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Royal baby: It’s a boy for Kate on England’s national day

LONDON (AP) — For Kate, the wait is over. The Duchess of Cambridge gave birth Monday to a healthy baby boy — a third child for Kate and Prince William and fifth in line to the British throne.

The couple’s Kensington Palace office announced news of the birth about five hours after the 36-year-old duchess and her husband traveled by car from their Kensington Palace home to the private Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital in central London.

The palace said the baby prince was born at 11:01 a.m. (1001 GMT; 6:01 a.m. EDT) and weighed in at eight pounds, seven ounces (3.8 kilograms). Prince William was in attendance, and the palace said mother and child were both doing well.

“The queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news,” the palace said in a statement.

In a mix of tradition and modernity, the news was announced by the palace on Twitter — and will also be posted on an easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace.

The baby is a younger brother to 4-year-old Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who turns 3 next week. Both were born at the same hospital, as were William and his younger brother Prince Harry.

The baby’s name, which has been subject to a flurry of bets, hasn’t been announced. Arthur and James are among bookmakers’ favorites for the new prince, whose full title will be His Royal Highness, Prince (Name) of Cambridge.

Monday is St. George’s Day, England’s national day, but the baby is unlikely to be given the name since his older brother already has it.

The new arrival is Queen Elizabeth II’s sixth great-grandchild and bumps Prince Harry to sixth place in the line of succession. He’s fifth in line, after grandfather Prince Charles, father Prince William and the two older siblings.

The 36-year-old duchess, formerly Kate Middleton, carried out her last official engagement on March 22 before going on maternity leave.

As in her previous pregnancies, Kate suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness. Officials announced both her previous pregnancies before the traditional 12-week mark because she was too unwell to attend public engagements.

The birth was overseen by a team of doctors including consultant obstetrician Guy Thorpe-Beeston and consultant gynecologist Alan Farthing — who were also called in for the births of George and Charlotte — as well as the hospital’s midwives.

Television crews, journalists and royal fans had set up camp outside the hospital for the “royal baby watch” since early April in anticipation of the arrival.

John Loughrey, a veteran royal-watcher who has been camped outside the hospital for two weeks, said the baby would be “very good for our country and of course Her Majesty the queen.”

“I’m so pleased it’s St. George’s Day,” he said before the birth was announced. “St. George himself would be very pleased if the baby’s born today.”

“Carmina Burana” will end 2017-18 season for Hays Symphony Orchestra

By RUTH FIRESTONE
Hays Music Lover

If you haven’t already, mark your calendar for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at Fort Hays State University’s Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center for the conclusion of the Hays Symphony Orchestra’s 2017-18 season.

The FHSU Singers, the FHSU Concert Choir and the Smoky Hill Chorale, plus soloists Ivalah Allen, soprano, and Gregory Gerbrandt, baritone, will join conductor Terry Crull and the orchestra in performing the thrilling “Carmina Burana” by Carl Orff.

Dr. Ivalah Allen, associate professor of music and theatre at FHSU, is renowned throughout the country as an outstanding singer and educator in opera, recital, oratorio and musical comedy. Gregory Gerbrandt, a native of Colorado, has starred in opera all over the world, and is especially in demand for leading roles in contemporary opera.

The title of the scenic cantata “Carmina Burana” (“Songs of Beuern”) comes from the text of a manuscript found in the Bavarian monastery Benediktbeuern. The manuscript contained 24 very secular lyrics in Medieval Latin, Middle High German and even traces of Old French.
Orff, inspired by the illustration of Fortuna’s wheel on the manuscript’s cover, set the lyrics to music that mimics a circle beginning and ending with praise of Fortuna – the Roman goddess of fortune.

“Carmina Burana” is by far Orff’s best-known and most often performed work. Its musical simplicity compounded with its driving rhythms and compelling repetitions is characteristic of his unique style.

And the lyrics prove it is possible to get away with all sorts of bawdiness as long as you do it in Medieval Latin, Middle High German, Old French, or a mixture of all three.

