WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 155 months for distributing child pornography, according to Acting United States Attorney Duston J. Slinkard.

Devan Navarette, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of Distribution of Child Pornography in February 2021. In his plea, he admitted to operating a Dropbox account to share files of child pornography with other users. Dropbox discovered Navarette’s activities and reported him to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators found thousands of images depicting children, including prepubescent children, made to engage in sex acts.

As part of his sentence, Navarette will also pay $57,000 in restitution to victims.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1624652478314.png" alt="Navarette is being held in Butler County" />
 <figcaption>Navarette is being held in Butler County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 155 months for distributing child pornography, according to Acting United States Attorney Duston J. Slinkard.Devan Navarette, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of Distribution of Child Pornography in February 2021. In his plea, he admitted to operating a Dropbox account to share files of child pornography with other users. Dropbox discovered Navarette’s activities and reported him to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators found thousands of images depicting children, including prepubescent children, made to engage in sex acts.As part of his sentence, Navarette will also pay $57,000 in restitution to victims.

Dropbox reports Kansas man for sharing child porn

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Kansas City man who stabbed his father to death was sentenced Thursday to life in prison.

The Jackson County Prosecutor's office said Curtis Lee, 43, was sentenced to life for first-degree murder plus 15 years for armed criminal action.

Lee was arrested at an Independence home on April 18, 2018, after officers found Lee's uncle and father stabbed to death inside the house, prosecutors said.

According to court records, Lee told police his father, Charles Burton, had stabbed his uncle, Clyde Burton, to death after the two men argued.

Lee, who said he had smoked PCP with his uncle, said he shared a cigarette with his father after the stabbing. His father then said “It’s going to be you or me” to his son, according to a police affidavit.

Lee then grabbed a knife and stabbed his father to death, according to court records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618000152850.png" alt="Lee photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Lee photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Kansas City man who stabbed his father to death was sentenced Thursday to life in prison.The Jackson County Prosecutor's office said Curtis Lee, 43, was sentenced to life for first-degree murder plus 15 years for armed criminal action.Lee was arrested at an Independence home on April 18, 2018, after officers found Lee's uncle and father stabbed to death inside the house, prosecutors said.According to court records, Lee told police his father, Charles Burton, had stabbed his uncle, Clyde Burton, to death after the two men argued.Lee, who said he had smoked PCP with his uncle, said he shared a cigarette with his father after the stabbing. His father then said “It’s going to be you or me” to his son, according to a police affidavit.Lee then grabbed a knife and stabbed his father to death, according to court records.

Kansas City man sentenced for stabbing father to death

One person died and two escaped after a vehicle entered floodwaters near Gower in Clinton County this weekend.

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Clintoncosheriff">The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office reports on its Facebook page</a>&nbsp;that deputies along with the Gower Fire’s Water rescue team responded to a water rescue call at NW County Line Road. According to the sheriff’s office, Gower Fire rescued two people and assisted the sheriff’s office in recovering a body from the vehicle.

“No names will be released out of respect for the families at this time,” the sheriff’s office states in its Facebook post.

Clinton County Coroner Lee Hanks and Sheriff Larry Fish waded through floodwaters to assist Randy’s Tow in recovering the vehicle.

“This is a strong reminder to NOT drive through flood waters,” the sheriff’s office states in the post.

The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office also thanked the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office and Missouri State Highway Patrol for their assist

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1624836695598.png" alt="After flood waters receded, Clinton County Coroner Lee Hanks and Sheriff Larry Fish went wading in waters to help recover the vehicle. photo Clinton County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>After flood waters receded, Clinton County Coroner Lee Hanks and Sheriff Larry Fish went wading in waters to help recover the vehicle. photo Clinton County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostOne person died and two escaped after a vehicle entered floodwaters near Gower in Clinton County this weekend.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Clintoncosheriff">The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office reports on its Facebook page</a>&nbsp;that deputies along with the Gower Fire’s Water rescue team responded to a water rescue call at NW County Line Road. According to the sheriff’s office, Gower Fire rescued two people and assisted the sheriff’s office in recovering a body from the vehicle.“No names will be released out of respect for the families at this time,” the sheriff’s office states in its Facebook post.Clinton County Coroner Lee Hanks and Sheriff Larry Fish waded through floodwaters to assist Randy’s Tow in recovering the vehicle.“This is a strong reminder to NOT drive through flood waters,” the sheriff’s office states in the post.The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office also thanked the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office and Missouri State Highway Patrol for their assist

1 dead after vehicle gets stuck in floodwaters near Kansas City

WICHITA, KAN. – Richard H. Adams, IV, 29, was sentenced to 12-years in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, a Class A felony, according to the United State's Attorney.

In 2019, a state trooper pulled Adams over in Nebraska for speeding, according to court documents.

A search of the vehicle yielded the discovery of what was later determined to be at least 2,200 grams of methamphetamine. Troopers also found two loaded firearms belonging to Adams and $11,300 in U.S. currency. Adams admitted he planned to transport the methamphetamine to Wichita, Kansas, for distribution.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1624389877712.png" alt="Adams is being held in Butler County" />
 <figcaption>Adams is being held in Butler County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – Richard H. Adams, IV, 29, was sentenced to 12-years in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, a Class A felony, according to the United State's Attorney.In 2019, a state trooper pulled Adams over in Nebraska for speeding, according to court documents.A search of the vehicle yielded the discovery of what was later determined to be at least 2,200 grams of methamphetamine. Troopers also found two loaded firearms belonging to Adams and $11,300 in U.S. currency. Adams admitted he planned to transport the methamphetamine to Wichita, Kansas, for distribution.

Suspect was transporting meth for distribution in Kansas

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a Friday shooting have made an arrest.

Just after 7:30 p.m., Friday police responded to 11th Street and SW College in Topeka on a report of a shooting, according to Lt. Ron Ekis.&nbsp;

Officers located a man who had been shot. The victim was transported to an area hospital by ambulance for treatment of a non-life threatening injury.&nbsp;

Police took a person of interest identified as 33-year-old Richard S. O'brien of Topeka into custody to be questioned.

After all parties involved in this incident were interviewed, police arrested O’brien on a requested charge of battery and interference with a Law Enforcement Officer. He remains in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1624800801847.png" alt="O'brien photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>O'brien photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a Friday shooting have made an arrest.Just after 7:30 p.m., Friday police responded to 11th Street and SW College in Topeka on a report of a shooting, according to Lt. Ron Ekis.&nbsp;Officers located a man who had been shot. The victim was transported to an area hospital by ambulance for treatment of a non-life threatening injury.&nbsp;Police took a person of interest identified as 33-year-old Richard S. O'brien of Topeka into custody to be questioned.After all parties involved in this incident were interviewed, police arrested O’brien on a requested charge of battery and interference with a Law Enforcement Officer. He remains in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, according to online jail records.

