By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post

After spending most of Training Camp in St. Joseph recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson returned to practice last week.

Watson played through most of last season with a shoulder injury, choosing not to sit out.

Since returning from the physically unable to perform list near the end of camp, his first practice coming at the start of last week, Watson says it's been a challenge

"You know the coach is pushing me to get my conditioning back, get my legs back, so it's been going good as of late," Watson tells reporters following practice.

Watson is competing with players like Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson to earn the number two cornerback spot behind Trent McDuffie.

Watson says the competition has been fun, but it's nothing new.

"We've been doing this for three years, it's always been healthy competition, we always root for each other's success, and whoever is going to take the spot is going to be willing of it," Watson says.

On top of a battle for the second cornerback spot, another battle has caught the eyes of fans during Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph.

The battle for the starting left tackle between second year pro Wanya Morris and rookie Kingsley Suamataia has been one of the biggest camp battles.

Suamataia got his first bit of game action on Saturday against the Jaguars and says he feels good about his performance

"I went against one of the pass rushers in the league Josh Allen, he's a dog I've watched him since I was in college and high school, so it was a great experience," Suamataia says. "It's funny, I went against this guy, and I was like 'Ok I belong here, I can play with these guys', but I just can't wait for Detroit now."

With Morris currently injured, Suamataia has been getting most of the reps with the first team offense and does look poised to earn the starting job.

The Chiefs were on the practice fields for just over two hours today. They practice again Wednesday at 9:15 a.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723574554305.jpeg" alt="Chiefs fans have been treated to several players competing to win a spot at their position during Chiefs Training Camp/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs fans have been treated to several players competing to win a spot at their position during Chiefs Training Camp/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph PostAfter spending most of Training Camp in St. Joseph recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson returned to practice last week.Watson played through most of last season with a shoulder injury, choosing not to sit out.Since returning from the physically unable to perform list near the end of camp, his first practice coming at the start of last week, Watson says it's been a challenge"You know the coach is pushing me to get my conditioning back, get my legs back, so it's been going good as of late," Watson tells reporters following practice.Watson is competing with players like Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson to earn the number two cornerback spot behind Trent McDuffie.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723574620919.jpeg" alt="Joshua Wiliams, one player competing for the second cornerback spot, walks down the hill to practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Joshua Wiliams, one player competing for the second cornerback spot, walks down the hill to practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>Watson says the competition has been fun, but it's nothing new."We've been doing this for three years, it's always been healthy competition, we always root for each other's success, and whoever is going to take the spot is going to be willing of it," Watson says.On top of a battle for the second cornerback spot, another battle has caught the eyes of fans during Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721759260951.jpeg" alt="Kingsley Suamataia signs autographs for fans/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Kingsley Suamataia signs autographs for fans/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>The battle for the starting left tackle between second year pro Wanya Morris and rookie Kingsley Suamataia has been one of the biggest camp battles.Suamataia got his first bit of game action on Saturday against the Jaguars and says he feels good about his performance"I went against one of the pass rushers in the league Josh Allen, he's a dog I've watched him since I was in college and high school, so it was a great experience," Suamataia says. "It's funny, I went against this guy, and I was like 'Ok I belong here, I can play with these guys', but I just can't wait for Detroit now."With Morris currently injured, Suamataia has been getting most of the reps with the first team offense and does look poised to earn the starting job.The Chiefs were on the practice fields for just over two hours today. They practice again Wednesday at 9:15 a.m.

🏈 Chiefs fans see position battles play out during Training Camp in St. Joseph

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

A male suspect was arrested after a 911 call was made from inside a trailer connected to the vehicle he allegedly stole in Hays.

According to Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler, 33-year-old Tyler James Goodwin of Derby allegedly stole a truck from Walmart Sunday night.

At 10:27 p.m., dispatch received a 911 call from a woman inside a box trailer who had been sleeping and awoke to find the trailer moving.

Ellis County Deputy Tanner Dixson spotted the 2002 white Ford F-250 and trailer and initiated a pursuit as it traveled eastbound on Interstate 70, speeding to Russell County and through Gorham.

The pursuit lasted about 30 minutes, and Goodwin reached speeds of around 80 miles per hour. It ended in rural Russell County near a set of train tracks, Scheibler said.

Goodwin was arrested without further incident. The woman sustained minor injuries and was transported to Russell Regional Hospital, where she was released later that night.

Goodwin faces several pending charges, including aggravated burglary, aggravated battery, theft of property, fleeing or attempting to elude, possession of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm.

He was booked into Ellis County Jail on Monday morning.

Scheibler said he appreciates Dixson, the Ellis County Sheriff's Office, the Russell County Sheriff's Office and the Kansas Highway Patrol for their involvement in the chase.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723591128598.png" alt="Goodwin from an earlier arrest in Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Goodwin from an earlier arrest in Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostA male suspect was arrested after a 911 call was made from inside a trailer connected to the vehicle he allegedly stole in Hays.According to Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler, 33-year-old Tyler James Goodwin of Derby allegedly stole a truck from Walmart Sunday night.At 10:27 p.m., dispatch received a 911 call from a woman inside a box trailer who had been sleeping and awoke to find the trailer moving.Ellis County Deputy Tanner Dixson spotted the 2002 white Ford F-250 and trailer and initiated a pursuit as it traveled eastbound on Interstate 70, speeding to Russell County and through Gorham.The pursuit lasted about 30 minutes, and Goodwin reached speeds of around 80 miles per hour. It ended in rural Russell County near a set of train tracks, Scheibler said.Goodwin was arrested without further incident. The woman sustained minor injuries and was transported to Russell Regional Hospital, where she was released later that night.Goodwin faces several pending charges, including aggravated burglary, aggravated battery, theft of property, fleeing or attempting to elude, possession of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm.He was booked into Ellis County Jail on Monday morning.Scheibler said he appreciates Dixson, the Ellis County Sheriff's Office, the Russell County Sheriff's Office and the Kansas Highway Patrol for their involvement in the chase.

Suspect arrested for allegedly stealing a truck, trailer with a woman inside in Hays

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

Almost two inches of rain fell overnight in Hays Monday.

The official total measured at the K-State Agricultural Center south of town was 1.84 inches as of 8 a.m.&nbsp;

That puts Hays at 3.40 inches for the month as of Aug. 13 and above the cumulative average of 3.01 inches by the end of the month.

 Hays has received 17.30 inches of moisture so far this year, closing in on the cumulative average of 17.70 inches at the end of August.&nbsp;

The <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/ad7d6b47-a206-4b17-b09a-2caa71c8f2d9">three-day weather forecast</a> is calling for a chance of thunderstorms again on Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723559074564.jpeg" alt="National Weather Service, Dodge City&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>National Weather Service, Dodge City&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostAlmost two inches of rain fell overnight in Hays Monday.The official total measured at the K-State Agricultural Center south of town was 1.84 inches as of 8 a.m.&nbsp;That puts Hays at 3.40 inches for the month as of Aug. 13 and above the cumulative average of 3.01 inches by the end of the month. Hays has received 17.30 inches of moisture so far this year, closing in on the cumulative average of 17.70 inches at the end of August.&nbsp;The <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/ad7d6b47-a206-4b17-b09a-2caa71c8f2d9">three-day weather forecast</a> is calling for a chance of thunderstorms again on Thursday.

Nearly 2 inches of rain falls in Hays overnight Monday; total rainfall amount ahead for Aug.

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump recounted his assassination attempt in vivid detail, promised the largest deportation in U.S. history and shared a plan to shut down the U.S. Education Department during a high-profile return to the social media platform formerly known as Twitter — a conversation that was plagued by technical glitches.

“If I had not turned my head, I would not be talking to you right now — as much as I like you," Trump told X’s owner Elon Musk.

Musk, a former Trump critic, said the Republican nominee's toughness, as demonstrated by his reaction to last month's shooting, was critical for national security.

“There’s some real tough characters out there," Musk said. "And if they don’t think the American president is tough, they will do what they want to do.”

The rare public conversation between Trump and Musk, which spanned more than two hours and was overwhelmingly friendly, revealed little new about Trump’s plans for a second term. The former president spent much of the discussion focused on his recent assassination attempt, illegal immigration and his plans to cut government regulations.

