WASHINGTON –&nbsp;Two foreign nationals are charged by indictment, unsealed this week, with being part of a years-long conspiracy to perpetrate “swatting” attacks and bomb threats against U.S. victims that included senior government officials, according to a media release from the U.S. Secret Service.

Thomasz Szabo, 26, of Romania, and Nemanja Radovanovic, 21, of Serbia, are each charged with one count of conspiracy, 29 counts of threats and false information regarding explosives, and four counts of transmitting threats in interstate and foreign commerce.

The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool of the Washington Field Office, FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office, U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr., of the Minneapolis Field Office.

According to the indictment, Szabo, Radovanovic, and others, were part of a conspiracy that began no later than December of 2020 and continued through January of 2024. The conspirators obtained personal identifying information, including home addresses, for their intended victims, and then carried out “swatting” attacks by falsely reporting emergencies for the purpose of provoking a police response at the victim’s home.

Szabo was allegedly the organizer and moderator of chat groups where the conspirators communicated with one another. They used monikers to communicate including, for Szabo, “Jonah,” “Jonah Goldberg,” “Plank,” “Rambler,” “War Lord,” “Shovel,” “Cypher,” “Kollectivist,” “Mortenberg Shekelstorms,” and “NotThuggin2”; and for Radovanovic, “XBD31,” “XDR,” “Angus,” “Thuggin,” “Thug Hunter,” “NotThuggin,” “DCL,” and “AOD.”

The indictment alleges that, in furtherance of the conspiracy, the defendants committed swatting attempts against 40 private victims and 61 official victims, including members of Congress, cabinet-level executive branch officials, senior official of federal law enforcement agencies, and state officials. The indictment also alleges that the defendants committed bomb threats against four victim businesses, four victim religious institutions, and one victim university.

“Swatting is not a victimless prank—it endangers real people, wastes precious police resources, and inflicts significant emotional trauma,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “We will use every tool at our disposal to find the perpetrators and hold them accountable, no matter where they might be.”

“I am proud of the extraordinary investigative work done by Secret Service agents at the Washington Field Office in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge McCool. “The perpetrators of these crimes left a trail of victims across the United States, abusing critical law enforcement resources to terrorize elected officials, public figures, and private citizens. We will never waver in our commitment to bring individuals like this to justice.”

"The charges demonstrate how seriously the FBI takes the crime of swatting, which can prevent law enforcement resources from getting to people who actually need them, as well as put lives in danger,” said Assistant Director in Charge Sundberg. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who commit this dangerous crime, no matter where they reside.”

WASHINGTON –&nbsp;Two foreign nationals are charged by indictment, unsealed this week, with being part of a years-long conspiracy to perpetrate “swatting” attacks and bomb threats against U.S. victims that included senior government officials, according to a media release from the U.S. Secret Service.Thomasz Szabo, 26, of Romania, and Nemanja Radovanovic, 21, of Serbia, are each charged with one count of conspiracy, 29 counts of threats and false information regarding explosives, and four counts of transmitting threats in interstate and foreign commerce.The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool of the Washington Field Office, FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office, U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr., of the Minneapolis Field Office.According to the indictment, Szabo, Radovanovic, and others, were part of a conspiracy that began no later than December of 2020 and continued through January of 2024. The conspirators obtained personal identifying information, including home addresses, for their intended victims, and then carried out “swatting” attacks by falsely reporting emergencies for the purpose of provoking a police response at the victim’s home.Szabo was allegedly the organizer and moderator of chat groups where the conspirators communicated with one another. They used monikers to communicate including, for Szabo, “Jonah,” “Jonah Goldberg,” “Plank,” “Rambler,” “War Lord,” “Shovel,” “Cypher,” “Kollectivist,” “Mortenberg Shekelstorms,” and “NotThuggin2”; and for Radovanovic, “XBD31,” “XDR,” “Angus,” “Thuggin,” “Thug Hunter,” “NotThuggin,” “DCL,” and “AOD.”The indictment alleges that, in furtherance of the conspiracy, the defendants committed swatting attempts against 40 private victims and 61 official victims, including members of Congress, cabinet-level executive branch officials, senior official of federal law enforcement agencies, and state officials. The indictment also alleges that the defendants committed bomb threats against four victim businesses, four victim religious institutions, and one victim university.“Swatting is not a victimless prank—it endangers real people, wastes precious police resources, and inflicts significant emotional trauma,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “We will use every tool at our disposal to find the perpetrators and hold them accountable, no matter where they might be.”“I am proud of the extraordinary investigative work done by Secret Service agents at the Washington Field Office in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge McCool. “The perpetrators of these crimes left a trail of victims across the United States, abusing critical law enforcement resources to terrorize elected officials, public figures, and private citizens. We will never waver in our commitment to bring individuals like this to justice.”"The charges demonstrate how seriously the FBI takes the crime of swatting, which can prevent law enforcement resources from getting to people who actually need them, as well as put lives in danger,” said Assistant Director in Charge Sundberg. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who commit this dangerous crime, no matter where they reside.”

2 charged in swatting conspiracy targeting lawmakers, houses of worship 

With eviction filings leaving a lasting mark on renters’ records, many states are reconsidering how much information landlords really need.

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/rsequeira/">ROBBIE SEQUEIRA</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

When&nbsp;pandemic-era tenant protections expired, rents immediately soared, and eviction filings surged last year more than 50% over pre-pandemic levels in some U.S. cities.

These filings can cast long shadows. Simply being named in an eviction complaint, regardless of the outcome, can severely limit future housing options and prolong housing insecurity,&nbsp;<a href="https://poverty.umich.edu/2024/07/16/research-shows-far-reaching-costs-of-eviction-filings-to-tenants-regardless-of-the-outcome-in-court/" target="_blank">according to a recent University of Michigan study</a>.

The situation underscores a growing debate across the country: Should&nbsp;<a href="https://americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/09/Eviction-Record-Expungement-Can-Remove-Barriers.pdf" target="_blank">eviction records</a>&nbsp;be shielded from public access to offer tenants a cleaner shot at finding another home?

In recent years, more states are saying, “yes — at least in some cases.”

Eviction filings are public court records. Landlords and property owners can buy databases of the records to screen potential tenants.

Property owners argue that sealing data on eviction filings — most of which are for nonpayment of rent — eliminates crucial insights into rental history. Housing advocates, however, warn that any filing can unfairly block renters from future housing because the outcome may not be an eviction.

An eviction filing doesn’t provide enough information to determine a tenant’s ability to honor their next lease, said Katie Fallon, a principal policy associate with the Urban Institute, a research and advocacy think tank focusing on urban policies.

“Given the low quality of this eviction filing data and the lack of outcomes in the filings themselves, it is a very open question of how accurate these filings are and what information they really provide to landlords,” she said.

This year,&nbsp;<a href="https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2024/legislation/S1327/" target="_blank">Idaho</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/sb0019" target="_blank">Maryland</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/the-affordable-homes-act-smart-housing-livable-communities" target="_blank">Massachusetts</a>&nbsp;enacted laws to seal certain eviction records from public scrutiny and from tenant screening companies.

Last year,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cga.ct.gov/2023/ACT/PA/PDF/2023PA-00207-R00SB-00998-PA.PDF" target="_blank">Connecticut</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText23/SenateText23/S0912Aaa.pdf" target="_blank">Rhode Island</a>&nbsp;also enacted laws that allow for the sealing of certain eviction cases. Arizona, meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/55leg/2R/bills/HB2485H.pdf" target="_blank">enacted a law</a>&nbsp;in 2022 requiring courts to seal eviction records if cases are dismissed, dropped or adjudicated in the tenant’s favor.

In total, 17 states and Washington, D.C., have measures&nbsp;<a href="https://www.policylink.org/mapping-the-growth-of-eviction-record" target="_blank">sealing</a>&nbsp;at least some eviction records, according to PolicyLink, a national research and advocacy group with a focus on housing.

