KANSAS CITY (AP) —A chilly, midday darkness fell across North America as a total solar eclipse raced across the continent.

Monday’s spectacle was watched by millions in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. It was North America’s biggest eclipse crowd ever, thanks to the densely populated path.

Cloud cover threatened to spoil the view in some places, especially in parts of Texas, but the skies cleared with minutes to spare.

One place that got stuck with clouds: Niagara Falls, New York. Totality arrived to whoops and cheers from spectators at Niagara Falls State Park.

Justin Pape drove 6 hours from York, Pennsylvania, with his family to be in the path. He says “it’s unfortunate it was cloudy" but they still got to see a glimpse of it and it still got dark.

During a total solar eclipse, the moon passes in front of the sun and blocks the sunlight for a few minutes. There won’t be another coast-to-coast spectacle on the continent until 2045.

DALLAS (AP) — Millions across North America witnessed the moon block out the sun during a total solar eclipse Monday.

The eclipse’s path of totality stretched from Mazatlán, Mexico to Newfoundland, an area that crosses 15 U.S. states and is home to 44 million people. Revelers were engulfed in darkness at state parks, on city rooftops and in small towns.

Most of those in North America, but not in the direct path, still witnessed a partial eclipse, with the moon transforming the sun into a fiery crescent.

Totality's first stop on land cast Mazatlán's sparkling beaches into darkness before continuing northeast toward Eagle Pass, Texas, one its first stops in the U.S.

Total solar eclipses happen somewhere around the world every 11 to 18 months, but they don't often cross paths with millions of people. The U.S. last got a taste in 2017, and won’t again see a coast-to-coast spectacle until 2045.

DALLAS – Emergency lights clicked on outside D.A. Hulcy Middle School as the last sliver of the sun disappeared. Students cheered and whooped, sitting on towels and picnic blankets in an adjacent parking lot.

“I’m a new person,” eighth grader Nia Modkins said.

Students and teachers took off their eclipse glasses and pointed at the sky, taking pictures and videos. Once three minutes elapsed, their teachers told them to put their eclipse glasses back on as the sun prepared for its return act.

Once daylight swept over the parking lot again, eighth grader Sky Johnson swiped through her phone, looking for the video she’d taken during totality.

“Two minutes of me screaming, literally,” she said.

MAZATLAN, Mexico – Mazatlan’s sparkling beaches have been cast into darkness as the total solar eclipse reaches its maximum coverage.

Hundreds of gathered faces were illuminated only by the screens of their cellphones as they tried to capture the slightly more than 4 minutes of totality.

Palm trees were silhouetted against a faint glow near the horizon like one of the resort’s famous sunsets, but coming before noon.

Karen Ibarra, of Colombia, is a researcher at Mexico’s National Autonomous University. She came to Mazatlan for the eclipse.

As darkness blanketed the coast she said, “seeing the corona is the best.”

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE REACHES U.S. ON WAY TO CANADA

The moon’s shadow has moved into the U.S. with cloudy skies in store for a part of the total eclipse path from Texas to Maine.

The eclipse cuts through major cities including Dallas; Austin, Texas; Indianapolis; Cleveland; and Niagara Falls, New York.

A total solar eclipse has begun. Totality will last up to 4 minutes, 28 seconds in certain spots.

The eclipse is crossing North America, darkening skies along a path through Mexico, the United States and Canada.

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE BEGINS IN NORTH AMERICA OVER MEXICO

A total solar eclipse has reached North America over Mexico as throngs gather along the country’s Pacific coast.

It’ll race toward United States and eastern Canada before exiting into the Atlantic.

MESQUITE, Texas – City officials cheered as the thick clouds parted in early afternoon and the sun peeked out, with the moon already taking a bite out of it.

“We special ordered the sun this morning,” said downtown development manager Beverly Abell.

Hundreds gathered at Front Street Station for the outdoor watch party, many pulling out their eclipse glasses to watch the moon’s bite grow ever bigger.

At the Fort Worth Zoo, clouds occasionally moved over as the eclipse started. Zoo patrons stopped along the paths to take it in.

Todd Beeby, 34, drove up with friends from Houston. He said that even with some clouds moving over, the viewing was good.

CHEERS IN MEXICO AS MOON BEGINS PASSING OVER SUN

MAZATLAN, Mexico – Cheers broke out along the beach in this resort city as the moon began to pass over the sun.

Hundreds in a beachside park had passed the waiting time by readying their equipment and listening to a youth orchestra play Star Wars songs while a large screen projected images of Princess Leia behind them.

Luz Elena Aguillón de la O sat in the grass with a group of 14 family and friends who had gathered from Mexico City, Guanajuato and right here in Mazatlan to take in the spectacle.

BIDEN ENCOURAGES AMERICANS TO WEAR EYE PROTECTION

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden posted&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1777355754791432285">a brief video on X</a>&nbsp;to encourage Americans to wear eye protection when viewing the eclipse – in a subtle dig at his predecessor and 2024 rival, former President Donald Trump.

“Folks, enjoy the eclipse, but play it safe, don’t be silly,” Biden said in a video showing him donning eclipse glasses and looking skyward from the balcony outside the Blue Room of the White House.

That’s the spot where Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-41201f59ceb84f53910ede1f77007bee">glanced up toward the sun</a>&nbsp;without eye protection in 2017.

Biden is traveling to Wisconsin, which, like Washington, will experience a partial eclipse on Monday.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she had no details to share on whether Biden would view the phenomenon.

The moon lines up perfectly between the Earth and the sun in a total eclipse over the South Pacific.

Over the next few hours, it will sweep across North America, entering Mexico, cutting diagonally from Texas to Maine, before exiting over eastern Canada into the Atlantic.

PARTIAL ECLIPSE BEGINS OVER SOUTH PACIFIC

The moon has started to cover up the sun as a partial eclipse begins over the South Pacific. Millions along a narrow corridor in North America from Mexico’s Pacific coast to eastern Canada hope for clouds to clear as they eagerly wait for totality to reach their location.

MEXICAN BEACH TOWN IS FIRST IN LINE FOR TOTALITY

MAZATLAN, Mexico – Valeria Rosas says her four kids had been so excited by an October partial solar eclipse that passed over southeast Mexico, that she decided to come to this Pacific coast beach city for Monday's total eclipse.

The 32-year-old drove eight hours from Leon, Guanajuato, with 10 friends and relatives.

They joined hundreds of others in a beachside park under blue skies streaked with wispy clouds. It’s the first part of North America that will get to see the total eclipse.

Rosas’ mother, Carmen Loza Rodríguez, recalled that Rosas was a baby when Mexico last saw a total solar eclipse in 1991.

“How cool that we have the opportunity to experience it in this digital age, that we can share it with the world,” Rosas said.

NIAGARA FALLS, New York — The main attraction at Niagara Falls is typically the more than 750,000 gallons of water that rush over the brink every second. On Monday, it was the eclipse.

Tourists streamed into Niagara Falls State Park with wagons, strollers, coolers and chairs. Photographers’ tripods lined a railing under cloudy skies.

Synthia Nguyen and Jen Cerna from Washington, D.C., claimed a prime lawn spot along the rapids, arriving at 6 a.m. with chairs, a blanket and a tent — that they were quickly asked to take down.

They were excited that totality would last a few minutes, long enough for it to sink in.

The pair work in an ophthalmology office.