The concert, with a pre-concert talk at 7 p.m. by Dr. Crull, an associate professor of music and theatre at FHSU, is sponsored by a generous donation from Dr. Michael Meade. Refreshments for the post-concert reception are underwritten by the Downtown Hays Development Corporation.

As are all performances of the Hays Symphony Orchestra, the concert is free and open to the public. Tickets can also be picked up in advance at the Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau.

KZ Country Cheesy Joke of the Day 4/23/18

khaz cheesy joke logo 20110802Literal Eggs

One morning a soldier was in line for breakfast and noticed that the
cook behind the counter looked like he was having a bad day. After the
solder gave his order, the cook asked how the soldier wanted his eggs.

Not wanting to burden him further, the soldier said cheerfully, “Oh,
whatever is easiest for you.”

The cook took two eggs, cracked them open onto the soldier’s plate and
then handed it back to him.

 

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

 

 

 

Jeannine Adele Younger

Jeannine Adele Younger of Hays, Kansas, age 83, died Wednesday, April 18, 2018, at Hays Medical Center, Hays, Kansas. She was born May 11, 1934, in Eads, Colorado to Lester H. and Stella A. (Tuell) Latham. She married Joseph L. Younger on November 27, 1954, in Hays. Kansas. He preceded her in death on April 22, 2006.

She worked many years in area nursing homes as an Administrator and Social Worker. She also was a Social Worker for DSNWK for a few years. Jeannine graduated at the age of 58 from Fort Hays State University with a degree in Sociology. She was raised in Eads, Colorado and Hoisington, Kansas. She attended Hoisington High School and was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Hays, Kansas. She enjoyed her dogs and loved spending time with her family and grandchildren.

Survivors include two sons, George L. Younger and his wife, Myra, Victoria, KS; Troy L. Younger and wife, Tammy, Hays, KS; three daughters, JoLynne, Hays, KS; Bonnie, CA; and Cheryl, KS; one brother, Homer “Bud” Latham and wife, Peggy, Turon, KS; five grandchildren, Clayton Hines and wife, Stephine; Corey Hines; Cally Hines; Christy Werth and husband, Daniel and Cole Younger and wife, Heather; ten great grandchildren, Brayden Hines, Myles Hines, McKenna Hines, Desiree Hines, Bryce Werth, Aubrey Werth, Brett Werth, Lexi Younger, Laci Younger and Levi Younger.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and one sister, Alice Latham.

Private family services were held Saturday, April 21, 2018, at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601. Burial was in St. Joseph Cemetery, Hays, Kansas.

The family suggest memorials to St. Joseph Catholic Church or The Humane Society of the High Plains.

Condolences can be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or can be sent via e-mail to [email protected]

Verlyn J. ‘Slats’ Kroeger

Verlyn J. “Slats” Kroeger, age 83, of Hays, Kansas passed away Tuesday, April 17, 2018 in Hays. He was born January 27, 1935 in Ellis, Kansas to Joseph and Margaret (Wasinger) Kroeger. He graduated from Ellis High School in 1953. On October 18, 1958 he married Paula M. Erbert in Ellis at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

He was a retired State Trooper with the Kansas Highway Patrol. His career started with the Hays Police Department and then with the Kansas Highway Patrol in Lyons, the Kansas Turnpike in Wellington and then Hays. He was a US Army Veteran and a member of St. Nicholas of Myra Church in Hays.

He is survived by his wife, Paula of Hays; a son, Ward Kroeger and wife Kristi of Ogallala, Nebraska; two daughters, Kim Staab and husband Ben and Jackie Miller and husband Dennis all of Hays; three brothers, Jim Kroeger of Missouri, Gary Kroeger and wife Linda of Lecompton, Kansas and David Kroeger and wife LeAnn of Hays; 9 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a daughter, Kelly Marie Kroeger and a sister and brother-in-law, Mary Kay and Norman Wellbrock.

Private family services were held at the wishes of Verlyn. Burial was in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Ellis with Fr. Jarett Konrade officiating.

