Hero of the Week: Firefighter Colter Mirtes Saves Cat Frozen to a Tree

This week's hero story is one you may rarely hear! A cat escaped a home, climbed a tree in winter in Maine, and it's tail froze to a tree branch. It took a fireman to climb the tree to free the cat in the bitter cold.

(Photo: Cat rescued from tree in Lincoln by Firefighter Colter Mirtes.  SOURCE: Lincoln Fire Department) 

Cat frozen to a tree in Maine Saved by Firefighters

WMTW-TV Dec 18, 2025, Adam Bartow

LINCOLN, Maine — A cat in the town of Lincoln is safe after spending about two days stuck high in a tree.

Firefighters say Lucy, an indoor cat, escaped last weekend and got stuck about 95 feet up in a tree. Firefighter Colter Mirtes, who is just off his probationary period, was able to get up the tree and found Lucy's tail was actually frozen to a branch.

(Photo: Colter Mirtes, Credit: Lincoln Maine, Fire Department) 

Mirtes freed Lucy from the branch and brought her back to the ground. He says she was excited to return home.

On September 30, 2025, Colter Mirtes was one of four Probatinary Firefighters that became Pro-Boad certified firefighters. The others include: Carson Munson, Geroge Church and Jeremy Freier.

"We can’t promise that we’ll be able to help in these situations, but we’re always willing to take a look and help out, provided we can do so without damaging our equipment or your property. Lucy may be down to 8 lives - but if cats had thumbs, I’m sure Colter would have 1 more Christmas card on the way this year," the fire department wrote.

Book of the week: Renegade by Frederic Bean (A Western)

 I enjoy reading westerns, and last year I came across a book by Frederic Bean called "Hangman's Legacy" and enjoyed it, so I've looked for others. I recently enjoyed "Renegade" about a group 4 Texas Rangers that were tasked with hunting down a renegade group of Comanches.

The story was good and kept you reading. The main character, Will, the lead Ranger was struggling with being in his 40s and feeling almost too old for the job, while leading 3 other rangers that included a good tracker, a crack rifleman, and another who was clearly an alcoholic with a gun. They were tasked with bringing a band of 10 or so isolated, renegade Comanches who brutally murdered anyone, including other native americans, because they could. They were led by a fierce, and obviously psychotic (I read between the lines) Comanche named Iron Horse. The book opens with a lot of violence by the renegades, and sets up the reason why they need to be stopped.

Will and his Rangers set out to do what the U.S. Army couldn't do - track the renegades and try to bring them to justice. It was a well-written story that kept me reading. 5 of 5 stars. .

Discovery! Medieval 'super ship' found wrecked off Denmark is largest vessel of its kind

Divers have unearthed the largest cog shipwreck ever discovered in a strait off Denmark. Hidden for more than six centuries, the large vessel has been identified as the largest known medieval cargo ship, a revelation that could offer new insights into shipbuilding of the era. That's today's blog.

(Photo: The Svælget 2 shipwreck. Photo courtesy of the Viking Ship Museum.) 

Medieval 'super ship' found wrecked off Denmark is largest vessel of its kind

By Patrick Pester, Live Science, January 20, 2026

Archaeologists have discovered a massive medieval shipwreck sitting at the bottom of a strait off Denmark.

The 600-year-old ship was a cog: a round, single square-sailed vessel that was one of the most advanced ship types in the Middle Ages. At around 92 feet (28 meters) long and 30 feet (9 m) wide, the newly-found ship is the largest cog ever discovered, according to researchers at Denmark's Viking Ship Museum.

The researchers discovered the vessel off Copenhagen in Øresund, or "the Sound" in English — the strait between Denmark and Sweden. They described it as a "super ship" that could transport hundreds of tons of cargo at low cost during a period of burgeoning trade in the 14th and 15th centuries.

