TOPEKA — More than 100,000 Kansans have lost health care coverage through the state’s Medicaid program since April 2023 after the rocky “unwinding” of pandemic-era protections, but the agency in charge of the review has seen progress recently based on incremental changes.

The state’s review of eligibility for KanCare, as Medicaid is known in Kansas, was plagued by havoc in its early months. Before the review ended in May, the process smoothed, and officials have now determined an estimated 114,000 people lost their coverage, Christine Osterlund, the state’s Medicaid director, told the Legislature’s joint KanCare oversight committee Tuesday.

Recent efforts to rework the KanCare website, bolster text message and email communication systems and simplify the eligibility renewal process have made a difference, Osterlund said.

Average call center wait times peaked at 24 minutes in April 2023, and they were at their lowest in June at 13 seconds. The most recent data showed average wait times in July to be just less than one minute. The agency also reduced the number of unsigned eligibility renewal forms from 1.5% to 0.06% in about three months just by moving the order of the signature page up in the packet.

“These are some early results, but I think they’re indicative that we’re on the right track,” Osterlund said during Tuesday’s legislative hearing.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicaid programs were required to keep people continuously enrolled until the end of the public health emergency unless the person moved away, died or requested to end coverage. During that time, enrollment in KanCare increased from 410,000 to 540,000 people.

When the protections ended March 31, 2023, the state began to review KanCare eligibility for the first time in three years. Early in the review, participants and providers experienced a communication breakdown, technology troubles and overall confusion with the renewal process, which resulted in&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/08/29/state-official-on-kansas-medicaid-unwinding-we-probably-couldve-done-a-better-job/">thousands unnecessarily losing their eligibility status</a>, critics said.

Osterlund predicted in February that between 110,000 and 120,000 Kansans would lose their eligibility, so the 114,000 was well within the agency’s margins, she said Tuesday. April data revealed that&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/12/24k-kansas-children-lose-health-insurance-in-medicaid-unwinding-review/">at least 24,000</a>&nbsp;people of the share that lost coverage were children.

That data was based on old numbers, and a spokesperson for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, under which KanCare is housed, told Kansas Reflector unwinding data will no longer be regularly updated.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724867565547.png" alt=" Kansas Medicaid director Christine Osterlund updates the Legislature’s Medicaid oversight committee on new initiatives to address a rocky rollback of pandemic-era protections. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kansas Medicaid director Christine Osterlund updates the Legislature’s Medicaid oversight committee on new initiatives to address a rocky rollback of pandemic-era protections. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA — More than 100,000 Kansans have lost health care coverage through the state’s Medicaid program since April 2023 after the rocky “unwinding” of pandemic-era protections, but the agency in charge of the review has seen progress recently based on incremental changes.The state’s review of eligibility for KanCare, as Medicaid is known in Kansas, was plagued by havoc in its early months. Before the review ended in May, the process smoothed, and officials have now determined an estimated 114,000 people lost their coverage, Christine Osterlund, the state’s Medicaid director, told the Legislature’s joint KanCare oversight committee Tuesday.Recent efforts to rework the KanCare website, bolster text message and email communication systems and simplify the eligibility renewal process have made a difference, Osterlund said.Average call center wait times peaked at 24 minutes in April 2023, and they were at their lowest in June at 13 seconds. The most recent data showed average wait times in July to be just less than one minute. The agency also reduced the number of unsigned eligibility renewal forms from 1.5% to 0.06% in about three months just by moving the order of the signature page up in the packet.“These are some early results, but I think they’re indicative that we’re on the right track,” Osterlund said during Tuesday’s legislative hearing.At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicaid programs were required to keep people continuously enrolled until the end of the public health emergency unless the person moved away, died or requested to end coverage. During that time, enrollment in KanCare increased from 410,000 to 540,000 people.When the protections ended March 31, 2023, the state began to review KanCare eligibility for the first time in three years. Early in the review, participants and providers experienced a communication breakdown, technology troubles and overall confusion with the renewal process, which resulted in&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/08/29/state-official-on-kansas-medicaid-unwinding-we-probably-couldve-done-a-better-job/">thousands unnecessarily losing their eligibility status</a>, critics said.Osterlund predicted in February that between 110,000 and 120,000 Kansans would lose their eligibility, so the 114,000 was well within the agency’s margins, she said Tuesday. April data revealed that&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/12/24k-kansas-children-lose-health-insurance-in-medicaid-unwinding-review/">at least 24,000</a>&nbsp;people of the share that lost coverage were children.That data was based on old numbers, and a spokesperson for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, under which KanCare is housed, told Kansas Reflector unwinding data will no longer be regularly updated.

114K Kansans lost Medicaid coverage in post-pandemic ‘unwinding’ review

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/2024/9/1725221959975.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></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/2024/8/1724954681155.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.

Reward offered: Search continues for Kan. bank robbery suspect

OSAGE COUNTY — Two people died and five others injured in a boating&nbsp; accident just after 7p.m. Sunday in Osage County, Missouri.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Gatorboat driven by Reven N. Newbound, 30, Owensville, was traveling upstream on the Gasconade River near Pointers Creek.