Arrangements in care of Brock’s-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory 2509 Vine Hays, KS 67601.

Memorial contributions are suggested to the St. Nicholas of Myra Building Fund and may be sent in care of the family.

Condolences may be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or by email at [email protected]

Mary Doreen (Fickel) Towns

Mary Doreen (Fickel) Towns of Palco, Kansas passed away Friday, April 20, 2018 at the Hays Medical Center in Hays, Kansas. She was born July 18, 1935 in Chanute, Kansas to the late Leo F. and Ella Beth (Nichols) Fickel. Mary grew up in Chanute, Kansas and attended the Chanute Schools. She went on to attend Kansas State University and graduated in 1957 with a degree in education. On January 25, 1958, she married Therean L. Towns in Chanute, Kansas. They moved to Palco, Kansas where they farmed and raised their family.

After teaching for four years in Webster Mary decided to stay home to raise the family and help with the farming. Mary loved to cook and enjoyed sewing most of all. Farming was a large part of her life. She was a member of the Kansas Hereford Women’s Association and was definitely passionate about her Hereford Cattle. She was extremely involved in the lives of her family. Mary especially enjoyed going to grandchildren’s sporting events, confirmations, and activities in which they were involved. Mary and her husband, Therean were Master Farmers in 1995. This honor was in recognition of their leadership in agriculture, environmental stewardship and service to their community. Together, Mary and Therean were very involved in the program.

Mary belonged to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Plainville, Kansas. She was a faithful member willing to work and support the church in any way she could. She taught CCD for many years and was a member of the Daughters of Isabella
.
Mary is survived by her loving husband, Therean Towns of Palco, Kansas; son, Sean Towns and wife Sandra of Palco, Kansas; daughter, Santana Towns of Palco, Kansas; brothers, Mike Fickel and wife Mary Lou of Kansas City, Kansas, Spencer Fickel and wife Arlene of Gunnison, Colorado, Roger Fickel and wife LaVeta of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and Doug Fickel of Chanute, Kansas; twelve grandchildren Roscoe Holloway, Jacob Towns, Monica Towns, Topanga Towns, Alexander Towns, Kamillia Towns, Francis Towns, Mary Claire Towns, Madeline Towns, Miriam Towns, Thaddeus Towns, and Jesse Towns and two great-grandchildren Alex and Freya.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Leo and Ella Beth Fickel.

Mary had a love for God, family, farming and community. She cherished her family and had an unending love for them. She will be gone, but this unending love for her family and others will always be present in the hearts of those who knew her.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday, April 24, 2018, 10:30 A.M., at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Plainville, Kansas with interment to follow in St. Ann’s Catholic Cemetery in Zurich, Kansas. Visitation will be Monday, April 23 from 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. at the funeral home and 6:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. at the church. A Rosary will be held at 3:00 P.M. Monday at the funeral home and a Vigil Service will be held at 7:00 P.M., at the church. The family suggests memorials to Mary Towns Memorial Fund to be designated at a later date for her grandchildren and may be sent in care of Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 320 SW 2nd, Plainville, Kansas 67663.

Albina Befort

Albina Befort

Albina Befort, age 94, of Hays, Kansas passed away Saturday, April 21, 2018 at the Good Samaritan Society, Hays. She was born November 4, 1923 in Ellis County, Kansas to John and Clara (Boxler) Pfeifer. She graduated from Ellis High School. On July 2, 1945 she married Edmund Befort.

Albina was a schoolteacher after graduating from high school in 1941 until her marriage to Edmund in 1945. She then became a homemaker and farm wife. She enjoyed cooking and spending time with her grandchildren playing cards and hide and seek.

She is survived by her husband, Edmund of Hays; three sons, Albert Befort of Shawnee, OK, Thomas Befort and wife Connie of Wichita, KS and Pete Befort and wife Amy of Hays; two daughters, Marilyn Billinger and husband Robert of Victoria and Mary Beth Hanway of Claremont, CA; nine grandchildren, Kenny, Andrea, Max, Marissa, Michael, Amanda, Darren, Kurt and Larissa and 10 great grandchildren, Julian, Brooklyn, Alexus, Brianna, Olivia, Claire, Raegan, Karley, Parker and Halle.