Kansas man jailed in connection with shooting investigation

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The family of a man who died shortly after being released from prison for a killing he did not commit will receive a settlement of more than $800,000.

The State Finance Council on Thursday approved the settlement for the family of Olin “Pete” Coones, who spent 12 years in prison before he was exonerated in November. Coones died of cancer in February, 108 days after he was released from prison.

The approval comes weeks after a Shawnee County District Court judge signed off on the $826,301 payment at the request of Attorney General Derek Schmidt, The Topeka Capital-Journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/state/2021/06/24/kansas-lawmakers-approve-settlement-pete-coones-wrongful-conviction/5329554001/" target="_blank">reported</a>.

Coones was charged in the 2008 deaths of Kathleen Schroll and her husband, Carl, in Kansas City, Kansas. He was convicted of killing only Schroll.

He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ks-state-wire-kansas-government-and-politics-a4dae1c35ffed911e10e855b34ce57aa">exonerated</a>&nbsp;in November 2020 after prosecutors determined the deaths were a murder-suicide orchestrated by Kathleen Schroll, who tried to frame Coones.

The settlement also calls for records of his arrest and conviction to be expunged. His family will be given an official document certifying his innocence.

It is the fifth time a case has been settled under the state’s wrongful conviction law, which gives individuals $65,000 for each year they were incarcerated, plus attorney’s fees. Five other cases are being litigated.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1622665347161.png" alt="Olin 'Pete" Coones died&nbsp; earlier this year, four months after his release from prison-photo Wyandotte Co.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Olin 'Pete" Coones died&nbsp; earlier this year, four months after his release from prison-photo Wyandotte Co.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The family of a man who died shortly after being released from prison for a killing he did not commit will receive a settlement of more than $800,000.The State Finance Council on Thursday approved the settlement for the family of Olin “Pete” Coones, who spent 12 years in prison before he was exonerated in November. Coones died of cancer in February, 108 days after he was released from prison.The approval comes weeks after a Shawnee County District Court judge signed off on the $826,301 payment at the request of Attorney General Derek Schmidt, The Topeka Capital-Journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/state/2021/06/24/kansas-lawmakers-approve-settlement-pete-coones-wrongful-conviction/5329554001/" target="_blank">reported</a>.Coones was charged in the 2008 deaths of Kathleen Schroll and her husband, Carl, in Kansas City, Kansas. He was convicted of killing only Schroll.He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ks-state-wire-kansas-government-and-politics-a4dae1c35ffed911e10e855b34ce57aa">exonerated</a>&nbsp;in November 2020 after prosecutors determined the deaths were a murder-suicide orchestrated by Kathleen Schroll, who tried to frame Coones.The settlement also calls for records of his arrest and conviction to be expunged. His family will be given an official document certifying his innocence.It is the fifth time a case has been settled under the state’s wrongful conviction law, which gives individuals $65,000 for each year they were incarcerated, plus attorney’s fees. Five other cases are being litigated.

Settlement approved with wrongfully convicted Kansas man

WASHINGTON&nbsp;—&nbsp;The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department
 released information today detailing how many people in each state 
received the third round of Economic Impact Payments through early June.

The new details, available at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/statistics/soi-tax-stats-coronavirus-aid-relief-and-economic-security-act-cares-act-statistics#EIP3#EIP3">SOI Tax Stats - Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) Statistics</a>, are through June 3 and provide a look at the number of payments by <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/20in02eip3.xls">state&nbsp;XLS</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/20in01eip3.xls">income category&nbsp;XLS</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/20in03eip3.xls">filing status&nbsp;XLS</a> and other features.

The IRS continues to distribute Economic Impact Payments and the related <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">2020 Recovery Rebate Credit</a>
 on a weekly basis as people continue to file income tax returns and as 
returns are processed. Ongoing payments will be sent to eligible 
individuals for whom the IRS previously did not have information to 
issue a payment but who recently filed a tax return, as well to people 
who qualify for "plus-up" payments.

The statistics released today provide details on more than 163 million payments worth approximately $390 billion.

Special reminder for those who don't normally file a tax return

Although payments are automatic for most people, the IRS continues to
 urge people who don't normally file a tax return and haven't received 
Economic Impact Payments to file a 2020 tax return to get all the 
benefits they're entitled to under the law, including tax credits such 
as the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">2020 Recovery Rebate Credit</a>,
 the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit. Filing a 2020 
tax return will also assist the IRS in determining whether someone is 
eligible for an advance payment of the 2021 Child Tax Credit, which will
 begin to be disbursed this summer.

For example, some federal benefits recipients may need to file a 2020
 tax return – even if they don't usually file – to provide information 
the IRS needs to send payments for a qualifying dependent. Eligible 
individuals in this group should file a 2020 tax return as quickly as 
possible to be considered for an additional payment for their qualifying
 dependents.

People who don't normally have an obligation to file a tax return and
 don't receive federal benefits may qualify for these Economic Impact 
Payments. This includes those experiencing <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/those-experiencing-homelessness-can-get-economic-impact-payments-and-other-tax-benefits-permanent-address-not-required">homelessness</a>
 and others. Individuals who didn't get a first or second round Economic
 Impact Payment or got less than the full amounts may be eligible for 
the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">2020 Recovery Rebate Credit</a>, but they'll need to file a 2020 tax return. See the special section on IRS.gov: <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit-topic-a-claiming-the-recovery-rebate-credit-if-you-arent-required-to-file-a-tax-return">Claiming the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit if you aren't required to file a tax return</a>.

Free <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers">tax return preparation</a> is available for qualifying people.

The IRS reminds taxpayers that the income levels in this third round 
of Economic Impact Payments have changed. This means that some people 
won't be eligible for the third payment even if they received a first or
 second Economic Impact Payment or claimed a 2020 Recovery Rebate 
Credit. Payments will begin to be reduced for individuals making $75,000
 or above in Adjusted Gross Income ($150,000 for married filing 
jointly). The payments end at $80,000 for individuals ($160,000 for 
married filing jointly); people with Adjusted Gross Incomes above these 
levels are ineligible for a payment.