“We’re expecting a lot of calls tomorrow,” Cerna said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712085263547.png" alt="Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —A chilly, midday darkness fell across North America as a total solar eclipse raced across the continent.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712604323366.png" alt="Image courtesy the NASA eclipse broadcast" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy the NASA eclipse broadcast</figcaption>
 </figure>Monday’s spectacle was watched by millions in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. It was North America’s biggest eclipse crowd ever, thanks to the densely populated path.Cloud cover threatened to spoil the view in some places, especially in parts of Texas, but the skies cleared with minutes to spare.One place that got stuck with clouds: Niagara Falls, New York. Totality arrived to whoops and cheers from spectators at Niagara Falls State Park.Justin Pape drove 6 hours from York, Pennsylvania, with his family to be in the path. He says “it’s unfortunate it was cloudy" but they still got to see a glimpse of it and it still got dark.During a total solar eclipse, the moon passes in front of the sun and blocks the sunlight for a few minutes. There won’t be another coast-to-coast spectacle on the continent until 2045.DALLAS (AP) — Millions across North America witnessed the moon block out the sun during a total solar eclipse Monday.The eclipse’s path of totality stretched from Mazatlán, Mexico to Newfoundland, an area that crosses 15 U.S. states and is home to 44 million people. Revelers were engulfed in darkness at state parks, on city rooftops and in small towns.Most of those in North America, but not in the direct path, still witnessed a partial eclipse, with the moon transforming the sun into a fiery crescent.Totality's first stop on land cast Mazatlán's sparkling beaches into darkness before continuing northeast toward Eagle Pass, Texas, one its first stops in the U.S.Total solar eclipses happen somewhere around the world every 11 to 18 months, but they don't often cross paths with millions of people. The U.S. last got a taste in 2017, and won’t again see a coast-to-coast spectacle until 2045.Here's the latest:DALLAS STUDENTS ELATED BY ECLIPSEDALLAS – Emergency lights clicked on outside D.A. Hulcy Middle School as the last sliver of the sun disappeared. Students cheered and whooped, sitting on towels and picnic blankets in an adjacent parking lot.“I’m a new person,” eighth grader Nia Modkins said.Students and teachers took off their eclipse glasses and pointed at the sky, taking pictures and videos. Once three minutes elapsed, their teachers told them to put their eclipse glasses back on as the sun prepared for its return act.Once daylight swept over the parking lot again, eighth grader Sky Johnson swiped through her phone, looking for the video she’d taken during totality.“Two minutes of me screaming, literally,” she said.By Adithi Ramakrishnan___BEACHES GROW DARK IN MEXICOMAZATLAN, Mexico – Mazatlan’s sparkling beaches have been cast into darkness as the total solar eclipse reaches its maximum coverage.Hundreds of gathered faces were illuminated only by the screens of their cellphones as they tried to capture the slightly more than 4 minutes of totality.Palm trees were silhouetted against a faint glow near the horizon like one of the resort’s famous sunsets, but coming before noon.Karen Ibarra, of Colombia, is a researcher at Mexico’s National Autonomous University. She came to Mazatlan for the eclipse.As darkness blanketed the coast she said, “seeing the corona is the best.”___TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE REACHES U.S. ON WAY TO CANADAThe moon’s shadow has moved into the U.S. with cloudy skies in store for a part of the total eclipse path from Texas to Maine.The eclipse cuts through major cities including Dallas; Austin, Texas; Indianapolis; Cleveland; and Niagara Falls, New York.___A total solar eclipse has begun. Totality will last up to 4 minutes, 28 seconds in certain spots.The eclipse is crossing North America, darkening skies along a path through Mexico, the United States and Canada.Here's the latest:TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE BEGINS IN NORTH AMERICA OVER MEXICOA total solar eclipse has reached North America over Mexico as throngs gather along the country’s Pacific coast.It’ll race toward United States and eastern Canada before exiting into the Atlantic.___TEXANS THANKFUL FOR BREAKS IN CLOUDSMESQUITE, Texas – City officials cheered as the thick clouds parted in early afternoon and the sun peeked out, with the moon already taking a bite out of it.“We special ordered the sun this morning,” said downtown development manager Beverly Abell.Hundreds gathered at Front Street Station for the outdoor watch party, many pulling out their eclipse glasses to watch the moon’s bite grow ever bigger.At the Fort Worth Zoo, clouds occasionally moved over as the eclipse started. Zoo patrons stopped along the paths to take it in.Todd Beeby, 34, drove up with friends from Houston. He said that even with some clouds moving over, the viewing was good.CHEERS IN MEXICO AS MOON BEGINS PASSING OVER SUNMAZATLAN, Mexico – Cheers broke out along the beach in this resort city as the moon began to pass over the sun.Hundreds in a beachside park had passed the waiting time by readying their equipment and listening to a youth orchestra play Star Wars songs while a large screen projected images of Princess Leia behind them.Luz Elena Aguillón de la O sat in the grass with a group of 14 family and friends who had gathered from Mexico City, Guanajuato and right here in Mazatlan to take in the spectacle.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">An eclipse is worth marveling at. But don&#39;t be silly, folks – play it safe and wear protective eyewear. <a href="https://t.co/S6REAiZ735">pic.twitter.com/S6REAiZ735</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1777355754791432285?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>BIDEN ENCOURAGES AMERICANS TO WEAR EYE PROTECTIONWASHINGTON – President Joe Biden posted&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1777355754791432285">a brief video on X</a>&nbsp;to encourage Americans to wear eye protection when viewing the eclipse – in a subtle dig at his predecessor and 2024 rival, former President Donald Trump.“Folks, enjoy the eclipse, but play it safe, don’t be silly,” Biden said in a video showing him donning eclipse glasses and looking skyward from the balcony outside the Blue Room of the White House.That’s the spot where Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-41201f59ceb84f53910ede1f77007bee">glanced up toward the sun</a>&nbsp;without eye protection in 2017.Biden is traveling to Wisconsin, which, like Washington, will experience a partial eclipse on Monday.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she had no details to share on whether Biden would view the phenomenon.___TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE BEGINS OVER PACIFICThe moon lines up perfectly between the Earth and the sun in a total eclipse over the South Pacific.Over the next few hours, it will sweep across North America, entering Mexico, cutting diagonally from Texas to Maine, before exiting over eastern Canada into the Atlantic.PARTIAL ECLIPSE BEGINS OVER SOUTH PACIFICThe moon has started to cover up the sun as a partial eclipse begins over the South Pacific. Millions along a narrow corridor in North America from Mexico’s Pacific coast to eastern Canada hope for clouds to clear as they eagerly wait for totality to reach their location.___MEXICAN BEACH TOWN IS FIRST IN LINE FOR TOTALITYMAZATLAN, Mexico – Valeria Rosas says her four kids had been so excited by an October partial solar eclipse that passed over southeast Mexico, that she decided to come to this Pacific coast beach city for Monday's total eclipse.The 32-year-old drove eight hours from Leon, Guanajuato, with 10 friends and relatives.They joined hundreds of others in a beachside park under blue skies streaked with wispy clouds. It’s the first part of North America that will get to see the total eclipse.Rosas’ mother, Carmen Loza Rodríguez, recalled that Rosas was a baby when Mexico last saw a total solar eclipse in 1991.“How cool that we have the opportunity to experience it in this digital age, that we can share it with the world,” Rosas said.___SPECTATORS ARRIVE EARLY AT NIAGARA FALLSNIAGARA FALLS, New York — The main attraction at Niagara Falls is typically the more than 750,000 gallons of water that rush over the brink every second. On Monday, it was the eclipse.Tourists streamed into Niagara Falls State Park with wagons, strollers, coolers and chairs. Photographers’ tripods lined a railing under cloudy skies.Synthia Nguyen and Jen Cerna from Washington, D.C., claimed a prime lawn spot along the rapids, arriving at 6 a.m. with chairs, a blanket and a tent — that they were quickly asked to take down.They were excited that totality would last a few minutes, long enough for it to sink in.The pair work in an ophthalmology office.“We’re expecting a lot of calls tomorrow,” Cerna said.

