Hero of the week: Syracuse Police Officer Jamie Pastorello

This week's hero is Syracuse Police Officer Jamie Pastorello. At 33 he is a nine-year veteran of the police department, and he helped a woman get into a home when he realized she was sleeping in a cemetery on her husband's gravesite. This week's hero said the experience of meeting the woman and helping her reinforced why he became a police officer: seeing people in need and stepping in when it matters. Here's the story and a Go Fund me link to help her.

A grief-filled woman spent months sleeping in the cemetery where her husband is buried. Then "an angel" came to her rescue. 

By Steve Hartman January 23, 2026   CBS News

Syracuse, New York — Police officers in Syracuse, New York, were surprised in December to find a 55-year-old woman living among the dead at Oakwood Cemetery.

The story of how Rhea Holmes came to live in that cemetery started years earlier with the death of her husband, Eddie Holmes. The couple had been married 26 glorious years and were planning to finally buy their dream house.

In October 2020, they put in an offer, and it was accepted. That same day, however, Eddie died suddenly of a heart attack.

So, instead of buying the home, Holmes took the down payment and spent it on a cemetery plot for her husband, with a bench in front of it for reminiscing.

Unfortunately, living in the past took a real toll on her present. Left with little money and little left to live for, Holmes slipped into depression. She lost her job and got evicted. She was too proud to move into a shelter, so she took up residence at the only place she felt she owned: her husband's grave."This is what I purchased," Holmes told CBS News.

Beginning in May 2025, she would volunteer at the nearby food pantry during the day, and then quietly slip undetected into the cemetery at night, where she would sleep. "I assumed that I was going to die there," Holmes said of the cemetery, but then "along comes an angel."

(Photo: Rhea Holmes and Officer James Pastorello. Credit: Syracuse.com) 

In December, a retired officer who works at the cemetery noted Holmes' presence and contacted police. Syracuse Police Officer Jamie Pastorello responded and became the angel who took Holmes under his wing.

"It was just the right thing to do," Pastorello said. "And I wasn't going to let Rhea sleep outside again. A complete turnaround, you know, in 20 days, she went from sleeping on the cold, hard ground in a cemetery, to her own home."

First, he paid for a hotel room for Holmes. Then he connected her with the president of LeMoyne College, who let Holmes stay on campus while the students were on winter break.

Pastorello also started a crowdfunding campaign and connected Holmes with a nonprofit called A Tiny Home for Good, which rents tiny homes at affordable prices to those in need. When a tiny home became available, Holmes was able to move in.

Nothing will ever replace her husband Eddie, but the multiple hugs she bestowed upon Pastorello during their recent reunion provided the sense that this new friendship will keep Holmes from moving back into that cemetery any time soon.

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YOU CAN STILL  HELP OUT- (They were still $10K short on January 25, 2026) Officer James Pastorello created a GoFundMe page on behalf of Rhea Holmes to help her with necessities. To support, visit the GoFundMe page here. As always, stay inspired.

GoFundMe: https://gofundme.com/f/help-rhea-find-a-safe-and-stable-home

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For a more detailed story, visit Syracuse.com: https://www.syracuse.com/news/2026/01/how-a-police-officer-helped-a-woman-sleeping-in-a-syracuse-cemetery-find-a-home.html

Coming up! Paranormal Weekend of Events in Maryland at Linville Manor!

 You can decide if you want to go on a Ghost Investigation with seasoned paranormal investigators in Maryland's most Haunted Mansion, OR the next day, attend 2 lectures about how Pets communicate from the afterlife and learn about Witches in Colonial Maryland! Details below. 

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MARCH 21 and MARCH 22, 2026 

LINVILLE MANOR In UPPER MARLBORO,  MARYLAND INVITES YOU  

Greetings visitors of Linville Manor!