Individuals can check the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment">Get My Payment</a>&nbsp;tool on IRS.gov to see the payment status of these payments. Additional information on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments">Economic Impact Payments</a> is available on IRS.gov.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON&nbsp;—&nbsp;The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department
 released information today detailing how many people in each state 
received the third round of Economic Impact Payments through early June.The new details, available at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/statistics/soi-tax-stats-coronavirus-aid-relief-and-economic-security-act-cares-act-statistics#EIP3#EIP3">SOI Tax Stats - Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) Statistics</a>, are through June 3 and provide a look at the number of payments by <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/20in02eip3.xls">state&nbsp;XLS</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/20in01eip3.xls">income category&nbsp;XLS</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/20in03eip3.xls">filing status&nbsp;XLS</a> and other features.The IRS continues to distribute Economic Impact Payments and the related <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">2020 Recovery Rebate Credit</a>
 on a weekly basis as people continue to file income tax returns and as 
returns are processed. Ongoing payments will be sent to eligible 
individuals for whom the IRS previously did not have information to 
issue a payment but who recently filed a tax return, as well to people 
who qualify for "plus-up" payments.The statistics released today provide details on more than 163 million payments worth approximately $390 billion.<h2>Special reminder for those who don't normally file a tax return</h2>Although payments are automatic for most people, the IRS continues to
 urge people who don't normally file a tax return and haven't received 
Economic Impact Payments to file a 2020 tax return to get all the 
benefits they're entitled to under the law, including tax credits such 
as the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">2020 Recovery Rebate Credit</a>,
 the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit. Filing a 2020 
tax return will also assist the IRS in determining whether someone is 
eligible for an advance payment of the 2021 Child Tax Credit, which will
 begin to be disbursed this summer.For example, some federal benefits recipients may need to file a 2020
 tax return – even if they don't usually file – to provide information 
the IRS needs to send payments for a qualifying dependent. Eligible 
individuals in this group should file a 2020 tax return as quickly as 
possible to be considered for an additional payment for their qualifying
 dependents.People who don't normally have an obligation to file a tax return and
 don't receive federal benefits may qualify for these Economic Impact 
Payments. This includes those experiencing <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/those-experiencing-homelessness-can-get-economic-impact-payments-and-other-tax-benefits-permanent-address-not-required">homelessness</a>
 and others. Individuals who didn't get a first or second round Economic
 Impact Payment or got less than the full amounts may be eligible for 
the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">2020 Recovery Rebate Credit</a>, but they'll need to file a 2020 tax return. See the special section on IRS.gov: <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit-topic-a-claiming-the-recovery-rebate-credit-if-you-arent-required-to-file-a-tax-return">Claiming the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit if you aren't required to file a tax return</a>.Free <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers">tax return preparation</a> is available for qualifying people.The IRS reminds taxpayers that the income levels in this third round 
of Economic Impact Payments have changed. This means that some people 
won't be eligible for the third payment even if they received a first or
 second Economic Impact Payment or claimed a 2020 Recovery Rebate 
Credit. Payments will begin to be reduced for individuals making $75,000
 or above in Adjusted Gross Income ($150,000 for married filing 
jointly). The payments end at $80,000 for individuals ($160,000 for 
married filing jointly); people with Adjusted Gross Incomes above these 
levels are ineligible for a payment.Individuals can check the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment">Get My Payment</a>&nbsp;tool on IRS.gov to see the payment status of these payments. Additional information on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments">Economic Impact Payments</a> is available on IRS.gov.

IRS, Treasury release state-by-state data on third round of COVID relief

ROOKS COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating an officer involved shooting that occurred early Sunday morning in Plainville.

The KBI was asked to assist at approximately 1:20 a.m. on Sunday, according to a media release. KBI agents and the Crime Scene Response Team (CSRT) responded to investigate the shooting.

At approximately 12:50 a.m., an officer of the Plainville Police Department arrived at a convenience store at 601 S. Washington in Plainville. He had learned that a female subject identified 29-year-old Nicole Dechant, of Hays, was at the store purchasing food. He was aware that Dechant had a misdemeanor warrant for her arrest.

Preliminary information indicates that the officer approached Dechant when she was seated on a curb outside the convenience store. He explained that she would be taken into custody on the warrant. During the interaction, Dechant reached inside her bag and took out a firearm. The officer then drew his firearm and gave repeated commands for Dechant to put down the gun. Dechant ignored the commands, and the officer fired multiple times striking Dechant. Shots were fired at approximately 1 a.m.

Lifesaving measures were attempted and EMS responded to the store. The coroner pronounced Dechant deceased at the scene. The officer was uninjured during the incident.

The KBI will conduct a thorough and independent investigation into this shooting. Once completed the findings will be turned over to the Rooks County Attorney for review.

ROOKS COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal officer involved shooting in the small Rooks County town of Plainville.

The shooting occurred just after 1a.m. Sunday in the 600 Block of South Washington and a female victim was pronounced dead, according to Kansas Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Melissa Underwood.&nbsp;&nbsp;No officers were injured.

Authorities have not released the victim's name or other details. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1624834231329.png" alt="Nicole Dechant from an earlier arrest in Philips County" />
 <figcaption>Nicole Dechant from an earlier arrest in Philips County</figcaption>
 </figure>ROOKS COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating an officer involved shooting that occurred early Sunday morning in Plainville.The KBI was asked to assist at approximately 1:20 a.m. on Sunday, according to a media release. KBI agents and the Crime Scene Response Team (CSRT) responded to investigate the shooting.At approximately 12:50 a.m., an officer of the Plainville Police Department arrived at a convenience store at 601 S. Washington in Plainville. He had learned that a female subject identified 29-year-old Nicole Dechant, of Hays, was at the store purchasing food. He was aware that Dechant had a misdemeanor warrant for her arrest.Preliminary information indicates that the officer approached Dechant when she was seated on a curb outside the convenience store. He explained that she would be taken into custody on the warrant. During the interaction, Dechant reached inside her bag and took out a firearm. The officer then drew his firearm and gave repeated commands for Dechant to put down the gun. Dechant ignored the commands, and the officer fired multiple times striking Dechant. Shots were fired at approximately 1 a.m.Lifesaving measures were attempted and EMS responded to the store. The coroner pronounced Dechant deceased at the scene. The officer was uninjured during the incident.The KBI will conduct a thorough and independent investigation into this shooting. Once completed the findings will be turned over to the Rooks County Attorney for review.---------ROOKS COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal officer involved shooting in the small Rooks County town of Plainville.The shooting occurred just after 1a.m. Sunday in the 600 Block of South Washington and a female victim was pronounced dead, according to Kansas Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Melissa Underwood.&nbsp;&nbsp;No officers were injured.Authorities have not released the victim's name or other details. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

KBI IDs woman who died in Kan. officer-involved shooting 

SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — The death toll from the collapse of a Florida beachfront condo building has risen to nine as search-and-rescue efforts continue, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Sunday.