The Latest: Total solar eclipse sweeps across North America

KANSAS CITY (AP) —The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, the governing body for mostly small colleges, announced a policy Monday that essentially bans transgender athletes from women's sports.

The NAIA’s Council of Presidents approved the policy in a 20-0 vote Monday, according to CBS Sports. The NAIA, which oversees some 83,000 athletes at schools across the country, is believed to be the first college sports organization to take such a step.

According to the transgender participation policy, all athletes may participate in NAIA-sponsored male sports but only athletes whose biological sex is female and have not begun hormone therapy will be allowed participate in women’s sports.

A student who has begun hormone therapy may participate in activities such as workouts, practices and team activities, but not in interscholastic competition.

“With the exception of competitive cheer and competitive dance, the NAIA created separate categories for male and female participants,” the NAIA said. "Each NAIA sport includes some combination of strength, speed and stamina, providing competitive advantages for male student-athletes. As a result, the NAIA policy for transgender student-athletes applies to all sports except for competitive cheer and competitive dance, which are open to all students."

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-rights-dont-say-gay-licenses-d0bf9d2f314ec6f28f2189795ea2d56c">The topic</a>&nbsp;has become a hot-button issue among conservative groups and others who believe transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete on girls’ and women’s sports teams. Last month, more than a dozen current and former women’s college athletes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-lia-thomas-swimming-lawsuit-b7df63108a03100f36b2e4364d585cdc">filed a federal lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against the NCAA, accusing the college sports governing body of violating their rights by allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584382013482.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, the governing body for mostly small colleges, announced a policy Monday that essentially bans transgender athletes from women's sports.The NAIA’s Council of Presidents approved the policy in a 20-0 vote Monday, according to CBS Sports. The NAIA, which oversees some 83,000 athletes at schools across the country, is believed to be the first college sports organization to take such a step.According to the transgender participation policy, all athletes may participate in NAIA-sponsored male sports but only athletes whose biological sex is female and have not begun hormone therapy will be allowed participate in women’s sports.A student who has begun hormone therapy may participate in activities such as workouts, practices and team activities, but not in interscholastic competition.“With the exception of competitive cheer and competitive dance, the NAIA created separate categories for male and female participants,” the NAIA said. "Each NAIA sport includes some combination of strength, speed and stamina, providing competitive advantages for male student-athletes. As a result, the NAIA policy for transgender student-athletes applies to all sports except for competitive cheer and competitive dance, which are open to all students."<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-rights-dont-say-gay-licenses-d0bf9d2f314ec6f28f2189795ea2d56c">The topic</a>&nbsp;has become a hot-button issue among conservative groups and others who believe transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete on girls’ and women’s sports teams. Last month, more than a dozen current and former women’s college athletes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-lia-thomas-swimming-lawsuit-b7df63108a03100f36b2e4364d585cdc">filed a federal lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against the NCAA, accusing the college sports governing body of violating their rights by allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports.

New NAIA policy bans transgender athletes from women's sports

COWLEY COUNTY — One person died in a weekend accident in Cowley County.

On Saturday night, a 2011, Ford F-150, driven by Porter Gregory, 20, Arkansas City, was southbound in the&nbsp;22000 block of Grouse Creek Road, according to Cowley County Sheriff Dave Falletti.

The pickup left the roadway and struck a culvert.&nbsp; First responders were called to the accident just after noon Sunday. Gregory was pronounced deceased at the scene.

 Dexter First responders and Arkansas City Fire and EMS also assisted sheriff's deputies at the scene.

COWLEY COUNTY — One person died in a weekend accident in Cowley County.On Saturday night, a 2011, Ford F-150, driven by Porter Gregory, 20, Arkansas City, was southbound in the&nbsp;22000 block of Grouse Creek Road, according to Cowley County Sheriff Dave Falletti.The pickup left the roadway and struck a culvert.&nbsp; First responders were called to the accident just after noon Sunday. Gregory was pronounced deceased at the scene. Dexter First responders and Arkansas City Fire and EMS also assisted sheriff's deputies at the scene.

Sheriff: Kansas man dies after weekend pickup crash

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Three Lawrence city leaders received disturbing notices on their front porches last week, according to a statement from Lawrence Police Department spokesperson Laura McCabe.

 Vice Mayor Mike Dever and Commissioners Brad Finkeldei and Lisa Larsen each received a paper bag with a brick and a note inside when they got home from the Commission meeting.&nbsp;

The notes all read, “We know you are violating your own law to displace and kill the homeless. We know that on April 15th you intend to change that law in order to cover up and justify your violations. We strongly advise you to end your abuses of the homeless, stop destroying their camps, and cease your plans to permanently displace and remove them from this city." 

All appear to have been left during the City Commission meeting Tuesday night. Separate police officers responded to each of the homes and circumstances at each home varied, but the disturbing delivery was the same. One commissioner’s home was empty when the bag was delivered, and it was untouched when officers arrived. One had family visiting from out of town, and another had a family member discover the frightening message and bring it inside.&nbsp;

“We simply have enough division on the streets,” said Chief Rich Lockhart. “There is no room for turning political differences into a potentially criminal act. There is a forum to voice your political beliefs and disrupting the feeling of safety and security of our leaders’ families does nothing to unite our community or advance any cause.”

Mayor Bart Littlejohn added, "As City Commissioners, we condemn the recent harassment tactics targeting our colleagues, as they do not align with the values of civil discourse and mutual respect in our community. Such actions are counterproductive and will not be tolerated as we work together to address homelessness and ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all."

Officers collected the bricks and other materials and brought it all to LKDP for processing.

Investigators identified a person of interest, interviewed the person, and issued him a trespass warning for all City Commissioners’ homes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712589785347.png" alt="Images from video of the Tuesday commission meeting -City of Lawrence" />
 <figcaption>Images from video of the Tuesday commission meeting -City of Lawrence</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —Three Lawrence city leaders received disturbing notices on their front porches last week, according to a statement from Lawrence Police Department spokesperson Laura McCabe. Vice Mayor Mike Dever and Commissioners Brad Finkeldei and Lisa Larsen each received a paper bag with a brick and a note inside when they got home from the Commission meeting.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712589567305.png" alt="Images from video of the Tuesday commission meeting -City of Lawrence" />
 <figcaption>Images from video of the Tuesday commission meeting -City of Lawrence</figcaption>
 </figure>The notes all read, “We know you are violating your own law to displace and kill the homeless. We know that on April 15th you intend to change that law in order to cover up and justify your violations. We strongly advise you to end your abuses of the homeless, stop destroying their camps, and cease your plans to permanently displace and remove them from this city." <div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QKmP2DxKwEc?si=sa-NRpvyHiyRljKM&amp;start=375" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>All appear to have been left during the City Commission meeting Tuesday night. Separate police officers responded to each of the homes and circumstances at each home varied, but the disturbing delivery was the same. One commissioner’s home was empty when the bag was delivered, and it was untouched when officers arrived. One had family visiting from out of town, and another had a family member discover the frightening message and bring it inside.&nbsp;“We simply have enough division on the streets,” said Chief Rich Lockhart. “There is no room for turning political differences into a potentially criminal act. There is a forum to voice your political beliefs and disrupting the feeling of safety and security of our leaders’ families does nothing to unite our community or advance any cause.”Mayor Bart Littlejohn added, "As City Commissioners, we condemn the recent harassment tactics targeting our colleagues, as they do not align with the values of civil discourse and mutual respect in our community. Such actions are counterproductive and will not be tolerated as we work together to address homelessness and ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all."Officers collected the bricks and other materials and brought it all to LKDP for processing.Investigators identified a person of interest, interviewed the person, and issued him a trespass warning for all City Commissioners’ homes.