Zafar Shah, assistant director of advocacy for Maryland Legal Aid, said lawmakers are starting to understand how&nbsp;eviction records can prevent tenants from finding another home.

“We have clients that know they will lose their eviction case, but they want us to shield the information so that the next potential housing provider is not going to use it against them,” said Shah.

“That has really been the impetus for shielding and sealing across the country. These filings don’t tell us a lot, but they carry so much weight in the search for housing.”

An eviction filing could be resolved in a number of ways: A case might be dismissed if the landlord and tenant reach an agreement. The judge might rule in favor of the tenant, allowing them to stay in their home. Or the judge could side with the landlord, evicting the tenant.

Regardless of the outcome, the records live on in online court databases.

Third-party tenant screening companies scan court records for eviction cases, then sell the data to landlords to use in their leasing decisions.

Housing advocates say the data is often inaccurate and misleading. In one state — Illinois — less than half of eviction filings led to actual evictions, according to a 2019&nbsp;<a href="https://housingactionil.org/downloads/EvictionBrief_February2019.pdf" target="_blank">review</a>&nbsp;by Housing Action Illinois, an advocacy group.

Alexandra Alvarado, director of education and marketing at the American Apartment Owners Association, a tenant screening provider, told Stateline that the group’s database only displays eviction records with a completed judgment that were filed within the past seven years, which is the time limit set by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.

“It can be a monetary or non-monetary judgment, but there must be a judgment. So, if an eviction case is filed, but the parties settled outside of court or the tenant won, then it wouldn’t show up in our reports, even though technically it is public record,” Alvarado said. “Our members are getting evictions that have merit and weren’t erroneously filed.”

According to researchers at the Eviction Lab at Princeton University, of the 3.6 million eviction court records in the 12 states they tracked from 2011 to 2015, more than 1 in 5 eviction cases contained little information on the resolution of a case. Ambiguous data can also&nbsp;<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20201029055456id_/https:/www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10511482.2020.1748084?needAccess=true" target="_blank">falsely represent</a>&nbsp;a tenant’s eviction history, affecting both renters and scholarly researchers, according to a 2020 study by the group.

“While many people think an eviction filing is evidence of late rent payment, nonpayment of rent or a violation of the lease terms, this is not necessarily true,” said Fallon, of the Urban Institute. “Filings can include inaccurate data, such as the parties named in the eviction filing and inaccurate name spellings.”

Alvarado, of the American Apartment Owners Association, said landlords have mixed views about laws that allow courts to seal cases that have been dismissed or ruled in a tenant’s favor. What’s more important to landlords, she said, is that their screening process can look back the full seven years for problem evictions.

Laws that limit the lookback period — such as in&nbsp;<a href="https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2019R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB873/Enrolled" target="_blank">Oregon</a>, where tenants can request an expungement after five years — affect the tenant screening process more, she said.

The system is problematic, Eviction Lab found in a&nbsp;<a href="https://evictionlab.org/demographics-of-eviction/" target="_blank">2020 study</a>&nbsp;of eviction cases filed between 2012 and 2016 in 39 states. In addition to inaccurate information, Black households are overrepresented in eviction filings,&nbsp;Eviction Lab found, as are women — especially Black and Latina women.

“When landlords say they need to use eviction filings, which we know aren’t the most reliable information, to make housing decisions, we need to push back on that,” said Jasmine Rangel, senior housing associate for PolicyLink.

She and other advocates want eviction court records to be sealed as soon as a landlord files an eviction notice. Otherwise, she said, “third-party services can still scrape that eviction record from online databases and into their tenant screening algorithms.”

Advocates point out that eviction records could be made public later if a judge rules in the landlord’s favor.

But Shuntera Brown, who lost her home in Phoenix in 2021, said in an interview that any eviction record hurts single moms like herself.

Brown, who has three children, has struggled to pay rent even with a full-time job. In December 2020, a bout of COVID-19 caused her to miss work shifts, a paycheck disruption that eventually put her over the edge months later.

“It’s a Scarlet ‘E.’ You have this record, you have this thing on your file of an eviction, but there’s no understanding of the context or circumstances behind it,” Brown said. “I remember pleading with the judge that I’ve usually paid on time and that my kids need a home, but he sided with the landlord in, like, seven minutes, and the eviction immediately was on my credit.”

State by state, the laws differ on the details: Many states allow for eviction records to be sealed almost immediately if the case was dismissed or dropped, or if the tenant won the case. Other states have a waiting period, often several years, during which the tenant must demonstrate good behavior before a record is sealed.

Under Maryland’s new law, which takes effect in October, courts must shield records within 60 days of a resolution that doesn’t end in a tenant losing possession of their home. The state also will increase the eviction&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marylandbusinesslitigationlawyerblog.com/renters-rights-stabilization-act-2024/" target="_blank">filing fee</a>&nbsp;from $8 to $43.

Maryland landlords filed roughly 400,000 “failure to pay rent” cases in the state’s 2023 fiscal year, according to housing advocates who testified in favor of the new law. In some cases, landlords would file monthly failure to pay rent cases against tenants prematurely and tack on illegal fees on top of the back rent,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publicjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PJC-AR_2023_FINAL_web.pdf" target="_blank">according to a report</a>&nbsp;from the Maryland-based advocacy group Public Justice Center.

“The low cost and low barrier to entry have driven the massive quantity of filings, with many cases simply being leveraged to get rent money out of tenants quickly,” said Shah, of Maryland Legal Aid. “I think that the court overall has become more receptive to shielding these cases, recognizing that if a case was dismissed or settled, there’s no reason to hold it against the renter.

“This attitude has shifted significantly over the past decade,” he said.

In&nbsp;<a href="http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/15-16/bill/asm/ab_2801-2850/ab_2819_cfa_20160620_154723_sen_comm.html" target="_blank">California</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb20-1009" target="_blank">Colorado</a>, as in Maryland, an eviction lawsuit can be automatically sealed as soon as it’s been filed unless the landlord wins the case within 60 days.&nbsp;<a href="https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2022/bills/house/1214/details" target="_blank">Indiana</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/484.014" target="_blank">Minnesota</a>&nbsp;require a tenant to formally petition for sealing once a court reaches judgment.

Idaho’s new law shields dismissed eviction cases after three years. And in Massachusetts, tenants can request their case be sealed for a variety of reasons, no matter the outcome, after a period of time ranging from a few months to several years.

In Rhode Island, a tenant can only make a request once every five years.

Researchers at Eviction Lab told Stateline that state laws should still allow data access for scientists. The 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/laws/24-115" target="_blank">eviction-sealing law</a>&nbsp;in Washington, D.C., for example, specifies that records can be unsealed for scholarly, educational, journalistic or governmental purposes.