One person died in the hospital, and workers pulled four more bodies from the wreckage, the mayor said.

Scores of rescue workers remained on the massive pile of rubble, working to find survivors among the more than 150 people who remain unaccounted for. Four of the dead have been identified and next of kin notified, the mayor said.

Four days after Thursday’s collapse,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-education-religion-lifestyle-caa7f48c23277637b8a7ed921c1f162d">more than 150 people remain unaccounted for</a>&nbsp;in Surfside, and authorities and loved ones fear the toll will go much higher.

As rotating teams of rescuers used heavy machinery and power tools to clear the rubble from the top and tunnel in from below, the Noriega family hoped that their 92-year-old matriarch, Hilda Noriega, had somehow survived.

When Mike Noriega heard that part of the condominium tower where his grandmother lived had collapsed, he rushed with his father to the scene. They arrived at a nightmarish 30-foot pile of broken concrete and mangled metal, the remains of the 12-story building known as Champlain Towers South.

But among the flying debris, they stumbled across mementos that bore witness to Hilda’s life on the sixth floor: an old picture of her with her late husband and their infant son, and a birthday card that friends from her prayer group sent two weeks earlier with the acronym “ESM,” Spanish for “hand-delivered,” scrawled across the yellow envelope with a butterfly etching.

“There was a message in the mess of all this,” said Mike Noriega, who last spoke with his grandmother the day before the disaster. “It means not to give up hope. To have faith.”

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett sought to assure families Sunday that rescuers were working nonstop. “Nothing else on our mind, with the only objective of pulling their family members out of that rubble,” he told ABC’s “This Week.”

“We’re not going to stop doing that -- not today, not tomorrow, not the next day. We’re going to keep going until everybody’s out.”

The Noriega family described Hilda as a fiercely independent and vivacious retiree — in Mike’s words, “the youngest 92-year-old I know ... 92 going on 62.”

Hilda Noriega had called Champlain Towers South home for more than 20 years. But six years after her husband’s death, she was ready to leave. The condo was for sale, and she planned to move in with family.

She loved living near the ocean and friends, but “when you lose a spouse, you want to be surrounded by family ... and she wanted to spend more time with her family and grandchildren,” said Sally Noriega, Hilda’s daughter-in-law.

Hilda Noriega was a loving person who built a life with her husband and raised a family after coming to the U.S. from Cuba in 1960, her daughter-in-law said.

“She was just one of those people who from the first time she met a person she instantly loved that person, and that person instantly loved her,” Sally said.

Carlos Noriega, Hilda’s son and police chief of nearby North Bay Village, was one of the emergency responders atop the pile.

The Noriegas don’t entirely know what to make of the treasured mementos found amid the chaos, but Sally said: “We are a family of faith. We’ll just leave it at that.”

They are among dozens of anguished families awaiting word on the fate of loved ones. The wait has been agonizing.

The atmosphere inside a hotel ballroom where around 200 family members were being briefed by authorities Saturday was tense, two people present told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversations.

The two said families frustrated with the slow pace of recovery efforts had demanded they be allowed to go to the scene and attempt a collective shout — an attempt as much to find survivors as a cathartic farewell to those who had died.

The mayor said Saturday that the identification of three bodies had dropped the number of people unaccounted for down to 156, and crews also discovered other unspecified human remains. The remains are being sent to the medical examiner, and authorities are gathering DNA samples from family members to aid in identification.

A video posted online showed an official briefing families. When he said they had found remains among the rubble, people began sobbing.

Late Saturday, four of the victims were identified, as Stacie Dawn Fang, 54; Antonio Lozano, 83, and Gladys Lozano, 79; and Manuel LaFont, 54.

Burkett said a city official had led a cursory review of the nearby&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fl-state-wire-business-038431368e29b1d3c2729e11e7e536ab">Champlain Towers North and Champlain Towers East</a>&nbsp;buildings but “didn’t find anything out of the ordinary.”

The news came after word of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fl-state-wire-florida-2a241993956ea842262e593812ad3ada">2018 engineering report</a>&nbsp;that showed the building, which was built in 1981, had “major structural damage” to a concrete slab below its pool deck that needed extensive repairs, part of a series of documents released by the city of Surfside.

Further documentation showed the estimated cost of the repairs would total over $9 million. That included more than $3.8 million for garage, entrance and pool remediation and nearly $3.2 million for fixes to the exterior façade.

While officials said no cause for the collapse early Thursday has been determined, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said a “definitive answer” was needed in a timely manner.

SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — Rescue crews found another body in the rubble of a collapsed 12-story condominium tower near Miami on Saturday, raising the death toll to five as they raced to recover any survivors while fighting back fire and smoke deep inside the concrete and metal remains.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced the heightened toll at an evening news briefing, saying the identification of three bodies had dropped the number of unaccounted for down to 156. She said crews also discovered other unspecified human remains.

Officials said the remains they find are being sent to the medical examiner, and they are also gathering DNA samples from family members to help identify them.

Separately, a video posted online showed an official briefing families of missing loved ones. When he said they had found remains among the rubble, people began sobbing.

Throughout the day, rescue workers scoured the mountain of debris with trained dogs and sonar, searching for any survivors. “Our top priority continues to be search and rescue and saving any lives that we can,” the mayor said.

But crews had to fight flames in the debris during the day. At one point Saturday, a fire hose blasted one of the lower floors on the north side of the tower as white smoke or steam streamed out. A bitter, sulfur-like smell hung in the air.

“The stench is very thick,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said.

A crane removed pieces of debris from the more than 30-foot pile in the city of Surfside, and scores of rescuers used big machines, small buckets, drones, microphones and their own hands to pick through the rubble.

For many anxious for missing loved ones, the wait was agonizing. The atmosphere inside a hotel ballroom where around 200 family members were being briefed by authorities was tense, two people present told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversations.

Among those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-education-religion-lifestyle-caa7f48c23277637b8a7ed921c1f162d">awaiting word</a>&nbsp;of loved ones was Rachel Spiegel, whose mother, 66-year-old Judy Spiegel, lived on the sixth floor. Speaking beside her siblings, she said Saturday that “we’re trying to hold it together.”

“I know my mom is a fighter. I know she loves us. I know she doesn’t want to give up. So, you know, it’s day three, so it’s hard,” Spiegel said.

President Joe Biden said via Twitter that he had spoken with DeSantis on Friday to offer assistance as needed.

