&nbsp;KANSAS CITY (AP) — More than $7,000 behind on rent, Tyesha Young had hoped a program in Louisiana would bail her out and allow her family to avert eviction in the coming weeks.

But the 29-year-old mother of two from Jefferson Parish is still waiting to hear whether any of the $308 million available from the state for rental assistance and utility payments will give her a lifeline. She applied for money last year but never heard anything. She is waiting to hear on her latest application.

The federal money was divided between a Louisiana statewide program and its largest parishes. Neither has gone well. The state has paid out $10.5 million out of $147 million, while Jefferson Parish has only distributed $1.4 million out of $12.9 million. The parish replaced the company overseeing the program after only $236,000 was handed out by May.

“Where are we going to go?" asked Young, who lost her hospital job during the pandemic and now must stay home to care for her 7-month-old.

“This is all new, not something I thought I ever would have to deal with in my life," she said. "I have two children to think about. It’s a lot.”

Louisiana’s struggles are playing out across the country as states rush to distribute nearly $47 billion allocated by Congress for emergency rental assistance before a federal eviction moratorium&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eviction-ban-extended-biden-coronavirus-9e7c4dc97c49cbb42a1ecb55b06e3b4c">ends July 31, putting millions at risk of losing their homes.</a>

The historic amount — more than the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s annual budget — was allocated in December and March.

Housing advocates blame the slow rollout partly on the Treasury Department under President Donald Trump that they say was slow to explain how the money could be spent. The criteria, while clearer under the Biden administration, was still criticized for a burdensome process that seemed more focused on preventing fraud than helping tenants.

Advocates also said states made things worse — some waited months to set up programs and others created bureaucratic hurdles.

As a result, little money has gone out. According to data released Friday from the Treasury Department, only $1.5 billion was provided to about 350,000 households by May 31. That's less than 4% of the money allotted.

Missouri Rep. Cori Bush, a Democrat who has herself experienced eviction, said her office has received calls from families “who either don’t know how to apply for the funds or who say the application is confusing and stressful.”

“It’s unconscionable that millions of dollars are sitting in the state’s bank account, while families ... across Missouri are struggling to stay in their homes,” she said.

“For many families, this assistance is the difference between coming home to an eviction notice or coming home to a safe place to lay their heads at night.”

Some 3.4 million people could face eviction in the next two months, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey — a number some advocates say could be twice that.

Many tenants will be forced out into a red-hot housing market where prices are rising and vacancy rates plummeting. They also will be stuck with eviction and delinquent back-rent records that make it almost impossible to find new housing, leaving many to turn to homeless shelters or find dwellings in low-income neighborhoods without good schools and access to transportation and jobs.

Among those at risk is Freddie Davis, a 51-year-old Miami truck driver who lost his job during the pandemic and saw his rent increase from $875 to $1,400-a-month. He is $7,000 behind on rent and fears his monthly $1,038 disability check after he lost a leg to diabetes won’t be enough to find another place. He applied for rental assistance, but his landlord refused to take it.

“I’m worried as hell. I don’t have no other place to go,” said Davis, who has worked since he was 15 and never before been evicted. “In Miami, rent is sky high. I am going to sleep in my truck and put all my stuff in storage.”

The National Low Income Housing Coalition found that of the 51 programs it has tracked so far, just 14% of funds allocated in December had been distributed. Most states aren't yet distributing the March money.

The Associated Press found states as varied as North Dakota and California facing difficulty getting assistance out. Georgia distributed only $11 million of $552 million, North Dakota provided $3.4 million of $200 million, North Carolina awarded $73 million out of $546 million and California $73 million of $1.4 billion. New York launched a $2 billion program&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nyc-state-wire-ny-state-wire-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-8e59caa61058394780169de9ce08aafb">last month</a>&nbsp;but expects it will be four to six weeks before it distributes anything.

The hurdles vary, according to a Housing Coalition survey in April, including lack of capacity to administer the program, technical difficulties setting it up and lack of cooperation from tenants and their landlords.

Some landlords refused to participate. Tenants sometimes didn't complete applications — often because they were required to provide proof of lost jobs or other financial hardship during the pandemic.

Some of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-new-york-andrew-cuomo-coronavirus-pandemic-us-news-bfbf0744510d50a1e173247ee5f9ba1b">same problems&nbsp;</a>emerged last year when states set aside&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-government-and-politics-health-9c796ca23b611e0ed7d5e86f0fda3b5f">nearly $2.6 billion from the CARES Act for rental assistance.</a>

A common refrain was that federal requirements were too onerous and the guidelines too stringent.

Erica Boggess, executive director of the West Virginia Housing Fund, which runs the state's rental assistance program, called it “time consuming” in explaining why it had distributed only $8.7 million of $200 million from the first round of funding.

"It's labor intensive," Boggess said of requirements that include verifying a COVID-19 hardship and documenting an applicant's income before going to a landlord for acceptance of the funds.

“It's frustrating for the tenant and probably landlords as well," she said. “We have to go through the process. It's just not something that can happen overnight.”

California has made changes to its lengthy application, which could take three hours to complete. It reduced the number of required documents from as many as nine to as few as one; now it takes 30 minutes to fill out. It also expanded the languages on the program website from two to six.

Russ Heimerich, a spokesman for California's Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, said the state initially followed Treasury rules aimed at preventing duplication of benefits and ensuring applicants were entitled to what they got. “Now we simply rely on a tenant’s attestation that they had a COVID-19 financial hardship," he said.

Since March, the Treasury Department has required money to go directly to tenants, among other streamlining moves, and urged landlords be barred from evicting tenants for up to 90 days after the period covered by assistance.

“We need relief distributed now, before the eviction moratorium expires at the end of July,” Susan Rice, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, said this week. “Renters at risk of eviction are desperate for that relief, and landlords need to cover their bills."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625411208272.png" alt="Some 3.4 million people could face eviction in the next two months, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey — a number some advocates say could be twice that-Google image" />
 <figcaption>Some 3.4 million people could face eviction in the next two months, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey — a number some advocates say could be twice that-Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;KANSAS CITY (AP) — More than $7,000 behind on rent, Tyesha Young had hoped a program in Louisiana would bail her out and allow her family to avert eviction in the coming weeks.But the 29-year-old mother of two from Jefferson Parish is still waiting to hear whether any of the $308 million available from the state for rental assistance and utility payments will give her a lifeline. She applied for money last year but never heard anything. She is waiting to hear on her latest application.The federal money was divided between a Louisiana statewide program and its largest parishes. Neither has gone well. The state has paid out $10.5 million out of $147 million, while Jefferson Parish has only distributed $1.4 million out of $12.9 million. The parish replaced the company overseeing the program after only $236,000 was handed out by May.“Where are we going to go?" asked Young, who lost her hospital job during the pandemic and now must stay home to care for her 7-month-old.“This is all new, not something I thought I ever would have to deal with in my life," she said. "I have two children to think about. It’s a lot.”Louisiana’s struggles are playing out across the country as states rush to distribute nearly $47 billion allocated by Congress for emergency rental assistance before a federal eviction moratorium&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eviction-ban-extended-biden-coronavirus-9e7c4dc97c49cbb42a1ecb55b06e3b4c">ends July 31, putting millions at risk of losing their homes.</a>The historic amount — more than the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s annual budget — was allocated in December and March.Housing advocates blame the slow rollout partly on the Treasury Department under President Donald Trump that they say was slow to explain how the money could be spent. The criteria, while clearer under the Biden administration, was still criticized for a burdensome process that seemed more focused on preventing fraud than helping tenants.Advocates also said states made things worse — some waited months to set up programs and others created bureaucratic hurdles.As a result, little money has gone out. According to data released Friday from the Treasury Department, only $1.5 billion was provided to about 350,000 households by May 31. That's less than 4% of the money allotted.Missouri Rep. Cori Bush, a Democrat who has herself experienced eviction, said her office has received calls from families “who either don’t know how to apply for the funds or who say the application is confusing and stressful.”“It’s unconscionable that millions of dollars are sitting in the state’s bank account, while families ... across Missouri are struggling to stay in their homes,” she said.“For many families, this assistance is the difference between coming home to an eviction notice or coming home to a safe place to lay their heads at night.”Some 3.4 million people could face eviction in the next two months, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey — a number some advocates say could be twice that.Many tenants will be forced out into a red-hot housing market where prices are rising and vacancy rates plummeting. They also will be stuck with eviction and delinquent back-rent records that make it almost impossible to find new housing, leaving many to turn to homeless shelters or find dwellings in low-income neighborhoods without good schools and access to transportation and jobs.Among those at risk is Freddie Davis, a 51-year-old Miami truck driver who lost his job during the pandemic and saw his rent increase from $875 to $1,400-a-month. He is $7,000 behind on rent and fears his monthly $1,038 disability check after he lost a leg to diabetes won’t be enough to find another place. He applied for rental assistance, but his landlord refused to take it.“I’m worried as hell. I don’t have no other place to go,” said Davis, who has worked since he was 15 and never before been evicted. “In Miami, rent is sky high. I am going to sleep in my truck and put all my stuff in storage.”The National Low Income Housing Coalition found that of the 51 programs it has tracked so far, just 14% of funds allocated in December had been distributed. Most states aren't yet distributing the March money.The Associated Press found states as varied as North Dakota and California facing difficulty getting assistance out. Georgia distributed only $11 million of $552 million, North Dakota provided $3.4 million of $200 million, North Carolina awarded $73 million out of $546 million and California $73 million of $1.4 billion. New York launched a $2 billion program&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nyc-state-wire-ny-state-wire-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-8e59caa61058394780169de9ce08aafb">last month</a>&nbsp;but expects it will be four to six weeks before it distributes anything.The hurdles vary, according to a Housing Coalition survey in April, including lack of capacity to administer the program, technical difficulties setting it up and lack of cooperation from tenants and their landlords.Some landlords refused to participate. Tenants sometimes didn't complete applications — often because they were required to provide proof of lost jobs or other financial hardship during the pandemic.Some of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-new-york-andrew-cuomo-coronavirus-pandemic-us-news-bfbf0744510d50a1e173247ee5f9ba1b">same problems&nbsp;</a>emerged last year when states set aside&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-government-and-politics-health-9c796ca23b611e0ed7d5e86f0fda3b5f">nearly $2.6 billion from the CARES Act for rental assistance.</a>A common refrain was that federal requirements were too onerous and the guidelines too stringent.Erica Boggess, executive director of the West Virginia Housing Fund, which runs the state's rental assistance program, called it “time consuming” in explaining why it had distributed only $8.7 million of $200 million from the first round of funding."It's labor intensive," Boggess said of requirements that include verifying a COVID-19 hardship and documenting an applicant's income before going to a landlord for acceptance of the funds.“It's frustrating for the tenant and probably landlords as well," she said. “We have to go through the process. It's just not something that can happen overnight.”California has made changes to its lengthy application, which could take three hours to complete. It reduced the number of required documents from as many as nine to as few as one; now it takes 30 minutes to fill out. It also expanded the languages on the program website from two to six.Russ Heimerich, a spokesman for California's Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, said the state initially followed Treasury rules aimed at preventing duplication of benefits and ensuring applicants were entitled to what they got. “Now we simply rely on a tenant’s attestation that they had a COVID-19 financial hardship," he said.Since March, the Treasury Department has required money to go directly to tenants, among other streamlining moves, and urged landlords be barred from evicting tenants for up to 90 days after the period covered by assistance.“We need relief distributed now, before the eviction moratorium expires at the end of July,” Susan Rice, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, said this week. “Renters at risk of eviction are desperate for that relief, and landlords need to cover their bills."