"The find is a milestone for maritime archaeology," excavation leader Otto Uldum said in a statement. "It is the largest cog we know of, and it gives us a unique opportunity to understand both the construction and life on board the biggest trading ships of the Middle Ages."

(Image: The massive hull of the Svælget 2 exposed after centuries of being buried. In Portugese: O casco maciço do Svælget 2 exposto após séculos de  soterramento. Image Credit: https://razaovirtual.com.br/) 

The discovery was made accidentally as part of seabed investigations for a new artificial island that Denmark plans to create off Copenhagen. Researchers removed what they described as "centuries of sand and silt" to reveal the outline of the ship, which they named Svælget 2 after the channel in which it was found.

Svælget 2 was well preserved on the seabed, located 43 feet (13 m) below the surface. Sand protected its starboard side, which retained traces of delicate rigging — unheard of in previous cog wrecks. The researchers also identified a brick galley, the first in a medieval ship in Danish waters, which allowed the crew to cook hot meals on an open fire. Artifacts on the ship included cooking materials, such as pots and bowls, and the crew's personal objects, such as hair combs and rosary beads for prayer, according to the statement.

The researchers have yet to find Svælget 2's cargo. Uldum noted that the hold wasn't covered, so cargo barrels would have floated away from the ship as it sank. However, with no signs of military use, Svælget 2 is likely to have been a merchant ship, the researchers said.

Maine History: Maine’s George Mitchell and his Coppertoe Shoes

Coppertoe shoes came out of the mind of a farmer in Maine, who was frustrated with his kids wearing through shoes quickly. He came up with the idea in the 1850s and it caught on. Today's blog is about that forgotten New England history.

 Maine’s George Mitchell and his Coppertoe Shoes

New England Historical Society, May 25, 2025 

As any parent knows, keeping kids in shoes is a constant chore. If they aren’t outgrowing them, they’re destroying them. It was this second problem that attracted the attention of George Mitchell of Turner, Maine in the mid-1850s and led to the invention of the coppertoe shoes.

Mitchell was a farmer and businessman, and his many children were hard on their shoes. From being knocked around and kicked into things, their footwear always seemed to wear out before it should.

Turner was an inventive sort, however, and he concluded that he didn’t need to spend as much of his available funds on shoes as he had been. Instead, he simply needed better shoes. And if no one was going to make them, he would do it himself. With that in mind, he created a shoe craze that would last more than 50 years: the coppertoe.

Coppertoe shoes patent

Some versions of the story say he started with tin cans, others say it was a worn out copper washboiler. Either way, what he did was cut out pieces of metal and form them over a mold until he had a toe cap to cover the ends of his children’s shoes to thwart their more destructive efforts.

Coppertoe Shoes

As one story has it, his kids were embarrassed at first by the new contraptions their father had put on their feet. As soon as their friends caught sight of the new invention, however, they were instantly jealous of the shiny-tipped shoes. And so a fashion trend was born.

1859 advertisement for coppertoe shoes

Mitchell (no relation to the senator) soon found his services and his new product in high demand, and he patented the improved shoe tips. But he was not one to market his “shoe-upper tip.” Instead, he sold his patents (for as much as $100,000, according to some reports) and by 1859, Chase, McKinney and Company of Boston was marketing “Mitchell’s Celebrated Coppertoe.”

The shoe became a multi-million-seller in the United States. It enjoyed even greater popularity in the UK. For years, parents and kids alike loved the reliable coppertoe shoe. It tripled the life of a shoe, and kids loved the flashy look. Generations of youngsters up into the 1900s prized their coppertoe shoes. They ranked with baseball mitts and first bikes in their treasured childhood memories.

Mitchell’s shoes outlived him by many years, sadly. In 1866, Mitchell’s six-year-old son drowned near Turner and Mitchell died trying to save him.

Construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates of any major industry

Here's an alarming statistic of which I had no knowledge, so I'm sharing in case you know people who work in this industry. The construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates of any major industry, only second to mining. If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources. 