“My heart is with the community of Surfside as they grieve their lost loved ones and wait anxiously as search and rescue efforts continue,” Biden tweeted.

Authorities announced they were beginning an audit of buildings nearing their 40-year review — like the fallen Champlain Towers South — to make sure they’re safe. The mayor asked other cities in the county to join the building review and said there will be state and federal funding to help.

Federal Emergency Management Agency officials have joined local and state authorities at the site, DeSantis said. He added a nearby “sister building” of the collapsed tower is also being looked at because it was built at the same time and with the same designer.

Late Saturday, Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said that a city official had led a cursory review of the nearby Champlain Towers North and Champlain Towers East buildings.

“They didn’t find anything out of the ordinary,” he said.

He emphasized the priority now was on rescuing anyone still alive.

“What we’re doing now is we’re saving lives and we’re bringing people out of the rubble. What we’re going to do in the next phase, after we address support for the families, is we are going to do a very deep dive into why this building fell down,” Burkett said.

Burkett had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fl-state-wire-business-038431368e29b1d3c2729e11e7e536ab">said earlier he was working on a plan</a>&nbsp;to temporarily relocate residents of the Champlain Towers North, which was constructed the same year and sits about 100 yards away from the collapsed building, and that FEMA has agreed to pay for lodging.

The mayor said he didn’t plan to order residents to evacuate, but if he lived there, “I’d be gone.”

Surfside city staffers had also been gathering details about Champlain Towers East, which was built in a different style and apparently was built at a different time.

The news came after word of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fl-state-wire-florida-2a241993956ea842262e593812ad3ada">2018 engineering report that showed</a>&nbsp;the building had “major structural damage” to a concrete slab below its pool deck that needed extensive repairs, part of a series of documents released by the city of Surfside.

While officials said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fl-state-wire-florida-2a241993956ea842262e593812ad3ada">no cause for the collapse early Thursday has been determined</a>, DeSantis said a “definitive answer” was needed in a timely manner. Video showed the center of the building appearing to tumble down first, followed by a section nearer to the beach.

The 2018 report was part of preliminary work by the engineering company conducting the building’s required inspections for a recertification due this year of the building’s structural integrity at 40 years. The condominium tower was built in 1981.

A federal agency specializing in disaster losses and structure failures is sending a half dozen scientists and engineers to collect direct information at the site, for determining whether to pursue a more thorough study.

The first team members arrived Friday, said Jason Averill, an official at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. That agency also investigated the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11, and more recently, Hurricane Maria devastation in Puerto Rico, among other disasters.

Separately, the government of Israel said it was sending a team of engineering and rescue specialists to aid the search. Israeli media have reported that some 20 citizens of that country were believed among the missing.

Another 22 people unaccounted for were from Argentina, Venezuela, Uruguay and Paraguay, including relatives of Paraguayan first lady Silvana de Abdo Benítez.

SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — Fire and smoke coming from deep inside the concrete and metal remains of a collapsed 12-story condominium tower near Miami hampered rescue efforts Saturday as emergency workers raced to recover any survivors beneath the mountain of rubble.

Rescuers used infrared technology, water and foam to battle the blaze, whose source was unclear, and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said the smoke has been the biggest challenge. In a news conference, she described the blaze as “very deep” and said rescuers faced “incredible difficulties” because of the flames.

A fire hose blasted one of the lower floors on the north side of the tower as white smoke or steam streamed out, and a bitter, sulfur-like smell hung in the air.

Among those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-education-religion-lifestyle-caa7f48c23277637b8a7ed921c1f162d">anxiously awaiting word</a>&nbsp;of missing loved ones was Rachel Spiegel, whose mother, 66-year-old Judy Spiegel, lived on the sixth floor. Speaking alongside her siblings, she said Saturday that “we’re trying to hold it together.”

One hundred fifty-nine people were still unaccounted for two days after Thursday’s collapse, which killed at least four.

Federal Emergency Management Agency officials have joined local and state authorities at the site, DeSantis said. He added that a nearby “sister building” of the collapsed tower is also being looked at because it was built at the same time and with the same designer.

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fl-state-wire-business-038431368e29b1d3c2729e11e7e536ab">said he was working on a plan</a>&nbsp;to temporarily relocate residents of the Champlain Towers North, which was constructed the same year and sits about 100 yards away from the collapsed building, and that FEMA has agreed to pay for lodging.

Burkett added that he was also trying to arrange an emergency inspection and until that happens, he can’t tell residents whether they’re safe in their homes.

“I know that the identical building collapsed for an inexplicable reason,” Burkett said. “Buildings in the United States do not just fall down. ... Something very, very wrong was going on at that building, and we need to find out.”

Surfside city staffers were also gathering details about a third building, Champlain Towers East, which was built in a different style and appears to have been constructed at a different time.

The government of Israel said it was sending a team of engineering and rescue specialists to assist in the search. Israeli media have reported that some 20 citizens of that country were believed to be among the missing.

SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — Officials say fire has spread amid the rubble of the collapsed condominium in South Florida, hampering rescue efforts. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Saturday that the flames are deep and firefighters have not been able to find their source. She says 159 remain unaccounted for. 

A 2018 engineering report said that the oceanfront condominium building that collapsed this week near Miami had “major structural damage” to a concrete structural slab below its pool deck that needed extensive repairs. 

The engineering report did not warn of imminent danger from the damage. But it did note the need for costly repairs to fix the slab as well as damaged concrete columns beams and walls.

SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — The tortuous wait for word of nearly 160 people unaccounted for after an oceanfront condominium building collapsed near Miami, killing at least four, is taking a toll on relatives who can do little but pray and hope their loved ones will somehow be found alive in an increasingly dire hunt for survivors.

As scores of rescuers used big machines, small buckets, drones, microphones and their own hands on Friday to pick through the mountain of debris that had been the 12-story Champlain Towers South, Rachel Spiegel was anxious for any update on her missing mother, 66-year-old Judy Spiegel, who lived on the sixth floor.

“I’m just praying for a miracle,” Spiegel said. “We’re heartbroken that she was even in the building.”

Jeanne Ugarte was coming to grips with what she feared was a tragic end for longtime friends Juan and Ana Mora and their son Juan Jr., who was visiting his parents in their condo at the tower.

“I know they’re not going to find them (alive),” Ugarte said. “It’s been too long.”

Hopes rested on how quickly crews could complete their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-technology-business-029e3e9686b5a40e30175ebd77353ebd">grim, yet delicate task</a>&nbsp;in Surfside, just a few miles north of Miami’s South Beach.

