A Fun Weekend at the Maine Paranormal Conference in Augusta!

 On Sept 12 and 13th, I (Rob) participated in the Maine Paranormal and Horror Conference and teamed up with Monique Toosoon, paranormal drag queen tech whiz and investigator- who is also my co-author on three books!  It was my first time there, and it was a big event! 

Monique and I had a chance to give a 45 minute talk about our "Haunting of" Series of 3 books.  

 The "Haunting Of" series is about true paranormal investigations in the U.S. conducted and led by Monique Toosoon and Rob Gutro with the assistance of other professionals in the paranormal field. The books take you to some of the most haunted places, where they get to know the ghosts intimately, and discover secrets that have been hidden from the world for decades. Each book provides a history of the location with photographs and sometimes sketches Rob makes of ghosts he connects with. Reading this series is like going on the investigation with them.  

Books in the Series include: Haunting of Emery Estate, Haunting of Hunt Memorial Library and Haunting of Wilson Castle (in Mass., NH and VT, respectively). 

MEETING OLD PARANORMAL FRIENDS!

I met some old friends at the Maine Paranormal Conference! Ron and Lourdes of the Digital Séance Experience (TDSE) and Maine medium Christopher Brown!

Ron and Lourdes were a big part of the investigation at Wilson Castle with myself, Monique Toosoon, and Lexi Duquette. Their amazing technology provided the confirmations of the medium impressions (from myself and Lexi) and complemented the findings from Monique's technology- which led to the uncovering of a 100 plus year old family secret that we uncovered!

The Digital Seance Experience, TDSE, is a method of slowing down the speed of white noise and filtering it at the moment of contact to achieve realtime spirit communication. The facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/TheDigitalSeanceExperience/ 

Christopher Brown is an amazing medium based in Maine. We've met on several occasions. He does mediumship readings in  private and group settings. He does  Inspirational speaking. Platform readings and he is a Reiki master/teacher.  His facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/PsychicMediumChristopher/ 

Monique and I met some great people and talked about ghosts, spirits, people and pets!

Some had their own experiences with pet spirits or human ghosts!

(Photo: Enjoying the Maine paranormal and horror convention with my co-author Monique Toosoon decked out in blue. We met this great couple: Aaron (right) and his girlfriend Eddie, in drag as the clown! 

It was a double drag meet up!)

(Photo: Monique looking stunning in her blue dress and blue hair at her table at the conference)

The Maine Horror and Paranormal conference in Augusta, Maine happened on Saturday, Sept. 12th andSunday, Sept. 13th, with 160 vendors, medium and Tarot readings and talks! 

For info about Rob Gutro's books, visit www.robgutro.com.

For info about Monique Toosoon and her events and upcoming investigations, visit www.moniquetoosoon.com

Here are photos of some of the cool people I met!

TOMORROW'S BLOG: Our Spirit dog Sprite sends a sign

that he's with me at the conference.

Idiot of the Week: NH Rep. Spillane Censured by the House for Vile Social Media Posts

 This week's idiot is a New Hampshire Republican (no surprise) who was censured by the New Hampshire legislature for his vile and disgusting posts against a NH Democrat. He's got a history of insults and racists posts, too.  When you read what this idiot wrote, you'll be disgusted, or you should be. Since the orange virus came into power, it seems there is no bottom to the insults.  Yet, this idiot was voted in office by people in New Hampshire.

NH GOP Rep. Spillane Censured by the House for Social Media Posts

By GARRY RAYNO, InDepthNH.org

CONCORD — The House in what might be its last action of the 2026 session, censured Rep. James A. Spillane, R-Deerfield, for defamatory and demeaning remarks he made about fellow legislators on his social media (X) account.

The Legislative Ethics Committee filed a report recommending the censure after three lawmakers filed complaints in March with the committee and the House adopted the report and the censure on a 185-93 vote Wednesday.

This was not Spillane’s first involvement with the Ethics Committee.

In its report, the committee charged Spillane with “Making postings on the social media website ‘X’ in which he identified himself as ‘Representative James Spillane,’ with offensive and demeaning comments about other House members.