(A collage of family photos of TJ Kimball and his dogs over the years is displayed at the home of his mother, Angela Kimball, in Plymouth, Mass., on Nov. 4, 2025. Sophie Park/The New York Times)

A Mass. construction worker’s suicide highlights a wider crisis 

The shattering loss of TJ Kimball was not an isolated incident. The construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates of any major industry in the country, second only to mining, according the CDC.

By Ronda Kaysen, New York Times Service, January 9, 2026...

RAYNHAM, Mass. — A stack of paint buckets. Trowels nestled along the wall. A hard hat. These items remain, untouched since March 15, in Timothy J. Kimball’s backyard work shed.

It has been 10 months since Kimball, at 37, quietly walked into his Raynham, Massachusetts, bedroom on a chilly Saturday afternoon and killed himself. And it is in his work shed where his father, Timothy Kimball, lingers in his only son’s presence. “This is where he’d come out, smoke, have a cigarette — I feel him here,” the elder Kimball, 62, said, after rifling through his son’s first tool bag, from when he became an apprentice in the painters union almost 20 years ago. “I tend to talk to him here.”

The younger Kimball, whom everyone called TJ, was a drywall finisher, known as a taper, the laborer who prepares freshly hung drywall for a coat of paint. He came from three generations in the trades — his father, uncles and great-uncles were all tapers and carpenters in the Boston area.

Over 300 people, stunned by the loss, turned up for his wake.“It’s just like a big, huge tsunami came in and wiped everything out,” said TJ Kimball’s oldest sister, Shannon Kilburn, 43.

The shattering loss of TJ Kimball was not an isolated incident. The construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates of any major industry in the country, second only to mining, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Add in drug overdoses, where construction workers die at a greater rate than workers in any other industry, and a bleak picture emerges of a population in crisis.

Construction is already among the most dangerous jobs in the country, with about 1,000 people dying each year from work-related injuries, more than any other industry. But five times as many workers, 5,100, died by suicide, and 15,900 died from drug overdoses, in 2023, according to an analysis of the most recent federal data by the Center for Construction Research and Training, an occupational safety organization. While the number of overdoses declined from 2022, from 17,000, the number of suicides remained virtually unchanged.

“The crisis affects every single job on every single job site in this country,” said Sonya Bohmann, the executive director of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention, a nonprofit organization. Employers and unions have expanded access to mental health support and drug treatment programs; job sites often stock Narcan, or naloxone, a drug that reverses the effect of an overdose, in first aid kits; drug testing is increasingly commonplace; and companies and unions offer suicide prevention training programs. But the crisis persists.

Construction workers are particularly vulnerable to suicide because of a collision of risk factors. Men without a college degree and veterans, two groups with high rates of suicide and of gun ownership, often work in construction. 

Guns are used in the majority of all suicides, and men who own handguns are nearly eight times as likely to die by gun suicide than those who do not.  

Construction is hard, physical labor, often done outside in the elements and sometimes far from home.

“It’s also a very cyclical job — you can’t guarantee a 40-hour week,” said Shawn Nehiley, president of the Ironworkers District Council of New England. “You don’t know if you’re going to be laid off, if you’re going to work overtime.”

Get hurt on the job and a painkiller prescription can spiral into addiction, as it did for Nehiley, who was prescribed opioids in 2001 for an injury, leading to a relapse of an addiction that began in adolescence. “The prayers before I went to bed at night were ‘Please God, don’t let me wake up in the morning,’” said Nehiley, 62, now sober for 15 years. In his office hang 45 prayer cards and photographs of union members who died from overdoses or suicide since 2008. “And that’s not all of them,” he said.

No occupation has a higher rate of substance abuse than construction and extraction. A substance abuse disorder, even for someone in recovery, increases suicide risk.

“There’s this high density of risk with this community,” said Craig Bryan, a clinical psychologist and the director of the University of Vermont Medical Center’s suicide care clinic.

