outbreak raged through the late winter and spring. Other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">states with active outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— which the CDC defines as three or more related cases — include Arizona, Georgia, Iowa,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Utah.

There have been three deaths in the U.S. this year, and all were unvaccinated:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">two elementary school-aged children</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">West Texas</a>&nbsp;and an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">adult in New Mexico</a>.

North America has three other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-mexico-canada-ontario-0956a30c043b030ae79bc9f67c6ce89c">large outbreaks</a>. The longest, in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Documents/M/24/measles-ontario-epi-summary.pdf?rev=3d8451977cd34084a8b494a6a11b4f1a&amp;sc_lang=en&amp;hash=48D1A6D0D037B39BD421AAF060204EE0">2,276 cases</a>&nbsp;from mid-October through July 15. The province logged its first death June 5 in a baby who got congenital measles but also had other preexisting conditions.

Another outbreak in Alberta, Canada, has sickened&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alberta.ca/measles">1,472 as of Tuesday</a>. And the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-measles-vaccines-misinformation-mmr-mennonites-misinformation-ea6158b9a4d513b20f33cbc09034e5c2">Mexican state of Chihuahua</a>&nbsp;had 3,296 measles cases and 10 deaths as of Tuesday, according to data from the state health ministry.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-vaccines-autism-measles-obesity-food-dye-f26089856550e978d28fd25b653d8103">preventable through vaccines</a>&nbsp;and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.

How many measles cases are there in Texas?

Texas did not add any cases in the last week, coming in at 762 measles cases Tuesday across&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sxSwi/?v=7">36 counties, most of them in West Texas</a>.

Throughout the outbreak, 99 people have been hospitalized.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/measles-outbreak-2025">State health officials estimated</a>&nbsp;less than 1% of cases — fewer than 10 — were actively infectious as of Tuesday.

Statewide, only Lamar County has ongoing measles transmission, officials said. In total, though, more than half of Texas’ cases (414) have been in Gaines County, where the virus started spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community.

The April 3 death in Texas was an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">8-year-old child,</a>&nbsp;according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-measles-outbreak-rfk-jr-ben-edwards-2dd7c79d47c64ad2e6d4a4ac3c87ec1f">Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;Local health officials said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of “what the child’s doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.” A unvaccinated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">child with no underlying conditions died of measles in Texas</a>&nbsp;in late February; Kennedy said the child was 6.

How many measles cases are there in New Mexico?

New Mexico also stayed steady at 95 measles cases on Tuesday.

Lea County has seen the most with 67, but Lea and six other counties no longer have active measles spread, officials said Tuesday.

An outbreak of 14 cases tied to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-new-mexico-detention-facility-migrants-outbreak-c7f5897ebba85a59548d279c500adaea">jail in Luna County</a>&nbsp;remains active.

An unvaccinated adult died of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">measles-related illness March 6</a>. The person did not seek medical care. Seven people have been hospitalized since the state's outbreak started.

Oklahoma held steady a third week at 17 confirmed and three probable cases.

The state health department is not releasing which counties have cases, but no counties have recent public exposures.

Arizona has four cases in Navajo County. They are linked to a single source, the county health department said June 9. All four were unvaccinated and had a history of recent international travel.

Georgia has an outbreak of three cases in metro Atlanta, with the most recent infection confirmed June 18.

The state has confirmed six total cases in 2025. The remaining three are part of an unrelated outbreak from January.

Iowa announced another measles case on Tuesday, bringing the state's total to eight in 2025. The state health department said the new case isn't linked to others in the state, and occurred in a person who was fully vaccinated.

An outbreak in eastern Johnson County involves four cases in members of the same household.

How many measles cases are there in Kentucky?

Central Kentucky's outbreak rose to nine cases as of July 8. The cases are in Fayette County, which includes Lexington, and neighboring Woodford County.

The state has had 18 cases total in 2025; eight are linked to outbreaks.

In northern Michigan, Grand Traverse County has an outbreak of four cases as of Wednesday. An earlier outbreak of four cases in Montcalm County was declared over on June 2.

Missouri stayed steady with seven cases as of Wednesday.

Five cases are in southwestern Cedar County, and four of those are members of the same family. The fifth case is still under investigation, according to county health director Victoria Barker.