Still, the online meeting underscored just how much the U.S. political landscape has changed less than four years after Trump was permanently banned by the social media platform’s former leadership for spreading disinformation that sparked the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress and undermined the very foundation of the American democracy.

Such disinformation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-trump-misinformation-election-lies-5137a88a58eaaca0e45ba043db911d15">has thrived at X</a>&nbsp;under Musk’s leadership, although it was largely ignored during his conversation with Trump save for a passing Trump reference to a “rigged election.”

The session was intended to serve as a way for the former president to reach potentially millions of voters directly. It was also an opportunity for X, a platform that relies heavily on politics, to redeem itself after some struggles.

With more than 878,000 users connected to the meeting more than 40 minutes after the scheduled start time, the interview had not yet begun. Many users received a message reading, “Details not available."

Trump's team posted that the “interview on X is being overwhelmed with listeners logging in.” And once the meeting began, Musk apologized for the late start and blamed a “massive attack” that overwhelmed the company's system. Trump’s voice sounded muffled at times.

“Not available????? I planned my whole day around this,” wrote conservative commentator Glenn Beck.

“Please let Elon know we can’t join,” billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman posted.

Ahead of the event, Musk posted on the platform that X was conducting “some system scaling tests” to handle what was anticipated to be a high volume of participants.

The rocky start was reminiscent of a May 2023 social media conversation between Musk and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Republican governor was using the social media platform as a way to officially announce his presidential bid,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twitter-spaces-musk-desantis-presidential-f1d67097d0ec19616bd0b0d320cb27d1">a disastrous rollout</a>&nbsp;marred by technical glitches, overloaded by the more than 400,000 people who tried to dial in.

Trump's Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, noted that Trump mocked DeSantis at the time.

“Wow! The DeSanctus TWITTER launch is a DISASTER! His whole campaign will be a disaster. WATCH!” Trump wrote in a message reposted by Harris' campaign Monday.

Once the interview ended, Harris’ campaign responded with a statement saying, “Trump’s entire campaign is in service of people like Elon Musk and himself — self-obsessed rich guys who will sell out the middle class and who cannot run a livestream in the year 2024.”

Monday’s meeting highlighted the evolving personal relationship between Trump and Musk, two of the world’s most powerful men, who have shifted from being bitter rivals to unlikely allies over the span of one election season.

Musk, who described himself as a “moderate Democrat” until recently, suggested in 2022 that Trump was too old to be president again. Still, Musk&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1812256998588662068">formally endorsed</a>&nbsp;Trump two days after his assassination attempt last month.

During their talk, Trump welcomed the idea of Musk joining his next administration to help cut government waste. Musk volunteered to join a prospective “government efficiency commission.”

“You’re the greatest cutter,” Trump told Musk. “I need an Elon Musk — I need somebody that has a lot of strength and courage and smarts. I want to close up the Department of Education, move education back to the states.”

Even before his endorsement, the tech CEO had already been working privately to support a pro-Trump super PAC. The group, known as America PAC, is now under investigation by election officials for alleged misleading attempts to collect data from voters.

Meanwhile, Trump has softened his criticism of electric vehicles, citing Musk’s leadership of Tesla. And on Monday, at least, Trump returned to Musk’s social media platform in force. The former president made at least eight individual posts in the hours leading up to the Musk interview.

Long before he endorsed Trump, Musk turned increasingly toward the right in his posts and actions on the platform, also using X to try to sway political discourse around the world. He's gotten in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-musk-x-twitter-moraes-bef06c0dbbb8ed87495b1afbb0edf211">dustup with a Brazilian judge</a>&nbsp;over censorship, railed against what he calls the “woke mind virus” and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-immigrants-parole-biden-trump-musk-dbd634820b3f8d07b859b8a05b2b20a7">amplified false claims</a>&nbsp;that Democrats are secretly flying in migrants to vote in U.S. elections.

Musk has also reinstated previously banned accounts such as the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and Trump, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-media-michael-flynn-social-media-f41b11060d7703e3a3136ddb5eefa055">kicked off the platform</a>&nbsp;— then known as Twitter — two days after the Jan. 6 violence, with the company citing “the risk of further incitement of violence.” By November 2022, Musk had bought the company, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-biden-twitter-inc-technology-congress-d88e3de4b3cc095926dc133f53dc3320">Trump’s account was reinstated</a>, although the former president refrained from tweeting until Monday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-media-social-donald-trump-2bc528a6c43fc943c08819f2376bb24a">insisting that he was happier</a>&nbsp;on his own Truth Social site, which he launched during the ban.

Trump's audience on X is legions larger than on Truth Social, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/truth-social-donald-trump-djt-ipo-digital-world-7437d5dcc491a1459a078195ae547987">became a publicly traded company</a>&nbsp;earlier this year. Trump has just over 7.5 million followers on Truth Social, while his mostly dormant X account is followed by 88 million. Musk's account, which hosted the interview, has more than 193 million followers.

In a reminder that the world was watching, the chat prompted a preemptive note of caution from Europe.