“There is an important public right to know what is going on in the housing market, and this is one of our data points into the eviction crisis,” said Carl Gershenson, lab director at Eviction Lab. “There is a balance that can be achieved that is in the best interest of tenants and how these filings can be used as datapoints to understand the housing crisis.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641238301184.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>With eviction filings leaving a lasting mark on renters’ records, many states are reconsidering how much information landlords really need.</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/rsequeira/">ROBBIE SEQUEIRA</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>When&nbsp;pandemic-era tenant protections expired, rents immediately soared, and eviction filings surged last year more than 50% over pre-pandemic levels in some U.S. cities.These filings can cast long shadows. Simply being named in an eviction complaint, regardless of the outcome, can severely limit future housing options and prolong housing insecurity,&nbsp;<a href="https://poverty.umich.edu/2024/07/16/research-shows-far-reaching-costs-of-eviction-filings-to-tenants-regardless-of-the-outcome-in-court/" target="_blank">according to a recent University of Michigan study</a>.The situation underscores a growing debate across the country: Should&nbsp;<a href="https://americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/09/Eviction-Record-Expungement-Can-Remove-Barriers.pdf" target="_blank">eviction records</a>&nbsp;be shielded from public access to offer tenants a cleaner shot at finding another home?In recent years, more states are saying, “yes — at least in some cases.”Eviction filings are public court records. Landlords and property owners can buy databases of the records to screen potential tenants.Property owners argue that sealing data on eviction filings — most of which are for nonpayment of rent — eliminates crucial insights into rental history. Housing advocates, however, warn that any filing can unfairly block renters from future housing because the outcome may not be an eviction.An eviction filing doesn’t provide enough information to determine a tenant’s ability to honor their next lease, said Katie Fallon, a principal policy associate with the Urban Institute, a research and advocacy think tank focusing on urban policies.“Given the low quality of this eviction filing data and the lack of outcomes in the filings themselves, it is a very open question of how accurate these filings are and what information they really provide to landlords,” she said.This year,&nbsp;<a href="https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2024/legislation/S1327/" target="_blank">Idaho</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/sb0019" target="_blank">Maryland</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/the-affordable-homes-act-smart-housing-livable-communities" target="_blank">Massachusetts</a>&nbsp;enacted laws to seal certain eviction records from public scrutiny and from tenant screening companies.Last year,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cga.ct.gov/2023/ACT/PA/PDF/2023PA-00207-R00SB-00998-PA.PDF" target="_blank">Connecticut</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText23/SenateText23/S0912Aaa.pdf" target="_blank">Rhode Island</a>&nbsp;also enacted laws that allow for the sealing of certain eviction cases. Arizona, meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/55leg/2R/bills/HB2485H.pdf" target="_blank">enacted a law</a>&nbsp;in 2022 requiring courts to seal eviction records if cases are dismissed, dropped or adjudicated in the tenant’s favor.In total, 17 states and Washington, D.C., have measures&nbsp;<a href="https://www.policylink.org/mapping-the-growth-of-eviction-record" target="_blank">sealing</a>&nbsp;at least some eviction records, according to PolicyLink, a national research and advocacy group with a focus on housing.Zafar Shah, assistant director of advocacy for Maryland Legal Aid, said lawmakers are starting to understand how&nbsp;eviction records can prevent tenants from finding another home.“We have clients that know they will lose their eviction case, but they want us to shield the information so that the next potential housing provider is not going to use it against them,” said Shah.“That has really been the impetus for shielding and sealing across the country. These filings don’t tell us a lot, but they carry so much weight in the search for housing.”An eviction filing could be resolved in a number of ways: A case might be dismissed if the landlord and tenant reach an agreement. The judge might rule in favor of the tenant, allowing them to stay in their home. Or the judge could side with the landlord, evicting the tenant.Regardless of the outcome, the records live on in online court databases.Third-party tenant screening companies scan court records for eviction cases, then sell the data to landlords to use in their leasing decisions.Housing advocates say the data is often inaccurate and misleading. In one state — Illinois — less than half of eviction filings led to actual evictions, according to a 2019&nbsp;<a href="https://housingactionil.org/downloads/EvictionBrief_February2019.pdf" target="_blank">review</a>&nbsp;by Housing Action Illinois, an advocacy group.Alexandra Alvarado, director of education and marketing at the American Apartment Owners Association, a tenant screening provider, told Stateline that the group’s database only displays eviction records with a completed judgment that were filed within the past seven years, which is the time limit set by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.“It can be a monetary or non-monetary judgment, but there must be a judgment. So, if an eviction case is filed, but the parties settled outside of court or the tenant won, then it wouldn’t show up in our reports, even though technically it is public record,” Alvarado said. “Our members are getting evictions that have merit and weren’t erroneously filed.”<h2>A Scarlet ‘E’</h2>According to researchers at the Eviction Lab at Princeton University, of the 3.6 million eviction court records in the 12 states they tracked from 2011 to 2015, more than 1 in 5 eviction cases contained little information on the resolution of a case. Ambiguous data can also&nbsp;<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20201029055456id_/https:/www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10511482.2020.1748084?needAccess=true" target="_blank">falsely represent</a>&nbsp;a tenant’s eviction history, affecting both renters and scholarly researchers, according to a 2020 study by the group.“While many people think an eviction filing is evidence of late rent payment, nonpayment of rent or a violation of the lease terms, this is not necessarily true,” said Fallon, of the Urban Institute. “Filings can include inaccurate data, such as the parties named in the eviction filing and inaccurate name spellings.”Alvarado, of the American Apartment Owners Association, said landlords have mixed views about laws that allow courts to seal cases that have been dismissed or ruled in a tenant’s favor. What’s more important to landlords, she said, is that their screening process can look back the full seven years for problem evictions.Laws that limit the lookback period — such as in&nbsp;<a href="https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2019R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB873/Enrolled" target="_blank">Oregon</a>, where tenants can request an expungement after five years — affect the tenant screening process more, she said.The system is problematic, Eviction Lab found in a&nbsp;<a href="https://evictionlab.org/demographics-of-eviction/" target="_blank">2020 study</a>&nbsp;of eviction cases filed between 2012 and 2016 in 39 states. In addition to inaccurate information, Black households are overrepresented in eviction filings,&nbsp;Eviction Lab found, as are women — especially Black and Latina women.“When landlords say they need to use eviction filings, which we know aren’t the most reliable information, to make housing decisions, we need to push back on that,” said Jasmine Rangel, senior housing associate for PolicyLink.She and other advocates want eviction court records to be sealed as soon as a landlord files an eviction notice. Otherwise, she said, “third-party services can still scrape that eviction record from online databases and into their tenant screening algorithms.”Advocates point out that eviction records could be made public later if a judge rules in the landlord’s favor.But Shuntera Brown, who lost her home in Phoenix in 2021, said in an interview that any eviction record hurts single moms like herself.Brown, who has three children, has struggled to pay rent even with a full-time job. In December 2020, a bout of COVID-19 caused her to miss work shifts, a paycheck disruption that eventually put her over the edge months later.“It’s a Scarlet ‘E.’ You have this record, you have this thing on your file of an eviction, but there’s no understanding of the context or circumstances behind it,” Brown said. “I remember pleading with the judge that I’ve usually paid on time and that my kids need a home, but he sided with the landlord in, like, seven minutes, and the eviction immediately was on my credit.”<h2>Sealing the records</h2>State by state, the laws differ on the details: Many states allow for eviction records to be sealed almost immediately if the case was dismissed or dropped, or if the tenant won the case. Other states have a waiting period, often several years, during which the tenant must demonstrate good behavior before a record is sealed.Under Maryland’s new law, which takes effect in October, courts must shield records within 60 days of a resolution that doesn’t end in a tenant losing possession of their home. The state also will increase the eviction&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marylandbusinesslitigationlawyerblog.com/renters-rights-stabilization-act-2024/" target="_blank">filing fee</a>&nbsp;from $8 to $43.Maryland landlords filed roughly 400,000 “failure to pay rent” cases in the state’s 2023 fiscal year, according to housing advocates who testified in favor of the new law. In some cases, landlords would file monthly failure to pay rent cases against tenants prematurely and tack on illegal fees on top of the back rent,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publicjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PJC-AR_2023_FINAL_web.pdf" target="_blank">according to a report</a>&nbsp;from the Maryland-based advocacy group Public Justice Center.“The low cost and low barrier to entry have driven the massive quantity of filings, with many cases simply being leveraged to get rent money out of tenants quickly,” said Shah, of Maryland Legal Aid. “I think that the court overall has become more receptive to shielding these cases, recognizing that if a case was dismissed or settled, there’s no reason to hold it against the renter.“This attitude has shifted significantly over the past decade,” he said.In&nbsp;<a href="http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/15-16/bill/asm/ab_2801-2850/ab_2819_cfa_20160620_154723_sen_comm.html" target="_blank">California</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb20-1009" target="_blank">Colorado</a>, as in Maryland, an eviction lawsuit can be automatically sealed as soon as it’s been filed unless the landlord wins the case within 60 days.&nbsp;<a href="https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2022/bills/house/1214/details" target="_blank">Indiana</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/484.014" target="_blank">Minnesota</a>&nbsp;require a tenant to formally petition for sealing once a court reaches judgment.Idaho’s new law shields dismissed eviction cases after three years. And in Massachusetts, tenants can request their case be sealed for a variety of reasons, no matter the outcome, after a period of time ranging from a few months to several years.In Rhode Island, a tenant can only make a request once every five years.Researchers at Eviction Lab told Stateline that state laws should still allow data access for scientists. The 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/laws/24-115" target="_blank">eviction-sealing law</a>&nbsp;in Washington, D.C., for example, specifies that records can be unsealed for scholarly, educational, journalistic or governmental purposes.“There is an important public right to know what is going on in the housing market, and this is one of our data points into the eviction crisis,” said Carl Gershenson, lab director at Eviction Lab. “There is a balance that can be achieved that is in the best interest of tenants and how these filings can be used as datapoints to understand the housing crisis.”