“More specifically, when Representative (Timothy) Horrigan responded to his posted description of Representative (Democrat Cathryn) Harvey as a ‘liar,’ Representative Spillane referred to Representative Horrigan as ‘retarded,’ commented that his mother had ‘f—-d (middle letters deleted) her cousin,’ and accused him of dropping acid in the 60’s,” according to the special report to the Speaker of the House signed by Legislative Ethics Committee chairman Edward M. Gordon.

The committee charged Spillane with violating ethics guidelines that legislators “shall ensure that government is conducted openly, equitably and honorably in a manner that permits the citizenry to make informed judgments, have confidence in the integrity of the legislature, and hold government officials accountable” and violating a principle of conduct that legislators “shall treat each other, legislative employees, and the public with dignity and respect.”

Rep. Robert Lynn, R-Windham, the House Judiciary Committee Chair and former state Supreme Court Chief Justice, said it is clear Spillane’s conduct “crossed way over the line.”

The facts are not in dispute, he said, noting that Spillane identified himself as a representative and the comments were made in a discussion about a vote on legislation in the House.

Before the committee, Spillane argued his posts on social media were not done in performance of his duties as a member of the legislature so his conduct does not fall within the committee’s jurisdiction. Spillane also argued his comments are protected speech under the federal and New Hampshire constitutions. But Lynn refuted those arguments saying the discussion clearly concerned legislation and legislative activity and was related to House business.

He said a 2022 US Supreme Court unanimous decision in Houston Community College System vs Wilson addresses the free speech issues.

The opinion written by Justice Neil Gorsuch found Wilson’s First Amendment rights were not violated by his fellow board members’ censure because it did not hinder his ability to exercise his free speech as an elected official, and that boards have long used censure of members and as an act of the board exercising its free speech rights, Lynn explained.

“(Rep. Spillane may have a constitutional right to make a statement and we have a constitutional right to say loudly and clearly it violates our ethics rules,” Lynn said. Not only is Spillane’s standing and reputation at issue, the public standing and the reputation of the House is at issue, he said. “If we fail to condemn the actions of Rep. Spillane,” Lynn said, “what will the public think of us for condoning such behavior?”

No one spoke to defend Spillane’s behavior, but Rep. Gregory Hill, R-Hill, said he believes the punishment should not rise to the level of censure, instead it should be a reprimand or they should remove the word guidelines if they are going to be used for punishment.

The same committee admonished Spillane for an anti-Semitic post on the social media site Parler in 2021, but didn’t take it into account in the finding that was released earlier this month. In that case, Spillane said he didn’t know it was an anti-Semitic meme and apologized.

In 2020, the civil rights unit of the Attorney General’s Office investigated a social media post by Spillane that stated “Public Service Announcement: If you see a (Black Lives Matter) sign on a lawn it’s the same as having the porch light on for Halloween. You’re free to loot and burn that house.” Spillane said at the time he meant that post as “tongue-in-cheek” political commentary and the investigation was suspended with no action taken.

Gordon wrote in the report that it is not uncommon for legislators to disagree over the substance of legislation that may even lead to “unpleasant exchanges at times…”

“But here, Representative Spillane has publicly made extremely offensive assertions about another member, calling him ‘retarded,’ alleging he ‘dropped acid in the 60’s’, and, perhaps most offensively, asserting that his mother engaged in sexual activity with her cousin.

“This is not an acceptable disagreement over a legislative outcome. It is a direct personal attack. It demonstrates a complete lack of respect and absolute lack of concern for the dignity of another Representative. The public postings published by Representative Spillane are clearly defamatory of another member of the legislature, Representative Horrigan. His comments were demeaning and constituted harassment. His conduct cannot be viewed in a manner consistent with the established ethical guidelines established by the General Court.”

The three complaints against Spillane were filed by Reps. Paul S. Berch, D-Westmoreland, Harvey, D-Spofford, and Horrigan, D-Durham.

Heroes of the Week: Two local people save lives in Dover house fire

 Two people driving through a neighborhood in Dover, New Hampshire saw a house on fire, pulled over and got the residents out and to safety. These unnamed people are the heroes of the week.

(Photo: Heavy damage is seen from a fire at 12 Old Rochester Road in Dover Aug. 16, 2026. Credit: Deb Cram/Foster's Daily Democrat) 

Two local heroes credited with saving lives in Dover house fire  

Sarah Donovan, Foster's Daily Democrat , Aug. 17, 2026,

DOVER — The quick actions of two people who encountered a house fire early Sunday morning saved the lives of the residents sleeping inside, the Dover fire chief said.

