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.
Combative Historian enters Five States!
By Sofia Kathleen Fairfax (Lead Correspondent)
They say the one person you never want to battle verbally is a historian. Such an adage is entirely accurate when discussing Victoria Hepburn; some call her a truth hunter, others a verbal assassin. She makes a living giving lectures on a historical subject, and inviting people to prove or disprove what she was talking about. Such topics tend to center on the founding of America and complex political issues.
These debates are well known for getting quite hectic; chairs have been thrown, mobs have formed, and yes, a couple of guns have gone off. Nobody has been seriously hurt yet, but there’s always time for that to change. Hepburn, if anything, welcomes such aggressive behavior, saying that historians have to be ready to tackle any challenge.
Her tour is slated to begin next month in Saint-Denis, moving onto Blackwater, and then onto California. She has openly refused to have bodyguards or police escorts. She also has stated her topics of debate will center on the Civil War, always a topic that will bring out intense opinions. Whatever you think of the woman, you can’t deny she isn’t brave.
A rescue turns into double murder
By Jose Chavez
A double murder was reported in New Austin by a hunter. The hunter was crouched in some bushes when he heard a scuffle. A man was carrying a hogtied man on his shoulder. “It looked like he was gonna toss him down the cliff,” said the witness. However, a rescuer showed up. The rescuer pulled the hogtied man down and then stabbed the other man in the neck before pushing him off the cliff. Then, according to the witness, the rescuer became just another killer. “He untied the other guy but then as soon as that man stood up, the rescuer stabbed him in the throat!” the hunter said. The witness was careful not to make any noise, maintaining his hiding place until the killer left. The bodies were later recovered but have not yet been identified.
Formation of Ambarino Rangers delayed
By Caylen V. Hornby
The State of Ambarino received a lot of interested for joining the Ambarino Rangers. However, it was soon realized that many applicants had criminal histories themselves and some were currently wanted. “The high number of undesirables discovered applying has caused us to slow down the process,” said an anonymous source. The last thing the Ambarino government wants is to hire criminals to police the large and sparsely populated state. It is unclear how significant the delay will be. My source said they believe it could take months to vet the large number of applications properly.
WANTED!
Investigators: Travel the Five States and report on what is going on.
Writers: Write the stories investigators find!
Photographers:
To take photographs to be used in the Herald.
Can also do all three!
Blackwater plays host to massive gunfight
By Odell Clifton
A cowpoke fishing near Blackwater reported a massive gunfight that took place in Blackwater. The witness reported that they had stop fishing when the gunfight came to them. They quickly took cover to defend themselves. “It was a chaotic situation,” the witness said, “it wasn’t quite clear who was shooting who, except I knew a few were shooting at me.” For the next 45 minutes they were forced to remain in cover, taking shots where they could. Eventually they ran out of ammo, forcing them to quickly retreat. “A travel wagon was just pulling out of the town, so I jumped in and paid them once I was in,” they said. The wagon was already moving swiftly away from the town. Blackwater Police eventually managed to get the situation under control by calling in for backup. “Those miscreants disrespected our growing city,” said Police Chief Oswald Dunbar, “the state lawmen arrived to teach them a lesson!” The gunfighters were eventually killed or forced to retreat, bringing peace back to Blackwater.
Pawnee County issues apology for travel related issues for residents
By Lucien Privitt
In the middle of this week, folks from Pawnee County found themselves unable to get into the Five States. Agents were stationed at the border and denied nearly all Pawnee County residents entry. Those that were able to get into the Five States were quickly rounded up and forced to leave. Though Pawnee County authorities issued an official apology, there was no explanation. Residents speculated that the agreement between Pawnee County and the Five States was being renegotiated. However, that is unconfirmed as of this moment. A more likely explanation is related to miscommunication and outdated technology. We got our hands on a memo, that due to poor printing quality was difficult to read and seemed to suggest Pawnee County residents were a danger to the Five States. Neither authorities in the Five States nor Pawnee County confirmed the legitimacy of the memo. By the end of the day, after several hours, the problem was resolved and Pawnee County residents were once again allowed into the Five States.