Sharing a few exciting events coming our way in March

Details and Links Below:

MARCH 21- Paranormal Weekend Part I

Paranormal Investigation & Book Discussion

Rob Gutro returns to Linville Manor for the first time since 2021, when he helped discover the identity of one of Linville Manor's most notable ghosts. He and Winn Brewer (owner) will discuss that investigation, various paranormal accounts of the house, and conduct book signings. They will be joined by New England Paranormal Research and Drag Artist Monique Toosoon, and will lead visitors on a one-of-a-kind paranormal investigation until the midnight hours. Don't miss this event if you enjoy spooky things, availability is limited so book soon. If you are interested in continuing your investigation into the late night hours, overnight stay options are available, please email us if you would like to book a room for the night! *Guests who stay overnight will have automatic admittance to paranormal presentations the next day!

EVENT TICKETS HERE

MARCH 22 - Paranormal Weekend Parl II 

Paranormal Presentations

The paranormal weekend continues with two incredible paranormal presentations!

11AM - 1PM 

Rob Gutro 

Pets & the Afterlife 

As a medium, Rob found that he had the ability to interact with those beloved pets who have departed us. Many still have messages for their former owners. Come hear some of his astounding stories and some of the revelations he was able to provide to others. Perhaps he will even detect Linville Manor's very own ghost cat: Shadow.

EVENT TICKET (for both presentations)

2PM - 4PM 

Ron Padron 

Here There Be Witches: Witchcraft in Colonial Maryland

Spoiled milk. Fallow fields. Lamed limbs. Join local author and historian, Ron Padrón, for a lecture exploring Maryland's witchcraft history. We'll explore how colonists dealt with the threat of witches among them, from the superstitions that fueled allegations to the legal system designed to bring them to justice. This lecture also includes a deep dive into the life and death of the only person in Maryland history legally executed for witchcraft. 

EVENT TICKET (for both presentations)

Book of the Week: "Summer Shadows"- A Great Graphic Novel "The Talented Mr. Ripley meets Dracula"

This week's Book of the week was a pleasant surprise to me. As a comic book collector, I sometimes take chances on new comics and last summer bought "Summer Shadows" issue #1. I enjoyed it so much that I recently bought the graphic novel paperback that includes the entire story.  It looked interesting because there was a mystery with a paranormal-theme about a young gay man went looking for his ex-boyfriend on a Greek island. What he found was a scary ship of vampires! (It's a PG rated book focused on the mystery). 5 of 5 stars for this unique graphic novel.

"Summer Shadows" paperback by John Harris Dunning (Author), Ricardo Cabral (Illustrator) 

The Talented Mr. Ripley meets Dracula, this stylish neo-noir horror graphic novel will sink its teeth into you and leave you infatuated. Forever.

By day the Greek islands are all sand, sea and fun…but by night they’re the perfect hunting ground for vampires! Nick Landry is searching for his ex on the unspoiled island of Avraxos. Anthony was the love of his life, and without knowing why he left, Nick can’t move on. But Anthony isn’t the only one to disappear on Avraxos.

(Image: A page from the "Summer Shadows" graphic novel where Nick reads a post card from the Greek island of Avraxos from his ex, who said not to follow him)

Coast guard officer Alekos Kourkoulos is on the trail of another young man who disappeared there. Both men had fallen in with the glamorous set onboard a jet-black superyacht moored offshore before vanishing. As the mystery deepens, Nick and Alekos discover that the brighter the sunshine, the darker the shadows…

Acclaimed writer John Harris Dunning (Tumult, Wiper, Salem Brownstone) and talented artist Ricardo Cabral (Wiper) team up again to bring you this darkly seductive horror.

RESEARCH: New Study: Coffee, Tea Consumption Reduce Dementia Risk

A new study found participants who drank two or three cups of caffeinated coffee a day were at lower risk for dementia! I drink between 8 and 12 cups of black coffee, so I'm hopeful that I'm protected! Today's blog is about the scientific study. Drink up! 

(Photo: Tyler posing with a cup of coffee in 2019. Tyler always let me pose him for pictures (he passed 7/29/25). Credit: R.G) 

New Study Reveals Benefit Of Coffee, Tea Consumption 

Beth Dalbey, Patch Staff Feb 10, 2026

Most U.S. adults start their day with a caffeine jolt, but a morning cup of coffee may offer more than just a kick-start to the day. It may keep their minds sharp over time, according to a new longitudinal study.