At 1:34 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 16, all Dover Fire and Rescue personnel were dispatched to 14 Old Rochester Road for a structure fire, said Dover Fire and Rescue Chief Brendan Driscoll.

"Upon arrival, crews were met with a large volume of fire showing from the front and the side of the building," the chief said.

The chief said the residents of the home were able to escape before firefighters arrived thanks to two people who noticed the fire while driving by. While one called 911, the other jumped out of the car and pounded on the front door to wake the sleeping occupants.

"The actions of the (passersby) saved the lives of the residents in that home," the chief said. "We are extremely thankful and proud of the two who first noticed the fire, notified 911, and worked to alert and assist the residents to safety," Driscoll said.

The chief said he'd like to know the names of the two local heroes so he can thank them personally.

Driscoll said on the scene, one resident was treated for a minor injury, but didn't need transportation to the hospital.

"No other injuries from residents or crews working the fire to report," the fire chief said.

Book of the Week; The Never Game by Jeffrey Deaver (Inspired TV's TRACKER Show)

Every now and then a book will grab you from the beginning, introduce a new character and keep you reading. That's what Jeffrey Deaver's "The Never Game" did to me. Before I read it, I have been a fan of the "Tracker" TV show on CBS, and this book introduced that character, Colter Shaw. 

The TV show sticks to the book, with the exception of gender swapping one character. It's fast-paced, full of twists and turns and I LOVE the SHORT CHAPTERS!  That is my idea of a successful writer. Keep chapter ideas short. This book is over 400 pages and I couldn't put it down. I read it walking the dogs, in grocery stores, as a passenger in the car... it was AWESOME. 5 of 5 stars. -***I had previously read another in the series, but this was the first book in the series. I just ordered another in the series.**

ABOUT THE BOOK: 

"You have been abandoned."

A young woman has gone missing in Silicon Valley and her father has hired Colter Shaw to find her. The son of a survivalist family, Shaw is an expert tracker. Now he makes a living as a "reward seeker," traveling the country to help police solve crimes and private citizens locate missing persons. But what seems a simple investigation quickly thrusts him into the dark heart of America's tech hub and the cutthroat billion-dollar video-gaming industry.

"Escape if you can."

When another victim is kidnapped, the clues point to one video game with a troubled past--The Whispering Man. In that game, the player has to survive after being abandoned in an inhospitable setting with five random objects. Is a madman bringing the game to life?

"Or die with dignity."

Shaw finds himself caught in a cat-and-mouse game, risking his own life to save the victims even as he pursues the kidnapper across both Silicon Valley and the dark 'net. Encountering eccentric game designers, trigger-happy gamers and ruthless tech titans, he soon learns that he isn't the only one on the hunt: someone is on his trail and closing fast.

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

A New York Times Book Review Top 10 Crime Novel of the Year

From the bestselling and award-winning master of suspense, the first novel in a thrilling new series, introducing Colter Shaw.

Discovery: Hoard of 15th Century silver coins unearthed near Moscow

Today's blog is about the discovery of a wealth of medieval coins. Found on outskirts of Moscow, 2,600 silver coins may have been buried by a medieval plague victim.

(Photo: Archaeologists discovered a hoard of silver coins containing several rare 15th-century bird-in-flight coins near Moscow. (Image credit: Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences))

2,600 silver coins found may have been buried by a medieval plague victim

LIVESCIENCE, By Kristina Killgrove Edited by James Price, Tia Ghose, August 29, 2026

Archaeologists in Russia have unearthed a medieval hoard of 2,600 silver coins, including more than 350 coins of a type never seen before. The hoard may have been buried by a nobleman who later fell victim to a plague.

The coins were found in an elegant ceramic jug, according to an Aug. 26 translated statement from the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The jug was buried in a pit in what is now the historic center of Kolomna, a city about 71 miles (114 kilometers) southeast of the city of Moscow. In the 14th and 15th centuries, Kolomna was the second-most-important city in the region.