Race is on to get rental assistance out to avert evictions

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for burglary and made an arrest after a standoff.

Just after 8 p.m. Monday, police were in the 2400 block of SE Illinois in Topeka looking for an adult male suspect identified as&nbsp;46 year old Elias Solis in connection with several felonies, according to Lt. Ron Ekis. 

Officers had reason to believe Solis had barricaded himself inside his home. The Topeka Police Response Team and Crisis Negotiators responded to the scene.

Just before 10:30p.m. police took Solis into custody without incident and transported him to the Law Enforcement Center for questioning.&nbsp; They later booked Solis into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on the requested&nbsp;charges of Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Battery and Aggravated Burglary, according Lt. John Trimble.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625574555134.png" alt="Solis-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Solis-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for burglary and made an arrest after a standoff.Just after 8 p.m. Monday, police were in the 2400 block of SE Illinois in Topeka looking for an adult male suspect identified as&nbsp;46 year old Elias Solis in connection with several felonies, according to Lt. Ron Ekis. Officers had reason to believe Solis had barricaded himself inside his home. The Topeka Police Response Team and Crisis Negotiators responded to the scene.Just before 10:30p.m. police took Solis into custody without incident and transported him to the Law Enforcement Center for questioning.&nbsp; They later booked Solis into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on the requested&nbsp;charges of Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Battery and Aggravated Burglary, according Lt. John Trimble.

Police find Kan. burglary, assault suspect barricaded in home

ABILENE - The Lebold Mansion in Abilene has a new owner, a modern Renaissance man of sorts who has a number of ideas to bring the historic mansion and the public together once again.

"The lights are on again at the old Lebold Mansion. Screams will fill the night at Halloween and jingle bells will ring at Christmastime. Like the legendary Phoenix, the Lebold Mansion will rise once more," new owner Joseph Tatner noted in a news release.

Tatner became the owner of the nearly 150-year-old property on June 28.

The mansion’s long list of owners includes more than its share of colorful characters, and Tatner acknowledges that he is no exception. Tatner noted, however, that he may well be the most qualified person to take full advantage of this unique property, which bears a striking resemblance to the Addams Family home. Tatner explained that he has an affinity for the irrepressible Gomez Addams character, who is known as much for his love of life and charitable nature as for his offbeat sense of style. Although he has often been called “eccentric,” Tatner noted that he just likes to have fun. He also like to make people smile, and has earned wide recognition for doing so.

Tatner is a professional actor, producer, director, singer, dancer, marketeer, and writer. A former computer consultant, he currently writes business proposals from home to win government contracts for a cutting-edge technical company near Washington, D.C. He has also earned more than twenty certificates of appreciation or commendation from U.S. congressmen and senators, state governors, and city officials for producing events and ceremonies such as the Hansen Dam Fourth of July Spectacular (the largest fireworks display event in Los Angeles County), North Hollywood Theater and Arts Festival, and a fundraiser for St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. The last organization has special place in Tatner’s heart, since the hospital saved his life from a childhood illness.

As a published author, Tatner has written a wide range of books, from Autism: A New Hope (with Dr. Cheri L. Florance) and the Opus Americana (an epic tome on American history and symbology) to his award-winning comedy/action/romance trilogy, Floyd &amp; Mikki: Zombie Hunters. As an actor, he has played roles on The Partridge Family, The Brady Bunch, Fame, commercials, and several movies. He’s been seen around the world as Nostradamus in a special produced by The History Channel. Tatner has produced, directed and hosted numerous events in New York cabarets, a Cultural Concert Summer Series in Los Angeles, and performed countless times in hospitals and rest homes simply to cheer people up.

If all that wasn’t enough, Tatner studied to be a priest in Rome and was an Air Force officer, he indicated in the news release.

According to Tatner, he plans to open the mansion for tours, generally remaining faithful to the historic nature of the property, but with fully modern technology. Tours will be booked online through the <a href="http://leboldmansion.com">leboldmansion.com</a> website he is currently creating. The site will have links to other local attractions throughout the area, such as the Seeley Mansion, Abilene &amp; Smoky Valley Railroad, Great Plains Theater, and Eisenhower Museum. Tatner said he plans to promote the town of Abilene itself, as well as the people and businesses who help to support the mansion.

“I’ve got a lot of work to do,” Tatner admitted, “and it will all take time, but it all can be done. The mansion needs a lot of work, as well, so I’m starting a Go Fund Me page and will be asking donations for the tours and various events, but I won’t turn anyone away simply because they have no money. I’m not rich, and I was lucky to get this property for an amazing price, but I have the experience and determination to succeed in bringing the Lebold back to life.”

Indeed, there is a lot of work to do. The last owner sold everything in the mansion that wasn’t bolted down (and a lot that was), Tatner noted in the news release. The beautiful curtains and fine Victorian furniture are all gone. The wood needs treatment and restoration, and various repairs pose additional challenges, but the home is structurally sound.

No mansion is complete without a secret door, so Tatner is having one made. Details so far remain, well, secret, but it is no secret that Tatner plans to open his hospitality to the community. 

Planned events include Saturday Teas, Sunday Sundaes, Addams Family themed dinners, Get-A-Clue murder mystery nights (a game created by Joseph himself specifically for the mansion), and, of course, guided tours, he noted. One downstairs room is being converted into a small theater and movie room with popcorn and hot dogs for events. Any actors or craftsmen who have a talent to offer are encouraged to contact Tatner directly.

“This town and this home have an amazing history. Not to mention more than a few ghost stories. I thank God I was able to get this place, and I’m going to have a lot of fun in it. I hope everyone else does, too,” Tatner said.

The following is from the <a href="https://abilenekansas.org/blog/2020/12/21/a-brief-look-at-abilenes-historic-buildings-the-lebold-mansion">Dickinson County Historical Society blog post</a>, "A Brief Look at Abilene's Historic Buildings: the Lebold Mansion," on the <a href="http://abilenekansas.org">Visit Abilene Kansas</a> website.

