A 15-year-old Missouri high school student died two days after suffering a medical emergency. It’s the third case to happen in the U.S. this week.

Around 5:32 p.m. on Wednesday Aug. 14 the Johnson County Med-Act were dispatched to Shawnee Mission Northwest High School in Shawnee, about 10 miles south of Kansas City, after a medical emergency was reported, a press release from the emergency care service said.  

When the emergency responders arrived, the 15-year-old boy was in critical, life-threatening condition. He was then transported to a local hospital, the emergency service said.  

“We have learned that the patient has passed away,” Capt. Joe Folsom of the Johnson County Med-Act told USA TODAY in a statement. “MED-ACT would like to extend our sympathies to the patient’s family, friends, and other loved ones.” 

The Shawnee Mission School District identified the student as Ovet Gomez-Regalado and identified him as a sophomore at Shawnee Mission High School, according to a local outlet KSHB-TV, 

Football-Related Death: 14-year-old Alabama high school football player collapses, dies at practice

Shawnee Mission School District sends letter to families about football player’s death

Shawnee Mission Northwest High School’s principal sent the following letter home to parents regarding Gomez-Regalado’s death, according to reporting by local outlet KDFW-TV, who obtained the letter.

“I am writing to share some difficult news with you. This morning, we learned of the death of Ovet Gomez Regalado, a sophomore here at Shawnee Mission Northwest, High School,” the letter read. “As you can imagine, it has been an extremely difficult time for the family. Ovet was such a warm and wonderful student that touched the hearts of so many in our community.”  

The letter goes on to say that many of Gomez-Regalado’s classmates may “need time to process what has happened.” The school district is taking steps to help their community cope with this tragic loss.  

“School and district staff will be available to talk with anyone who is struggling to handle their emotions around this difficult issue,” the letter said. “If your child would like to talk with someone, please encourage them to let an adult know, and we will help them.” 

USA TODAY reached out to Shawnee Mission School District but have not received a response.

3 high school football-related deaths have been reported this week

Gomez-Regalado’s death is the third reported death of a high school football player in 12 days.

Javion Taylor, 15, died after doing about 40 minutes of light drills on Aug. 5, according to the school district in Hopewell, Virginia.

Semaj Wilkins, 14, suffered a medical emergency during an afternoon football practice on Aug. 13, in Alabama.

Expert says August is the ‘deadliest month’ for heat

“August is the deadliest month for high school athletes because of the heat,” said Madeleine Orr, an associate professor in sport ecology at the University of Toronto in Ontario and author of “Warming Up: How Climate Change is Changing Sport.”

“A person doesn’t escalate into exertional heat stroke out of nowhere. There’s external signs,” Orr said.

Even if there’s no visual clues for a person to see, the athlete would be feeling it, Orr said.

“The athlete has to feel comfortable telling a coach or a trainer, I don’t feel well,” she said.

Orr and others are concerned about the increasing risks to athletes of all ages as the climate warms.

July and August are the most deadly months for heat-related deaths among athletes, Orr said.

77 heat-related deaths have been reported since 2000

According to a USA TODAY database, at least 77 heat-related deaths have been reported among athletes since 2000. Of those deaths, 75% occurred during the months of July and August, and 65% of the fatalities were among teenagers. The numbers do not include the recent deaths.

“Temperatures are higher and the athletes aren’t yet acclimatized to playing in tough conditions,” Orr said. “It’s when the athletes are the least ready and it’s the hottest time.”

“Athletes are coming back to practices a little less fit than they would have been a few months ago and not acclimatized to the heat at this time.”

Experts say heat-related deaths are largely underreported in the U.S., in part because the official signing a death certificate may not be aware of the circumstances that led to the hospitalization or death.

It’s “really hard to track” deaths from exertional heat stroke, Orr said. “You need an internal body temperature at that time.”

“If coaches don’t know to check, by the time the athlete gets to the hospital the illness might be attributed to something else,” she said.

GoFundMe account created for Kansas City high school football player

A family friend, Candie Dearing, created a GoFundMe account to help the Gomez-Regalado family.  

In a post on the account, Dearing said that Gomez-Regalado was his parent’s youngest son.  

“Ovet was only 15 years old and one of the kindest humans,” Dearing wrote. “He was always offering a huge smile with a hug. All that knew him loved him. Let’s all come together and show them support and help them while they grieve this huge loss in their family.”  

At the time of publication, the account raised $19,571 of the $25,000 goal.  

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.

Corey Flagg and Khalil Jacobs were on two opposite sides of the Missouri Tigers defensive coordinator switch.

Flagg, a transfer from Miami, was recruited by former defensive coordinator Blake Baker. Then the defensive coordinator at Miami, Baker helped recruit Flagg as an incoming freshman to the Hurricanes.