Most of the silver coins are a type called a denga. Dengi were first minted in the late 14th century by the Grand Principality of Moscow, a late medieval Russian monarchy. Each denga was worth half a kopek, and there were 100 kopeks to a ruble. The coin hoard is dominated by coins minted in Kolomna under Vasily I (who reigned from 1389 to 1425) and Vasily II (who reigned from 1425 to 1462), according to the statement. These rulers were both grand princes of Moscow, as the city and its wider region were part of an independent principality at the time.

One of the most interesting coin types is an extremely rare denga that features a bird in flight, which was produced during the final years of the reign of Vasily I, according to the statement. Additionally, more than 350 of the coins are previously unknown varieties minted in Kolomna, which experts are now studying.

The person who buried the Kolomna hoard was likely a wealthy, high-status person, such as a high-ranking government official or an extremely successful merchant, according to the statement.

While it is unclear why the hoard was buried, experts think the date of the coins provides an important clue. The most recent coins were minted in the second half of the 1420s, according to the statement. This suggests that the hoard's owner could have fallen victim to a plague epidemic that swept through Russian principalities from 1424 to 1427.

What ghosts in my travels taught me about Hauntings

Today's blog focuses on something I learned from ghosts I encountered while on vacation in Ireland. 

My series called Ghosts on a Medium's Vacation is about History and Hauntings! Places I vacationed and met ghosts who revealed their lives and the history over hundreds of years were in places like Ireland, England and the Bird Cage Theatre in Tombstone, Arizona (by Rob Gutro). In today’s blog I’ll share an important point they taught me about haunting a certain place.

What ghosts in my travels taught me about Hauntings

Earthbound ghosts are the ones who stayed behind in a place they lived or died. People who cross over to the other side or heaven, if you will, are those I call spirits. All of the dead people I “met” in Ireland in these places are Earthbound ghosts.

What they taught me is that there is a lot more history behind the facades of a structure and that someone did not have to die in the current structure to haunt it.

As a medium, I’m not surprised that I run into ghosts in historic buildings, but I do get surprised when I encounter them in newer structures, like the Corbett Court Shopping Mall in downtown Galway, Ireland. I wrote about that story in "Chapter 17: Unexpected Ghosts in a Shopping Mall," in my book "Ghosts of Ireland on a Medium's Vacation." But here's a peek at what I experienced.

Before we met our tour guide in Galway, we decided to walk through a multi-level shopping mall to do some window shopping. The mall entrance was on ground level, and it had a basement level, filled with about 40 stores.

I became aware that we were in the presence of a couple of ghosts who lingered within the mall, and that they suffered traumatic deaths. Those ghosts lingered around the entrance that led to the main street. Some of the ghosts conveyed that something happened there and they were trapped and died there, but there was no indication of any disaster in the mall.

When I returned home from vacation, I did some searching on the Internet. I learned who the ghosts where and why they conveyed those feelings of fear to me... and that their deaths were not in the Mall as it exists today. You can read the entire story in the book "Ghosts of Ireland on a Medium's Vacation" and learn what happened.

It’s important to tell the stories of these ghosts, share their experiences and inform others so the same fate does not befall anyone else.

GET THE BOOKS (paperback, audiobook, E-book): https://a.co/d/0bWqBnmi

4 Weather and Passing Connections in my life as a Meteorologist

As a meteorologist and a medium I bring two different worlds together - Science and the afterlife. One thing that I find specifically connected to me is weather and signs from people who pass. It's NOT a coincidence. There's no such thing as a coincidence when it comes to spirits. Such has been the case of three tropical cyclones going all the way back to 2008, which is especially fitting, because my area of meteorology was tropical cyclones (before I retired). There have been four incidents and the first one happened years ago when my dad passed.

As a meteorologist, I know that the WMO, World Meteorological Organization maintains and updates the official rotating lists used to name tropical cyclones and hurricanes worldwide. In the Atlantic Ocean, there are six years' of lists that get recycled, unless a storm name is retired (causing too much damage or deaths). The name Dolly has been on the list for a long time. But it came up again this year... it was on the one of six lists.

Dolly Parton passed on August 25, 2026. I met her once and told her she taught me how to be a better person, and inspired my outlook on life. She was a mentor and guide for me on how to live my life. I learned optimism, hope, kindness, acceptance and love from her. I learned how to appreciate the simple things in life, from a sunrise to a hot cup of coffee, or a dog's cuddle. On August 27, 2026, I was not surprised about Tropical Storm Dolly formed during the week of her passing.