Interviews with dozens of construction workers described a culture of widespread drinking and drug use. “There’s cocaine, there’s pills, there’s even alcohol at lunch,” said Paul Reed, a recovering addict who runs Roofers in Recovery, a Colorado nonprofit organization.

The regional chapter of Kimball’s union, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, does not track how many of its 4,000 members die by overdose or suicide. But its quarterly magazine memorializes members who died in the intervening months. In the spring issue, of the 28 people commemorated, four died by overdose or suicide. One of them was Kimball. If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

For Full article, visit: https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2026/01/09/a-mass-construction-workers-suicide-highlights-a-wider-crisis/?s_campaign=email%3Abcomtoday&subid=%2A%7Csubid%7C%2A&audid=%2A%7Caudid%7C%2A

Watched: The Medici TV Series and Reign of the Supermen Animated Movie

Tom loves to watch movies and television series. Rob is a lot more particular and doesn't watch much televisionm, but watched an animated Superman movie recently that was based on a comic book storyline. Tom's latest Television series obesssion is called Medici because he loves historic series.  Today's blog is about both of those and what we think of them.

TOM RECOMMENDS-  Tom loves this series, and because we went to Italy together on vacation, he loves to point out the historic buildings in the series (which is really cool to see). There were only three seasons to this series, sadly. It's really well done. Tom highly recommends this series! 

ABOUT THE MEDICI SERIES -Medici  is an Italian-British historical drama television series created by Frank Spotnitz and Nicholas Meyer.  The series follows the House of Medici, bankers of the Pope, in 15th-century Florence. Each season follows the events of a particular moment of the family's history exploring the political and artistic landscape of Renaissance Italy.

The first season of the series, titled Medici: Masters of Florence, premiered in Italy on Rai 1 on 18 October 2016. It takes place in 1429, the year Giovanni de' Medici, head of the family, died. His son Cosimo succeeds him as head of the family bank, the richest in Europe and fights to preserve his power in Florence.

**************************************************** 

ROB GIVES 2.5 STARS - This animated version of the famous post- "Death of Superman" comic book storyline "Reign of the Supermen" is about 4 different men who create their own version of Superman, to fill in for the fallen hero (who later revives). - Although the characters are there and three of them are accurate to the comics- Superboy the clone, and Steel/John Henry Irons, the Eradicator (an ancient Kryptonian weapon, merged with a human body to form the Last Son of Krypton an extreme vigilante) , the Cyborg Superman was not AND they added in way-overused villain for no reason - and that soured me on the story!!

WHY I DIDN'T CARE FOR IT MUCH: ADDING A WAY-OVERUSED VILLAIN NOT IN THE ORIGINAL STORY - DC Comics feels like they have to insert the cosmic villain Darkseid into every darn storyline to make it interesting, so they ADDED him into this story. The story said Darkseid created the cyborg body for the Cyborg Superman, which is not true.  As a comic reader for about 45 years, I am tired of the Darkseid character, and he was absolutely not part of this famous comics storyline. They should have stuck to the comics story.

THE MOVIE VERSION OF REIGN OF THE SUPERMEN - After Superman is put to rest, following his battle with Doomsday, his body is stolen from it's tomb. As authorities investigate, new and completely different Supermen start appearing on the scene, making everyone wonder if Superman has been reincarnated, and if so, which of the new Supermen is the real Man-of-Steel? Includes Lex Luthor and Darkseid from Apokolips.  

THE ORIGINAL COMIC BOOK STORYLINE - The premise was that, since Superman's death, four other supermen have appeared, claiming to be the resurrected Man of Steel, each with different powers and personalities, each having some claim to the Last son of Krypton's legacy. Each of the four superman books featured one of the four supermen, which were all created by the creative teams of those books.

