A Moving Memorial for our friend Chris

 Earlier this month, I attended a beautiful memorial service for our friend Chris. He passed on July 31st of this year, and it was devastating loss. The service and the setting were beautiful. I also had a chance to speak about our friend, and today's blog will include my speech and reflections of Chris.

(Photo: Rob, Connor, Megan and Katie)

Back on August 4th, I wrote a blog about our good friend, and you can read it, here: LINK TO Chris' story.

(Photo left: Our friend Chris doing what he loved- biking cross country.) 

THE MEMORIAL - The setting was at an outdoor venue next to a beautiful greenhouse and garden complex in Maryland. There was an outside trellis with a podium and folding chairs were set in front of it. The memorial featured wonderful and emotional eulogies by Chris' two daughters, a reading of a Psalm from his friend and neighbor, Rocky and a garden ritual. It was beautifully narrated by a friend of one of Chris' daughters.

There were several tables with photos of Chris and his family, a book for guests to write their names and a memory, flowers, and some special things, like small cards with wildflower seeds that could be planted in Chris' memory, and two recipes that Chris loved to make. Such a wonderful way to remember him.

(Photo left: The tent for food and mingling)

CELEBRATING CHRIS- There was a large tent with round tables for friends and family to enjoy some food, and share stories. Several family members, friends and work colleagues told funny stories that really highlighted Chris' great sense of humor.

MY STORIES - Although I was a bit hesitant, I thought it was important to share some of my memories because Chris was such a close friend. I choked up twice, because it was really hard to believe I wouldn't see him or hear his voice anymore. Today, I can still hear his voice and laughter in my head.

    I told how we met in Dunkin' Donuts while standing in line, and I think we both commented on a customer who had an attitude, and wound up laughing over it. We decided to meet for coffee another time, and that's how our friendship began.  

    When we met I told him he resembled Indiana Jones, and he rolled his eyes and sarcastically said, "I've never heard that." He had heard it from countless people, because he did. In fact, he told me he even went to a Halloween party dressed up in Indy's outfit complete with hat, boots and whip. 

   Tom and I joined Chris at Dunkin' many times for coffee or lunch, and we introduced him to what became his favorite Mexican restaurant, "Mucho Gusto" (although it was a different name when we first went there). 

   I told of how in his retirement, Chris became an expert at refinishing furniture. Because we have a pickup truck, Tom and I would sometimes either pick something up for Chris or on rare occasion, deliver something. But he had a way of making everything look new.  Another friend told of how he would always find amazing things of great value in thrift stores, and I remember him telling me about a few of them. 

(Photos: Speakers at the memorial service) 

  One of my favorite funny stories was when Chris told me about a neighbor who would always bring her dog over to his lawn at night, to have her dog do his business on the lawn. He said he knew generally when she would walk her dog over to his front yard. So, he waited in the dark in his front spare bedroom until she showed up. His car was always parked in front of his townhouse and when she and the dog came to his lawn he hit the alarm button and scared the heck out of her!  Tom and I remember laughing so hard we almost spit out our drinks at Dunkin' the day he told us. 

   

(Image: Tropical Storm Cristobal at peak intensity shortly after being named on August 12, 2026. This was taken using the VIIRS imaging instrument onboard the NOAA-21 polar orbiting satellite. Credit: NOAA) 

A Weather Sign from Chris - I mentioned that I'm also a medium and that I've learned how to recognize signs from loved ones who passed. For me, because I was a meteorologist who specialized in the tropics- tropical depressions, tropical storms, hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones- spirits have given me signs through those to let me know they are around and are okay on the other side. My dad did with Tropical Storm Eduard in 2008 when he passed. My dog, Dolly did in 2020 when she passed and Tropical Storm Dolly formed. And less than two weeks after Chris passed, Tropical Storm Cristobal (Spanish for "Christopher") formed in the Gulf of Mexico. 

  When it comes to spirits and signs from them, there is no such thing as a coincidence. (I've written 15 books about that). So Chris let me know he's doing okay, so I could share that with everyone else. 

(Photos: A walkway in the garden area and small cards with wildflower seeds that could be planted in Chris' memory)

Idiot of the Week: Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Cycle of Child Sexual Abuse

This week's idiot is yet another Conservative, who was convicted of child sexual abuse. This is the posting from the Office Of The State Attorney R.J. Larizza, 7th Judicial Circuit court of Florida.