Thierry Breton, a French business executive and commissioner for internal market of the European Union, warned Musk of possible “amplification of harmful content” by broadcasting his interview with Trump. In a letter posted on X, Breton urged Musk to “ensure X’s compliance” with EU law, including the Digital Services Act, adopted in 2022 to address a number of issues including disinformation.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung urged the EU to “mind their own business instead of trying to meddle in the U.S. Presidential election.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723512136730.png" alt="Photo by Deputy Director of Communications, Donald J. Trump for President&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Deputy Director of Communications, Donald J. Trump for President&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump recounted his assassination attempt in vivid detail, promised the largest deportation in U.S. history and shared a plan to shut down the U.S. Education Department during a high-profile return to the social media platform formerly known as Twitter — a conversation that was plagued by technical glitches.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/cPUMFx9Qu5">pic.twitter.com/cPUMFx9Qu5</a>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1823254086126608862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“If I had not turned my head, I would not be talking to you right now — as much as I like you," Trump told X’s owner Elon Musk.Musk, a former Trump critic, said the Republican nominee's toughness, as demonstrated by his reaction to last month's shooting, was critical for national security.“There’s some real tough characters out there," Musk said. "And if they don’t think the American president is tough, they will do what they want to do.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Combined views of the conversation with <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> and subsequent discussion by other accounts now ~1 billion <a href="https://t.co/s8x8QmdmnY">https://t.co/s8x8QmdmnY</a>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1823249070296797515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The rare public conversation between Trump and Musk, which spanned more than two hours and was overwhelmingly friendly, revealed little new about Trump’s plans for a second term. The former president spent much of the discussion focused on his recent assassination attempt, illegal immigration and his plans to cut government regulations.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723514711398.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Still, the online meeting underscored just how much the U.S. political landscape has changed less than four years after Trump was permanently banned by the social media platform’s former leadership for spreading disinformation that sparked the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress and undermined the very foundation of the American democracy.Such disinformation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-trump-misinformation-election-lies-5137a88a58eaaca0e45ba043db911d15">has thrived at X</a>&nbsp;under Musk’s leadership, although it was largely ignored during his conversation with Trump save for a passing Trump reference to a “rigged election.”The session was intended to serve as a way for the former president to reach potentially millions of voters directly. It was also an opportunity for X, a platform that relies heavily on politics, to redeem itself after some struggles.It did not begin as planned.With more than 878,000 users connected to the meeting more than 40 minutes after the scheduled start time, the interview had not yet begun. Many users received a message reading, “Details not available."Trump's team posted that the “interview on X is being overwhelmed with listeners logging in.” And once the meeting began, Musk apologized for the late start and blamed a “massive attack” that overwhelmed the company's system. Trump’s voice sounded muffled at times.Trump supporters were openly frustrated.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723546138094.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“Not available????? I planned my whole day around this,” wrote conservative commentator Glenn Beck.“Please let Elon know we can’t join,” billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman posted.Ahead of the event, Musk posted on the platform that X was conducting “some system scaling tests” to handle what was anticipated to be a high volume of participants.The rocky start was reminiscent of a May 2023 social media conversation between Musk and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Republican governor was using the social media platform as a way to officially announce his presidential bid,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twitter-spaces-musk-desantis-presidential-f1d67097d0ec19616bd0b0d320cb27d1">a disastrous rollout</a>&nbsp;marred by technical glitches, overloaded by the more than 400,000 people who tried to dial in.Trump's Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, noted that Trump mocked DeSantis at the time.“Wow! The DeSanctus TWITTER launch is a DISASTER! His whole campaign will be a disaster. WATCH!” Trump wrote in a message reposted by Harris' campaign Monday.Once the interview ended, Harris’ campaign responded with a statement saying, “Trump’s entire campaign is in service of people like Elon Musk and himself — self-obsessed rich guys who will sell out the middle class and who cannot run a livestream in the year 2024.”Monday’s meeting highlighted the evolving personal relationship between Trump and Musk, two of the world’s most powerful men, who have shifted from being bitter rivals to unlikely allies over the span of one election season.Musk, who described himself as a “moderate Democrat” until recently, suggested in 2022 that Trump was too old to be president again. Still, Musk&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1812256998588662068">formally endorsed</a>&nbsp;Trump two days after his assassination attempt last month.During their talk, Trump welcomed the idea of Musk joining his next administration to help cut government waste. Musk volunteered to join a prospective “government efficiency commission.”“You’re the greatest cutter,” Trump told Musk. “I need an Elon Musk — I need somebody that has a lot of strength and courage and smarts. I want to close up the Department of Education, move education back to the states.”Even before his endorsement, the tech CEO had already been working privately to support a pro-Trump super PAC. The group, known as America PAC, is now under investigation by election officials for alleged misleading attempts to collect data from voters.Meanwhile, Trump has softened his criticism of electric vehicles, citing Musk’s leadership of Tesla. And on Monday, at least, Trump returned to Musk’s social media platform in force. The former president made at least eight individual posts in the hours leading up to the Musk interview.Long before he endorsed Trump, Musk turned increasingly toward the right in his posts and actions on the platform, also using X to try to sway political discourse around the world. He's gotten in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-musk-x-twitter-moraes-bef06c0dbbb8ed87495b1afbb0edf211">dustup with a Brazilian judge</a>&nbsp;over censorship, railed against what he calls the “woke mind virus” and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-immigrants-parole-biden-trump-musk-dbd634820b3f8d07b859b8a05b2b20a7">amplified false claims</a>&nbsp;that Democrats are secretly flying in migrants to vote in U.S. elections.Musk has also reinstated previously banned accounts such as the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and Trump, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-media-michael-flynn-social-media-f41b11060d7703e3a3136ddb5eefa055">kicked off the platform</a>&nbsp;— then known as Twitter — two days after the Jan. 6 violence, with the company citing “the risk of further incitement of violence.” By November 2022, Musk had bought the company, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-biden-twitter-inc-technology-congress-d88e3de4b3cc095926dc133f53dc3320">Trump’s account was reinstated</a>, although the former president refrained from tweeting until Monday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-media-social-donald-trump-2bc528a6c43fc943c08819f2376bb24a">insisting that he was happier</a>&nbsp;on his own Truth Social site, which he launched during the ban.Trump's audience on X is legions larger than on Truth Social, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/truth-social-donald-trump-djt-ipo-digital-world-7437d5dcc491a1459a078195ae547987">became a publicly traded company</a>&nbsp;earlier this year. Trump has just over 7.5 million followers on Truth Social, while his mostly dormant X account is followed by 88 million. Musk's account, which hosted the interview, has more than 193 million followers.In a reminder that the world was watching, the chat prompted a preemptive note of caution from Europe.Thierry Breton, a French business executive and commissioner for internal market of the European Union, warned Musk of possible “amplification of harmful content” by broadcasting his interview with Trump. In a letter posted on X, Breton urged Musk to “ensure X’s compliance” with EU law, including the Digital Services Act, adopted in 2022 to address a number of issues including disinformation.Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung urged the EU to “mind their own business instead of trying to meddle in the U.S. Presidential election.”

🎥 A billion combined views: The Trump-Musk full conversation

ELLSWORTH COUNTY — Law enforcement across Kansas continue to  see more drivers traveling well above the posted speed limit. On Saturday night, Trooper Jacoby Williams was out on patrol,&nbsp;according to a social media report from the Kansas Highway Patrol.

During his shift, Williams stopped a vehicle on Interstate 70 in Ellsworth County for traveling 114 mph in a 75 mph zone, failing to drive in the right lane, and having an unrestrained child in the car. 

The KHP did not release details on the cost of the ticket or additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723476277152.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>ELLSWORTH COUNTY — Law enforcement across Kansas continue to see more drivers traveling well above the posted speed limit. On Saturday night, Trooper Jacoby Williams was out on patrol,&nbsp;according to a social media report from the Kansas Highway Patrol.During his shift, Williams stopped a vehicle on Interstate 70 in Ellsworth County for traveling 114 mph in a 75 mph zone, failing to drive in the right lane, and having an unrestrained child in the car. The KHP did not release details on the cost of the ticket or additional details.

KHP: Driver with unrestrained child clocked at 114mph on I-70

By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN Special to Hays Post

The Catholic Diocese of Salina is made up of more than 35,000 parishioners in 86 parishes across the northern half of Kansas.

With 12 active parishes, Ellis County sits in the middle of the vast, 26,685-square mile diocese that stretches from Manhattan in eastern Kansas to the Colorado border.

So what better location to host a Eucharistic Conference than in the predominantly Catholic county seat of Hays? And what better venue than Fort Hays State University, home of the Comeau Catholic Campus Center?

Led in part by Hays natives Bill Meagher and Father Gale Hammerschmidt, the diocese put on a conference for the ages that brought more than 1,100 people to campus to spend a day and a half with fellow members of their faith.

Meagher, director of youth ministry, religious education, and family life for the diocese, headed up the committee that planned and implemented the conference in just six months.

A member of that committee was Fr. Gale, director of evangelization and communication for the diocese who also serves as chaplain of St. Isidore’s Catholic Student Center at Kansas State University in Manhattan.

“I love the fact that this conference was held in the center of the diocese,” said Fr. Gale, one of the conference emcees. “And I love that it was in my hometown. Hays is the place where I learned about God and first encountered the Catholic Church. I brag about Hays every day of my life.”

Meagher was quick to give credit to the entire committee as well as the 50-plus volunteers who helped with various duties leading up to, during and after the conference.

“I definitely thought it was possible to pull this off because of who we had on the planning committee and all the great sponsors and volunteers who stepped up to make it happen,” Meagher said. “It was definitely a team effort.”

Every parish in Hays, as well as other parishes around the diocese, offered volunteer help.

The conference promoted attendees to “prepare to be inspired and transformed” at the conference, “an event to ignite the daft of our entire Catholic diocese.” And that it did.

The highlight of the conference was keynote speaker Bishop Joseph Espaillat from the Archdiocese of New York, who, at 47, is the youngest bishop in the country.

Bishop Gerald “Jerry” Vincke of the Salina Diocese and the other 12,000-plus attendees were inspired by Bishop Joseph’s candidness at the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in Indianapolis, Indiana, last November.

He had talked of how joyful he was – and how all Catholics should be – living a joyful life.

It was announced at NCYC that Indianapolis also would be the site of the huge National Eucharistic Congress scheduled for this summer.

Bishop Jerry knew there were some people from his diocese who wouldn’t be able to attend the Eucharistic Congress. In an effort to give everyone a chance to participate in such an inspirational event, he consulted Meagher and others, asking if it was possible to hold such a conference in the diocese.

“Bishop Vincke had the idea after praying about what our diocese needed,” Meagher said. “The Holy Spirit put this on his heart, and he wanted to bring this conference to the diocese.”

Bishop Jerry thought it was an ideal way to portray the diocese's mission: "Together, let us be disciples of Jesus on mission."

“I trust Bishop Vincke very much,” Fr. Gale said. “The idea for this conference was perfect, to take what we were doing on a national level and do it on a local level.”

But could all the planning, including finding the right venue, be done in such a short time?

“We kind of went with what the early-church concept – going out with nothing but the clothes on our back and let the Holy Spirit lead you,” Meagher said.

The committee researched several locations in different cities.