Montana added two measles cases this week for a total of 27. Cascade County confirmed its first case.

Seventeen were in Gallatin County, which is where the first cases showed up — Montana’s first in 35 years. Flathead County has two cases, Yellowstone County had three and Hill County had four cases.

There are outbreaks in neighboring North Dakota and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.

Utah's measles case count rose by one to 11 as of Tuesday.

At least three of the cases are linked, the state health department said last week. State epidemiologist Dr. Leisha Nolen has said there are at least three different measles clusters in the state.

Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?

Measles cases also have been reported this year in Alaska, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.

Earlier outbreaks in Illinois, Indiana, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee are over.

Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-asia-measles-rates-unicef-who-report-2f888732cc297090238956986fd89cc4">someone who caught the disease abroad</a>. The CDC said in May that more than twice as many measles have come from outside of the U.S. compared to May of last year. Most of those are in unvaccinated Americans returning home.

What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine?

The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.

Getting another MMR shot as an adult is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said.

People who have documentation that they had measles are immune and those born before 1957 generally don’t need the shots because so many children got measles back then that they have “presumptive immunity."

Measles has a harder time spreading through communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — due to “herd immunity.” But childhood vaccination rates have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">declined nationwide</a>&nbsp;since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.

Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.

The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.

Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html">dangerous complications</a>&nbsp;such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.