In a study published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Harvard researchers found that moderate daily consumption of caffeinated coffee and tea may reduce the risk of dementia, slow cognitive decline, and preserve brain function.

The researchers found caffeinated coffee intake was significantly associated with a lower risk of dementia. The results were similar with caffeinated tea; however, researchers found no link between decaffeinated products and brain health.

That suggests that caffeine might be the active ingredient responsible for the neuroprotective effects, though researchers stressed that further study is necessary.

(Photo: Tyler posing with a cup of coffee in 2019. Tyler always let me pose him for pictures (he passed 7/29/25). Credit: R.G) 

Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia, currently affects more than 6 million people in the United States, a number that is expected to nearly double to 13 million people by 2050. 

Researchers noted their findings held true among people who were at a high risk for developing dementia, including those who are genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s disease

Permafrost thaw and 'shrubification' have tipped Alaska's North Slope into a wildfire regime not seen for 3,000 years

The warming world is drastically affecting northern climates including and especially Alaska. An analysis of peatland soil samples and satellite images has found that wildfires on Alaska's North Slope are more frequent and severe now than they were at any point over the past 3,000 years.This is all because of Climate Change, and a Warmer world. 

(Image: Wildfire From forest floor to space, NASA scientists and collaborators are advancing tools and methods to predict, remotely detect, and ultimately mitigate wildfires.  Credit: NASA)

Permafrost thaw and 'shrubification' have tipped Alaska's North Slope into a wildfire regime not seen for 3,000 years 

LIVE SCIENCE, Sascha Pare Feb 11, 2026

Wildfires on Alaska's North Slope are more frequent and more severe now than they have been at any point over the past 3,000 years, research suggests.

The findings are based on satellite data, as well as on soil pulled from peatlands that contain ancient chunks of charcoal and other signs of wildfires. The research team says the increase in blazes, driven by permafrost thaw and tundra "shrubification," constitutes a new wildfire regime that will likely intensify as global temperatures continue to rise.

Fires in northern Alaska "burn in summer, when the vegetation is snow-free and dry enough to ignite," study lead author Angelica Feurdean, a paleoecologist at Goethe University Frankfurt in Germany, told Live Science. In the past, this region was dominated by sedges and mosses, which provided little fuel for fires. But recently, there has been a shift toward woody shrubs, which are far more flammable and supply much more fodder for blazes, Feurdean said.

 (Image: Alaska's North Slope has experienced more frequent and severe wildfires since 1950 than it has over the past 3,000 years. Here, we see a scorched rectangle of land from fires in July 2007. (Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory)

Researchers previously documented an increase in wildfires over recent decades on Alaska's North Slope and elsewhere in the Arctic, but the new study contextualizes these reports by examining wildfires over past millennia.

The research, published Nov. 10, 2025, in the journal Biogeosciences, reveals that the current peak in northern Alaskan fires started in the mid-20th century and hugely exceeds wildfire activity recorded as charcoal in local peatlands since about 1000 B.C. Global warming is behind the increase, the authors say, because rising temperatures create dry conditions on land as well as moisture in the atmosphere that boosts the risk of lightning, the main source of ignition in Alaska.

The soil samples in the study came from nine peatlands located between the Brooks Range and the Arctic Ocean. Many of these peatlands are covered in small shrubs and sphagnum moss (also known as peat moss), which only recently became widespread on Alaska's North Slope, where it replaced tussock-forming sedges such as Eriophorum vaginatum. Sphagnum moss can absorb moisture from the air, which is how it thrives despite drying conditions, Feurdean said. Sedges, on the other hand, need access to water in the soil to survive. The samples were cores that measured about 1.6 feet (0.5 meters) long and encapsulated the past 3,000 years. 

The researchers analyzed the samples to reconstruct changes in vegetation, soil moisture and wildfire activity over time. Specifically, they inspected pollen and other plant remains; charcoal fragments; and tiny, single-celled organisms called testate amoebae, which are good indicators of water-table levels. 