State of Florida v. Trent Adam Prather Press Release | August 20, 2026

Case Number: 2026 105098 CFDL

Prather Sentenced to Life in Prison for Cycle of Child Sexual Abuse

DELAND – During a hearing on Wednesday, Volusia County, Florida defendant Trent Prather entered guilty pleas to 15 counts of Sexual Battery on victim less than 12 years of age, two counts of Lewd/Lascivious Molestation on victim less than 12 years of age, Lewd/Lascivious Exhibition on victim less than 16 years of age and 18 counts of Promoting Sexual Performance by a Child. Prather was then sentenced to life in prison for the convictions.

Between May 2025 and March 2026, the defendant recorded himself sexually abusing a nine-year-old victim.

“There are few things in this world that are worse than repeatedly raping a small child,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said about the case. “Especially when the pedophile videos the rapes for future viewing and trade. It defies explanation.”

The case was investigated by the Volusia Sheriff’s Office. Assistant State Attorney Nicholas Kramperth prosecuted the case for the State of Florida. The Honorable Karen Foxman heard the case and imposed sentence. 

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

BACKGROUND: This wasn’t his first time. Prather was convicted in Utah in 2011 on 10 counts of exploiting a minor — and got probation. Utah investigated him again in 2018 after another CyberTip but didn’t prosecute. He then relocated to Florida without registering as a s*x offender.

CHARACTER Facebook history: 

—Proud “TRUMP 2020” supporter 

—Mocked George Floyd’s murder with pillows shaped like his face, joking they made “awesome knee pads” 

 —Posted a cotton field photo captioned “FREE BLM SHIRTS,” joking it needed “some assembly required”

— a slavery “joke” at black people’s expense 

—Shared an Islamophobic, vulgar joke about Obama’s beard and his marriage and called Michele Obama—former First Lady and athletic black woman—a man

 —Called Kyle Rittenhouse — the teen who shot protesters with a rifle — a hero who “doesn’t wear a cape”

Heroes of the Week: Tacoma Police Department’s Marine Services Unit Rescues Boatload of 31 cats

This week's heroes is the Tacoma Police Department’s Marine Services Unit who responded to a call that many cats were living on an anchored sailboat

(Photo: Overhead view of the interior of a boat with wooden compartments containing approximately 20 cats, mostly black and black-and-white, sitting on top of and inside divided wooden structures with visible gauges and controls on the top panel. Courtesy of Tacoma Police Department)

Rescue effort underway to re-home 40 cats found on abandoned sailboat 

 Aug 10, 2026, Good News by Meghan Cook

On August 6, the Tacoma Police Department’s Marine Services Unit responded to reports of an abandoned sailboat anchored off the shores of Tacoma, Washington.

But the boat was far from empty. When they climbed aboard, the officers found upwards of forty cats and kittens.

“Many of the cats were frightened and malnourished, requiring patience, care, and a tremendous amount of teamwork from our members,” the police department shared on Facebook.

“They will be out there for most of the day continuing their mission, but we wanted to ensure we share this with our community as many have seen our members out on the water this morning,” the post continued.

“We’re proud of our Marine Services officers, Animal Control officers, and Forensic Technicians for their compassion and dedication — not only to the people they serve, but to every member of our community who needs a helping hand.”

By the following afternoon, 31 of the cats had been gently corralled into cat carriers and transported by boat to the Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County.

“Unlike a normal case, we do need assistance with getting out there [by boat],” Cheri Page of the Tacoma Animal Control told KOMO News, a Washington outlet. “And then there’s the challenge of the boat itself, pretty close quarters, and because it is a sailboat there’s a lot of nooks and crannies for cats to hide in.”

Although many of the cats had fleas and lacked sanitary conditions, Page said that there were signs that a potential owner had been attempting to care for them.

“They have been clearly fed and watered, but they’ve been on that boat for some time,” she explained, noting that the cats had likely been living on the sailboat for months, if not longer.

One of the responding officers, John Correa, informed The News Tribune that the discovery had been quite the shock.

“The best way I can describe it is it looked like a Studio Ghibli movie,” Correa explained. “It was their boat, and they were all out and about roaming around on it.”

As of August 10, an investigation was still ongoing, and no arrests had yet been made. Correa told The News Tribune that their primary goal was to take care of the cats and ensure they were safe.