Landlords cry foul as more states seal eviction records

MIAMI COUNTY, Kansas —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a high speed chase across portions of Kansas and Misouri.

On August 27, Sheriff Deputies were notified of a pursuit that was initiated by the Miami County Kans Sheriff’s Office that was entering Bates County, Missouri, according to a media release.

Deputies were able to intercept and join the pursuit on State Route AA. Deputies from Bates County were able to deploy stop sticks and hit one of the tires on the fleeing vehicle. 

A short time later the vehicle crashed at the intersection of County Road 5001 and the Bates/Cass county line. The driver of the vehicle was taken into custody without further incident and was transported to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office Jail.&nbsp; Authorities have not released the name of the suspect.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725194960129.png" alt="Photo Bates County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Bates County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI COUNTY, Kansas —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a high speed chase across portions of Kansas and Misouri.On August 27, Sheriff Deputies were notified of a pursuit that was initiated by the Miami County Kans Sheriff’s Office that was entering Bates County, Missouri, according to a media release.Deputies were able to intercept and join the pursuit on State Route AA. Deputies from Bates County were able to deploy stop sticks and hit one of the tires on the fleeing vehicle. A short time later the vehicle crashed at the intersection of County Road 5001 and the Bates/Cass county line. The driver of the vehicle was taken into custody without further incident and was transported to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office Jail.&nbsp; Authorities have not released the name of the suspect.

Driver jailed after high-speed chase starts in Kansas, ends in Missouri

GEARY COUNTY —One person drowned Saturday at Milford State Park.

The Geary County Sheriff’s Office and Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks responded to the drowning at the south boat ramp, swim beach located in the Milford State Park, according to a media release.

Bystanders located the individual who was reported being under water for more than 10 minutes and began CPR. 

 Upon arrival of EMS the individual was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; The sheriff's office has not released the name of the victim.

GEARY COUNTY —One person drowned Saturday at Milford State Park.The Geary County Sheriff’s Office and Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks responded to the drowning at the south boat ramp, swim beach located in the Milford State Park, according to a media release.Bystanders located the individual who was reported being under water for more than 10 minutes and began CPR. Upon arrival of EMS the individual was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; The sheriff's office has not released the name of the victim.

Sheriff reports drowning at Milford State Park

By REBECCA RIVAS &nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Missouri&nbsp; regulators issued another cannabis recall on Friday, the third this month, this time for about 37,000 marijuana products.&nbsp;

That brings the total number of marijuana products recalled in August to up nearly 175,000 — almost triple&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/16/state-faces-pushback-from-missouri-marijuana-industry-over-product-recall/">Missouri’s first massive cannabis product recall</a>&nbsp;a year ago.

The focus of the recall is products made by Jonesburg-based manufacturer Blue Sky Health &amp; Wellness LLC, a facility between Columbia and St. Louis. The designated contact for the facility is Ketan Patel, according to state records.

No adverse reactions for this product have been reported to the Division of Cannabis Regulation, according to the division notice of the action on Friday evening.&nbsp;

&nbsp;“The recalled marijuana products were not compliantly tracked in the statewide track-and-trace system called Metrc as mandated by state marijuana rules,” the notice states. “Therefore, DCR cannot verify compliance with health and safety requirements.”

The division<a href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/recalls.php" target="_blank">&nbsp;lists the recalled products&nbsp;</a>in two Excel sheets. One is “product recall list,” which includes the identifiers that the manufacturers use to track products. The division also posted a “consumer recall list” that includes numbers that customers are more likely to see on their products.&nbsp;

The division advises patients and consumers to stop using the products and return them to the dispensary.&nbsp;

“Returned products will not count toward a patient’s purchase limit,” it states.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also any adverse reactions should be reported to the division of cannabis by email or through<a href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/pdf/580-3338s.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;an online complaint form</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692273868300.png" alt="No adverse reactions from recalled products have been reported to the Division of Cannabis Regulation, according to the division notice of the action on Friday evening&nbsp;(Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>No adverse reactions from recalled products have been reported to the Division of Cannabis Regulation, according to the division notice of the action on Friday evening&nbsp;(Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>By REBECCA RIVAS &nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri&nbsp; regulators issued another cannabis recall on Friday, the third this month, this time for about 37,000 marijuana products.&nbsp;That brings the total number of marijuana products recalled in August to up nearly 175,000 — almost triple&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/16/state-faces-pushback-from-missouri-marijuana-industry-over-product-recall/">Missouri’s first massive cannabis product recall</a>&nbsp;a year ago.The focus of the recall is products made by Jonesburg-based manufacturer Blue Sky Health &amp; Wellness LLC, a facility between Columbia and St. Louis. The designated contact for the facility is Ketan Patel, according to state records.No adverse reactions for this product have been reported to the Division of Cannabis Regulation, according to the division notice of the action on Friday evening.&nbsp;&nbsp;“The recalled marijuana products were not compliantly tracked in the statewide track-and-trace system called Metrc as mandated by state marijuana rules,” the notice states. “Therefore, DCR cannot verify compliance with health and safety requirements.”The division<a href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/recalls.php" target="_blank">&nbsp;lists the recalled products&nbsp;</a>in two Excel sheets. One is “product recall list,” which includes the identifiers that the manufacturers use to track products. The division also posted a “consumer recall list” that includes numbers that customers are more likely to see on their products.&nbsp;The division advises patients and consumers to stop using the products and return them to the dispensary.&nbsp;“Returned products will not count toward a patient’s purchase limit,” it states.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also any adverse reactions should be reported to the division of cannabis by email or through<a href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/pdf/580-3338s.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;an online complaint form</a>.

Missouri marijuana regulators issue third product recall in August

CAMDEN COUNTY —A Missouri police officer died in a crash and fire while chasing a suspect on Saturday in Camden&nbsp; County.

Just after 1:30a.m., sheriff's&nbsp;deputies responded near the Richland area to assist Osage Beach Police Department - City of Osage Beach, Missouri with a vehicle pursuit.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Ford Explorer driven by Osage Beach&nbsp;Police Officer 33-year-old Phylicia Carson was southbound on Route A just east of Toronto Springs Park Road.

The SUV crossed the center of the road while in pursuit of a suspect and began to skid.&nbsp; The vehicle traveled off the left side of the road, struck a tree and caught fire.&nbsp; Officer Carson was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Hedges Scott Funeral Home in Camdenton.

The vehicle involved in the chase also crashed and the suspect was taken into custody, according police.