🎥Bricks, disturbing notes left at homes of Lawrence city commissioners 

NASHVILLE —Country artist Morgan Wallen, 30, was booked into jail early Monday on requested charges that include 3 felony counts of reckless endangerment and 1 count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct, according to a social media report from Metro Nashville Police.

According to police Wallen was arrested for throwing a chair from the rooftop of Chief's Bar on Sunday night. The chair landed on Broadway Street, near two Metro Nashville Police officers. His bond was $15,250, according to police.

In May of 2020, Wallen apologized following his arrest on public intoxication and disorderly conduct charges. That arrest occurred&nbsp; after he was kicked out of Kid Rock’s bar in downtown Nashville, according to the Associated Press.

After the May 2020 arrest, Wallen said on social media that he and some friends were “horse-playing” after a few bar stops.

Wallen’s hits include “Whiskey Glasses” and “Chasin’ You.” He competed on “The Voice” in 2014 and co-wrote songs for Jason Aldean and Kane Brown.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712583620863.png" alt="Wallen photo Metro Nashville Police" />
 <figcaption>Wallen photo Metro Nashville Police</figcaption>
 </figure>NASHVILLE —Country artist Morgan Wallen, 30, was booked into jail early Monday on requested charges that include 3 felony counts of reckless endangerment and 1 count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct, according to a social media report from Metro Nashville Police.According to police Wallen was arrested for throwing a chair from the rooftop of Chief's Bar on Sunday night. The chair landed on Broadway Street, near two Metro Nashville Police officers. His bond was $15,250, according to police.In May of 2020, Wallen apologized following his arrest on public intoxication and disorderly conduct charges. That arrest occurred&nbsp; after he was kicked out of Kid Rock’s bar in downtown Nashville, according to the Associated Press.After the May 2020 arrest, Wallen said on social media that he and some friends were “horse-playing” after a few bar stops.Wallen’s hits include “Whiskey Glasses” and “Chasin’ You.” He competed on “The Voice” in 2014 and co-wrote songs for Jason Aldean and Kane Brown.

Police: Morgan Wallen jailed after throwing chair from roof of bar

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said he believes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion</a>&nbsp;should be left to the states in a video released Monday morning outlining his position after months of mixed messages and speculation.

“Many people have asked me what my position is on abortion and abortion rights," Trump said in the video posted on his Truth Social site. “My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both. And whatever they decide must be the law of the land — in this case, the law of the state."

Trump, in the video, did not say when in pregnancy he believes abortion should be banned — declining to endorse a national cutoff that would have been used as a cudgel by Democrats ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">the November election</a>. But Trump's endorsement of the patchwork approach leaves him open to being attached to the strictest proposed state legislation, which President Joe Biden and his reelection campaign have already been working to do.

In the video, Trump again took credit for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to end Roe v. Wade</a>, saying that he was “proudly the person responsible for the ending” of the constitutional right to an abortion and thanking the conservative justices who overturned it by name.

While he again articulated his support for three exceptions — in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is at risk — he went on to describe the current legal landscape, in which different states have different restrictions following the court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling on June 24, 2022, which upended the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

“Many states will be different. Many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative than others and that’s what they will be," he said. “At the end of the day it's all about will of the people.”

The announcement drew immediate condemnation from SBA Pro-Life America, one of the country's most prominent groups opposed to abortion rights.

“We are deeply disappointed in President Trump’s position,” said the group's president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, in statement. “Unborn children and their mothers deserve national protections and national advocacy from the brutality of the abortion industry. The Dobbs decision clearly allows both states and Congress to act.”

Biden's campaign said Trump was “endorsing every single abortion ban in the states, including abortion bans with no exceptions.”

“And he’s bragging about his role in creating this hellscape,” campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa said on X.

Trump had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-abortion-ban-15-weeks-91a9e0ce87d11dff0fa761f327bd0566">suggested last month</a>&nbsp;in a radio interview that he was leaning toward&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-abortion-ban-15-weeks-91a9e0ce87d11dff0fa761f327bd0566">supporting a national abortion ban</a>&nbsp;at around 15 weeks of pregnancy — early in the second trimester.

“The number of weeks now, people are agreeing on 15. And I’m thinking in terms of that,” he said on WABC radio. “And it’ll come out to something that’s very reasonable. But people are really, even hard-liners are agreeing, seems to be, 15 weeks seems to be a number that people are agreeing at.”

At the same time, Trump seemed reluctant to embrace a federal ban.

“Everybody agrees — you’ve heard this for years — all the legal scholars on both sides agree: It’s a state issue. It shouldn’t be a federal issue, it’s a state issue,” he said.

Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, had written on his social media site Sunday night that he planned to issue a statement on “abortion and abortion rights" after sidestepping questions about when in a pregnancy he believes the line should be drawn.

Republican-led states have ushered in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-bans-exceptions-doctors-lawmakers-7cefca4a248076268c789ea05b367f1a">a wave of new restrictions</a>&nbsp;following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-2024-elections-republicans-ohio-virginia-90255a62d83ad9f1d86b407c9455bb0a">Democrats believe the fight over abortion rights helps them at the polls</a>&nbsp;and have outperformed expectations in elections since.

Trump had long argued that the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe gave those who oppose abortion rights “tremendous power to negotiate.” He said he wanted to use that leverage to strike a deal that he hoped would “make both sides happy” and bring the country “together” — even though the issue is one of the most contentious in American politics, with opponents viewing abortion as murder and proponents seeing it as a fundamental women’s right.

Trump has tried to thread the needle on abortion throughout the campaign. He routinely takes credit for appointing the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, which he has called a “moral and unconstitutional atrocity," and has called himself the “most pro-life president in American history.”

But he has also repeatedly criticized fellow Republicans for being too hard-line on the issue, blaming candidates who did not allow for exceptions in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the pregnant person is at risk for the party’s losses that November.

“A lot of politicians who are pro-life do not know how to discuss this topic and they lose their election. We had a lot of election losses because of this, because they didn’t know to discuss it. They had no idea,” he said at the Concerned Women of America 2023 Leadership Summit.

In the video, Trump told Republicans that they must "follow your heart on this issue. But remember, you must also win elections to restore our culture and, in fact, to save our country, which is currently and very sadly a nation in decline.”

Instead, he has tried to paint Democrats as the ones who are extreme on the issue.

“It must be remembered that the Democrats are the radical ones on this position,” he said in the video.

Democrats and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-kamala-harris-abortion-c634452da5e103913982e1cc5a0cae78">President Joe Biden’s campaign, meanwhile, have been spotlighting</a>&nbsp;the issue as they work to draw a contrast with Trump.

Polling has consistently shown that most Americans believe abortion should be legal through the initial stages of pregnancy. About half of U.S. adults said abortions should be permitted at the 15-week mark, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-poll-roe-dobbs-ban-opinion-fcfdfc5a799ac3be617d99999e92eabe">an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted last June</a>.

<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/data_stats/abortion.htm">Data compiled</a>&nbsp;by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the vast majority of abortions from 2012 to 2021 were performed within the first 13 weeks of pregnancy.

The Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision established the constitutional right to abortion until the time of viability, at around 23 or 24 weeks into pregnancy.

Abortions later in pregnancy are rare and are often performed due to serious fetal abnormalities, when the life of the mother is at risk, or when women have faced significant delays accessing the procedure, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/abortions-later-in-pregnancy-in-a-post-dobbs-era/">health policy research firm KFF</a>.

