A case of whooping cough has been confirmed at Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, prompting the school district to alert families and advise them to monitor for symptoms. The state has reported 170 cases of whooping cough this year, a significant increase from the five-year average of 33 cases. The illness, which spreads through respiratory droplets, is particularly dangerous for infants, children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. Parents are urged to contact their physician if symptoms appear.
Elias Diaz, the suspect arrested for attacking park-goers with a machete in Pennypack Park, has been charged with the assault and murder of Rebecca Park in 2003, a crime believed to be connected to the long-sought Fairmount Park rapist. Diaz had been living in a makeshift camp behind Lincoln High School, where he set up a charcoal grill, hung clothes from tree branches, and stored various items. Police had identified Diaz as a suspect in the old rape cases through genealogy analysis, but his whereabouts remained unknown until his recent arrest. The investigation into his older crimes is ongoing, and authorities are reevaluating open sexual assault and homicide cases that may fit the pattern of Diaz's alleged attacks.