What's even more is that my friend Christopher in Maryland passed July 31st, and Tropical Storm Cristobal (the Spanish name for Christopher) formed just after his passing this year. Tropical Storm Cristobal was active from August 12 to August 13, 2026.The short-lived storm formed in the central subtropical North Atlantic on August 12 as the third named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. It reached peak winds of 45 mph before dissipating quickly without threatening any land.

In 2020, my dog Dolly (named for Dolly Parton) passed in October. Because the hurricane list is a 6 year list, her tropical namesake was also on the list of storms that year. Tropical Storm Dolly in 2020 formed on June 23 and dissipated by June 24, 2020.

In 2008, my dad, Edward, passed in August. In August of that year, during the week my dad passed, Tropical Storm Edouard (the Spanish name for Edward) formed in the Gulf of Mexico.  By August 6, 2008, Tropical Storm Edouard had come ashore in Texas. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image of the storm at 2:17 p.m. local time (19:17 UTC) on August 5 as the satellite passed over the Gulf of Mexico and southwestern United States.

When it comes to spirits, there's no such thing as a coincidence. And when it connects with living people, that's even more proof. 

Local Blog: Historic Grist Mill & Grist Mill Bridge, Lebanon, Maine

 We took a short day trip to see the location of a former historic Mill and bridge that was connected to the old mill. It's the "Grist Mill and Grist Mill Bridge" in Lebanon, Maine. That's today's blog.

(Photo: The Little River Bridge in 2026. Credit: R.G.) 

(Photo: A millstone from the Grist Mill now with historic plaques. Credit: Maine.gov) 

WHAT IS THE GRIST MILL BRIDGE? - The Grist Mill Bridge is a stone and timber structure just east of the 1774 Old Grist Mill. It is composed of laid rubblestone, rising approximately thirteen feet above normal stream water levels. The bridge deck is fifty-four feet long and twenty-four feet wide.  

(View of the Little River on the west side of the bridge. Credit: R.G.) 

The Grist Mill Bridge spans the Little River and is located about 3 miles south of East Lebanon, Maine on the Little River Road.  

(Photo: What the bridge looks like today from the side of the Little River.)

REBUILT CONFIGURATIONS - The current structure dates from the early 1950s. In 1993, a major renovation project replaced a timber superstructure and restored the stone pier and abutments. This bridge was entered in the National Register of Historic Places on December 27, 1990. 

(Photo: Side of the original mill site, looking from the Bridge.)

ABOUT THE HISTORIC GRIST MILL* - Lebanon, Maine's Old Grist Mill is the oldest surviving industrial building in town. 

  Built by Joseph Hardison in 1774, the large rectangular mill sits on a massive foundation of dry laid stone five feet thick tapering to a width of two feet under the sills of the building.   

    The two-story mill is typical of 18th-century construction with a gabled roof, framed with heavy hand hewn timbers, and a double thickness of hardwood for flooring.

  Looking at historical records, a 1792 road layout description references "Joseph Hardison's Bridge" at the site.

WHO WAS JOSEPH HARDISON? - Beyond his work on the mill, Hardison was also involved in local governance, serving as a Justice of the Peace and Postmaster. Joseph Hardison passed away in 1858.

(Photo: Front of the historic mill building in 2026)

OTHER MILL USES - Like many places in rural Maine, the mill harnessed the power of a stream for manufacturing. It was originally a grist mill, but a multitude of additions throughout the years turned the structure into a multi-purpose establishment which also milled timber. During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries the mill also informally served as the village center and public meeting place. It was the only known grist mill to survive the 1785 freshet and provided an important service while other mills were rebuilt.

WHAT IS THE MILL TODAY? Currently, it is a mixed-use establishment housing an antique store and several apartments. *

*Maine Historic Preservation Commission

Idiot of the Week: Palm Beach clerk of courts Michael Caruso jailed on child sex abuse charges

Here's another conservative Republican arrested and jailed on child sex abuse charges. Suspended Palm Beach clerk of courts Michael Caruso, 67, was ordered held without bond. The charges filed against him include kidnapping, molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, luring or enticing a child and child abuse. Why does the Republican party seem to have a lot of child molesters? 

Palm Beach Clerk of Court arrested on child sex abuse charges

WPBF-TV, August 19, 2026

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Suspended Palm Beach County Clerk of Court Michael Caruso was denied bond during a court appearance Wednesday and is expected to be transferred to Orange County to face additional charges.