She was preceded in death by her parents, two sons, John James Befort and Joseph Befort; a grandson, Logan Befort; a daughter-in-law, Peggy Befort; a son-in-law, Derek Hanway; three brothers, Ben, Elmer and John Pfeifer and five sisters, Ceverina Fross, Mary Ealdon, Irene Urban, Kay Leiker and Helen Befort.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 27, 2018 at Brock’s-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory, 2509 Vine Hays, KS 67601. Burial will follow in the Mt. Allen Cemetery, Hays.

Visitation will be Thursday 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. and Friday 9:30 a.m. until service time all at the funeral chapel.

Memorial contributions are suggested to Hospice at Hays Medical Center.

Condolences may be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or by email at [email protected]

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: Hello, is there anybody home?

Steve Gilliland

Last week, a friend who owns property along a local lake told me beavers have been making a mess by chewing and cutting down trees along the lake; somewhat surprising, because of the extremely dry winter, the water in the lake has receded to the point where it’s easily ten yards from the bank out to the water anywhere you look.

For beavers living in bank dens, that doesn’t bode well for their survival, given water is their safety net. I walked along the bank, and sure enough, freshly chewed trees and wood chips were everywhere in a short stretch of trees just off the road. I clamored down the bank to the dry shoreline below, and a couple beaver runs ran from holes in the rocky covered bank out toward the water. One run looked unused, but the other still had a couple inches of water in it and was covered in tracks. I seriously doubted beavers still resided there given the stretch of dry shoreline out to the water, but how could I be sure?

Trail cameras can be a deer hunter’s best scouting tool, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box and use them for other purposes. I stuck a “T” post in the mud in front of both beaver runs and hung a trail camera from each to show me whether those once-active beaver dens still had residents, or whether I should look elsewhere. We bought our first two trail cameras about 10 years ago. We had a small bucket feeder in a tree at the edge of a thick woodlot overlooking a small, grassy meadow with tons of deer sign. In the meadow we drove in a “T” post, strapped one camera to the post aimed at the feeder, and thought we’d soon be selling shots to National Geographic.

I’ll never forget the excitement we felt as we popped the photo card in the computer for the first time to view our award-winning pictures. And sure enough, there they were; a couple hundred shots of trees and grass swaying and waving in the breeze! I felt like the party balloon that floats triumphantly around the room but lands flat at your feet when someone pops it. We were terribly disappointed, that is until we talked to other trail camera users and got some experience under our belts. If you don’t remember anything else from this column, remember this; EVERYONE who uses trail cameras gets empty shots like that, I’ll tell you some things you can do to hold those empty shots to a minimum, but you will still get some. The key (obviously) is movement. Trail cameras are triggered partially by movement, so the first rule of thumb is to fasten the camera securely to something that won’t move. If the sapling or post holding the camera sways in the breeze, it will take pictures each time it moves.

Secondly, always carry a set of pruners and a limb saw when setting cameras. The signal sent out by the cameras detection circuitry extends out from the lens as a cone shape, and any movement within that cone will trigger the camera. A little creative pruning of limbs, grass etc. goes a long way. The trick is to remove all that while still leaving the surroundings as natural as possible. Sometimes it’s good to do that on a windy day so you can see everything that might be a problem, both from the sides and from above.
Thirdly, try NOT to face the camera directly east toward the rising sun, or directly west toward the setting sun. We’ve gotten our share of shots that looked like a blazing asteroid falling slowly toward earth. They were photos of the slowly setting sun. Angling the camera slightly one way or the other seems to solve this problem.

Sometimes finding a good spot to anchor a camera is a challenge. We often employ one or more bungee cords in the process, and have used “T” posts, electric fence posts (which proved to be rather flimsy) concrete rebar posts made to hold a mineral block, and every size and shape tree imaginable. My research into homemade camera mounts found all manner of nifty rigs, several made from screw-in steps used to climb into a tree stand. You can buy about whatever kind of mount you need, or make them for a little of nothing if you’re even reasonably crafty.