This beautiful Victorian home was constructed on the original site of the home of Timothy and Elizabeth Hersey, founders of Abilene. Conrad H. Lebold had great success as an Abilene banker and land agent. He later became Mayor of Abilene, Treasurer for Dickinson County, and a member of the state legislature. The Lebold Mansion was built in 1880 for a cost of $18,000. At one time, it was said to be “the finest dwelling house west of Topeka.” After business failure, Lebold moved away from Abilene and the mansion saw a number of different owners and uses. In the late 1920s, the mansion became known as the Girls Club. The Girls Club was owned by C.L. Brown, and was a residence that offered female employees of the United Companies a place to live. The Lebold Mansion also saw life as an apartment building and a historic tour home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625537629144.jpeg" alt="The Lebold Mansion in Abilene. Photos courtesy Joseph Tatner" />
 <figcaption>The Lebold Mansion in Abilene. Photos courtesy Joseph Tatner</figcaption>
 </figure>ABILENE - The Lebold Mansion in Abilene has a new owner, a modern Renaissance man of sorts who has a number of ideas to bring the historic mansion and the public together once again."The lights are on again at the old Lebold Mansion. Screams will fill the night at Halloween and jingle bells will ring at Christmastime. Like the legendary Phoenix, the Lebold Mansion will rise once more," new owner Joseph Tatner noted in a news release.Tatner became the owner of the nearly 150-year-old property on June 28.The mansion’s long list of owners includes more than its share of colorful characters, and Tatner acknowledges that he is no exception. Tatner noted, however, that he may well be the most qualified person to take full advantage of this unique property, which bears a striking resemblance to the Addams Family home. Tatner explained that he has an affinity for the irrepressible Gomez Addams character, who is known as much for his love of life and charitable nature as for his offbeat sense of style. Although he has often been called “eccentric,” Tatner noted that he just likes to have fun. He also like to make people smile, and has earned wide recognition for doing so.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625537758082.jpeg" alt="New Lebold Mansion owner Joseph Tatner" />
 <figcaption>New Lebold Mansion owner Joseph Tatner</figcaption>
 </figure>Tatner is a professional actor, producer, director, singer, dancer, marketeer, and writer. A former computer consultant, he currently writes business proposals from home to win government contracts for a cutting-edge technical company near Washington, D.C. He has also earned more than twenty certificates of appreciation or commendation from U.S. congressmen and senators, state governors, and city officials for producing events and ceremonies such as the Hansen Dam Fourth of July Spectacular (the largest fireworks display event in Los Angeles County), North Hollywood Theater and Arts Festival, and a fundraiser for St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. The last organization has special place in Tatner’s heart, since the hospital saved his life from a childhood illness.As a published author, Tatner has written a wide range of books, from Autism: A New Hope (with Dr. Cheri L. Florance) and the Opus Americana (an epic tome on American history and symbology) to his award-winning comedy/action/romance trilogy, Floyd &amp; Mikki: Zombie Hunters. As an actor, he has played roles on The Partridge Family, The Brady Bunch, Fame, commercials, and several movies. He’s been seen around the world as Nostradamus in a special produced by The History Channel. Tatner has produced, directed and hosted numerous events in New York cabarets, a Cultural Concert Summer Series in Los Angeles, and performed countless times in hospitals and rest homes simply to cheer people up. If all that wasn’t enough, Tatner studied to be a priest in Rome and was an Air Force officer, he indicated in the news release.According to Tatner, he plans to open the mansion for tours, generally remaining faithful to the historic nature of the property, but with fully modern technology. Tours will be booked online through the <a href="http://leboldmansion.com">leboldmansion.com</a> website he is currently creating. The site will have links to other local attractions throughout the area, such as the Seeley Mansion, Abilene &amp; Smoky Valley Railroad, Great Plains Theater, and Eisenhower Museum. Tatner said he plans to promote the town of Abilene itself, as well as the people and businesses who help to support the mansion.“I’ve got a lot of work to do,” Tatner admitted, “and it will all take time, but it all can be done. The mansion needs a lot of work, as well, so I’m starting a Go Fund Me page and will be asking donations for the tours and various events, but I won’t turn anyone away simply because they have no money. I’m not rich, and I was lucky to get this property for an amazing price, but I have the experience and determination to succeed in bringing the Lebold back to life.”Indeed, there is a lot of work to do. The last owner sold everything in the mansion that wasn’t bolted down (and a lot that was), Tatner noted in the news release. The beautiful curtains and fine Victorian furniture are all gone. The wood needs treatment and restoration, and various repairs pose additional challenges, but the home is structurally sound.No mansion is complete without a secret door, so Tatner is having one made. Details so far remain, well, secret, but it is no secret that Tatner plans to open his hospitality to the community. Planned events include Saturday Teas, Sunday Sundaes, Addams Family themed dinners, Get-A-Clue murder mystery nights (a game created by Joseph himself specifically for the mansion), and, of course, guided tours, he noted. One downstairs room is being converted into a small theater and movie room with popcorn and hot dogs for events. Any actors or craftsmen who have a talent to offer are encouraged to contact Tatner directly.“This town and this home have an amazing history. Not to mention more than a few ghost stories. I thank God I was able to get this place, and I’m going to have a lot of fun in it. I hope everyone else does, too,” Tatner said.About the Lebold MansionThe following is from the <a href="https://abilenekansas.org/blog/2020/12/21/a-brief-look-at-abilenes-historic-buildings-the-lebold-mansion">Dickinson County Historical Society blog post</a>, "A Brief Look at Abilene's Historic Buildings: the Lebold Mansion," on the <a href="http://abilenekansas.org">Visit Abilene Kansas</a> website.This beautiful Victorian home was constructed on the original site of the home of Timothy and Elizabeth Hersey, founders of Abilene. Conrad H. Lebold had great success as an Abilene banker and land agent. He later became Mayor of Abilene, Treasurer for Dickinson County, and a member of the state legislature. The Lebold Mansion was built in 1880 for a cost of $18,000. At one time, it was said to be “the finest dwelling house west of Topeka.” After business failure, Lebold moved away from Abilene and the mansion saw a number of different owners and uses. In the late 1920s, the mansion became known as the Girls Club. The Girls Club was owned by C.L. Brown, and was a residence that offered female employees of the United Companies a place to live. The Lebold Mansion also saw life as an apartment building and a historic tour home.

New owner plans to bring 140-year-old Abilene mansion back to life

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating the cause of an accident that killed a boy on a popular boat ride at an&nbsp;Iowa&nbsp;amusement park — the second deadly incident on the ride in five years.

The accident happened Saturday night on the Raging River at Adventureland Park in Altoona, Iowa, when a boat carrying six people flipped over.

Michael Jaramillo, 11, died Sunday from his injuries, and another minor remains hospitalized in critical condition, the Altoona Police Department said Monday. Two other riders suffered minor injuries.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Jaramillo family as they navigate the heartbreaking loss of their child,” said police spokeswoman Alyssa Wilson, adding that investigators weren't sure where the family resides.

The ride uses a conveyor belt to move large circular rafts through rapids. After the boat overturned for reasons that remain unclear, emergency responders and witnesses helped to free the riders, and four were taken to a hospital for treatment, Wilson said. Four off-duty Altoona officers and fire medics who were working at the park “quickly responded,” she said, rebutting an earlier claim by fire officials that the ride's location far from park entrances made it hard for responders to reach.

Detectives are working with Adventureland and state inspectors “to understand this tragic accident,” she said.

Adventureland said the ride has been closed since the accident and that the family-owned park is cooperating with investigators. Attorney Guy Cook, who represents Adventureland in personal injury cases and is assisting with the park’s response, said the inquiry would be comprehensive.

“Safety is the number one priority at Adventureland,” Cook wrote in a text message. “The Raging River ride has been in operation for nearly four decades. It is a safe ride.”

The ride opened for the first time during the 2021 season after a state inspection Friday found it was in sound working order, Adventureland said.

Altoona is a city of 20,000 people just east of Des Moines. The park, whose roller coasters can be seen from Interstate 80, expects around 600,000 visitors this year.

The Iowa Division of Labor is responsible for conducting safety inspections of amusement rides at least once a year. Division administrator Joseph Mullen said only that the “unfortunate incident” was under investigation.

The Raging River has been a staple of the park since 1983, when then-Gov. Terry Branstad took one of the inaugural rides. Adventureland advertises the ride as a “great way to cool off with the whole family,” warning participants may get soaked.

But the ride has been the site of two tragedies in recent years.

In June 2016, seasonal employee Steve Booher, 68, and another worker helping riders in and out of boats were jerked off their feet when the ride began moving unexpectedly. Booher fell onto the conveyor belt about 3 feet (1 meter) below and became wedged between a boat and a concrete sidewall, where his head was repeatedly rammed until the ride’s operator shut it down.

Booher died days later. An autopsy found the cause of death was trauma to the skull and brain.

The Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Adventureland $4,500 for a safety violation, saying the park should install devices to ensure that ride assistants are positioned safely before operators let boats advance.

The park's insurer last December also settled a wrongful death lawsuit brought by Booher’s wife of 47 years and their adult children for an undisclosed sum. The lawsuit alleged that the ride operator was negligent by prematurely starting the ride in violation of park rules and leaving it in operation even as Booher was down with injuries and patrons yelled at him to stop.

Cook said there was no commonality between the two accidents, but that he could not comment on Saturday’s accident until the investigation is complete.

Court records show Adventureland has been sued in recent years by people who were seriously injured on other rides, including waterslides.

