News You Can Use
The Nantucket Current reported on Feb. 19 that the island’s occupants were having a much better time than you were, at least if wastewater data were your gauge. Eight months’ worth of readings showed that levels of cocaine in Nantucket’s sewage were three times higher than the national average. Interestingly, levels of other drugs, such as meth and fentanyl, were lower than the national average. Nantucket Police Chief Jody Kasper said her department is focusing on illicit drugs in general, not just cocaine. “They have made a dent, but we certainly understand that the narcotics industry is the supply and demand industry, so that we need to stay on top of it,” she said. [Nantucket Current, 2/19/2026]
Overkill
The Pocono (Pennsylvania) Mountain Regional Police are looking for Sean McDermott — no, not the former Buffalo Bills coach, but a resident of a townhouse in Pocono Pines who is suspected of starting a fire that spread to other units. WPVI-TV reported that on Feb. 23, a witness said McDermott, 36, set multiple small fires in his own home to try to kill spiders. He allegedly had a small smoldering fire on his floor and placed a loveseat over it. The witness said he tried to put out the fires, but McDermott kept setting more. They left the scene, and when they returned it was fully engulfed. McDermott escaped in a U-Haul and was still at large. [WPVI, 2/24/2026]
Recurring Theme
When a 12-year-old in Monroe, North Carolina, missed the bus to school on Feb. 18, he made the obvious choice to just drive himself. The Charlotte Observer reported that a Monroe police officer made a traffic stop around 8:30 a.m. and discovered the middle-schooler behind the wheel. A school resource officer from Monroe Middle School transported the boy to school “without further incident,” officers said. The state’s social services department is following up with the family. [Charlotte Observer, 2/19/2026]
The Continuing Crisis
Drivers of two vehicles waiting at a stoplight in Omaha, Nebraska, on Feb. 24 suddenly found themselves staring at the sky, KETV reported. An SUV and a pickup truck suddenly fell into a sinkhole several feet deep; neither driver was hurt, but the SUV driver needed help from bystanders getting out of the hole. Omaha Public Works said the sinkhole was caused by an underground pressurized water leak. [KETV, 2/24/2026]
The Litigious Society
In a lawsuit filed on Feb. 19, Dennis and Patricia Swartz are seeking $150,000 in damages — each — from an incident in February 2025. The Independent reported that the couple were dining at LongHorn Steakhouse in Madison, Tennessee, when a “decorative object” (a large set of antlers) fell from the wall above them and struck them both. The lawsuit alleges the object was “improperly and inadequately secured to the wall of the premises” and the owner of LongHorn, Darden Restaurants, was negligent. The suit does not outline the Swartzes’ injuries, but says they have suffered lasting “mental anguish” and “severe personal damages.” [The Independent, 2/24/2026]
Government in Action
Long Island, New York, grandfather Seth Bykofsky went straight to the top after he was denied renewal on his car’s vanity plate, United Press International reported on Feb. 26. The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles said in a letter that his plate — PB4WEGO — was in violation of their regulations. Bykofsky did not agree. “In all my years as a parent and now grandparent, the worst I’ve gotten has been a gentle roll of the eyes from my kids and grandkids,” he said. Eventually, the dispute made it to Gov. Kathy Hochul, who spoke with Bykofsky on the phone. She called the plate’s message “an important lesson.” “We’ll get it back for you,” she told him. [UPI, 2/26/2026]
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NEWS OF THE WEIRD
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