Mission Statement:
To endeavor to bring to all residents of the Five States the most current and important news from across the entire Five States region. Never yellow, the Five States Herald vows to serve only the people of the Five States, from New Austin to Lemoyne, free of charge now and forever.
One Person Can Make a Difference!
By Sofia Kathleen Fairfax (Lead Correspondent)
In any time period, let alone this one, it’s easy to become distraught. People get murdered, rampant criminal organizations, a lack of government assistance, financial downturns, impossible to defeat cruelty. It’s easy to just sink into depression at the sight of it all; no help can ever come, and you or I cannot change fate.
But while it may be true that we cannot change our region, corruption, and tragedies, an individual can still make a difference. Just this week, I talked with a law student who was starting her first day in Saint-Denis. Basically, just organizing case notes, getting food from the local market for staff, simple work. She saved a life yesterday.
A man from the Belgian Congo showed up, claiming to have gotten on a boat to escape unspeakable horrors. He wanted to claim citizenship in the United States, specifically in the Five States. This law student panicked and eventually found a contact in a sourcebook and handed it to the man.
A day later? He’s on his way to being an American citizen, that contact is helping free of charge. That simple, one act of kindness saves a human life. There’s an old phrase from millennia ago, to save one life is to save the world entire. It’s easy to be pessimistic at a phrase like that, but this man has an entire life and world to see; I don’t think he’s dour enough to mock it.
Naturalist arrives in Tumbleweed gasping for air
By Jose Chavez
A naturalist was searching for the elusive Maza cougar when they suddenly found themselves in a fight for their lives. No, the cougar did not find them first, they were simply unlucky. “I had been hiding, having placed some bait to draw the creature out,” the naturalist said, “I just wanted a few photographs, didn’t even need to sedate and sample it.” However, a cloud of “the most acrid, foul smelling gas” suddenly enveloped the naturalists hiding spot. “My eyes and lungs started to burn,” the naturalists said, “I just started crawling away, hoping to get out of the cloud.”
The naturalist managed to escape the cloud and climb onto their horse. They do not remember much after that, other than arriving in Tumbleweed barely clinging to their saddle. With no town doctor, townsfolk tended to the naturalists by providing them a cool place to rest and plenty of water. A strange residue covered the naturalists, which allowed a deputy to identify the gas used. “Toxic moonshine, brewed to be hazardous to one’s health,” said a deputy, “when thrown it forms into a fog when the bottle breaks.” Luckily for the naturalist, they escaped the cloud before permanent damage could be done. They made a full recovery by the next day.
The Executioner still at large!
By Jane Duran
Last week I reported that the Ambarino Rangers arrested Hillard Herzer as part of the Executioner investigation. Mr. Herzer was found near Calumet Ravine acting “suspicious” according to authorities, though Mr. Herzer said he was scouting a fishing location. It did not take long for proof of Mr. Herzer’s innocence to show up. Two men were found dead in two different Ambarino bodies of water, one at Calumet Ravine and one at Cattail Pond. One of the victims was identified as Norman Burge, who was reported missing just days before his body was found. In fact, Mr. Burge had been spotted by several people after Mr. Herzer was arrested. “We are quite sure Mr. Herzer is not the Executioner now,” said Agent Wheaton McElrath, lead investigator, “it was the case of wrong place, wrong time. Cattail Pond is a much shallower body of water and authorities are shocked it was used to hide a body. “We believe the Cattail dumping was motivated by desperation, perhaps the roads were busier than usual,” Agent McElrath explained.
The Ambarino Rangers are becoming increasingly frustrated with the Executioner investigation, as the only lead in weeks amounted to nothing. Agent Wheaton McElrath has been named the lead investigator and promises to find the Executioner. “The Executioner has a head start on yes, that’s true,” Agent McElrath said, “and while he has stayed one step ahead, we will catch up and he will face justice.”
Hunter kicked out of Blackwater
By Odell Clifton
A hunter rode into Blackwater on a rainy night, exhausted from hours of hunting. When they walked into the Blackwater Saloon, the patrons noticed quite quickly. “I heard the door and then, I smelled it,” said on patron, “a smell so foul that I wished I had no nose!” The hunter explained they had been hunting skunks and had been sprayed. The saloon owner demanded that the hunter leave, warning that they would not be served. The hunter thought to go to the general store to purchase a bottle of whiskey, only to be refused service there too. “I knew my smell was awful fierce,” said the hunter, “but folks didn’t have to be so rude.”
Nobody would do business with the hunter except the local butcher. “I’m up to my elbows in guts and gore all day,” said the butcher, “even a skunk or two, I’m quite used to foul smells.” Unfortunately, the butcher did not have any alcohol, the one thing the hunter wanted. With nowhere else to go, the hunter left Blackwater and rode back into the Great Plains.
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Good Samaritan prevents tragedy
By Donna Deshner
An attack in Valentine by a newcomer to the Five States was brought to an end soon after it started. The shooter started his attack in Smithfield’s Saloon, where they killed at least two people. Deputies reacted and chased the shooter to the northern part of the town. That is where a bystander became a Good Samaritan. “This fella ran out of nowhere in just pushed the shooter to the ground,” said one of the deputies, “he got up as quick as he could only to get pushed again and then again, and again.” Other deputies confirmed that they paused their pursuit to watch the attacker get pushed over and over. The shooter was unable to fend the deputies off due to spending so much time on the ground, giving lawmen time to closer in on their target.