Iowa OSHA records show the agency most recently fined Adventureland in 2018, after an employee working on a roller coaster was knocked off a transformer and fell to the ground when he was struck by a test ride. The employee was hospitalized with a broken arm. Adventureland settled safety violations by agreeing to pay $14,500 in 2019.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625522251378.png" alt="Michael Jaramillo, 11, died Sunday from his injuries, and another minor remains hospitalized in critical condition, according to the Altoona Police Department photo courtesy KCCI TV" />
 <figcaption>Michael Jaramillo, 11, died Sunday from his injuries, and another minor remains hospitalized in critical condition, according to the Altoona Police Department photo courtesy KCCI TV</figcaption>
 </figure>IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating the cause of an accident that killed a boy on a popular boat ride at an&nbsp;Iowa&nbsp;amusement park — the second deadly incident on the ride in five years.The accident happened Saturday night on the Raging River at Adventureland Park in Altoona, Iowa, when a boat carrying six people flipped over.Michael Jaramillo, 11, died Sunday from his injuries, and another minor remains hospitalized in critical condition, the Altoona Police Department said Monday. Two other riders suffered minor injuries.“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Jaramillo family as they navigate the heartbreaking loss of their child,” said police spokeswoman Alyssa Wilson, adding that investigators weren't sure where the family resides.The ride uses a conveyor belt to move large circular rafts through rapids. After the boat overturned for reasons that remain unclear, emergency responders and witnesses helped to free the riders, and four were taken to a hospital for treatment, Wilson said. Four off-duty Altoona officers and fire medics who were working at the park “quickly responded,” she said, rebutting an earlier claim by fire officials that the ride's location far from park entrances made it hard for responders to reach.Detectives are working with Adventureland and state inspectors “to understand this tragic accident,” she said.Adventureland said the ride has been closed since the accident and that the family-owned park is cooperating with investigators. Attorney Guy Cook, who represents Adventureland in personal injury cases and is assisting with the park’s response, said the inquiry would be comprehensive.“Safety is the number one priority at Adventureland,” Cook wrote in a text message. “The Raging River ride has been in operation for nearly four decades. It is a safe ride.”The ride opened for the first time during the 2021 season after a state inspection Friday found it was in sound working order, Adventureland said.Altoona is a city of 20,000 people just east of Des Moines. The park, whose roller coasters can be seen from Interstate 80, expects around 600,000 visitors this year.The Iowa Division of Labor is responsible for conducting safety inspections of amusement rides at least once a year. Division administrator Joseph Mullen said only that the “unfortunate incident” was under investigation.The Raging River has been a staple of the park since 1983, when then-Gov. Terry Branstad took one of the inaugural rides. Adventureland advertises the ride as a “great way to cool off with the whole family,” warning participants may get soaked.But the ride has been the site of two tragedies in recent years.In June 2016, seasonal employee Steve Booher, 68, and another worker helping riders in and out of boats were jerked off their feet when the ride began moving unexpectedly. Booher fell onto the conveyor belt about 3 feet (1 meter) below and became wedged between a boat and a concrete sidewall, where his head was repeatedly rammed until the ride’s operator shut it down.Booher died days later. An autopsy found the cause of death was trauma to the skull and brain.The Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Adventureland $4,500 for a safety violation, saying the park should install devices to ensure that ride assistants are positioned safely before operators let boats advance.The park's insurer last December also settled a wrongful death lawsuit brought by Booher’s wife of 47 years and their adult children for an undisclosed sum. The lawsuit alleged that the ride operator was negligent by prematurely starting the ride in violation of park rules and leaving it in operation even as Booher was down with injuries and patrons yelled at him to stop.Cook said there was no commonality between the two accidents, but that he could not comment on Saturday’s accident until the investigation is complete.Court records show Adventureland has been sued in recent years by people who were seriously injured on other rides, including waterslides.Iowa OSHA records show the agency most recently fined Adventureland in 2018, after an employee working on a roller coaster was knocked off a transformer and fell to the ground when he was struck by a test ride. The employee was hospitalized with a broken arm. Adventureland settled safety violations by agreeing to pay $14,500 in 2019.

Amusement ride accident that killed boy is 2nd since 2016

Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/202_3111_-_kushly_final_order.pdf">final administrative consent order</a>
 against Scottsdale, Arizona-based Kushly Industries LLC (Kushly) and 
the company’s owner, Cody Alt, for allegedly making false or unsupported
 health claims during the marketing and sale of cannabidiol (CBD) 
products to consumers.

According to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/2023111_-_kushly_complaint.pdf">the FTC’s May 2021 complaint</a>,
 Kushly and Alt made false or unsubstantiated claims that their CBD 
products could effectively treat or cure a host of conditions—from 
common ailments, like acne and psoriasis, to more serious diseases, 
including cancer and multiple sclerosis. In addition, the complaint 
alleges the respondents falsely told consumers that scientific studies 
or research prove that CBD product effectively treat, mitigate, or cure 
the diseases, including hypertension, Parkinson’s disease, and 
Alzheimer’s disease.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The final order settling the FTC’s charges bars the respondents from the illegal conduct alleged in the complaint and requires them to pay the FTC $30,583.14—the amount consumers paid Kushly for products sold using the deceptive marketing.

The Commission vote approving the final administrative consent order was 4-0-1, with Chair Lina Khan not participating.

The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">protect and educate consumers</a>. You can <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/">learn more about consumer topics</a> and report scams, fraud, and bad business practices online at <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov">ReportFraud.ftc.gov</a>. Like the FTC on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/federaltradecommission">Facebook(link is external)</a>, follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/FTC">Twitter(link is external)</a>, get <a href="http://ftc.gov/subscribe">consumer alerts</a>, read our <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>, and <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/stay-connected">subscribe to press releases</a> for the latest FTC news and resources.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619632629588.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FTCFollowing a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/202_3111_-_kushly_final_order.pdf">final administrative consent order</a>
 against Scottsdale, Arizona-based Kushly Industries LLC (Kushly) and 
the company’s owner, Cody Alt, for allegedly making false or unsupported
 health claims during the marketing and sale of cannabidiol (CBD) 
products to consumers.According to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/2023111_-_kushly_complaint.pdf">the FTC’s May 2021 complaint</a>,
 Kushly and Alt made false or unsubstantiated claims that their CBD 
products could effectively treat or cure a host of conditions—from 
common ailments, like acne and psoriasis, to more serious diseases, 
including cancer and multiple sclerosis. In addition, the complaint 
alleges the respondents falsely told consumers that scientific studies 
or research prove that CBD product effectively treat, mitigate, or cure 
the diseases, including hypertension, Parkinson’s disease, and 
Alzheimer’s disease.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The final order settling the FTC’s charges bars the respondents from the illegal conduct alleged in the complaint and requires them to pay the FTC $30,583.14—the amount consumers paid Kushly for products sold using the deceptive marketing.The Commission vote approving the final administrative consent order was 4-0-1, with Chair Lina Khan not participating.The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">protect and educate consumers</a>. You can <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/">learn more about consumer topics</a> and report scams, fraud, and bad business practices online at <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov">ReportFraud.ftc.gov</a>. Like the FTC on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/federaltradecommission">Facebook(link is external)</a>, follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/FTC">Twitter(link is external)</a>, get <a href="http://ftc.gov/subscribe">consumer alerts</a>, read our <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>, and <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/stay-connected">subscribe to press releases</a> for the latest FTC news and resources.

FTC issues order against company for false CBD claims

DOUGLAS COUNTY— A Kansas man and his dog died in an accident Monday in Douglas County.

According to the Douglas County Sheriff's Department, a semi truck driven by 66-year-old Reinnold Hartmann of Missouri and a van driven by 39-year-old David Hosch of Olathe collided on E 2400 Road on&nbsp; U.S. 56 Highway. Both drivers were pinned inside of their respective vehicles.

Hosch was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; Lifeflight transported Hartman to a local hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Hosch did have a dog inside his vehicle, which also died as a result of the crash, according to the sheriff's department. Authorities released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625530292933.png" alt="The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Accident Investigation Team investigated the crash-photo Douglas Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Accident Investigation Team investigated the crash-photo Douglas Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY— A Kansas man and his dog died in an accident Monday in Douglas County.According to the Douglas County Sheriff's Department, a semi truck driven by 66-year-old Reinnold Hartmann of Missouri and a van driven by 39-year-old David Hosch of Olathe collided on E 2400 Road on&nbsp; U.S. 56 Highway. Both drivers were pinned inside of their respective vehicles.Hosch was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; Lifeflight transported Hartman to a local hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hosch did have a dog inside his vehicle, which also died as a result of the crash, according to the sheriff's department. Authorities released no additional details.

Kansas man and his dog die after van, semi collide 

MANHATTAN —Law enforcement authorities in Manhattan were busy with a homemade firework early Tuesday.

Police responded to the CiCo Park area along Kimball Avenue as officers worked to safely collect a homemade firework that was found, according to a social media report from the Riley County Police Department.

This firework posed no threat to the public but officers needed to properly and safely dispose of the firework.&nbsp; They completed the process and cleared the area just before 2a.m. There were no injuries reported.

MANHATTAN —Law enforcement authorities in Manhattan were busy with a homemade firework early Tuesday.Police responded to the CiCo Park area along Kimball Avenue as officers worked to safely collect a homemade firework that was found, according to a social media report from the Riley County Police Department.This firework posed no threat to the public but officers needed to properly and safely dispose of the firework.&nbsp; They completed the process and cleared the area just before 2a.m. There were no injuries reported.

Police dispose of homemade firework found in Kan. park

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating a shooting that injured a woman in Topeka have made an arrest.

Just before 10:30 p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a call for service in the 1100 Block of SW Clay Street, according to Lt. Jerry Monasmith. The caller reported&nbsp; a woman was suffering from a gunshot wound. 

On arrival, officers located the victim, who was transported to a local hospital.&nbsp;

On Sunday, police identified the suspect as 21-year-old Daisha Butler of Topeka. Police transported her to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of attempted 1st Degree Murder and&nbsp;Aggravated Battery, according to Monasmith.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that injured a woman in Topeka.

On arrival, officers located the victim, who was transported to a local hospital. As a result, Topeka Police Department Detectives are reviewing all investigative leads. Police have not released the victim's name.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625450854895.png" alt="Butler photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Butler photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating a shooting that injured a woman in Topeka have made an arrest.Just before 10:30 p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a call for service in the 1100 Block of SW Clay Street, according to Lt. Jerry Monasmith. The caller reported&nbsp; a woman was suffering from a gunshot wound. On arrival, officers located the victim, who was transported to a local hospital.&nbsp;On Sunday, police identified the suspect as 21-year-old Daisha Butler of Topeka. Police transported her to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of attempted 1st Degree Murder and&nbsp;Aggravated Battery, according to Monasmith.----------SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that injured a woman in Topeka.Just before 10:30 p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a call for service in the 1100 Block of SW Clay Street, according to Lt. Jerry Monasmith. The caller reported&nbsp; a woman was suffering from a gunshot wound. On arrival, officers located the victim, who was transported to a local hospital. As a result, Topeka Police Department Detectives are reviewing all investigative leads. Police have not released the victim's name.