When Flagg entered the transfer portal, Baker came calling from Missouri. Flagg committed to the Tigers on December 21, 2023. 15 days later, Baker transferred his coordinating duties from one Tigers to another, accepting the job at LSU.

“What drew me was Baker,” Flagg said in a press conference during fall camp. “He ended up leaving, so it was a big thing on trusting (head) coach (Eli) Drink(witz), (linebackers) coach DJ (Smith), the staff here. Everything they’ve said they were going to do, they’ve done. They provided us opportunities to compete, and we’ve been competing.”

Flagg stuck with Missouri with the promised opportunity to compete. To earn his opportunities. He’s competing with the likes of South Alabama transfer Khalil Jacobs.

Missouri hired Corey Batoon from South Alabama to fill in Baker’s spot on January 26, 2023. Four months into the job in late May, he successfully lured his former linebacker away from Alabama and Ole Miss. The connection to Batoon played a role for Jacobs, rated as a three-star transfer, but was not the deciding factor.

“Obviously it played a part in it,” Jacobs said of Batoon in an interview. “But ultimately the reason I decided to transfer was to better myself and have a better opportunity for my career going forward. Obviously the dream goal is the league and I’m trying to do everything I can to get there.”

A deep room with heavy competition can be one of the best way for a player like Jacobs to improve his game. It was a selling point for Flagg after Baker left.

“They (the coaching staff) just told me they would give me an opportunity to compete,” Flagg said. “That’s just their culture. The biggest example they gave me was Cody (Schrader). … So (Drinkwitz) has just given everybody an opportunity to compete at at the starting spot. That’s what I love about playing here, what I love about coach Drink.”

The Missouri linebacker room is full of ultra athletic players. Through offseason practices, Jacobs is confident the group will be difficult to face this season.

“These guys here, we compete every day,” Jacobs said. “We got a thing that we do, we do our times for our speed and these guys flying, so I think we’re gonna be exceptionally well here. We’re gonna fly to the ball. We’re gonna get there and make plays. When we get there, we’re gonna make sure we got someone coming behind.”

With the skillsets of both Jacobs and Flagg, however, the competition in the linebacker room won’t necessarily be a one-on-one race to be a starter. The two transfers have the versatility to line up at multiple different spots over the field. In their college careers thus far, both can use their speed to hunt down quarterbacks, drop back in coverage or hunt through a scuffle to bring down a runner.

Jacobs is a light 218 lbs at 6’2″. In 2023 at South Alabama, Jacobs recorded 53 total tackles, three sacks and one interception. He might not have the frame to be the most powerful tackler but he is an agile defender that brings some of the same traits that former linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper brought to the table. Smith described him as a raw, talented, linebacker that can get downhill to strike people.

This offseason, Jacobs looked to become a better run defender to become a more well-rounded player.

“I think that’s what I lacked a lot last year,” Jacobs said, “was being able to get good run fits and so I’ve been really working on this offseason to be able to know where to fit and be able to have someone behind me when I get there.”

Flagg played all over the field in his four seasons at Miami, serving as a starter in 2021 and 2022. He is slightly heavier than Jacobs at 230 lbs and 6’0″ but still has the speed to patrol the middle of the field. He brings flexibility and injury insurance to the Missouri defense to play at multiple linebacker positions.

“It’s good that we all can play different positions,” Jacobs said. “We’re not going to be stuck at one. We can all move around and have different pieces. Injuries are gonna happen. Obviously we’re not, looking for them but they might happen and it’s good that we have players that can move around.”

With Miami, Flagg recorded 174 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. In his final year of eligibility, Flagg is not only looking to be a part of what he hopes to be a special team but also improve his individual game.

“I’ve been able to grow really well,” Flagg said. “Coach DJ has really helped me. … I’m really good at engaging blocks, but once I engage, it’s like, getting off of it. That’s something he’s seen in my game that I can take to another level.”

Both Jacobs and Flagg are still looking to find their roles as both players and leaders. It might take some time for the two to gel but the culture Missouri has built has stood out to the two.

“STP (something to prove) is not just something we say, it’s something we live out,” Jacobs said. “When I got here. everybody talking about ‘one more’ of everything. … All the workouts, we got one more, one more of this, one more of that.”

Flagg recognizes the special chance to jump on the ride and help finish the job for a team that has had to earn each step it’s made over the past few years.

“All these guys have been through so much adversity,” Flagg said. “(Quarterback) Brady (Cook) built this program up from where he was when he first got here. Coming in and finishing what those guys started was really key. I could feel that energy that they had. I just want to help finish it off.”