Father Andy Hammeke, chaplain of FHSU’s Catholic Campus Center, indicated he had been wanting to bring a conference of this type to the FHSU students he serves at the campus center. So, he and the CCCC took the lead in hosting the conference.

So, on a cool Friday evening in mid-August, parishioners from all across the diocese and beyond were joined by priests, deacons, seminarians and sisters from two different orders as they made their way to the beautiful Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center in FHSU’s Sheridan Hall.

Some came alone, others brought their entire families. And many came early with the intention of finding a good seat in Beach/Schmidt.

They soon found that every seat was a good one in the auditorium that seats about 1,100.

Nonetheless, two members of St. Joseph Parish in Hays were looking forward to the conference so much that they were seated in Beach/Schmidt about an hour before Friday’s opening session.

They said they learned about the upcoming conference from their church bulletin.

“As soon as it said ‘Eucharistic,’ I knew I was going,” Ramona Herman said.

“Since it was in going to be in Hays, I thought, ‘I have to go,’” agreed Adrienne Cargile.

Fr. Gale, donning a cowboy hat and talking up rural America, gave a colorful introduction of the keynote speaker, known as the Bronx Bishop. Fr. Gale told the audience how grateful he was that Bishop Joseph had made it to Hays at all.

While the planning committee had been keeping an eye on the forecast in Hays, Bishop Joseph was watching the development of a tropical storm that was making its way north out of the Carolinas toward New York.

But he got out of New York in time and arrived in Hays just in the nick of time for the start of the conference.

As it was, both Friday and Saturday turned out unseasonably cool with temperatures in the mid- to low-70s. And Bishop Joseph made it to Hays just in time for his opening session to kick off the weekend.

“I would like to go through the history of our Hays weather and see when the last time it was in the mid-70s in August,” Fr. Gale said. “I have no memory in my lifetime of that. It was a special gift from God to have this kind of weather.”

Some folks even brought jackets and coats to the late-night Eucharistic Adoration under the wide open skies.

The only major change in the schedule came Saturday morning when a rain shower moved the planned rosary from the grotto at Thomas More Prep-Marian to indoors at St. Joseph Church.

Bishop Joseph talked about the four pillars of the National Eucharistic Revival: reinvigorating worship, personal encounter, robust faith formation, and missionary sending.

“The fire has to be from the Eucharist,” he said. “The Eucharist is food for the soul. Nothing will supplant Jesus in the Eucharist.”

He used a baseball analogy in describing the sacraments, saying the center of the baseball (the cork) is baptism, the string around the cork represents the Eucharist, and the leather cover – confirmation.

“The purpose of a baseball is to play ball,” Bishop Joseph said.

Following another robust keynote talk from Bishop Joseph, the rest of the day was filled with numerous breakout sessions, finishing with a late afternoon Mass in FHSU’s lush outdoor quad – more beautiful than ever this August, thanks to recent moisture.

“Seeing that many people, you love seeing the diocese connected,” Meagher said. “Unity and community - that’s what the church is all about.”

While the majority of those attending the event at FHSU are current parishioners in the Salina Diocese, anyone was welcome to attend.

Two of those were former Hays residents, Jeff and Tina Wick, who now live in Wamego – which is part of the Archdiocese of Kansas City.

Tina Wick had attended the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, and she said the inspirational event was life-changing.

“What I experienced from the Eucharistic Congress, I wanted my husband to have a taste of,” she said. “I think the conference in Hays was phenomenal. It goes to show that people are wanting to continue the fire of the Holy Spirit to touch people’s souls – and to keep this revival going.”

Numerous Facebook posts Saturday night and Sunday showed how the conference had energized many.

It’s an experience that will be talked about for a long time. And that’s the idea.

“I’m really excited to see where the Holy Spirit takes us from here,” Meagher said. “I think He’s working in our diocese and has a plan for us.”