(Image: Alaska's North Slope is situated between the Brooks Range and the Arctic Ocean in northern Alaska. (Image credit: Imagery ©2026 IBCAO, Landsat / Copnerinus, Data SIO, NOAA, U.S. Navy, NGA, GEBCO, U.S. Geological Survey, Imagery ©2026 NASA, Map sata ©2026 Google))

Wildfires are Burning Hotter Now

The researchers also analyzed satellite images of wildfires north of the Brooks Range between 1969 and 2023. When they combined these images with charcoal data to reconstruct the frequency and severity of fires, they found large discrepancies in the 2000s, when satellites captured huge fires but there was minimal charcoal evidence.

One explanation is that these fires were hotter than 930 degrees Fahrenheit (500 degrees Celsius) — the threshold above which charcoal turns to ash, Feurdean said. If that's the case, then the mismatch in the data over the past two decades suggests there has been an increase in extremely intense fires, she said.

(Image: California's Camp Fire in 2018, captured by a NASA satellite. Credit: NASA) 

Dramatic Decline in Soil Moisture since 1950

Overall, the results showed a dramatic decline in soil moisture since about 1950 due to accelerating permafrost thaw, which causes surface water to sink into the ground. Plants that depend on shallow soil moisture, such as sedges and certain mosses, were replaced by shrubs — particularly shrubs in the heath family (Ericaceae) — and sphagnum moss, leading to an explosion in plant fuel for wildfires.

Combined with a rise in temperature and lightning strikes, these effects have culminated in the most severe wildfire activity in 3,000 years, Feurdean said.

The Bottom Line from Climate Change

Alaska's North Slope is likely a model for what is taking place across Arctic tundra ecosystems, and we can expect wildfires to worsen if warming continues, Feurdean added.

"If you have higher temperatures, you have higher shrub cover, more flammable biomass, and then more fires," she said. "The fires will continue to be more frequent and severe."

Children’s hospital renamed for Dolly Parton for pediatric care in Tennessee

Dolly Parton has always been someone I've admired as a role model. Not only is she my favorite singer, songwriter and entertainer, but I developed my optimism from her when I was a teenager. Like, Dolly, I think it's important to help others- You may remember that she donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University that helped develop the Moderna COVID vaccine. Her literacy program sends 36 million books annually to children in the US, Canada, Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom, she's funded scholarships and over $12 million in disaster relief efforts (the 2016 Tennessee wildfires). Now, her latest way of helping others was in a large donation to the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, now named after Dolly. In a time when the Administration's cuts have forced many rural hospitals to close, this comes at a critical time (Includes short video). That's today's Blog

(Photo:Dolly Parton and longtime friend, Naji Abumrad, MD of Vanderbilt , from when she donated money for the COVID vaccine (photo Courtesy of Dolly Parton)

A children’s hospital is renamed for Dolly Parton and hopes to transform pediatric care in Tennessee

Dolly Parton speaks to a audience gathered o celebrate the expansion of the Imagination Library of Kentucky at the Lyric Theatre in Lexington, Ky., Aug. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File)

By JAMES POLLARD, Associated Press , February 26, 2026

NEW YORK (AP) — Dolly Parton’s name might inspire full-throated sing-a-longs to her working woman’s anthem “9 to 5,” or evoke memories of thrilling days spent at her Dollywood theme park.

Now, the Grammy-winning country music superstar is lending her name to a new cause: advancing pediatric health care in her home state. 

The East Tennessee Children’s Hospital announced Thursday that it will now be known as Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital.

“Ever since I’ve been in a position to do my part, to help others, I have tried to do just that. Especially when children and families need it most,” Parton said in a video announcement. “I’ve always believed that every child deserves a fair chance to grow up healthy, hopeful and surrounded with love.”

The impact of Parton’s philanthropy is already felt across Tennessee and beyond. Her Imagination Library initiative reports to send 3 million free books every month to children whose parents request them. She donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University’s Medical Center for research that helped produce Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. And her charitable foundation provides numerous college scholarships and offers disaster relief.

Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital did not share how much Parton donated as part of the naming announcement. But Matt Schaefer, its president and CEO, said her support would ensure “every child who walks through our doors receives the treatment they deserve.”

Adam Cook, the independent not-for-profit hospital’s chief development and public affairs officer, said they would continue offering the same care that the community has come to expect. The gift “encourages us to continue to support our mission,” he added. VIDEO: https://youtu.be/KnQnatT7Y9U?si=-XuUpuz0zw7QjDk0

“This is a generational collaboration that will transform pediatric care in this region,” Cook said in a statement to the Associated Press. “It will positively impact patients and families for decades to come.”

The support comes as rural hospital closures have left tens of millions of people with fewer health care options.

The East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, now named after Parton, has operated with an “open-door” policy that no child would be denied care for their race, religion or ability to pay medical bills since it opened in 1937, according to its website. Its main campus in Knoxville, Tennessee is one of more than 20 locations across the eastern part of the state.

Parton said she is honored to support the hospital’s doctors, nurses and team members — and invited the public to join her.

“I can’t do it all myself,” she said in the video.

Our Observations: Shopping Cart Etiquette- It's not difficult!!

 We both try to be considerate of people while shopping, but notice too often that some other are not and it makes us crazy. Shopping cart corrals for example, are not that difficult to understand, yet some don't, while other lazy asses leave their shopping carts in parking spaces. Today's blog is about shopping cart Etiquette because, well, all we've been doing otherwise is snowblowing and shoveling after snowstorms. 

(Photo of our local supermarket cart corral, where someone jammed a cart in between the 2 designated rows for cart returns). 

First, what is the key principle of Etiquette-: At its core,Etiquette is built on respect, kindness, and empathy, aiming to make others feel comfortable. It involves being aware of surroundings and considering others first.

(In this corral, the person who actually brought the cart over couldn't push it one more foot to line it up with the other carts already there). 

Second, the basics of a Shopping Cart Parking Lot Corral: Generally these rectangular pens are built from steel poles in a rectangular shape and are JUST WIDE ENOUGH for 2 shopping carts side by side. Not 2 with one crammed in the middle. 

Third, if you are conscientious enough to bring the cart to the corral, PUSH IT IN as the carts fit inside each other and form a train. Don't be lazy and just leave it on the fringe of the corral. 

(Photo: Don't be like this lazy ass who left a cart in a parking space)

Fourth, if you don't bring the cart to the corral, you are simply a self-absorbed, selfish, lazy ass who  expects everyone else to pick up after you. Obviously, it means you failed kindergarden where you were supposed to be taught to put things away and play well with others. 

Fifth, There are No excuses and you have alternatives. If you have a child, put them in their child seat, lock the door for 1 minute and return the cart. If you're old or lame and can't walk without a cart to hold you up, ask someone walking by if they could take your cart. 

Sixth, Be a Helper! If you park in a lot and see a loose shopping cart or see someone finishing with it ask them if you can take it for them. Or if see one in a corral, take it into the store. Even if you don't need it, you can put it away properly.

Idiot of the Week: Cleaner Stole $120,000 in equipment and Tried Selling on Ebay

This week's idiot stole over 100K in computer equipment and then was dumb enough to try and sell it on a public website like Ebay. He thought he wouldn't get caught. He did. 

Former MBTA cleaner charged in theft of more than $120,000 in equipment

Investigators allegedly traced the stolen equipment back to the T employee after searching eBay.

By Morgan Rousseau,Boston Globe, December 26, 2025

A former MBTA employee is due back in court next month after being charged in connection with the theft and resale of more than $120,000 worth of network equipment from the agency’s IT department, the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office announced.

Marcelo Batista-Sales, 39, of Lynn, was arraigned Nov. 24 in Boston Municipal Court on a charge of larceny over $1,200, according to Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden. A judge set bail at $2,000 and ordered Batista-Sales to stay away from MBTA headquarters. He is scheduled to return to court Jan. 22 for a pretrial hearing.

Investigators say that on Sept. 18, transit police responded to the agency’s IT department at Park Plaza after 40 Cisco network modules — which help carry data and are valued at approximately $3,069 each — were reported missing.