Kan. woman arrested for alleged attempted murder

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man accused in the fatal Father's Day shooting of 47-year-old Deandre Freeman of Wichita made his first court appearance Thursday.

Jermall Campbell, 39 of Wichita, was charged with 1st degree murder, aggravated battery, criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and gambling, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, Campbell&nbsp; turned himself in to authorities, according to Officer Trevor Macy. 

Just after 8:30a.m. June 20, police responded to a check residence call at a home in the 1700 block of North Harding in Wichita, according to Office Charley Davidson.

 Upon arrival, officers entered the home and found Freeman had been shot multiple times.&nbsp; He was pronounced deceased on the scene.&nbsp; Officers also located a 53-year-old man who had been shot.&nbsp; He was taken to an area hospital in critical condition.

The investigation revealed the two victims, a suspect later identified as Campbell and two other men were all at the home and are known to each other.&nbsp; A disturbance occurred between the suspect and others when the Campbell allegedly fired multiple shots striking the victims.

Campbell is being <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=102632">held on a $1,000,000 bond&nbsp;</a>. His next court date is July 15, according to the district attorney.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625142361655.png" alt="Campbell photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Campbell photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man accused in the fatal Father's Day shooting of 47-year-old Deandre Freeman of Wichita made his first court appearance Thursday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1624291759233.png" alt="Police at the scene of the shooting early June 20 -photo courtesy KWCH TV" />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of the shooting early June 20 -photo courtesy KWCH TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Jermall Campbell, 39 of Wichita, was charged with 1st degree murder, aggravated battery, criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and gambling, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;On Wednesday, Campbell&nbsp; turned himself in to authorities, according to Officer Trevor Macy. Just after 8:30a.m. June 20, police responded to a check residence call at a home in the 1700 block of North Harding in Wichita, according to Office Charley Davidson. Upon arrival, officers entered the home and found Freeman had been shot multiple times.&nbsp; He was pronounced deceased on the scene.&nbsp; Officers also located a 53-year-old man who had been shot.&nbsp; He was taken to an area hospital in critical condition.The investigation revealed the two victims, a suspect later identified as Campbell and two other men were all at the home and are known to each other.&nbsp; A disturbance occurred between the suspect and others when the Campbell allegedly fired multiple shots striking the victims.Campbell is being <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=102632">held on a $1,000,000 bond&nbsp;</a>. His next court date is July 15, according to the district attorney.---------

Kan. man in Father's Day killing charged with murder, gambling

MISSION, Kansas (AP) — The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients jumped by nearly 27% over the Fourth of July weekend in a hard-hit area of Missouri where immunization rates are low, leading to a temporary ventilator shortfall and a public call for help from respiratory therapists.

The Delta variant, first identified in India, is spreading rapidly, straining hospitals in Springfield and raising fresh fears that the situation could soon grow worse as holiday gatherings seed fresh cases. Missouri leads the nation with the most new cases per capita in the past 14 days.

As of Monday, CoxHealth and the city’s other hospital, Mercy Springfield, were treating 213 COVID-19 patients, up from 168 on Friday. As recently as May 24, the two hospitals had just 31 patients.

“After what we’ve seen in the last month everyone is just holding their breath, especially after a holiday weekend like this, knowing that there were large gatherings,” said Erik Frederick, the chief administrative officer of Mercy Springfield.

Many communities that held off on Fourth of July festivities last year held them this year.

Republican Gov. Mike Parson&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/GovParsonMO/s" target="_blank">tweeted&nbsp;</a>a picture of himself at a fireworks celebration in the tourist town of Branson, a large crowd behind him. In the surrounding county, just 29.3% of residents have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot, state data shows. That is below the state rate of 44.7% and the national rate of 54.7% but not unlike several other southwest Missouri communities. Some have vaccination rates in the teens.

Parson last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mo-state-wire-michael-brown-coronavirus-pandemic-health-6fbc3d85f5305ffdb048f62ff7d94e19">urged&nbsp;</a>people to get vaccinated. But he has consistently declined to enact restrictions to control the spread of the virus, instead asking residents to take “personal responsibility.” Missouri never had a mask mandate, and Parson signed a law last month placing limits on public health restrictions and barring governments from requiring proof of vaccination to use public facilities and transportation.

His communication staff didn’t immediately return an email Monday from The Associated Press. Nor did the spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

CoxHealth in Springfield has been transferring out four or five patients a day for the past week to 10 days as it tries to bring in more traveling nurses to help, said Ashley Kimberling Casad, vice president of clinical services at the hospital.

“Our projections are only showing us continuing to go up,” she said, noting that positivity rates are spiking. “We generally see an increase in hospitalizations about two weeks after big events, so knowing it was the holiday weekend and probably lots of people spent time with family and friends and with our vaccination rates so low, we are going to expect that in two weeks it gets really, really busy.”

The situation is complication because the hospital has only about one-third of the 280 traveling nurses it had at the peak of the winter surge and is working through a backlog of patients who deferred routine care during the surge. That means it can’t handle as many COVID-19 patients as it once could.

Kimberling Casad said traveling nurses are also now harder to come by.

“They worked really hard all winter and spring and made good money so they want to take off this summer and get to spend it with their family and have fun, so we have a lot of positions posted for traveling nurses, but we are just having a harder time getting them in,” she said.

So far, Mercy Springfield has been able to avoid transfers, but the situation worsened so quickly that it ran out of ventilators at one point over the weekend and had to borrow more, said Frederick.

“Luckily we got some in before we had another patient come in who required it so we were able to keep moving and have a surplus on hand should we need it, because we escalated ventilators very quickly,” he said. “We went from the 30s to the 40s to almost 50 over about 72 hours.”

In a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/CAOMercySGF/status/1412075853111042060" target="_blank">tweet,&nbsp;</a>he urged any respiratory therapist to “call us.”

Frederick said projections show its patient count continuing to climb through early August before the numbers gradually begin to fall slowly through October.

“We just never thought we would be back here,” he said, adding: “Unfortunately we are living in a region where the vaccine has not been adopted. It has not been accepted and here we are with hospitals full of COVID patients.”

ADVERTISEMENTTrending on AP News<a href="https://apnews.com/article/africa-olympic-games-2020-tokyo-olympics-sports-c11b5fba248c03ea6ddd7e7089818eb0">Semenya misses Tokyo, may be forced out of Olympics for good</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/surfside-building-collapse-teen-rescued-683461b0ab759fb950729cf90fe5761e">Tale of rescue after falling several floors in Fla. collapse</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-19836928230df90d765c9ae4f7dfc76a">Pilot minutes before ocean crash: ‘It doesn’t look good’</a><a href="https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&amp;utm_source=associatedpress-apnews&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=organic-thumbnails-rr:Right%20Rail%20Thumbnails:" target="_blank">by Taboola</a>ADVERTISEMENT

MISSION, Kansas (AP) — The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients jumped by nearly 27% over the Fourth of July weekend in a hard-hit area of Missouri where immunization rates are low, leading to a temporary ventilator shortfall and a public call for help from respiratory therapists.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">115 COVID+ <a href="https://twitter.com/MercySGF?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MercySGF</a>. Running almost 50 vents now. We are expanding to 2nd COVID ICU and a 2nd step down. Physicians, nurses and respiratory therapists are tired. Heck everyone is tired. Travel RN’s coming this week. Physician support being arranged. If you’re a RT, call us.&mdash; Erik Frederick (@CAOMercySGF) <a href="https://twitter.com/CAOMercySGF/status/1412075853111042060?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Delta variant, first identified in India, is spreading rapidly, straining hospitals in Springfield and raising fresh fears that the situation could soon grow worse as holiday gatherings seed fresh cases. Missouri leads the nation with the most new cases per capita in the past 14 days.As of Monday, CoxHealth and the city’s other hospital, Mercy Springfield, were treating 213 COVID-19 patients, up from 168 on Friday. As recently as May 24, the two hospitals had just 31 patients.“After what we’ve seen in the last month everyone is just holding their breath, especially after a holiday weekend like this, knowing that there were large gatherings,” said Erik Frederick, the chief administrative officer of Mercy Springfield.Many communities that held off on Fourth of July festivities last year held them this year.Republican Gov. Mike Parson&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/GovParsonMO/s" target="_blank">tweeted&nbsp;</a>a picture of himself at a fireworks celebration in the tourist town of Branson, a large crowd behind him. In the surrounding county, just 29.3% of residents have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot, state data shows. That is below the state rate of 44.7% and the national rate of 54.7% but not unlike several other southwest Missouri communities. Some have vaccination rates in the teens.Parson last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mo-state-wire-michael-brown-coronavirus-pandemic-health-6fbc3d85f5305ffdb048f62ff7d94e19">urged&nbsp;</a>people to get vaccinated. But he has consistently declined to enact restrictions to control the spread of the virus, instead asking residents to take “personal responsibility.” Missouri never had a mask mandate, and Parson signed a law last month placing limits on public health restrictions and barring governments from requiring proof of vaccination to use public facilities and transportation.His communication staff didn’t immediately return an email Monday from The Associated Press. Nor did the spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.CoxHealth in Springfield has been transferring out four or five patients a day for the past week to 10 days as it tries to bring in more traveling nurses to help, said Ashley Kimberling Casad, vice president of clinical services at the hospital.“Our projections are only showing us continuing to go up,” she said, noting that positivity rates are spiking. “We generally see an increase in hospitalizations about two weeks after big events, so knowing it was the holiday weekend and probably lots of people spent time with family and friends and with our vaccination rates so low, we are going to expect that in two weeks it gets really, really busy.”The situation is complication because the hospital has only about one-third of the 280 traveling nurses it had at the peak of the winter surge and is working through a backlog of patients who deferred routine care during the surge. That means it can’t handle as many COVID-19 patients as it once could.Kimberling Casad said traveling nurses are also now harder to come by.“They worked really hard all winter and spring and made good money so they want to take off this summer and get to spend it with their family and have fun, so we have a lot of positions posted for traveling nurses, but we are just having a harder time getting them in,” she said.So far, Mercy Springfield has been able to avoid transfers, but the situation worsened so quickly that it ran out of ventilators at one point over the weekend and had to borrow more, said Frederick.“Luckily we got some in before we had another patient come in who required it so we were able to keep moving and have a surplus on hand should we need it, because we escalated ventilators very quickly,” he said. “We went from the 30s to the 40s to almost 50 over about 72 hours.”In a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/CAOMercySGF/status/1412075853111042060" target="_blank">tweet,&nbsp;</a>he urged any respiratory therapist to “call us.”Frederick said projections show its patient count continuing to climb through early August before the numbers gradually begin to fall slowly through October.“We just never thought we would be back here,” he said, adding: “Unfortunately we are living in a region where the vaccine has not been adopted. It has not been accepted and here we are with hospitals full of COVID patients.”ADVERTISEMENTTrending on AP News<a href="https://apnews.com/article/africa-olympic-games-2020-tokyo-olympics-sports-c11b5fba248c03ea6ddd7e7089818eb0">Semenya misses Tokyo, may be forced out of Olympics for good</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/surfside-building-collapse-teen-rescued-683461b0ab759fb950729cf90fe5761e">Tale of rescue after falling several floors in Fla. collapse</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-19836928230df90d765c9ae4f7dfc76a">Pilot minutes before ocean crash: ‘It doesn’t look good’</a><a href="https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&amp;utm_source=associatedpress-apnews&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=organic-thumbnails-rr:Right%20Rail%20Thumbnails:" target="_blank">by Taboola</a>ADVERTISEMENT