“People start with just a few cats, and they’re not spayed or neutered, and unfortunately they do what cats do — and make more cats,” Page said. “That’s why at Tacoma Animal Control, we really emphasize that you spay and neuter your cats and dogs.”

Book of the Week: Death Most Definite (Paranormal fiction)

This week's book of the week is a paranormal fiction novel from an Australian author. "Death Most Definite" by Trent Jamieson is a story about a man named Steve, who is tasked with easing spirits from this dimension to the next after death. The premise sounded interesting. But halfway through, it got really weird. Today's blog is my take on it.

MY TAKE:  The main character, Steven de Selby was likeable and his presence through the book made you want to find out what happened to him. I also liked the "ghost girlfriend" character. Those 2 characters made me want to finish the book.

   The acronym "RM" was used throughout, but unless I missed it earlier, it wasn't identified as "Regional Manager" until after page 275 (out of 332). It applied to people who manage a "business" that had regional offices of death where people called "Pomps" who help people cross over. One weird thing was that the dead are all crossed over into the underworld... so it seems there is no good place for them to go. There are also "Stirrers" which are vengeful dead entities' consciousness' who take over and re-animate dead bodies (like zombies) and seek to harm others.

  Spoiler alert- when Steven's dog was killed, that soured me.  Another thing that didn't sit well with me were the mass killings of the lead characters friends and family. I found the last third of the book hard to follow with the character's journey to the underworld, and a supernatural place called the "Big Tree."   So 2.5 of 5 stars for me on this one.  

ABOUT THE BOOK: Steve knew something was wrong as soon as he saw the dead girl in the Wintergarden food court. Nothing new - he saw dead people all the time - but this one was about to save his life.'

Steven works in the family firm. He's a Pomp, tasked with easing spirits from this dimension to the next after death. And he's kind of okay with that, until someone high up the corporate hierarchy makes a bid to be Australia's new Regional Death. This means killing all of the current Death's staff. After his parents, relatives and pretty much every other Pomp he's ever known has been killed, Steve is left to make a reluctant stand.

But to do this he must stay alive. Threatened at every turn, Steve and the perilously attractive (and dead) Lissa go on the run to save what's left of their world in DEATH MOST DEFINITE the dark, funny, fast-paced first book in the Death Works trilogy.

Lung transplant recipient ended up with a peanut allergy

I have heard of organ transplant recipients experiencing bodily changes, but this story about a woman who received a lung transplant found herself with a new peanut allergy. A peanut allergy is an abnormal, potentially life-threatening immune system reaction to the proteins found in peanuts. 

 Reactions usually occur within minutes to two hours after exposure.

• Skin: Hives, redness, itching, or swelling of the lips, face, and tongue.
• Gastrointestinal: Stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
• Respiratory: Coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, or throat tightness.
• Cardiovascular: Drop in blood pressure, dizziness, or shock, known as anaphylaxis.

A woman got a lung transplant — and ended up with a peanut allergy, too

LIVESCIENCE, Lauren Schneider Edited by Nicoletta Lanese, Laura Mondragón, eptember 2, 2026

The patient: A 47-year-old woman in Canada

The symptoms: The woman underwent a lung transplant to treat interstitial lung disease, which involves harmful inflammation and scarring of lung tissue. While recovering in the hospital, she ate a bowl of breakfast cereal, which activated a nearly two-hour episode of flushing, itching, shortness of breath and low blood pressure.

This severe, life-threatening allergic reaction is known as anaphylaxis. A report of the woman's case does not mention specific treatment she received for this reaction, but it notes that it resolved after two hours.

What happened next: The woman experienced the same symptoms in the weeks after being discharged from the hospital — after eating a coconut cream pie and after having an almond candy bar.

The diagnosis: Two months after her lung transplant, the woman underwent a skin-prick allergy test, which revealed a sensitivity to peanut and pine nut allergens. She did not have an allergic response to tree nuts, such as the almonds in the candy bar, nor to coconut. None of the foods that triggered her symptoms were known to contain peanuts, but none were certified as peanut-free, either.

Notably, the woman's lung donor had been a 12-year-old boy with a known peanut allergy but no history of anaphylaxis. Her doctors theorized that the transplanted lung tissue contained immune cells from the donor that were sensitized to nut allergens.