“Often, we see lots of division in our society,” Meagher continued. “This was a special opportunity for people from all over our state to come together, meet each other, talk to each other and, most importantly, worship together as a united group.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717536573500.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723515967409.jpeg" alt="Bishop Joseph Espaillat from New York enjoys sharing the gospel with Kansans. Photo by Terri Braun" />
 <figcaption>Bishop Joseph Espaillat from New York enjoys sharing the gospel with Kansans. Photo by Terri Braun</figcaption>
 </figure>By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN Special to Hays PostThe Catholic Diocese of Salina is made up of more than 35,000 parishioners in 86 parishes across the northern half of Kansas.With 12 active parishes, Ellis County sits in the middle of the vast, 26,685-square mile diocese that stretches from Manhattan in eastern Kansas to the Colorado border.So what better location to host a Eucharistic Conference than in the predominantly Catholic county seat of Hays? And what better venue than Fort Hays State University, home of the Comeau Catholic Campus Center?Led in part by Hays natives Bill Meagher and Father Gale Hammerschmidt, the diocese put on a conference for the ages that brought more than 1,100 people to campus to spend a day and a half with fellow members of their faith.Meagher, director of youth ministry, religious education, and family life for the diocese, headed up the committee that planned and implemented the conference in just six months.A member of that committee was Fr. Gale, director of evangelization and communication for the diocese who also serves as chaplain of St. Isidore’s Catholic Student Center at Kansas State University in Manhattan.“I love the fact that this conference was held in the center of the diocese,” said Fr. Gale, one of the conference emcees. “And I love that it was in my hometown. Hays is the place where I learned about God and first encountered the Catholic Church. I brag about Hays every day of my life.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723516151514.jpeg" alt="Bishop Joseph Espaillat asked Eucharistic Conference emcees Sister Amy Marie Havlet and Father Gale Hammerschmidt to pray over him before the beginning of the opening session. Photo by Diane Gasper-O’Brien" />
 <figcaption>Bishop Joseph Espaillat asked Eucharistic Conference emcees Sister Amy Marie Havlet and Father Gale Hammerschmidt to pray over him before the beginning of the opening session. Photo by Diane Gasper-O’Brien</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A team effort</h2>Meagher was quick to give credit to the entire committee as well as the 50-plus volunteers who helped with various duties leading up to, during and after the conference.“I definitely thought it was possible to pull this off because of who we had on the planning committee and all the great sponsors and volunteers who stepped up to make it happen,” Meagher said. “It was definitely a team effort.”Every parish in Hays, as well as other parishes around the diocese, offered volunteer help.The conference promoted attendees to “prepare to be inspired and transformed” at the conference, “an event to ignite the daft of our entire Catholic diocese.” And that it did.The highlight of the conference was keynote speaker Bishop Joseph Espaillat from the Archdiocese of New York, who, at 47, is the youngest bishop in the country.Bishop Gerald “Jerry” Vincke of the Salina Diocese and the other 12,000-plus attendees were inspired by Bishop Joseph’s candidness at the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in Indianapolis, Indiana, last November.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723516256273.jpeg" alt="Seminarians in the Salina Diocese lead the procession of clergy into the afternoon outdoor Mass on the Fort Hays State quad. Photo by Diane Gasper-O’Brien" />
 <figcaption>Seminarians in the Salina Diocese lead the procession of clergy into the afternoon outdoor Mass on the Fort Hays State quad. Photo by Diane Gasper-O’Brien</figcaption>
 </figure>He had talked of how joyful he was – and how all Catholics should be – living a joyful life.It was announced at NCYC that Indianapolis also would be the site of the huge National Eucharistic Congress scheduled for this summer.Bishop Jerry knew there were some people from his diocese who wouldn’t be able to attend the Eucharistic Congress. In an effort to give everyone a chance to participate in such an inspirational event, he consulted Meagher and others, asking if it was possible to hold such a conference in the diocese.“Bishop Vincke had the idea after praying about what our diocese needed,” Meagher said. “The Holy Spirit put this on his heart, and he wanted to bring this conference to the diocese.”Bishop Jerry thought it was an ideal way to portray the diocese's mission: "Together, let us be disciples of Jesus on mission."“I trust Bishop Vincke very much,” Fr. Gale said. “The idea for this conference was perfect, to take what we were doing on a national level and do it on a local level.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723516421366.jpeg" alt="With Bishop Gerald Vincke at his side, Bishop Joseph Espaillat commissions the congregation members to go out and spread the love and word of God. Photo by Terri Braun" />
 <figcaption>With Bishop Gerald Vincke at his side, Bishop Joseph Espaillat commissions the congregation members to go out and spread the love and word of God. Photo by Terri Braun</figcaption>
 </figure>But could all the planning, including finding the right venue, be done in such a short time?“We kind of went with what the early-church concept – going out with nothing but the clothes on our back and let the Holy Spirit lead you,” Meagher said.<h2>Hays: the perfect location</h2>The committee researched several locations in different cities.Father Andy Hammeke, chaplain of FHSU’s Catholic Campus Center, indicated he had been wanting to bring a conference of this type to the FHSU students he serves at the campus center. So, he and the CCCC took the lead in hosting the conference.So, on a cool Friday evening in mid-August, parishioners from all across the diocese and beyond were joined by priests, deacons, seminarians and sisters from two different orders as they made their way to the beautiful Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center in FHSU’s Sheridan Hall.Some came alone, others brought their entire families. And many came early with the intention of finding a good seat in Beach/Schmidt.They soon found that every seat was a good one in the auditorium that seats about 1,100.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723516716012.jpeg" alt="Hundreds of Catholics stand in line to receive Holy Communion during an outdoor Mass at the Eucharistic Conference in Hays. Photo by Terri Braun" />
 <figcaption>Hundreds of Catholics stand in line to receive Holy Communion during an outdoor Mass at the Eucharistic Conference in Hays. Photo by Terri Braun</figcaption>
 </figure>Nonetheless, two members of St. Joseph Parish in Hays were looking forward to the conference so much that they were seated in Beach/Schmidt about an hour before Friday’s opening session.They said they learned about the upcoming conference from their church bulletin.“As soon as it said ‘Eucharistic,’ I knew I was going,” Ramona Herman said.“Since it was in going to be in Hays, I thought, ‘I have to go,’” agreed Adrienne Cargile.<h2>It started with a bang</h2>Fr. Gale, donning a cowboy hat and talking up rural America, gave a colorful introduction of the keynote speaker, known as the Bronx Bishop. Fr. Gale told the audience how grateful he was that Bishop Joseph had made it to Hays at all.While the planning committee had been keeping an eye on the forecast in Hays, Bishop Joseph was watching the development of a tropical storm that was making its way north out of the Carolinas toward New York.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723516899110.jpeg" alt="Bishop Gerald Vincke is joined in prayer by other clergy during Mass. Photo by Terri Braun" />
 <figcaption>Bishop Gerald Vincke is joined in prayer by other clergy during Mass. Photo by Terri Braun</figcaption>
 </figure>But he got out of New York in time and arrived in Hays just in the nick of time for the start of the conference.As it was, both Friday and Saturday turned out unseasonably cool with temperatures in the mid- to low-70s. And Bishop Joseph made it to Hays just in time for his opening session to kick off the weekend.“I would like to go through the history of our Hays weather and see when the last time it was in the mid-70s in August,” Fr. Gale said. “I have no memory in my lifetime of that. It was a special gift from God to have this kind of weather.”Some folks even brought jackets and coats to the late-night Eucharistic Adoration under the wide open skies.The only major change in the schedule came Saturday morning when a rain shower moved the planned rosary from the grotto at Thomas More Prep-Marian to indoors at St. Joseph Church.Bishop Joseph talked about the four pillars of the National Eucharistic Revival: reinvigorating worship, personal encounter, robust faith formation, and missionary sending.“The fire has to be from the Eucharist,” he said. “The Eucharist is food for the soul. Nothing will supplant Jesus in the Eucharist.”He used a baseball analogy in describing the sacraments, saying the center of the baseball (the cork) is baptism, the string around the cork represents the Eucharist, and the leather cover – confirmation.“The purpose of a baseball is to play ball,” Bishop Joseph said.<h2>It ended with a bang</h2>Following another robust keynote talk from Bishop Joseph, the rest of the day was filled with numerous breakout sessions, finishing with a late afternoon Mass in FHSU’s lush outdoor quad – more beautiful than ever this August, thanks to recent moisture.“Seeing that many people, you love seeing the diocese connected,” Meagher said. “Unity and community - that’s what the church is all about.”While the majority of those attending the event at FHSU are current parishioners in the Salina Diocese, anyone was welcome to attend.Two of those were former Hays residents, Jeff and Tina Wick, who now live in Wamego – which is part of the Archdiocese of Kansas City.Tina Wick had attended the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, and she said the inspirational event was life-changing.“What I experienced from the Eucharistic Congress, I wanted my husband to have a taste of,” she said. “I think the conference in Hays was phenomenal. It goes to show that people are wanting to continue the fire of the Holy Spirit to touch people’s souls – and to keep this revival going.”Numerous Facebook posts Saturday night and Sunday showed how the conference had energized many.It’s an experience that will be talked about for a long time. And that’s the idea.“I’m really excited to see where the Holy Spirit takes us from here,” Meagher said. “I think He’s working in our diocese and has a plan for us.”“Often, we see lots of division in our society,” Meagher continued. “This was a special opportunity for people from all over our state to come together, meet each other, talk to each other and, most importantly, worship together as a united group.”

NWester: Catholics converge on FHSU campus for Eucharistic Conference

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post

&nbsp;The
Thunder on the Plains Car Show capped off another successful&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/4425ae9a-9bc7-4433-a419-19cc2ff41f55" target="_blank">summer event</a>&nbsp;with
the recent donation of more than $31,000 to local organizations, including
nearly $17,000 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Missouri and Kansas.

In June, the
Thunder committee marked its ninth-annual car and truck show with a return to
downtown Hays and the continued desire to raise money for local
organizations and nonprofits.

The group
surpassed the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/06165d2f-3f9a-475b-99a7-acedde4a885f">$100,000 donation mark </a>in 2023, but Thunder on the Plains
secretary and treasurer Jackie Lang said they wanted to do something even
bigger.

"We've been
talking about expanding, something where we could get into something larger. We
still want to support our local organizations. We don't want to just forget
about them," Lang said, "but we wanted to get into something bigger."

Lang said the
partnership with Make-a-Wish was extra special for her family after her oldest
son, Brett, received his wish to go to Disney World in 2010. Brett died from
cancer two years later.

Lang’s husband, Mark, who was a big part of the Thunder on the Plains group, died unexpectedly this past Christmas Eve, and she said he was a huge supporter of the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

“Make-a-Wish was
really big in his heart because of our son, Brett,” Lang said. “So, we just
felt like it was a good time to move forward with that.”

Stephanie
Hampton-Boeglin is the chief operating officer for Make-a-Wish Missouri and
Kansas and was in Hays to celebrate the donation earlier this summer.

She said more than 700 children are waiting to receive a wish, and the organization has seen a significant decline in funding since the end of the pandemic.

Hampton-Boeglin said Make-a-Wish was searching for funding to provide wishes for kids
in the Hays community when she began talking to Lang about the group’s
fundraising efforts and said their effort was “incredible.”

“I do believe
that it was some type of divine intervention that we had that call,”
Hampton-Boeglin said. “I was in tears. Jackie was in tears.”

Hampton-Boeglin
said the money raised will benefit families locally.

“Everybody
rallies around one another. So, if one person in the community is really
battling something, the whole town rallies around that,”
Hampton-Boeglin said. “What I love about Thunder on the Plains is they spread
so much joy in wealth, not just wealth in money, but wealth in heart. And to me, that is exactly why anybody, I think, should grow up in a small town.”

At the June car show, children who had been recipients of wishes came and enjoyed the event. One local 3-year-old, Damon Sheeley from Victoria,
who is receiving leukemia treatments, will get to take his family to Disney
World in December. They had planned to announce the reveal of Damon’s wish at
the car show, but he was not feeling well.

Hampton-Boeglin said
the event was great for those who got to attend.

"It really
brought some light—some light to some dark times for our families,"
Hampton-Boeglin said. "For them to be able to tell some kids that they're
going to Disney World or they're going on their wishes coming true, the amount
of joy that brings to the entire family is priceless."

She also praised
the efforts of the community.