Ventilator shortage: Missouri COVID hospitalizations spike

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Police in Kansas City were investigating an early Monday shooting death that happened near police headquarters.

The shooting happened around 12:30 a.m. Monday at 12th and Locust streets, and arriving officers found a man at the scene with gunshot wounds, officials said. Medics who also responded to the scene declared the man dead. Police believe the man was shot during an argument with another person.

Police have not released the name of victim and say they have no information on who the shooter may be.

The death marked the city’s 77th homicide this year, according to officials.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Police in Kansas City were investigating an early Monday shooting death that happened near police headquarters.The shooting happened around 12:30 a.m. Monday at 12th and Locust streets, and arriving officers found a man at the scene with gunshot wounds, officials said. Medics who also responded to the scene declared the man dead. Police believe the man was shot during an argument with another person.Police have not released the name of victim and say they have no information on who the shooter may be.The death marked the city’s 77th homicide this year, according to officials.

KC Police investigate the 77th homicide of 2021

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Republicans are trying to pull Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly into a national debate over border security as the GOP works to undercut her standing with voters ahead of her re-election bid next year.

Republican U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, who represents south-central Kansas, publicly urged Kelly on Wednesday to send law-enforcement resources to Arizona and Texas to help them with security along the border with Mexico. His call came the same day former President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2020-tx-state-wire-health-coronavirus-pandemic-0d441606d7c2267f2a747c7d57f8acaa">visited the border</a>&nbsp;to assail President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.

Estes and the state’s other two Republican congressmen, Jake LaTurner and Tracey Mann, sent Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://estes.house.gov/uploadedfiles/estes-border-resources-letter.pdf" target="_blank">a letter</a>&nbsp;pushing her to share resources with Arizona and Texas. Earlier this month, the Kansas Republican Party criticized Kelly for being “silent” on border security.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded more than 180,000 encounters on the Mexican border in May, the most since March 2000.

Kelly responded by urging the three congressmen to “get to work” on passing comprehensive immigration reforms instead of resorting to “political games.”

In Kelly’s 2018 race for governor, Republican Kris Kobach made fighting illegal immigration a key issue. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/32816d964acc49e188c9de18b9acb3b9">Kobach lost</a>&nbsp;after alienating moderate GOP and independent voters.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615805180158.png" alt="Families attempting to cross the border in March-Images courtesy Senator Roger Marshall" />
 <figcaption>Families attempting to cross the border in March-Images courtesy Senator Roger Marshall</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Republicans are trying to pull Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly into a national debate over border security as the GOP works to undercut her standing with voters ahead of her re-election bid next year.Republican U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, who represents south-central Kansas, publicly urged Kelly on Wednesday to send law-enforcement resources to Arizona and Texas to help them with security along the border with Mexico. His call came the same day former President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2020-tx-state-wire-health-coronavirus-pandemic-0d441606d7c2267f2a747c7d57f8acaa">visited the border</a>&nbsp;to assail President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1604461432062.png" alt="Republican U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, who represents south-central Kansas, publicly urged Kelly on to send law-enforcement resources to Arizona and Texas to help them with security along the border- courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Republican U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, who represents south-central Kansas, publicly urged Kelly on to send law-enforcement resources to Arizona and Texas to help them with security along the border- courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Estes and the state’s other two Republican congressmen, Jake LaTurner and Tracey Mann, sent Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://estes.house.gov/uploadedfiles/estes-border-resources-letter.pdf" target="_blank">a letter</a>&nbsp;pushing her to share resources with Arizona and Texas. Earlier this month, the Kansas Republican Party criticized Kelly for being “silent” on border security.The U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded more than 180,000 encounters on the Mexican border in May, the most since March 2000.Kelly responded by urging the three congressmen to “get to work” on passing comprehensive immigration reforms instead of resorting to “political games.”In Kelly’s 2018 race for governor, Republican Kris Kobach made fighting illegal immigration a key issue. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/32816d964acc49e188c9de18b9acb3b9">Kobach lost</a>&nbsp;after alienating moderate GOP and independent voters.___

GOP congressmen assail Kan. governor over border security

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — Rockabilly and country performer Sanford Clark, who had a Top 10 hit with “The Fool” in 1956, has died in a Missouri hospital from COVID-19. He was 85.

Clark died Sunday at Mercy Hospital in Joplin, where he had been receiving cancer treatment before he contracted the coronavirus, his publicist and fellow performer Johnny Vallis said Monday.

Clark was born on Oct. 24, 1935, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and raised in Phoenix, where he first began performing in the early 1950s. “The Fool” reached No. 7 on the Billboard Top 100. The song was later recorded by several other well-known artists, including Elvis Presley and The Animals.

Presley actually recorded the song twice, the first time as part of his personal recordings while he was serving in the Army, then again for professional release in the 1970s, Vallis said.

“You can hear that he's trying to emulate Sanford's sound,” Vallis said. “You know, most people I know want to impersonate Elvis, and here Elvis was trying to impersonate him.”

Clark recorded several other songs in the 1950s and 1960s that saw minor success before he left the music business to work in construction, though he occasionally recorded in later decades on his own label, Desert Sun Records.

Sanford is survived by his wife, Marsha, and several children.

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — Rockabilly and country performer Sanford Clark, who had a Top 10 hit with “The Fool” in 1956, has died in a Missouri hospital from COVID-19. He was 85.Clark died Sunday at Mercy Hospital in Joplin, where he had been receiving cancer treatment before he contracted the coronavirus, his publicist and fellow performer Johnny Vallis said Monday.Clark was born on Oct. 24, 1935, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and raised in Phoenix, where he first began performing in the early 1950s. “The Fool” reached No. 7 on the Billboard Top 100. The song was later recorded by several other well-known artists, including Elvis Presley and The Animals.Presley actually recorded the song twice, the first time as part of his personal recordings while he was serving in the Army, then again for professional release in the 1970s, Vallis said.“You can hear that he's trying to emulate Sanford's sound,” Vallis said. “You know, most people I know want to impersonate Elvis, and here Elvis was trying to impersonate him.”Clark recorded several other songs in the 1950s and 1960s that saw minor success before he left the music business to work in construction, though he occasionally recorded in later decades on his own label, Desert Sun Records.Sanford is survived by his wife, Marsha, and several children.

Rockabilly performer Sanford Clark dead from COVID-19

WICHITA—State and local authorities continue to investigate the cause of illness in children and others who attended the Splash Park at Taganyika Wildlife Park in Goddard. The splash park has remained closed since June 19.

A lawsuit in the case filed by the Patterson Legal Group in Sedgwick County District Court on behalf of those injured at the Splash Park now&nbsp; now include one consolidated petition listing 47 parties. This amended action filed in Sedgwick County District Court on behalf of these injured parties alleges that Tanganyika Wildlife Park failed to maintain proper sanitary conditions that resulted in guests at Tanganyika Falls Splash Park being exposed to a dangerous pathogen, according to a statement on Friday from the law firm.

Further, the park did not warn guests once they knew, or should have known, about the disease outbreak, according to the Patterson Legal Group.

"More specifically, the petition claims that the disease outbreak was spread by an organism that existed at the park for a significant period of time, or was caused by water contaminated with organisms, pathogens, and/or fecal matter. This negligence of management has caused many customers to get sick, including children that have required ICU treatment at the hospital."