According to Hayden, an investigator traced the stolen equipment to Batista-Sales after searching eBay listings for the missing modules. That search led to an account under the username “marcbatist27,” which investigators say sold 51 Cisco network modules.

Transit police subsequently arrested Batista-Sales, who had been employed as a cleaner and had access to secure areas inside MBTA headquarters, Hayden said.

“This is a major theft from a public agency dedicated to moving nearly one million people each day around the metro Boston area, so it’s really a theft from all of us,” Hayden said in a statement. “I thank the MBTA investigators for their work in identifying a person to answer for this offense.”

Heroes of the Week: Dorset Equine Rescue saved 9 horses living in hazardous conditions.

This week's heroes are a horse rescue in New England, who saved and is treating 9 horses from their former horrible living conditions.

(Photo: MyNBC5-WPTZ)

Dorset Equine Rescue saved 9 horses living in hazardous conditions 

DORSET, Vt. (NEWS10) January 7, 2026– On Tuesday, January 6, 2026 the Dorset Equine Rescue organization rescued nine horses living in hazardous conditions. According to the organization, the elderly owner could not keep up with the care needed for the animals.

The nine horses included four stallions, four mares and a filly. Four of the horses were trapped inside their stalls, standing in more than five feet of manure.

According to the Dorset Equine Rescue, all the animals are now receiving the care they need. “Four stallions, one mare, and her filly were transported to Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, where they are now receiving top of the line veterinary care. Three additional mares were transported to a generous foster home graciously opened by a Rood and Riddle vet tech,” the rescue shared on Facebook. “Every horse is safe, warm, and cared for.”

In a health update, the organization said a 6-year-old stallion was found standing atop of a steep and unstable wall of frozen manure. According to the post, the manure was as solid as concrete, and the rescuers had to improvise a ramp using the manure and hay to get the horse out of the stall. A mare and her filly were not trapped inside the stalls, but the mare had a serious head injury, with a wound that reached to her bone and almost near her brain.

“When we arrived, they were turned out near a rough shed with a group of mares. The weather was brutal—extremely cold and windy—and the metal roof on the shed was flapping,” the rescue said. “The corner where Eve had injured her head had blood, and hair, on it and the surrounding area was difficult to navigate due to the build up of frozen manure.”

The mare received x-rays, and it was determined, although there is a small depression in the bone, nothing is broken. The horse received multiple stitches and is recovering. Both the mare and her filly had their teeth floated.

Once the horses are medically cleared, the rescue will take in the injured mare, her filly and two stallions. The Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals will welcome three mares and a stallion, and the Tomten Farm and Sanctuary will receive a stallion.

The Dorset Equine Rescue will be covering all rescue day expenses, Coggins tests and certificates for eight of the horses, castration surgeries for three stallions, blood work, x-ray and medications, emergency trailer costs, transportation costs, hoof trims and rehabilitations, grain and long term rehabilitation and care costs for four horses. The total cost is projected at $25,000.

“As we take on this final life-saving rescue of the year, we are asking our community to help carry these horses forward,” the rescue shared. “Every donation, no matter the size, directly funds medical care, rehabilitation, and the months of support these horses will need to heal.”

If interested in donating to the rescue, donations can be made on the rescue’s website.

NEW Video and Podcast: Afraid of Haunting of Hunt Memorial Library

BRAND NEW Video Interview! The Afraid of Nothing #Podcast with Medium Rob Gutro and Monique Toosoon - the paranormal's only drag queen investigator - discuss how a routine book signing turned into its own ghost story.

VIDEO LINK (and video below). https://youtu.be/fqMe2KlkINM?si=ZHNYx-vb-v4GvEwB

OR LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: https://www.afraidofnothingpodcast.com/afraid-of-haunting-of-hunt-memorial-library/
 

 Afraid of Haunting of Hunt Memorial Library www.afraidofnothing.com

Book of the Week: Lost in Time by A.G. Riddle

This week's book of the week, "Lost in Time" by A.G. Riddle, was really fascinating and enjoyable. It combined time travel, science and dinosaurs!  Those are three things that intrigued me when I saw it pop up on my Amazon feed, so I bought it, read it, and loved it. **I was also encouraged that the author self published the way I do, and now he's known world-wide and has 4 potential film deals!) That's today's book of the week.

