Shasta Unfiltered | October 27, 2026 At least 60 Ethiopian Orthodox Christians were killed in a pair of attacks last week in the Oromia region, according to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, in the latest reported assault on Christian communities amid ongoing insecurity in the Horn of Africa. The church’s Holy Synod said 14 people died on October 20 in the Merti district and another 46 on October 24 in villages of the Shirka district, both in the Arsi Zone of central Or

Historical Origins The holiday’s earliest roots are commonly traced to Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival among peoples in Ireland, Britain, and parts of northern France. It marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter (roughly October 31–November 1). The Celts believed the boundary between the living and the dead grew thin at this time, allowing spirits, fairies, and other beings to cross over. Customs included lighting bonfires, wearing disguises or costumes t

California Families Already Live Under a Parallel Mandate with Only Medical Exemptions That Are Rarely Given New York’s 2019 elimination of religious exemptions for school vaccinations has put Old Order Amish communities in direct conflict with the state. Three private, community-funded Amish schools have been fined a combined $118,000, and their legal challenge—Miller v. McDonald—is now back before the U.S. Supreme Court after lower courts sided with the state. The situation

In the beginning, when he created mankind to be in relationship with Him, God gave us freedom of choice so we would have the free will to choose Him—or not—so we would not have a coerced relationship with Him. To this day, each individual has to make the choice to accept God; no one can do it for you. That is true freedom. He hardwired it into us. Freedom of our will is a longing in the deepest parts of us. Down through the ages, we see that ‘governments’ have been organized

Thomas Jefferson called him “truly the Man of the Revolution.” Governor Thomas Hutchinson called him the greatest incendiary in the King’s dominions. Both were describing the same Bostonian: Samuel Adams, the organizer who turned local anger into a continental cause. About 1772 – Demanding the troops leave after the Massacre. Adams was born in Boston on September 27, 1722, cousin of John Adams and heir to a malt-making family. He studied at Harvard and even argued, in a thesi

ANDERSON, Calif. — Friends, parents, and neighbors filled the Anderson VFW on Friday, August 28, for a lively campaign dinner in support of Authur Gorman, the Area 2 incumbent seeking re-election to the Shasta County Board of Education. The cashless evening offered good food, prize drawings, a live auction, and the kind of fellowship that has marked Gorman’s years of service as a nurse, coach, father, and trustee. The night was built around the three pillars of his campaign:

Dolly Rebecca Parton went home to Jesus on August 25, 2026. She was 80. The world lost a voice. Pigeon Forge lost a daughter. Heaven gained a woman who spent her whole life glorifying God and uplifting mankind. She never hid where she came from. Fourth of twelve children in a two-room cabin on Locust Ridge in Sevier County, Tennessee. Her daddy, Robert Lee, farmed and took whatever work he could find. He could not read or write. Her mama, Avie Lee, sewed a winter coat from do

When Washington was unable to pay troops he said, "Send for Haym Salomon" In the closing months of the Revolutionary War, George Washington faced a crisis more dangerous than any British army. His troops were unpaid, hungry, and edging toward mutiny. The Continental Congress had no money. Robert Morris, the Superintendent of Finance, had none either. Washington’s reply was sharp and immediate: “Send for Haym Salomon.” That summons brought forward one of the most consequential

Mother and 17-year-old daughter forced to cover “XX-XY” and “For the Girls” shirts or leave Atlanta Dream-Indiana Fever game A Georgia mother and her teenage daughter say arena security singled them out during overtime of Sunday’s Indiana Fever-Atlanta Dream game, ordered them to cover their XX-XY Athletics T-shirts or face ejection, and handed them promotional Atlanta Dream “Wellness & Health Night” shirts to wear instead. Mom and daughter told to cover up XX-XY T-shirts, sa

Massachusetts Legalizes Abortion Up to Birth On August 10, 2026, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey (a professed Catholic) signed the Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act (H.5595 / Acts of 2026, Chapter 188), removing the state’s previous 24-week gestational limit and specific statutory exceptions for later abortions. The new law states that after 24 weeks, “an abortion may be performed by a physician based upon the professional judgment of the physician.” Governor Maura

The Hero of Two Worlds Who Crossed an Ocean for Liberty It was not that long ago. Only a little more than a decade before the American Revolution began in earnest, a young George Washington had fought against the French as a British colonial officer in the French and Indian War (1754–1763). Washington had seen French soldiers as the enemy on the frontier. Yet history turned with astonishing speed. In 1777, a nineteen-year-old French aristocrat named Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roc

Free BBQ and Waterslide: Sunday, July 12, and Sunday, August 9, 11:30 a.m - 1:30 p.m. Please RSVP to the Church Office: 530-241-1450 if you aren't a regular member of Westside Church of Redding and would like to attend. (This will help to ensure they cook enough hamburgers and hot dogs for the events.) The service starts at 10 a.m., and the BBQ starts at 11:30 a.m. - 8780 Swasey Dr., Redding, CA. Message from Pastor Josh and the Leadership Team: Westside Church of Redding

Hundreds of synchronized drones replaced traditional fireworks in a stunning patriotic display over Shasta Lake on July 3, drawing thousands to the iconic dam for Shasta County’s debut aerial spectacle. Shasta County marked America’s 250th anniversary with a modern twist on Independence Day celebrations. On Friday evening, July 3, approximately 200 drones took to the skies above Shasta Lake near Shasta Dam in the region’s first-ever drone light show. The roughly 15- to 20-min

Cazenovia, New York — A high-profile school board official who also performed as a drag queen and founded a local Pride organization has been arrested on serious allegations of child sex crimes. Travis Longo, performing as “Anita Buffem,” faces state and federal charges involving explicit communications with a child under 12 and possession of child pornography- Credit: localsyr.com On June 18, 2026, New York State Police arrested Travis J. Longo (also known as Travis Barr-Lon

In the winter of 1782, inside a modest Paris apartment, three American commissioners sat across from their British counterparts to negotiate the end of the Revolutionary War. John Jay, the tall, serious New Yorker, refused to accept terms that would leave the new nation weak or dependent. While others were willing to compromise, Jay insisted on full recognition of American independence, secure borders, and vital fishing rights off Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. His firmness he

In the jungles of Vietnam, a Marine leader named Major James Capers faced an impossible moment during a desperate evacuation. His team had been ambushed. He was gravely wounded—shot and struck by shrapnel, with a broken leg—yet he had fought and led his men to the helicopter landing zone. When the overloaded chopper struggled to lift off under enemy fire and with no fuel remaining, Major Capers did something extraordinary: he tried to step off the aircraft. He was willing to