The boat struck a root wad which caused the vessel to collide with a rock bluff.&nbsp;After impact the boat partially submerged.

Newbound and a 7-year-old girl were pronounced dead at the scene.

EMS transported a baby, a 4-year-old girl and a 9-year-old girl all of Owensville to University Hospital.&nbsp; Samantha Newbound, 29, Owensville, was airlifted to University of Missouri Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.&nbsp; EMS treated Taylor M. McClure, 21, Bland, at the scene.

The adults were not wearing life jackets, according to the MSHP.&nbsp;&nbsp;

OSAGE COUNTY — Two people died and five others injured in a boating&nbsp; accident just after 7p.m. Sunday in Osage County, Missouri.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Gatorboat driven by Reven N. Newbound, 30, Owensville, was traveling upstream on the Gasconade River near Pointers Creek.The boat struck a root wad which caused the vessel to collide with a rock bluff.&nbsp;After impact the boat partially submerged.Newbound and a 7-year-old girl were pronounced dead at the scene.EMS transported a baby, a 4-year-old girl and a 9-year-old girl all of Owensville to University Hospital.&nbsp; Samantha Newbound, 29, Owensville, was airlifted to University of Missouri Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.&nbsp; EMS treated Taylor M. McClure, 21, Bland, at the scene.The adults were not wearing life jackets, according to the MSHP.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mo. man and 7-year-old killed, 5 others injured after boat crash

CAMDEN COUNTY, Missouri— Authorities have identified the suspect involved in the high speed chase that left&nbsp; Missouri Police officer&nbsp; Phylicia Carson dead.

&nbsp;<a href="https://www.camdencountymosheriff.org/roster_view.php?booking_num=26541" target="_blank">Christopher Aaron Bishop Wehmeyer</a>, 23, is&nbsp;charged with aggravated fleeing a stop or detention of a motor vehicle, resulting in death,&nbsp;According to a media release from&nbsp;Camden County Prosecuting Attorney Richelle Grosvenor.

"These charges are based on the&nbsp;Valentine’s Law&nbsp;that went into effect last week. This new law creates the offense of “aggravated fleeing a stop or detention of a motor vehicle.”

"If someone knows a law enforcement officer is trying to pull them over and they drive away anyway creating risk of injury, it is at least a class D felony. It increases to a class B felony if someone is hurt and class A felony if someone dies because of the person fleeing."

Wehmeyer is being held in the Camden County Jail without bond.

Just after 1:30a.m. Saturday, 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 later identified as&nbsp;Wehmeyer 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 driven by&nbsp;Wehmeyer also crashed and he was taken into custody, according police.

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

“Grosvenor asked the community for thoughts and prayers as this loss has impacted so many."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725222612236.png" alt="Wehmeyer photo Camden County" />
 <figcaption>Wehmeyer photo Camden County</figcaption>
 </figure>CAMDEN COUNTY, Missouri— Authorities have identified the suspect involved in the high speed chase that left&nbsp; Missouri Police officer&nbsp; Phylicia Carson dead.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.camdencountymosheriff.org/roster_view.php?booking_num=26541" target="_blank">Christopher Aaron Bishop Wehmeyer</a>, 23, is&nbsp;charged with aggravated fleeing a stop or detention of a motor vehicle, resulting in death,&nbsp;According to a media release from&nbsp;Camden County Prosecuting Attorney Richelle Grosvenor."These charges are based on the&nbsp;Valentine’s Law&nbsp;that went into effect last week. This new law creates the offense of “aggravated fleeing a stop or detention of a motor vehicle.”"If someone knows a law enforcement officer is trying to pull them over and they drive away anyway creating risk of injury, it is at least a class D felony. It increases to a class B felony if someone is hurt and class A felony if someone dies because of the person fleeing."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1725156364558.png" alt="Officer&nbsp;Phylicia Carson" />
 <figcaption>Officer&nbsp;Phylicia Carson</figcaption>
 </figure>Wehmeyer is being held in the Camden County Jail without bond.Just after 1:30a.m. Saturday, 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 later identified as&nbsp;Wehmeyer 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 driven by&nbsp;Wehmeyer also crashed and he was taken into custody, according police.&nbsp;Officer Carson is survived by her husband and six children. She had been with the city since June 2023, according to Osage Beach Police.“Grosvenor asked the community for thoughts and prayers as this loss has impacted so many."

Suspect charged in chase, crash and fire that killed officer

MONTGOMERY COUNTY—A Missouri man drowned Saturday in Montgomery County.

Just after 5p.m., troopers responded to the report of a person missing in the water at Golden Eagle Lake, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

William R. Hitzemann, 45, Weldon Spring, was attempting to swim to shore from a boat.&nbsp; &nbsp;He became distressed and was unable to reach the shore.

Rescue crews located him and he pronounced deceased at the scene.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY—A Missouri man drowned Saturday in Montgomery County.Just after 5p.m., troopers responded to the report of a person missing in the water at Golden Eagle Lake, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.William R. Hitzemann, 45, Weldon Spring, was attempting to swim to shore from a boat.&nbsp; &nbsp;He became distressed and was unable to reach the shore.Rescue crews located him and he pronounced deceased at the scene.