The treatment: The woman did not receive a specific treatment to get rid of this new allergic response. However, the sensitivity subsided in follow-up skin-prick tests, and they had disappeared completely by a year after her surgery. She ate peanuts in a supervised setting a few months after the one-year mark and had no reaction. The doctors reasoned that the sensitized immune cells from the donor must have cleared from her body.

What makes the case unique: Only one other case of peanut allergy following a lung transplant had been documented before the woman's case was published in 2011.

How did the Romans build their towering aqueducts?

Today's blog is a fascinating article from LIVEScience about how the Romans constructed their famous aqueducts.

(Photo: The monumental aqueduct of Segovia was built sometime between the years 81 to 96 AD. The pillars and arches of its tall, two-story arcades are made of solid blocks of stone fit closely together with little or no mortar, and the lower arches alternate in height according to the structure’s adaptation to the contours of the land. The aqueduct was inscribed on the World Heritage list in 1985 and stands prominently in the urban landscape of Segovia. The Aqueduct of Segovia remains one of the most intact Roman aqueducts in Europe. Credit: Instagram: christophertravelz)

How did the Romans build their towering aqueducts? 

The ancient Romans are well known for their aqueducts. But how did they build these impressive structures?

By Owen Jarus Edited by Laura Mondragón, Tia Ghose, LIVE SCIENCE, September 5, 2026

The Romans are well known for their aqueducts, which brought water to their cities and settlements.

These aqueducts sometimes ran for very long distances. For instance, the aqueduct of Valens, which brought water to the city of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), was 250 miles (400 kilometers) long, according to a statement from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

The aqueducts also lasted a long time; their remains are some of the most prominent Roman architectural finds visible today. All of this demonstrates the Romans' engineering prowess. So how did the Romans build such large and long-lasting aqueducts?

First, the Romans would select a source of water for the aqueduct, with springs being a popular choice. The aqueducts had to be designed so water would flow toward the city or settlement. The successful building of the aqueducts "was accomplished by an ever slight incline downwards from the spring to its end source," such as Rome, Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow, a classics professor and chair emerita at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, told Live Science in an email.

Roman surveyors had to design a route carefully. "To choose a route with the necessary gradient, Roman surveyors would have either used the libra or the dioptra," Joseph Lewis, an archaeologist at the University of Cambridge, told Live Science in an email.

The dioptra was shaped like a disc with a sighting bar in the middle. It could be suspended from a stand, and the surveyor could look through the sighting bar at rods in the ground to help determine their elevations. "Surveyors would sight through the sighting bar toward surveying staves to measure differences to elevation," Lewis said.

The exact design of the libra is unclear, but we know that it had a plumb bob that was suspended in the air and the surveyor could compare it to rods in the ground to help determine differences in ground height. "Surveyors would set the libra up along proposed routes for the aqueduct and look forward and backward against calibrated staves," Lewis explained, noting that this allowed them to determine differences in ground height.

Building a long-lasting aqueduct 

The Romans used a form of concrete that tended to last much longer than modern-day concrete. Roman concrete used pozzolan, an ashy substance, that was combined with lime and water to form a durable concrete that hardened when exposed to water.

"Roman concrete certainly played an important role, especially in bridges, arcades, and other structural elements," Giovanni De Feo, a professor of industrial engineering at the University of Salerno in Italy, said in an email.

But this wasn't the only factor that allowed Roman aqueducts to last such a long time."I believe their remarkable preservation results from a combination of factors," De Feo said. For example, the Romans were careful to select routes that followed stable geological formations.

Regular maintenance that, in many cases, continued into the Middle Ages also helped Roman aqueducts survive the test of time, De Feo noted. This means that they tried to avoid volcanoes and other landscapes that were unstable.

Aqueducts did not always run aboveground; sometimes, they had lengthy underground portions in areas where the landscapes made it difficult to place it aboveground. Some "aqueducts had hardly any stretches above ground outside the city, while others ran on arches for a considerable distance," Gerda de Kleijn, a researcher at Radboud University in the Netherlands, wrote in her book "The Water Supply of Ancient Rome" (J.C. Gieben, 2001).

As the water neared the city, it would sometimes go into pools that helped remove dirt and other visible pollutants. "Water would pool into the basin, sediment would sink to the bottom, then the water would continue from there on its course to the distribution tank," Harry Evans, a professor emeritus of classics at Fordham University, said in an email.