The Supermen were: Last Son of Krypton (Action Comics), a cold, emotionless Kryptonian persona; Superboy (Adventures of Superman), a teenage clone of Superman; Steel (Superman: The Man of Steel), an engineer who built a high-powered suit of armor to carry on Superman's legacy; and finally Cyborg Superman (Superman), who most resembled the real Man of Steel but who was a cybernetic organism.

Idiot of the Week: Arrested Man had emaciated puppy in car

There is nothing more VILE than an idiot who abuses animals. This Idiot fortunately surrendered the dog during a traffic stop, and what he said about the dog ingesting was horrific. Plus, this unemployed idiot impregnated his girlfriend. The HEROES of this story are the West Bridgewater, Massachusetts Police, who flagged this guy down and took the dog to a shelter. 

(Photo: Sprout now in the ASPCA shelter after getting medical care and food. Sprout is a severely neglected pug mix, is getting a new chance at life after she was discovered by a West Bridgewater police officer conducting a routine traffic stop. Credit: ASPCA)

(You can read the ASPCA's Updates on SPROUT - and for awhile it was touch and go, but he seems to be doing better: https://www.apcsm.org/sprout)

Taunton, Mass. man charged with animal cruelty after emaciated puppy allegedly found in car 

The 9-month-old puppy, named Sprout, is slowly recovering from malnourishment at the APCSM. 

By Morgan Rousseau, Boston Globe, December 26, 2025

A Taunton man is facing animal cruelty charges after police say they discovered a severely emaciated puppy in his car during a routine traffic stop in West Bridgewater.

Devin Preeper, 27, was arraigned Tuesday in Brockton District Court on a felony charge of animal cruelty in connection with the severe malnourishment of his pug-mix puppy.

According to West Bridgewater police, an officer stopped Preeper’s vehicle around 11:49 a.m. on Nov. 24 after he allegedly ran a red light on North Main Street. While speaking with Preeper, the officer noticed what appeared to be a “significantly underweight dog” inside the car.

(Photo: Right: how Sprout was found in the back of the idiot's car. Credit: ASPCA).

Police said the dog — a 9-month-old puppy named Sprout — was transported to Westbridge Veterinary Referral Hospital, where she received emergency medical care. Investigators later determined the dog belonged to Preeper and was severely malnourished.

According to a WCVB report, Preeper initially told police he had found the dog in Brockton the night before and had begun caring for her. Authorities allege he later admitted to owning the puppy for at least six months and being unable to properly care for her.

“I haven’t had the money, because I had a job, I don’t have a job anymore, [I’m] under a lot of stress because my girlfriend is pregnant,” Preeper said in body camera video, according to the media outlet.

Preeper also allegedly told police the dog had accidentally ingested birth control pills and UTI medication while under his care. He surrendered the dog and was informed that he would be formally charged.

“During the initial traffic stop, officers took steps to ensure the dog immediately received veterinary care,” police said in a statement. “Investigators then conducted a thorough follow-up investigation, including documenting the dog’s condition, gathering veterinary reports, and conducting follow-up interviews. During that investigation, West Bridgewater Police developed probable cause to charge Preeper.”

Following treatment, Sprout was transferred to the Animal Protection Center of Southeastern Massachusetts (APCSM) in Brockton, where officials say her condition is slowly improving. The APCSM has shared photos and video of Sprout on its website showing the puppy with bones visibly protruding from her body.

“She was so weak she could hardly lift her head or move her body freely,” rescuers wrote. They described her as “incredibly sweet” and said she seeks affection and closeness.

Police said the investigation remains ongoing. The APCSM is raising funds to support Sprout’s recovery, which includes diagnostic testing and bloodwork, medications and supplements, a carefully monitored nutritional plan, and continued follow-up visits.

Heroes of the week: Waterville,Maine Fire-Rescue Save Man on Roof of Burning Home

This week's heroes are the firefighters of the Waterville, Maine Fire-rescue who saved a man who had to run outside and stand on his roof as his home became engulfed in flames.  