"Obviously, we
can't do this alone. It does take a village, and the Hays village spoke loud
and clear. They're sending children to Disney World, and they're getting
their wishes," Hampton-Boeglin said. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723238460736.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post&nbsp;The
Thunder on the Plains Car Show capped off another successful&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/4425ae9a-9bc7-4433-a419-19cc2ff41f55" target="_blank">summer event</a>&nbsp;with
the recent donation of more than $31,000 to local organizations, including
nearly $17,000 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Missouri and Kansas. In June, the
Thunder committee marked its ninth-annual car and truck show with a return to
downtown Hays and the continued desire to raise money for local
organizations and nonprofits.The group
surpassed the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/06165d2f-3f9a-475b-99a7-acedde4a885f">$100,000 donation mark </a>in 2023, but Thunder on the Plains
secretary and treasurer Jackie Lang said they wanted to do something even
bigger."We've been
talking about expanding, something where we could get into something larger. We
still want to support our local organizations. We don't want to just forget
about them," Lang said, "but we wanted to get into something bigger."Lang said the
partnership with Make-a-Wish was extra special for her family after her oldest
son, Brett, received his wish to go to Disney World in 2010. Brett died from
cancer two years later.Lang’s husband, Mark, who was a big part of the Thunder on the Plains group, died unexpectedly this past Christmas Eve, and she said he was a huge supporter of the Make-a-Wish Foundation.“Make-a-Wish was
really big in his heart because of our son, Brett,” Lang said. “So, we just
felt like it was a good time to move forward with that.”Stephanie
Hampton-Boeglin is the chief operating officer for Make-a-Wish Missouri and
Kansas and was in Hays to celebrate the donation earlier this summer.She said more than 700 children are waiting to receive a wish, and the organization has seen a significant decline in funding since the end of the pandemic.Hampton-Boeglin said Make-a-Wish was searching for funding to provide wishes for kids
in the Hays community when she began talking to Lang about the group’s
fundraising efforts and said their effort was “incredible.”“I do believe
that it was some type of divine intervention that we had that call,”
Hampton-Boeglin said. “I was in tears. Jackie was in tears.”Hampton-Boeglin
said the money raised will benefit families locally.“Everybody
rallies around one another. So, if one person in the community is really
battling something, the whole town rallies around that,”
Hampton-Boeglin said. “What I love about Thunder on the Plains is they spread
so much joy in wealth, not just wealth in money, but wealth in heart. And to me, that is exactly why anybody, I think, should grow up in a small town.”At the June car show, children who had been recipients of wishes came and enjoyed the event. One local 3-year-old, Damon Sheeley from Victoria,
who is receiving leukemia treatments, will get to take his family to Disney
World in December. They had planned to announce the reveal of Damon’s wish at
the car show, but he was not feeling well.Hampton-Boeglin said
the event was great for those who got to attend."It really
brought some light—some light to some dark times for our families,"
Hampton-Boeglin said. "For them to be able to tell some kids that they're
going to Disney World or they're going on their wishes coming true, the amount
of joy that brings to the entire family is priceless."She also praised
the efforts of the community."Obviously, we
can't do this alone. It does take a village, and the Hays village spoke loud
and clear. They're sending children to Disney World, and they're getting
their wishes," Hampton-Boeglin said.

Thunder on the Plains makes donation to Make a Wish, local agencies

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A judge ruled Monday that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. falsely claimed a New York residence on nominating petitions, invalidating the documents he needs to appear on the ballot in the state.

Judge Christina Ryba’s ruling after a short trial in state court is expected to be appealed. If upheld, it would keep Kennedy off the ballot in New York and could lead to challenges in other states where he used an address in New York City’s suburbs to gather signatures.

The lawsuit backed by a Democrat-aligned political action committee claims Kennedy’s state nominating petition falsely listed a residence in well-to-do Katonah while actually living in the Los Angeles area since 2014, when he married “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actor Cheryl Hines.

Kennedy argued during the trial that he has lifelong ties to New York and intends to move back.

During the trial, which ran for less than four days, Kennedy maintained that he began living in New York when he was 10 and that he currently rents a room in a friend’s home in Katonah, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of midtown Manhattan. However, Kennedy testified that he has only slept in that room once due to his constant campaign travel.

The 70-year-old candidate testified that his move to California a decade ago was so he could be with his wife, and that he always planned to return to New York, where he is registered to vote.

Barbara Moss, who rents the room to Kennedy, testified that he pays her $500 a month. But she acknowledged there is no written lease and that Kennedy’s first payment wasn’t made until after the New York Post&nbsp;<a href="https://nypost.com/2024/05/19/us-news/rfk-jr-lists-voting-address-at-westchester-home-thats-in-foreclosure-and-neighbors-have-never-seen-him/">published a story</a>&nbsp;casting doubt on Kennedy’s claim that he lived at that address.

The judge also heard from a longtime friend of Kennedy’s who said the candidate had regularly been an overnight guest at his own Westchester home from 2014 through 2017, but was not a tenant there as Kennedy had claimed.

Attorneys representing several New York voters grilled Kennedy in often heated exchanges as they sought to make their case, pointing to government documents including a federal statement of candidacy with a California address, and even a social media video in which Kennedy talks about training ravens at his Los Angeles home.

Kennedy has the potential to do better than any independent presidential candidate in decades thanks to his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-kennedy-rfk-trump-pennsylvania-b411e744d3b13fc6365029cb3dfd00c4">famous name</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-kennedy-rfk-independent-phoenix-ce8ef411c13bb7d5fc4ddff198cbbac9">loyal base.</a>&nbsp;Both Democrat and Republican strategists have expressed concerns that he could affect their candidate’s chances.

Kennedy’s campaign has said he has enough signatures to qualify in a majority of states, but his ballot drive has faced challenges and lawsuits in several, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-rfk-ballot-election-2024-6578c475c48887f736270248d1664a4a">North Carolina</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-new-jersey-ballot-7d522fb10901599e197804096baaabf0">New Jersey</a>.

Clear Choice, a super PAC, filed the New York suit on behalf of several voters in the state.

Kennedy told reporters last week that getting knocked off the ballot in New York could lead to lawsuits in other states where his campaign listed the same address.

After the trial ended Thursday, Kennedy argued that people who signed his petitions deserve a chance to vote for him.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715712559050.png" alt="File photo RFK, Jr. courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>File photo RFK, Jr. courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A judge ruled Monday that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. falsely claimed a New York residence on nominating petitions, invalidating the documents he needs to appear on the ballot in the state.Judge Christina Ryba’s ruling after a short trial in state court is expected to be appealed. If upheld, it would keep Kennedy off the ballot in New York and could lead to challenges in other states where he used an address in New York City’s suburbs to gather signatures.The lawsuit backed by a Democrat-aligned political action committee claims Kennedy’s state nominating petition falsely listed a residence in well-to-do Katonah while actually living in the Los Angeles area since 2014, when he married “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actor Cheryl Hines.Kennedy argued during the trial that he has lifelong ties to New York and intends to move back.During the trial, which ran for less than four days, Kennedy maintained that he began living in New York when he was 10 and that he currently rents a room in a friend’s home in Katonah, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of midtown Manhattan. However, Kennedy testified that he has only slept in that room once due to his constant campaign travel.The 70-year-old candidate testified that his move to California a decade ago was so he could be with his wife, and that he always planned to return to New York, where he is registered to vote.Barbara Moss, who rents the room to Kennedy, testified that he pays her $500 a month. But she acknowledged there is no written lease and that Kennedy’s first payment wasn’t made until after the New York Post&nbsp;<a href="https://nypost.com/2024/05/19/us-news/rfk-jr-lists-voting-address-at-westchester-home-thats-in-foreclosure-and-neighbors-have-never-seen-him/">published a story</a>&nbsp;casting doubt on Kennedy’s claim that he lived at that address.The judge also heard from a longtime friend of Kennedy’s who said the candidate had regularly been an overnight guest at his own Westchester home from 2014 through 2017, but was not a tenant there as Kennedy had claimed.Attorneys representing several New York voters grilled Kennedy in often heated exchanges as they sought to make their case, pointing to government documents including a federal statement of candidacy with a California address, and even a social media video in which Kennedy talks about training ravens at his Los Angeles home.Kennedy has the potential to do better than any independent presidential candidate in decades thanks to his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-kennedy-rfk-trump-pennsylvania-b411e744d3b13fc6365029cb3dfd00c4">famous name</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-kennedy-rfk-independent-phoenix-ce8ef411c13bb7d5fc4ddff198cbbac9">loyal base.</a>&nbsp;Both Democrat and Republican strategists have expressed concerns that he could affect their candidate’s chances.Kennedy’s campaign has said he has enough signatures to qualify in a majority of states, but his ballot drive has faced challenges and lawsuits in several, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-rfk-ballot-election-2024-6578c475c48887f736270248d1664a4a">North Carolina</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-new-jersey-ballot-7d522fb10901599e197804096baaabf0">New Jersey</a>.Clear Choice, a super PAC, filed the New York suit on behalf of several voters in the state.Kennedy told reporters last week that getting knocked off the ballot in New York could lead to lawsuits in other states where his campaign listed the same address.After the trial ended Thursday, Kennedy argued that people who signed his petitions deserve a chance to vote for him.