There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743085628490.png" alt="Photo by Tatiana Lanzieri Centers for Disease Control and Prevention" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Tatiana Lanzieri Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —The Kansas Department of Health on Wednesday reported just three new cases of measles over the past week in the state for a total of 90 cases in 11 counties and eight hospitalizations. All but three of the cases are connected, and most are in Gray County.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753284887510.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>On July 4, the&nbsp; KDHE reported a measles exposure that occurred at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita&nbsp;so individuals can take steps to protect their health and help prevent further spread.&nbsp;There is no risk of measles exposure outside&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;specific unit,&nbsp;dates and times&nbsp;listed. Individuals who were not in the affected&nbsp;unit&nbsp;during that&nbsp;time, including those in other parts of the hospital or its departments,&nbsp;are&nbsp;not&nbsp;considered exposed.<ol>
 <li>Location:&nbsp;Fifth-Floor Pediatric Unit, Building 4, Wesley Medical Center</li><li>Address:&nbsp;550 N Hillside St, Wichita, KS 67214</li><li>Dates and times:&nbsp;Tuesday, July 1, 2025, from 10 p.m. until Thursday, July 3, 2025, 4:45 p.m.</li>
 </ol>Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports health officials in Colorado say the state's measles outbreak is over, and the U.S. added just 10 confirmed cases&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-us-texas-mmr-vaccine-rfk-144ed193e13de675a750e52a505423e9">nationally</a>&nbsp;in the last week.Wednesday's national case count stood at 1,319, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Earlier this month, the U.S. passed the total count for 2019, when the country almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.A vast majority of this year's cases are from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">Texas,</a>&nbsp;where a major outbreak raged through the late winter and spring. Other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-kansas-ohio-mmr-vaccination-new-mexico-texas-569474272df9baaad1f6d73462ebe92a">states with active outbreaks</a>&nbsp;— which the CDC defines as three or more related cases — include Arizona, Georgia, Iowa,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/aP4Au/?v=3">Kansas</a>, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Utah.There have been three deaths in the U.S. this year, and all were unvaccinated:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">two elementary school-aged children</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">West Texas</a>&nbsp;and an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">adult in New Mexico</a>.North America has three other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-mexico-canada-ontario-0956a30c043b030ae79bc9f67c6ce89c">large outbreaks</a>. The longest, in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Documents/M/24/measles-ontario-epi-summary.pdf?rev=3d8451977cd34084a8b494a6a11b4f1a&amp;sc_lang=en&amp;hash=48D1A6D0D037B39BD421AAF060204EE0">2,276 cases</a>&nbsp;from mid-October through July 15. The province logged its first death June 5 in a baby who got congenital measles but also had other preexisting conditions.Another outbreak in Alberta, Canada, has sickened&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alberta.ca/measles">1,472 as of Tuesday</a>. And the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-measles-vaccines-misinformation-mmr-mennonites-misinformation-ea6158b9a4d513b20f33cbc09034e5c2">Mexican state of Chihuahua</a>&nbsp;had 3,296 measles cases and 10 deaths as of Tuesday, according to data from the state health ministry.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-vaccines-autism-measles-obesity-food-dye-f26089856550e978d28fd25b653d8103">preventable through vaccines</a>&nbsp;and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.<h2>How many measles cases are there in Texas?</h2>Texas did not add any cases in the last week, coming in at 762 measles cases Tuesday across&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sxSwi/?v=7">36 counties, most of them in West Texas</a>.Throughout the outbreak, 99 people have been hospitalized.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/measles-outbreak-2025">State health officials estimated</a>&nbsp;less than 1% of cases — fewer than 10 — were actively infectious as of Tuesday.Statewide, only Lamar County has ongoing measles transmission, officials said. In total, though, more than half of Texas’ cases (414) have been in Gaines County, where the virus started spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community.The April 3 death in Texas was an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-rfk-death-vaccine-4e28b0edf5cab47980b40b2d47f0ec50">8-year-old child,</a>&nbsp;according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-measles-outbreak-rfk-jr-ben-edwards-2dd7c79d47c64ad2e6d4a4ac3c87ec1f">Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;Local health officials said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of “what the child’s doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.” A unvaccinated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">child with no underlying conditions died of measles in Texas</a>&nbsp;in late February; Kennedy said the child was 6.<h2>How many measles cases are there in New Mexico?</h2>New Mexico also stayed steady at 95 measles cases on Tuesday.Lea County has seen the most with 67, but Lea and six other counties no longer have active measles spread, officials said Tuesday.An outbreak of 14 cases tied to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-new-mexico-detention-facility-migrants-outbreak-c7f5897ebba85a59548d279c500adaea">jail in Luna County</a>&nbsp;remains active.An unvaccinated adult died of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">measles-related illness March 6</a>. The person did not seek medical care. Seven people have been hospitalized since the state's outbreak started.<h2>How many cases are there in Oklahoma?</h2>Oklahoma held steady a third week at 17 confirmed and three probable cases.The state health department is not releasing which counties have cases, but no counties have recent public exposures.<h2>How many cases are there in Arizona?</h2>Arizona has four cases in Navajo County. They are linked to a single source, the county health department said June 9. All four were unvaccinated and had a history of recent international travel.<h2>How many cases are there in Georgia?</h2>Georgia has an outbreak of three cases in metro Atlanta, with the most recent infection confirmed June 18.The state has confirmed six total cases in 2025. The remaining three are part of an unrelated outbreak from January.<h2>How many cases are there in Iowa?</h2>Iowa announced another measles case on Tuesday, bringing the state's total to eight in 2025. The state health department said the new case isn't linked to others in the state, and occurred in a person who was fully vaccinated.An outbreak in eastern Johnson County involves four cases in members of the same household.<h2>How many measles cases are there in Kentucky?</h2>Kentucky has 13 cases this year.Central Kentucky's outbreak rose to nine cases as of July 8. The cases are in Fayette County, which includes Lexington, and neighboring Woodford County.<h2>How many cases are there in Michigan?</h2>The state has had 18 cases total in 2025; eight are linked to outbreaks.In northern Michigan, Grand Traverse County has an outbreak of four cases as of Wednesday. An earlier outbreak of four cases in Montcalm County was declared over on June 2.<h2>How many cases are there in Missouri?</h2>Missouri stayed steady with seven cases as of Wednesday.Five cases are in southwestern Cedar County, and four of those are members of the same family. The fifth case is still under investigation, according to county health director Victoria Barker.<h2>How many cases are there in Montana?</h2>Montana added two measles cases this week for a total of 27. Cascade County confirmed its first case.Seventeen were in Gallatin County, which is where the first cases showed up — Montana’s first in 35 years. Flathead County has two cases, Yellowstone County had three and Hill County had four cases.There are outbreaks in neighboring North Dakota and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.<h2>How many cases are there in Utah?</h2>Utah's measles case count rose by one to 11 as of Tuesday.At least three of the cases are linked, the state health department said last week. State epidemiologist Dr. Leisha Nolen has said there are at least three different measles clusters in the state.<h2>Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?</h2>Measles cases also have been reported this year in Alaska, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.Earlier outbreaks in Illinois, Indiana, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee are over.Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-asia-measles-rates-unicef-who-report-2f888732cc297090238956986fd89cc4">someone who caught the disease abroad</a>. The CDC said in May that more than twice as many measles have come from outside of the U.S. compared to May of last year. Most of those are in unvaccinated Americans returning home.<h2>What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine?</h2>The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.Getting another MMR shot as an adult is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said.People who have documentation that they had measles are immune and those born before 1957 generally don’t need the shots because so many children got measles back then that they have “presumptive immunity."Measles has a harder time spreading through communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — due to “herd immunity.” But childhood vaccination rates have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2">declined nationwide</a>&nbsp;since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.<h2>What are the symptoms of measles?</h2>Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html">dangerous complications</a>&nbsp;such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.<h2>How can you treat measles?</h2>There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.___