&nbsp;Carson is survived by her husband and six children. She had been with the city since June 2023, according to Osage Beach Police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1725156364558.png" alt="Officer&nbsp; Phylicia Carson courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Officer&nbsp; Phylicia Carson courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>CAMDEN COUNTY —A Missouri police officer died in a crash and fire while chasing a suspect on Saturday in Camden&nbsp; County.Just after 1:30a.m., sheriff's&nbsp;deputies responded near the Richland area to assist Osage Beach Police Department - City of Osage Beach, Missouri with a vehicle pursuit.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Ford Explorer driven by Osage Beach&nbsp;Police Officer 33-year-old Phylicia Carson was southbound on Route A just east of Toronto Springs Park Road.The SUV crossed the center of the road while in pursuit of a suspect and began to skid.&nbsp; The vehicle traveled off the left side of the road, struck a tree and caught fire.&nbsp; Officer Carson was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Hedges Scott Funeral Home in Camdenton.The vehicle involved in the chase also crashed and the suspect was taken into custody, according police.&nbsp;Carson is survived by her husband and six children. She had been with the city since June 2023, according to Osage Beach Police.

Missouri police officer dies in crash, fire during high-speed chase

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating an overnight shooting that sent a boy to the hospital.

Just after 12:30 a.m. Saturday, police were in the area of the 1400 block of N. Lorraine in Wichita when they heard gunfire, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.

 A church building, which four individuals occupied at the time, was struck by the gunfire; thankfully, no injuries were reported at the church.&nbsp; 

A second scene was identified in the 1400 block of N. Lorraine, where a residence had also been struck. An 11-year-old boy inside the residence sustained a non-life-threatening injury to the head. The child was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment.

This is an active investigation, and officers are actively following up on leads to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to call WPD investigators at 316-268-4407. If you want to remain anonymous, you can submit your information to Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating an overnight shooting that sent a boy to the hospital.Just after 12:30 a.m. Saturday, police were in the area of the 1400 block of N. Lorraine in Wichita when they heard gunfire, according to Officer Kris Gupilan. A church building, which four individuals occupied at the time, was struck by the gunfire; thankfully, no injuries were reported at the church.&nbsp; A second scene was identified in the 1400 block of N. Lorraine, where a residence had also been struck. An 11-year-old boy inside the residence sustained a non-life-threatening injury to the head. The child was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment.This is an active investigation, and officers are actively following up on leads to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting.Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to call WPD investigators at 316-268-4407. If you want to remain anonymous, you can submit your information to Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

11-year-old inside Kansas home struck in the head by gunfire

PETTIS COUNTY, Mo. —Law enforcement are investigating a deadly shooting at a home during a burglary.

Just after 1a.m. Friday, sheriff&nbsp;deputies were dispatched to the area of Anderson School Road and Shire Lane for a single-vehicle accident called in by a passerby, according to Pettis County Sheriff Brad Anders.

Just moments later, while en-route to the accident scene, deputies were notified of a burglary in progress at a residence near the accident scene. 

The homeowner reported someone had forced his way into the residence. Upon arrival, deputies found a rear door of the residence forcibly entered and that the unknown intruder was down after having been shot by the homeowner. 

Medics from Pettis County Ambulance District arrived on the scene and pronounced the male subject deceased. 

 Pettis County Coroner Robert Smith arrived on the scene and took possession of the body.      The names of the parties involved are being withheld at this time, pending the notification of the next of kin.&nbsp;

PETTIS COUNTY, Mo. —Law enforcement are investigating a deadly shooting at a home during a burglary.Just after 1a.m. Friday, sheriff&nbsp;deputies were dispatched to the area of Anderson School Road and Shire Lane for a single-vehicle accident called in by a passerby, according to Pettis County Sheriff Brad Anders.Just moments later, while en-route to the accident scene, deputies were notified of a burglary in progress at a residence near the accident scene. The homeowner reported someone had forced his way into the residence. Upon arrival, deputies found a rear door of the residence forcibly entered and that the unknown intruder was down after having been shot by the homeowner. Medics from Pettis County Ambulance District arrived on the scene and pronounced the male subject deceased. Pettis County Coroner Robert Smith arrived on the scene and took possession of the body. The names of the parties involved are being withheld at this time, pending the notification of the next of kin.&nbsp;

Mo. homeowner kills suspected intruder during burglary 

DOUGLAS COUNTY—A Kansas man avoided injury after a small plane mishap just before 11:30a.m. Saturday in Douglas County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a Cessna 177 piloted by Kenneth V.&nbsp;Rieck, 75, Lawrence, was traveling down runway #15 at&nbsp;Lawrence Regional Airport, 1930 Airport Road.&nbsp; 

The airplane had a mechanical failure causing it to yaw to the left before it could take off. 

The plane left the runway to the left. The front nose of the airplane collapsed and the airplane sustained a prop strike and damage to the front of the aircraft. The airplane came to rest facing east on runway #19.

Rieck was not injured. The FAA and NTSB will investigate the incident.

DOUGLAS COUNTY—A Kansas man avoided injury after a small plane mishap just before 11:30a.m. Saturday in Douglas County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a Cessna 177 piloted by Kenneth V.&nbsp;Rieck, 75, Lawrence, was traveling down runway #15 at&nbsp;Lawrence Regional Airport, 1930 Airport Road.&nbsp; The airplane had a mechanical failure causing it to yaw to the left before it could take off. The plane left the runway to the left. The front nose of the airplane collapsed and the airplane sustained a prop strike and damage to the front of the aircraft. The airplane came to rest facing east on runway #19.Rieck was not injured. The FAA and NTSB will investigate the incident.

Kan. pilot avoids injury after mechanical failure during takeoff

TOPEKA – Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has officially been approved to securing his place on the November ballot in Kansas, according to a statement on Friday from&nbsp;Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab 

According to Schwab, "Mr. Kennedy met the candidate filing deadline of Monday, August 5, by noon, submitting the necessary petition. To qualify as an independent candidate for President and appear on the state’s ballot, a minimum of 5,000 signatures from registered Kansas voters was required. “He has met these requirements.”

On August 23, Kennedy&nbsp; suspended his independent campaign for president and endorsed&nbsp;Donald Trump. He said his internal polls had shown that his presence in the race would hurt Trump and help Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.

However, Kennedy also made it clear that he wasn’t formally ending his bid for the White House and said his supporters could continue to back him in the majority of states where they are unlikely to sway the outcome. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719668235039.png" alt="Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. -courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. -courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA – Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has officially been approved to securing his place on the November ballot in Kansas, according to a statement on Friday from&nbsp;Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab According to Schwab, "Mr. Kennedy met the candidate filing deadline of Monday, August 5, by noon, submitting the necessary petition. To qualify as an independent candidate for President and appear on the state’s ballot, a minimum of 5,000 signatures from registered Kansas voters was required. “He has met these requirements.”On August 23, Kennedy&nbsp; suspended his independent campaign for president and endorsed&nbsp;Donald Trump. He said his internal polls had shown that his presence in the race would hurt Trump and help Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.However, Kennedy also made it clear that he wasn’t formally ending his bid for the White House and said his supporters could continue to back him in the majority of states where they are unlikely to sway the outcome.

RFK Jr. will officially be on the November ballot in Kansas

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are asking the public for information on a suspect involved in recent card skimming incidents over the last two weeks at an ATM at Walgreens near Quivira Road and West 75th Street in the city of Shawnee, Kansas, according to a social media report from police.