The number of workers required to build an aqueduct depended on its size and timeline for completion. The Hadrianic aqueduct at Athens, which runs for about 12.4 miles (20 km), could have been completed in 15 years by a team of around 500 workers, researchers estimated in a 2022 paper.

Satellite image shows large patches of open water less than 40 miles from the North Pole

There's very concerning news from NASA, as satellite imagery has shown large patches of open water less than 40 miles from the North Pole. Although sea ice does melt in the summer, areas of open water have never been this extensive. But as the world continues to warm, the ice is melting. That means rising seas... coastal erosion and flooding.  

(Caption: NASA satellite image showing water 60 km away from the North Pole on Aug. 29, 2026. Water was visible less than 40 miles from the North Pole on Aug. 29, 2026. Image credit: NASA Worldview)

A worrying snapshot': Satellite image shows large patches of open water less than 40 miles from the North Pole

An image from NASA Worldview shows how brittle Arctic sea ice is becoming due to global warming, with large patches of open water visible near the North Pole on Aug. 29.

By Sascha Pare Edited by Laura Mondragón, Ben Turner, Live Science, September 4, 2026

Large patches of open water were visible just 37 miles (60 kilometers) from the North Pole on Aug. 29, a NASA satellite image shows. Although this doesn't necessarily mean that Arctic ice is worse off this year than the past few years, the image reveals how severely climate change is affecting the region, experts say.

The image is from the NASA Worldview satellite photo browsing tool and was shared last week on the blog Arctic News. The patches are "quite striking," but it's not the first time that water has encroached upon Arctic ice in this way, said Julienne Stroeve, a professor of polar observation and modeling at University College London.

"We can see open water at times at the North Pole but I don't think it's ever been this extensive," Stroeve told Live Science in an email. For instance, the central Arctic Ocean and regions north of 80 degrees north latitude, an imaginary line that crosses Canada's Ellesmere Island and Spitsbergen in Norway, were highly fragmented in early September 2016.

The time of year is one reason water is now visible in this region, said Zachary Labe, a climate scientist at Climate Central, a nonprofit news organization that analyzes and reports on the climate. "By the end of summer, the sea ice generally becomes more fragmented, with areas of open water appearing more widespread between pieces of sea ice," Labe told Live Science in an email.

This means that local weather conditions and ocean currents can create large gaps between ice floes, Labe said. For example, strong winds can push ice fragments together or pull them apart, leading areas of water to widen or close within hours or days.

"Individual satellite images from around the North Pole in just the last two weeks show dramatic changes in the amount and location of visible open water," he noted.

The current extent of Arctic sea ice isn't particularly low when compared with record-setting years, but that's now very changeable due to the diffuseness of the ice, Stroeve said. "Winds could change and compress the ice into a more compact ice cover leading to sudden drops in total extent," she said.

Roger's Adoption Day!

 Happy Menagerie Monday! Jimmy (left) and Joey (center) are celebrating the official adoption of Roger (front) as of Sept. 18th. We are all excited to have him join our family!

Doug and Kristin's Wedding Day Celebration!

 My brother Doug wed his fiancee, Kristin in a beautiful backyard ceremony the first weekend in September.  

(L to R: Rob, Doug, Kristin, Tom) 

We couldn't be happier for my brother Doug and Kristin. They've been together 8 years and the time was right to make it official over Labor Day weekend. Together they planned the entire day and it was amazing.

They wanted the ceremony in their backyard, and they wanted it casual- which included shorts, and a button down shirt. There was a DJ who played all of their favorite songs.

A sign greeted everyone at the gate to the backyard. There was a beautiful floral trellis where they took their vows, a "flower bar" with a nice display of flowers, a special Sand Ceremony box where members of both families add colored sand into a glass framed box to symbolize the families coming together- What a cool concept!  - There was a giant tent in the back of the yard with tables nicely decorated for the meal. 

Another thing that was really cool were memorial candles for those in our hearts who had passed. Each candle had a matching photo. Included were my mom and dad, Kristin's dad, and her son JJ's friend.