Judge rules against RFK Jr. in fight to be on another state ballot

PARIS (AP) —USA Gymnastics officials say an arbitration panel won't reconsider a decision&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-paris-gymnastics-4004ae4869ac2eafbb89b68ee5966110">asking gymnast Jordan Chiles to return the bronze medal</a>&nbsp;she was awarded in the floor exercise at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games">Paris Olympics</a>.

USA Gymnastics says it will continue efforts to let Chiles keep the medal.

“USA Gymnastics was notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday that their rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented,” USA Gymnastics said in a statement.

“We are deeply disappointed by the notification and will continue to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process, including to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure the just scoring, placement, and medal award for Jordan.”

CAS voided an on-floor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-romania-inquiry-007b6136128a934b4a5c900ad8fb608f">appeal from Chiles’ coach</a>&nbsp;that vaulted her to third, saying the appeal came 4 seconds beyond the one-minute time limit for scoring inquiries.

USA Gymnastics disputed the timing, saying in a statement Sunday that the agency submitted video evidence to CAS that showed Team USA coach Cecile Landi first appealed 13 seconds before the deadline.

The dispute over such minute details sets up what could be a months- or years-long legal battle over the gymnastics scores.

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said Saturday night it would respect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-jordan-chiles-bronze-5a7db5537e2defb3ebe57b0b746556f3">the court’s decision</a>&nbsp;and elevate Ana Barbosu of Romania to third. The International Olympic Committee confirmed the ruling Sunday, announcing that it was reallocating the medal.

CAS ruled Saturday that Landi’s inquiry to have 0.1 added to Chiles’ score came outside the one-minute window. The CAS ad hoc committee wrote that Landi’s inquiry came 1 minute, 4 seconds after Chiles’ initial score was posted.

The IOC said in a statement it will be in touch with the USOPC regarding the return of Chiles’ bronze and will work with the Romanian Olympic Committee to discuss a reallocation ceremony honoring Barbosu.

The appeal could go to Switzerland’s highest court, the Swiss Tribunal, or the European Court of Human Rights.

Rebeca Andrade of Brazil won gold and Simone Biles of the U.S. was the silver medalist.

PARIS (AP) — U.S. Olympic officials are appealing a court ruling that resulted in American gymnast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-paris-gymnastics-4004ae4869ac2eafbb89b68ee5966110">Jordan Chiles being asked to return the bronze medal</a>&nbsp;she won in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games">Paris Olympics</a>&nbsp;floor exercise.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) voided an on-floor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-romania-inquiry-007b6136128a934b4a5c900ad8fb608f">appeal by Chiles' coach</a>&nbsp;that vaulted her to third, saying the appeal came 4 seconds beyond the 1-minute time limit for scoring inquiries.

USA Gymnastics disputed the timing, saying in a statement Sunday that the agency submitted video evidence to CAS that showed coach Cecile Landi first appealed 13 seconds before the deadline.

"The time-stamped, video evidence submitted by USA Gymnastics Sunday evening shows Landi first stated her request to file an inquiry at the inquiry table 47 seconds after the score is posted, followed by a second statement 55 seconds after the score was originally posted."

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said Saturday night it would respect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-jordan-chiles-bronze-5a7db5537e2defb3ebe57b0b746556f3">the court's decision</a>&nbsp;and elevate Ana Barbosu of Romania to third. The International Olympic Committee confirmed the ruling Sunday, announcing that it was reallocating the medal from Monday's final.

“We firmly believe that Jordan rightfully earned the bronze medal, and there were critical errors in both the initial scoring by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the subsequent CAS appeal process that need to be addressed,” the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee statement said.

CAS ruled Saturday that Team USA coach Landi's inquiry to have 0.1 added to Chiles’ score came outside the 1-minute window. The CAS ad hoc committee wrote that Landi’s inquiry came 1 minute, 4 seconds after Chiles' initial score was posted.

The IOC said in a statement it will be in touch with the USOPC regarding the return of Chiles' bronze and will work with the Romanian Olympic Committee to discuss a reallocation ceremony honoring Barbosu.

“The initial error occurred in the scoring by FIG, and the second error was during the CAS appeal process, where the USOPC was not given adequate time or notice to effectively challenge the decision,” said a USOPC statement, which was released Sunday.

It was unclear the exact process the appeal would take first. The two potential places the USOPC could take the appeal would be to Switzerland’s highest court, the Swiss Tribunal, or the European Court of Human Rights.

CAS wrote Saturday that the initial finishing order should be restored, with Barbosu third, Romanian Sabrina Maneca-Voinea fourth and Chiles fifth. The organization added the FIG should determine the final ranking “in accordance with the above decision,” but left it up to the federation to decide who would get the medal behind gold winner Rebeca Andrade of Brazil and silver medalist Simone Biles of the U.S.

The FIG said it was the IOC’s call on whether to reallocate the medal. The IOC confirmed Sunday it would respect FIG's decision and seek to have Chiles' medal returned.

The rapid turn of events adds another layer to what has been a difficult few days for all three athletes.

Romanian gymnastics legend and 1976 Olympic champion Nadia Comaneci feared for Barbosu’s mental health because of the wrenching sequence in which she went from bronze medalist to fourth-place finisher.

“I can’t believe we play with athletes mental health and emotions like this… let’s protect them,” Comaneci&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nadiacomaneci10/status/1820483816848605506">posted on X</a>&nbsp;earlier in the week.

Chiles hinted at the decision in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jordanchiles/">Instagram story</a>&nbsp;on Saturday, indicating she is heartbroken and is “taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health, thank you.”

U.S. teammates offered support to Chiles, a two-time Olympian.

"Sending you so much love Jordan,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/simonebiles/?hl=en">American star Simone Biles posted on Instagram</a>. “Keep your chin up ‘Olympic champ’ we love you.”

Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea were left outside the medals in the floor final after finishing with matching scores of 13.700. Barbosu thought she had won bronze over Maneca-Voinea via a tiebreaker — a higher execution score — and began celebrating with a Romanian flag.

Chiles was the last athlete to compete and initially given a score of 13.666 that placed her fifth, right behind Maneca-Voinea. Landi called for an inquiry on Chiles’ score was announced.

“At this point, we had nothing to lose, so I was like ‘We’re just going to try,‘” Landi said after the awards ceremony. “I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen, but when I heard her scream, I turned around and was like ‘What?’”

Judges awarded the appeal, leapfrogging Chiles past Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea.

Barbosu made it a point after returning home to Romania that she had no problem with Chiles.

“I only want for everybody to be fair, we don’t want to start picking on other athletes of any nationality,” Barbosu told reporters. “We as athletes don’t deserve something like that, we only want to perform as best as we can and to be rewarded based on our performance. The problems lie with the judges, with their calculations and decisions.”

Chiles’ mother, Gina Chiles, called out the critics in a post, writing she was “tired” of the derogatory comments being leveled at Jordan.

