Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lu Verne, Iowa, closed permanently this summer after more than a century of worship, one small congregation in a statewide wave of closures that has shuttered hundreds of churches in barely a decade. Pastor Steve Struecker led a final service before the doors closed in June, walking through the sanctuary […] The post A 150-year-old Iowa church shuts its doors as rural congregations vanish across the state appeared first on American Almanac .
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lu Verne, Iowa, closed permanently this summer after more than a century of worship, one small congregation in a statewide wave of closures that has shuttered hundreds of churches in barely a decade. Pastor Steve Struecker led a final service before the doors closed in June, walking through the sanctuary one last time to remove the artifacts that had anchored the congregation's worship for generations. He carried out the baptismal font, a lectern, communion cups, and a cross, sacred items that had no building left to hold them. The closure was not sudden. Zion, roughly 119 miles northwest of Des Moines, had watched its membership thin for years. Fewer families moved in. The ones who stayed grew older.…Open
Massive swarms of dragonflies have descended on California's Bay Area this summer, filling parks and waterfronts with hundreds of the insects, and scientists say the surge is driven by an abundance of mosquitoes. Residents across San Francisco and Oakland have reported skies thick with dragonflies in recent weeks, with the insects spotted in such numbers […] The post Dragonfly swarms fill California skies by the thousands, and experts say they're doing residents a favor appeared first on American Almanac .
Massive swarms of dragonflies have descended on California's Bay Area this summer, filling parks and waterfronts with hundreds of the insects, and scientists say the surge is driven by an abundance of mosquitoes. Residents across San Francisco and Oakland have reported skies thick with dragonflies in recent weeks, with the insects spotted in such numbers that some have been observed mating on top of people's hats. The swarms have appeared at Lake Merritt in Oakland, along the Russian River near Guerneville, and at Dolores Park in San Francisco, the Daily Mail reported . Chris Grinter, the senior collection manager of entomology at the California Academy of Sciences, pointed to a straightforward explanation for the boom. He told SFGATE: …Open
Queen Elizabeth's former chaplain accused King Charles III of "deserting Christians" after the monarchy quietly stripped the historic "Defender of the Faith" title from its own annual financial report, a move critics say signals a deeper retreat from the Crown's centuries-old religious identity. The Sovereign Grant Annual Report, published in June, replaced the longstanding phrase […] The post King Charles faces backlash for dropping 'Defender of the Faith' from official royal report appeared first on American Almanac .
Queen Elizabeth's former chaplain accused King Charles III of "deserting Christians" after the monarchy quietly stripped the historic "Defender of the Faith" title from its own annual financial report, a move critics say signals a deeper retreat from the Crown's centuries-old religious identity. The Sovereign Grant Annual Report, published in June, replaced the longstanding phrase with new language: "His Majesty is Supreme Governor of the Church of England and protects the space for Faith within the multi-faith nation." The change drew immediate criticism from Gavin Ashenden, who served as chaplain to Queen Elizabeth, and from royal commentators who called the revised wording both unnecessary and damaging to the institution. No one from…Open
Hayden Panettiere secretly reunited with the ex-boyfriend she once accused of beating her and helped send to jail, and friends say she told no one before she died at 36 in South Carolina. Panettiere was found unresponsive at the Judson Mill Lofts in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday, August 17, 2026, shortly before 2 p.m. […] The post Hayden Panettiere hid reconnection with convicted abuser Brian Hickerson from friends before her death at 36 appeared first on American Almanac .
Hayden Panettiere secretly reunited with the ex-boyfriend she once accused of beating her and helped send to jail, and friends say she told no one before she died at 36 in South Carolina. Panettiere was found unresponsive at the Judson Mill Lofts in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday, August 17, 2026, shortly before 2 p.m. Emergency personnel pronounced her dead at the scene. She was five days short of her 37th birthday. The Greenville Police Department and the Greenville County Coroner's Office opened an investigation but said a preliminary review turned up no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. The official cause of death has not been released. What stunned people closest to her was not the death itself, Panettiere had…Open
Fox 2 "Good Day Detroit" co-anchor Ryan Ermanni broke into uncontrollable laughter on live television Thursday after co-host Deena Centofanti innocently asked whether he could "eat beaver", a question about the History Channel survival show "Alone" that landed far differently than she intended. Centofanti had been discussing the show's contestants and their reliance on wild […] The post Detroit anchor loses composure after co-host's accidental on-air double entendre about beaver appeared first on American Almanac .