 HERE COMES THE BRIDE!  Kristin made her entrance to the backyard from the back door of the house and she came down the stairs to Tom Petty's song "Here Comes my Girl."  CLICK LINK TO SEE 1 MIN VIDEO: https://youtube.com/shorts/dlR6iNQ6UQg?si=b7IradeZ-BXW85sr

SAND CEREMONY and MEMORIAL CANDLES -  These two events came after the welcome, opening words and hearing about Doug and Kristin's story of how they met.  Kristin's mom lit a candle for Kristin's dad, JJ lit a candle for his friend, Dawn, my sister in law, lit a candle for my dad, and I lit a candle for my mom. 

VOWS- Both Doug and Kristin gave their vows and it was very emotional not only for them, but for everyone witnessing it. I got pretty choked up! 

RING BEARER'S "MISSION" - There were three ring bearers at Doug and Kristin's wedding - Kristin's brother, brother-in-law and her nephews, all dressed up in suits to bring the rings to the altar as the Mission Impossible theme played. You can see the short video here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/t246zQtssJ0

(Photos: Standing at the altar, the first dance  

FIRST DANCE  - Their first dance was to the song "A Better Place" by Rachel Platten. Kristin told a funny story of how Doug looked at it as a "nice song," while Kristin took it to be a sweet sentiment about how they were in better place since they met... and then Doug got to see it that way. :)  

I had never heard of the song, but when I heard it, it made me tear up! 

 LISTEN TO THE SONG HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvI9PuGorwI

(The groom and bride under the trellis) 

WEATHER- The weather could not have been more perfect. A brief early morning shower gave way to bright sunshine and blue skies with temperatures in the low 70s (Farenheit), and a nice breeze.

  (Photo: Doug's brother Steve, and sister-in-law, Dawn - who lit one of the candles during that part of the ceremony) 

SPEECHES!   - Kristin's brother and sister and Doug's sons, Brian and Scott gave speeches to the newlyweds that brought a lot of laughs and smiles. 

(Photo: Doug's sons, Scott and Brian. Doug, Kristin, and Kristin's son, JJ) 

(Kristin's brother, Doug, Kristin, Kristin's mom and sister, Kerry)

ALL IN ALL - A perfect wedding, a perfect day for a perfect couple!  Congratulations!!

Idiots of the Week: Evangelical pastor Benjamin Garlick & Wife Guilty of Child-sex crimes

This week's idiots are a husband and wife who molested children while hiding behind religion. WKRN-TV, Tennessee said, "The Benjamin and Shaantal Garlick case in Murfreesboro Rutherford County, Tennessee exposes the grotesque inversion of religious authority—pastoral preaching alongside convictions involving child sexual abuse, pedophilia, and neglect. The verdict, Benjamin’s life-without-parole sentence, and the work of the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office represent judicial and law-enforcement power confronting alleged religious hypocrisy, domination, and moral corruption."

In the last several years on this blog, you've read about countless members of the Republican party who have committed these heinous, disgusting crimes. Any Republicans who still believe in conservatism need to take back their party and condemn these people.  

Tennessee pastor, wife found guilty of sexually abusing a 5-year-old, other victims

by Sydney KellerWed, August 19, 2026

Benjamin Garlick, 35, was convicted on seven counts of aggravated rape of a child, six counts of aggravated sexual battery, one count of solicitation of sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of violating the Child Protection Act. The jury also found Shaantal Garlick, 32, guilty of two counts of facilitating aggravated rape of a child and two counts of aggravated child neglect.

*WARNING: Details in this story are disturbing. Viewer discretion advised.*

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WZTV) -- A Rutherford County jury has found a traveling pastor and his wife guilty of child sex crimes after a two-week trial.

Benjamin Garlick, 35, was convicted on seven counts of aggravated rape of a child, six counts of aggravated sexual battery, one count of solicitation of sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of violating the Child Protection Act. The jury also found Shaantal Garlick, 32, guilty of two counts of facilitating aggravated rape of a child and two counts of aggravated child neglect.

Circuit Court Judge Barry Tidwell sentenced Benjamin Garlick to life in prison without parole for the aggravated rape charges. He will find out his punishment on the other charges Nov. 10, which is also the day Shaantal Garlick will be sentenced.

Police first launched the investigation into Benjamin Garlick’s actions on Aug. 15, 2023, after allegations of sexual abuse against a 5-year-old that happened over several years. The investigation revealed two more victims were abused.

Police also found that Shaantal Garlick knowingly neglected the child, harming the child’s health and well-being, while assisting in the commission of the sexual abuse.