“Any time that we hear a sound, we concentrate in that area,” Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah said. “It could be just steel twisting, it could be debris raining down, but not specifically sounds of tapping or sounds of a human voice.”

Buffeted by gusty winds and pelted by intermittent rain, two heavy cranes removed debris from the pile using large claws Friday, creating a din of crashing glass and metal as they picked up material and dumped it to the side. A smoky haze rose from the site.

Once the machines paused, firefighters wearing protective masks and carrying red buckets climbed atop the pile to remove smaller pieces by hand in hope of finding spots where people might be trapped. In a parking garage, rescuers in knee-deep water used power tools to cut into the building from below.

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said crews were doing everything possible to save as many people as they could.

“We do not have a resource problem, we have a luck problem,” he said.

Families cling to hope as condo collapse toll rises 

BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — A civil rights group warned Uber Eats that its app profiles place transgender drivers at risk of harassment and violence, prompting the company to apologize to a Kansas man and to resolve issues within the app that outed him.

The move came after American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas released a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/20970486-uber-eats-letter" target="_blank">letter</a>&nbsp;it had sent the day earlier to the food delivery service on behalf of Laine Repic, a 41-year-old transgender man in Topeka, Kansas, who has been driving for the company since April.

The ACLU of Kansas contended that Uber Eats has forced Repic to have his app profile display his legal name, which he no longer uses and which does not match his male gender presentation — effectively outing him as transgender. It noted that Repic has experienced harassment and ridicule as a result when he drops off food to customers and has made him fearful for his safety.

“Having to, like, drive around with that name following you everywhere from customers it was nerve racking and it was scary and we shouldn’t have to be put in that position — especially when it was such a simple fix,” Repic said Tuesday in a phone interview.

Repic said he reached out to the ACLU because he needed someone who would have his back and Uber didn’t seem to support him.

“While nobody was physically, violently attacking me, these microaggressions they eat at you over and over and over again... I shouldn’t have to tell my life story and I shouldn’t have to be forced back into the closet because of that. It wears on you, it’s draining, it’s tiring, it’s demeaning because it’s like you are not being taken seriously. Having to fight for your own identity, it absolutely takes a mental toll on you. And this was my breaking point,” Repic said,

In an emailed statement to The Associated Press, Uber apologized to Repic for the difficulties he faced as he tried to make changes to his profile within the app — which it said have now been resolved.

“We recognize that for transgender and non-binary drivers and delivery people, the name on their ID does not always reflect their true identity,” the company said. “That’s why we recently announced they can choose to display their self-identified first name, without requiring the display of their legal name.”

The company added it was working to further improve its systems, and has set up a fund to help drivers and delivery people cover the cost of updating their name and gender on state and federal ID’s.

Repic and the ACLU learned of the company’s statement after the AP read it them during an interview. It was not immediately known if the San Francisco-based company later reached out to Repic personally.

“I’m glad they did this and hopefully they will get those systems in place,” Repic said. “It shouldn’t have taken all this to get there.”

Repic said he had previously tried unsuccessfully to update his driver profile so it shows his correct first name and pronouns. Repeatedly he contacted the company through messaging on the driver app as well as emails and phone calls. He has been given the run-around or no response at all, said Sharon Brett, legal director for the ACLU of Kansas.

“In addition to possibly violating state and federal law, forcing transgender UberEats drivers to deliver under their dead names is bad policy,” the ACLU wrote. “It needlessly places transgender drivers at risk of harassment, degradation, and violence.”

The ACLU said that for many people obtaining a legal name change can be a long, difficult and expensive process.

Gabriel Arkles, senior counsel for the Transgender Legal Defense &amp; Education Fund, said some employers have been moving in the “right direction” but still have a long way to go since the U.S. Supreme court in a landmark 2020 ruling held that the Civil Rights Act protects employees against discrimination because they are gay or transgender.

“This issue brings out some of the differences between saying a company treats people equally and actually creating conditions for people to have equal access to employment... To really achieve the promise of the Supreme Court victory, we need to make sure that the actual practices of companies like Uber Eats are changing,” Arkles said

By ROXANA HEGEMANBELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — A civil rights group warned Uber Eats that its app profiles place transgender drivers at risk of harassment and violence, prompting the company to apologize to a Kansas man and to resolve issues within the app that outed him.The move came after American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas released a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/20970486-uber-eats-letter" target="_blank">letter</a>&nbsp;it had sent the day earlier to the food delivery service on behalf of Laine Repic, a 41-year-old transgender man in Topeka, Kansas, who has been driving for the company since April.The ACLU of Kansas contended that Uber Eats has forced Repic to have his app profile display his legal name, which he no longer uses and which does not match his male gender presentation — effectively outing him as transgender. It noted that Repic has experienced harassment and ridicule as a result when he drops off food to customers and has made him fearful for his safety.“Having to, like, drive around with that name following you everywhere from customers it was nerve racking and it was scary and we shouldn’t have to be put in that position — especially when it was such a simple fix,” Repic said Tuesday in a phone interview.Repic said he reached out to the ACLU because he needed someone who would have his back and Uber didn’t seem to support him.“While nobody was physically, violently attacking me, these microaggressions they eat at you over and over and over again... I shouldn’t have to tell my life story and I shouldn’t have to be forced back into the closet because of that. It wears on you, it’s draining, it’s tiring, it’s demeaning because it’s like you are not being taken seriously. Having to fight for your own identity, it absolutely takes a mental toll on you. And this was my breaking point,” Repic said,In an emailed statement to The Associated Press, Uber apologized to Repic for the difficulties he faced as he tried to make changes to his profile within the app — which it said have now been resolved.“We recognize that for transgender and non-binary drivers and delivery people, the name on their ID does not always reflect their true identity,” the company said. “That’s why we recently announced they can choose to display their self-identified first name, without requiring the display of their legal name.”The company added it was working to further improve its systems, and has set up a fund to help drivers and delivery people cover the cost of updating their name and gender on state and federal ID’s.Repic and the ACLU learned of the company’s statement after the AP read it them during an interview. It was not immediately known if the San Francisco-based company later reached out to Repic personally.“I’m glad they did this and hopefully they will get those systems in place,” Repic said. “It shouldn’t have taken all this to get there.”Repic said he had previously tried unsuccessfully to update his driver profile so it shows his correct first name and pronouns. Repeatedly he contacted the company through messaging on the driver app as well as emails and phone calls. He has been given the run-around or no response at all, said Sharon Brett, legal director for the ACLU of Kansas.“In addition to possibly violating state and federal law, forcing transgender UberEats drivers to deliver under their dead names is bad policy,” the ACLU wrote. “It needlessly places transgender drivers at risk of harassment, degradation, and violence.”The ACLU said that for many people obtaining a legal name change can be a long, difficult and expensive process.Gabriel Arkles, senior counsel for the Transgender Legal Defense &amp; Education Fund, said some employers have been moving in the “right direction” but still have a long way to go since the U.S. Supreme court in a landmark 2020 ruling held that the Civil Rights Act protects employees against discrimination because they are gay or transgender.“This issue brings out some of the differences between saying a company treats people equally and actually creating conditions for people to have equal access to employment... To really achieve the promise of the Supreme Court victory, we need to make sure that the actual practices of companies like Uber Eats are changing,” Arkles said