Photo: Waterville fire rescue Waterville fire rescue SOURCE: Waterville Fire-Rescue

Man rescued from the roof of a burning home in Waterville, Maine 

WMTW Dec 17, 2025 , Adam Bartow

WATERVILLE, Maine — A man was rescued from the roof of a burning home in Waterville early Wednesday morning.

Firefighters were called to 12 High St. at about 1:10 a.m. for reports of a fire with a man on the roof. When they arrived, they found a lot of smoke in the air and a man outside his bedroom window on the roof of the 2 1/2 story home.

Firefighters quickly set up a ladder and brought the man to safety. He was checked out at the scene and did not need to go to the hospital.

Investigators say there was heavy fire in the back of the building and part of the roof had collapsed. There was so much fire and danger, crews could only battle the fire from the outside.

An excavator was eventually brought in to help prevent more collapse of the building.

Firefighters said the man was sleeping with his bedroom door closed, which may have saved his life, because it kept the flames from spreading into his bedroom before he could escape.

The cause of the fire was not known Wednesday afternoon.

Book of the week: Batman:The Best of the Original Batman

When iconic the Batman television show debuted in 1966 with Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin, DC comics put out so many items to capitalize on the success, like a toy batarang (which I had as a kid), lunchboxes, tee shirts, a toy batmobile (which I also had), and a paperback among them. Today's book of the week is a paperback called " Batman The Best of the Original Batman," by Signet books, published in 1966.

Whenever I'm on-line, I tend to put in words like Batman, Superman, etc to see what books come up... and this 1966 paperback collection came up, so I bought it. It's about 130 pages and contains reprints of about 5 classic Batman comic book stories from the 1950s. The book was in fair shape, but the stories were entertaining. I had actually never read any of them before, so it was a good read.

If you like classic Batman stories, and collect 1960s memorabilia, this is fun book and a good read, although you can get a lot more stories in various trade paperbacks.

This Month in History: 1784 Continental Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris- What it Meant

History is one of the most important things we will learn about, so that we don't repeat mistakes we made, and understand how the world came to be where it is today. Today's blog is about when the Continental Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris in 1874 and what it means. It's a short blog, but it's important to know your history!

(Treaty of Paris. Credit; Chicksawtv) 

Continental Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris, ending the American Revolution 

HISTORY.COM January 14, 2026

On January 14, 1784, the Continental Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris, ending the War for Independence.

In the document, which was known as the Second Treaty of Paris because the Treaty of Paris was also the name of the agreement that had ended the Seven Years’ War in 1763, Britain officially agreed to recognize the independence of its 13 former colonies as the new United States of America.

* In addition, the treaty settled the boundaries between the United States and what remained of British North America. 

* U.S. fishermen won the right to fish in the Grand Banks, off the Newfoundland coast, and in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. 

* Both sides agreed to ensure payment to creditors in the other nation of debts incurred during the war and to release all prisoners of war. 

* The United States promised to return land confiscated during the war to its British owners, to stop any further confiscation of British property and to honor the property left by the British army on U.S. shores, including Negroes or slaves. Both countries assumed perpetual rights to access the Mississippi River.

Despite the agreement, many of these issues remained points of contention between the two nations in the post-war years. The British did not abandon their western forts as promised and attempts by British merchants to collect outstanding debts from Americans were unsuccessful as American merchants were unable to collect from their customers, many of whom were struggling farmers.

In Massachusetts, where by 1786 the courts were clogged with foreclosure proceedings, farmers rose in a violent protest known as Shay’s Rebellion, which tested the ability of the new United States to maintain law and order within its borders and instigated serious reconsideration of the Articles of Confederation.

Police sue over Jan. 6 plaque to honor law enforcement, missing from the Capitol

Police officers are suing because the January 6th memorial honoring law enforcement remains hidden by Speaker Mike Johnson and GOP lawmakers who don't want to acknowledge their bravery during the January 6th riot.   It's ironic that the political party that bragged about being the "law and order party" decided to hide the Capitol Building January 6th plaque dedicated to law enforcement. All because they don't want to admit it was an action to overtake our government, by the felon.  