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said he believes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion</a>&nbsp;should be left to the states in a video released Monday morning outlining his position after months of mixed messages and speculation.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/RNbajUtnVI">pic.twitter.com/RNbajUtnVI</a>&mdash; Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamTrump/status/1777315152959815883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Many people have asked me what my position is on abortion and abortion rights," Trump said in the video posted on his Truth Social site. “My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both. And whatever they decide must be the law of the land — in this case, the law of the state."Trump, in the video, did not say when in pregnancy he believes abortion should be banned — declining to endorse a national cutoff that would have been used as a cudgel by Democrats ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">the November election</a>. But Trump's endorsement of the patchwork approach leaves him open to being attached to the strictest proposed state legislation, which President Joe Biden and his reelection campaign have already been working to do.In the video, Trump again took credit for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to end Roe v. Wade</a>, saying that he was “proudly the person responsible for the ending” of the constitutional right to an abortion and thanking the conservative justices who overturned it by name.While he again articulated his support for three exceptions — in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is at risk — he went on to describe the current legal landscape, in which different states have different restrictions following the court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling on June 24, 2022, which upended the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.“Many states will be different. Many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative than others and that’s what they will be," he said. “At the end of the day it's all about will of the people.”The announcement drew immediate condemnation from SBA Pro-Life America, one of the country's most prominent groups opposed to abortion rights.“We are deeply disappointed in President Trump’s position,” said the group's president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, in statement. “Unborn children and their mothers deserve national protections and national advocacy from the brutality of the abortion industry. The Dobbs decision clearly allows both states and Congress to act.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712580445478.png" alt="Trump statement Sunday on Truth Social&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Trump statement Sunday on Truth Social&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Biden's campaign said Trump was “endorsing every single abortion ban in the states, including abortion bans with no exceptions.”“And he’s bragging about his role in creating this hellscape,” campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa said on X.Trump had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-abortion-ban-15-weeks-91a9e0ce87d11dff0fa761f327bd0566">suggested last month</a>&nbsp;in a radio interview that he was leaning toward&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-abortion-ban-15-weeks-91a9e0ce87d11dff0fa761f327bd0566">supporting a national abortion ban</a>&nbsp;at around 15 weeks of pregnancy — early in the second trimester.“The number of weeks now, people are agreeing on 15. And I’m thinking in terms of that,” he said on WABC radio. “And it’ll come out to something that’s very reasonable. But people are really, even hard-liners are agreeing, seems to be, 15 weeks seems to be a number that people are agreeing at.”At the same time, Trump seemed reluctant to embrace a federal ban.“Everybody agrees — you’ve heard this for years — all the legal scholars on both sides agree: It’s a state issue. It shouldn’t be a federal issue, it’s a state issue,” he said.Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, had written on his social media site Sunday night that he planned to issue a statement on “abortion and abortion rights" after sidestepping questions about when in a pregnancy he believes the line should be drawn.Republican-led states have ushered in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-bans-exceptions-doctors-lawmakers-7cefca4a248076268c789ea05b367f1a">a wave of new restrictions</a>&nbsp;following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-2024-elections-republicans-ohio-virginia-90255a62d83ad9f1d86b407c9455bb0a">Democrats believe the fight over abortion rights helps them at the polls</a>&nbsp;and have outperformed expectations in elections since.Trump had long argued that the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe gave those who oppose abortion rights “tremendous power to negotiate.” He said he wanted to use that leverage to strike a deal that he hoped would “make both sides happy” and bring the country “together” — even though the issue is one of the most contentious in American politics, with opponents viewing abortion as murder and proponents seeing it as a fundamental women’s right.Trump has tried to thread the needle on abortion throughout the campaign. He routinely takes credit for appointing the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, which he has called a “moral and unconstitutional atrocity," and has called himself the “most pro-life president in American history.”But he has also repeatedly criticized fellow Republicans for being too hard-line on the issue, blaming candidates who did not allow for exceptions in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the pregnant person is at risk for the party’s losses that November.“A lot of politicians who are pro-life do not know how to discuss this topic and they lose their election. We had a lot of election losses because of this, because they didn’t know to discuss it. They had no idea,” he said at the Concerned Women of America 2023 Leadership Summit.In the video, Trump told Republicans that they must "follow your heart on this issue. But remember, you must also win elections to restore our culture and, in fact, to save our country, which is currently and very sadly a nation in decline.”Instead, he has tried to paint Democrats as the ones who are extreme on the issue.“It must be remembered that the Democrats are the radical ones on this position,” he said in the video.Democrats and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-kamala-harris-abortion-c634452da5e103913982e1cc5a0cae78">President Joe Biden’s campaign, meanwhile, have been spotlighting</a>&nbsp;the issue as they work to draw a contrast with Trump.Polling has consistently shown that most Americans believe abortion should be legal through the initial stages of pregnancy. About half of U.S. adults said abortions should be permitted at the 15-week mark, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-poll-roe-dobbs-ban-opinion-fcfdfc5a799ac3be617d99999e92eabe">an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted last June</a>.<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/data_stats/abortion.htm">Data compiled</a>&nbsp;by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the vast majority of abortions from 2012 to 2021 were performed within the first 13 weeks of pregnancy.The Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision established the constitutional right to abortion until the time of viability, at around 23 or 24 weeks into pregnancy.Abortions later in pregnancy are rare and are often performed due to serious fetal abnormalities, when the life of the mother is at risk, or when women have faced significant delays accessing the procedure, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/abortions-later-in-pregnancy-in-a-post-dobbs-era/">health policy research firm KFF</a>.

🎥No national ban: Trump issues new statement on abortion 

LANSING, Kansas. –Lansing Correctional Facility (LCF) Minimum-custody resident Bradley G. Verstraete has been apprehended.

Verstraete was taken into custody Monday morning by officials from the Lansing Police Department, according to a statement from the Kansas Department of Corrections. He was arrested on the Kansas Department of Corrections escape warrant without incident.

LANSING, Kansas. –Inmate Bradley G. Verstraete was placed on escape status at approximately 9:00 p.m. after it was reported that he walked away from Lansing Correctional Facility on Sunday, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Verstraete, a 54-year-old white male, was reported missing when the resident could not be located at the minimum-security unit. This walkaway does not impact the security or operations of the medium-maximum secure compound.

Verstraete is serving a 102-month sentence for convictions of attempted murder in the 2nd&nbsp;degree and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer that occurred in 2017 in Pratt County.

Verstraete is 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 130 pounds. He has Hazel eyes and brown hair. He was last seen wearing blue jean jacket, blue jeans, and red hat. His hair was in a ponytail, and he had a goatee-style beard.

Anyone with information on Verstraete can call the Kansas Department of Corrections at 913-727-3235 ext. 58224, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (800) 572-7463, or local law enforcement at 911.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712566612629.jpeg" alt="Bradley G. Verstraete-photo" />
 <figcaption>Bradley G. Verstraete-photo</figcaption>
 </figure>LANSING, Kansas. –Lansing Correctional Facility (LCF) Minimum-custody resident Bradley G. Verstraete has been apprehended.Verstraete was taken into custody Monday morning by officials from the Lansing Police Department, according to a statement from the Kansas Department of Corrections. He was arrested on the Kansas Department of Corrections escape warrant without incident.-------------LANSING, Kansas. –Inmate Bradley G. Verstraete was placed on escape status at approximately 9:00 p.m. after it was reported that he walked away from Lansing Correctional Facility on Sunday, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.Verstraete, a 54-year-old white male, was reported missing when the resident could not be located at the minimum-security unit. This walkaway does not impact the security or operations of the medium-maximum secure compound.Verstraete is serving a 102-month sentence for convictions of attempted murder in the 2nd&nbsp;degree and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer that occurred in 2017 in Pratt County.Verstraete is 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 130 pounds. He has Hazel eyes and brown hair. He was last seen wearing blue jean jacket, blue jeans, and red hat. His hair was in a ponytail, and he had a goatee-style beard.Anyone with information on Verstraete can call the Kansas Department of Corrections at 913-727-3235 ext. 58224, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (800) 572-7463, or local law enforcement at 911.