Man attempting to photograph himself with his horse is attacked by gunman
By Donna Deshner
Photography is one of the great hobbies of the Five States, practiced by folks in all walks of life. Naturalists often take photographs of animals, bounty hunters taken photographs of themselves with their bounties, hunters take photographs of successful hunts, and even the foolish bootlegger has taken photographs of their hootch. Sometimes, however, photographs are just for recreational fun. Both Saint Denis and Blackwater have photography stores where folks can take pictures with backgrounds simulated other places. But for some, this cutting edge technology is not enough and they prefer a natural background. Natural backgrounds may be more appealing, but come with other dangers. “Animals can attack if they are startled by a flash,” says one photographer. But animal attacks are not as common as human attacks.
“Seems weekly I have fellas filing charges against folks shooting at them while taking a photograph,” said Valentine Sheriff Curtis Malloy. Others have confirmed this, suspecting that for some gunslingers, a cowpoke taking a photograph is too vulnerable a target to pass up. “Taking the perfect photograph ain’t easy,” said one cowpoke, “so you really start to focus on getting it right and sort of, well, ignore your surroundings.” Ignoring your surroundings anywhere in the Five States is risky, particularly out in the wild far from towns. “I try to be observant of my horse,” said another cowpoke, “they usually see strangers before I do and when they get agitated, I grab my pistol.” One universal fact seems to keep would be photographers safe: gunslingers trolling those taking photographs are typically really bad shots.
Horse racing scandal exposed
By Emeline Vickroy
A competitive race was ruined this week when a surprising cheating tactic was exposed. To increase participation, race organizers have long given participants a bit of control over who they race with. “Race participation was on decline, folks were tired of racing against others who used tactics they didn’t like,” said a race organizer, “such as kicking and punching aggressively.” To combat such racers, organizers allowed a majority of races to vote to remove such individuals from the race before it started. “This rule was to punish those who couldn’t have honorable races,” said the organizer. However, a racer this week exposed how this rule has been exploited to give others a competitive advantage.
“I ain’t an aggressive racer unless I have to be, but I noticed I kept getting booted from races as if I was unsporting,” the racer said. They then noticed it was always when certain others racers were participating. “I quickly deduced what was happening,” the racer said, “so I reported it to racing officials.” The group of races were cooperating together to remove other people from their races. Their group always represented a majority and so they ensured only they could race and only they could get the rewards. Race officials have no addressed this exploit. Other racers have suggested using another rule: blocking. “Register those racers as blocked, and you shouldn’t be put in races with them again,” they said. However, it is disputed how well this the blocking rule is enforced.
U.S. Government Interested in Lantern Shows!
By Sofia Kathleen Fairfax (Lead Correspondent)
The magic lantern show has become quite a staple in the Five States. In any major town or city, you can pay a little money to see images projected onto the wall, images that often tell a story. It’s a simple process, but it never ceases to impress the audience; such shows make a lot of money. It’s perhaps no surprise that the government would sooner or later take an interest in such devices.
It’s been reported that the United States government, specifically the military, is interested in using magic lantern shows to highlight its combat strength and to show audiences what the benefits of joining are. Since winning the war with Spain, the military has wanted to expand its influence, and this is merely one of multiple projects.
Such an idea has received a mixed reception among the companies that make magic lantern shows. Some see it as another way to make money and are eager to help. Others see it as blatant propaganda and corruption of a system that’s meant to tell just innocent stories and entertain. Then again, some of the stories these lantern shows produce are obvious rewrites of history, so maybe the entire process is propaganda if you look at it close enough. I imagine such questions of entertainment and lies won’t be settled anytime soon.
Summer weather brings highest temperatures on record
By Frederick Vannesse
All over the United States folks are feeling the brutal summer heat. Just days ago, Prineville, Oregon hit 119 degrees, a record for the region. Other western states are feeling the heat as well. Both California and Arizona residents have reported oppressive heat. However, no heat related deaths have been reported at this time. Authorities are concerned this could just be the beginning of a heat wave, reminding people of the 196 East Coast heatwave that killed about 1500 people in New York City, Boston, Newark, and Chicago. Authorities are encouraging residents in affected regions to drink plenty of water and stay in the shade whenever possible.
Hague Peace Convention begins
By Ivy Seager
World leaders met in The Hague, Netherlands in what may be the first attempt to codify international laws governing wartime behavior. The United States Lieberman Code is serving as an inspiration and basic template. The U.S. Lieberman code was adopted by the U.S. during the U.S. Civil War and governed a wide range of acceptable and unacceptable behaviors for soldiers. The Lieberman Code also established appropriate punishments. The convention is suspected to last a few weeks, but there is no strict time limit for discussions.
The Five States Herald 