A red Hyundai Sonata, possibly linked to the two incidents, was spotted near 75th and Quivira around the same time.&nbsp;

If you have any information or believe your card was compromised, please contact the Shawnee Police Department at 913-631-2150.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1725035789870.png" alt="Please note that these still images are from video surveillance, which affects their quality. We are sharing them in case someone might recognize the suspect who walked out of the camera's view." />
 <figcaption>Please note that these still images are from video surveillance, which affects their quality. We are sharing them in case someone might recognize the suspect who walked out of the camera's view.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are asking the public for information on a suspect involved in recent card skimming incidents over the last two weeks at an ATM at Walgreens near Quivira Road and West 75th Street in the city of Shawnee, Kansas, according to a social media report from police.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1725035833295.png" alt="Shawnee Police" />
 <figcaption>Shawnee Police</figcaption>
 </figure>

A red Hyundai Sonata, possibly linked to the two incidents, was spotted near 75th and Quivira around the same time.&nbsp;If you have any information or believe your card was compromised, please contact the Shawnee Police Department at 913-631-2150.

Police ask for help to ID suspect Kan. card skimming cases

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>

TOPEKA — As the Kansas and Missouri medical communities prepare for respiratory illness season, health officials grapple with an early COVID-19 infection spike and higher-than-normal tuberculosis infections in Wyandotte County.

COVID positivity rates have been steadily increasing in Kansas, Missouri and across the country since July. The increase is higher than last summer’s rates and similar to the surge in infections seen this January, doctors said during a Friday morning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO_hZmaribA" target="_blank">medical update</a>&nbsp;from the University of Kansas Health System.

But those rates only scratch the surface, and medical professionals are uncertain what the upcoming respiratory illness season could look like, especially when continued COVID vaccinations have begun to dwindle, even with a new FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, which recently became available at commercial pharmacies.

“I think there’s a lot more illness at home. There’s a lot more tests at home. There’s a lot of people who aren’t testing,” said Dana Hawkinson, an infectious disease specialist with KU Health.

Respiratory illness activity in Kansas has been minimal, according to measures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel.

However, the level of COVID-19 activity detected in wastewater systems throughout Kansas is on the rise, as is the case regionally and nationally, according to the channel. Monitoring wastewater can offer early warning signs that infections are increasing or decreasing in a given community without relying on whether people present with symptoms, according to the CDC’s website.

In November, hospitals will be mandated to report their COVID numbers for the first time since May, which will give medical professionals an opportunity to better understand infection rates through data.

While hospitals have yet to see many flu cases, doctors recommended people receive a flu vaccine along with the new COVID vaccine and a respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, vaccine, if appropriate.

A vaccine is the best way to prevent serious COVID infections, said Chakshu Gupta, the chief medical officer at Liberty Hospital in Liberty, Missouri.

“It is very disappointing to be in such a great nation with such (an) educated, informed population and our vaccination rates against such a severe illness is in the low 15 to 20%,” he said during the update Friday morning.

Tuberculosis outbreak in Wyandotte County

Kansas has recorded 82 confirmed cases of active tuberculosis this year, which is almost double last year’s total of 46 cases. All of the active cases are being treated to limit the spread, Jill Bronaugh, a spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said in an email. More than half of this year’s cases, 57, originated in Wyandotte County, and six were reported from Johnson County.

“TB is an infectious disease that most often affects the lungs and is caused by a type of bacteria,” Bronaugh said. “It spreads through the air when infected people cough, speak, or sing.”

Two people have died from tuberculosis in Kansas this year. A cause for the increase this year has not been identified. Bronaugh said the state and county health departments are working with the CDC to monitor and prevent the spread of tuberculosis.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1725110774197.png" alt="Kansas and Missouri doctors discuss the late summer COVID-19 spike during a University of Kansas Health System medical briefing Aug. 30, 2024. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from KU Health video)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas and Missouri doctors discuss the late summer COVID-19 spike during a University of Kansas Health System medical briefing Aug. 30, 2024. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from KU Health video)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>TOPEKA — As the Kansas and Missouri medical communities prepare for respiratory illness season, health officials grapple with an early COVID-19 infection spike and higher-than-normal tuberculosis infections in Wyandotte County.COVID positivity rates have been steadily increasing in Kansas, Missouri and across the country since July. The increase is higher than last summer’s rates and similar to the surge in infections seen this January, doctors said during a Friday morning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO_hZmaribA" target="_blank">medical update</a>&nbsp;from the University of Kansas Health System.But those rates only scratch the surface, and medical professionals are uncertain what the upcoming respiratory illness season could look like, especially when continued COVID vaccinations have begun to dwindle, even with a new FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, which recently became available at commercial pharmacies.“I think there’s a lot more illness at home. There’s a lot more tests at home. There’s a lot of people who aren’t testing,” said Dana Hawkinson, an infectious disease specialist with KU Health.Respiratory illness activity in Kansas has been minimal, according to measures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel.However, the level of COVID-19 activity detected in wastewater systems throughout Kansas is on the rise, as is the case regionally and nationally, according to the channel. Monitoring wastewater can offer early warning signs that infections are increasing or decreasing in a given community without relying on whether people present with symptoms, according to the CDC’s website.In November, hospitals will be mandated to report their COVID numbers for the first time since May, which will give medical professionals an opportunity to better understand infection rates through data.While hospitals have yet to see many flu cases, doctors recommended people receive a flu vaccine along with the new COVID vaccine and a respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, vaccine, if appropriate.A vaccine is the best way to prevent serious COVID infections, said Chakshu Gupta, the chief medical officer at Liberty Hospital in Liberty, Missouri.“It is very disappointing to be in such a great nation with such (an) educated, informed population and our vaccination rates against such a severe illness is in the low 15 to 20%,” he said during the update Friday morning.<h2>Tuberculosis outbreak in Wyandotte County</h2>Kansas has recorded 82 confirmed cases of active tuberculosis this year, which is almost double last year’s total of 46 cases. All of the active cases are being treated to limit the spread, Jill Bronaugh, a spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said in an email. More than half of this year’s cases, 57, originated in Wyandotte County, and six were reported from Johnson County.“TB is an infectious disease that most often affects the lungs and is caused by a type of bacteria,” Bronaugh said. “It spreads through the air when infected people cough, speak, or sing.”Two people have died from tuberculosis in Kansas this year. A cause for the increase this year has not been identified. Bronaugh said the state and county health departments are working with the CDC to monitor and prevent the spread of tuberculosis.

Kansas COVID-19 spike coincides with unexplained tuberculosis infections

WASHINGTON —The Defense Department has approved a request by the Department of Homeland Security to provide assistance to the Secret Service for the presidential and vice-presidential candidates during the 2024 campaigns through Inauguration Day 2025, the deputy pentagon press secretary said Thursday.

"The secretary of defense approved the request and directed the commander of U.S. Northern Command to plan and provide and execute increased support to the United States Secret Service at various locations across the United States during the 2024 election campaigns," Sabrina Singh said during a briefing&nbsp; at the Pentagon.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720953321409.png" alt="File photo&nbsp; courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo&nbsp; courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —The Defense Department has approved a request by the Department of Homeland Security to provide assistance to the Secret Service for the presidential and vice-presidential candidates during the 2024 campaigns through Inauguration Day 2025, the deputy pentagon press secretary said Thursday."The secretary of defense approved the request and directed the commander of U.S. Northern Command to plan and provide and execute increased support to the United States Secret Service at various locations across the United States during the 2024 election campaigns," Sabrina Singh said during a briefing&nbsp; at the Pentagon.&nbsp;

Pentagon approves additional support to Secret Service

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.

Just before 8p.m. Friday, police reported&nbsp;to report of a shooting a wooded near 22nd and 71 Highway, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.

First responders located a man suffering from gunshot wounds. EMS pronounced him dead at the scene, according to&nbsp;KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

Police are investigating this incident as a homicide. Detectives canvassed the area for witnesses, evidence and surveillance footage to determine what led up to this shooting.

If anyone has any information, KCPD is asking that they contact homicide detectives at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS. The reward is up to $25,000 for any information submitted.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724776831597.png" alt="File photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>File photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.Just before 8p.m. Friday, police reported&nbsp;to report of a shooting a wooded near 22nd and 71 Highway, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.First responders located a man suffering from gunshot wounds. EMS pronounced him dead at the scene, according to&nbsp;KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.Police are investigating this incident as a homicide. Detectives canvassed the area for witnesses, evidence and surveillance footage to determine what led up to this shooting.If anyone has any information, KCPD is asking that they contact homicide detectives at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS. The reward is up to $25,000 for any information submitted.