“My daughter is a highly decorated Olympian with the biggest heart and a level of sportsmanship that is unmatched,” Gina Chiles posted. “And she’s being called disgusting things.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723543051917.jpeg" alt="Photo Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>Photo Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>PARIS (AP) —USA Gymnastics officials say an arbitration panel won't reconsider a decision&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-paris-gymnastics-4004ae4869ac2eafbb89b68ee5966110">asking gymnast Jordan Chiles to return the bronze medal</a>&nbsp;she was awarded in the floor exercise at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games">Paris Olympics</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Statement from USA Gymnastics on CAS Notice: <a href="https://t.co/HoSiKjx9wl">pic.twitter.com/HoSiKjx9wl</a>&mdash; USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAGym/status/1823100703797068224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>USA Gymnastics says it will continue efforts to let Chiles keep the medal.“USA Gymnastics was notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday that their rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented,” USA Gymnastics said in a statement.“We are deeply disappointed by the notification and will continue to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process, including to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure the just scoring, placement, and medal award for Jordan.”CAS voided an on-floor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-romania-inquiry-007b6136128a934b4a5c900ad8fb608f">appeal from Chiles’ coach</a>&nbsp;that vaulted her to third, saying the appeal came 4 seconds beyond the one-minute time limit for scoring inquiries.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">sending <a href="https://twitter.com/ChilesJordan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChilesJordan</a> a whole heap of <a href="https://twitter.com/AbbyCadabbySST?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AbbyCadabbySST</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/sesamestreet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sesamestreet</a> hugs 🫶 <a href="https://t.co/Enq4TdL2m3">pic.twitter.com/Enq4TdL2m3</a>&mdash; USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAGym/status/1823133042245828847?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>USA Gymnastics disputed the timing, saying in a statement Sunday that the agency submitted video evidence to CAS that showed Team USA coach Cecile Landi first appealed 13 seconds before the deadline.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Forever THAT GIRL ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/U6ylsOxSuK">pic.twitter.com/U6ylsOxSuK</a>&mdash; Team USA (@TeamUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamUSA/status/1822604940147118222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The dispute over such minute details sets up what could be a months- or years-long legal battle over the gymnastics scores.The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said Saturday night it would respect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-jordan-chiles-bronze-5a7db5537e2defb3ebe57b0b746556f3">the court’s decision</a>&nbsp;and elevate Ana Barbosu of Romania to third. The International Olympic Committee confirmed the ruling Sunday, announcing that it was reallocating the medal.CAS ruled Saturday that Landi’s inquiry to have 0.1 added to Chiles’ score came outside the one-minute window. The CAS ad hoc committee wrote that Landi’s inquiry came 1 minute, 4 seconds after Chiles’ initial score was posted.The IOC said in a statement it will be in touch with the USOPC regarding the return of Chiles’ bronze and will work with the Romanian Olympic Committee to discuss a reallocation ceremony honoring Barbosu.The appeal could go to Switzerland’s highest court, the Swiss Tribunal, or the European Court of Human Rights.Rebeca Andrade of Brazil won gold and Simone Biles of the U.S. was the silver medalist.___PARIS (AP) — U.S. Olympic officials are appealing a court ruling that resulted in American gymnast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-paris-gymnastics-4004ae4869ac2eafbb89b68ee5966110">Jordan Chiles being asked to return the bronze medal</a>&nbsp;she won in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games">Paris Olympics</a>&nbsp;floor exercise.The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) voided an on-floor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-romania-inquiry-007b6136128a934b4a5c900ad8fb608f">appeal by Chiles' coach</a>&nbsp;that vaulted her to third, saying the appeal came 4 seconds beyond the 1-minute time limit for scoring inquiries.USA Gymnastics disputed the timing, saying in a statement Sunday that the agency submitted video evidence to CAS that showed coach Cecile Landi first appealed 13 seconds before the deadline."The time-stamped, video evidence submitted by USA Gymnastics Sunday evening shows Landi first stated her request to file an inquiry at the inquiry table 47 seconds after the score is posted, followed by a second statement 55 seconds after the score was originally posted."The dispute over such minute details sets up what could be a months- or years-long legal battle over the gymnastics scores.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Forever THAT GIRL ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/U6ylsOxSuK">pic.twitter.com/U6ylsOxSuK</a>&mdash; Team USA (@TeamUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamUSA/status/1822604940147118222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said Saturday night it would respect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-jordan-chiles-bronze-5a7db5537e2defb3ebe57b0b746556f3">the court's decision</a>&nbsp;and elevate Ana Barbosu of Romania to third. The International Olympic Committee confirmed the ruling Sunday, announcing that it was reallocating the medal from Monday's final.“We firmly believe that Jordan rightfully earned the bronze medal, and there were critical errors in both the initial scoring by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the subsequent CAS appeal process that need to be addressed,” the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee statement said.CAS ruled Saturday that Team USA coach Landi's inquiry to have 0.1 added to Chiles’ score came outside the 1-minute window. The CAS ad hoc committee wrote that Landi’s inquiry came 1 minute, 4 seconds after Chiles' initial score was posted.The IOC said in a statement it will be in touch with the USOPC regarding the return of Chiles' bronze and will work with the Romanian Olympic Committee to discuss a reallocation ceremony honoring Barbosu.“The initial error occurred in the scoring by FIG, and the second error was during the CAS appeal process, where the USOPC was not given adequate time or notice to effectively challenge the decision,” said a USOPC statement, which was released Sunday.It was unclear the exact process the appeal would take first. The two potential places the USOPC could take the appeal would be to Switzerland’s highest court, the Swiss Tribunal, or the European Court of Human Rights.CAS wrote Saturday that the initial finishing order should be restored, with Barbosu third, Romanian Sabrina Maneca-Voinea fourth and Chiles fifth. The organization added the FIG should determine the final ranking “in accordance with the above decision,” but left it up to the federation to decide who would get the medal behind gold winner Rebeca Andrade of Brazil and silver medalist Simone Biles of the U.S.The FIG said it was the IOC’s call on whether to reallocate the medal. The IOC confirmed Sunday it would respect FIG's decision and seek to have Chiles' medal returned.The rapid turn of events adds another layer to what has been a difficult few days for all three athletes.Romanian gymnastics legend and 1976 Olympic champion Nadia Comaneci feared for Barbosu’s mental health because of the wrenching sequence in which she went from bronze medalist to fourth-place finisher.“I can’t believe we play with athletes mental health and emotions like this… let’s protect them,” Comaneci&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nadiacomaneci10/status/1820483816848605506">posted on X</a>&nbsp;earlier in the week.Chiles hinted at the decision in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jordanchiles/">Instagram story</a>&nbsp;on Saturday, indicating she is heartbroken and is “taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health, thank you.”U.S. teammates offered support to Chiles, a two-time Olympian."Sending you so much love Jordan,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/simonebiles/?hl=en">American star Simone Biles posted on Instagram</a>. “Keep your chin up ‘Olympic champ’ we love you.”Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea were left outside the medals in the floor final after finishing with matching scores of 13.700. Barbosu thought she had won bronze over Maneca-Voinea via a tiebreaker — a higher execution score — and began celebrating with a Romanian flag.Chiles was the last athlete to compete and initially given a score of 13.666 that placed her fifth, right behind Maneca-Voinea. Landi called for an inquiry on Chiles’ score was announced.“At this point, we had nothing to lose, so I was like ‘We’re just going to try,‘” Landi said after the awards ceremony. “I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen, but when I heard her scream, I turned around and was like ‘What?’”Judges awarded the appeal, leapfrogging Chiles past Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea.Barbosu made it a point after returning home to Romania that she had no problem with Chiles.“I only want for everybody to be fair, we don’t want to start picking on other athletes of any nationality,” Barbosu told reporters. “We as athletes don’t deserve something like that, we only want to perform as best as we can and to be rewarded based on our performance. The problems lie with the judges, with their calculations and decisions.”Chiles’ mother, Gina Chiles, called out the critics in a post, writing she was “tired” of the derogatory comments being leveled at Jordan.“My daughter is a highly decorated Olympian with the biggest heart and a level of sportsmanship that is unmatched,” Gina Chiles posted. “And she’s being called disgusting things.”The uncertainty also tinges what had been a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-biles-andrade-02e953a669403456aeaf3aee9cf40457">beautiful moment</a>&nbsp;on the medal stand, when Chiles and Biles knelt to honor Andrade after the Brazilian star won her fourth medal in Paris.___Associated Press writer Stephen McGrath and AP Sports Writers Eddie Pells and Graham Dunbar contributed to this report.