Don’t be afraid to make the subject of your trail camera lens something other than deer. Something else to be aware of is livestock where you have cameras. I once tried to get some pictures from a beaver dam, only to have the cameras knocked askew by cattle. Bird nests of all sizes and types, beaver dams and dens, raccoon den trees, coyote dens, game trails and scouting wild turkeys are just a few of the ways and places trail cameras can reward you with fun photos. The main thing is not to worry about getting it perfect the first time. And by the way, I had no pictures of beavers on my 2 cameras, so I guess I need to keep looking. …Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

Steve can be contacted by email at [email protected]

MADORIN: Details change but stories go on

Native Kansan Karen Madorin is a local writer and retired teacher who loves sharing stories about places, people, critters, plants, food, and history of the High Plains.

We’ve visited daughters, grands, and friends throughout Western Kansas for several weeks and I’ve noticed Dollar Stores thriving in rural communities. Apparently, these replaced old-fashioned dime stores everywhere. What happened to the high ceilinged, wood-floored mom and pop shops similar to those Grace Stetz or my grandma and grandpa owned in Ellis, Bucklin, and Meade?

Times and people change, but there’s no way candy or toy aisles in today’s variety store hold the same appeal as vintage eye-level, glass-rimmed displays that captured a nickel-holding child’s attention. I’ve seen posts where folks of a certain age wish they could return once more to enjoy Grace’s or my gramma’s lemon-oil -scented exhibitions of the latest dollies, cap guns, or licorice bits.

I recollect the satisfaction of pulling open the heavy front door and stepping into a vast anything expanse of necessities people required. Curious explorers had to first navigate past a 4’ x 6’ divided candy display strategically located to capture interest and money. Wood dividers separated glass bins full of malt balls, chocolate stars, licorice babies, jaw breakers, caramels, and other cavity-inducing treats you could buy by the piece. Once you broke its spell, you traveled either left or right.

Kids usually chose left—toward the toys. Grandma and Grampa maintained a selection of Big Chief Tablets, coloring books and crayons, paints, plastic and metal cars and trucks, building blocks, and more. In addition, they placed a bouncy horse nearby so a young patron could ride and make birthday and Christmas lists while parents inspected needles, thread, underwear, mittens, hats, dishes, pots, pans, utensils and more.

A favorite section was the pottery display. The always dusted shelves were full of pastel vases and teapots decorated with flowers and pine cones in bas relief. While an adult attending auctions, I imagined Grandma and Grace would’ve benefitted by warehousing those Hull and McCoy pieces to finance their retirements. What they marked with $3.00 price tags, estate auctioneers sold decades later for a $100 or more.

From the time I first walked, I loved visiting my grandparents’ business. As family, we entered through the alley door where we first noted grandpa perched on a chair in his railed office, surrounded by still-boxed merchandise and stacks of unsold comic books, with an eagle eye view of the floor below. Few shoppers knew he watched their exploration of each department. He knew who’d left hankies unfolded or fingerprints on a shiny race car or who slipped something in their pocket before paying. Of course, it was Grandma or the clerk who returned mussed items to their former pristine conditions before the next customer visited.

While modern box stores keep rural residents in paper towels, soap, and bathroom products, visiting them isn’t anything like a trip to an old variety store. The lights, linoleum, and metal stands are too bright, and the candy is packaged as are the toys. A kid can’t try out potential purchases ahead of time. Besides, you can’t buy anything for a nickel!

Someday, our grown grandkids will reminisce fondly about the Dollar stores of their youth and tell their own youngsters what they missed out on. Details change, but stories go on.

Native Kansan Karen Madorin is a local writer and retired teacher who loves sharing stories about places, people, critters, plants, food, and history of the High Plains.