Inmate who escaped from Kan. prison is back in custody

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating gunfire at the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City.

Just after 6:30 p.m. on Saturday police responded to a report of a shooting and individuals running near 47th and Central, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

After officers secured the scene, it was discovered that multiple vehicles had been shot into, and one of the vehicles was occupied. There were no injuries.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest or suspect information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712573414312.png" alt="Police have not reported an arrest or suspect information.-Google image" />
 <figcaption>Police have not reported an arrest or suspect information.-Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating gunfire at the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City.Just after 6:30 p.m. on Saturday police responded to a report of a shooting and individuals running near 47th and Central, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.After officers secured the scene, it was discovered that multiple vehicles had been shot into, and one of the vehicles was occupied. There were no injuries.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest or suspect information.

KCPD: Gunfire ruined Saturday at the Country Club Plaza

MESQUITE, Texas (AP) — Millions of spectators along a narrow corridor stretching from Mexico to the U.S. to Canada eagerly awaited Monday's celestial sensation — a total eclipse of the sun — even as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/total-solar-eclipse-weather-forecast-e7e9e9957c87d1b0b7e35c39ba441aa7">forecasters called for clouds.</a>

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/key_messages/LatestKeyMessage_2.png">best weather</a>&nbsp;was expected at the tail end of the eclipse in Vermont and Maine, as well as New Brunswick and Newfoundland.

It promised to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/total-solar-eclipse-april-2024-83164668ee08b0a0c92e1d2ac41e91aa">North America’s biggest eclipse crowd</a>&nbsp;ever, thanks to the densely populated path and the lure of more than four minutes of midday darkness in Texas and other choice spots. Almost everyone in North America was guaranteed at least a partial eclipse, weather permitting.

“Cloud cover is one of the trickier things to forecast,” National Weather Service meteorologist Alexa Maines explained at Cleveland's Great Lakes Science Center on Sunday. “At the very least, it won’t snow.”

The cliff-hanging uncertainty added to the drama. Rain or shine, "it’s just about sharing the experience with other people,” said Chris Lomas from Gotham, England, who was staying at a sold-out trailer resort outside Dallas, the biggest city in totality's path.

For Monday's full eclipse, the moon was due to slip right in front of the sun, entirely blocking it. The resulting twilight, with only the sun’s outer atmosphere or corona visible, would be long enough for birds and other animals to fall silent, and for planets, stars and maybe even a comet to pop out.

The out-of-sync darkness lasts up to 4 minutes, 28 seconds. That's almost twice as long as it was during the U.S. coast-to-coast eclipse seven years ago because the moon is closer to Earth. It will be another 21 years before the U.S. sees another total solar eclipse on this scale.

Extending five hours from the first bite out of the sun to the last, Monday's eclipse begins in the Pacific and makes landfall at Mazatlan, Mexico, before moving into Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and 12 other U.S. states in the Midwest, Middle Atlantic and New England, and then Canada. Last stop: Newfoundland, with the eclipse ending in the North Atlantic.

It will take just 1 hour, 40 minutes for the moon's shadow to race more than 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers) across the continent.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/total-solar-eclipse-eye-damage-eclipse-glasses-cb70dd4fc9caebfee4d61064bc5176b6">Eye protection</a>&nbsp;is needed with proper eclipse glasses and filters to look at the sun, except when it ducks completely out of sight during an eclipse.

The path of totality — approximately 115 miles (185 kilometers) wide — encompasses several major cities this time, including Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo, New York and Montreal. An estimated 44 million people live within the track, with a couple hundred million more within 200 miles (320 kilometers). Add in all the eclipse chasers, amateur astronomers, scientists and just plain curious, and it’s no wonder the hotels and flights are sold out and the roads jammed.

Experts from NASA and scores of universities are posted along the route, poised to launch research rockets and weather balloons, and conduct experiments. The International Space Station’s seven astronauts also will be on the lookout, 270 miles (435 kilometers) up.

MESQUITE, Texas (AP) — Eclipse spectators staked out their spots across three countries Sunday, fervently hoping for clear skies despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/total-solar-eclipse-weather-forecast-e7e9e9957c87d1b0b7e35c39ba441aa7">forecasts calling for clouds</a>&nbsp;along most of the sun-vanishing route.

Click <a href="https://plus.nasa.gov/banner/2024-total-solar-eclipse-through-the-eyes-of-nasa/">here to watch</a>&nbsp;as NASA streams a telescope view of the sun 12 NoonCDT

North America won’t see another coast-to-coast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/total-solar-eclipse-april-2024-83164668ee08b0a0c92e1d2ac41e91aa">total solar eclipse</a>&nbsp;for 21 years, prompting the weekend’s worry and mad rush.

Monday’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_aPG0AeG1s">extravaganza stretches</a>&nbsp;from Mexico’s Pacific beaches to Canada’s rugged Atlantic shores, with 15 U.S. states in between.

“I have arrived in the path of totality!” Ian Kluft announced Sunday afternoon after pulling into Mesquite from Portland, Oregon, a 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) drive.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7rpUg8NkM0&amp;list=PLnwt1fUa-EViXobU4hL_foNyr38Cf27SU&amp;index=6">total eclipse</a>&nbsp;happens when the moon lines up perfectly between Earth and the sun, blotting out the sunlight. That means a little over four minutes of daytime darkness east of Dallas in Mesquite, where locals like Jorge Martinez have the day off. The land surveyor plans to “witness history” from home with his wife and their 3-year-old daughter, Nati.

“Hopefully, she’ll remember. She’s excited, too,” he said following breakfast at Dos Panchas Mexican Restaurant.

Inside the jammed restaurant, manager Adrian Martinez figured on staying open Monday.

“Wish it was going to be sunny like today,” he said. “But cloudiness? Hopefully, it still looks pretty good.”

Near Ennis, Texas, to the south, the Range Vintage Trailer Resort was also packed, selling out of spots more than a year ago.

“I booked it instantly, then I told my wife, ‘We’re going to Texas,’” Gotham, England’s Chris Lomas said from the trailer resort Sunday. Even if clouds obscure the covered-up sun, “it will still go dark. It’s just about sharing the experience with other people,” he added.

In Cleveland, the eclipse persuaded women's Final Four fans Matt and Sheila Powell to stick around an extra day after Sunday's game. But they were debating whether to begin their drive home to Missouri Valley, Iowa, early Monday in search of clearer skies along the eclipse’s path. “We’re trying to be flexible,” Powell said.

Even the eclipse professionals were up in the air.

Eclipse mapmaker Michael Zeiler had a perfect record ahead of Monday, seeing 11 out of 11 total solar eclipses after successfully relocating three of those times at the last minute for better weather.

“We are the complete opposite of tornado chasers, always seeking clear skies,” Zeiler said in an email over the weekend. This time, though, he was staying put in Fredericksburg, Texas, with his family, 10 of them altogether, and holding onto “a considerable ray of hope.”

Farther north, in Buffalo, New York, Jeff Sherman flew in from Somerville, Massachusetts, to catch his second total solar eclipse. After seeing the U.S. coast-to-coast eclipse in 2017, “now I have to see any one that’s nearby, he said.

Kluft also enjoyed clear skies for the 2017 eclipse, in Oregon, and rolled into Mesquite wearing the T-shirt from that big event. As for Monday’s cloudy forecast across Texas, “at least I’ll be around people who are like-minded.”