Fox 2 "Good Day Detroit" co-anchor Ryan Ermanni broke into uncontrollable laughter on live television Thursday after co-host Deena Centofanti innocently asked whether he could "eat beaver", a question about the History Channel survival show "Alone" that landed far differently than she intended. Centofanti had been discussing the show's contestants and their reliance on wild game for survival when the exchange went sideways. She and meteorologist Derek Kevra were talking through the nutritional value of beaver meat, specifically its fat content, when Centofanti turned to Ermanni with the question that set him off . "And, um, you're looking for fat in the beaver," Centofanti told Kevra during the segment. "The beaver is the, the beaver is…Open
A suspect wearing a Chucky doll mask terrorized six people at random on the streets of Philadelphia in a single 15-minute spree, and police say he filmed every encounter while he did it. The incidents began around 5:18 a.m. on a recent Wednesday morning, when the masked figure was first spotted at a Dunkin' Donuts, […] The post Philadelphia police hunt masked suspect who chased jogger and asked, 'Are you ready to die?' appeared first on American Almanac .
A suspect wearing a Chucky doll mask terrorized six people at random on the streets of Philadelphia in a single 15-minute spree, and police say he filmed every encounter while he did it. The incidents began around 5:18 a.m. on a recent Wednesday morning, when the masked figure was first spotted at a Dunkin' Donuts, where staff refused to serve him because of his erratic behavior. Minutes later, he was stalking pedestrians near City Hall, chasing a female jogger, attempting to force his way into a coffee shop, and pursuing a man in a high-visibility jacket. Philadelphia Police Captain Jason Smith told reporters the suspect faces charges including terroristic threats, harassment, assault, reckless endangerment, and intimidation. He remains…Open
At 62, Mariska Hargitay is juggling an Emmy hosting gig, a Broadway debut, an HBO documentary, and Season 28 of "Law & Order: SVU", and she says quitting is the last thing on her mind. NBCUniversal TV chair Pearlena Igbokwe called Hargitay one afternoon, moments before the actress was about to take the stage for […] The post Mariska Hargitay will host the Emmys, and she has no plans to leave 'SVU' appeared first on American Almanac .
At 62, Mariska Hargitay is juggling an Emmy hosting gig, a Broadway debut, an HBO documentary, and Season 28 of "Law & Order: SVU", and she says quitting is the last thing on her mind. NBCUniversal TV chair Pearlena Igbokwe called Hargitay one afternoon, moments before the actress was about to take the stage for a Broadway matinee, and offered her the job of hosting the September 14 Emmy Awards telecast. Hargitay's first instinct, she told Variety in a wide-ranging profile , was skepticism. "At first I thought, 'This is ridiculously thankless, a difficult job that everyone gets ripped apart for. Why? Why would I do that?'" Hargitay said. But she came around fast, framing the gig through the same lens she uses for everything else:…Open
The prince and his wife, whose relations with King Charles and the rest of the royal family have long been strained, will remain non-working royals, according to a person familiar with the decision.
A retired County Durham, England, police officer is appealing a conviction and $1,350 fine after being prosecuted over a Facebook post that a judge ruled was “grossly offensive.”
A British retiree has been fined for joking about the Islamic prophet’s marriage to a child on social media, spotlighting the United Kingdom’s censorious laws against “grossly offensive” communications. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: A retired County Durham, England , police officer is appealing a conviction and £1,000 (~$1,350) fine after being prosecuted for a social media post that a judge ruled was “grossly offensive.” Stephen Gray, 65, was initially investigated after a neighbor reported two Facebook posts. DETAIL: Gray was acquitted over the first post, which combined a call for “mass deportation” with a satirical claim about a migrant seeking accommodation with better amenities and a halal menu. The second post,…Open