The author really takes in the reader with the characters. The story is fascinating. It's about a group of scientists trying to create a machine that will transport goods to various places in the world to expedite shipping... but it turns out their creation is used to exile criminals to a prehistoric past. When one of the scientists confesses to a murder he didn't commit (because he thinks one of his relatives did it), he's thrown back into the Triassic period. Meanwhile, his teenage daughter in the present tries to solve the murder... and there's a time travel twist. 

I was captivated as a reader, and wanted to know how it ended. In the middle of the book, there was a twist I didn't see coming, and it was ingenious. 

I also appreciated the way the author divided the book up into 5 major sections. That was really helpful, because as the story progressed, it was a good way to indicate major story shifts. I also love it when authors write short chapters. It makes it easier to read. This is a 5 of 5 star read.

PERSONAL NOTE: A.G. Riddle published his first novel using Amazon KDP. That's the same platform where I've published all 14 of my books. He was discovered there and now has another publisher and he just signed an agreement for a possibility of making 4 of his books into films. That's a success story! 

ABOUT THE BOOK: Lost in Time by A.G. Riddle is a science fiction thriller about a scientist, Sam Anderson, who is framed for murder and sent back 200 million years to the Triassic period as punishment, using a time-travel device he helped create. While surviving among dinosaurs, he must find a way to get back to the future to save his family, who are simultaneously trying to uncover the truth and clear his name in the present. The book blends time travel, mystery, and suspense, with a plot that involves a conspiracy and a race against time across different eras.

Something supercharged Uranus with radiation during Voyager flyby 40 years ago. Scientists now know what.

Forty years ago, NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft flew past Uranus and observed radiation levels that defied explanation. Now, scientists may finally know exactly what happened!

(An illustration of the solar storm that may have triggered the unusual magnetic activity spotted on Uranus during Voyager’s flyby. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Something supercharged Uranus with radiation during Voyager flyby 40 years ago. Scientists now know what.

LIVE SCIENCE, Feb 11, 2026

Scientists may have solved a long-standing mystery surrounding Uranus' extraordinarily strong radiation belt.

A new analysis of Voyager 2 data suggests that a temporary space weather event may have made the planet's electron radiation belt more intense than usual as Voyager 2 was passing by. The findings could help to explain why the radiation belt was so much stronger than scientists had predicted it would be.

Radiation belts are formed from interactions between the solar wind and a planet's magnetic field. The sun emits a continuous stream of protons and electrons from its outer atmosphere, called the corona. For planets that have a global magnetic field, including Earth and Uranus, some of those energetic, charged particles get trapped in the magnetosphere.

In January 1986, Voyager 2 flew by Uranus and measured the strength of its radiation belts. While the ion radiation belt was a little weaker than expected, the electron radiation belt was much more intense than scientists had predicted — close to the maximum intensity Uranus could sustain. Since then, scientists have tried to figure out how and why this was the case.

"Science has come a long way since the Voyager 2 flyby," Robert Allen, a space physicist at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and coauthor of the new research, said in a statement. "We decided to take a comparative approach looking at the Voyager 2 data and compare it to Earth observations we've made in the decades since."

(Images: Two versions of Uranus images taken by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1986. Scientists may finally know what triggered inexplicably high radiation signals that Voyager observed during its historic flyby. (Image credit: NASA/JPL))

Earth versus Uranus

In the study, published in November 2025 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, Allen and colleagues revisited data collected by Voyager 2 during its flyby of Uranus. They found several similarities between the Voyager data and the data collected from Earth orbit during a space weather event in 2019.

Uranus' unusually intense radiation belt may have been caused by a "co-rotating interaction region," the team found. A co-rotating interaction region occurs when high-speed solar winds overtake slower solar wind streams. The phenomenon could have accelerated electrons and added energy to the radiation belt, the researchers said.