KDHE: More measles cases in Kansas; US case count continues to diminish

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting in Wichita.

At 6:34 a.m. on Thursday, police reported shots fired in the parking lot of the department's Patrol North Substation, 3015 E. 21st St. N. in Wichita, according to Police Spokesman Andrew Ford.

Preliminary investigations reveal that an on-duty Wichita Police officer was concluding their shift and unloading equipment from a patrol vehicle when two men approached. One of the men, later identified as 19-year-old Nehemiah C. Flemming, inquired about WPD policy regarding shooting people with guns.

During the encounter, Flemming brandished a handgun, leading to a brief struggle in which he pointed the gun at the officer. The officer then dove to the ground for cover.&nbsp;

Two additional officers, one on duty and one off duty, witnessed the confrontation and both discharged their weapons, striking Flemming.

Officers on the scene provided immediate medical assistance and called for Sedgwick County EMS and fire response. Flemming was transported to a local hospital in extremely critical condition, where he was later pronounced dead.

The second male fled the area before the shots were fired but has since been located. There are no outstanding suspects in this case.&nbsp;

No officers were injured during the incident. Based on preliminary interviews with Flemming’s family, investigators believe this may be a case of suicide by police.

In accordance with department policy, Chief Joe Sullivan activated the Advanced Law Enforcement Response Team. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753372466794.png" alt="Investigators on the scene of the fatal officer-shooting-image courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Investigators on the scene of the fatal officer-shooting-image courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting in Wichita.At 6:34 a.m. on Thursday, police reported shots fired in the parking lot of the department's Patrol North Substation, 3015 E. 21st St. N. in Wichita, according to Police Spokesman Andrew Ford.Preliminary investigations reveal that an on-duty Wichita Police officer was concluding their shift and unloading equipment from a patrol vehicle when two men approached. One of the men, later identified as 19-year-old Nehemiah C. Flemming, inquired about WPD policy regarding shooting people with guns.During the encounter, Flemming brandished a handgun, leading to a brief struggle in which he pointed the gun at the officer. The officer then dove to the ground for cover.&nbsp;Two additional officers, one on duty and one off duty, witnessed the confrontation and both discharged their weapons, striking Flemming.Officers on the scene provided immediate medical assistance and called for Sedgwick County EMS and fire response. Flemming was transported to a local hospital in extremely critical condition, where he was later pronounced dead.The second male fled the area before the shots were fired but has since been located. There are no outstanding suspects in this case.&nbsp;No officers were injured during the incident. Based on preliminary interviews with Flemming’s family, investigators believe this may be a case of suicide by police.In accordance with department policy, Chief Joe Sullivan activated the Advanced Law Enforcement Response Team. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation.

Teen dead after officer-shooting outside police substation

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Hulk Hogan, the mustachioed, headscarf-wearing icon in the world of professional wrestling, has died at the age of 71, Florida police and WWE said Thursday.

In Clearwater, Florida, authorities responded to a call Thursday morning about a cardiac arrest. Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospital, police said in a statement on Facebook.

Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was perhaps the biggest star in WWE’s long history. He was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years, facing everyone from Andre The Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even company chairman Vince McMahon.

He won at least six WWE championships and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.

Hogan was also a celebrity outside the wrestling world, appearing in numerous movies and television shows, including a reality show about his life on VH1, “Hogan Knows Best.”

