City of Abilene Won’t Pay Ransom Demand
The City of Abilene has decided not to pay a ransom demand made by cyber attackers, and federal authorities are investigating the incident.
According to city officials, a “ransomware” attack, allegedly perpetrated by a group of cyber criminals known as “Qilin,” occurred April 18, and resulted in 477 gigabytes of data being stolen from the city.
The group gave the City of Abilene until May 27 to pay up, or the data would be ‘released.”
According to news reports, essential city services remain operational, but other departments have been affected by the network outage resulting from the attack.
— The Abilene Reporter-News
Municipal Pool Opens for 86th Season Saturday
Summer swimming season kicks off Saturday at noon and will remain open for the Memorial Day holiday on May 26, from noon to 6 p.m.
Normal hours of operation are noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The pool is located at 18 E. Ave. A.
*Note that entry-fee payment has moved to card only.
Reservations for private parties will be accepted online at sanangelo.gov/civicrec. For pricing information, visit sanangelo.gov/pool. Further questions may be directed to the Recreation Division at 325-657-4450.City offices will be closed Monday, May 26, in observance of Memorial Day.
Fort Concho Memorial Day Program Set
Fort Concho will host a Memorial Day program at 9 a.m. Monday, May 26, on the Parade Ground in front of the Headquarters building. In the event of poor weather, the program will be moved to the Commissary building.
The guest speaker will be Army veteran Charles Anderson, whose combat-disabled daughter flew as a medevac pilot with the 101st Airborne, and served as an air-assault commander with the 10th Mountain Division.
Memorial salutes will be provided by the Fort Concho Living History program and the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
Refreshments will be provided by the Pocahontas Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, organizers of the event.
Fort Concho will be open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Memorial Day for self-guided tours.
Municipal, County Offices Closed Monday
Most government offices will be closed Monday, in observance of Memorial Day, but there will be no interruption in trash collection.
The landfill will be closed Saturday, May 24, but will be open Memorial Day.
Annual Water Treatment Change Begins May 30
The City of San Angelo Water Utilities Department will change how it disinfects the public water supply from May 30 to June 30. This annual preventive maintenance helps maintain the water distribution system.
Water users may note a slight change in the smell, taste and appearance of their water that should subside after a couple of weeks. This may include a chlorine odor and minor discoloration. The water will remain safe for all normal uses.
Chlorine levels and water-quality standards in the distribution system will be monitored daily to ensure all regulatory standards are met.
The Water Utilities Department normally uses chloramine, a mix of ammonia and chlorine, to disinfect water. From May 30 to June 30, the department will use only chlorine, also known as free chlorine, which is a stronger disinfectant than chloramine. This is an annual practice common for municipal water systems.
— From Lorelei Day, City of San Angelo Communications Dept.
Measles Outbreak Showing Signs of Slowing
Only four new cases of measles were reported in the latest update on the outbreak from the Texas Department of State Health Services, bringing the total number of cases to 722 since late January.
A total of 92 patients have required hospitalization since the outbreak began, and there have been two fatalities in school-aged children from the outbreak area who were not vaccinated.
Officials hope the months-long push for vaccinations is beginning to show results.
Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, health authorities say additional cases are still likely to occur in the outbreak area.
Based on the most recent data, current outbreak counties include: Cochran, Dawson, Gaines, Lamar, Lubbock, Terry and Yoakum.
Dallam County has been removed from the list with 42 days passing since any new cases were reported.
— Dept. of State Health Services
