Vol. I: Issue 042                                                                                             October 9th, 2026

Breaking news out of Tricksylvania, where the town’s month-long Halloween celebration is officially in full swing.

Mayor Gretel kicked off the festivities last week by taking part in one of Tricksylvania’s oldest and most unusual traditions. Every year on the first night of October, the sitting mayor dons the costume of Pumpkinstein, the ancient folk monster whose legend has been woven into the town’s Halloween celebrations for generations.

Once darkness falls, Pumpkinstein makes the rounds, leaving specially carved pumpkins on the doorsteps of 31 unsuspecting residents. Those lucky recipients become that year’s Torchguard, with each member representing one of Tricksylvania’s 31 peaks.

And their job does not end with a pumpkin on the porch.

On the final night of October, all 31 members of the Torchguard gather at Fawksfire Square, torches in hand, for the ceremonial lighting of the Great Pumpkinstein Bonfire. It is one of the biggest moments of the season, bringing the month-long celebration to a fiery close right in the heart of town.

Between now and then, expect plenty of your favorite tricks, treats, costumes, and creepy traditions popping up throughout Tricksylvania. And I’ll be keeping watch for any new surprises this spooky season has hiding in the shadows, because Duke’s Gotcha covered!

 

Hiya friends!

Toby and the Cobblers are heading to Sakura Bay this weekend, and I was actually supposed to be there for the show. But, um… let’s just say those plans fell through. So if anybody out there wants two tickets, send me a message over on HeadCase. I’d rather somebody get to enjoy them.

As for Sakura Bay itself, well, the weather seems to be matching the mood a little bit. It’s looking cool, gray, and pretty soggy through the weekend, with plenty of drizzle, steady showers, and those low clouds settling in around the hills.

Things do start to dry out a little as we move into the new week, and we may even sneak in a few patches of sunshine here and there, but overall it stays on the cool and cloudy side.

So, umbrellas and light jackets this week, friends. Hopefully Sakura Bay gets a few brighter moments in there somewhere.

 

The Mumph here, and I’ve been keeping one eye on baseball and the other on all this CFL preseason drama. Biggest headline this week, the Starlight City Green Sox are now officially the Starlight City Bankrollers, and hoo boy, longtime fans have opinions.

I get it. Team names get wrapped up in memories, old jerseys, games you went to with your pops, all that good stuff. You change the name and suddenly everybody has something to say. Bankrollers is gonna take some getting used to, but give it time, folks. Put a few wins on the board and that new name might start sounding a whole lot sweeter.

Speaking of wins, the Burgerburgh Sizzlers are still perfect.

Burgerburgh jumped on Tacodale right away with two runs in the first. The Hardshells answered with one, but the Sizzlers tacked on another in the third and then spent the rest of the afternoon protecting that 3 to 1 lead. Tacodale finally broke through again in the ninth and made things interesting, but one last push was not enough.

MVP goes to Basteau at shortstop. In a game where the lead has to survive six straight scoreless innings, you want somebody dependable in the middle of that infield, and Basteau helped keep Burgerburgh steady all the way to that final out.

Final score, Burgerburgh Sizzlers 3, Tacodale Hardshells 2. Winner, Burgerburgh. MVP, Basteau.

My two cents, 3 and 0 is 3 and 0, folks. Burgerburgh keeps finding different ways to win, and right now those Sizzlers are cooking.

 

Hello out there…

Well, The Scoop is stuck talking trash this week.

How can I not? It is piling up everywhere.

Ever since Thrasher’s Heap shut down the Quickskip tunnel, garbage collection across the Continental Concordia has been grinding to a halt. Bags are stacking up on sidewalks, dumpsters are overflowing, and let me assure you, the situation smells every bit as bad as it looks.

What frustrates me most is how predictable this was.

Ty Quilton made the Heap’s intentions clear. And, not to polish my own shovel here, I raised concerns about that tunnel months ago. The Concordia had warning. Instead, its usual slow machinery kept turning until suddenly everyone was standing knee-deep in the consequences.

At the moment, Thrasher’s Heap has the leverage, which means somebody needs to stop posturing and start talking.

The public is already dividing over what should happen next. Some believe that, shady history aside, Thrasher’s Heap has a legitimate right to pursue sovereignty. Others want the Concordia to intervene and forcibly reopen the tunnel.

I understand the frustration, but force is not the answer. That road gets ugly very quickly.

What this needs is mediation. A serious conversation about sovereignty, regulation, waste access, and what each side is actually willing to give up. There is room here for both parties to walk away with something.

I just hope Thrasher’s Heap does not manage to turn one landfill into a landslide of concessions.

Until then, keep the windows closed.

And that’s The Scoop.