Caruso, who is represented by attorney Jason Weiss, requested to be transported to Orange County to address five charges filed there.

During Wednesday's hearing the judge said there is no deadline for Orange County authorities to pick him up. However, the court set a Sept. 2 recheck date. The hearing would allow the court to review Caruso’s status if he has not yet been taken to Orange County.

During the hearing, the judge imposed a strict no-contact order prohibiting Caruso from having any contact with the alleged victim, the victim's immediate family members, witnesses in the case or anyone under the age of 18.

At the outset of the hearing, the judge addressed Caruso's public position and made a statement for the record before ruling on bond.

"As Mr. Weiss is approaching, let the record reflect that I have never met Mr. Caruso, nor do I know him in any capacity other than the fact that he is now the suspended clerk of court," the judge said.The judge ultimately ordered that Caruso be held without bond.

Caruso's arrest was announced Tuesday by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who said the case was investigated with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and local law enforcement agencies.

According to charging documents, Caruso faces multiple felony charges, including kidnapping, lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, luring or enticing a child and child abuse causing mental injury.

Authorities have said the investigation remains ongoing.

Hours after Caruso's arrest, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order suspending him from his position as Palm Beach County clerk of court.

Caruso remains in custody as the criminal case proceeds and ahead of his expected transfer to Orange County next month.

Heroes of the Week: Waste workers help winner find binned €1m ($1 Million U.S;) lottery ticket in Italy

 This week's heroes are Italian sanitation employees who helped someone find a big winning lottery ticket they accidentally discarded in a store, when they thought the ticket was a losing ticket. Quickly the person learned it was the big winner, returned to the store to find the trash had been taken away. That's when heroes came to the rescue.

(Photo: Waste boss Roberto Nicola Toscano said the story was "nothing short of miraculous") 

Waste workers help winner find binned €1m lottery ticket in Italy

August 5, 2026 , BBC NEWS, André Rhoden-Paul

A lottery player who accidentally binned a €1m (£857,158) winning-ticket may be the luckiest person in Italy after refuse workers found the missing slip.

The anonymous player disposed of the ticket in a shop in Bitonto, southern Italy, after checking their numbers and being told it was "non-payable". The person only realised they threw away a winning ticket after a relative pointed out the numbers they always played had been drawn.

It sparked a two-day search through a "mountain of waste" which had been collected by a bin lorry, the head of the refuse company, Roberto Nicola Toscano, told Italian news agency Ansa."This story is nothing short of miraculous," he added.

Recounting the story, he said the mix-up happened because the "non-payable" message appears when the prize is too high to be paid out by the shop. When the player returned home, their family reportedly pointed out their favourite numbers - 2, 4, 8, 10, and 51 - had been drawn. "It was then that they realised the misunderstanding. So they all went to the shop together and discovered that the tickets had been thrown away and collected by one of our operators," said Toscano, director of SANB who handles waste collection in the area.

After the player made contact with the refuse company, the bin lorry was located before its contents were compacted for disposal."Luckily it was a Sunday, otherwise the load would have already ended up in landfill," the boss told Italian broadcaster TGCOM24. The truck was then escorted to a special site where the search began to find the "small piece of paper hidden in a mountain of waste".

Finally after a two-day search, the winning ticket was reportedly found by a waste worker on Tuesday morning, with the workers cheering as if they had won the prize themselves. "It was in a hole-ridden bag along with other damaged tickets: this was one of the few intact ones," Toscano told Ansa.

The cost of the recovery operation is set to be charged to the winner, who had previously signed a declaration promising to cover the search costs.

Toscano told BBC News that he was not authorised to reveal any details on the identity of the winner.

But the luck rubbed off - when Toscano and his colleagues bought a scratch card as a joke, they won €50 (£43).