A replica plaque commemorating the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot hangs outside the office of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, at the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

This Jan. 6 plaque was made to honor law enforcement Never Posted at Capitol, Police suing

By LISA MASCARO, Assocaited Press, January 5, 2026

WASHINGTON (AP) — Approaching the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the official plaque honoring the police who defended democracy that day is nowhere to be found.

It’s not on display at the Capitol, as is required by law. Its whereabouts aren’t publicly known, though it’s believed to be in storage.

A replica plaque commemorating the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot hangs outside the office of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, at the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, has yet to formally unveil the plaque. And the Trump administration’s Department of Justice is seeking to dismiss a police officers’ lawsuit asking that it be displayed as intended. The Architect of the Capitol, which was responsible for obtaining and displaying the plaque, said in light of the federal litigation, it cannot comment.

Determined to preserve the nation’s history, some 100 members of Congress, mostly Democrats, have taken it upon themselves to memorialize the moment. For months, they’ve mounted poster board-style replicas of the Jan. 6 plaque outside their office doors, resulting in a Capitol complex awash with makeshift remembrances.

Police sue over Jan. 6 plaque, DOJ seeks to dismiss

The speaker’s office said in a statement late Monday the statute authorizing the plaque is “not implementable” and proposed alternatives also “do not comply.” Johnson’s spokesman said if Democrats are serious about commemorating the police, they’re free to work with the appropriate committees to develop a framework for proper vetting and consideration.

Lawmakers approved the plaque in March 2022 as part of a broader government funding package. The resolution said the U.S. “owes its deepest gratitude to those officers,” and it set out instructions for an honorific plaque listing the names of officers “who responded to the violence that occurred.” It gave a one-year deadline for installation at the Capitol.

This summer, two officers who fought the mob that day sued over the delay.

“By refusing to follow the law and honor officers as it is required to do, Congress encourages this rewriting of history,” said the claim by officers Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges. “It suggests that the officers are not worthy of being recognized, because Congress refuses to recognize them.”

Our Dash Passed Yesterday / What Happened/ Remembering Him - Favorite photos

Our adorable, energetic little Dash passed quickly on Monday, January 19, 2026. For about 1 year we've known his kidneys were weakening, and he wore diapers since November 2025. He also developed cataracts, and over the last month one of them began rupturing. He seemed healthy enough for surgery to remove the eye (that had dead tissue in it), and it was scheduled for 2 days from now, January 22nd. Then the bottom fell out. Today's blog explains what happened and shares some memories. We are reeling from his passing, and find it hard to talk about it, so I'm putting it in writing. 

(One of our favorite pictures of Dash from years ago)

Adopted Dash in 2018

In July 2018, we took in a Foster dog named Dash and we fell in love with him. He was 10 years old and 8 pounds (born in 2008) when we were lucky enough to free him from a kill shelter and adopt him. Our friend Shelley of Dachshund Rescue of North America told us about that little senior Dachshund/Chihuahua mix and we freed him from the Anne Arundel Animal Control Center, Maryland, on July 21, 2018. He was there since June 10, and the shelter ran out of room... so he had to be fostered immediately.  We ADOPTED Dash on Aug. 10, 2018.

(In 2018, Franklin, Dolly, Tyler all welcomed Dash to the family)

About Dash

We nicknamed him "the Chicken" because when he was excited his bark sounded like a chicken clucking. Whenever would go out and come home, we could hear his "clucking" from inside whenever he heard the door opening. His best friend was Tyler. They did everything together. They ate, played, walked, slept together. 