Uber Eats tackles app profile issue that outs trans drivers 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Deaths among Medicare patients in nursing homes soared by 32% last year, with two devastating spikes eight months apart, a government watchdog reported Tuesday in the most comprehensive look yet at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the ravages of COVID-19</a>&nbsp;among its most vulnerable victims.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/OEI-02-20-00490.asp" target="_blank">report from the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services</a>&nbsp;found that about 4 in 10 Medicare recipients in nursing homes had or likely had COVID-19 in 2020, and that deaths overall jumped by 169,291 from the previous year, before the coronavirus appeared.

“We knew this was going to be bad, but I don’t think even those of us who work in this area thought it was going to be this bad,” said Harvard health policy professor David Grabowski, a nationally recognized expert on long-term care, who reviewed the report for The Associated Press.

“This was not individuals who were going to die anyway,” Grabowski added. “We are talking about a really big number of excess deaths.”

Investigators used a generally accepted method of estimating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricanes-puerto-rico-f500b09dcb670d12c4c185fd24017eca">“excess” deaths in a group of people after a calamitous event</a>. It did not involve examining individual death certificates of Medicare patients but comparing overall deaths among those in nursing homes to levels recorded the previous year. The technique was used to estimate deaths in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria in 2017 and in New York City after the first coronavirus surge last spring. It does not attribute a cause of death but is seen as a barometer of impact.

Death rates were higher in every month last year when compared with 2019. The report documented two spikes with particular implications for government policy and for protecting the most vulnerable in future outbreaks of life-threatening illnesses. In April of last year, a total of 81,484 Medicare patients in nursing homes died. Then eight months later, after lockdowns and frantic efforts to expand testing — but before vaccines became widely available — nursing home patients accounted for a staggering 74,299 deaths in December.

“This is happening long after it was clear that nursing homes were particularly vulnerable,” said Nancy Harrison, a deputy regional inspector general who worked on the report.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-nursing-homes-coronavirus-pandemic-health-4575fbefb2cf87e96c82043ef94e5ff3">“We really have to look at that. Why did they remain so vulnerable?”</a>&nbsp;Federal investigators are still drilling down to try to document the chain of causes and effects.

There was no immediate reaction from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which sets standards for nursing homes.

The report was the most comprehensive yet from the government because it included statistics for the early part of last year, during the initial coronavirus surge. Medicare did not require nursing homes to report COVID-19 cases and deaths occurring before May 8, more than four months into the pandemic year.

In another new finding, the report showed that cases and deaths among Asian American patients tracked with the more severe impacts seen among Blacks and Latinos. Indeed, Asian Medicare enrollees in nursing homes saw the highest increase in death rates, with 27% dying in 2020 compared to 17% the previous year. For whites, the death rate grew to 24% in 2020 from 18% in 2019, a significant increase but not as pronounced.

Death rates for Hispanic and Black patients were 23% last year, up from 15% in 2019.

The inspector general’s office based its analysis on Medicare billing data. It also included patients in Medicare Advantage plans sold by private insurers. Although Medicare does not cover long-term care, the vast majority of nursing home patients are elderly, and Medicare does cover their medical needs. The report included both patients who live in nursing homes as well as those temporarily at a facility for rehabilitation.

Health economist Tamara Konetzka of the University of Chicago, who also reviewed the report for AP, said building an estimate from individual death certificates would have faced another set of challenges. Especially in the first wave of the pandemic, many who died would not necessarily have been tested for COVID-19, for example.

“By looking at excess deaths you can get away from some of the measurement issues and say how much worse things were in 2020 than in 2019,” explained Konetzka, who has testified before Congress on the impact of COVID-19 in nursing homes.

The inspector general’s findings about Asians highlight a riddle for researchers, said Konetzka. The reasons for higher cases and deaths among Blacks, Hispanics and Asians may not necessarily be tied to race and ethnicity. Instead, minority patients may be clustered in homes located in communities with more severe outbreaks.

The report also found that low-income nursing home patients covered by Medicare and Medicaid together were much more likely to have gotten COVID-19. The infection rate for that group reached 56%, and 26% died.

Some states suffered worse impacts. By the end of December more than half of the Medicare patients in nursing homes in Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana and New Jersey had or likely had COVID-19.

Across the U.S., the coronavirus found ideal conditions to spread among frail nursing home patients living in close quarters. Many researchers believe it’s likely staffers unwittingly brought the virus in from surrounding communities.

Although facilities locked down in March of last year, government efforts to help were haphazard. The industry complained of chronic shortages of protective gear, including basics like masks and gowns.

The Trump administration initially delegated responsibility for testing to states before belatedly marshaling more federal resources. HHS later laid the groundwork for vaccinations under the Trump administration, and the Biden administration followed through. As vaccination rates rose, nursing home cases plummeted, allowing facilities to again permit family visits.