“Businesses have a responsibility to the public to ensure that properties operate in a safe manner. The folks who have approached our law firm after unknowingly being exposed to the dangerous pathogen or pathogens at Tanganyika Falls Splash Park have suffered violent gastrointestinal conditions, breathing difficulties that have required hospitalizations, and other periods of severe illness,” said Coleman Younger, one of two attorneys representing those who were infected. 

“The situation continues to escalate for all involved, especially for the families and friends of children who fell seriously ill and are still recovering under the supervision of their medical providers at our local hospitals.”

The Kansas Department of Health (KDHE) became aware of the first three cases linked to the park on June 18. All three people tested positive for&nbsp;Shigella&nbsp;bacteria. 

On Friday, KDHE reported water samples collected by the state at the splash park on June 19 were tested at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). No&nbsp;Shigella&nbsp;bacteria were detected, but coliform and&nbsp;E. coli&nbsp;bacteria were detected in some of the samples, according to a media release from the state.

In water sample testing, the presence of these bacteria indicates likely fecal contamination. The water results are a snapshot of water quality on the day the samples were collected.&nbsp; Further interpretation of the water sample results is ongoing.

Three additional people have tested positive for&nbsp;Shigella&nbsp;bacteria, bringing the total cases linked to the park to six. All six cases visited the Splash Park area on June 11, 2021. Investigations into other possible linked cases are ongoing. Additional testing is underway to determine if the bacteria from each person are related.

KDHE and the Sedgwick County Health Department have also identified other diarrheal illnesses among individuals who reported being at the Splash Park. Individuals have tested positive for norovirus, sapovirus, and a type of&nbsp;E. coli&nbsp;called enteropathogenic&nbsp;E. coli. Investigations are ongoing as to whether these illnesses are associated with exposure at the Splash Park.

If you or a family member experienced symptoms of fever, diarrhea or vomiting after visiting Tanganyika Wildlife Park on or after May 28, 2021, please take this survey at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA2MjAuNDIxNzE3NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Rpbnl1cmwuY29tL2tkaGVzcGxhc2g_dXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPWdvdmRlbGl2ZXJ5In0.kdvq3t3XT2EXzMLHYDA8EhdOIcOsD3HGal2gwUpZvbk/s/1305913448/br/108183106576-l" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/kdhesplash</a>.

If you live in Sedgwick County, and do not have access to a computer to complete the survey, contact the Sedgwick County Health Department via email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:DiseaseReporting@sedgwick.gov" target="_blank">DiseaseReporting@sedgwick.gov</a>&nbsp;or call the COVID-19 line at 316-660-1022 (press 1 to leave a message). Sedgwick County is working to set up a separate, non-COVID phone line which will be released this week.

If you live outside of Sedgwick County and do not have access to a computer to complete the survey, please contact your local health department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1624228385006.png" alt="Photo courtesy Tanganyika Wildlife Park" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Tanganyika Wildlife Park</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA—State and local authorities continue to investigate the cause of illness in children and others who attended the Splash Park at Taganyika Wildlife Park in Goddard. The splash park has remained closed since June 19.A lawsuit in the case filed by the Patterson Legal Group in Sedgwick County District Court on behalf of those injured at the Splash Park now&nbsp; now include one consolidated petition listing 47 parties. This amended action filed in Sedgwick County District Court on behalf of these injured parties alleges that Tanganyika Wildlife Park failed to maintain proper sanitary conditions that resulted in guests at Tanganyika Falls Splash Park being exposed to a dangerous pathogen, according to a statement on Friday from the law firm.Further, the park did not warn guests once they knew, or should have known, about the disease outbreak, according to the Patterson Legal Group."More specifically, the petition claims that the disease outbreak was spread by an organism that existed at the park for a significant period of time, or was caused by water contaminated with organisms, pathogens, and/or fecal matter. This negligence of management has caused many customers to get sick, including children that have required ICU treatment at the hospital."“Businesses have a responsibility to the public to ensure that properties operate in a safe manner. The folks who have approached our law firm after unknowingly being exposed to the dangerous pathogen or pathogens at Tanganyika Falls Splash Park have suffered violent gastrointestinal conditions, breathing difficulties that have required hospitalizations, and other periods of severe illness,” said Coleman Younger, one of two attorneys representing those who were infected. “The situation continues to escalate for all involved, especially for the families and friends of children who fell seriously ill and are still recovering under the supervision of their medical providers at our local hospitals.”The Kansas Department of Health (KDHE) became aware of the first three cases linked to the park on June 18. All three people tested positive for&nbsp;Shigella&nbsp;bacteria. On Friday, KDHE reported water samples collected by the state at the splash park on June 19 were tested at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). No&nbsp;Shigella&nbsp;bacteria were detected, but coliform and&nbsp;E. coli&nbsp;bacteria were detected in some of the samples, according to a media release from the state.In water sample testing, the presence of these bacteria indicates likely fecal contamination. The water results are a snapshot of water quality on the day the samples were collected.&nbsp; Further interpretation of the water sample results is ongoing.Three additional people have tested positive for&nbsp;Shigella&nbsp;bacteria, bringing the total cases linked to the park to six. All six cases visited the Splash Park area on June 11, 2021. Investigations into other possible linked cases are ongoing. Additional testing is underway to determine if the bacteria from each person are related.KDHE and the Sedgwick County Health Department have also identified other diarrheal illnesses among individuals who reported being at the Splash Park. Individuals have tested positive for norovirus, sapovirus, and a type of&nbsp;E. coli&nbsp;called enteropathogenic&nbsp;E. coli. Investigations are ongoing as to whether these illnesses are associated with exposure at the Splash Park.If you or a family member experienced symptoms of fever, diarrhea or vomiting after visiting Tanganyika Wildlife Park on or after May 28, 2021, please take this survey at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA2MjAuNDIxNzE3NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Rpbnl1cmwuY29tL2tkaGVzcGxhc2g_dXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPWdvdmRlbGl2ZXJ5In0.kdvq3t3XT2EXzMLHYDA8EhdOIcOsD3HGal2gwUpZvbk/s/1305913448/br/108183106576-l" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/kdhesplash</a>.If you live in Sedgwick County, and do not have access to a computer to complete the survey, contact the Sedgwick County Health Department via email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:DiseaseReporting@sedgwick.gov" target="_blank">DiseaseReporting@sedgwick.gov</a>&nbsp;or call the COVID-19 line at 316-660-1022 (press 1 to leave a message). Sedgwick County is working to set up a separate, non-COVID phone line which will be released this week.If you live outside of Sedgwick County and do not have access to a computer to complete the survey, please contact your local health department.---------

Lawsuit over illnesses in children at Kan. splash park expands

BOSTON (AP) — Cybersecurity teams worked feverishly Sunday to stem the impact of the single biggest global ransomware attack on record, with some details emerging about how the Russia-linked gang responsible breached the company whose software was the conduit.

An affiliate of the notorious REvil gang, best known for extorting $11 million from the meat-processor JBS after a Memorial Day attack, infected thousands of victims in at least 17 countries on Friday, largely through firms that remotely manage IT infrastructure for multiple customers, cybersecurity researchers said.

REvil was demanding ransoms of up to $5 million, the researchers said. But late Sunday it offered in a posting on its dark web site a universal decryptor software key that would unscramble all affected machines in exchange for $70 million in cryptocurrency.

Earlier, the FBI said in&nbsp;<a href="https://go.usa.gov/x6Hzc" target="_blank">a statement&nbsp;</a>that while it was investigating the attack its scale “may make it so that we are unable to respond to each victim individually.” Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger later issued a statement saying President Joe Biden had “directed the full resources of the government to investigate this incident” and urged all who believed they were compromised to alert the FBI.

Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/07/03/remarks-by-president-biden-after-visiting-king-orchards/" target="_blank">suggested Saturday&nbsp;</a>the U.S. would respond if it was determined that the Kremlin is at all involved.

Less than a month ago, Biden pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop giving safe haven to REvil and other ransomware gangs whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-europe-government-and-politics-technology-business-3b81e8116c42439566040a052617ad55">unrelenting extortionary attacks&nbsp;</a>the U.S. deems a national security threat.

A broad array of businesses and public agencies were hit by the latest attack, apparently on all continents, including in financial services, travel and leisure and the public sector — though few large companies, the cybersecurity firm Sophos reported. Ransomware criminals infiltrate networks and sow malware that cripples them by scrambling all their data. Victims get a decoder key when they pay up.

The Swedish grocery chain Coop said most of its 800 stores would be closed for a second day Sunday because their cash register software supplier was crippled. A Swedish pharmacy chain, gas station chain, the state railway and public broadcaster SVT were also hit.

In Germany, an unnamed IT services company told authorities several thousand of its customers were compromised, the news agency dpa reported. Also among reported victims were two big Dutch IT services companies — VelzArt and Hoppenbrouwer Techniek. Most ransomware victims don’t publicly report attacks or disclose if they’ve paid ransoms.

CEO Fred Voccola of the breached software company, Kaseya, estimated the victim number in the low thousands, mostly small businesses like “dental practices, architecture firms, plastic surgery centers, libraries, things like that.”

Voccola said in an interview that only between 50-60 of the company’s 37,000 customers were compromised. But 70% were managed service providers who use the company’s hacked VSA software to manage multiple customers. It automates the installation of software and security updates and manages backups and other vital tasks.

Experts say it was no coincidence that REvil launched the attack at the start of the Fourth of July holiday weekend, knowing U.S. offices would be lightly staffed. Many victims may not learn of it until they are back at work on Monday. Most end users of managed service providers “have no idea” whose software keep their networks humming, said Voccola,

Kaseya said it sent a detection tool to nearly 900 customers on Saturday night.