Dicey weather was also predicted almost all the way to Lake Erie, despite Sunday’s gorgeous weather. The only places promised clear skies along Monday's narrow 115-mile-wide (185-kilometer-wide) corridor of totality were New England and Canada.

Like everywhere else, the weather was the hot topic at the Buffalo Naval and Military Park on Sunday. By mid-morning, volunteer Tom Villa already had greeted tourists from several states, as well as Canada and Brazil.

“They hope it’s like this tomorrow, of course, but you know, the weather is the weather,” he said.

AP reporters Jamie Stengle near Ennis, Texas; Carolyn Thompson in Buffalo, New York; and Stephanie Nano in Cleveland contributed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712085263547.png" alt="NASA will stream telescope&nbsp;<a href="https://plus.nasa.gov/banner/2024-total-solar-eclipse-through-the-eyes-of-nasa/">views of the sun</a>&nbsp;and on NASA TV starting at Noon CDT.Image Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>NASA will stream telescope&nbsp;<a href="https://plus.nasa.gov/banner/2024-total-solar-eclipse-through-the-eyes-of-nasa/">views of the sun</a>&nbsp;and on NASA TV starting at Noon CDT.Image Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>MESQUITE, Texas (AP) — Millions of spectators along a narrow corridor stretching from Mexico to the U.S. to Canada eagerly awaited Monday's celestial sensation — a total eclipse of the sun — even as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/total-solar-eclipse-weather-forecast-e7e9e9957c87d1b0b7e35c39ba441aa7">forecasters called for clouds.</a>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/key_messages/LatestKeyMessage_2.png">best weather</a>&nbsp;was expected at the tail end of the eclipse in Vermont and Maine, as well as New Brunswick and Newfoundland.It promised to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/total-solar-eclipse-april-2024-83164668ee08b0a0c92e1d2ac41e91aa">North America’s biggest eclipse crowd</a>&nbsp;ever, thanks to the densely populated path and the lure of more than four minutes of midday darkness in Texas and other choice spots. Almost everyone in North America was guaranteed at least a partial eclipse, weather permitting.“Cloud cover is one of the trickier things to forecast,” National Weather Service meteorologist Alexa Maines explained at Cleveland's Great Lakes Science Center on Sunday. “At the very least, it won’t snow.”The cliff-hanging uncertainty added to the drama. Rain or shine, "it’s just about sharing the experience with other people,” said Chris Lomas from Gotham, England, who was staying at a sold-out trailer resort outside Dallas, the biggest city in totality's path.For Monday's full eclipse, the moon was due to slip right in front of the sun, entirely blocking it. The resulting twilight, with only the sun’s outer atmosphere or corona visible, would be long enough for birds and other animals to fall silent, and for planets, stars and maybe even a comet to pop out.The out-of-sync darkness lasts up to 4 minutes, 28 seconds. That's almost twice as long as it was during the U.S. coast-to-coast eclipse seven years ago because the moon is closer to Earth. It will be another 21 years before the U.S. sees another total solar eclipse on this scale.Extending five hours from the first bite out of the sun to the last, Monday's eclipse begins in the Pacific and makes landfall at Mazatlan, Mexico, before moving into Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and 12 other U.S. states in the Midwest, Middle Atlantic and New England, and then Canada. Last stop: Newfoundland, with the eclipse ending in the North Atlantic.It will take just 1 hour, 40 minutes for the moon's shadow to race more than 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers) across the continent.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/total-solar-eclipse-eye-damage-eclipse-glasses-cb70dd4fc9caebfee4d61064bc5176b6">Eye protection</a>&nbsp;is needed with proper eclipse glasses and filters to look at the sun, except when it ducks completely out of sight during an eclipse.The path of totality — approximately 115 miles (185 kilometers) wide — encompasses several major cities this time, including Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo, New York and Montreal. An estimated 44 million people live within the track, with a couple hundred million more within 200 miles (320 kilometers). Add in all the eclipse chasers, amateur astronomers, scientists and just plain curious, and it’s no wonder the hotels and flights are sold out and the roads jammed.Experts from NASA and scores of universities are posted along the route, poised to launch research rockets and weather balloons, and conduct experiments. The International Space Station’s seven astronauts also will be on the lookout, 270 miles (435 kilometers) up.___MESQUITE, Texas (AP) — Eclipse spectators staked out their spots across three countries Sunday, fervently hoping for clear skies despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/total-solar-eclipse-weather-forecast-e7e9e9957c87d1b0b7e35c39ba441aa7">forecasts calling for clouds</a>&nbsp;along most of the sun-vanishing route.Click <a href="https://plus.nasa.gov/banner/2024-total-solar-eclipse-through-the-eyes-of-nasa/">here to watch</a>&nbsp;as NASA streams a telescope view of the sun 12 NoonCDTNorth America won’t see another coast-to-coast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/total-solar-eclipse-april-2024-83164668ee08b0a0c92e1d2ac41e91aa">total solar eclipse</a>&nbsp;for 21 years, prompting the weekend’s worry and mad rush.Monday’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_aPG0AeG1s">extravaganza stretches</a>&nbsp;from Mexico’s Pacific beaches to Canada’s rugged Atlantic shores, with 15 U.S. states in between.“I have arrived in the path of totality!” Ian Kluft announced Sunday afternoon after pulling into Mesquite from Portland, Oregon, a 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) drive.A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7rpUg8NkM0&amp;list=PLnwt1fUa-EViXobU4hL_foNyr38Cf27SU&amp;index=6">total eclipse</a>&nbsp;happens when the moon lines up perfectly between Earth and the sun, blotting out the sunlight. That means a little over four minutes of daytime darkness east of Dallas in Mesquite, where locals like Jorge Martinez have the day off. The land surveyor plans to “witness history” from home with his wife and their 3-year-old daughter, Nati.“Hopefully, she’ll remember. She’s excited, too,” he said following breakfast at Dos Panchas Mexican Restaurant.Inside the jammed restaurant, manager Adrian Martinez figured on staying open Monday.“Wish it was going to be sunny like today,” he said. “But cloudiness? Hopefully, it still looks pretty good.”Near Ennis, Texas, to the south, the Range Vintage Trailer Resort was also packed, selling out of spots more than a year ago.“I booked it instantly, then I told my wife, ‘We’re going to Texas,’” Gotham, England’s Chris Lomas said from the trailer resort Sunday. Even if clouds obscure the covered-up sun, “it will still go dark. It’s just about sharing the experience with other people,” he added.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711653160174.png" alt="You can wear eclipse glasses to safely view the Sun during the partial eclipse phases of a solar eclipse, before and after totality. Photo by NASA/Mamta Patel Nagaraja" />
 <figcaption>You can wear eclipse glasses to safely view the Sun during the partial eclipse phases of a solar eclipse, before and after totality. Photo by NASA/Mamta Patel Nagaraja</figcaption>
 </figure>In Cleveland, the eclipse persuaded women's Final Four fans Matt and Sheila Powell to stick around an extra day after Sunday's game. But they were debating whether to begin their drive home to Missouri Valley, Iowa, early Monday in search of clearer skies along the eclipse’s path. “We’re trying to be flexible,” Powell said.Even the eclipse professionals were up in the air.Eclipse mapmaker Michael Zeiler had a perfect record ahead of Monday, seeing 11 out of 11 total solar eclipses after successfully relocating three of those times at the last minute for better weather.“We are the complete opposite of tornado chasers, always seeking clear skies,” Zeiler said in an email over the weekend. This time, though, he was staying put in Fredericksburg, Texas, with his family, 10 of them altogether, and holding onto “a considerable ray of hope.”Farther north, in Buffalo, New York, Jeff Sherman flew in from Somerville, Massachusetts, to catch his second total solar eclipse. After seeing the U.S. coast-to-coast eclipse in 2017, “now I have to see any one that’s nearby, he said.Kluft also enjoyed clear skies for the 2017 eclipse, in Oregon, and rolled into Mesquite wearing the T-shirt from that big event. As for Monday’s cloudy forecast across Texas, “at least I’ll be around people who are like-minded.”Dicey weather was also predicted almost all the way to Lake Erie, despite Sunday’s gorgeous weather. The only places promised clear skies along Monday's narrow 115-mile-wide (185-kilometer-wide) corridor of totality were New England and Canada.Like everywhere else, the weather was the hot topic at the Buffalo Naval and Military Park on Sunday. By mid-morning, volunteer Tom Villa already had greeted tourists from several states, as well as Canada and Brazil.“They hope it’s like this tomorrow, of course, but you know, the weather is the weather,” he said.___AP reporters Jamie Stengle near Ennis, Texas; Carolyn Thompson in Buffalo, New York; and Stephanie Nano in Cleveland contributed.___

