diff --git a/comprehensive_release_notes.py b/comprehensive_release_notes.py
index 01af7cf..7cdf5b5 100644
--- a/comprehensive_release_notes.py
+++ b/comprehensive_release_notes.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
     "sequentech/mixnet",
     "sequentech/documentation",
     "sequentech/ballot-verifier",
-    "sequentech/release-tool",
+    #"sequentech/release-tool",
 ]
 
 def get_comprehensive_release_notes(
diff --git a/release_notes.py b/release_notes.py
index f5cd182..55e0fb1 100644
--- a/release_notes.py
+++ b/release_notes.py
@@ -85,7 +85,11 @@ def get_github_issue_from_link(link_text, github):
         object: A PyGithub object that represents the retrieved Github issue.
     """
     # Extracting the owner, repository name, and issue number from the link
-    owner, repo, _, issue_number = link_text.split("/")[-4:]
+    if '#' in link_text and not link_text.startswith('https://'):
+        owner, repo_issue_number = link_text.split("/")
+        repo, issue_number = repo_issue_number.split("#")
+    else:
+        owner, repo, _, issue_number = link_text.split("/")[-4:]
 
     # Getting the repository object
     repo = github.get_repo(f"{owner}/{repo}")
@@ -130,19 +134,26 @@ def get_release_notes(
     for commit in compare_branches.commits:
         pr = get_commit_pull(commit)
         if pr == None:
+            verbose_print(args, f"[has no PR associated] ignoring commit:\n\tcommit={commit}\n")
             continue
 
+        title = pr.title.strip()
+
         if any(label.name in config["changelog"]["exclude"]["labels"] for label in pr.labels):
+            verbose_print(args, f"[has excluded label] ignoring PR:\n\tcommit={commit}\n\tpr.title={title}\n\tpr.url={pr.html_url}\n")
             continue
 
         category = get_label_category(pr.labels, config["changelog"]["categories"])
         if category is None:
+            verbose_print(args, f"[has no category] ignoring PR:\n\tcommit={commit}\n\tpr.title={title}\n\tpr.url={pr.html_url}\n")
             continue
 
-        title = pr.title.strip()
+        if pr.closed_at is None:
+            verbose_print(args, f"[PR not closed] ignoring PR:\n\tcommit={commit}\n\tpr.title={title}\n\tpr.url={pr.html_url}\n\n")
+            continue
 
         if pr.closed_at < cutoff_date:
-            verbose_print(args, f"[before cut-off date]ignoring PR: {title}: {pr.html_url}\n")
+            verbose_print(args, f"[before cut-off date] ignoring PR:\n\tcommit={commit}\n\tpr.title={title}\n\tpr.url={pr.html_url}\n")
             continue
 
         parent_issue = None