(In 2023, Tyler, Dash and Cody loved going for rides for "Comic book day" and "Dunkin' Donuts lunches)

Dash's Rapid Decline - Tyler Passes 

Since July 29, 2025 when Tyler passed away, Dash grieved deeply. He lost 5 pounds, down from 11.5 pounds. Tyler was his best friend and Dash took it very hard. He followed Tyler everywhere as Dash was losing his sight and Tyler was his "eyes." He played when Tyler played, he walked next to or behind Tyler. He even did agility in the house with Tyler to lead him and guided him on the "find the treat" games. All that ended for Dash on July 29th, 2025 when Tyler passed. 

(Photo: January 2, 2026, Dash sleeping on Tyler's toys, as he's done since Tyler passed. You can see his ruptured eye)

His Rupturing Eye 

On January 7, 2026 Dash wasn't eating his wet food, or his morning fresh chicken. We went to the vet that night with him because his right eye was filling with blood. On January 15, we were finally able to get a canine opthlamologist appointment. The doctor said the eye needed to be removed, because it already had dead cells in the center. An anesthesiologist checked Dash's heart and lungs and they were good. Surgery was scheduled for January 22, and we were encouraged. We thought once the pain of the eye is gone, he would get back to eating and regain weight. We never foresaw what was coming. 

(Dash on the morning of January 19, 2026)

The Weekend Refusing to Eat

On January 16, 2026, part of his retina peeled off and was causing him discomfort, so we took him back to the Opthlamologist's hospital. The specialist was out until the next week. The ER doctor gave him liquid Gabapentin (not the highest dose), and gave us a prescription to take home. 

That night, Dash ate a full small jar of babyfood, and within 2 hours threw it all up. He refused to drink water or eat. *We think the Gabapentin exacerbated his failing kidneys. 

(Dash and Cody with us at the Vet's office on January 6, 2026, when Dash was still walking and eating baby food)

Over the weekend of January 17-18, no ER had an opthalmologist on duty. So Rob fed Dash with an dropper. Dash refused water and all food. He was fed water and broth. On Sunday, he was still walking around a little outside for a few minutes. But he wasn't able to pee. That told Rob that Dash's kidneys were failing quickly. 

(Photo: On the morning of Jan 19, 2026, Dash lay with Tom in a recliner for comfort.) 

The Morning Shock  

On the morning of January 19, Dash woke Rob up by coughing blood and dripping it out of his nose. Rob called the vet at 8am, and they confirmed what was happening. We wanted Dash to pass at home. Tom looked up kidney failure and learned that was a symptom of the very end stage of life. He had no strength. He couldn't move. 

(Photo: On the morning of Jan 19, 2026, Dash lay with Rob in a recliner for comfort.) 

Giving Him as Much Comfort as Possible

We brought his bed in one room where we stayed with him all morning, holding him. Telling him we are there. We then took him to our den where he fell asleep on each of us as we took turns holding him. His nose continued to bleed the entire time. Rob called the vet again after Dash threw up blood twice. We carried Dash, wrapped in his favorite blue blanket, lying in his favorite bed, into the vet's office. The doctor helped him pass out of pain. It was Brutal. 

Photos of happy times

Following are some of my very favorite pictures of Dash and his adventures over the last year. 

(Photo: Just this past December 2025, Dash enjoyed walking outside in the backyard looking for a patch of grass, walking around in circles even in the snow.)

(Photo: One of Rob's all time Favorite pictures of Dash from Thanksgiving 2025, when he was wearing a bow tie given to him from his uncle Jeff and cousin Myrtle). 

 

(Sept 15, 2025- Cody and Dash enjoyed their walks in the neighborhood.) 

(Sept 13, 2025- below -  Dash loved being driven around Home Depot while sitting in a carriage) 

(Photo:  Tom and I took Cody and Dash to York Beach in August 2025 to watch large waves crashing on shore from a distant hurricane - hundreds of miles away) 

(Photo: Cody and Dash posed for a picture on York Beach in August, 2025) 

Below- One of my ALL TIME FAVORITE pictures of Dash, with his happy, infectious smile.