In 2016, a Florida jury awarded Hogan $115 million in his sex tape lawsuit against Gawker Media. Hogan sued after Gawker in 2012 posted a video of him having sex with his former best friend’s wife. Hogan contended the post violated his privacy.

WWE posted a note on X saying it was saddened to learn the WWE Hall of Famer had passed away.

“One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans," it said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753374239472.png" alt="Hulk Hogan spoke on the final night of the Republican National Convention last July-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Hulk Hogan spoke on the final night of the Republican National Convention last July-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Hulk Hogan, the mustachioed, headscarf-wearing icon in the world of professional wrestling, has died at the age of 71, Florida police and WWE said Thursday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away. One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans.&mdash; WWE (@WWE) <a href="https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1948414335153230023?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In Clearwater, Florida, authorities responded to a call Thursday morning about a cardiac arrest. Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospital, police said in a statement on Facebook.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FClearwaterPolice%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0272xskH6HPZZSAZefBwY23wP1UjQgC1dJjALZMEbkSHrLxhoG8dSZRnPG7YKFWhtml&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="469" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/HulkHogan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HulkHogan</a>: &quot;As an entertainer I try to stay out of politics, but after everything that&#39;s happened to our country over the past four years and after everything that happened last weekend I can no longer stay silent...Donald Trump is a real American hero!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/UxM0ZieYfM">pic.twitter.com/UxM0ZieYfM</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1814113807662567834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">From 2024 RNC. Watch the full video here: <a href="https://t.co/10hAILirT9">https://t.co/10hAILirT9</a> <a href="https://t.co/lsr2lFymhn">https://t.co/lsr2lFymhn</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1948426827858354619?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was perhaps the biggest star in WWE’s long history. He was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years, facing everyone from Andre The Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even company chairman Vince McMahon.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">An American Legend. <a href="https://t.co/DVQuR2YIxJ">pic.twitter.com/DVQuR2YIxJ</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1948419594827235760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>He won at least six WWE championships and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.Hogan was also a celebrity outside the wrestling world, appearing in numerous movies and television shows, including a reality show about his life on VH1, “Hogan Knows Best.”In 2016, a Florida jury awarded Hogan $115 million in his sex tape lawsuit against Gawker Media. Hogan sued after Gawker in 2012 posted a video of him having sex with his former best friend’s wife. Hogan contended the post violated his privacy.WWE posted a note on X saying it was saddened to learn the WWE Hall of Famer had passed away.“One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans," it said.

Hulk Hogan, pro wrestling superstar dead at 71

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pam-bondi">Attorney General Pam Bondi</a>&nbsp;is facing Democratic calls to testify before Congress following a newspaper’s revelation that she told President Donald Trump that his name appeared in the files of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking investigation.</a>

The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Bondi told Trump his name was among many high-profile figures mentioned in the files,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-justice-department-pam-bondi-03fbcd024f631440f7ed62b3c6927db3">which the Justice Department this month said it would not be releasing</a>&nbsp;despite a clamor from online sleuths, conspiracy theorists and members of Trump’s base.

Trump’s personal ties to Epstein are well-established and his name is already known to have been included in records related to the wealthy financier, who killed himself in jail in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.

Sen. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, responded to the report by calling on Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“We need to bring Bondi and Patel into the Judiciary Committee to testify about this now,” Schiff said in a video posted on X.

The Justice Department declined to comment on the report but issued a joint statement from Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche saying that investigators had reviewed the records and “nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution.”

“As par of our routine briefing, we made the president aware of the findings,” the statement said.

The mere inclusion of a person’s name in Epstein’s files does not imply wrongdoing and he was known to have been associated with multiple prominent figures, including Trump.

Over the years, thousands of pages of records have been released through lawsuits, Epstein’s criminal dockets, public disclosures and Freedom of Information Act requests.

They include a 2016 deposition in which an accuser recounted she spent several hours with Epstein at Trump’s Atlantic City casino but didn’t say if she met Trump and did not accuse him of any wrongdoing.