Missouri man drowns while swimming at Golden Eagle Lake

KANSAS CITY —One person died in a violent crash early Sunday in Kansas City.

Just after 1:30a.m. Sunday, Prairie Village Police attempted to conduct a traffic violation stop on a&nbsp; silver Chevrolet Malibu on 63rd Street. The driver failed to stop for the officers, and they did not initiate a pursuit, according to KCPD officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.

The Chevrolet&nbsp; continued traveling eastbound on 63rd Street at a high rate of speed. In the area of 63rd and State line, the Chevrolet crossed into Missouri while still being operated at a very high rate of speed with no police vehicles behind it. 

The Chevrolet traveled eastbound across the grassy median, striking a small tree on the west side of 62nd Street. The Chevrolet then vaulted/launched totally across 62nd Street, struck a large tree which caused the vehicle to disintegrate before coming to rest. The unrestrained driver and sole occupant of the Chevrolet was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced deceased at the scene. 

This is fatality #64 compared to #61 at this time last year, according to Gonzalez. The name of the victim has not been released

KANSAS CITY —One person died in a violent crash early Sunday in Kansas City.Just after 1:30a.m. Sunday, Prairie Village Police attempted to conduct a traffic violation stop on a&nbsp; silver Chevrolet Malibu on 63rd Street. The driver failed to stop for the officers, and they did not initiate a pursuit, according to KCPD officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.The Chevrolet&nbsp; continued traveling eastbound on 63rd Street at a high rate of speed. In the area of 63rd and State line, the Chevrolet crossed into Missouri while still being operated at a very high rate of speed with no police vehicles behind it. The Chevrolet traveled eastbound across the grassy median, striking a small tree on the west side of 62nd Street. The Chevrolet then vaulted/launched totally across 62nd Street, struck a large tree which caused the vehicle to disintegrate before coming to rest. The unrestrained driver and sole occupant of the Chevrolet was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced deceased at the scene. This is fatality #64 compared to #61 at this time last year, according to Gonzalez. The name of the victim has not been released

KCPD: Car disintegrated after crash into tree

KANSAS CITY —A Jackson County judge last week convicted a Kansas City man of a series of crimes against a young child who was found naked in the area of Brush Creek in 2019, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Gerald Smith was convicted by the judge of Statutory Sodomy in the 1st Degree, Assault in the 1st Degree and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.

According to court records, police were dispatched Sept. 13, 2019 to the area Blue Parkway and Lawn on a reported found juvenile. The caller told responding officers that he had seen a naked girl in the middle of the road. Officers found the child. The girl was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. KCPD detectives used video, cell phone records and other data to pinpoint the defendant. In April 2020, Detectives were notified that the defendant's DNA was found on the child victim.

The defendant will be sentenced on Oct. 31, 2024, at 10:30 a.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1725033186313.png" alt="Smith photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Smith photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Jackson County judge last week convicted a Kansas City man of a series of crimes against a young child who was found naked in the area of Brush Creek in 2019, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Gerald Smith was convicted by the judge of Statutory Sodomy in the 1st Degree, Assault in the 1st Degree and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.According to court records, police were dispatched Sept. 13, 2019 to the area Blue Parkway and Lawn on a reported found juvenile. The caller told responding officers that he had seen a naked girl in the middle of the road. Officers found the child. The girl was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. KCPD detectives used video, cell phone records and other data to pinpoint the defendant. In April 2020, Detectives were notified that the defendant's DNA was found on the child victim.The defendant will be sentenced on Oct. 31, 2024, at 10:30 a.m.

Judge convicts KC man after young child found naked on the road

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a shooting during a home-invasion in Kansas City.

Just after 7:30a.m. Saturday,&nbsp; police were dispatched to a burglary at an address in the 2800 block of NW Chipman Road in Lee's Summit, according to a media release.

The homeowner stated a man had entered their residence and refused to leave. The homeowner shot the suspect once. The suspect fled the scene as a passenger in a vehicle. Police stopped the vehicle and took two individuals into custody. 

The suspect was taken to a local hospital and was being treated for minor injuries. Detectives do not believe the homeowner and the suspect know each other and are working to establish a motive. There are currently no suspects at large in the case. Once the investigation is complete, it will be submitted to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s office for review.&nbsp; Police have not released names of the suspects.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a shooting during a home-invasion in Kansas City.Just after 7:30a.m. Saturday,&nbsp; police were dispatched to a burglary at an address in the 2800 block of NW Chipman Road in Lee's Summit, according to a media release.The homeowner stated a man had entered their residence and refused to leave. The homeowner shot the suspect once. The suspect fled the scene as a passenger in a vehicle. Police stopped the vehicle and took two individuals into custody. The suspect was taken to a local hospital and was being treated for minor injuries. Detectives do not believe the homeowner and the suspect know each other and are working to establish a motive. There are currently no suspects at large in the case. Once the investigation is complete, it will be submitted to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s office for review.&nbsp; Police have not released names of the suspects.

KC area man shot burglary suspect who refused to leave residence

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

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

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

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 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.