KCPD: Man dies after shooting in wooded area 

BAGHDAD —U.S. forces and Iraqi Security Forces conducted a partnered raid in Western Iraq in the early hours of Friday resulting in the death of 15 ISIS operatives, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

 The ISIS element was armed with numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive "suicide" belts. There is no indication of civilian casualties.

This operation targeted ISIS leaders to disrupt and degrade ISIS' ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as U.S. citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond.

Iraqi Security Forces continue to further exploit the locations raided.

"ISIS remains a threat to the region, our allies, as well as our homeland. U.S. CENTCOM alongside our coalition and Iraqi partners, will continue to aggressively pursue these terrorists"

The U.S. Central command indicated they would provide more information as it becomes available.

BAGHDAD —U.S. forces and Iraqi Security Forces conducted a partnered raid in Western Iraq in the early hours of Friday resulting in the death of 15 ISIS operatives, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command. The ISIS element was armed with numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive "suicide" belts. There is no indication of civilian casualties.This operation targeted ISIS leaders to disrupt and degrade ISIS' ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as U.S. citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond.Iraqi Security Forces continue to further exploit the locations raided."ISIS remains a threat to the region, our allies, as well as our homeland. U.S. CENTCOM alongside our coalition and Iraqi partners, will continue to aggressively pursue these terrorists"The U.S. Central command indicated they would provide more information as it becomes available.

U.S. military raid in Iraq kills 15 ISIS operatives

LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a former police officer for alleged sex crimes.

On Thursday,&nbsp;&nbsp;the Emporia Police Department arrested 33-year-old Russell Patterson Jr., on requested charges of Aggravated Human Trafficking and Rape, according to Emporia Police Captain Ray Mattis.

Patterson had been an Emporia Police Officer from March 13, 2017, to December 6, 2017. He&nbsp;was released from employment from the Emporia Police Department before he completed his training with the Emporia Police Department.

The charges are from a current investigation and are not related to his time with the Emporia Police.

If anyone has any information on this crime please contact the Emporia Police Department at 620-343-4225. You can also call Crime Stoppers at 620-342-2273 or on your mobile device at P3Tips.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1725051629004.png" alt="Patterson photo Lyon County" />
 <figcaption>Patterson photo Lyon County</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a former police officer for alleged sex crimes.On Thursday,&nbsp;&nbsp;the Emporia Police Department arrested 33-year-old Russell Patterson Jr., on requested charges of Aggravated Human Trafficking and Rape, according to Emporia Police Captain Ray Mattis.Patterson had been an Emporia Police Officer from March 13, 2017, to December 6, 2017. He&nbsp;was released from employment from the Emporia Police Department before he completed his training with the Emporia Police Department.The charges are from a current investigation and are not related to his time with the Emporia Police.If anyone has any information on this crime please contact the Emporia Police Department at 620-343-4225. You can also call Crime Stoppers at 620-342-2273 or on your mobile device at P3Tips.

Former Kan. police officer accused of rape, human trafficking

BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an encounter at a restaurant.

Just after 6p.m. August 28, a police officer observed an individual at a local establishment in Great Bend and knew the person had a valid Barton County District Court warrant, according to a media release.

When contacted by the officer, 35-year-old Nathan Moore ran down the alley and into a backyard of a residence in the 2300 block of Kansas Avenue. 

Moore resisted arrest, and the officer deployed his electronic control device on Moore, who was then taken into custody without further incident.&nbsp;

After Moore was in custody, a search of his person revealed both marijuana and methamphetamine. Moore was transported to the Barton County Jail and booked on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, interference with law enforcement as well as the outstanding warrant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724939660003.jpeg" alt="Moore photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>Moore photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an encounter at a restaurant.Just after 6p.m. August 28, a police officer observed an individual at a local establishment in Great Bend and knew the person had a valid Barton County District Court warrant, according to a media release.When contacted by the officer, 35-year-old Nathan Moore ran down the alley and into a backyard of a residence in the 2300 block of Kansas Avenue. Moore resisted arrest, and the officer deployed his electronic control device on Moore, who was then taken into custody without further incident.&nbsp;After Moore was in custody, a search of his person revealed both marijuana and methamphetamine. Moore was transported to the Barton County Jail and booked on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, interference with law enforcement as well as the outstanding warrant.

Wanted Kan. man ran from restaurant after officer approached

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/janellestecklein/">JANELLE STECKLEIN</a>&nbsp;

OKLAHOMA CITY — State agricultural officials were investigating Friday whether a feed shipment is responsible for the death of dozens of horses at one of the nation’s top rodeo stock providers.

The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry said in a statement that it is investigating whether the feed, which originated in Kansas, is responsible for the “tragic loss of horses” at Beutler and Son Rodeo Co.

<a href="https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2024/08/29/beutler-ranch-oklahoma-loses-over-40-horses-contaminated-feed-beutler-and-sons-rodeo-company/74994001007/" target="_blank">The Oklahoman</a>&nbsp;reported that between 40 and 70 horses died at the Elk City business last week.

The agency said it was notified Aug. 23 by a veterinarian of “a potential issue” related to a single bulk feed order. It sent an inspector to the business. The inspector collected a feed sample, which has been sent to two state-certified labs for analysis.

Oklahoma agriculture officials said they’re coordinating with the Kansas Department of Agriculture during the investigation.

Officials did not identify the feed provider.

However, they’re urging livestock owners to review the labels on feed and contact their veterinarian if they have any questions about the safety of the ingredients.

Oklahoma Voice, a States Newsroom affiliate,&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/briefs/oklahoma-agricultural-officials-investigating-whether-feed-shipment-killed-dozens-of-rodeo-horses/" target="_blank">produced this story</a>.

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/janellestecklein/">JANELLE STECKLEIN</a>&nbsp;OKLAHOMA CITY — State agricultural officials were investigating Friday whether a feed shipment is responsible for the death of dozens of horses at one of the nation’s top rodeo stock providers.The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry said in a statement that it is investigating whether the feed, which originated in Kansas, is responsible for the “tragic loss of horses” at Beutler and Son Rodeo Co.<a href="https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2024/08/29/beutler-ranch-oklahoma-loses-over-40-horses-contaminated-feed-beutler-and-sons-rodeo-company/74994001007/" target="_blank">The Oklahoman</a>&nbsp;reported that between 40 and 70 horses died at the Elk City business last week.The agency said it was notified Aug. 23 by a veterinarian of “a potential issue” related to a single bulk feed order. It sent an inspector to the business. The inspector collected a feed sample, which has been sent to two state-certified labs for analysis.Oklahoma agriculture officials said they’re coordinating with the Kansas Department of Agriculture during the investigation.Officials did not identify the feed provider.However, they’re urging livestock owners to review the labels on feed and contact their veterinarian if they have any questions about the safety of the ingredients.Oklahoma Voice, a States Newsroom affiliate,&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/briefs/oklahoma-agricultural-officials-investigating-whether-feed-shipment-killed-dozens-of-rodeo-horses/" target="_blank">produced this story</a>.

Ag officials investigating whether feed shipment killed dozens of rodeo horses

DOUGLAS COUNTY —The FBI is offering a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the individual responsible for a bank robbery, which occurred at the Bank of America located at 900 Ohio St., Lawrence, KS, on July 2, 2024, at approximately 9:21 a.m.

The suspect is described as African American, athletic build and approximately 6-foot to 6-foot-5 and 190pounds. He is described as wearing a black zip-up hooded jacket with a dark colored undershirt, black pant with a white emblem on the left upper leg, multicolored shoes, light blue “HyFlex” gloves, large black squared sunglasses, and multicolored (black, red, yellow) face mask.