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ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – Bird flu has infected cattle in a number of states this year but so far, Missouri’s herds have stayed clean. The state veterinarian says that’s in part due to the biosecurity measures in the state.

With the Missouri State Fair well underway, First Alert 4 headed to Sedalia to check in with farmers about how increased protections for this year’s Fair impacted them and protected their cows.

The bird flu is the common name for Avian Influenza, which can be devastating to flocks of chickens and other birds, according to veterinarians.

Because of the high number of outbreaks, and the transfer of the virus from livestock to humans, the USDA has launched an online tracker.

THE BIRD FLU

As of today, the USDA does not currently report any livestock cases of the bird flu in Missouri.

Some versions of the virus can show no signs, the MDA says. Others require a rapid response because it can be fatal to chickens and is highly contagious.

“The goal is to quickly contain and eradicate the disease, protecting our poultry industry, and in turn, the American consumer,” the MDA website states.

The USDA is monitoring an outbreak in dairy herds across multiple areas of the United States.

In the last month, a total of six states have reported Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI or bird flu) by the USDA.

In that same time frame 29 cases have been reported in Idaho, South Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Texas — and the hardest hit area — Colorado.

While most states have five or less cases, but Colorado is currently reporting more than 16 in the state, USDA records show.

Other mammals can be infected, including a domestic cat in the Centennial State.

In July, Colorado officials reported 10 cases of bird flu in humans. Officials said that one of the infected worked on a dairy farm, while the remaining cases worked on poultry farms.

But many other states have had cattle herds hit by cases of bird flu this year — including neighbors of Missouri.

Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Wyoming and Idaho have all reported cases since March, according to the USDA’s online tracker.

Still, the CDC says human risk remains low.

Missouri State Veterinarian Steve Strubberg tells First Alert 4 that his department is ready to help any owner who finds their animals infected.

“These health requirements are in place for the 2024 Missouri State Fair in an effort to protect the dairy industry and all of agriculture,” Dr. Strubberg said in a statement. “There have been no cases of H5N1 influenza detected in Missouri dairy cattle. Still, we want to operate in a manner of caution while allowing dairy exhibitors the opportunity to show their animals.”

The disease is a common affliction on in animals across the globe, according to the CDC. Technically known as H5 – avian influenza infects animals through shared air.

Wild birds can catch the disease, and then by mixing with controlled flocks, the infection can spread across farms and ranches, according to animal experts.

COWS & OUTBREAKS

Recently, some dairy cows in the U.S., as well as humans, have become infected with H5. The CDC says that outbreaks in both poultry and dairy animals caused the infections but the health risk is low.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is partnering with FDA, CDC and state level partners to monitor the outbreak ongoing in dairy cows.

In May, the Missouri Department of Agriculture provided an overview of the disease online.

The bird flu is technically known as influenza type A, which can naturally occur in bird populations. The virus moves from bird to bird through droppings, saliva and their nasal passages. It can infect a wide range of birds from chickens to quail.

At the top of the webpage for the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA), it states, “There is no immediate public health concern,” and that it is safe to eat properly handled chicken and egg products.

“The United States has the strongest AI [avian influenza] surveillance program in the world,” the MDA says.

The MDA has even produced a set of protocols for animals at the State Fair this year. All lactating dairy cattle must test negative for H5N1 within seven days of their arrival at the fairgrounds in Sedalia.

Lactating dairy cow testing information has been provided, and you can view it here.

The dairy cow displays at the Fair are historic, according to the MDA. The goals of precautions being placed at the Fair – like using personal milking machines, and disposing of the milk – are designed to allow the showing of dairy cattle without risk of any spreading.

The Fairgrounds milking parlor is not slated for exhibition of dairy cattle this Fair, according to July communications of the MDA.

RESOURCES & REPORTING

The MDA website has a section dedicated to questions about bird flu, including a section on whether HPAI might spread easier to mammals more often than originally thought.

“Many species are susceptible to influenza viruses, including wildlife that often come into direct contact with wild birds,” MDA says. “Many of these animals were likely infected after consuming or coming into contact with birds that were infected with HPAI.”

In fact, the USDA lists more than 20 mammals that tested positive for bird flu which cover a wide range from bobcats to bottlenose dolphins, and minks to harbor seals.

WARNING SIGNS FOR AVIAN FLU:

MDA says that there are many symptoms including not eating; coughing; lack of noise; decreased egg production and sudden death.

REPORTING SICK ANIMALS:

The Animal Health Division of the MDA is available at 573-751-3377.

Avery Martinez covers water, ag & the environment for First Alert 4. He is also a Report for America corps member. RFA places talented, emerging journalists in newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, an award-winning nonprofit journalism organization dedicated to rebuilding journalism from the ground up.

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