The country can’t move on yet, said deputy inspector general Harrison. “Hopefully, COVID will go away,” she said. “But once that happens, there will always be infectious diseases, and we all need to ask ourselves what we can do to protect vulnerable nursing home residents going forward.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Deaths among Medicare patients in nursing homes soared by 32% last year, with two devastating spikes eight months apart, a government watchdog reported Tuesday in the most comprehensive look yet at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the ravages of COVID-19</a>&nbsp;among its most vulnerable victims.The&nbsp;<a href="https://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/OEI-02-20-00490.asp" target="_blank">report from the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services</a>&nbsp;found that about 4 in 10 Medicare recipients in nursing homes had or likely had COVID-19 in 2020, and that deaths overall jumped by 169,291 from the previous year, before the coronavirus appeared.“We knew this was going to be bad, but I don’t think even those of us who work in this area thought it was going to be this bad,” said Harvard health policy professor David Grabowski, a nationally recognized expert on long-term care, who reviewed the report for The Associated Press.“This was not individuals who were going to die anyway,” Grabowski added. “We are talking about a really big number of excess deaths.”Investigators used a generally accepted method of estimating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricanes-puerto-rico-f500b09dcb670d12c4c185fd24017eca">“excess” deaths in a group of people after a calamitous event</a>. It did not involve examining individual death certificates of Medicare patients but comparing overall deaths among those in nursing homes to levels recorded the previous year. The technique was used to estimate deaths in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria in 2017 and in New York City after the first coronavirus surge last spring. It does not attribute a cause of death but is seen as a barometer of impact.Death rates were higher in every month last year when compared with 2019. The report documented two spikes with particular implications for government policy and for protecting the most vulnerable in future outbreaks of life-threatening illnesses. In April of last year, a total of 81,484 Medicare patients in nursing homes died. Then eight months later, after lockdowns and frantic efforts to expand testing — but before vaccines became widely available — nursing home patients accounted for a staggering 74,299 deaths in December.“This is happening long after it was clear that nursing homes were particularly vulnerable,” said Nancy Harrison, a deputy regional inspector general who worked on the report.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-nursing-homes-coronavirus-pandemic-health-4575fbefb2cf87e96c82043ef94e5ff3">“We really have to look at that. Why did they remain so vulnerable?”</a>&nbsp;Federal investigators are still drilling down to try to document the chain of causes and effects.There was no immediate reaction from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which sets standards for nursing homes.The report was the most comprehensive yet from the government because it included statistics for the early part of last year, during the initial coronavirus surge. Medicare did not require nursing homes to report COVID-19 cases and deaths occurring before May 8, more than four months into the pandemic year.In another new finding, the report showed that cases and deaths among Asian American patients tracked with the more severe impacts seen among Blacks and Latinos. Indeed, Asian Medicare enrollees in nursing homes saw the highest increase in death rates, with 27% dying in 2020 compared to 17% the previous year. For whites, the death rate grew to 24% in 2020 from 18% in 2019, a significant increase but not as pronounced.Death rates for Hispanic and Black patients were 23% last year, up from 15% in 2019.The inspector general’s office based its analysis on Medicare billing data. It also included patients in Medicare Advantage plans sold by private insurers. Although Medicare does not cover long-term care, the vast majority of nursing home patients are elderly, and Medicare does cover their medical needs. The report included both patients who live in nursing homes as well as those temporarily at a facility for rehabilitation.Health economist Tamara Konetzka of the University of Chicago, who also reviewed the report for AP, said building an estimate from individual death certificates would have faced another set of challenges. Especially in the first wave of the pandemic, many who died would not necessarily have been tested for COVID-19, for example.“By looking at excess deaths you can get away from some of the measurement issues and say how much worse things were in 2020 than in 2019,” explained Konetzka, who has testified before Congress on the impact of COVID-19 in nursing homes.The inspector general’s findings about Asians highlight a riddle for researchers, said Konetzka. The reasons for higher cases and deaths among Blacks, Hispanics and Asians may not necessarily be tied to race and ethnicity. Instead, minority patients may be clustered in homes located in communities with more severe outbreaks.The report also found that low-income nursing home patients covered by Medicare and Medicaid together were much more likely to have gotten COVID-19. The infection rate for that group reached 56%, and 26% died.Some states suffered worse impacts. By the end of December more than half of the Medicare patients in nursing homes in Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana and New Jersey had or likely had COVID-19.Across the U.S., the coronavirus found ideal conditions to spread among frail nursing home patients living in close quarters. Many researchers believe it’s likely staffers unwittingly brought the virus in from surrounding communities.Although facilities locked down in March of last year, government efforts to help were haphazard. The industry complained of chronic shortages of protective gear, including basics like masks and gowns.The Trump administration initially delegated responsibility for testing to states before belatedly marshaling more federal resources. HHS later laid the groundwork for vaccinations under the Trump administration, and the Biden administration followed through. As vaccination rates rose, nursing home cases plummeted, allowing facilities to again permit family visits.The country can’t move on yet, said deputy inspector general Harrison. “Hopefully, COVID will go away,” she said. “But once that happens, there will always be infectious diseases, and we all need to ask ourselves what we can do to protect vulnerable nursing home residents going forward.”

Report: Nursing home deaths up 32% in 2020 amid pandemic

PHILLIPS COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just after 3p.m. Saturday in Phillips County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Honda ATV driven by Terry Lynn Gitchel, 64, Phillipsburg, was northbound in a pasture&nbsp; at 550 East 700 Road&nbsp; attempting to go up a steep incline. 

The ATV was unable to make the incline and flipped over backwards. Gitchel was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel. He was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.

PHILLIPS COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just after 3p.m. Saturday in Phillips County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Honda ATV driven by Terry Lynn Gitchel, 64, Phillipsburg, was northbound in a pasture&nbsp; at 550 East 700 Road&nbsp; attempting to go up a steep incline. The ATV was unable to make the incline and flipped over backwards. Gitchel was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel. He was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after ATV flips on steep incline

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence man has pleaded no contest to endangering a child after a 5-year-old boy shot and critically injured a 6-year-old friend at his home.

Rashun Lewis, 28, agreed to the plea deal Wednesday for a charge of aggravated endangering of a child.

The injured boy, Tayshawn Mack Harris, was shot in the head and flown to Children’s Mercy hospital in critical condition on Aug. 5 but he later stabilized, The Lawrence Journal-World reported.

Tayshawn's family told the newspaper that he was visiting longtime family friends when he was shot. In a police affidavit, Lewis' wife, Charon Dillon, told investigators her 5-year-old son and Tayshawn were playing in a different room and must have found Lewis’ gun.

Lewis told police he heard a gunshot, ran into the couple’s bedroom and found the two boys under the bed. When Tayshawn stood up, he started bleeding from his head, according to the affidavit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1624578424206.png" alt="Lewis photo Douglas Co." />
 <figcaption>Lewis photo Douglas Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence man has pleaded no contest to endangering a child after a 5-year-old boy shot and critically injured a 6-year-old friend at his home.Rashun Lewis, 28, agreed to the plea deal Wednesday for a charge of aggravated endangering of a child.The injured boy, Tayshawn Mack Harris, was shot in the head and flown to Children’s Mercy hospital in critical condition on Aug. 5 but he later stabilized, The Lawrence Journal-World reported.Tayshawn's family told the newspaper that he was visiting longtime family friends when he was shot. In a police affidavit, Lewis' wife, Charon Dillon, told investigators her 5-year-old son and Tayshawn were playing in a different room and must have found Lewis’ gun.Lewis told police he heard a gunshot, ran into the couple’s bedroom and found the two boys under the bed. When Tayshawn stood up, he started bleeding from his head, according to the affidavit.