Benjamin Garlick will remain in the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center waiting for his next sentencing hearing, while Shaantal Garlick, who was out on bond, is now in the county jail after her conviction.

Heroes of the Week: Rochester Fire Department Saves Dog from Burning Home

This week's heroes are the firefighters from the Rochester, NH Fire deparment who saved a family dog from a burning home and administered oxygen. The dog happily recovered.

(Photo: Rochester Fire Department responded to a structure fire on Chesly Hill Road on Sunday. Aug. 16, 2026. Credit:  Rochester Fire Department ) 

Dog rescued from two-alarm house fire in Rochester, NH

Fosters Daily Democrat, Staff ReportUpdated Aug. 17, 2026, 3:45 p.m. ET

ROCHESTER, New Hampshire — Firefighters responded to a structure fire on Chesley Hill Road on Sunday, Aug. 16, one complicated by downed power lines.

At approximately 2:36 p.m., a good Samaritan stopped at the Gonic Fire Station to report a house on fire on Chesley Hill Road, the Fire Department reported in a press release. At about the same time, a 911 call was received reporting a fire at 260 Chesley Hill Road.

Engine 4 and truck 6 arrived on scene approximately three minutes later and found the front porch of the residence fully involved with fire, with flames extending up the exterior of the house and into the eaves. A box alarm was immediately requested, bringing first-alarm mutual aid companies to the scene.

After completing an initial 360-degree size-up, the first arriving engine company lieutenant determined that the fire had extended into the residence, the Fire Department reported. Shortly into the initial fire attack, crews encountered an additional hazard when an electric service line burned off the building and fell into the initial attack hose lines. Due to live electrical lines, crews were forced to redeploy hose lines from truck 6 and adjust their fire attack.

The shift commander arrived on scene and assumed command. Based on the fire conditions and the challenges presented by the downed, energized power lines, a second alarm was requested, bringing additional personnel and apparatus to the scene.

Firefighters conducted an interior fire attack while additional crews performed a primary search of the residence. During the search, firefighters said they located the family's dog inside the home. The dog was rescued and brought to safety, where firefighters administered oxygen. The dog was later transported to a local veterinary facility for additional treatment.

The fire was declared under control at approximately 3:15 p.m. Crews remained on scene conducting overhaul operations and checking the building for any remaining fire.

There were no reported injuries to civilians or firefighters as a result of the incident. The home was determined to be uninhabitable, displacing two residents. The American Red Cross was notified to assist the displaced residents.

Mutual aid assistance at the scene was provided by Dover, Somersworth, Farmington, Milton, and Barrington Fire Departments. Station coverage was provided by Newington, Berwick, Lebanon, and Lee Fire Departments. While Rochester crews were committed to the structure fire, mutual aid companies covering both Rochester stations responded to three additional calls for service within the city.

The fire was investigated by the Rochester Fire Department. The area of origin was determined to be the front porch; however the cause of the fire remains undetermined.

Book of the week: Savage Range by Luke Short

 This week's book is another western novel. Written by an author who called himself "Luke Short" after the famous 19th-century Old West gunfighter. The author's real name was Frederick Dilley Glidden, but Luke Short sounds better. He wrote over 50 classic Western novels and numerous pulp short stories, but the book I read is called "Savage Range" and it's a good novel.

The book is about a man who gets hired to clean out squatters from a huge tract of land, but the man who hired him used him and set him up for a fall, while the hiring guy savagely attacks the squatters and blames the hired hand. It's a good story,and you'll find some twists and turns and colorful characters. At some points you don't know who is right and who is wrong... but you'll figure it out by the end. 4 of 5 stars for me.

ABOUT THE BOOK: A ranch foreman must tame a bunch of cutthroat cowboys—or die trying—in this rowdy, action-packed western from a master storyteller. San Jon may be the sorriest town Jim Wade has ever set foot in. Its dry river, ramshackle buildings, and vicious lawlessness make it the spitting image of hell on earth . . . so Wade feels right at home. He’s used to solving problems with his fists and his gun. Wade’s come to take a job as foreman for a ranching outfit, which he finds in just as bad of shape as the town itself. The killers his employer calls cowboys are the roughest bunch he’s ever seen, and they’ve schemed up an awful plan that could cost Wade his neck. To survive, he’ll have to do what he’s done all his shoot fast and ride hard.