The suspect entered the bank carrying a black bag and approached a teller making a&nbsp;verbal demand for cash. The suspect fled the bank on foot in a southward direction with an undisclosed amount of currency

Anyone with information about this robbery is asked to call the FBI Kansas City at 816-512-8200, Crime Stoppers of Lawrence and Douglas County at 785-843-TIPS or tips.fbi.gov. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724954681155.png" alt="Photos Lawrence police" />
 <figcaption>Photos Lawrence police</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —The FBI is offering a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the individual responsible for a bank robbery, which occurred at the Bank of America located at 900 Ohio St., Lawrence, KS, on July 2, 2024, at approximately 9:21 a.m.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724954659018.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The suspect is described as African American, athletic build and approximately 6-foot to 6-foot-5 and 190pounds. He is described as wearing a black zip-up hooded jacket with a dark colored undershirt, black pant with a white emblem on the left upper leg, multicolored shoes, light blue “HyFlex” gloves, large black squared sunglasses, and multicolored (black, red, yellow) face mask.The suspect entered the bank carrying a black bag and approached a teller making a&nbsp;verbal demand for cash. The suspect fled the bank on foot in a southward direction with an undisclosed amount of currencyAnyone with information about this robbery is asked to call the FBI Kansas City at 816-512-8200, Crime Stoppers of Lawrence and Douglas County at 785-843-TIPS or tips.fbi.gov.

FBI offers reward for information on Kansas bank robbery

By RUDI KELLER&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

A proposal to allow a new casino to be&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/backers-of-a-new-missouri-casino-near-the-lake-of-the-ozarks-submit-signatures-seeking-ballot-slot/">licensed on the Osage River</a>&nbsp;near the Lake of the Ozarks will be on the November ballot, a Cole County judge ruled Friday.

The initiative, which was initially found to be&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/13/sports-wagering-minimum-wage-hike-headed-for-november-vote-in-missouri/">2,031 signatures short</a>&nbsp;in the 2nd Congressional District, actually did have enough valid signatures, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office conceded when a planned trial over the petition opened before Judge Daniel Green.

The proposed constitutional amendment initially failed to qualify for the ballot because of signatures disallowed by local election officials. An additional 2,230 valid signatures were found by the proponents, Osage River Gaming and Convention, by reviewing the rejections.

Signature verification is “a massive, messy process that does not always produce perfect results,” Chuck Hatfield, the attorney representing the campaign, told Green.

The proposal will be Amendment 5 on the Nov. 5 ballot and joins three other initiative proposals —&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/13/missouri-voters-will-decide-whether-to-legalize-abortion-in-november/">protecting reproductive rights</a>, listed as Amendment 3;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/01/group-turns-in-signatures-to-put-minimum-wage-hike-paid-sick-leave-on-missouri-ballot/">increasing the minimum wage</a>, listed as Proposition A; and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/pro-sports-teams-submit-petition-signatures-to-legalize-sports-gambling-in-missouri/">legalizing sports betting</a>, listed as Amendment 2.

There are pending court challenges to the reproductive rights and sports wagering proposals that could strike them from the ballot.

The Osage River casino is being pushed by a committee that wants to build a casino to compete with a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/10/29/osage-nation-plans-casino-hotel-for-missouris-lake-of-the-ozarks/">planned Osage Nation casino</a>&nbsp;in the same area.

“Today is a victory for the initiative petition process and for voters who will benefit from our proposed development at the Lake of the Ozarks,” the committee said in a statement issued after Green ruled.&nbsp;

The proposal would amend the Missouri Constitution to allow a casino along the Osage River between Bagnell Dam and the confluence with the Missouri River. The constitution currently authorizes casinos only along&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++39(e)&amp;bid=31794&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">the Missouri and Mississippi rivers</a>.

The proposal would also override a state law limiting the state&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=313.780&amp;bid=16856&amp;hl=" target="_blank">to 13 licensed casinos</a>, passed in 2008 as a result of an initiative sponsored by casino operators.

The Lake of the Ozarks is one of Missouri’s busiest tourism destinations. The casino proposal is being bankrolled by Bally’s, which currently operates a casino in Kansas City, and RIS Inc., a major regional developer.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646149812641.jpg" alt="The Osage River casino is being pushed by a committee that wants to build a casino to compete with a planned Osage Nation casino in the same area&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>The Osage River casino is being pushed by a committee that wants to build a casino to compete with a planned Osage Nation casino in the same area&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By RUDI KELLER&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>A proposal to allow a new casino to be&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/backers-of-a-new-missouri-casino-near-the-lake-of-the-ozarks-submit-signatures-seeking-ballot-slot/">licensed on the Osage River</a>&nbsp;near the Lake of the Ozarks will be on the November ballot, a Cole County judge ruled Friday.The initiative, which was initially found to be&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/13/sports-wagering-minimum-wage-hike-headed-for-november-vote-in-missouri/">2,031 signatures short</a>&nbsp;in the 2nd Congressional District, actually did have enough valid signatures, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office conceded when a planned trial over the petition opened before Judge Daniel Green.The proposed constitutional amendment initially failed to qualify for the ballot because of signatures disallowed by local election officials. An additional 2,230 valid signatures were found by the proponents, Osage River Gaming and Convention, by reviewing the rejections.Signature verification is “a massive, messy process that does not always produce perfect results,” Chuck Hatfield, the attorney representing the campaign, told Green.The proposal will be Amendment 5 on the Nov. 5 ballot and joins three other initiative proposals —&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/13/missouri-voters-will-decide-whether-to-legalize-abortion-in-november/">protecting reproductive rights</a>, listed as Amendment 3;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/01/group-turns-in-signatures-to-put-minimum-wage-hike-paid-sick-leave-on-missouri-ballot/">increasing the minimum wage</a>, listed as Proposition A; and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/pro-sports-teams-submit-petition-signatures-to-legalize-sports-gambling-in-missouri/">legalizing sports betting</a>, listed as Amendment 2.There are pending court challenges to the reproductive rights and sports wagering proposals that could strike them from the ballot.The Osage River casino is being pushed by a committee that wants to build a casino to compete with a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/10/29/osage-nation-plans-casino-hotel-for-missouris-lake-of-the-ozarks/">planned Osage Nation casino</a>&nbsp;in the same area.“Today is a victory for the initiative petition process and for voters who will benefit from our proposed development at the Lake of the Ozarks,” the committee said in a statement issued after Green ruled.&nbsp;The proposal would amend the Missouri Constitution to allow a casino along the Osage River between Bagnell Dam and the confluence with the Missouri River. The constitution currently authorizes casinos only along&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++39(e)&amp;bid=31794&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">the Missouri and Mississippi rivers</a>.The proposal would also override a state law limiting the state&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=313.780&amp;bid=16856&amp;hl=" target="_blank">to 13 licensed casinos</a>, passed in 2008 as a result of an initiative sponsored by casino operators.The Lake of the Ozarks is one of Missouri’s busiest tourism destinations. The casino proposal is being bankrolled by Bally’s, which currently operates a casino in Kansas City, and RIS Inc., a major regional developer.&nbsp;Each has contributed about half of the $4.3 million raised for the petition drive.The casino will support more than 700 new jobs in the lake area. The project, if approved, would generate admission and other fee revenue of $2.1 million annually, according to the language appearing on the ballot, and annual gaming tax revenue of $14.3 million.There are also two constitutional amendments proposed by the General Assembly on the ballot.&nbsp; Amendment 6 would give the courts power to enforce payment of fees that support retirement benefits for sheriffs and prosecutors. Amendment 7 would ban the use of ranked-choice voting in Missouri elections and restate the current ban on voting by people who are not U.S. citizens.