Goldfish A Whale-Sized Problem + $4M For A Babe + Broil & Burn

ACROSS AMERICA — Don’t dump your unwanted aquarium fish in fresh water, no matter how humane you may think that act is. Just don't.

It’s fine for the goldfish.

But not so much for the other fish in lakes and rivers, according to officials in Burnsville, Minnesota, who are repeating a warning that’s been sounded around the world about the dumping of aquarium fish that disrupt freshwater ecosystems.

They grow and grow and grow until they're the size of a football or larger, creating a whale of a problem. Read the full story on Burnsville Patch.

$4 Million For A Babe

A rare, 1933 baseball card featuring Babe Ruth fetched $4 million at an auction to dispose the vast sports memorabilia collection of Tampa, Florida, neurologist Thomas Newman, who died of COVID-19 in January.

The entire collection, assembled over four decades, sold for $21.5 million. Read the full story on Tampa Patch.

Broil And Burn

As firefighters worked to contain “explosive” wildfires in searing heat Monday, California utilities urged people to conserve energy to avoid rolling blackouts. A huge wildfire in neighboring Oregon disrupted the flow of electricity from three major transmission lines serving California.

Parts of the state are experiencing near-record heat, with temperatures as high as 130 degrees in Death Valley — where the mercury hit 134 degrees in 1913 to claim the hottest temperature recorded anywhere in the world. Read the full story on Los Angeles Patch.

More Reads

No Swan Song For Swan: Alfie, a male mute swan who federal officials said was aggressive — and residents said was being harassed — was saved from euthanasia, purely by accident, via Brick Patch.

Good News, Tourists: The Washington Monument is reopening after a six-month closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but masks will still be required regardless of vaccination status, via Washington, D.C., Patch

Rapping Entomologist: Insect biologist Andy "MC Bugg-Z" Lima and his public health department colleagues have recorded a video encouraging Fairfax County, Virginia, residents who haven’t gotten their COVID-19 vaccinations to do so as soon as possible, via Reston Patch.

Hero Comes Home: Neal Todd, one of the more than 2,400 Americans killed in the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, is finally home, via Minneapolis Patch.

Dude, Where’s My Car? Two cars in New York City nearly took their own journey to the center of the Earth on Sunday, via Upper West Side Patch.

Best News Ever About Eating Greens: Salads are a great way to meet daily recommendations for vegetable intake, but don’t those delicious dressings offset their nutritional value? No, according to Consumer Reports, via Across America Patch.

Requiem For A Dog: More than 100 mourners, both furry and human, gathered to hold a vigil for a Jersey City dog who died after being left with a pet sitter, drawing outrage from animal lovers all over social media, via Hoboken Patch.

In Death, Hear Her Voice: When one person in a family goes through domestic violence, the entire family goes through it, according to a New Jersey mom whose grandson was kidnapped and daughter was slain, via Clark-Garwood Patch.

"As many of our guests and patrons treat us with kindness and understanding, there have been an astronomical influx daily of those that do not, swearing at us, threatening to sue, arguing and yelling at my staff, making team members cry."

— Cape Cod restaurateur, via Barnstable-Hyannis Patch

Trending Across Patch

• Haitian Doctor In FL Detained After Moïse Assassination: Report, via Miami Patch
• 14 Indicted In NJ Trooper Shooting, via West Deptford Patch
• DNA Leads To Arrest In 2-Decade-Old Rape Case, via Cleveland Patch
• Someone’s Dumping Hundreds Of Needles Along New Jersey Beaches, via Long Branch-Eatontown Patch
• Drake Bell Sentenced For Child Endangerment, via Cleveland Patch
• Jon Bon Jovi Donates To Veterans' Shelter Expansion, via Hoboken Patch
• Dad Charged With Kidnapping Son, Accused Of Killing Ex, via Clark Patch
• Woman Seeks Justice In Boyfriend's Hit-And-Run Death, via Oak Lawn Patch
• Accumulation Of Stinky Dead Fish Prompts Barrage Of Complaints, via Tampa Patch
• Vaccinated County Leader Tests Positive For COVID-19, via Miami Patch
• 'Heart-Wrenching': Rescuers Find 30 Abandoned Rabbits, Many Dead, via Riverhead Patch

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