The attacker managed to dodge one of of the Good Samaritan’s pushes and fled as fast as he could. But the Good Samaritan pulled out his lasso and caught the attacker, hogtying him for the local deputies. The attacker was arrested and charged with wonton violence and two counts of murder. Deputies mocked the attacker all night, laughing about how he was thwarted by being pushed around. “This is a fella who had a gun, but got beat by a man just pushing him around,” joked one deputy, “I know he killed a couple of folks, but it’s hard to take this guy seriously.” It is expected that the attacker will be transferred to Sisika within a few weeks.
Wealthy couple goes missing, likely victims of the Night Folk
By Aloysius Levron
A wealthy Saint Denis couple went missing after choosing to go on a late night ride through they bayou. The couples friends say they tried to dissuade the couple, but they were unable to be persuaded. “They had it in their mind that it would be a fun adventure of a sort,” said one of their neighbors, “they had taken a brand new pistol, which , I’m afraid to say gave them the impression they were invincible.” The couple rode separate horses into the darkness of the night and refused bodyguards, stating, “we would like to enjoy a romantic night on the bayou.” When the couple did not return home by the next morning a search party was sent out comprised of the couple’s employees and Saint Denis policemen. While the couple were not found, several clues were discovered. First, one of the horses was found injured, barely alive in the mud. “The poor horse had a knife stuck in its side, and a broken leg from the fall,” said one of the searchers, “we put it out of its misery.” Around the horse were several items that belonged to the couple, including the brand new pistol.
There were tracks in the mud that suggested two bodies were dragged away from the location. Several pieces of jewelry and clothing items were found on the path. The next day the second horse returned to the couple’s harm, covered in mud but unharmed. “We believe the Night Folk abducted the couple and they are likely beyond rescue at this point,” announced Saint Denis Chief of Police Benjamin Lambert. The Night Folk are a mysterious, almost mythical, group of killers that roam the bayou of Lemoyne. Little is known about them, aside from the fact that if you see them, you are likely already dead. The wealthy couple’s will is scheduled to be reviewed in two weeks.
Number of bounty hunters declines overnight
By Adam Parvey
An ill fated challenge was issued for bounty hunters this week that may be responsible for dozens of deaths. Bounty hunters are often viewed as mercenaries, more focused on the next pay day than justice. Local governments defend using bounty hunters because criminals do not have the limits of justice, necessitating bending the rules. While bounty hunters carry legal documentation allowing them to conduct their work, they are free to use methods that lawmen cannot use. “Men of the law make arrests,” said one critic of the bounty hunter program, “bounty hunters make arrests only when it suits them, often choosing to kill because it’s convenient.” State governments offered bounty hunters a gold nugget bonus for bringing in bounties without killing anyone, hoping it would lead to more peaceful arrests. However, it had a different, and certainly unintended, consequence.
When several regular bounty hunters did not arrive at the local sheriff station for a few days, inquires were made. The missing bounty hunters were unaccounted for, having not been seen by friends nor business associates. The gruesome truth would not be evasive for long. Lawmen investigated a known location of a wanted outlaw, finding it completely deserted save two bodies. The two men, who were stripped of their weapons and belongings, were identified as bounty hunters. Both were riddled with bullet holes with no gun powder residue on their shooting arms, suggesting they never fired a shot. “We believe they tried to ambush the leader, the one who had the bounty, and tried to do it quickly and quietly,” said one of the lawmen who discovered the scene, “but the leader’s henchmen caught on and fired dozens of shots, most of them hitting their targets.”
The next day other bounty hunters were discovered, dead at the last known location of their targets. In some cases also stripped of their weapons, in other cases their weapons still holstered. Enough evidence has been collected to suggest that the bounty hunters were attempting to make extra gold by not killing anyone while arresting a bounty and they paid for it with their lives. “I can almost imagine the fools, running and ducking and just getting shot, and for what?” one lawman asked, “even if they survived the doctor’s bill for that has to be more than the gold nuggets.”
Charleston to Cater to New Audience
By Sofia Kathleen Fairfax (Lead Correspondent)
A local political board has made some recent changes to Charleston. Not in regards to its treatment of history as we have reported before, but rather towards what type of person they want arriving here. After much deliberation, the targeted demographic that shall be taken into consideration for all future construction, is women.
The choice was intriguing, according to numerous residents, but not surprising. For the longest time, the population of Charleston had been shifting more towards women, especially after the Civil War. The population is believed to be roughly 65% female, and likely to climb up to 70% or higher in the coming years.
To account for this, the downtown area is expected to rapidly increase the number of women’s clothing stores, salons, and other businesses. Some businesses are grumbling about possibly being forced to close, but the general attitude is positive.
The act of becoming the Women’s City of the South is a curious one, especially after recent critiques of how it treats its history. Let it be known, that the mothers and grandmothers of the people who will be shopping here benefited from the same system the city so artfully tries to suppress. But, I suppose it’s equality if women are allowed to stomp out history as effectively as men.
Mine workers laid-off in South Africa head south
By Ivy Seager
Several mine workers have been laid-off in the South African province of Transvaal. The lay-offs come as previous rich mines are reaching barren states. Mine owners are looking to move their operations to more lucrative mines, but in the meantime have laid-off workers. Laid-ff workers have been promised “future employment and very soon,” but have not been given any specific information. Hundreds of laid-off miners have headed south to the province of Natal seeking work there. The companies laying off miners are owned by British businessmen, while those being laid-off are natives of the area.
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