Book of the Week: Teddy Spencer isn't Looking for Love by Kim Fielding

 It's uncommon to find an LGBTQ romance that's just really a nice story about two guys meeting and falling for each other. But that exactly describes the book "Teddy Spencer isn't Looking for Love" by Kim Fielding. I had not read anything previously by this author, but thought I would take a chance and I'm glad I did. This is a fun read!  - 

The main character, Teddy Spencer is a designer and the other main character is an engineer named Romeo Blue (his parents named his siblings after Shakespeare characters). These guys work together and Teddy doesn't like Romeo when they meet. Then they get forced on a business trip and have to share a hotel room and one bed because of a very cheap boss. Even on flight over Teddy notices Romeo helping a single mom with children, and Teddy starts to think twice about pre-judging him. Over the trip they get assigned bizarre tests by a potential investor in their product, and they get to know each other.  (Don't worry, there's no x-rated stuff in it). 

It's a fun read, and I read it in a week!  You'll enjoy it.  

ABOUT THE BOOK

Teddy Spenser Isn't Looking for Love: A Gay New Adult Romance – A Charming MM Workplace Comedy of One Bed and Enemies to Lovers by Kim Fielding

 Some people search their whole lives to find love. He just wants to avoid it.

Teddy Spenser spends his days selling design ideas to higher-ups, living or dying on each new pitch. Stodgy engineer types like Romeo Blue, his nemesis—if you can call someone who barely talks to you a nemesis—are a necessary evil. A cute necessary evil.

Working together is bad enough, but when their boss puts them both on a new high-stakes project, “working together” suddenly means: - sitting uncomfortably close on the same plane - staying in the same hotel room—with only one bed - spending every waking minute together.

Turns out Mr. Starched Shirt has some hidden depths, and it’s getting harder to ignore the spark Teddy feels with every brush of their hands, with every knowing glance. He might not have been looking for this connection with Romeo, but will he ever be ready to let him go?

Discovery: Archaeologists unearth a medieval nobleman buried with his horse and dog in a rare wooden tomb in Russia

Archaeology reveals the hidden secrets from the past, and in a recent finding of a tenth century burial, a medieval nobleman was found buried with his horse and dog in a rare wooden tomb in Russia.

(Image credit: Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences)

Archaeologists unearth a medieval nobleman buried with his horse and dog in a rare wooden tomb in Russia

A rare example of a wooden chamber tomb reveals connections between medieval Norse and Old Russian burial styles.

By Kristina Killgrove Edited by Laura Mondragón, Nicoletta Lanese, LIVESCIENCE, August 23, 2026 

Archaeologists in Russia have unearthed a rare wooden tomb containing the remains of an elite man who was buried with a horse and a dog. The remarkably preserved burial, which dates to the 10th century, suggests that medieval Russian and Northern European nobility shared funeral customs a millennium ago.

The horseman's burial was discovered unexpectedly this summer during excavations in the medieval cemetery at Gnezdilovo, an archaeological site in Suzdal, Russia, about 137 miles (220 kilometers) northeast of Moscow, according to an Aug. 15 translated statement from the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

In the late ninth century, what is now western Russia was ruled by the Kievan Rus' (also spelled Kyvian Rus'), a conglomeration of settlements and territories that included Baltic, eastern Slavic and Norse peoples. 

WHERE DID THE BURIAL TRADITION COME FROM?

By the 10th century, the custom of burying medieval Rus' nobility in underground wooden crypts with a multitude of grave goods was imported from Scandinavia.

But the newfound and remarkably well preserved chamber tomb at Suzdal is a rare and early example of the burial type. Only 80 other medieval chamber burials have been found across western Russia, according to the statement.

The wooden burial chamber was found about 3.3 feet (1 meter) underground and measured 10.2 by 8.9 feet (3.1 by 2.7 m). The wooden roof of the chamber had decayed and collapsed onto the deceased in the tomb. Archaeologists found the skeleton of a man who was about 25 to 35 years old when he died, along with the remains of a horse and a dog.

Medieval babies and adults buried together in Sweden were not related, archaeologists discover — raising big questions about early Christian burial practices.

ALSO FOUND IN THE BURIAL SITE

Also included in the burial were an iron knife, stirrups and other riding gear, as well as a comb made of bone and a battle ax. The man was buried wearing a garment secured by a silver, horseshoe-shaped brooch near his neck. The assemblage of the grave goods signifies that the man held high status in his community, according to the statement.

All of the previously excavated chamber tombs were found in urban centers of the Kievan Rus' territory, suggesting that the nobility formed relationships of power across the land. The newly discovered chamber tomb at Suzdal therefore points to the site being an important center of the Rus' polity, which was previously unknown.