Good morning Clear Lake High School, welcome to the least notable news of the week!

Monday of last week seemed to walk right out of a cartoon. At 5 a.m., on California’s busy Interstate 80, 150,000 tomatoes spilled from a truck, turning the road into a mix of concrete and marinara sauce. The instigating crash involved three vehicles, including the truck. However, as the highway grew slippery four more crashes followed. Luckily only three people came away with minor injuries, and one person was hospitalized with a broken leg. The mess that had been a left afterwards was so extensive, California Highway Patrol had to close almost every lane on either side of Interstate 80. It took until 3 p.m. that day for the road to be cleared, finally decongesting the traffic caused by the unlikely incident.

Last Tuesday, New York Times reporter Oliver Whang published his article on Joseph Carter, the mink tamer. Established as the internet’s “Mink Man,” Carter has made a career out of training these weasels and posting his adventures to YouTube. Over time, Carter’s mink-infested socials have even caught the eye of animal psychologists and researchers. Despite the clear oddness of Joseph Carter’s career, both he and his observers admit this is a fulfilling life for these merciless little killers, as compared to the fur farms mink are typically raised for. Supported by the esteemed researchers and Carter’s followers, Joseph Carter has a full future ahead of him with these miniature yet deadly animals.

The week of Aug. 29 was normal for most, a standard work or school schedule, homework, socializing, maybe even a dog walk. But not Joseph “Joie” Henney. On Aug. 29 Washington Post reporter Cathy Free published an article covering Henney, a 69-year-old Pennsylvania man, with an alligator as his emotional support animal. WallyGator, the alligator, was rescued by Henney in 2015. Having experience with reptiles, Henney was willing to take him in, despite the clear danger an alligator poses. Since then, the two have formed a “man’s best friend” type relationship, and WallyGator’s adventures with his owner are documented and displayed to his and Henney’s socials.

The first taste of September also marks an important annual tradition. The rise of Pumpkin Spice. Just one day into the month, a very un-Texan fall fills store shelves as sparkly pumpkins and warm latte scents take over. Currently name brands like Dunkin, but especially Starbucks, are putting their Pumpkin Spice monopoly into full force. Similarly, beauty and toiletry brands like Bath and Body Works are releasing lines of fall inspired products.

The weekdays came to an end as the story of a pet goat lawsuit caught wind. Jessica Long, a mom from Northern California, filed a suit after having her daughter’s goat Cedar was taken to slaughter by the Shasta District Fair. Originally Long and her daughter had been fostering Cedar until his auction at the fair. Eventually, however, Long’s daughter and the young goat formed a bond. To keep the pair together, Long tried to withdraw Cedar from the auction. After being turned down, the family moved Cedar to a farm 200 miles away in attempt to keep him. The fair officials still decided to enforce the reclaiming of the goat and sent deputies to retrieve Cedar by driving 500 miles to his new location. Now Long is suing for a violation of her and her daughters Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights, which in summary, require due process and protect against unreasonable searches and confiscation. But most of all, Long reiterates the heartbreak and grief her daughter has experienced with the loss of a friend.

Ending on a sad note, this concludes the least notable news of the week.