Trump has also said he once thought Epstein was a “terrific guy” but they later had a falling-out.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752615564413.png" alt="File photo Attorney General Pam Bondi" />
 <figcaption>File photo Attorney General Pam Bondi</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pam-bondi">Attorney General Pam Bondi</a>&nbsp;is facing Democratic calls to testify before Congress following a newspaper’s revelation that she told President Donald Trump that his name appeared in the files of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking investigation.</a>The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Bondi told Trump his name was among many high-profile figures mentioned in the files,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-justice-department-pam-bondi-03fbcd024f631440f7ed62b3c6927db3">which the Justice Department this month said it would not be releasing</a>&nbsp;despite a clamor from online sleuths, conspiracy theorists and members of Trump’s base.Trump’s personal ties to Epstein are well-established and his name is already known to have been included in records related to the wealthy financier, who killed himself in jail in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.Sen. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, responded to the report by calling on Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee.“We need to bring Bondi and Patel into the Judiciary Committee to testify about this now,” Schiff said in a video posted on X.The Justice Department declined to comment on the report but issued a joint statement from Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche saying that investigators had reviewed the records and “nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution.”“As par of our routine briefing, we made the president aware of the findings,” the statement said.The mere inclusion of a person’s name in Epstein’s files does not imply wrongdoing and he was known to have been associated with multiple prominent figures, including Trump.Over the years, thousands of pages of records have been released through lawsuits, Epstein’s criminal dockets, public disclosures and Freedom of Information Act requests.They include a 2016 deposition in which an accuser recounted she spent several hours with Epstein at Trump’s Atlantic City casino but didn’t say if she met Trump and did not accuse him of any wrongdoing.Trump has also said he once thought Epstein was a “terrific guy” but they later had a falling-out.

AG facing calls to testify following report she told Trump he was in Epstein files

WICHITA, KAN. – A Georgia man was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered forever banned from hunting and fishing in Kansas after illegally hunting game, according to the United State's Attorney.

Matt Jennings, 35, of Bowdon, Georgia, pleaded guilty to two counts of illegal taking of a white tail deer in interstate commerce, according to court documents.

On November 11, 2022, Jennings killed an antlered deer near Florence, Kansas. His antlered deer tag did not allow him to take a deer in this part of the state. The next day the Jennings drove to Oklahoma where he fraudulently registered the kill in Oklahoma using an Oklahoma electronic tag.

On November 19, 2022, the Jennings killed another antlered deer near Wakeeney. Although he had a valid tag for that area of Kansas, killing of a second antlered deer in the same year is a violation of state law. He illegally exceeded the bag limit of one antlered deer per season.

Jennings hosts a hunting show titled “The Game”. These two illegal hunts were featured as part of his show.

A federal judge ordered Jennings to pay $15,000 in restitution to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, pay a $10,000 fine, and forfeit the antlers from the white tail deer he illegally hunted.

During his five-year probation, Jennings is prohibited from guiding, hunting, trapping, fishing, or being with anyone engaged in those activities in Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks investigated the case with assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Missouri Department of Conservation, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753309370799.png" alt="Matt Jennings as seen in a video from his online show" />
 <figcaption>Matt Jennings as seen in a video from his online show</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A Georgia man was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered forever banned from hunting and fishing in Kansas after illegally hunting game, according to the United State's Attorney.Matt Jennings, 35, of Bowdon, Georgia, pleaded guilty to two counts of illegal taking of a white tail deer in interstate commerce, according to court documents.On November 11, 2022, Jennings killed an antlered deer near Florence, Kansas. His antlered deer tag did not allow him to take a deer in this part of the state. The next day the Jennings drove to Oklahoma where he fraudulently registered the kill in Oklahoma using an Oklahoma electronic tag.On November 19, 2022, the Jennings killed another antlered deer near Wakeeney. Although he had a valid tag for that area of Kansas, killing of a second antlered deer in the same year is a violation of state law. He illegally exceeded the bag limit of one antlered deer per season.Jennings hosts a hunting show titled “The Game”. These two illegal hunts were featured as part of his show.A federal judge ordered Jennings to pay $15,000 in restitution to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, pay a $10,000 fine, and forfeit the antlers from the white tail deer he illegally hunted.During his five-year probation, Jennings is prohibited from guiding, hunting, trapping, fishing, or being with anyone engaged in those activities in Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks investigated the case with assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Missouri Department of Conservation, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division.