The REvil offer to offer blanket decryption for all victims of the Kaseya attack in exchange for $70 million suggested its inability to cope with the sheer quantity of infected networks, said Allan Liska, an analyst with the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. Although analysts reported seeing demands of $5 million and $500,000 for bigger targets, it was apparently demanding $45,000 for most.

“This attack is a lot bigger than they expected and it is getting a lot of attention. It is in REvil’s interest to end it quickly,” said Liska. “This is a nightmare to manage.”

Analyst Brett Callow of Emsisoft said he suspects REvil is hoping insurers might crunch the numbers and determine the $70 million will be cheaper for them than extended downtime.

Sophisticated ransomware gangs on REvil’s level usually examine a victim’s financial records — and insurance policies if they can find them — from files they steal before activating the ransomware. The criminals then threaten to dump the stolen data online unless paid. In this attack, that appears not to have happened.

<a href="https://csirt.divd.nl/2021/07/04/Kaseya-Case-Update-2/" target="_blank">Dutch researchers&nbsp;</a>said they alerted Miami-based Kaseya to the breach and said the criminals used a “zero day,” the industry term for a previous unknown security hole in software. Voccola would not confirm that or offer details of the breach — except to say that it was not phishing.

“The level of sophistication here was extraordinary,” he said.

When the cybersecurity firm Mandiant finishes its investigation, Voccola said he is confident it will show that the criminals didn’t just violate Kaseya code in breaking into his network but also exploited vulnerabilities in third-party software.

It was not the first ransomware attack to leverage managed services providers. In 2019, criminals hobbled the networks of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/81d1de758c7b4f5aac0a6dc792702bda">22 Texas municipalities&nbsp;</a>through one. That same year,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/29/politics/ransomware-attack-dental-offices/index.html" target="_blank">400 U.S. dental practices</a>&nbsp;were crippled in a separate attack.

One of the Dutch vulnerability researchers, Victor Gevers, said his team is worried about products like Kaseya’s VSA because of the total control of vast computing resources they can offer. “More and more of the products that are used to keep networks safe and secure are showing structural weaknesses,” he wrote in a blog Sunday.

The cybersecurity firm ESET identified victims in least 17 countries, including the United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Indonesia, New Zealand and Kenya.

Kaseya says the attack only affected “on-premise” customers, organizations running their own data centers, as opposed to its cloud-based services that run software for customers. It also shut down those servers as a precaution, however.

Kaseya, which called on customers Friday to shut down their VSA servers immediately, said Sunday it hoped to have a patch in the next few days.

Active since April 2019, REvil provides ransomware-as-a-service, meaning it develops the network-paralyzing software and leases it to so-called affiliates who infect targets and earn the lion’s share of ransoms. U.S. officials say the most potent ransomware gangs are based in Russia and allied states and operate with Kremlin tolerance and sometimes collude with Russian security services.

Cybersecurity expert Dmitri Alperovitch of the Silverado Policy Accelerator think tank said that while he does not believe the Kaseya attack is Kremlin-directed, it shows that Putin “has not yet moved” on shutting down cybercriminals.

BOSTON (AP) — Cybersecurity teams worked feverishly Sunday to stem the impact of the single biggest global ransomware attack on record, with some details emerging about how the Russia-linked gang responsible breached the company whose software was the conduit.An affiliate of the notorious REvil gang, best known for extorting $11 million from the meat-processor JBS after a Memorial Day attack, infected thousands of victims in at least 17 countries on Friday, largely through firms that remotely manage IT infrastructure for multiple customers, cybersecurity researchers said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">If you believe your systems have been compromised from the Kaseya ransomware incident, we urge you to shut down your VSA servers &amp; contact CISA, our partners at the <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBI</a>, &amp; file a report at <a href="https://t.co/V1Z2YzlPTW">https://t.co/V1Z2YzlPTW</a> We are working with Kaseya &amp; the <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBI</a> to assist those impacted. <a href="https://t.co/vFwJ6iyKog">https://t.co/vFwJ6iyKog</a>&mdash; Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (@CISAgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/CISAgov/status/1411821930521497600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>REvil was demanding ransoms of up to $5 million, the researchers said. But late Sunday it offered in a posting on its dark web site a universal decryptor software key that would unscramble all affected machines in exchange for $70 million in cryptocurrency.Earlier, the FBI said in&nbsp;<a href="https://go.usa.gov/x6Hzc" target="_blank">a statement&nbsp;</a>that while it was investigating the attack its scale “may make it so that we are unable to respond to each victim individually.” Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger later issued a statement saying President Joe Biden had “directed the full resources of the government to investigate this incident” and urged all who believed they were compromised to alert the FBI.Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/07/03/remarks-by-president-biden-after-visiting-king-orchards/" target="_blank">suggested Saturday&nbsp;</a>the U.S. would respond if it was determined that the Kremlin is at all involved.Less than a month ago, Biden pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop giving safe haven to REvil and other ransomware gangs whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-europe-government-and-politics-technology-business-3b81e8116c42439566040a052617ad55">unrelenting extortionary attacks&nbsp;</a>the U.S. deems a national security threat.A broad array of businesses and public agencies were hit by the latest attack, apparently on all continents, including in financial services, travel and leisure and the public sector — though few large companies, the cybersecurity firm Sophos reported. Ransomware criminals infiltrate networks and sow malware that cripples them by scrambling all their data. Victims get a decoder key when they pay up.The Swedish grocery chain Coop said most of its 800 stores would be closed for a second day Sunday because their cash register software supplier was crippled. A Swedish pharmacy chain, gas station chain, the state railway and public broadcaster SVT were also hit.In Germany, an unnamed IT services company told authorities several thousand of its customers were compromised, the news agency dpa reported. Also among reported victims were two big Dutch IT services companies — VelzArt and Hoppenbrouwer Techniek. Most ransomware victims don’t publicly report attacks or disclose if they’ve paid ransoms.CEO Fred Voccola of the breached software company, Kaseya, estimated the victim number in the low thousands, mostly small businesses like “dental practices, architecture firms, plastic surgery centers, libraries, things like that.”Voccola said in an interview that only between 50-60 of the company’s 37,000 customers were compromised. But 70% were managed service providers who use the company’s hacked VSA software to manage multiple customers. It automates the installation of software and security updates and manages backups and other vital tasks.Experts say it was no coincidence that REvil launched the attack at the start of the Fourth of July holiday weekend, knowing U.S. offices would be lightly staffed. Many victims may not learn of it until they are back at work on Monday. Most end users of managed service providers “have no idea” whose software keep their networks humming, said Voccola,Kaseya said it sent a detection tool to nearly 900 customers on Saturday night.The REvil offer to offer blanket decryption for all victims of the Kaseya attack in exchange for $70 million suggested its inability to cope with the sheer quantity of infected networks, said Allan Liska, an analyst with the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. Although analysts reported seeing demands of $5 million and $500,000 for bigger targets, it was apparently demanding $45,000 for most.“This attack is a lot bigger than they expected and it is getting a lot of attention. It is in REvil’s interest to end it quickly,” said Liska. “This is a nightmare to manage.”Analyst Brett Callow of Emsisoft said he suspects REvil is hoping insurers might crunch the numbers and determine the $70 million will be cheaper for them than extended downtime.Sophisticated ransomware gangs on REvil’s level usually examine a victim’s financial records — and insurance policies if they can find them — from files they steal before activating the ransomware. The criminals then threaten to dump the stolen data online unless paid. In this attack, that appears not to have happened.<a href="https://csirt.divd.nl/2021/07/04/Kaseya-Case-Update-2/" target="_blank">Dutch researchers&nbsp;</a>said they alerted Miami-based Kaseya to the breach and said the criminals used a “zero day,” the industry term for a previous unknown security hole in software. Voccola would not confirm that or offer details of the breach — except to say that it was not phishing.“The level of sophistication here was extraordinary,” he said.When the cybersecurity firm Mandiant finishes its investigation, Voccola said he is confident it will show that the criminals didn’t just violate Kaseya code in breaking into his network but also exploited vulnerabilities in third-party software.It was not the first ransomware attack to leverage managed services providers. In 2019, criminals hobbled the networks of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/81d1de758c7b4f5aac0a6dc792702bda">22 Texas municipalities&nbsp;</a>through one. That same year,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/29/politics/ransomware-attack-dental-offices/index.html" target="_blank">400 U.S. dental practices</a>&nbsp;were crippled in a separate attack.One of the Dutch vulnerability researchers, Victor Gevers, said his team is worried about products like Kaseya’s VSA because of the total control of vast computing resources they can offer. “More and more of the products that are used to keep networks safe and secure are showing structural weaknesses,” he wrote in a blog Sunday.The cybersecurity firm ESET identified victims in least 17 countries, including the United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Indonesia, New Zealand and Kenya.Kaseya says the attack only affected “on-premise” customers, organizations running their own data centers, as opposed to its cloud-based services that run software for customers. It also shut down those servers as a precaution, however.Kaseya, which called on customers Friday to shut down their VSA servers immediately, said Sunday it hoped to have a patch in the next few days.Active since April 2019, REvil provides ransomware-as-a-service, meaning it develops the network-paralyzing software and leases it to so-called affiliates who infect targets and earn the lion’s share of ransoms. U.S. officials say the most potent ransomware gangs are based in Russia and allied states and operate with Kremlin tolerance and sometimes collude with Russian security services.Cybersecurity expert Dmitri Alperovitch of the Silverado Policy Accelerator think tank said that while he does not believe the Kaseya attack is Kremlin-directed, it shows that Putin “has not yet moved” on shutting down cybercriminals.