Huge crowds await a total solar eclipse. Clouds may spoil the view

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 39-year-old&nbsp;Christopher J. Ball, according to KCPD.

Around 1:00pm Friday, police responded to 5600 block of E. 31st Street on a sound of shots call, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.

First responders located Ball in a vehicle suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene, approximately three miles from Arrowhead Stadium.

Police have not released any suspect information or reported an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712365459887.png" alt="photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 39-year-old&nbsp;Christopher J. Ball, according to KCPD.Around 1:00pm Friday, police responded to 5600 block of E. 31st Street on a sound of shots call, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.First responders located Ball in a vehicle suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene, approximately three miles from Arrowhead Stadium.Police have not released any suspect information or reported an arrest.

Police ID homicide victim found near Arrowhead Stadium

MONTOMGERY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspect on multiple allegations after a reported burglary.

Just before 8a.m. April 3, Montgomery County Dispatch received a 911 call regarding an active burglary and theft occurring northwest of Coffeyville near the industrial park, according to Sheriff Ron Wade.

The reporting person informed dispatch that the chain had been removed from the barn doors and, while they were on the property, a black Dodge Charger passenger vehicle pulled out of the barn and fled the property. 

The reporting person attempted to follow the vehicle, but it couldn't be located.&nbsp;

Shortly after, Coffeyville Police Officers located a vehicle matching the description provided by the reporting person. They stopped the vehicle and detained the driver identified as 54-year-old Robert Mikel of Coffeyville, Kansas, and passenger 33-year-old Jacob Lind of Altamont, Kansas.

Deputies arrived on the scene and confirmed there was stolen property inside the vehicle. Mikel and Lind were taken into custody and transported to the Montgomery County Department of Corrections, where they were booked on requested charges of burglary, theft, and criminal damage to property. 

Deputies executed a search warrant on the vehicle, recovering the stolen property, which will be returned to the rightful owner.

This case has been sent to the Montgomery County Attorney’s Office for proper charging.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712324544258.png" alt="Mikel-photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Mikel-photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>MONTOMGERY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspect on multiple allegations after a reported burglary.Just before 8a.m. April 3, Montgomery County Dispatch received a 911 call regarding an active burglary and theft occurring northwest of Coffeyville near the industrial park, according to Sheriff Ron Wade.The reporting person informed dispatch that the chain had been removed from the barn doors and, while they were on the property, a black Dodge Charger passenger vehicle pulled out of the barn and fled the property. The reporting person attempted to follow the vehicle, but it couldn't be located.&nbsp;Shortly after, Coffeyville Police Officers located a vehicle matching the description provided by the reporting person. They stopped the vehicle and detained the driver identified as 54-year-old Robert Mikel of Coffeyville, Kansas, and passenger 33-year-old Jacob Lind of Altamont, Kansas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712324464734.png" alt="Lind-photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Lind-photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies arrived on the scene and confirmed there was stolen property inside the vehicle. Mikel and Lind were taken into custody and transported to the Montgomery County Department of Corrections, where they were booked on requested charges of burglary, theft, and criminal damage to property. Deputies executed a search warrant on the vehicle, recovering the stolen property, which will be returned to the rightful owner.This case has been sent to the Montgomery County Attorney’s Office for proper charging.&nbsp;

Suspects caught during rural Kansas home burglary

MONTGOMERY COUNTY —A Kansas teen died in an accident just after 1:30a.m. Sunday in Montgomery County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Chevy Silverado driven by&nbsp;Kasenn Lane&nbsp;Dollar, 18, Liberty, Kansas, was eastbound on U.S. 160 three and one half miles west of Independence.

The pickup traveled left of center and struck a westbound 2017 Dodge Charger driven by Montgomery County Sheriff's Deputy Justin Dean&nbsp;Ward, 26, Independence, head-on.&nbsp; After impact the pickup also struck a westbound 2022 Dodge Durango driven by Montgomery County Sheriff's Deputy Zachary Clyde&nbsp;Farmer, 28, Independence.

Dollar was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; Ward was transported to Ascension St. Johns, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

EMS transported a passenger in the Silverado Amir&nbsp;Luten, 18, and Farmer to&nbsp;Coffeyville Regional Medical Center. Dollar and Luten were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY —A Kansas teen died in an accident just after 1:30a.m. Sunday in Montgomery County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Chevy Silverado driven by&nbsp;Kasenn Lane&nbsp;Dollar, 18, Liberty, Kansas, was eastbound on U.S. 160 three and one half miles west of Independence.The pickup traveled left of center and struck a westbound 2017 Dodge Charger driven by Montgomery County Sheriff's Deputy Justin Dean&nbsp;Ward, 26, Independence, head-on.&nbsp; After impact the pickup also struck a westbound 2022 Dodge Durango driven by Montgomery County Sheriff's Deputy Zachary Clyde&nbsp;Farmer, 28, Independence.Dollar was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; Ward was transported to Ascension St. Johns, Tulsa, Oklahoma.EMS transported a passenger in the Silverado Amir&nbsp;Luten, 18, and Farmer to&nbsp;Coffeyville Regional Medical Center. Dollar and Luten were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

Kansas teen dead after head-on crash with sheriff's deputy

SEDGWICK COUNTY— A Kansas man was sentenced to 180 months in prison this week for trafficking fentanyl.

Devonte Smith, 28, of Wichita pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, in April 2023, Smith and a co-defendant traveled by plane from Wichita to Arizona, to purchase fentanyl-laced pills, which they arranged to bring back to Kansas.

In his plea agreement, Smith admitted he flew back to Wichita and directed a co-defendant to return to Kansas with the pills, which were seized by law enforcement in a car driven by a second codefendant.

Law enforcement’s car stop occurred in Pratt, Kansas, resulting in the discovery of more than 100,000 pills which tests confirmed were fentanyl-laced.

Criminal charges against the co-defendants are pending within the court system.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712163148456.png" alt="Smith-photo Butler Co." />
 <figcaption>Smith-photo Butler Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY— A Kansas man was sentenced to 180 months in prison this week for trafficking fentanyl.Devonte Smith, 28, of Wichita pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, in April 2023, Smith and a co-defendant traveled by plane from Wichita to Arizona, to purchase fentanyl-laced pills, which they arranged to bring back to Kansas.In his plea agreement, Smith admitted he flew back to Wichita and directed a co-defendant to return to Kansas with the pills, which were seized by law enforcement in a car driven by a second codefendant.Law enforcement’s car stop occurred in Pratt, Kansas, resulting in the discovery of more than 100,000 pills which tests confirmed were fentanyl-laced.Criminal charges against the co-defendants are pending within the court system.The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Wichita Police Department, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.