Hunting show host receives lifetime hunting ban in Kansas 

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a homicide that occurred earlier this month in Kansas City have identified the victim as 51-year-old Jorge Grageda,&nbsp; according to Officer Alayna Gonzalez

just after 5a.m. July 5, police were dispatched to the&nbsp;100&nbsp;block&nbsp;of&nbsp;N&nbsp;Belliare on reported shooting. Upon arrival, officers were directed to the rear&nbsp;of&nbsp;a&nbsp;nearby residence where a victim later identified as Jorge Grageda was located suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. 

Emergency aid was immediately rendered by responding&nbsp;officers until EMS arrived on scene. EMS declared him deceased at that time. Preliminary investigation indicates this occurred as a result&nbsp;of&nbsp;an argument that escalated to gunfire.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751741015533.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a homicide that occurred earlier this month in Kansas City have identified the victim as 51-year-old Jorge Grageda,&nbsp; according to Officer Alayna Gonzalezjust after 5a.m. July 5, police were dispatched to the&nbsp;100&nbsp;block&nbsp;of&nbsp;N&nbsp;Belliare on reported shooting. Upon arrival, officers were directed to the rear&nbsp;of&nbsp;a&nbsp;nearby residence where a victim later identified as Jorge Grageda was located suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency aid was immediately rendered by responding&nbsp;officers until EMS arrived on scene. EMS declared him deceased at that time. Preliminary investigation indicates this occurred as a result&nbsp;of&nbsp;an argument that escalated to gunfire.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest.

KCPD: 51-year-old died after argument led to gunfire

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes slid in June to the slowest pace since last September as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mortgage-rates-housing-interest-financing-home-9487b3a9ed45ca29a4fc9c673a0a46df">mortgage rates</a>&nbsp;remained elevated and the national median sales price rose to an all-time high of $435,300.

Existing home sales fell 2.7% last month from May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.93 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday.

Sales were flat compared with June last year. The latest home sales fell short of the 4.01 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet.

Home prices increased on an annual basis for the 24th consecutive month to reach record heights.

The U.S. housing market has been in a slump since early 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Home sales fell last year to their lowest level in nearly 30 years.

Sluggish home sales led to a lackluster spring homebuying season, traditionally the busiest period of the year for the housing market.

Stubbornly high mortgage rates and rising prices have intensified the hardships for would-be homebuyers who had already been pummeled by a real estate market that overheated during the pandemic. And while the number of homes on the market has increased sharply from a year ago, it remains well below normal levels, meaning prices continue to rise even as sales slow.

“The second half of the year really depends on what happens with mortgage rates,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist.

High mortgage rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting their purchasing power. So far this year, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage has remained relatively close to 7%, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac.

Homes purchased last month likely went under contract in May and June, when the average rate on a 30-year mortgage ranged from 6.76% to 6.89%.

Yun estimates that if the average rate on a 30-year mortgage were to fall to 6% that would lead to an additional roughly half-million more homes sold.

“If the mortgage rate remains stuck at this level, we are essentially looking at very small changes in our home sales and home price condition, but if the mortgage rate was to drop, we know there will be a more meaningful increase in sales,” he said.

The housing market’s affordability crunch is keeping many aspiring first-time homebuyers on the sidelines. They accounted for 30% of homes sales last month, unchanged from May, NAR said. Historically, they made up 40% of home sales.

Home shoppers who can afford to buy at current mortgage rates or pay in cash are benefiting from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-market-real-estate-affordability-mortgage-rates-a8fad991e022d541c1ac4d95f78ccffa">more properties on the market</a>.

There were 1.53 million unsold homes at the end of last month, down 0.6% from May, but up nearly 16% from June last year, NAR said. That’s still well below the roughly 2 million homes for sale that was typical before the pandemic, however.

June’s month-end inventory translates to a 4.7-month supply at the current sales pace, up from a 4.6-month pace at the end of May and 4 months in June last year. Traditionally, a 5- to 6-month supply is considered a balanced market between buyers and sellers.

Homes for sale are staying on the market longer as sales remain in the doldrums. Properties typically remained on the market for 27 days last month before selling, up from 22 days in June last year, NAR said.

The housing market slowdown isn’t all bad, if you’re a home shopper who can afford to buy. In June, some 20.7% of homes listed for sale had their price reduced, the highest share for the month of June going back to at least 2016, according to Realtor.com.

