DougCo joins lawsuit vs. property tax relief measure

A Spencer woman has been charged in federal court in Worcester with defrauding the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced Monday.

Disclosure: State of Alabama-based writer. This article is a work from cited sources for informational purposes and is used with permission. No affiliate links are included. During a March 20, 2025, appearance on the All-On Podcast, President Trump's Department of Commerce appointee Howard Lutnick said he believes fraud is possibly happening within the Social Security Administration's disability program.

Liberty, Ohio — What was meant to be a joyful weekend, a homecoming, a picnic, and a mother gathering groceries for a celebration—turned into a mystery. Somewhere between the checkout line and the park, something went wrong. By the time the sun rose again, a mother of three had vanished, leaving a running car, unanswered questions, and a family still waiting for her return.

Sandy Paws Rescue Inc., a dedicated foster-based rescue in Massachusetts, recently introduced a happy little dog named McFlurry who is searching for her forever family. This petite possible Maltese mix, rescued from a rural shelter in central Texas, has already proven herself to be an adaptable and charming companion in her foster home.

When I bought my first house, I thought I was finally free—my own space, my own rules. Then I met the HOA. At first, it seemed harmless. A small monthly fee, some basic upkeep rules. No big deal, right? Wrong.

U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell introduced The Protecting American Farmlands Act, legislation that reduces the tax burden on selling farmland, encouraging farmers to keep their land in agricultural production and curbing the loss of farmland across the country.

If you rely on Section 8 or invest in rental properties, you’ll notice this. They’ve changed the way they calculate voucher amounts, and it could seriously impact renters and landlords.

A possible surge in overdose deaths in Denver could indicate some irregularities in the street drug supply, Harm Reduction Action Center warned Monday. The Denver Post reported there have been a dozen outdoor deaths in March in Denver, including nine in a nine-day stretch. “Over the past month, there have been a lot of reported overdoses in Denver being responded to with naloxone by people who use drugs, services providers, and around the Colorado State Capitol,” HRAC Executive Director Lisa Raville said in the needle exchange’s newsletter Monday. “Over the past couple of weeks, we started noticing the public death posts on social media and then multiple sources from the city reached out to let us know they were overdose related. We alerted HRAC participants and other service providers for quick communication. Unfortunately, many in the city have expressed that we will need to wait for weeks and months before they will officially determine these deaths as overdoses. That is incredibly frustrating as we need real time information of the drug supply and the names of those we have lost.”

Listen, sellers who overpaid in 2020-2022 and now think we’ll subsidize your mistake? Not happening. I saw your house listed at 400k in 2022–congratulations, you got conned by a well− meaning realtor. Now you’re asking 500k for the same avocado-green walls and outdated HVAC? That’s not a "principle" issue – that’s math.

Some Kentucky lawmakers want to make it mandatory for some Medicaid participants in Kentucky to work, but experts say that would disproportionately affect people with mental health or substance use disorders.

Sandy Paws Rescue Inc., a foster-based rescue in Massachusetts, recently introduced an adorable and sweet puppy named Timon. At just 3 months old, this large-breed puppy has already captured hearts with his sweet disposition and engaging personality. Timon has proven to be a wonderful foster companion, showing remarkable respect. “He's been nothing but respectful to his foster fur-brother & sister and simply enjoys being in their company,” explains the nonprofit rescue.

CALIFORNIA – California federal judge William H. Alsup, ordered, March 13, the Trump Administration to reinstate thousands of employees who were recently mass-fired. Alsup ordered immediate reinstatement of terminated probationary employees of the Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Interior, Energy, Defense, and Treasury departments. These agencies must also cease termination of probationary employees, effective immediately.

Denver advocate for the homeless Amy Beck told the City Council Monday that 600 families are living on the city’s streets. It’s a striking increase from just 18 unsheltered families listed in Denver County on the 2024 Point in Time count dashboard.

Sandy Paws Rescue Inc., a dedicated foster-based dog rescue in Massachusetts, recently introduced a loving gentle giant named Demi, a Cane Corso who has captured hearts with her affectionate personality. At just under three years old and weighing 84 pounds, Demi has a perfect blend of majesty and playfulness that her breed is known for. Described as a loving companion who has never met a stranger, she particularly enjoys car rides, demonstrating her agility by easily hopping in and out of vehicles. Her social nature extends to other dogs of all sizes, and she's shown a peaceful coexistence with cats, completely ignoring them.