Kansas church discovers $100K embezzlement

WICHITA, Kan. — Officials of Unity of Wichita held a news conference Sunday to announce the recent discovery that in excess of $100,000 was missing from church accounts, according to a media release from the church.

Senior Pastor Reverend Daybree Thoms said, “It is with great sadness that we had to notify our congregation today, that a trusted church member has confessed to systematically embezzling money from Unity of Wichita for several years.

Because the amount is in excess of $100,000, we have reported the loss to authorities and will allow the justice system to follow through with appropriate action.”

Thoms explained that because she was only recently appointed new Senior Pastor for Unity of Wichita, she had requested that a routine audit of church finances be conducted. “It was that routine request for an audit that prompted the church bookkeeper to submit a written confession to church officials,” said Thoms.

Unity of Wichita Board of Trustees President, Joe Dunlavy, said, “This revelation is, in no way, a reflection on our previous senior pastor, our interim pastors nor any member of the Board of Trustees. This individual was a highly respected member of the church leadership and has admitted to being solely responsible for the missing funds.”

Dunlavy explained that though the discovery is fiscally painful for the church, it is the emotional shock that is most difficult for the congregation. “Fundamental to Unity’s principles and teachings is the belief that we are each, individual expressions of God; so, this is extremely devastating because the individual in whom we had entrusted our finances was a highly respected and beloved member of our church family.”

If there is an “up side” to the discovery that such a large amount of money is missing, Rev. Thoms said, “It’s my hope — and the hope of everyone at Unity of Wichita— that our experience will serve as a reminder to all churches: that, though we trust in God, when it comes to finances, audits are still necessary.” She said no church should entrust so much responsibility in just one individual.

“Oversight and transparency,” explained Thoms, “should be paramount in the financial procedures of any church whether large or small. And, regardless of the misguided reasons for having betrayed the congregation’s trust, we still hold the individual who committed this crime in our prayers and extend our love and forgiveness. Unity is about making our spiritual principles and ideals come alive — even in situations like this.”

“As the President of the Board of Trustees,” said Dunlavy, “I am grateful that Reverend Thoms wisely requested an audit as she stepped up to become our Senior Pastor; because, if she hadn’t, the problem may, very well, have persisted indefinitely. If nothing else,” Dunlavy continued, “it is certainly a relief to one-and-all, to discover the problem sooner than later. With Wichita State University’s Innovation Campus ramping up right across the street from Unity of Wichita, we are on the threshold of an exciting new era in our history. Now, the healing can really begin.”

Unity of Wichita is a member of Unity Worldwide Ministries in Lee Summit, Missouri.

2018 Marketplace enrollment in Kansas

KHI

TOPEKA – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released final summary enrollment data on April 3, 2018, for the fifth open enrollment period of the federally facilitated health insurance marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The open enrollment period lasted from November 1, 2017-December 15, 2017 (with a run-out period until December 23, 2017).

During that time, a total of 98,238 Kansans had selected a health insurance plan or had been automatically re-enrolled for the 2018 plan year through the marketplace. During that time, a total of 14,499 Kansans also selected a standalone dental insurance plan for 2018 through the marketplace. Information is not yet available on how many Kansans have paid their premiums and are actually covered by the insurance plans they selected (effectuated enrollment).

The Kansas Health Institute has prepared statewide maps showing marketplace enrollment. View the 2018 Marketplace Enrollment in Kansas.

59th annual technology education fair on tap at Fort Hays State

FHSU University Relations

The 59th annual Western Kansas Technology Education Fair is set for Friday, April 27, at Fort Hays State University’s Gross Memorial Coliseum.

The fair showcases projects from junior high and high school students in technology education classes from around the state.

Students begin bringing their projects to GMC on Thursday, and the public is invited to view those projects from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday.

Projects include furniture, CAD drawings and metal works. Each entry is judged and awarded a ribbon or medal.

Students can participate all day Friday in live competitions, including communication, problem solving, metric 500 racing and technology challenge (quiz bowl).

It’s a learning experience as well for students in FHSU’s Technology and Engineering Educators Collegiate Association as they run the entire fair.

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