Increasingly, however, many sellers are opting to pull their home off the market rather than lower prices. The number of properties taken off the market without having sold jumped 47% in May from a year earlier, according to Realtor.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753300731273.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes slid in June to the slowest pace since last September as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mortgage-rates-housing-interest-financing-home-9487b3a9ed45ca29a4fc9c673a0a46df">mortgage rates</a>&nbsp;remained elevated and the national median sales price rose to an all-time high of $435,300.Existing home sales fell 2.7% last month from May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.93 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday.Sales were flat compared with June last year. The latest home sales fell short of the 4.01 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet.Home prices increased on an annual basis for the 24th consecutive month to reach record heights.The U.S. housing market has been in a slump since early 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Home sales fell last year to their lowest level in nearly 30 years.Sluggish home sales led to a lackluster spring homebuying season, traditionally the busiest period of the year for the housing market.Stubbornly high mortgage rates and rising prices have intensified the hardships for would-be homebuyers who had already been pummeled by a real estate market that overheated during the pandemic. And while the number of homes on the market has increased sharply from a year ago, it remains well below normal levels, meaning prices continue to rise even as sales slow.“The second half of the year really depends on what happens with mortgage rates,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist.High mortgage rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting their purchasing power. So far this year, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage has remained relatively close to 7%, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac.Homes purchased last month likely went under contract in May and June, when the average rate on a 30-year mortgage ranged from 6.76% to 6.89%.Yun estimates that if the average rate on a 30-year mortgage were to fall to 6% that would lead to an additional roughly half-million more homes sold.“If the mortgage rate remains stuck at this level, we are essentially looking at very small changes in our home sales and home price condition, but if the mortgage rate was to drop, we know there will be a more meaningful increase in sales,” he said.The housing market’s affordability crunch is keeping many aspiring first-time homebuyers on the sidelines. They accounted for 30% of homes sales last month, unchanged from May, NAR said. Historically, they made up 40% of home sales.Home shoppers who can afford to buy at current mortgage rates or pay in cash are benefiting from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-market-real-estate-affordability-mortgage-rates-a8fad991e022d541c1ac4d95f78ccffa">more properties on the market</a>.There were 1.53 million unsold homes at the end of last month, down 0.6% from May, but up nearly 16% from June last year, NAR said. That’s still well below the roughly 2 million homes for sale that was typical before the pandemic, however.June’s month-end inventory translates to a 4.7-month supply at the current sales pace, up from a 4.6-month pace at the end of May and 4 months in June last year. Traditionally, a 5- to 6-month supply is considered a balanced market between buyers and sellers.Homes for sale are staying on the market longer as sales remain in the doldrums. Properties typically remained on the market for 27 days last month before selling, up from 22 days in June last year, NAR said.The housing market slowdown isn’t all bad, if you’re a home shopper who can afford to buy. In June, some 20.7% of homes listed for sale had their price reduced, the highest share for the month of June going back to at least 2016, according to Realtor.com.Increasingly, however, many sellers are opting to pull their home off the market rather than lower prices. The number of properties taken off the market without having sold jumped 47% in May from a year earlier, according to Realtor.com.

Home sales slid in June as prices hit new all-time high

KANSAS CITY —The death of a baby boy last fall is now being investigated as a homicide.

Just after 6:30p.m. October 26, 2023, police were dispatched to Children's Mercy Hospital on a reported assault that occurred in the 8000 block of NW Milrey Drive in Kansas City, according to KCPD&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

KANSAS CITY —The death of a baby boy last fall is now being investigated as a homicide.Just after 6:30p.m. October 26, 2023, police were dispatched to Children's Mercy Hospital on a reported assault that occurred in the 8000 block of NW Milrey Drive in Kansas City, according to KCPD&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.Upon arrival, they contacted hospital staff who advised that two-month-old Mateo Rideout&nbsp;was transported to the hospital with life threatening injuries. A person of interest was identified and taken into police custody for further investigation. On November 5, the child died at the hospital as a result of his injuries.This death was ruled suspicious in nature until detectives would receive the official autopsy report from the medical examiner’s office. On June 10, an autopsy report from Forensic Medical was provided ruling this death a homicide. This case has been submitted to Platte County Prosecutors for charging consideration.