Folks, check out this epic fail from my landlord: Rent shot up by $275 in January, and their “repairs” are straight-up crayon-level disasters. Instead of fixing the rotting wooden columns, they just hammered tons of nails into the base like they’re building a Pinterest project. Then, to cover up the white paint nightmare on our lawn, they rinsed paint buckets directly on the grass and… ​

I've been crunching the numbers, and honestly, unless it’s a single-family home, I don’t see how buying makes financial sense in the Bay Area. Condos and townhomes come with insane HOA fees—some as high as $2,000 a month. That alone is more than a mortgage in most places. Add skyrocketing insurance costs, rising property taxes, and 7%+ interest rates, and you’re paying a fortune before even touching the principal.

Florida's real estate market is taking a slow dive here in South Fort Myers. My wife and I bought our 3-bed townhome near Gulf Coast University for 400k in 2020. Now identical homes in our complex are listing for 320-$360k - some have been on the market over six months with zero offers.

A friend of mine just helped his mother secure a Section 8 apartment in a great neighborhood. The place is beautiful, but the upfront costs? Absolutely insane. The landlord required $15k upfront, including a broker fee, just to allow her to rent under Section 8.

Buying a condo and dealing with renovations was exhausting enough, and now this… I've been so unlucky lately. I bought my place in December and registered with the HOA, only to find out they raised the fees starting February. I contacted the HOA and found out they notified the seller about the hike a few days after I signed the contract. But here's the kicker: none of this was disclosed in any of the documents I received. I’m starting to feel like the seller intentionally hid this from me. Does anyone know if the seller is legally required to give me all the disclosures before I signed? Feels like I just got blindsided, and I have no idea what to do next.😮‍💨

A few years ago, my dad, 68, started sleeping 12+ hours daily. We joked about him “catching up on rest,” but his forgetfulness worsened. His doctor mentioned studies linking excessive sleep in older adults to higher dementia risks. While not a direct cause, it’s a potential red flag for brain changes.

Sharing my petty (but effective) HOA revenge story. For years, I lived in a neighborhood where parking in front of your own house was banned. I followed the rule grudgingly… until I got slapped with a $50 fine for a car I didn’t even own. The kicker? The car belonged to a random visitor parked briefly in front of my house.

My wife and I are struggling to agree on tithing. She’s been attending church regularly for years, and while I respect her faith, I don’t participate. Recently, she asked to start giving 10% of our joint income to her church, which is a significant amount for us financially. I told her I’m uncomfortable donating that much to an institution I’m not involved with, and it turned into a heated argument. She says tithing is non-negotiable for her faith, and my refusal feels like a rejection of her values.

Sandy Paws Rescue Inc., a foster-based rescue in Massachusetts, has recently introduced a tiny charmer named Wink, who is proving that good things indeed come in small packages. At just seven pounds and approximately one year old, Wink has been affectionately dubbed "the calico cat for dog lovers" by the nonprofit rescue, referencing his tri-colored fur and petite size that puts him in the same weight class as many household felines. Despite his small stature, this pint-sized pup brings an outsized personality to the table.

The 101st Airborne Division sent an unspecified number of soldiers to the U.S. southern border in January, and a Thursday press release said about 300 more soldiers are being sent.

A bill that would grant compensation to wrongfully convicted Georgians was just given a second chance after lawmakers spliced it into a bill inspired by President Donald Trump’s election interference case in Georgia.

Why aren’t we housing the homeless in abandoned motels? It’s not rocket science—seal off broken windows, install security cameras, and rent them at 50/ month. But here’s the catch: The system profits from keeping people destitute. Politicians don’t want you to know that Housing First programs do work—they cut emergency room visits by 6010k/year for mental health meds.

Yo, if you (or your kids) have federal student loans, stop scrolling and save your payment history ASAP. Why? Changes are coming—IDR plans/forgiveness could get axed, loans might shift to private servicers, and your records could vanish. You’ll need proof of what you’ve paid/owe.

Several migrants from Venezuela virtually attended the Denver City Council meeting on Monday and spoke during public comment period about living on the streets. They said they are living out of their cars or even sleeping on the pavement because no shelter space is available in Denver. Speaking through an interpreter, Henry Alvarez said in Spanish that he arrived in Denver Jan. 4 with his wife of 22 years and three children. He said they had been staying in a cold weather hotel shelter, but that has ended now that temperatures have risen.

A hotline operated by The Salvation Army that is supposed to link homeless families to shelter continues to go unanswered, Housekeys Action Network Denver, or HAND, said in an emailed statement Saturday.

CONCORD – A judge has denied state Supreme Court Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi’s motion to dismiss all indictments against her alleging she tried to improperly influence a criminal investigation into her husband, Geno Marconi, director of the state Division of Ports and Harbors.